Page 29

“Let's go.” She rushed past Kent, only to have her high heel slip on the wet pavement.

Kent caught her before she hit the pavement, his strong arm wrapping around her waist and pulling her against him. For a brief second, Dawn found herself pressed against his hard chest, her hands resting against him as she looked up into his face. The man was built like a damn brick wall, and being this close to him wasn't helping the strange attraction she'd been trying her best to ignore.

“Careful, Doc.” Kent steadied her, keeping his hand on her elbow as they continued toward his bike.

Dawn didn't argue. Her heels were definitely not made for wet pavement, and the last thing she needed was to end up flat on her ass in front of Kent. Once they reached his motorcycle, he released her and climbed on, scooting forward to give her room. Glancing over his shoulder, he watched as she carefully swung her leg over the seat. Her dress rode up her thigh, and judging by the way his eyes lingered for a second before meeting hers, he'd gotten himself quite an eyeful.

Under different circumstances, she might have been embarrassed. Instead, she found herself wondering what he thought of what he'd seen. Which was ridiculous considering they were on their way to deliver a baby.

“Hold on,” Kent ordered.

Dawn wrapped her arms around his waist, and the moment her hands settled against his stomach, she realized just how solid he was. Even through his shirt, she could feel the hard muscles beneath her palms, and when she shifted closer, her breasts pressed against his broad back. Good Lord. Did the man have a single soft spot anywhere on his body?

The scent of leather mixed with something distinctly Kent surrounded her. Clean, masculine, with just a hint of whatever soap or cologne he used. She hadn't expected to like the way he smelled so much, but apparently her body had decided to develop a mind of its own. She tightened her arms around him as the bike pulled away, trying to concentrate on anything other than the feel of his stomach beneath her hands.

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

With the cool rain hitting her face and Kent's body shielding her from most of the wind, Dawn found herself relaxing against him. She should have been thinking about Lana and the delivery ahead of her. Instead, she was far too aware of the man she was holding. Every movement of his body seemed to remind her just how close they were, and the fact that she didn't want to move away bothered her more than she cared to admit.

She'd just walked away from a perfectly nice date with Danny Jackson, yet here she was, practically plastered against Kent's back and enjoying every damn second of it. What the hell was wrong with her?

As they pulled into the compound, Dawn reluctantly loosened her hold on him. Whatever strange feelings Kent stirred inside her would have to wait. Lana was having a baby, and Dawn had a job to do. Still, as the motorcycle slowed, she couldn't help the disappointment that came with knowing she'd have to let go of him.

“Stop it,” Dawn hissed at herself. She seriously needed to get her shit together. She had a patient who needed her, and here she was thinking about the man she'd just spent the ride wrapped around. Good Lord, she needed to get a damn grip or get laid. That thought made her snort.

Kent pulled right up to the steps and parked. Dawn climbed off as gracefully as she could, considering her dress had ridden halfway up her thighs, and hurried toward the door. It opened before she reached it, revealing Angelina standing there with a set of scrubs in her hands.

“Figured you'd need these.” Angelina handed them over as they hurried toward the medical wing of the compound.

“Thank you.” Dawn took the scrubs, grateful someone had thought ahead. She knew Kent was following them, his heavy footsteps impossible to miss, but she refused to look back. She'd already spent enough time thinking about the man. “What am I walking into, Angelina?”

“Lana's water broke before they left the house, and her contractions have been getting stronger and closer together,” Angelina replied, keeping pace beside her. “They're about three minutes apart now, lasting close to a minute. She's uncomfortable, but she's handling them well.”

“Any bleeding?”

“Nothing unusual, and she's still feeling the baby move. Slade's with her now, getting everything ready,” Angelina informed her.

“Good. Has he checked her dilation?”

“Not yet. He wanted to wait until you got here.”

Dawn nodded, mentally going through everything she needed to do. Lana was two weeks from her due date, but that wasn't unusual. Babies had a way of deciding when they were ready, regardless of anyone else's plans.

“I want her vitals and the baby's heart rate checked. Let's get her on the fetal monitor so we can see how she's handling the contractions. Once I've examined her, we'll have a better idea of how far along she is.”

“Slade's already getting the monitor ready,” Angelina assured her. “Everything seems to be going smoothly so far.”

“Good.” Dawn was relieved to hear it. She knew Lana had decided on a natural birth, just as Becky had, but she'd also made it clear to both women that they could change their minds. If either needed pain relief, Dawn would make sure they received appropriate care. Keeping the compound's secrets was important, but not at the expense of her patients. But for Lana, she was afraid it was too late for that.

“And how's Sid handling everything?” Dawn asked, knowing that was an entirely different situation.

Angelina laughed. “Well, let's just say Lana's doing a hell of a lot better than he is.”

Dawn couldn't help but smile. “That bad?”

“He's asked Slade three times if he's sure the baby isn't going to fall out before you get here,” Angelina said, then giggled, shaking her head.

“Oh, for heaven's sake.” Dawn rolled her eyes, laughing despite herself. “Please tell me Slade explained that's not how childbirth works.”