The Jinx: A Romantic Medical Comedy (Heartthrob Hospital Book 2) Read online

  CeeCee frowned. That didn’t sound like most of the guys she knew. Ordinarily men loved bragging about sports and cars and things like that. Funny, Zack certainly didn’t strike her as the modest type.

  “Come on, don’t be humble. Jack’s told me you’ve won tons of contests. What kind of bike do you have?”

  “Ducati.”

  Boy, getting him to talk about himself was like pulling teeth. Plus, he just kept staring at her. As if she were a succulent piece of fruit ripe for the picking. The more he studied her mouth, the more disconcerted she became, flicking out the tip of her tongue to moisten her lips.

  She ducked her head, wanting to hide from him.

  “Feels like a tropical island in here,” he said.

  “Uh-huh.”

  Stop looking at me!

  “Reminds me of Hawaii.”

  “You’ve been to Hawaii?” Her head came up at that, and she managed to focus on his bearded chin which lent such a lawless quality to his appearance. “Which island?”

  “Maui, Oahu, and Kauai. Never got around to the big island.”

  “You lucky dog,” she breathed. “What was it? A motocross race?”

  “Family vacation when Jack and I were kids.”

  “I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii. It’s a childhood dream of mine. In fact, both Jack and I separately entered a radio call-in contest to win a chance to visit Maui. K102 Houston is having a drawing to give away a free trip to Hawaii on the twenty-first.”

  “I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.” He raised his crossed fingers.

  “Thanks.” She grinned. “I get goose bumps just thinking about going there.”

  “I’d love to be the one to take you for the first time.” The longing in his voice startled her. Was the longing for Hawaii or her or both? The thought of lying on the beach with Zack in Hawaii stacked goose bumps on top of goose bumps until she felt like a goose bump sandwich.

  “What’s your secret dream?” She changed the subject as she struggled to regain her equilibrium.

  “I’ve always wanted to skydive, but I’ve never gotten around to it.”

  “Me, too!”

  “No? Really? Imagine that.”

  “Maybe we could go together sometime.”

  “Uh, maybe,” he replied. “But not until my knee heals of course.”

  Was it her imagination or did he pale visibly beneath his beard? As if he were scared of skydiving. Nah. Couldn’t be. This guy wasn’t afraid of anything.

  “Time for a few gentle stretches,” she said, buffeted on all sides by unexpected feelings.

  She wanted him and yet the power of her desire unnerved her. It was only sexual chemistry. She knew that, but it had been a very long time—if ever—since she’d felt anything quite like this.

  She was forced to move closer. Her hands encircled his ankle and she carefully flexed then extended his leg.

  “How does that feel?”

  “Fine,” he murmured.

  “You have great musculature.” She ran a hand up the back of his calf and her fingers caught fire.

  “Why, thank you. I work out often.”

  “I think it has more to do with genetics. Jack’s got the same calf muscles.”

  “Oh really? You’ve noticed?”

  “Only in passing.” She shrugged.

  Ticktock.

  Silence filled the room for a long moment, then Zack murmured, “You wouldn’t have a secret thing for my brother, would you?”

  “Gosh, no.” She wasn’t fibbing. Not really. She could have a thing for Jack if she let herself, but where a forever kind of guy was concerned, she kept her heart locked down tight.

  “Are you sure? Are we in competition for your affections, CeeCee?”

  She shook her head. “No. Jack understands that we can never be more than good friends.”

  “Does he?” Zack gave her an enigmatic stare. “Really?”

  “Of course. He tells me everything about his life, and I tell him everything about mine.”

  “Everything? Do you give him a play-by-play of your dates like you would with a girlfriend?”

  “Well, yeah. That’s the beauty of our relationship.”

  “I think it stinks,” he said bluntly.

  “Excuse me?”

  “My brother listens while you chatter away about your encounters with other men?” Zack wagged an index finger. “You’re a cruel one, CeeCee Adams. Teasing Jack with tales of your sexual antics. Whether you know it or not, you’re driving him bonkers.”

  Was she?

  Startled, she reflected on Zack’s statement. Had she been tormenting Jack? When she needed a shoulder to cry on, Jack was always there for her. She’d never given his availability much thought beyond friendship.

  Zack was correct. She had not only been unintentionally cruel, but selfish and blind to her faults as well. The realization stunned her.

  Poor Jack. No wonder he’d snapped and issued her an ultimatum.

  “And,” Zack continued, “he’s too much of a schmuck to do anything about it.”

  “Hey! Don’t talk about Jack like that.” Indignation replaced her shame.

  “Don’t get me wrong. I meant it in the nicest possible way. He’s my brother and I love him, but he’s a schmuck. He’s got a fabulous babe like you living next door and he’s never made a move?”

  “Unlike you,” she replied tartly, glaring at Zack. “Your brother is a perfect gentleman.”

  “In other words, he’s bor-ing.”

  “No, he’s not.” Her emotions toggled from anger to regret to guilt and back again. “Jack is steady and dependable, tender and funny. He’s a wonderful man.”

  “But you’re the kind of woman who likes flashy cars, fancy parties, and naughty men.”

  Yes. No. Not exactly.

  “What you’d really like,” he continued huskily, “what you’re secretly longing for, is a man to take charge. A man who’ll let you know exactly what he wants from you. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.”

  “You don’t know me well enough to say what I like.”

  “That’s true.” He narrowed his eyes, peering at her through half-lowered lids. “But I’d like to get to know you better. For instance, if I were to kiss you on the back of your neck, would you wriggle?”

  “That’s inappropriate,” she said, but inside she thought, oh yeah.

  Jack was clay in her hands. Her fingers kneaded his knee, massaging away the stiffness while at the same time sending tingles of awareness barreling straight up his leg and bursting into his groin.

  Kiss her, man, Zack’s voice urged inside his head, but then Jack had a clearer, more rational thought. Wait. Take your time. Let the tension escalate.

  CeeCee raised her head. Her eyes shone brightly. Tendrils of hair cleaved like a vine to her forehead, her cheek. She looked moist and dewy and ready for anything.

  He clenched his jaw to stop a groan and knotted his hands into fists to keep from touching her. His gaze traced down her long neck to her slender collarbone and beyond. Her peach-size breasts swelled against the practical one-piece navy-blue swimsuit. This sensible suit was in sharp contrast to the teeny-weeny string bikini she’d had on last night, but it made no difference. The garment couldn’t blot out her attributes.

  Breasts of a goddess. Not too large, not too small. Just right. High and firm and round.

  How he wanted her!

  A shimmering furnace of heat blasted up his nerve endings. His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply of her sweet, sexy scent mingling so intriguingly with the smell of chlorine.

  With a blink of the eye he could picture her naked and in picturing her completely bare, tortured himself beyond endurance. His groin tightened, turned thick and heavy.

  What was happening to him?

  Normally he had excellent control over his more...er...baser instincts. If that wasn’t the case, could he and CeeCee have remained just friends for so long? But playing the role of his twin brother was changin
g him in unexpected ways. He was becoming hungrier, less cautious, more willing to take a gamble to get what he wanted.

  “Have you ever made love in a whirlpool?” She asked. She had stopped massaging him, although her hand was still at his knee.

  Surprised, he gaped at her. Of course he’d never made love in a whirlpool. What was she suggesting? That they make love right here? Right now?

  His pulse revved.

  “I ask because Jack told me you’ve made love in exotic places all over the world.”

  Casually he shrugged, belying the pounding in his heart. “I don’t like to brag about my romantic conquests. I’m not the type to kiss and tell.”

  Ha! That was a good one. Zack not bragging about his sexploits? That would be the day the earth stopped spinning. But the gentleman in Jack wouldn’t allow him to emulate Zack in the bedroom. To Jack’s way of thinking blabbing about his romantic encounters was not only crude but disrespectful to the lady in question.

  “But have you made love in a hot tub?” CeeCee repeated. Obviously, the subject intrigued her. “No need to name names.”

  “Sure. Hasn’t everyone?”

  “Not me,” she whispered.

  “Is this an invitation?” he asked huskily, reaching out to brush a curl from the side of her face.

  “No.” She shivered lightly.

  A sharp sense of power surged through him knowing he had caused that response in her.

  “At least not yet,” she added.

  “Not yet?” For one second, his heart stopped.

  “I may not be interested in a relationship, but believe it or not, I don’t hop into bed with just anyone who turns me on.”

  “And you think I do?” He placed a palm to his chest.

  “Don’t you?”

  “No.” He snorted.

  “But Jack told me that you’ve had dozens and dozens of girlfriends.”

  “And he told me that you’ve had dozens and dozens of boyfriends.”

  “Touché.”

  “Hey, lady, just because I like to have fun and go out on lots of dates doesn’t mean I’m easy.” He tossed her a teasingly offended expression.

  “I know! Everyone thinks the same thing about me.” CeeCee laughed.

  It was a rich, hearty sound that warmed him straight through his bones. “You’d think people could see beyond stereotypes, myself included.”

  “Exactly. Same here. Guilty as charged.”

  They laughed together, and it was a wonderful moment. The tension had dissipated. They enjoyed an easy camaraderie. The water was warm, the company fantastic. His knee didn’t even hurt all that much. In that instant, Jack had an irresistible urge to come clean and tell her the truth.

  But before he could weigh the wisdom of such a move, CeeCee flashed him a toothy grin, flicked out her tongue and ran it over her bottom lip. She was tormenting him, and she knew it.

  The little minx.

  Overcome, he realized he was going to have to kiss her. Angling his head, he leaned in so close their mouths were almost touching.

  “Ahem.” The clearing of a voice pulled them apart and drew their attention to the doorway.

  “Excuse me, am I interrupting something?” Miss Abercrombie wore a high-cut gold lame French swimsuit even though she no longer had the figure to quite pull it off. Her hair was piled up on her head, held in place by a myriad of colorful bows. Muffin, as always, was clutched in her arms.

  “No, not at all.” CeeCee sprang from the water.

  Before Jack could move, she’d already grabbed her robe and stuffed her feet into flip-flops.

  Muffin barked.

  “Shh,” Miss Abercrombie hushed her dog and squinted at them. “Is that you, CeeCee dear? I’m not wearing my glasses.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Muffin barked again her eyes trained on Jack and struggled to break free from Miss Abercrombie, her yelps growing louder.

  “Is that Jack with you?” The elderly woman came closer. “Home from Mexico already, young man?”

  “No.” CeeCee pushed back her hair from her forehead with one hand in that carefree manner of hers that plucked at Jack’s heartstrings. “This is Jack’s identical twin brother, Zack. He’s visiting for a few weeks while Jack is in Mexico. He...er, um, hurt his leg, and I was giving him physical therapy.”

  Miss Abercrombie grinned. “Oh, is that what you call it nowadays? In my time we used different terminology.”

  CeeCee’s face flushed redder than her hair. Jack wanted to get out of the whirlpool, but he didn’t want Miss Abercrombie to see him in the Speedo.

  Muffin whined and pawed at Miss Abercrombie’s arm.

  “What’s the matter with you, Muffin? That’s not Jack,” Miss Abercrombie scolded, then raised her head to address him.

  “Do you mind if she has a little sniff of you? Just to let her know you’re not your twin brother.”

  He was trapped! One sniff from meddlesome Muffin and his cover was blown.

  The poodle leaped to the ground, trotted over to the hot tub, and hopped up on the edge beside Jack. Her little body trembled with excitement. She joyously licked his face.

  “Will you look at that,” he said, determined to plow his way through this. “She must think I’m Jack.”

  Miss Abercrombie came closer still and peered hard at him over the top of her glasses. “Muffin hates all men except Jack. Are you sure you’re not Jack?”

  He gulped and met the elderly lady’s knowing stare. Laughing nervously, he cast a glance at CeeCee who was watching the whole episode with her hands cocked on her hips. Meanwhile, Muffin kept licking his earlobe like it was an ice cream cone.

  “Of course I’m not Jack, although people have mixed us up a time or two. I’m a good five pounds thinner than my brother and I tan more easily than he does. And hey, look, I wear a beard and have longer hair.”

  Even he had to give a mental eye roll at that last comment, but he was desperate, grasping at straws. He couldn’t have CeeCee finding out the truth this way. He wasn’t going to be bested by Detective Muffin.

  “You two look exactly alike,” Miss Abercrombie mused.

  He had the strangest feeling she was about to pry open his mouth and examine his teeth in her search for the truth. “We are identical twins.”

  “Well,” CeeCee said, “I’ll leave you two to discuss the miracle of Muffin liking two men. I’ve got things to do.”

  “Hey, wait!” Jack said, rising to get out of the hot tub.

  But CeeCee just waved at him and headed for the door. “Meet you here tomorrow at six after I get off work. Is that okay?”

  “Great,” he muttered. This had not turned out the way he had planned.

  The minute CeeCee left, he found Miss Abercrombie studying his Tarzan getup with a suspicious eye.

  “Uh, hi.” He lifted a hand.

  “Don’t you hi me, Jack Travis. I want to know why you’ve got CeeCee convinced that you’re your own twin brother and I want to know now.”

  There was no fooling Muffin or Miss Abercrombie. He might as well come clean. In fact, Jack realized, it might do him a world of good to share his secret. It never hurt to have an ally.

  He cast a glance to the door, making sure CeeCee was gone, then lowered his voice. “Promise me you won’t tell CeeCee.”

  Miss Abercrombie looked skeptical. “I can’t promise that. Why are you trifling with the woman’s affections? That’s not like you, Jack.”

  “Miss Abercrombie, this is very important. I promise you the last thing I want to do is hurt her. In fact, I’m in love with her.”

  “Well, why didn’t you say so?” Miss Abercrombie smiled gleefully. “I’ll even help play matchmaker. I always thought you two would be perfect together.”

  8

  For the next three weeks he and CeeCee bonded like hydrogen and oxygen. Coming together for those short, sweet twenty-minute intervals every evening where they teased and coaxed, massaged and stroked.

  Moving ever
closer to a deeper intimacy.

  But at times it was tough keeping up his ruse. On many occasions, Jack had to push through his natural reticence and tap into his own wild side. He flirted outrageously with CeeCee and he touched her often. Before she went to bed every night, he called her on the phone and said uninhibited things that were just this side of phone sex.

  With each passing day, the tension mounted.

  He was wound tighter than a roll of surgical tape. Taut with anticipation. Hungry to make love to her. Because whether CeeCee would admit it to herself or not, she was falling for him. He could tell by the way her eyes lit up when she saw him. She looked the way he felt inside. Like Christmas had come early every time she walked into a room.

  His fantasies kept him awake at night, tossing and turning with sweat. Fantasies that made his heart swell with yearning. The only thing he’d ever wanted as much as he wanted CeeCee was to become a doctor.

  Well, he was a doctor now.

  But he’d yet to become CeeCee’s lover.

  He only had one more week to wrangle her into his bed. One more week to convince her that she could fall in love and stay in love for a lifetime. One more week to prove her ridiculous family curse was nothing but a self-fulfilling prophecy.

  The clock was ticking. Time for phase two of his “debunk the family whammy” plan. Time to accelerate this slow seduction. Time to consummate this simmering tension before they both went off the deep end.

  She’d called him last night and told him she would stop by after work to shore up last-minute instructions for the bachelor charity auction the following afternoon. He’d almost forgotten about the darned thing until she brought it up.

  Meaning his Friday night and Saturday afternoon would be taken up by some socialite rich enough to outbid the others for the privilege of hanging out with Motocross Champion Zack “Wild Man” Travis on Galveston Island.

  He called his twin again but got no answer and left a voice mailing telling him there was no reason for him to show up. The bachelor auction was taken care of. Still he worried. What if his brother didn’t the get the message and he came straight to Houston?

  You’re obsessing, he assured himself. Zack would get the message.