Do Opposites Attract? (6 page)

Brianna sighed as she watched him stalk out. Bugger, she’d embarrassed him. Who would have thought the tough doctor was capable of being embarrassed? ‘I’d better go and apologise.’

Jane looked at her sympathetically. ‘You shouldn’t have to. Calling him sexy was hardly an insult.’

No, Brianna thought, it wasn’t. She found him outside, leaning back against the wall and staring into space. ‘I meant it, you know,’ she said as she walked up to him. ‘You would look great on a billboard.’ He ignored her, staring stonily into the distance. ‘Haven’t you been called sexy before?’ Brianna was intrigued.

‘No.’ The word had to be prized out of his clenched jaw.

‘Well it’s about time you were.’

Finally he turned to look at her. ‘What is it you want from me, Brianna?’ he asked softly.

The sexual chemistry that had bubbled dangerously between them right from the start flared into life and suddenly the air felt hot and heavy. ‘I call a man sexy and all of a sudden he assumes I want something from him.’ She tried to smile, but the joke fell flat.

What would he say if she told him the truth? That what she wanted was for him to take her to bed. She opened her mouth to tell him exactly that, but faltered at the harsh expression on his face. Even she, confident in her ability to attract the opposite sex, couldn’t be that bold with him. ‘Look, I didn’t mean to upset you. I happen to think you would do a great job at selling the charity. But you clearly don’t want to get involved with that, which is fine.’ She shrugged. ‘I might not be able to put any of my plans into action, anyway.’ Turning away from him, she started walking back into the bar. ‘Come and finish your drink.’

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully, though the atmosphere between her and Mitch remained. She desperately wanted to know if he found her attractive, too. If he wanted to sleep with her as much as she wanted to sleep with him. So far, she’d shown her hand, but he’d kept his well hidden.

The following morning the team huddled together in Mitch’s tent to go over the plans for the day.

‘The final item to discuss is the temporary school,’ Mitch was saying, his eyes skimming through his notes. ‘They’re looking for English speaking volunteers to do a stint with the children.’ He glanced fleetingly at Brianna. ‘I thought it was something you could help with.’

‘Because I’m useless here?’

His expression changed from bland to irritated. ‘No. Because nobody here talks the Queen’s English better than you do.’

It was another dig at her background, but Brianna held back a retort. After last night, she needed to find a way back into his good books. ‘Okay, no problem. I’d love to help. I can give them the rest of the bears I brought.’

He looked like he was going to add a comment about that, but thankfully he didn’t get a chance because Dan spoke. ‘I’ll go with you. Can’t have them all talking like posh people.’

Mitch narrowed his eyes and glared at the logistics man before seeming to pull himself together and nodding. ‘Okay.’

When the meeting was over, Mitch pulled her to one side. ‘Make sure you take some water bottles with you. I presume you read all the bumph about never drinking water that isn’t out of a sealed bottle?’

Really, did she look stupid? ‘Of course.’

Dan appeared at her side. ‘Hey, don’t worry about her, boss. I’ll make sure she’s okay.’

Mitch thinned his lips. ‘I’m sure you will.’

When he was out of earshot, Dan whistled. ‘What’s got into him this morning? He’s even grumpier than usual.’

Brianna had a horrible feeling it was down to her meddling last night. She’d told the guy he was sexy enough to be billboard material and now he hated her. Go figure.

Shrugging off Mitch’s irritation, she went to gather the box of remaining bears from her tent and followed Dan to the jeep. As he drove she thought about the day ahead. Talking with the school children would be fun. As would being in the company of Dan. What a flipping shame that next to Mitch, Dan was like a young boy, still wet behind the ears. It wasn’t just the difference in ages, though there was probably ten years between them. Dan was all on the surface. What you saw was what you got. Mitch was deep, complex. He intrigued her. Where did he get his mental strength from? Why was he so unwilling to let down his guard? Why did he find it so hard to smile?

‘Here we go.’ Dan jumped down from the jeep and went round to open the door for her.

Thanking him, she scrambled down and surveyed the school tent. ‘I’m amazed they’re bothering with schooling at a time like this.’

‘It helps the kids to have some sort of normal routine in their lives.’ He grinned. ‘And gives the parents a bit of a break.’

Quietly they crept into the back of the tent, but in no time at all they were spotted and drawn into the conversation. Brianna had worried whether she’d even be able to talk to the children, but she found between her limited grasp of Spanish and their surprisingly good English, they managed fine. And the teddy bears went down a storm. So there, Mitch.

In between the smiles and laughter there were some touching moments, most particularly when the children haltingly described when the tornado had hit. Brianna wasn’t the only one with tears in her eyes. Thankfully the teacher called a temporary break after that and Brianna escaped outside for some much needed air.

‘You want drink?’

A smiling girl with dark curly hair and big brown eyes offered her up a cup. ‘I, umm.’ She could feel the bottle of water weighing heavily in her trouser pocket, but how could she refuse the girl? It seemed far too rude. ‘Thank you. That’s very kind.’ She took the cup and took a tiny sip. She’d throw the rest away when the girl wasn’t looking.

‘Your pleasure.’ The girl gave her a wide, toothy grin.

Brianna laughed and gently touched her cheek. ‘You say
my
pleasure.’

‘My pleasure.’ She stayed where she was, still smiling, still watching.

Brianna took another sip. ‘Lovely.’

The girl nodded and skipped away.

It wasn’t long afterwards that Brianna started to experience the most intense, griping stomach cramps. She excused herself from the class and flew outside. A few moments later Dan came to find her. He took one look at her white face and clammy skin and bundled her straight into the jeep.

‘Don’t tell me you drank the water.’

‘Only a sip,’ she protested, then moaned as another cramp made her double up in pain.

‘That’s all it takes,’ he told her, but Brianna wasn’t listening. She was too busy retching out of the window.

Mitch watched as Brianna staggered out of the truck and swore. ‘You fool.’

She grimaced. ‘Thanks for your concern, but you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine.’ He took hold of her hand to steady her as she tried to walk towards the medical tent, but she snatched it away. ‘No, I’m okay.’ Then she projectile vomited all over his shirt. ‘Oh my God.’

Before she had a chance to say anything else, her legs gave way. Mitch caught her in his arms and carried her inside. Crikey, she was a lightweight.

She wriggled. ‘No, I don’t want to go here.’ Her pale, anguished face pleaded with him. ‘Please. Take me to my tent. I just need to rest.’

He knew she was mortified at being sick in front of them and guessed being shoved onto a hospital bed would only compound her embarrassment. He turned to Dan. ‘I’ll carry her to my tent. I’ve got paperwork to do anyway, so I’ll keep an eye on her at the same time. Make sure Stuart is about. Oh and grab me a drip and stand. Thanks.’

She was obviously feeling lousy because she allowed him to put her on his bed and fix up the drip with no protest. Following a few more, blessedly dry, heaves she fell fast asleep. In between literally and figuratively mopping her brow, he took the opportunity to change out of his vomit-patterned shirt, take a quick shower and tackle more of his blasted paperwork.

A couple of hours later he heard a groan from his bed and turned to find her trying to sit up. Her hair was a mess and her face washed out, yet her very vulnerability tugged at him. ‘Welcome back,’ he told her gruffly.

She held out the arm with the drip in it. ‘What’s this doing here? I’m not ill.’

‘It’s replacing the fluids you splattered over my shirt.’

Instantly she clasped her other hand to her mouth in horror. ‘Shit, now I remember. I’m so sorry.’ She hung her head. ‘I can’t believe I puked up all over you. God, and it would have to be you, wouldn’t it?’

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘I mean, you’re … well … you’re you.’ She bit her lip. ‘You already think I’m a total moron. Now I’ve thrown up all over you, you’ll hate me even more.’

What the blazes was she going on about? ‘Number one, I don’t hate you, don’t be so ridiculous. Number two, do I look like the type of man who’s bothered by a bit of sick?’

It stopped her in her tracks. At least long enough to study him. He tried not to squirm. ‘No, I guess not. But I expect you are bothered by the fact that I forgot to do as you told me.’ She shook her head. ‘No, that’s not true. I didn’t forget. It’s just the girl who offered me the drink looked so adorable, and I didn’t want to disappoint her.’ He was about to say something, but she wasn’t finished. ‘Instead I disappointed you.’

‘Jesus, Brianna, I’m not disappointed in you.’

‘Then why are you so cross with me?’

‘Cross?’

‘Yes. When I got out of the jeep, you called me a fool. And just now, when I woke up, you looked almost angry.’

He was angry, but not with her. With himself, for being so bloody attracted to her. Hell, when Dan had offered to go with her today, he’d been hard pressed not to punch the guy. ‘I’m not cross,’ he told her shortly. ‘I was worried. Do you have any idea how many diseases you can pick up from contaminated water?’

She shook her head, and he sighed and went to feel her forehead. It felt normal. If soft, silk-like skin could be called normal. ‘I think you’ll be fine. Dan went back to the school and the water they used was originally from a bottle, though it wasn’t fresh. I think whatever upset you has probably been flushed out by now.’

‘All over your shirt.’

She sounded so flat, as if she’d had the stuffing knocked out of her, that he almost smiled. He should enjoy this subdued version of Brianna while he could. She was a lot easier to handle. ‘I’ll take the drip out and you can go and rest a while in your own bed.’

He quickly removed the line and helped her to her feet. She looked a little shaky. Like a newborn foal, all large eyes and cute. Yeah, definitely cute. Hastily he dropped his hand to his side. ‘Are you okay to make your own way back?’

She eased her feet into her boots, holding onto his bed to steady herself. ‘Yes, thanks. I’ve caused you enough trouble.’

Okay, now this almost chastened version was beginning to frustrate him. ‘It’s no trouble. Looking after sick people is what I do.’

He received a small smile for that. ‘I know. And you’re pretty good at it.’ Her smile grew wider. ‘Though your bedside manner could do with softening up a bit.’

With that she was gone. He stared after her as the doorway flapped back down. He should have walked with her, made sure she was okay. It was just he wasn’t sure, if he tucked her back into her own bed, whether he’d be strong enough to leave.

She unsettled him, he admitted it as he sat back at his desk, and he didn’t like the feeling. Not one little bit. She was flirting with him, damn her, but it wasn’t clear why. Even less clear was what on earth he was going to do about it.

Letting out a deep sigh, he flung open a file.

Back in her tent, Brianna dozed for a bit but soon realised she wasn’t going to get any more sleep. That was when she pulled out her notepad and began to scribble a list of thoughts, questions, musings around her ideas for the charity. She worked until her stomach started to rumble, a sure sign she was feeling better. Automatically she threw back the sheets, ready to get up, but then she halted. If she moved from here, she might bump into Mitch. Could she face him, having humiliated herself in front of him yet again? Nearly blacking out at the sight of the boy skewered by a pole had been bad enough, though perhaps understandable. But chucking up over him, after he’d expressly warned her to drink only her own water?

Groaning, she curled back into bed. Wow, she really knew how to impress a guy. The stupid thing was, she
did
know how to dazzle a man. Just not this one. With Mitch she seemed to press all the buttons he hated being touched. She let out a long, deep breath then slipped her feet back onto the floor. She had to face him sooner or later. Might as well get it over and done with.

After finding a few slices of bread to line her stomach, she wandered into the ward where she found Mitch checking on the boy whose life he’d saved yesterday. Quietly she moved to his side. ‘He looks a lot better than the last time I last saw him,’ she whispered. The boy was sound asleep, a good colour in his cheeks, a peaceful expression on his face. More importantly, there was no pole sticking out of his chest.

‘I could say the same about you.’ He held her eyes for a pulse-humming moment before looking down at his patient. ‘He’s well on the road to recovery. I had to remove a rib and he’ll always have a scar, but other than that I expect him to be back to normal in a few weeks.’ Mitch nodded at the toy bunny. ‘Was that your doing?’

Brianna felt a hot flush creep up her neck. ‘Umm, yes, I found it where he was trapped. Figured it might have been what he went home for.’

Mitch nodded. ‘That was pretty astute of you. The rest of us were so focused on the trauma, we didn’t take in the detail. Details can be important.’

Now her cheeks were flushing furiously. As they moved away from the boy’s bed and towards the waiting area she was pathetically grateful that Mitch was one step ahead of her. ‘Have I turned you into a fan of cuddly toys then?’ she asked, once her cheeks had cooled.

He flashed a rare grin. ‘Fat chance.’

Wow. When it actually surfaced, his smile was to die for. Almost of its own volition her body swayed towards him and her hand moved to touch his arm. ‘Mitch.’

He jerked away, as if she was too hot to touch. ‘What?’

She didn’t know what she’d been about to say, but whatever it was, it died on her lips at his reaction. Men usually wanted to pull her towards them, not push her away. Feeling incredibly foolish, she took a step back and cleared her throat. ‘I wondered if I could catch up with you later. I want to find out your wish list of provisions for Medic SOS, if money was no object.’ That was better. Cool and professional. ‘If the charity want to ask people for more money, it’s good to have a real handle on what you plan to do with it.’

‘Fine. I’m on call tonight, but I’ll be in my tent if I’m not needed on the ward.’

It was a date then. Of sorts.

Brianna showered in the cold river water, something she was becoming surprisingly used to, and changed into clean jeans and a fresh shirt. As she towel dried her hair, she wished once again for her hairdryer. Not necessarily to dry her hair – the temperature was so hot that wasn’t a problem – but to tame the stupid curls that seemed to spring out of nowhere. Checking her face in the little compact mirror she’d found in her handbag, she added some blusher and a hint of lipstick. Yes, it was vanity, but she wanted to look as good as she could. In a few moments she was going to Mitch’s tent. Sure ostensibly it was to discuss the charity, but that wasn’t all she had planned. Frankly she’d done with tiptoeing around and attempting light flirtation. It had got her nowhere. Tonight she was going to seduce the man. At the very least, she was going to try.

Her stomach churned, and this time it wasn’t because it was empty. She knew what she was about to do wasn’t sensible. Heck, even the thought of it made her cringe. But the days were flying by and she needed to find out if he wanted her as much as she wanted him. If he didn’t, fine. She’d plaster a cool look on her face, grit her teeth and get through the rest of the week. Then she’d climb on board a plane and never have to see him again.

If he did want her … a flush of longing swept through her body and she had to sit on the bed for a few moments to steady herself.

When she’d gathered her wits sufficiently, she slipped out of her tent and went to stand outside his, letting out a small cough. ‘Can I come in?’

‘Yes.’

The single word was neither warm nor inviting, but she squared her shoulders and walked in. Surprise, surprise. He was at his desk, poring over papers. ‘Don’t you ever stop working?’

He turned his chair so he could see her. ‘I think we’ve already established I’m fairly boring.’

Brianna bit back a smile. Boring was absolutely the last word that came to mind when she thought of him. With no other seating available, she opted to lie on his bed. It might help her seduction; now he wouldn’t have to imagine her there. ‘I don’t remember saying you were boring,’ she replied softly.

Immediately he tensed. ‘So, what did you want?’ he asked abruptly.

It wasn’t a promising start but it was a cue she couldn’t ignore. Slowly she rose from the bed and sauntered over to where he sat, swaying her hips just slightly more than usual. She could only hope she was getting this right, and not coming across as a desperate call girl. She’d never tried to seduce a man before. Hadn’t had to, hadn’t
wanted
to, until now. Carefully she perched on the corner of the table, knowing full well his head was now level with her chest. ‘I want you to tell me what you wish for.’

She heard him suck in a breath. ‘Why have you really come here tonight?’ he asked roughly.

Brianna couldn’t resist a smile at his obvious discomfort. Since she’d met him he’d been the one in control. The confident, domineering one. But right now, in this tent, the reins had been passed to her. ‘I would have thought that was pretty obvious.’

Mitch shoved back his chair with such force it nearly toppled over. ‘Stop playing games, Brianna.’

‘Who said it was a game? I’m deadly serious.’ To prove it, she reached out her hand and deliberately rubbed it down his fly.

Instantly he hardened under her caress, but before she had a chance to savour the victory his fingers had clamped over her wrist, removing her hand. ‘We’re surrounded by people whose lives have been devastated, and all you’re interested in is a quick romp in the sack?’ he asked coldly.

He might not have physically slapped her, but his cutting words were just as effective. And like a bucket of cold water, they extinguished her desire, leaving her utterly humiliated. The worst part was he was absolutely right in his condemnation. She’d been acting like the spoilt rich girl she so desperately didn’t want to be. ‘Sorry,’ she whispered, utterly ashamed. ‘I can see you’re not interested.’ She jumped off the table, anxious to flee as quickly as possible. As she landed, she accidentally bumped into him, bringing her body hard against his.

The spark of lust Mitch had been trying to ignore suddenly ignited. Roughly he grabbed Brianna’s shoulders and pulled her towards him. ‘I didn’t say that,’ he growled before crushing her to him, bending his neck so he could savage her mouth.

The kiss was so hot he wouldn’t have been surprised to find their mouths on fire. But as the passion raged, suddenly a kiss wasn’t enough. Pushing the paperwork aside with one sweep of his hand, he roughly pushed her onto the table. With his lips still firmly pressed onto hers, he pulled at her shirt, popping the buttons in his haste to get at the full breasts beneath. The red mist descended on him. He was out of control.

‘Is this what you wanted?’ he declared harshly, his fingers unclasping her bra and releasing her delicious breasts into his hands. ‘To make love to a bit of rough from the wrong side of the tracks?’

Through the fog of sexual desire, he was aware of Brianna stilling. Of her grasping the hand that had been playing with her nipple and slapping it away. ‘How dare you,’ she spat at him, shoving him off and clutching at her shirt to preserve her modesty. ‘Do you really think that’s what this is all about?’ She shook her head and stood up. ‘How little you must think of me. And yourself,’ she finished coldly.

Mitch tried to settle back to his paperwork but his mind just wouldn’t focus. His eyes kept straying to the pillow where she’d laid her head for the second time today. When he went to sleep, if he ever did, he was going to smell sultry flowers, or whatever the hell it was she washed her hair with.

With a groan he shut his eyes. Bad idea. Now all he could see was the straight, proud lines of her body as she’d walked away from him. How many other women would have left with such arrogance after what he’d done? The throbbing heat between his legs was still there, a painful reminder of how much he’d wanted her. Still wanted her, damn it. She might have led him on, but he was the one who’d lost control. He was the one who’d shoved her down on the table, mauling her like she was a common slut. His mind flooded with self-disgust. He bet none of the pompous, toffee-nosed men she dated had ever treated her like that.

With a cry of frustration he forced himself to his feet. He was an effing genius. He’d managed to humiliate not just himself, but her, too. And they still had another four days left in each other’s company.

There was nothing else for it. He had to go and apologise.

Feeling like a man on the way to the gallows, he went to find her tent. The entrance flap was down. ‘Brianna,’ he spoke through the canvas.

His word was greeted with silence, and for a moment he wondered if she was actually in there. Then came a muffled reply. ‘What?’

‘Can I come in for a moment?’

‘Why?’

‘I’d rather have this conversation in private, if it’s all the same to you.’ He half expected her to tell him to bugger off, but instead she told him to come in.

He found her lying on the bed, clutching a pillow to her chest. Her hair was loose and her cheeks were wet. She looked young, wary and impossibly vulnerable.

‘Sorry,’ he said quickly, anxious to get this over and done with. He hated eating humble pie. ‘I acted like a jerk.’

‘Yes, you did.’ She held his gaze unflinchingly, though her usually sparkling eyes were rimmed with red.

‘Damn,’ he muttered into the silence. ‘You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you? What else can I say? I apologise. I’m not used to female company on these projects. I guess I just flipped.’

Brianna stared at him for several long, tense moments. Then she dropped her gaze to the floor. ‘Yes, well, I probably provoked you.’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘Probably,’ he replied dryly. ‘I was rough. I’m sorry if I hurt you.’

‘Hurt me?’ she exclaimed, eyes glittering. ‘You think I’m angry with you because you were rough? Of all the ridiculous …’ She shook her head. ‘It’s not what you did, Dr McBride. It’s what you said.’

Mitch looked baffled. ‘What I said?’

‘You really think I wanted to kiss you just so I could see what it was like to kiss a man who has less money than I do? You think I’m that shallow?’

He took a moment to study the woman on the bed. Nobody had made her come here. She didn’t need a job, like he did. She was here of her own free will, because she wanted to make a difference. ‘No, I don’t think you’re shallow,’ he replied quietly. He held her gaze and something moved between them, something that stirred him, frightened him. He was beginning to like her, as well as fancy her. Never mind shallow, he was in danger of being dragged out of his depth.

He broke the gaze and shoved his hands in his pockets before he was tempted to do anything with them. Like run them down those amazing curves of hers, for starters. ‘Look Brianna. I need to focus on what I’m doing here, without any distractions, tempting though they might be. You’re only here for a few more days, so I suggest we forget about what happened. To avoid any further complications, let’s stay out of each other’s way.’

Brianna watched as Mitch ducked back out of her tent. Possibly he was right. Probably he was right. Certainly staying away from him was exactly what she’d planned after she’d left his tent. Never had a man made her feel so cheap. But now her anger had vanished. Call her foolish, but despite his sometimes cruel words, she saw something in him she hadn’t seen in any of the other men she’d dated. It wasn’t just lust, though his kiss had been far beyond anything she’d ever experienced. Never had she been handled with such wild ferocity, such white-hot passion. He thought he’d been rough? She’d never felt more aroused.

But he was more than a sexy doctor with rugged good looks and an athletic build. Beneath all that there was toughness, layers. She couldn’t fully put a handle on it. Mitch wasn’t a man a woman could ignore. Love him or hate him, he made a mark. He certainly had on her. Yes she wanted his body, but she was also desperate to understand his mind.

She wasn’t sure she was ready to give up on him quite so readily.