Sizzling Nights with Dr. Off-Limits

“Suit yourself.”

Their waitress came, took their order, then disappeared.

“Tell me, Emily, how did you end up in that bachelor/bachelorette auction? Even though it was for a great cause, I will admit, I was surprised to see your name.”

She bristled. “Why? Think no one would bid on me?”

“I bid on you.”

“It would have been better if you hadn’t.”

“Would you have agreed to dinner with me if not for the auction?”

“No.”

“Then it was best that I bid. Besides, your guy was ticking me off that he barely upped the bid each time someone bid.”

Yeah, there was that. Speaking of ticked off, Richard had not been happy that she’d canceled their plans that evening so that she could go out with Lucas. Actually, he’d been downright surly.

“That’s why you jumped the bid out of his ballpark? Because he was barely upping the amount?” She’d just been happy that Richard had kept bidding against the strangers who’d been bidding prior to Lucas putting an end to all other interest.

“You deserve someone who sees your worth, Emily.”

“Yes, I do, which doesn’t explain why you bid on me.” She immediately wished she could retract her words. She didn’t want to argue with Lucas. She wanted to make it through dinner and go home unscathed from spending time in his company.

“Ouch.”

“The truth often hurts.”

“True.” He took a sip from the glass of water the waitress had set on the table. “If I was completely honest, I’d admit that I didn’t know I was going to bid, until I actually did.”

He hadn’t meant to bid on her? She wasn’t sure if that made her feel better or worse that he had.

“Like I said, you shouldn’t have.” She unfolded her napkin and put the cloth in her lap. “All it’s done is cause problems.”

“How so?”

“Richard is my boyfriend. He isn’t thrilled at what you did. Nor is he thrilled that I’m out with you tonight.”

“He could have bid higher.” He took another drink of water.

“He could have,” she admitted, wondering why she was defending Richard. He could easily have afforded to bid higher and he should have. That he hadn’t irked her. Never would she have let another woman win a “date” with her man when she had the means to prevent it. “But Richard is way too practical to spend that much money on dinner with me. Why should he when he knows he gets to spend time with me for free?”

“You like practical?”

“I love practical,” she immediately answered. She did like practical. Impractical made her feel out of control and that was something she never wanted to be again.

Lucas coughed as if his water had lingered and gone down the wrong pipe. “You love that guy?”

She wanted to lie. She wanted to say she was madly in love with Richard. She wanted to be able to tell Lucas that, yes, she had moved on past him and given her heart to another.

Instead, she told the truth.

“Richard is a great guy.” Despite how surly he was over Lucas. Then again, Lucas was a handsome doctor; under different circumstances that didn’t involve a past relationship that had ended in divorce, Richard would have every right to be surly. Maybe she should tell him who Lucas really was. “We have a lot in common and I enjoy our relationship.”

At least, she had right up until Richard had let Lucas walk away with the winning bid without even putting up a fight. Now she found herself questioning everything.

Lucas’s gaze didn’t waver from hers. “But do you love him?”