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Would it be enough to make her stop fantasizing about Zane Wilder? Somehow she didn’t think so because she’d liked spending time with him. She hadn’t seen or spoken to him since the barbecue, but she hadn’t forgotten him either. They had laughed and flirted, they had played games, real and metaphorical, and they had fit within his circle of friends like they were a couple. The whole evening had felt natural, and it wasn’t until she and the kids got home that she realized how much she missed letting loose and enjoying the company of friends…and a handsome man.

He was actually a beautiful man. So perfect it almost pained her to gaze at him. He probably had a slew of women falling at his feet for a chance to warm his bed. She couldn’t bring herself to ask Sydney during the few phone conversations they’d had since the barbecue, though she was dying to know that and so much more about him.

Then there was his infatuation with Sydney. She didn’t think it was more serious than a crush, or he wouldn’t be so willing to step aside and let Cole have her. He didn’t strike her as the type to graciously bow out instead of fighting for what he wanted. But if Sydney was the type of woman he was attracted to, Bridget shouldn’t have caught his attention. She and Sydney seemed polar opposites, and not just in appearance.

Maybe it wasn’t so much the appearance of a woman as her circumstances which attracted him. She’d considered, more than once, that all she was and could ever be to Zane was a damsel in distress. The guy had a protective streak a mile wide, and Bridget had no desire to play the helpless victim. It was one more reason why she needed to break his hold on her.

Her radical move to shake Zane’s hold on her was necessary. Her rule against dating co-workers be damned.

Chapter Fifteen

Bridget exploded in laughter and would have doubled over if the seatbelt wasn’t holding her securely in place. The smooth leather of the passenger seat supported her body in all the right places, and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been in a car as nice as Dr. Seth Masters’ Lexus. She felt like they were barely moving as Seth maneuvered the luxury car toward the address she’d given him. Music from the classic rock satellite radio station filtered through the speakers, low enough to be no more than ambient noise.

So much about Seth had pleasantly surprised her, from the music he enjoyed to how easy he was to talk to. She’d had her doubts about him when they met up at the diner, the only place in Grayson Cove open so early in the morning. He guided their conversation as they each enjoyed their breakfast deluxe platters.

Their conversation had been light, jumping from a variety of topics, and time passed quickly for her. After their meal, he’d paid the check and escorted her to her car. He placed a chaste kiss on her cheek before she slid behind the wheel. Once he made her promise they would share a meal again, he closed the door.

What would have been the perfect end to a first date was tainted when her car failed to start. Seth made a show of peering under the hood for her, but she had a feeling he knew as much as about cars as she did. Finally, he offered to drive her home. She never accepted a ride from people she barely knew, but circumstances worked against her hard-and-fast rule. He was a trusted doctor and a co-worker, and calling for a ride would mean dragging someone out of bed at seven o’clock on a Saturday morning. She couldn’t see the harm of accepting Seth’s offer this once.

The ride to her house passed quickly as Seth regaled her with stories from some of the more unorthodox patients he’d treated. She laughed hard enough to get a stitch in her side, but she didn’t care. She was enjoying herself too much to get caught up in her self-imposed rules.

When Seth parked in her driveway, Bridget was stunned to realize she hated to see their date end. She shifted in her seat to stare at him, unconsciously comparing him to Zane. Seth was good-looking, though not as devastating as Zane. He was good company with a good sense of humor. Seth’s job gave her more in common with him than with Zane. The doctor was easy, not the complication she believed Zane to be. This was what she needed in her life — easy and comfortable. Spending time with someone with no expectations and no heartstrings attached left her free to focus on more important things, like her job and her kids. Why had she been so quick to dismiss the doctor?

“So are you going to tell me?”

She tilted her head to the side, her lips pursed as she tried to guess his meaning. “What exactly are you wanting to know?”

“Why you changed your mind about me? I never expected you to agree to have breakfast with me. You don’t date co-workers, remember?”

She nodded. “Right,” she drawled. “I don’t, as a rule. But I’ve been making a lot of changes in my life. Most of them are because they were the best things for my niece and nephew. I guess I wanted to make a change that was…for me.”

“And a date with me was your first choice for a change?”

She wasn’t sure what kind of explanation he was fishing for, but she wasn’t ready to have a deep conversation with him. She had to keep this light. It was all she could handle.

“Don’t analyze my motives too closely, Doc. I can always change my mind.”

She slipped from the car before he had a chance to respond. If she thought he would be able to see through her loose-fitting scrubs, she would have put a little extra sway in her hips to tease him as she walked to her door. When she heard his car door open and close, she allowed a slight smile to curl her lips. She knew his ego and curiosity wouldn’t let her have the last word. She didn’t turn around until she reached her front door.

“You left before we could plan our second date.”

She waited until he stood in front of her. “And how do you know I want a second date?”

His expression was arrogant, his smirk cocky.Yeah, we’ll have to work on that if we continue to date,she thought. She had never liked guys who were too self-assured, one reason why she never dated doctors. Arrogance seemed to be part of their job description.

“When is your next day off?”

“We can’t go out then,” she answered, partly to be arbitrary and partly because she wanted to spend the day with Marlowe and Mathias. “Ask me out for Sunday, and I’ll consider it.”

He took one step, paused, then another, and paused. One more put him toe-to-toe with her. Seth was tall, but not as tall as Zane, so she didn’t have to tilt her head as far back to see him. She waited for his snarky, yet charming comeback, but instead Seth lowered his head and captured her lips with his.

The kiss was firm and demanding. His hand raised to brace against the back of her head, barring her from pulling away. She gave into the moment, returning the fervor of his kiss. The kiss was pleasurable, and when he pulled away, she realized she enjoyed it. She lightly pushed against his chest, adding space between them.

“Thank you for breakfast, Doctor. If you decide you want a repeat on Sunday, call me.”

Feeling flirtatious and sexy, she unlocked the door and stepped inside. She took a moment to disarm the alarm and turned back to him, flashing him her signature coy smile which had always worked in charming the opposite sex.

When he stepped closer, she thought he was going to kiss her again, and she lifted her chin in anticipation. Instead, he pushed against her, knocking her off balance. She stumbled back a couple of steps before she regained her balance, but it was enough to give him room to come inside. He locked the door behind him, not giving her a chance to protest.