Harlequin Special Edition November 2014 - Box Set 2 of 2: The Maverick's Thanksgiving Baby\A Celebration Christmas\Dr. Daddy's Perfect Christmas (30 page)

“I don't know what I want,” she finally admitted.

“I don't mean to discourage you,” Sydney said. “If that were the case, I wouldn't be so happy about getting Cinderella ready for the ball. I don't know Cullen well, but from what I do know, he seems different with you.”

“It might be the kids,” Lily said, but instantly remembered the feel of his lips on hers and the way he'd told her without mincing words that he wanted to kiss her again. Her girl parts hummed to life at the thought.

Oh, this was bad.

As if reading her mind, Sydney said, “I say go for it, but just be careful. I don't want to see you get hurt again.”

* * *

Early the next morning, Lily was pulling fresh cinnamon rolls out of the oven when Cullen, who was freshly shaven, smelling like a god and all dressed and ready for work, entered the kitchen.

She'd never known simple black pants and a white button-down that was open at the collar to be quite so sexy.

“It smells like heaven in here,” he said as he took a mug from the cabinet and poured himself a cup of coffee. “You do know how to tempt me, don't you?”

There was a gleam in his eye that made her stomach tingle. Maybe that was what was sexy about him. Maybe the black pants and white shirt were a blank canvas for those eyes.

“You know me,” she said, holding his gaze and quirking an eyebrow. “I aim to please.”

There it was.

He just made it so darn easy to flirt and she couldn't help herself. It was as if he coaxed it out of her. Yeah, but after all, he was a professional flirt. Should she expect anything else?

Full-time doctor; part-time flirt.

Or was it full-time for both? she pondered as she used a spatula to serve a steaming iced cinnamon roll.

She'd gotten to work earlier than usual, letting herself in with her door key. She'd spent a restless night tossing and turning, thinking about her conversation with Sydney. Finally she'd given in. Rather than lying there while the squirrels of doubt ran rampant in her head, she got up and went into her grandmother's kitchen that was now her kitchen and started mixing up dough for cinnamon rolls. She wasn't going to figure out anything by overthinking it. So she vowed to press on, business as usual. The rolls would have just enough time to rise and she could pop them in the oven once she got to Cullen's place. Her job was to care for the kids...and him, since he was letting her...and that was exactly what she intended to do.

Cullen was seated on the edge of a bar stool at the island, sipping his coffee and reading the paper, which Lily had brought in when she'd let herself in this morning.

That was when she noticed that he'd poured her a cup of coffee, too. It was waiting for her at the space next to him.

An invitation?

It would seem so.

Without giving it too much more thought, she set the plate in front of him and sat down on the stool next to him. She sat sideways so that she faced him.

The kids were still sleeping. The house was quiet except for the sounds of Franklin the dog, who was snoring in his bed in the corner near the window, the oven that was clicking as it cooled down and the freezer dumping a batch of freshly minted ice.

Fire and ice, she thought.

Just like the two of them: he with his hot blood; she with her cool reserve.

Little did he know that there was another side of her behind the front of capable cook and nanny.

For a moment, it felt as if they were the only two people in the world.

As he took a bite of the cinnamon roll, she sipped her coffee, holding the mug with both hands, letting the warmth seep into her palms and fingers.

“God, this is good,” he said. “You made these from scratch?”

She nodded as if it were nothing.

“Do you not eat these?” he asked. “How can you not make these every day and eat them?”

“Because I'd weigh five hundred pounds if I did.”

“You look perfect just the way you are,” he said before he took another bite.

Perfect?

Just the way I am?

She took another sip of her coffee before she could protest. Or at least until she could think of something else to say.

“I wanted to remind you that today is a longer day at the holiday market,” she said. “Do you mind if I leave the girls at the booth with Sydney and A.J. while I go pick up George from camp?”

“That's all the way on the other side of town,” Cullen said. “The hospital is closer to the community center than you'll be. Why don't I just get him and bring him to you?”

“Are you sure?” she asked. “You don't mind picking him up?”

He leaned in closer, resting his arm on the back of her chair, and for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. And she was going to let him if he did.

But he hesitated for a moment, as if he were trying to read her or give her the chance to object. But she didn't. “I'm absolutely sure.” He reached up and ran the pad of his thumb along her jawline. “In fact, I don't know when I've ever been quite so sure of anything.”

Ooh.
She inhaled sharply at the sensation of his touch.

Suddenly she knew he wasn't just planning on a laid-back, friendly peck, like the one they'd shared under the mistletoe at the tree lot. This was going to be the real deal, and her insides began to melt.

“Yeah?” she murmured. Her voice was barely a whisper and it sounded husky. “You sound pretty sure of yourself.”

“You have no idea.”

He shifted again. Their bodies were closer. Then his hand was caressing her back.... His breath was hot on her temple.... His lips skimmed her cheekbone.... She looked up at him and his eyes were hazy and hooded, and the next thing she knew, his lips were on hers, tasting like cinnamon-laced butter, black coffee and just a hint of mint...probably from his toothpaste.

He smelled so good—like soap and shave gel and something green. Lordy, she was a goner. She curled her fingers into his hair, and her senses reeled. She wanted to inhale him...devour him.

She had no idea how long they kissed, holding on to each other, lost in this moment that had been such a long time in coming. Common sense screamed that they should stop, that she should stop. She should pull away, but another part, a deeper, hungrier part, wanted to disappear into the shelter of his arms, into this place where fantasy lived and there was no such thing as mistakes or women like Giselle.

Because she wasn't like Giselle, and suddenly it was crystal clear in her heart—as if everything had shifted and snapped into place.

Lily had fallen.

And fallen hard.

Chapter Nine

“I
don't know what else to tell you, Max,” Cullen said. “We're on a tight schedule. You're going to have to figure out a way to make it work. The new surgical wing has to open on time. The board refuses to give me any room for negotiations.”

For a day that had started out with so much promise, it had gone straight to hell after Cullen got to work. There had been a five-car pileup on the highway that had required all hands in the emergency room, and once they'd gotten everyone stabilized, Max Cabot, the contractor who was building the new pediatric surgical wing at the hospital, had landed in his office saying that they were behind schedule on the construction. He began pushing to see if the hospital board would ease up on the clause in the contract that said the contractor would have to pay a hefty fine for each day he went over the scheduled completion date.

The board wasn't having it, and Cullen was the messenger who had to deliver the bad news.

“Look,” said Max. “I'm going to confide in you. I've had a problem getting in touch with one of my subcontractors. He's MIA. That's what's holding me up.”

“You're going to have to figure it out, Max. That's all I can tell you.”

Before Max could protest, Cullen's administrative assistant buzzed the intercom.

“Dr. Dunlevy, Dr. Brenda Byrd is here to see you.”

Brenda? Now? Great. Just what he needed. Cullen ran a hand over his eyes, trying to scrub away the irritation. This day just kept getting better and better.

He stood and walked to the office door. “Max, I'm sure you can make it work. I have faith in you.”

The contractor followed, but didn't look imbued with the same confidence.

“I'll talk to you later,” Max said.

Cullen gave him a curt nod and turned his attention to Brenda, who stood smiling at him as if she were the surprise guest who had just jumped out of a birthday cake. Only without the cake or the overtly sexy costume, both of which would've been much too obvious for Brenda. She'd always had her own simmering under-the-surface seductive style. But there had been so much turbulent water under the bridge that had once joined them that it had finally washed out their connection.

“Hey, Cullen,” she purred. Seeing her wide smile and hearing her raspy voice took him back to the days when things had been good between them. All he could think was
I'm just not up for this right now.

“Hello,” he said. “I thought you were going to call once you got to town.”

Brenda looked exactly as she always had, pretty in her sexy-smart-doctor way. Her shiny auburn hair hung in loose waves around her shoulders. She wore a silky white blouse with an expensive-looking black skirt and heels that might have been considered a little too high to be professional, but somehow she always managed to pull it off.

“I wanted to surprise you,” she said.

“Mission accomplished,” he said. “You did just that.”

“Do you have time for coffee?” she asked.

“I have a board meeting in ten minutes.” He shook his head. “It's been one of those days. Know what I mean?”

“I'm only in town for a couple days, Cullen. How about dinner tonight?”

Tonight wouldn't be enough notice for Lily.

Lily. Just the thought of her made making plans with Brenda feel like...a betrayal.

“Tonight doesn't work. You should've called me. I could've put it on my schedule.”

Although a phone call wouldn't have preempted the day's chaos. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, but truth be told, he flat out didn't want to go.

“Nice to know that with notice you would've worked me in.” There was an edge to her voice. She was always used to getting her way. Obviously, she still didn't like it when events didn't turn in her favor. “How about tomorrow night?”

When Cullen hesitated, she said, “I need to talk to you. I need your advice. Can you help me out? For old times' sake?”

“What's wrong?”

She let out a breath, looked around. “You have a meeting. I don't want to get into it now. Dinner tomorrow?”

When their marriage had ended, they'd prided themselves on remaining friends. Now that she might be moving to Celebration, they might very well be colleagues.

Friends made time for friends. They gave advice and all that jazz.

“I need to shuffle some things, but I'll see what I can do,” he said. “I'll call you tomorrow and confirm, okay?”

“Works for me. I'll walk you to your meeting and you can start catching me up on everything that's been happening since we last spoke.”

That wasn't happening now. There was too much to say to open that line of conversation before his meeting. Despite being a pediatrician, Brenda had never wanted kids of her own. That was one of the reasons their relationship had worked. Or was supposed to have worked. They were both career-focused. Medicine came first. Personal relationships followed at a close second. He thought about Lily and the kids. There was no way Brenda would understand why he'd taken in the Thomas kids. Because that meant living a kid-friendly life. It meant making yourself vulnerable and available. Like when he'd promised Lily he'd pick up George from camp—

Oh, hell. Oh, no—

“What time is it?” he asked as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.

Crap. It was nearly five o'clock. He was supposed to have picked up George from basketball camp at four. That was when he saw that he had three missed calls from a number he didn't recognize on his phone, which had been on silent mode since he'd been working in the emergency room all morning.

“I have to go,” he said, walking away from Brenda before he could explain.

“Where are you going? I thought you had a meeting.”

“I do,” he called over his shoulder. “But I have to take care of something important first. I'll call you tomorrow.”

As he sprinted toward the parking lot, he pulled his cell out of his pocket and redialed the number that had called. He didn't waste time retrieving the messages. He knew what they'd say. Now he just needed to get ahold of someone who would let George know he was on his way.

“Celebration Community Center. This is April.”

“Hi, April. This is Cullen Dunlevy. I'm calling about George Thomas. He's part of the holiday basketball camp. I goofed. I was supposed to pick him up at four, but I got tied up at work. I'm five minutes away. I'll be right there.”

“No worries, Dr. Dunlevy. Lily Palmer just picked him up. He's safe and sound.”

Cullen stopped running.

Damn.

Actually it was good that Lily had George. The poor kid must've been worried that they'd forgotten him or that something had happened. Cullen hated the thought of putting George through anything more than he'd already suffered in his young life.

“Was he...okay?”

There was a pause on the line.

“Well, honestly, he was a little upset, but he was fine once Lily arrived.”

An expletive formed at the back of his throat, but he managed to swallow it.

“Thanks, April. I'm sorry. It won't happen again.”

After he hung up, he stood in the parking lot debating what to do. He should go back inside. He'd be a few minutes late for the board meeting, but he wouldn't have missed anything.

Still, he couldn't make his feet move.

Instead, he dialed his assistant, Tracy. “Please give the board my apologies. I've had a family emergency and have to leave the hospital. I'll be back as soon as I can, but they should start the meeting without me.”

* * *

Lily's previous irritation at Cullen for not picking up George—for not calling or returning her call—pretty much faded the minute she saw his face. He looked so guilty as he speed-walked toward the Celebrations, Inc. booth at the holiday market.

“Where's George?” he asked. “April at the community center said you picked him up. Where is he?”

Cullen looked panicked as his gaze swept the market.

“Relax,” Lily said. “He and the girls are walking around and getting something to eat. He's pretty hungry.”

She couldn't hide her annoyance.

“I'm sorry,” he said. “I forgot.”

“What do you mean
you forgot?
” Instantly she regretted her tone.

Cullen shrugged, turning his palms up as if surrendering. “I forgot. There was a bad accident on Highway 43 and they took a lot of the injured to my E.R. Then it was just one thing after another. And the next thing I knew, it was almost five o'clock. I forgot to go get him.”

Dismay punched Lily in the stomach. She knew Cullen was already suffering. There was no use making him feel worse. George was safe and sound. Cullen was beyond sorry. She should've never asked Cullen to pick up the boy in the first place. It was her job. She should've just asked Sydney if she could leave the girls with her and gotten him herself. But she would never say that to Cullen.

She weighed her words. “I tried to call you. April said she tried to call you, too.”

He cleared his throat. “I turned off the ringer when I was working in the emergency room and I forgot to turn it back on. I hate thinking about him sitting there waiting for me. I came straight over here to apologize to him—and you—after I learned you'd picked him up.”

That was when Lily realized exactly how distraught he was over this.

She reached out and put her hand on his arm. “Hey, it's okay—”

He pulled away. “It's not okay. There's no excuse for it. I need to apologize to him before I go back to the hospital.”

“Cullen, really, it's okay. Everything is fine.”

“No, it's not. I promised I'd pick him up. I forgot. What kind of an idiot forgets a kid?”

“Come take a walk with me,” she said to Cullen. “Do you mind if I step away for a moment, Syd?”

“Not a problem,” her friend said.

They were about to take a dinner break anyway. Lily had planned on asking Cullen to join them, but now she wasn't sure it was a good idea. “Please tell the girls and George I'll be right back.”

It was becoming a familiar trek, this walk to the parking lot with Cullen.

She held the silence until they'd cleared the exit.

It was cold outside, and she pulled the collar of her jacket up around her neck. She should've thought to grab her hat.

“You said there was an emergency. You aren't used to picking up a child. Don't be so hard on yourself.”

“You don't get it. I screwed up.”

He braced one hand against the building's wall and raked the other through his hair. He looked like a god, standing there in the golden late-afternoon light. A tortured, brooding god. She wanted to put her arms around him until he believed everything would be okay.

“So, let me get this straight. You're calling yourself a screwup because you forgot to pick him up?”

Cullen gave a quick one-shoulder shrug.

“So, if you're a screwup for not picking him up, what does running out of gas make me?”

He glared at her.

“So, you're just going to have to forgive yourself.” She closed the distance between them. “All parents slip up now and then. I'll bet ninety percent of the parents of the kids I've taught over the years have been late or even forgotten to pick up their child at least once.”

She put her hand on his arm as a show of solidarity, but he shrugged it off.

“I'm
not
George's parent and I think this proves how unfit I am to care for the kids. They deserve so much better.”

“Is this discussion about what happened with George or is it because you regret kissing me this morning?”

He couldn't have looked more pain-stricken if she'd slapped him. “I don't regret kissing you, but I do think it's best that we keep our relationship platonic. It's just easier that way.”

Now she was the one who felt as if she'd been slapped. “Okay. That's fine.”

It wasn't fine, but what else was she supposed to say?

“I'd better go back inside.” She turned around and started walking away from him. Away from every ridiculous fantasy about him turning out different from the guy her friends had warned her he was.

“Lily,” he said.

She hated herself for the way her heart squeezed when he said her name. She stopped, but she didn't turn around.

“I'm sorry,” he said. “I really am.”

So was she. She was nearly sick with regret that Sydney, Pepper and A.J. had been right about him. He wasn't the type for anything long-term. Or maybe she simply wasn't his type.

“I need to tell you something before you go.”

She turned around, careful to keep her face neutral.

“Brenda is back. She stopped by my office today.”

“Who is Brenda?”

“My ex-wife.”

So that was her name.

Brenda.

Brenda and Cullen.

The Drs. Dunlevy or would that be Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Dunlevy?

“Okay.” The word came out flat.

She almost asked him if congratulations were in order. She thought about telling him that he was free to take Brenda to the Jingle Bell Ball, but she didn't want to sound bitter.

Damn it.
She'd been looking forward to going to the ball. Now she'd have to tell Sydney that she didn't need to borrow that beautiful dress. And Sydney would get to say
I told you so.

Nah, Sydney has too much class to do that.

But the
I told you so
would still go without saying, at least in her own head. She'd chosen, yet again, to ignore another truth.

When will you learn?

“I'm sorry,” he repeated.

“Stop saying that, Cullen.” This time she wasn't able to keep the edge out of her voice. “I have to go.”

He nodded. “Tomorrow night, I may be a little later.”