She sighed. “It doesn’t hurt that this surgery system is flashy and newsworthy. Not unlike yourself, Doctor.”
“You think I’m newsworthy?” He’d take it if that was the best she could do.
“My boss does. I’m still not convinced it’s the best use of money.”
“And we’ll have several days together to debate the pros and cons.” He put his palms flat on her desk and met her gaze. Her eyes went wide and the pulse at the base of her neck fluttered wildly. It made him pretty happy that he affected her that way. “I think when we get back to Las Vegas you will see the fiscal practicality of this expenditure.”
“It’s going to be an uphill battle,” she informed him.
“And that’s not all.”
“What else could there possibly be?” She leaned back in her chair.
“I intend to change your mind about me while we’re gone.”
“In Dallas.” Her tone put it on a par with having a bad case of the flu.
“Yes.” He pointed his finger at her. “You’ve been warned, Miss O’Neill.”
“Good to know. I’ll see you there.”
“Actually, that’s why I stopped by your office in the first place.”
She frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“We should carpool to the airport tomorrow.” When she opened her mouth to argue, he held up his hand. “We’re on the same flight. Going in the same car will save money on transportation and parking. I thought that would appeal to a budget-conscious lady like yourself.”
For the first time since he’d known her Avery O’Neill was speechless and he used the silence to best advantage.
“I’ll pick you up bright and early in the morning.”
Chapter Three
Under normal circumstances Avery loved going to McCarran International Airport, but nothing about this scenario was normal. For one thing, it involved Spencer Stone and he pushed all her buttons. None of them good. She still wasn’t sure how he’d talked her into this carpool. That wasn’t exactly true—he’d talked and when he stopped there’d been no room to maneuver. A negative response had been impossible so she’d given him her address.
Now she was waiting for him on the front porch of her small, three-bedroom house in the Green Valley Ranch area of Henderson. She’d bought it new a year and a half ago, a symbol of starting with a clean slate. Moving forward. It was important to leave behind her polluted past and the stigma of a pregnant teen who didn’t keep her baby.
Just then a sporty blue BMW pulled up to the curb. Since she didn’t know anyone with a luxury car she assumed it was Spencer. That was confirmed when he got out. Oh, boy, was it confirmed, she thought, as he walked toward her up the stone path. In a navy blazer with gold buttons, tan slacks, white shirt and tasseled loafers with his swagger set on stun, he quite literally stole the breath from her lungs. The dark sunglasses added more dazzle to his dashing look.
“You’re early,” she managed to say.
“And you’re ready.”
“Yup.” There’d been lots of time to make sure of that, what with not sleeping much. And for good reason. There’d been no way to prepare for the fact that he smelled as good as he looked. She was such a sucker for a good-smelling man, but was doing her best to get over it. “Let’s go.”
He glanced at her small weekend suitcase on wheels with carry-on bag attached, then met her gaze. “Where’s the rest of your stuff?”
“That’s all there is.”
“You do realize we’ll be gone several days. Visiting several hospitals in the Dallas Metroplex?”
She nodded. “It’s all business meetings. Coordinate right, travel light.”
“Sounds like a marketing slogan.” The words were teasing, but his expression was puzzled. He lifted his sunglasses and hung them from his jacket pocket. Piercing green eyes grew intense as he studied her. “You’re not like other women, are you?”
“I’m not sure whether to be insulted or flattered, but … why do you say that?”
“It’s definitely a compliment. And I say it because, until now, I’ve never met a woman who could take a trip of this duration with only one small bag.”
“Considering the sheer number of your women—”
“My women?” One light brown eyebrow lifted.
“Hospital talk.” She shrugged. “There’s no way to stop it.”
“Ah.” He slid his hands into his slacks pockets. “The rumor network at Mercy Medical Center is as intricate as the capillaries, veins and vessels that comprise the body’s complex circulatory system.”
“News does travel fast.” She couldn’t help smiling because the comparison he’d made was accurate but leaned toward the brainy geek side. That was contradictory to his playboy image and oddly endearing.
He stared at her. “Wow.”
“What?”
“You smiled.”
“I do it quite often.” She knew where he was going with this.
“Not with me,” he said. “When I’m around, your good humor is as rare as rain in Las Vegas.”
And for good reason. He was brash, confident and just her type. The type who promised everything she’d always wanted then left without a word.
He glanced at the Rolex on his wrist. “We better go. There could be traffic.”
“Okay.” She pushed the handle of her suitcase down and started to lift it but he brushed her fingers aside.
“I’ll get that.” He settled his sunglasses over his eyes, hiding any expression that might be there. “And for the record … I do date, but the number of women I go out with is greatly exaggerated by the hospital’s rumor network.”
There was no response she could make to that, which was becoming an annoying pattern where he was concerned.
He opened the car door and handed her into the passenger seat. When he was behind the wheel, that sexy masculine smell surrounded her, even more potent than before. It felt like he’d wrapped her in his arms and overwhelmed her senses. Then he fit the key into the ignition and the car glided forward. It was like riding on a cloud.
Avery knew her best defense was to push back this out-of-control feeling with words but so far that hadn’t worked very well with him. Still, conversation was better than awkward silence. So she came up with a topic as innocuous and close to a man’s heart as she could.
“Nice car.”
“Thanks. It’s a terrific machine.” He glanced her way for a second. “And before you get your panties in a twist about boys and their toys, I’m going to again request that you be as objective as possible when we gather information about the surgery system.”
“I will,” she promised.
Whatever flaws Spencer might have personally, as a doctor he was beyond reproach. Objectivity wasn’t plentiful where his personal life was concerned, but without a doubt she knew that saving lives was profoundly important to him.
Avery remembered their conversation in her office less than twenty-four hours ago. They’d both agreed that kids deserve the best start in life. Part of her wasn’t talking about it in