Courted

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Dr. Kevin Matthews was not having a good day. Patients were late, his scheduler was on maternity leave, and the guy filling in for her had already screwed up three appointments. Not to mention his coffee tasted like mud.

God, he’d be glad to get Patricia back.

He rubbed his temple as he reviewed the notes in a file of an upcoming patient, and wondered if he had enough time to run down to the hospital cafeteria and grab some coffee. It wasn’t the best either, but it would beat what he had in his mug by a mile.

A gentle rap on the open office door had him glancing up from his desk and staring into the deepest blue eyes he’d ever seen. No, scratch that. They weren’t just blue. They were sapphire. Sapphire under long dark lashes. His breath caught in his throat and his heart pounded in his ears.

The man’s eyes crinkled as a smile spread across his face, and that’s when Kevin realized the man knew exactly what kind of effect he was having on him. He shook his head and tore away his gaze, glancing at the paperwork in front of him. “Yes?” he asked, hoping he sounded aloof.

“You’re Dr. Matthews? Radiology?”

His velvety baritone struck a chord in Kevin and shot directly to his c**k. He was rock hard in an instant. s**t. It had been way too long.

“Yes,” he answered, pretending to review the file, although it could have been written in Russian for all he knew.

“I was sent down by Dr. Thornton to see if you could squeeze someone in today. I tried to call, but was put on hold and disconnected three times.” There was hint of laughter in his voice.

“My usual scheduler is out. And the temp is…less than competent.” He sighed and forced himself to look up. God, the man had to be at least five or six inches taller than his own six-one. He couldn’t help but stare. Again. The stranger looked like a warrior, with a mass of wavy dark brown hair falling down just far enough to curl around his ears and around his neck. The man brushed a wisp of hair behind his ear and Kevin fought the shudder at the sight of his strong hands. He had a straight nose, cheeks that could have been chiseled from marble, and full rosy lips. The dark beard he wore close to his skin made Kevin want to feel the stubble against his own skin. But the small dimple in his chin was the cherry on the sundae for Kevin, and he wanted to lick it.

Hell, he wanted to lick every inch of this man and he let his gaze roam over him. Broad shoulders, dark hair poking out the top of his scrubs. Oh, God, he loved a hairy man.

The sound of the man clearing his throat pulled Kevin back to reality, and his face burned as their eyes met. His heart raced and he tried to pull himself together. What the hell had they been talking about?

The guy stepped into the office, his massive shoulders brushing the doorjamb as he moved closer to the desk. A hint of musk filled the small room, and Kevin’s nostrils flared. The man’s sapphire eyes twinkled and another smile played at his lips. “See anything you like?” he asked, his voice low and husky.

Kevin swallowed hard and tried to look away. He was used to being the one in charge. He was the one who put men off their game. Yet here he sat, every inch of his body vibrating with need. Never in his life had he had this reaction to anyone. Unsettled, he grabbed the edge of his desk with both hands. But in answer to the question, Kevin nodded. How could he not?

Another flash of a smile, then the man was all business again. “So, any chance you can fit someone in?”

Kevin nodded again, pretended to look at his calendar. “Two P.M.,” he said, with no real idea if he had room or not. It didn’t matter—he would fit in the patient somehow. He just needed to get this man out of his office before he said or did something idiotic.

“Great. I’ll let Dr. Thornton know. He’s going to email you the information.” The guy paused and ran his hand through his hair. “My name’s Macaulay Winters. Mac, actually. I’m the new nurse in Dr. Thornton’s department.”

“Kevin. You can call me Kevin.”

Mac reached across the desk, offering his hand, so Kevin shook it, feeling sparks of electricity skittering across his skin. Mac looked a little surprised, leading Kevin to wonder if he felt the connection, too. They held a little longer than necessary, and Kevin shivered when Mac’s thumb caressed his hand for a moment before he let go.

“Well, I’ll see you later…Kevin.” It sounded like a promise.

With the words still lingering in the air, Kevin watched Mac leave the office. A shiver ran through him and he shook his head. What the f**k had just happened? He was still hard as a rock and his skin buzzed with desire, making him feel like a goddamn teenager. Yeah, it had been way too long since he’d been with a man.

He slumped back in his chair and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. He’d acted like a hormonal teen the way he’d gawked at Mac, but s**t, the man was hot.

Kevin was still reeling from meeting Mac when he received a call on his office phone. Reluctantly, he got back to work and tried to ignore the lust coursing through him.

* * * *

Unfortunately, the afternoon proved just as bumpy as his morning. Keeping busy was a great way to keep his mind off Mac, though. At least, until he saw the hot new nurse maneuvering a patient in a wheelchair into the small waiting room.

Again, Kevin’s heart raced at the sight of Mac and he struggled to remain professional, hoping to hell he wasn’t drooling. Mac watched him, those sapphire eyes staring into his, and Kevin furrowed his brow. Usually an orderly wheeled the hospital patients into the waiting room, not the nurses, so Kevin wondered why Mac was there. The hospital employees were a tight-knit group, though, and everyone typically pitched in to help, so maybe the man was just being thoughtful. Kevin wouldn’t allow himself to hope that Mac had simply wanted to see him.

Something hitting the floor behind him made Kevin tear away his gaze. Seeing that a woman had dropped a clipboard, Kevin picked it up, handed it to her with a smile, and returned his attention to the new nurse. Nobody should look that good in ugly green scrubs.

Their gazes met again and Kevin’s heart skipped a beat. Mac licked his bottom lip, and the image of that tongue on Kevin’s skin popped into his head.

Fuck. He was losing the battle to appear professional. He thought he heard his name through the loud thump-thump-thump of his heart, but his damn feet were frozen in place. Mac finally looked away and Kevin’s brain clicked in, allowing him to move again. He was making a fool of himself and he knew it, which pissed him off. Judging by the cocky smile on Mac’s face, the hot nurse had an idea what was running through Kevin’s mind, too. Still, Kevin couldn’t resist smiling back.

One of his nurses repeated his name and he turned to see her indicating the next patient. As he started to take the patient into his office, he nodded a goodbye to Mac.

He didn’t see the man for the rest of the day, but later at home, he couldn’t get Mac out of his mind. He’d never believed in that “insta-love,” “insta-lust,” “fate” kind of meetings, but he couldn’t deny the immediate and intense chemistry he’d felt the second he’d looked into Mac’s eyes.

God, he was the one who liked to be in control—a little bit of an alpha male, to be honest. But something in the way Mac had looked at him made him want to give himself over, heart, body, and soul. No questions asked. To see where Mac would lead. Where he would take him. He had a feeling it would be spectacular.

That night as he lay in bed, he resisted the urge to take matters into his own hands. His mind, however, had other ideas, and images of a beautiful man with sapphire eyes filled his dreams.