PATIENT CARE (Medical Romance) (Doctor Series) by Bobby Hutchinson Read Free Book Online Page A

if he’d memorized them.
    “Your people skills need a lot of improving, Doctor.” Her tone was cold and distant. “St. Joe’s has courses, you know.”
    The elevator finally arrived, and she stepped on.
    He did, as well. For the first time in recent history, the blasted thing was empty except for them. Melissa punched the third-floor button; she wanted to pop in and see Betsy before going to her office to start the day.
    Burke didn’t punch any button; obviously, he was going to the same place.
    The elevator stayed where it was for what seemed an eternity before it began to move.
    “Melissa, I’m sorry.” This time he appeared to mean it. “The last thing I intended to do was upset you,” he went on. His tone was becoming less certain with each sentence. “I never know what to do when someone cries.”
    “A handkerchief or a kind word work a heck of a lot better than walking away,” she snapped.
    “You’re probably right.” He sounded miserable. “You are right,” he corrected, when she glared at him. “Will you accept my apology? Please?”
    She would, of course. She pretty much had to. She didn’t want bad feelings between them; they did work in the same hospital. Still, she let the silence stretch because it wouldn’t hurt him to squirm a little.
    The elevator stopped. They were at the third floor, but before the doors could open he reached around her and put his finger on the button that kept the doors shut. She was cornered; his head was close to hers, his chest only inches away. She could smell clean sweat under laid with aftershave. His hair flopped onto his forehead. He gazed into her eyes for a moment. Then his gaze wandered to her mouth and he swore under his breath.
    “Damn, you make me want to—”
    Instead of finishing the sentence, he bent his head and kissed her.
    It was so unexpected that for a moment she couldn’t believe it was actually happening. But his lips were warm and tender, and he kissed well. She was enveloped in his scent, woodsy and intimate. The kiss wasn’t a long one by any means, and he certainly didn’t do anything invasive
    with his tongue, but her insides were humming when she pulled away.
    He looked every bit as startled as she felt. He still had his finger on the button, so the elevator doors stayed closed.
    “Exactly what do you think you’re doing, Doctor?” She tried for steely and outraged but instead got shrill and shaky.
    “Beats me.” He gave his head a bemused shake. Then he frowned at her, and his deep brown eyes went from abstracted to alarmed.  “Damn it, Melissa, I hope you know I didn’t plan that,” he burst out. “Because I didn’t. Being close to you makes me—oh, God. Please don’t think sexual harassment here.”
    It hadn’t crossed her mind until he mentioned it.
    “It’s—well, see—”
    He was stuttering. She wondered if anyone aside from his mother had ever heard James Burke stutter. She waited. She managed to raise her eyebrows in what she hoped was a cool, questioning manner, but her face was burning. She cursed her coloring.
    “It’s just that you’re the sexiest—” He stopped short and tried again. “You’re a lovely woman. I’ve always found you attractive. And just for one minute there, I lost my head.” His shoulders slumped and he sighed. “I guess now I really owe you an apology.”
    She drew in a shaky breath. “No,” she said softly. “You don’t.” She swallowed and said the first thing that came into her head. “It was a nice kiss. It’s also nice to find out that you’re human, after all.”
    Lord. Was nice the only word she could think of?
    “People might be starting to wonder what’s wrong with the elevator, though,” she added, when he still didn’t make a move.
    “Oh. Yeah. Of course.” He released the button and the door slid open. No one was waiting, and Melissa was relieved. She felt warm and rumpled, and she knew her cheeks were still flaming. She’d just as soon nobody saw