His brows came down in a snap. To Nora, Axel said, “I know her. Give us a moment, please.” He did shut the door—but with him on the inside.
“Kindly lower your voice.”
Wide-eyed and white-faced, a pulse wild in her throat, she stared at him. Her small hands clutched that paper sheet so tight, he could see every single curve beneath. Not good.
Turning his back, Axel drew in a calming breath. “My entire waiting room is probably agog with curiosity after that scream.”
She said, “Ohmigod. Ohmigod, I’m sorry. Just…please. Get out.”
Axel peeked at her over his shoulder. It wasn’t easy. In fact, it was damn hard. But he kept his gaze on her face. “There’s no reason to be so embarrassed.”
Her mouth fell open. “No reason…You idiot, I’m naked.”
Don’t go there. Don’t go there. He resolutely cleared his mind of all sexual images. He was a doctor, a damn good doctor, a concerned, caring medical professional—who had never been in quite such a predicament.
He hadn’t even had a chance to tell her to scoot down.
He swallowed a groan. “I’ll step out,” he assured her in a rush before she fainted, which she looked ready to do. “You can get dressed, and then we’ll talk.”
Her mouth dropped open again and just as quickly snapped shut. “We have absolutely nothing to say to each other. Nothing. Now leave.”
The hell they didn’t. She’d come to him to get on the pill, after claiming to be a virgin. Apparently she meant to remedy that awesome circumstance.
He faced her fully, crossed his arms over his requisite white coat, and glanced at her small bare feet. So dumb, but even that little glimpse at pink toes, for crying out loud, and his stomach muscles tightened.
“You came here for birth control. If you don’t want me as your doctor—”
“Ha!” As if hunting for something to throw at him, she looked around his office. Holding the sheet tight with one hand, she stretched over to grab a metal tray.
Axel held up a hand. “I can recommend someone.”
She froze in midreach. “Are you out of your mind?”
“Uh, no.”
She clutched that stupid sheet tighter, and Axel prayed the paper wouldn’t tear. He watched, just in case, but no, it didn’t.
Her chin lifted. “That’s such a generous offer,” she sneered with a load of sarcasm, “but no thank you. I don’t want your help. I don’t need your help.” And then she went one further, saying, “And I wouldn’t trust one of your friends.”
“Oh, that’s low.” He leaned back on the door. “I am a very good doctor, I’ll have you know, and I would never recommend someone who wasn’t highly qualified.”
“That is just sooo kind.” More and more sarcasm. “But if you’d simply remove yourself, I’ll leave and handle my business entirely on my own.”
Axel didn’t budge. “You want birth control.”
“Oh God.” She rocked back and forth a little. “Go. Away.”
He wanted to stay and hash it out with her. He wanted to grab her and kiss her silly. He wanted…but no, he had no choice. He had to do as she asked. It was the only decent, professional thing to do. He grabbed the doorknob. “Get dressed and then come to my office.”
“Yeah, sure, whatever.”
Face stiff, Axel left the room, and a second later he heard the frantic rustle of paper as she all but leaped off the table. He could picture her dressing with the same frenzy she’d employed when dragging up her pants and closing her shirt after he’d given her a screaming orgasm in the chilly gardens of his host’s party.
God. Not a good memory at the moment.
He detoured into his private rest room and closed the door. After splashing his face with cold water and giving her plenty of time to dress, he sauntered out and headed for his office. On the outside, he looked calm and in control. He hoped. Because on the inside, every single fiber of his masculinity stood on high alert.
His office door was open, the room empty.
Damn it. Axel strode to the window and jerked up the blinds just in time to see her jump into a beat-up old Ford Escort and gun the motor. She ground the gears, squealed the tires, and drove away as if wild dogs nipped at her heels.
He dropped the blinds with a clatter, so frustrated he wanted to—
“Would you like to tell me what’s going on?”
Taken unaware, Axel spun around to see Nora standing in his doorway. He tried to wipe all expression from his face.
She smiled, closed the door, and leaned on it. “Come on, Axel. What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“Mmm hmmm.” Her disbelief was palpable. “I’ll just call Cary and see if he knows anything about—”
“No, don’t tell him!” Frustration mounting, Axel ran a hand through his hair, then dropped into his leather chair. He had about two minutes before his next patient would expect him. His attempt at a lighthearted laugh fell flat. “It’s really stupid.”
“I expected no less of you.”
He made a face. Nora had been married to his best friend for three years now. True, she’d seen both sides of him, the respected, serious doctor and the take-it-easy, live-life-to-the-fullest playboy. Never before had the two collided with quite so much fanfare.
Naturally, Nora would enjoy sharing his plight with others. She knew that he’d harassed Cary plenty when Cary fell in love with her, just as he’d done to his brother, Booker, when Booker had gone head over ass in love with Frances. Not that Axel intended to fall in love. Hell no.
He’d only just learned Libby’s name!
But this little debacle could count as woman trouble, if either Cary or Booker wanted to stretch the facts. If they learned that a woman—a patient, no less—had screamed at the sight of him, they’d give him crap till the day he died.
“Ahem.” Nora tapped her rubber-soled shoe. “I can have Cary on the phone in less than a minute.”
Axel gave up with a groan. “She’s…someone I met at a party.”
“And?”
“We got mildly involved.”
“Mildly involved? What does that mean, exactly?”
Axel leveled her with a look. “You really don’t want details, now do you?”
“Oh.” Nora drew back with a frown. “And she
