She wasn’t sure what had changed from his earlier decline of her offer, but now he wasn’t attempting to hide his interest, his intent.
Good. Neither was she. Life was too short for silly games.
Getting to know each other better should have been easy enough during the delicious meal since their chairs were next to each other, but there were six other people at the table. Two couples who’d introduced themselves, and two male pediatricians who had gone to medical school together and met up once a year at a continuing medical education conference for old times’ sake and a catch-up. All six people vied for Matthew’s attention. He included her in the conversation, stopped several times to ask her opinion, but with the others at the table Natalie could barely get a word in edgewise.
Which was okay by her. She sat back, watching and listening in fascination as Matthew discussed his work. Part of her wasn’t quite able to believe she sat next to the Dr. Matthew Coleman she’d quoted in several of her medical school papers. Another part wasn’t able to believe she sat next to the sexiest man she’d ever met. All of her was dazed that both could be the same man, and that when he looked at her his eyes burned with pale blue fire.
Soon after their table had finished the meal, the moderator took the podium and called the room’s attention to the front, silencing conversations around the room. Ending his discussion with the two pediatricians, Matthew turned, caught Natalie watching him—probably with a goofy I want you expression on her face—and grinned. Dark and dangerous had been right, because that grin threatened all her good sense.
Then again, sitting next to him made perfect sense.
Why wouldn’t it? Despite her three-year relationship with Jonathan, they weren’t together any more. With his devotion to his career matching hers, he’d easily fit into her life because he didn’t mind the large amount of time her job ate up. Or so he’d said, right up to the moment he’d defended his sleeping with another woman by pointing out Natalie’s refusal to commit more time to him and marry him.
Fine. Good riddance and thank God she hadn’t been willing to marry a man who’d so readily cheat. She wanted marriage, to connect completely with another person, to someday have a family, but something had held her back from saying yes to Jonathan. Maybe it had been that she was still building her dream career.
No matter. Jonathan was history. She was free to do whatever she chose. With whomever she chose.
Her gaze connected with Matthew’s.
He leaned close to her ear, giving her a waft of his spicy aftershave. “This hasn’t exactly been conducive to getting to know each other.”
The man smelled amazing. She wanted to breathe him in and hold her breath for ever.
“Is that what we’re doing?” she whispered back, knowing her eyes revealed everything she was feeling in case he’d missed it in her husky voice.
“You want to leave?”
Yes!
“And miss the keynote?”
His lips twitched with amusement. “You want to go first and meet in the lobby in fifteen minutes or shall we leave together?”
Whether it was for her privacy or his, she liked that he was giving her the option to choose to leave together, which implied he didn’t mind anyone knowing he was with her, or their leaving separately so no one would be the wiser. It was up to her to decide how they proceeded.
Still, she had a few things to clarify first.
“Are you single?”
Obviously startled at her question, he nodded.
“Then meet me by the fountain in ten.” She pushed back her chair and quietly excused herself from the group at their table.
As she weaved her way through the tables to where she could make her escape, Natalie fought kicking up her high heels with joy. She felt good, light, feminine. And, even though she worried about stumbling, she was glad she had on her heels because they plumped her calves and made her legs look toned. She wanted to look good because Matthew’s gaze was on her. She could feel it as surely as if his hands traced over her skin.
She made it out the door just before a happy giggle bubbled from her lips. This was crazy. She was behaving like a teenager sneaking out of the house to meet a boyfriend. She was a grown woman sneaking out of a conference keynote to meet an attractive man in the lobby.
Despite her bravado at the idea of a short-term affair with Matthew, she hadn’t actually ever had an affair. She and Jonathan had dated for several months prior to their having sex, and she’d cared about him. She’d never had any desire for a physical relationship prior to him. She’d been too busy focusing on her studies, her career, determined to make a difference in pediatric cardiology.
Honestly, despite Monica’s and Suzie’s advice to “get laid” this weekend, she’d had no intention of doing so. Not until she’d seen Matthew at the airport and he’d cast a spell over her mind and body to where she craved him.
Still, what if she couldn’t go through with sex for the sake of sex and Matthew got upset?
She hesitated outside the ballroom door.
Stop it, she scolded herself. Just stop overthinking and go with the flow. Emotional commitment was overrated. Just look at what had happened with her last committed relationship.
Whether it was because of the blow Jonathan’s cheating had done to her ego or because she was hundreds of miles from home, or some unknown reason, she wasn’t going to let her brain get in the way of her having a good time. Excitement surged through every inch of her body. Excitement that she was doing something outside her comfort zone. Excitement that a sexy man looked at her as if he wanted to yank off her clothes and kiss her all over.
For the next three days she’d let whatever happened between her and Matthew happen, and not dwell on the possibility that after the conference ended it was unlikely she’d ever see him again.
Wasn’t that actually perfect? Because she needed to focus on Memphis Children’s Hospital and upping their pediatric cardiology department to the next level. To stepping up to the new role the hospital was going to offer her. She didn’t need Matthew, or anyone else, distracting her.
But at the moment she was in Florida at a gorgeous resort hotel and she was going to enjoy the rest of the evening.
With Matthew.
Suzie and Monica would be proud.
Unable to drag his gaze from Natalie’s retreating backside, Matthew knew he wasn’t fooling a single person in the room. At the moment he didn’t care.
He should care.
He had a child to think about, so his behavior mattered. He had to set a good example for Carrie.
But Carrie was in Memphis with his mother, as Matthew had signed up for this continuing education conference before he’d known he was going to be raising his god-daughter. He’d started to cancel, but his mother had pushed him not to, saying he needed a weekend to decompress after the past few months. Carrie was better off with his mother than she was with him anyway.
His heart pinched as he thought of Robert and Carolyn. The couple had died much too soon in a small plane crash, leaving their most precious possession to him. Four-year-old Carrie.
What had his best friends been thinking? Although serious in his professional life, he’d been a happy-go-lucky bachelor who knew how to have a good time without the burden of commitment.
Robert had been Matthew’s best friend since grammar school. They’d gone through university then med school together. He’d been there when Carolyn had stolen his friend’s heart, had been best man at their wedding, had been there for Carrie’s birth.
Having