“It is you!” Frank Montgomery, friend of Lauren’s brother-in-law, exclaimed as he angled up from nowhere and turned her around to face him. “And looking h-o-t as ever. How’ve you been, babe?”
“Fine,” Lauren replied, unsuccessfully ducking the wet kiss he planted right on her mouth. That kiss brought back vivid memories of their one and only date in Houston last month—a disaster from the get-go, thanks to his inflated ego, ever-ready lips and busy, busy hands.
Frank, who stood maybe an inch over her own five-feet-eight, lay a heavy arm across her shoulders, holding her so that her back was to the food counter and the scoop neck of her sweater in his direct line of vision.
“Would you believe I was going to call you after the game today? I’m in town until Wednesday. Thought we could get together and take up—” he gave her arm a promising squeeze “—where we left off.”
Though tempted to slap the man senseless, Lauren kept her cool. Frank Montgomery was, after all, head of the surgery department at the hospital where Diana’s physician husband, Stephen, hoped to earn operating room privileges. Diana would kill Lauren if she did anything to jeopardize his chances.
“I really can’t—” Lauren murmured, trying to ease free of his embrace without giving him a peek at her breasts.
“Playing hard to get?” His beer-scented whisper fanned the tendrils of hair framing Lauren’s face. His lips loomed inches from her own.
“I’m not playing at all…”
“Lauren, honey, do you want mustard or ketchup on your—er, sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.” It was Nick, and looking as dangerous as 007 ever did.
Oh so grateful he’d saved Frank from bodily harm, Lauren wrenched herself free and followed his inspired lead. “Don’t be absurd,” she murmured, pulling her sweater back up on her bare shoulder. “This is just Frank Montgomery, whom I met through Stephen a few weeks ago. Frank, this is Nicolas Gatewood, my—”
“Fiancé,” Nick interjected, extending his right hand, which a visibly flustered—or was he angry?—Frank took, shook and quickly released.
“S-Stephen is going to be on the surgical staff at Houston Regional just as soon as his appointment is approved,” Lauren stammered, still trying to adjust to Nick’s sudden conversion from friend to fiancé. “Frank, here, is head of the department.” Anxiously, Lauren searched Nick’s expression for any sign that he understood her unspoken message: be nice to this jerk.
Nick’s quick wink, which could not have been seen by their companion, told her that he did. “Houston Regional’s gain.”
“Uh, yes, of course,” Frank murmured. “Stephen is a fine surgeon.” Lauren noted that his gaze dropped to her left hand just as Nick’s had earlier. He frowned ever so slightly. “How long have you two been engaged?”
“Not long at all,” Nick replied when words failed Lauren.
“We, um, haven’t even had a chance to shop for a diamond,” she added, trying to assuage the doubt she read in Frank’s expression.
“I…see. Well, congratulations and best of luck.” He began to edge away.
“Thanks,” Nick replied, standing by Lauren’s side until the man slithered off into the crowd. At that point he glanced back toward the counter. “Rescuing damsels in distress is not without its price.”
“What…?” Lauren, still in a bit of a daze, frowned after Frank.
“I lost my place in line, and not even for bratwurst on a roll will I go to the back and start over.”
A quick glance toward the head of the line confirmed it. “Oh, gosh, I’m sorry. Are you very hungry?”
“My stomach is gnawing my backbone.”
“I have a chocolate bar in my purse.”
“Give it to me, oh bride-to-be,” Nick told her, holding out his hand, palm upwards and grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
Abruptly Lauren grabbed. Nick’s hand and as good as dragged him away from the crowded concession area to the edge of the walkway. “I can’t believe you told Frank that we’re engaged.”
“Got rid of him, didn’t it?”
“Yes, but…”
“And probably for good.”
“Probably, but…”
“Then how about a little appreciation?”
Lauren sighed and gave him the credit he surely deserved. “Thanks, Nick. I owe you.”
“One good turn does deserve another,” Nick agreed, leaning against a concrete support, arms crossed over his chest. “You can pay your bill October twelfth at my boss’s house.”
“Excuse me?”
“I have a dinner party to go to a week from Wednesday. I want you to go, too, and play fiancée the way I just did.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Never more.”
“But why?”
“So a certain someone will keep her hands to herself.”
Lauren laughed in utter disbelief. “Can’t you just tell her to cool it?”
“I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”
“Who is this mystery lady, for crying out loud?” Lauren teased, enjoying Nick’s obvious discomfort at having to admit his problem. “The boss’s wife?”
“Exactly.”
Lauren’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding.”
“Wish I were. Will you help me?”
“I don’t know if this is such a good idea. Won’t there be complications at your office? I mean, your boss will surely spread the word. Telling a white lie to Frank, who, with luck, I’ll never see again, is one thing. Telling one to your co-workers is quite another. Won’t they wonder if they don’t see us out together now and then?”
“I rarely socialize with my co-workers, so I seldom see them anywhere besides the office. If I do, I’ll just tell them you’re delivering a baby or something.” He took both her hands in his. “So can you do it?” he asked, flashing her a killer smile.
Lauren sighed and gave up the ghost. Freeing her hands, she dug in her purse for her pocket calendar. A quick peek at it revealed she could probably manage a dinner party in ten days. “I can do it, and I will—”
“Thanks, Sissy.”
“—on the condition that you never, ever call me that again.”
“Agreed…Dr. West. Now dinner is at eight. I’ll pick you up at seven-thirty.”
“Okay.” Lauren dropped the calendar in her purse, then dug around for one of her personal cards, which she handed to him, along with a slightly squashed chocolate bar. “Here’s my address. There’s my home phone number. Is this thing dressy?”
“Dressy enough. I have to wear a tie.” He looked as if the thought choked him as much as the tie would.
Lauren laughed, pleased to see that a little of the old Nick still lurked inside the new. Not that there was one thing wrong with the new Nick. She found the combination of the past and present a most tempting package.
But who had time for temptation? Certainly not Lauren, who was suddenly assailed with second thoughts about the wisdom of all this. As if reading them, Nick frowned.
“You’re not going to back out on me, are you?”
“No,”