Thomas (Erotic Romance) Book 2 (The MacKenzie Brothers Quartet) Read Free Page B

dimmed and he looked at her with a sincerity that frightened her.
    “I think it’d be pretty hard to forget if someone was shooting at me, but I’m sure things will come back to you in no time once you get a little rest.” He cleared his throat and seemed a little embarrassed. “I know you don’t know me, but I want you to know you can trust me. Anything you want to tell me will stay between the two of us. Doctor-patient privilege and all that.”
    Cat felt tears prick at her eyes and broke the gaze. She hadn’t had anyone to lean on since her father’s death when she was eighteen. He hadn’t been much of a father even before then, considering he’d been in prison for grand larceny. But this man…there was something about him that made her want to trust him. She just wanted him period. And the thought scared the hell out of her.
    “All right, Matilda. Keep your secrets. I like a challenge. I hope you realize the can of worms you’ve opened. I won’t rest until I know everything about you.” His gaze raked down her body in a slow, sinuous gaze that had her nipples puckering to tight buds beneath the sheet. He noticed immediately, of course. The rat.
    Cat inhaled a quick breath as he leaned closer—close enough so she could feel the warmth of his breath against her lips. He traced the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip, and her eyes fluttered closed in surrender.
    “I didn’t realize you’d hurt your lip,” he said.
    Her eyes snapped open in surprise, and she stared straight into his satisfied expression. He knew exactly what kind of effect he had on her.
    “You must have bitten it when the car hit the tree. I know just the thing to make it feel better.”
    He moved closer and rubbed his lips against hers—a soft touch that captured her heart even as it aroused. She would have pressed him for more. In fact, she wanted more—the harder press of mouth against mouth, the swirl of tongue and the bite of teeth. But he backed away, the flame of desire hot in his eyes and his control rigid. He was compelling her to confide in him, to trust him, without the use of words
    Cat stared at him with defiant determination. She wouldn’t be intimidated by Thomas MacKenzie. Nothing could intimidate her. She’d been raised with felons. His lips quirked in an amused smile at her stubbornness and his gaze lowered to her mouth once more. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks in embarrassment of how readily she would have accepted him again, and she made herself turn away and close her eyes.
    “I think I’d like to sleep now, if you don’t mind. I’m really tired.”
    “Sure, sweetheart.” He ran his fingers along her hair once more. “If you need anything there’s an intercom on the wall over there. Try not to walk on that leg just yet. It’s just a flesh wound and there wasn’t any serious muscle or nerve damage, but it’s going to be sore for a couple of days. I wouldn’t want you to pull open the stitches.”
    “Sure, Doc. And thanks. That cow scared the hell out of me. Driving on the 101 in LA is nothing compared to the streets of Nowhere, Montana.”
    “It’s Surrender, honey. And it takes some getting used to. Especially for a stubborn red-head like yourself.”
    Cat narrowed her eyes as he left the room and wondered what she’d just missed. Thomas MacKenzie was going to have to be watched if she was going to make an escape. She tried to tamp down the emptiness that filled her soul at the thought of leaving him. She closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep. She had a big night ahead of her.
     
    ***
     
    The night was completely black. Clouds lay like thick quilts across the sky, snuffing out the stars and sliver of moon. Cat lay in bed, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness, before throwing her legs over the edge. She bit back an oath as her feet hit the cold wood floors. The stitches in her leg pulled with every move she made and the painkiller Thomas had given her had worn off. The muscle