Enticed by the Operative (Doctors in Danger, Book 1) (10 page)

Logan cocked his head to the side and regarded her with a half smile. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you actually wanted me to share your bed.” He took a step closer, and something dangerous glinted in his eyes. “Am I wrong?”

No
, whispered a traitorous voice in her head. She swallowed hard, pushing aside an image of the two of them in the small bed, limbs tangled and skin flushed. What would it feel like to have his tall, powerful frame pressed against her body? To feel the strength of his arms as he held her?

She met his gaze, determined to keep things on a professional level. That was why they were here after all. Fantasizing about things that weren’t going to happen was a waste of time. “All I’m saying is that it’s dangerous for you to sleep on the floor.”

He frowned slightly. “What do you suggest I do then? Can we have them bring in another bed?”

Olivia shook her head. “I don’t think that’s an option. There probably isn’t one, and even if there were, don’t you think it would look a little strange? After all, we’re dating, right?” She couldn’t resist teasing him just a little, especially since it was his rash announcement that had gotten them into this situation.

“I guess there’s no help for it then,” Logan said. “We’ll just have to share.”

Olivia glanced at the small bed and then at his broad shoulders. She bit her lip as a lesson from a long-ago physics class echoed in her mind:
Two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time...

Her skepticism must have shown on her face, because Logan grinned broadly. “Don’t worry, it won’t be so bad. I sleep on my side. You’ll have plenty of room.”

Olivia let out a sigh, accepting her fate. “I hope you don’t snore.”

He held up his right hand as if making a pledge. “You won’t even know I’m here.”

She choked back a laugh.
Yeah, right.
It had been a long time since she’d shared a bed with a man, especially for any length of time. And while she’d signed on to play the role of the doting girlfriend, she hadn’t thought it would be necessary to stay in character behind closed doors.

Maybe that was the crux of the problem. She had to act the part without reaping any of the benefits. Lying next to Logan every night, hearing him breathe and feeling the bed shift with his every movement—it was going to be pure torture.

There’s always sleeping pills.
Perhaps a little help was in order to ensure she wasn’t spending the nights staring at the ceiling, trying to ignore the man next to her. But no, that wasn’t a good solution. The few times she’d taken a sleeping pill, she’d woken groggy and it had taken hours to clear the mental fog from her brain. She couldn’t afford to feel that way while she was here—too many people depended on her to help them, and she couldn’t do that if her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton balls.

She was just going to have to suck it up. They were both adults after all. Surely they could share a bed without any problems.

Logan stretched out on the mattress and crossed his ankles. He was so tall his feet hung off the end, but that didn’t seem to bother him. He patted the space next to him and grinned, looking every inch the smug, satisfied male. “Wanna break it in with me? I could use a nap.”

It was going to be a long month.

CHAPTER 9

L
ogan was such an idiot.

He’d known, on an intellectual level at least, that sharing a bed with Olivia Sandoval was going to be difficult. But he figured he’d be able to grit his teeth and bear it, with the knowledge that their living arrangement wasn’t going to last forever. In theory, it was a solid plan.

The problem was, the reality was so much harder than he’d anticipated.

No question about it, Olivia was a knockout. He’d been attracted to her from the start, when she’d moved in next door two years ago. Now that he was learning more about her, she was even more appealing. And given his lengthy dry spell, his body was quite interested in getting acquainted in a more personal way.

Unfortunately, their nocturnal proximity did not make things any easier on his wavering self-control.

The first week hadn’t been so bad. They’d both fallen into bed exhausted, wrung out from working long days getting everything set up and preparing for Olivia to see patients. They’d been too tired for any awkwardness to set in, and sleep had claimed them quickly.

Tonight was different.

He was lying on his side, staring at the wall of the apartment, listening to Olivia’s steady breaths. He could tell she was still awake, too. She always got a little hitch in her breathing right as she was dropping off to sleep. It was an intimate detail, the kind a lover would know. It felt a little strange, learning such a personal fact about her when their relationship was really more of a business interaction. But he was growing used to the odd dichotomy between them.

She sighed and shifted a bit, probably trying to find a more comfortable position. The mattress left a lot to be desired in terms of padding, but he’d seen the ones at the hospital and knew they were lucky. It was amazing how quickly his standards changed after being confronted with true poverty.

“Can’t sleep?” He kept his voice low, barely above a whisper. He didn’t want to disturb her if she was drifting off. But if they were both awake, they might as well pass the time together. His hormones proposed a few activities they could try to stave off boredom, but he ignored the predictable suggestions. Talking was a much safer choice.

She was quiet for a moment, making him wonder if she was going to respond. Then she sighed, the bed moving slightly as the breath left her body. “Yeah. Am I keeping you up?”

“Nope. I just don’t feel tired. You?”

“I can’t turn my brain off.”

“That happen often?”

Her voice was wry. “Often enough.”

Logan rolled to face the ceiling. It seemed rude somehow to carry on a conversation with his back to her, even though they couldn’t see each other in the darkness. “Penny for your thoughts?”

She let out a soft laugh and the mattress bounced as she moved. He felt the brush of her shoulder against his own as she settled onto her back. The heat of her touch was like a warm coal from a dying fire, pleasant and welcome.

“I don’t even know where to begin,” she said, her voice closer now that they had both moved.

“I generally like to start at the beginning,” he suggested. “But you do what you think is best.”

“That’s very helpful,” she grumbled. But he heard the smile in her voice and knew she wasn’t really upset.

He could guess what was bothering her, but it would be better if she told him herself. He didn’t want to put words in her mouth. And while he’d never admit it out loud, a big part of him was hoping she trusted him enough to lower her guard and let him inside.

“I just can’t stop thinking about my friends.”

He searched his brain for their names. “Avery and Meredith?”

“Mallory,” she corrected.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. You’ve never met them. You can’t really be expected to remember their names.”

“How long have you all been friends?” Female relationships fascinated and mystified him in equal measures. His sister, Amy, was only two years younger, so he’d had a front row seat to much of the drama of high school friendships. He’d never understood how women could go from best friends to mortal enemies in the space of a few hours, but what did he know?

“About ten years. We met in medical school and started studying together. We all got along so well we decided to move in together.”

“Are they surgeons like you?”

“No. Avery works for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She’s part of their illness tracking team. And Mallory is a doctor on a cruise ship.”

“Nice,” he commented. “I wonder if there’s a need for a resident DEA agent on a cruise ship.”

She laughed. “Tell me about it. Sometimes I look at her life and think I’ve made all the wrong choices.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. You seem to be doing pretty well for yourself.”

“Thanks.” There was an odd note to her voice and he hoped he hadn’t made her more upset. He cleared his throat. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Why is the cartel threatening these women? You’re not geographically close to them, which means you can’t see them all that often. Why aren’t they going after your family?”

She took her time answering. “Because I don’t have any.”

Oh, man. His stomach dropped, and he could have kicked himself.
Way to make her feel worse.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” He’d noticed that she had left the getting-to-know-you questions pertaining to her family blank, but he had thought it was due to a wish for privacy. Never in a million years would he have imagined it was because she was alone in the world.

She shrugged and their shoulders touched again. “No reason why you should. I don’t talk about it.”

He searched his mind for something to say, for a safer topic that wouldn’t cause her pain. But before he could come up with something, she spoke again.

“It was a car accident. Two years ago. They were airlifted to the hospital, but by the time I got there, they had both slipped into comas. My mother appeared to rally at one point, but it didn’t last. They were in intensive care for several weeks, but it wasn’t enough to save them.”

Logan’s heart broke for her. He couldn’t imagine the pain of losing a parent, never mind losing both at the same time. He reached in the darkness and took her hand, unable to come up with the words to convey his sympathy.

“The worst part was I didn’t really get to say goodbye. They never woke up.”

He found his voice. “I’m sure they heard you nonetheless.”

“That’s what all the medical staff said. But a part of me still wonders if it’s really true.”

“I have to believe it is,” he said, squeezing her hand gently. “I remember once when I was at college I woke up in the middle of the night with food poisoning. Ten minutes later my mom called me. Said she’d had a vivid dream that I was sick and needed to check on me. I think parents just know things, especially when it comes to their kids.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I know they’d be proud of the work you’re doing here.”

She laughed softly, but there was no humor in it. “I was supposed to be doing this kind of thing full-time. I had planned to join Doctors Without Borders after I finished my residency. Travel the world, help those who need it most. Real idealistic stuff.”

“What changed?” he asked. She sounded bitter, which was unlike her. Even though he hadn’t known her very long, he could tell she wasn’t the kind of person to dwell on the negative parts of her past.

“I needed the money. My parents’ medical bills were through the roof, and I also had a lot of debt from school.”

“Your parents didn’t have health insurance?”

He felt her shake her head. “Dad had lost his job a few weeks before the accident. They hadn’t told me. I don’t think they wanted me to worry.”

“That sounds like solid parental reasoning to me.”

“Yeah.” He heard the smile in her voice and was glad her mood seemed to be improving. He was learning so much about her, more than the questionnaire could ever hope to tell him, but he didn’t want to hear it if it caused her pain. “Anyway, when I got an offer to join a private practice, I took one look at the starting salary and couldn’t really say no.”

He stroked his finger across her knuckles, enjoying the rises and dips of her skin as he traced the bones. “You made a smart choice. You shouldn’t beat yourself up for it.”

“My practical side agrees with you. But there’s still a small, idealistic part of me that thinks I sold out.” She sighed softly. “But that’s just life. It never really turns out like you expect, does it?”

“No,” he said, his thoughts turning to Emma. His life would have been so different if he’d never found out about her cheating on him. They’d be married for sure, coming up on an anniversary, in fact. How long would it have taken him to discover her lies? He liked to think he was a good investigator, but he hadn’t used those skills in his own personal life. If he hadn’t walked in on her and Chris in bed together, would he have ever suspected anything? More important, would they have had children by now? His gut twisted at the thought. Not because he didn’t want kids, but because he didn’t want them with a woman who would treat her marriage vows as suggestions rather than words to live by.

After a few moments of silence, Olivia chuckled softly and shook her head.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, eager for the distraction. He shoved thoughts of Emma back into the box where they belonged and focused on the woman next to him.

“I was just thinking. My mother would have loved you. You’re just the kind of man she always hoped I’d bring home. But if she hadn’t died, I never would have taken the job with my current practice and moved in next door. I’d probably be married to Scott, and we would never have met. It’s strange the way things work out sometimes.”

Logan’s face warmed at the compliment, and his stomach did a little flip at the implication of her words. Neighbors didn’t meet each other’s parents. Did that mean she thought they had the potential to be something more?

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said, trying to sound casual. “I think if you’re meant to be with someone, the universe will find a way to make it happen.”

“Do you think we’re meant to be together?” He heard a note of teasing in her voice, but there was something else there, too: interest.

His heart thumped hard against his ribs. How to answer that without sounding like a fool? He racked his brain, but came up empty.
Ah, to hell with it. Just be honest.
“I’m open to the possibility.”

She was quiet for a moment, and he began to worry that she was reconsidering her decision to share the bed with him. Maybe he’d come on too strong—the last thing he wanted was to sound like a budding stalker. But he also didn’t want to lie to her. She was the first woman he’d been drawn to in a long time, and he was curious to see where the attraction led him.

Apparently nowhere, if her ongoing silence was any indication.

Logan began to mentally prepare himself to sleep on the floor. Maybe he could spread some clothes around in a makeshift barrier to keep the bugs away while he slept... Just as he moved to pull his hand away and toss off the covers, Olivia’s grip tightened.

“What would you think if I told you I’m open to the possibility, as well?”

Hallelujah!
his body cried. But he tamped down the incipient celebration. It was nice to know his interest was reciprocated, but they still couldn’t act on their feelings until they made it back to the US.

He swallowed hard to dislodge the lump in his throat. “It sounds like we have something to look forward to when we get home.”

“I like that,” she said. “Gives me something nice to focus on while we’re here.” She squeezed his hand and he smiled, feeling suddenly lighter. It was a boost to his ego to know she was interested in exploring the possibilities between them.

She shifted again, and this time her leg brushed against his. It was the barest whisper of a touch, but it lit up his nerve endings so intensely it might as well have been a kick. A tingling sensation raced outward from the spot, flooding his system and making his skin hypersensitive. He lay there in the dark, his breath trapped in his chest, waiting for another brush of skin against skin. His desire for contact warred with his recognition that another touch might make him lose his grip on his self-control. He didn’t know which possibility was worse: not feeling her body again, or moving forward too quickly and losing sight of the dangers they faced here.

In the end, Olivia saved him by pulling her hand away from his. “I have to stop touching you,” she said, her voice sounding a little strained. “If I don’t, I’m going to forget all the reasons why we can’t turn our fake relationship into reality while we’re here.”

He laughed, happy to know he affected her as much as she did him. “It’s a good thing one of us has self-control.”

But how long would it last?

* * *

A week later, Olivia pushed a wayward strand of hair out of her face and smiled at her next patient, a young boy with a cleft lip. He stared up at her with big brown eyes and gave her a shy smile before turning away and reaching for his mother’s hand. The woman waddled in after him, hugely pregnant and clearly uncomfortable, if the grimace on her face was anything to go by. Logan immediately stood and pushed his chair over for her to use, and she sank down with a grateful smile in his direction.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Sandoval,” she said in Spanish. “Can you tell me your name, please?”

The boy looked to his mother, who nodded. “Alejandro,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she responded, trying to sound soothing. It was clear little Alejandro didn’t know what to make of her, and she didn’t want to scare him. “Can you tell me why you’re here today?” In her experience, it was better to ask the kids why they’d come rather than jumping in to the exam. They often found their confidence when explaining their condition to her.

He gestured to his mouth, the tip of his index finger tracing along the edges of the vee in his upper lip. “My lip is broken.”

She smiled at his description. “Can I take a closer look?”

He hesitated a moment, then nodded. Olivia leaned forward and gently touched his face, angling it more toward the light. The cleft was on his right side, and extended up to his nostril.