Starting with a Kiss

“I’ll help change our delectable Dr. Trent into the femme fatale she yearns to be.” His gaze remained on Abby.

“Why ever would you do such a thing?” Abby asked, ignoring the sarcasm. She didn’t need to be a femme fatale, just change enough that Jeb regretted destroying their friendship for the blond bombshell.

And maybe find her own date for the ball.

“So I’m not enlisted for escort duty at the last moment?” he asked whimsically.

Abby regarded him warily. “This may be a joke to you, but not to me.”

Immediately his amusement fled. For a moment the cold, arrogant surgeon appeared. “I assure you I won’t treat it as a joke. If you want some pointers, I’ll give them to you. If not, say so and I’ll leave just as Pam keeps trying to get me to do.”

“What kind of pointers?” Suspicion grew as Abby tried to analyze why he’d make such an offer. It couldn’t be because he didn’t want to take her to the ball. All he had to do was say no.

He shrugged. “Whatever you don’t know and want to about men.”

“Well, that would fill a bookshelf!” Abby had never understood men.

“Are you serious, Greg?” Pam asked.

“We could try it and see. You game, Dr. Trent?”

Abby tried to see the pitfalls of such a crazy scheme. Greg already knew she didn’t date, so there was no hiding that. She was committed to attending the conference and ball, her appointment to the committee had insured that. Could he help her? Or was it all some elaborate joke on his part?

Not that she’d ever heard Dr. Hastings was one for jokes. He was too cool, too reserved, too much a loner to go in for frivolity.

Which made his offer even more bizarre.

“I guess I could use some pointers,” she said hesitantly.

His eyes stared into hers, holding her full attention. “The help would also include not only Pam, but my sister Elise, who is a very successful fashion model. Among the three of us we can give you everything you’d ever want.”

His words sent a shiver up her spine. She didn’t feel threatened, exactly, despite the aura of power that seemed to surge to the forefront. But she couldn’t help imagining him wreaking havoc in her nice, orderly life.

Feeling awkward, Abby tried to think up something clever to say, but remained as tongue-tied as a young girl. “I appreciate your willingness to help me,” she said formally. “But a few pointers would be all I’d need.” Smiling at Pam, she added, “And some new clothes, maybe.”

“Clothes will help, but you don’t need much. You’re a pretty woman, Doctor,” Greg said bluntly.

Greg pushed away from the wall and stepped closer, his fingers brushing her hair.

“As for suggestions, I’ve got one right off the bat. Take this tawny-blond hair and lighten it up some with streaks of white blond, get it styled a little and you’ll be a knockout. Your eyes are an unusual color, one moment almost green, another moment blue. With the proper clothes, you can make them your most compelling feature. Knock men off their feet. Especially if you flash them the smile that peeks out every once in a while.”

You’re a pretty woman. The last man to tell her that had been her father on her sixteenth birthday. And Terry a couple of times. But did she dare trust the words? Didn’t men say one thing and mean something else entirely?

Abby felt the heat from Greg’s body envelop hers. She took a breath, and his scent filled her nostrils, spicy and male. She licked dry lips and kept her gaze firmly on his, ignoring the overwhelming desire to step back and gain some distance, some perspective. He was so aggressively male!

Her thoughts whirling, she wondered if she was crazy to let herself even consider following through now that he had agreed.

As if he could read her mind, he leaned closer and cupped her chin in his hand, the warmth stealing into her skin, sweeping through her entire body. Mesmerized by the liquid heat in his eyes, she gazed up at him.

“Don’t back out now, Abigail. We’ll fix you up so good you’ll have to beat the men off with a stick.” Lightly his thumb grazed her lower lip.

The tingling awareness that swept through her from head to toes felt like a small electric shock. Her eyes locked with his and the boutique and his sister seemed to fade, disappearing into a gray mist. There were only the two of them, alone in the world, his breath against her cheeks and the odd, sensuous awareness that seemed to fill every pore.

She’d been dealing with men for years, first the cowboys on her dad’s small ranch, then aspiring doctors, interns, residents and established physicians. But she’d never experienced such a strong physical reaction to any of them.

She had not expected him to touch her. Nor had she expected the flaring sensations that consumed her. What had she gotten herself into?

“Then let’s start with the clothes,” Pam said.

Abby blinked and seemed to come out of a trance. She stepped away. How could she have been so mesmerized by the man? He and she didn’t have a thing in common. Where was this physical awareness coming from?

“I really just came to look,” Abby said, doing her best to ignore Greg, to ignore the clamoring of her senses for more of his touch, more of his attention. Remember his normal manner, she admonished herself. Today was the aberration. Usually he didn’t know she existed.

Still not certain of his motives, she would wait and see how things unfolded. She was not trusting the man—not completely. But then, she didn’t trust any man completely anymore. Not after her experience with Terry, and Jeb.

Chapter Four

By the time Abby returned home, she was excited about the clothes Pam had helped her choose. She had tried on dozens of dresses, skirts and blouses and casual wear. When they found the classical style that she liked, and suited her figure, Pam had brought several dresses into the dressing room that fit like a glove and enhanced the color of her eyes—just as Greg had predicted.

Frowning, she wondered how he’d known so much about women’s attire and what would work. From his sisters? Or from women he dated?

Trying on one of the dresses again, she loved the feel of the soft silk against her skin. When the doorbell rang, she debated taking off the dress before answering, but that would take too long.

“Oh, that’s beautiful. Where did you get it?” Kim asked when Abby opened the door.

“Come in and see what else I got,” Abby said, glad to share her new purchases.

Kim raved over everything, then tilted her head and looked at Abby.

“There’s something different about you. What is it?”

“The clothes, I guess. Nothing else has changed.”

“Maybe. But there’s something.” Kim studied her for a moment then gave up. “I think the dress we bought wasn’t quite right.”

“It was a pretty dress, just not for me. Would you like it? It’s only been worn once.” And the memories of that night insured she’d never wear it again!

“Sure, if you don’t want it. You need to do something with your makeup and hair next,” Kim said, “to go with the new clothes.”

“Someone suggested I get some highlights,” Abby said slowly as she drew the dress over her head. Donning jeans and a casual top, she looked at her friend.

“What do you think?”

“I think you’d be a knockout. Can doctors do that?”

Abby laughed. “What, get their hair streaked?”

“No, start looking fabulous.”