Sizzling Nights with Dr. Off-Limits

“I see you remember all my favorites.”

Glancing toward him, she smiled sweetly. “But of course.”

He stared at her a minute, then surprised her by the easy smile that slid onto his face. “I’ll come hungry.”

“I didn’t invite you to dinner,” she reminded him.

“But you’re going to because you want to prove to me what a great cook you are now.”

He had her there. She narrowed her gaze at him in dislike. She did want to impress him with the fact that she wasn’t the same person she’d been five years ago. Stupid pride.

“I’m eating at nine. I’ll eat without you if you’re late.”

CHAPTER SIX

LUCAS COULDN’T SAY the smells that greeted him were the best he’d ever smelled, but they weren’t bad.

Immediately after letting him into her apartment, Emily disappeared. She didn’t tell him to make himself at home, just opened the door, motioned him in without a smile or a look that said she was glad he was there, then disappeared.

He assumed to the kitchen.

She probably wasn’t glad he was there. He’d practically begged for the invitation. Something he didn’t quite understand. He’d only wanted to make peace with Emily, to be able to function at the hospital without undue awkwardness between them. Now he wanted to be with her because he liked being with her. Which wasn’t in his plans at all, but that didn’t seem to have stopped him from pushing for an invite to taste her cooking.

Or from feeling ecstatic that she and the pharmacist were history.

He closed the apartment door behind him and checked out her living room. The comfortably decorated room was a far cry from the hovel where they’d lived when they’d been married. It had taken everything she’d made for them to scrape by.

He’d looked at things differently than she had. He’d been in school, not some lazy bum seeking handouts from his family. Sure, his family hadn’t been pleased that he’d married Emily, but they’d never cut off his funds. Plus, he’d had his own money from his trust his grandparents had left him. Maybe he’d taken that for granted. But the reality was, the money had been his and there’d been no reason for him and Emily to struggle financially.

Only, Emily had insisted she made more than enough for them to get by and had refused any help. He’d given in, for the most part, because he’d thought she’d eventually see sense. She hadn’t and he’d resented the change she’d imposed upon him.

Or, more likely, he’d hated that she’d been the one supporting them financially. He’d wanted to take care of her, but she’d refused to let him help to the point of being unreasonable, in his opinion.

All because his parents had accused her of being after his money and she’d been determined to prove them wrong, even if it had meant cutting off her nose to spite her face.

How much had the stress of carrying the financial load played into her depression?

He walked over to a shelf, picked up a photo of her parents. He wasn’t sure how old the photo was, but they looked exactly the way he remembered. Then again, just because it seemed as if it had been forever since he and Emily had been married, really it hadn’t been that long ago.

Five years since a judge had decreed their divorce final.

His hand shook as he set the frame back onto the shelf.

Her living room color pattern was very neutral, very pleasing to the eye. Creams, earth tones, with a few jewel-toned throw pillows tossed on the sofa. She had a few knickknacks scattered about the room, but overall it was a clutter-free look.

Without one trace of her former life.

Not that he’d expected there to be. Just that he noted there wasn’t.

Then again, did his own living quarters boast anything of his life with Emily?

No. At least, they hadn’t before a few weeks ago when he’d dug out a box of things he’d been unable to bring himself to throw away. Inside the box had been a photo-booth strip they’d had taken in Atlantic City on their one and only trip there. They’d labeled the weekend as their honeymoon.

He’d wanted to take her on a real honeymoon, somewhere exotic, but instead they’d stayed in a cheap budget motel, eaten junk food, lain around on the beach, played in the water, ridden rides and had sex as if they’d been in heat.

Not the honeymoon he’d wanted to give her or that he’d ever imagined, but he could recall few times in his life he’d been happier. When Emily had been happier.

Once upon a time, being with him had made her happy.