Heath (Wild Boys After Dark, #2)(8)

Ally heard the smile in her sister’s voice.

“You’re smart, you’re funny, and you’re hotter than any girl I know, Al. You can get any man you want. Why do you sell yourself short like that?”

Ally was starting to regret telling her about Heath, but she knew Amanda was just watching out for her. “I’m not selling myself short. It’s not about not being worthy. It’s about attitude. You know how I feel about doctors. Besides, this was just supposed to be a one-night stand. Fun, you know.” She knew her sister was rolling her eyes, because Amanda always teased her about volunteering at medical conferences, where she was surrounded by doctors. But doing lab work for doctors and assisting at a medical conference where she had access to all of the transcripts and interesting medical information were two totally different things.

“Another weird generalization and pastime. Not all docs are like that.”

“Oh, really? Do you work with doctors? They’re arrogant, self-righteous egotists who think of the people in the lab as idiots.” It had been Ally’s experience at the laboratory where she used to work and at the hospital where she’d begun working a few weeks ago that most of the doctors weren’t as kind and considerate as the other staff. She didn’t even know if Heath was a doctor. Although if he was, he didn’t act like she was any lower than him on the social ladder the way most doctors did. Even after he found out I was volunteering at the conference and not attending as a medical professional.

“No,” Amanda said. “But my doctor isn’t like that.”

“Mandy, do you really think your doctor acts the same around you as he does around his staff? You’re paying him.” She leaned down and kissed the white spot on the top of Fifi’s otherwise black furry head. “Besides, if I were looking for more, it wouldn’t be from a one-night-stand.”

“Um. Miss Hypocritical? You were a one-night-stand, remember?”

Ally sighed. “I know, but long-term I want all the fun of quick and dirty sex with the warm, squishy feelings of love. I want to get tingly all over by the sound of his voice and know that every second we’re apart, he’s thinking of me.”

“You want to be the heroine in one of my romance novels. I swear they get the best sex and the best guys.”

“That would be nice. I’ll take what they have.” Ally laughed.

“Maybe you should give your doc a chance. If he’s even a doctor.”

“I don’t know. It’s not like I need that sort of conflict in my life. I had a great weekend, and tomorrow it’s back to real life.”

Amanda sighed. “Mondays suck. We should have lunch tomorrow.” She worked around the corner from the hospital.

“Tomorrow?” Ally thought about what she had planned for the week, which was a whole lot of nothing besides work and catching up on a little reading. “Sounds good. Meet me around twelve thirty?”

“Perfect.”

A call beeped through, and Ally’s heart skipped a beat at Heath’s name on her screen. “Oh my God. He’s calling.”

“And the mystery man unravels. Love you, sis.”

Trying to ignore the nervous energy racing through her and sound casual, Ally answered Heath’s call. “Is this the way we do the no-strings thing?”

He laughed. “Ally. I’ve missed your voice.”

She closed her eyes tight, grinning like a fool, then forced her smile into an unemotional straight line and chased the excitement from her voice.

“Really? What else have you missed?” Fifi began to purr in her lap.

“Oh, are we going there?” His voice dropped seductively low.

She didn’t have the courage to answer. Yes, she wanted to go there. It wasn’t like she was going to see him again, and he’d already been up close and personal with every inch of her. What did she have to lose?

“Where are you right now, Ally?”

“Locations are off-limits, remember?”

“Ah, yes. I meant where in your place. Bedroom? Living room? Kitchen?”

“Oh.” Why did that simple question turn her on? “Where are you?”

He laughed again. “I’m sitting on my leather couch in my living room with my shirt off and my pants unbuttoned. And, Ally?”

She was getting excited just thinking about him sitting like that. “Yes?”

“I’m thinking about you, so I’m hard as steel.”

Her breath left her lungs in a rush at that visual. “Tie hanging around your neck? Because I find that sexy as hell.”

“Don’t tell me all your secrets, sweetheart.”

She listened to him breathing, silently chiding herself for giving that up. She didn’t know what the parameters were, and she realized that she didn’t particularly care. Heath was like ice cream. She knew she should only have a little, but she couldn’t resist overindulging.

“At least not all at once,” he added.

She smiled.

“Ally?”

“Yes?” Silence stretched between them.

“What are you wearing?”

She glanced down at her boy shorts underwear and T-shirt and thought about lying. Her eyes drifted to Fifi. “Well, at the moment, I’m wearing a cute *”—she paused for impact—“cat on my lap.”