He knew she was attracted to him because he knew women and this one wasn’t very good at hiding her feelings. Her tone was full of Southern fried deference. She was trying to bow and scrape, but it was more about establishing a safe zone for herself.
She hadn’t wanted to shake his hand earlier and that was to avoid touching him. Because of her attraction. It was incredibly inconvenient that the feeling was mutual.
“My job is to keep expenditures within limits and confine losses to conform to the budget.” She let her gaze run over his pricey suit and tie before asking, “You do understand what a budget is?”
Oh, yeah. He’d learned the hard way, although having money was a prerequisite for learning how to spend it wisely. His mother hadn’t had enough to pay the mortgage after his dad left them. Their house was foreclosed on. A rented roof over your head takes first and last month fees and a security deposit. If his mom had had a chunk of cash like that she’d have been able to make the loan payment. So they ended up homeless. He’d been thirteen.
Memories of that long-ago fear and humiliation rippled through him. “My point is that an admitting specialist will more than make up for the initial salary and benefit costs in revenue recovered.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
He figured she knew her stuff or she wouldn’t have been hired for this job. So this attitude of hers must be about him personally. He wasn’t sure what he’d done to tick her off, but apparently annoyance was contagious because he was feeling it, too. He’d caught it from her. Now was the time to let her know that she wasn’t the only one who knew their stuff.
“Care to explain how an admitting specialist earns their keep?” she said.
“I’m glad you asked.” He took a step forward, close enough to feel the heat from her body. “I’m sure you’re aware that per diem charges mount up fast. And I’m also certain that you’ve heard of DRGs.”
“Of course. Diagnosis-related groups.”
“Give the lady a gold star. So you also know that every medical problem, difficulty, malady or disease has a price tag. Just like a bathing suit at the mall.”
“What’s your point, Doctor?”
“An admitting specialist is necessary to set up protocols for screening every case that comes into the E.R. for insurance information, any secondary financial help the patient might have, anything that will assist in charges. Because without proper billing, codes and patient details, payment can be delayed indefinitely or denied altogether. And that kind of a loss is something your budget can’t absorb no matter how it’s structured.”
“Do you care more about money than medicine?” she challenged.
“And there’s the gray area. Best answer? We can’t afford to care more about medicine than money. You can’t have one without the other. In the end it’s a business and if we can’t meet our expenses we go out of business. If that happens, we can’t help anyone and the people of this community lose a valuable healthcare resource.”
“Maybe my short-term memory is on the blink, but aren’t you the same doctor who just hours ago, in this very spot, hit me up for pricey precision instruments?”
Hit her up? No way. She’d know if he hit on her because there’d be no question.
Jake was almost certain there was a vein throbbing in his forehead. “I don’t care about that.”
“What do you care about?” She shook her head. “Never mind. I don’t want to know. I have to go.”
She moved too fast when she tried to sidestep him and ended up unsteady on those sexy high heels. He caught her as she stumbled and pulled her into his arms.
He couldn’t say that kissing her hadn’t crossed his mind, but he’d never planned to act on the impulse. Now here she was with her curves brushing against him and the pulse in her neck fluttering as awareness flashed in her eyes.
At that moment he couldn’t think about anything but kissing her, and lowered his mouth to hers.
Chapter Two
Hope was pretty sure a kiss had never before made her toes curl, but that changed the moment Jake’s lips touched hers. It was insane. She should back away from the heat. The problem was, insanity and heat had never felt so good. There was nothing aggressive or insistent about the way his mouth moved slowly, seductively, deliciously over hers. It was all lazy, luscious sizzle and simmer. She felt oddly safe and wanted to stay exactly where she was for as long as she possibly could.
He pulled back first and let his gaze wander boldly over her face as a small, puzzled smile curved his mouth. Apparently he saw something that made him thread his fingers in her hair and cup her cheek in his palm, brushing his thumb over her bottom lip. Her heart pounded almost painfully and her chest rose and fell rapidly with the need to draw in air. It felt as if she’d caught fire and the flames fed on every last ounce of oxygen in the room.
“Hope, that was …” He shook his head. “I didn’t mean for that to happen.”
Not what her quivering hormones wanted to hear. She was pretty good with a snappy comeback, a quick retort, witty one-liners. But her senses were in freefall and they’d taken rational thought along for the ride.
“And I didn’t mean to kiss you back. This is a bad idea. The worst. Like kissing common sense goodbye.”
Amusement turned his eyes silver. “Sometimes common sense is highly overrated.”
“That’s probably the first thing you’ve ever said that I agree with.”
She wasn’t sure, what with the blood rushing to her head, but she thought he groaned softly before taking her mouth again. Her lips parted and his tongue slid inside, thoroughly plundering any reserves of willpower she had left.
Their hands were all over each other as they panted and moaned and turned in circles, the intricate choreography of a sensuous waltz. Hope felt the wall at her back and Jake pressing against her front. Want tightened in her belly as need pooled between her thighs.
It was as if their minds and bodies had melded. Jake cupped the backs of her thighs and lifted at the same time she wrapped her legs around him. The harsh sounds of their breathing filled the room and fueled the fire of her wild abandon.
He kissed her neck and brushed away the skinny strap of her dress in his impatience to get to her bare shoulder. Then he trailed his lips down to the very top of her breast just visible over the neckline. He drew his tongue over her skin before blowing on the moistness. The sensation of cool on her heated flesh drove her crazy and she wanted him inside her more than she could remember wanting anything in her life.
When his cell phone rang, she changed her mind. Now more than anything she wanted to put the heel of her stiletto straight through his SIM card.
He pulled back, breathing hard. “I’m on call.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I have to answer.” His voice was harsh.
“Right.”
As she let her legs slide to the floor, he reached to the holster on his belt and retrieved the phone, turning his back as he answered.
“Andrews.”
Hope smoothed her palms over the skirt of her dress as she drew in a shuddering breath. This was like stubbing your toe and the too-short span of time before the inevitable unfortunate consequences registered in the brain. It was going to be uncomfortable and she wanted to hang out in limbo for just a while longer. Otherwise she’d have to admit that a cell call was the only thing that had prevented her from having sex with a virtual stranger against the wall of her