Despite Zoe’s protests that she was fine, he led her over to the truck and helped her sit on the bed. Then he knelt down, not seeming to care about the dirt and pine needles that would surely stick to his pants, and examined her foot. He slipped off her shoe, setting it on the ground, then gently ran his fingers up and down her ankle.
Zoe flushed. When he gently pressed her ankle, she shivered at his light touch on such a sensitive place. He was so focused on her foot that he didn’t seem to notice her watching him. She took in the firm angles of his face, the thin line of concentration between his eyes, and the way he tucked his lip between his teeth ever so slightly.
If she had her camera now and snapped a picture, it could easily feature on the poster for the “Hottest Doctor Alive.”
After a moment, Nathan straightened up. If he sensed anything about her borderline inappropriate thoughts, he didn’t let on.
“Everything looks fine,” he said, holding out a hand to help her down.
“That’s what I said,” Zoe reminded him.
“You were right.” He winked and circled towards the cab of the truck. “You’re staying in the B&B, right? I can drop you off.”
“Okay, thanks.” Zoe followed him, but as she got back into the truck and fastened her seatbelt, the only thing she could think was,I should have let him kiss me.
CHAPTER 13
NATHAN
Nathan kept his eyes on the road. He’d seen enough car-crash victims to know that nothing was worth driving while distracted, even though every fiber of his instincts told him to look at Zoe. The moment when he’d lifted the ladybug off her cheek replayed over and over in his mind. She’d looked so lovely, with those big brown eyes and pink cheeks and slightly parted lips. Her hair had been escaping from her bun, which made her look much softer and less distant.
He’d wanted to kiss her. Hewouldhave kissed her, in fact, if she hadn’t said that it was time to go back into town. It was good that she’d brought him back down to earth before he could brush his lips against hers, though. Even if she felt some of the growing attraction he felt, they were colleagues — and, most of the time, rivals.
He wasn’t planning to fire her anymore, though.
They drove back into town and came to a stop in front of the B&B. Nathan turned off the car, the song on the radio fading away, but neither of them moved.
“Here we are,” he said, rather inanely. He was smart and self-assured as a doctor, but sitting next to Zoe like this after the tender moments they’d shared at Elizabeth’s house and again on the hill made it difficult to think clearly.
“Thank you for driving me home,” Zoe said. She turned in her seat to look at him. Sometime during the drive, she’d taken out the last pins holding her hair in its bun, and it had fallen in loose golden waves around her shoulders. “And thank you for taking me to the viewpoint. It was really beautiful.”
“I’m glad you liked it.” Nathan smiled at her.
“I almost forgot.” She ran a hand through her hair as though self-conscious about how it looked now. “You had something you wanted to talk to me about, right?”
Right. Nathan had wanted to talk to her about ending their collaboration, but he didn’t want to anymore. Still, it would be good for them to talk.
“Yes, I do, but it’s getting late. How about we meet tomorrow for breakfast at the diner? It’ll be Saturday, so we don’t have to rush to the clinic. Maybe we can talk about the show and find some common ground.”
“That sounds great.” Zoe smiled at him. “Shall we meet around eight?”
“Sure.”
With that, she got out of the car. Nathan stayed parked in front of the house until she’d made it safely inside before he started the truck again and drove home. His mind was racing. He’d been wrong about Zoe — she was so much more than a consummateprofessional. He just hoped that the softening between them lasted through tomorrow’s breakfast.
At the very least, he was optimistic. After seeing Zoe’s vulnerability, and sharing his own, he was no longer annoyed with her. If she felt the same way, surely their professional relationship would improve.
The next dayat eight o’clock sharp, Nathan pulled up in front of the diner. For a moment, he thought that Zoe wasn’t there yet. The woman standing in front of the diner looked completely different from the one he’d gotten to know all week. Instead of her usual pencil skirt and neutral-colored blouse, she wore a blue sundress that hugged her curves and flared around her knees. Her blond hair, instead of being wrangled into her usual tight bun, was loose around her shoulders, like the night before, and Nathan admired how the soft curls caught the sunlight. She looked relaxed andgorgeous.
Nathan took a breath before getting out of the truck and crossing to her. Still, the first thing that came out of his mouth was, “You look nice.”
“Thanks.” Zoe glanced down at her dress, bit her lip, and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I figured I’d go for something a little more casual today.”
“Well, it suits you.” Nathan opened the door of the diner and gestured for her to enter. “Shall we?”
The waiter, a young man Nathan had seen a few times in his office and around town, led them to a booth by the window andbrought them a pair of menus. Nathan didn’t even glance at his — he just ordered his usual black coffee and Farmer’s Plate.
“Do you always get the same thing?” Zoe asked as she perused the menu.
