Parker drew in a deep breath. P arts of him were still recovering from what had passed between him and Sebrina Bennett. There was a definite attraction at work here. In fact, he suspected it was a whole lot more than that.
Rae’jean had told him all about her younger cousins—Sebrina, in particular, because they shared the same profession. Rae’jean’s exact words had been...“You’re going to really like Sebrina. She’s a great person...”
But she hadn’t told him how beautiful Sebrina was, or that she possessed a smile that could turn a man’s brain to mush. He shook his head. And, as a neurosurgeon, brains were his specialty. When she had opened the door with a smile, looking super-sexy in a pair of leggings and an oversized t-shirt, he’d nearly swallowed his tongue. There was something about the way she had looked at him with those gorgeous brown eyes that made him glad that he was a man. With just one encounter, every muscle in his body ached with desire.
Ached?
Parker rubbed his hands down his face. He needed to pull himself together. He’d seen beautiful women before, and over the years, he had dated quite a few. But nothing had prepared him for the onslaught of wanting he’d felt for Sebrina Bennett the moment he set eyes on her. He really liked her short, stylish haircut, and the way her curls capped a beautiful face that was a perfect honey brown. She had a cute nose, and rounded chin. Her oval shaped dark eyes were framed by thick ebony lashes and bordered with perfectly arched brows. Then there were those lips. Whether she knew it or not, they were hypnotic, sensual and outright seductive.
But it wasn’t only her face that drew him in. She had high round breasts that tempted him to touch. And her small waist, with just the right curves, would make any man take a second look.
He’d have to make sure his best friend, Evan Maples, didn’t visit any time soon. Evan loved beautiful women—all beautiful women…often at the same time. And there was no doubt about it, Sebrina Bennett made one hell of an alluring package.
Still, the last thing he needed was to get involved with a woman right now. The only reason he was in St. Paul was to secure his future in medicine. That was the only thing he should have on his mind. He’d been lucky to get a chance to train for a year under Dr. Miller at St. Paul General. Parker’s long-term goal was to one day move to Tampa, Florida.
Dr. Robert McIntyre—a renowned neurosurgeon, and head of the neurology department at Tampa General, as well as one of the most renowned neurosurgeons in the world—had agreed to take him under his wing, so to speak. McIntyre would be retiring in a few years and Parker wanted to be in the best possible position to be a contender for his replacement. In a pool of over a hundred neurosurgeons, Dr. McIntyre had selected Parker for a special medical mentorship program.
The first thing Dr. McIntyre had strongly recommended was that he work alongside Dr. Miller here in St. Paul for at least a year, before moving to Tampa to work with him. Dr. Miller was another renowned neurosurgeon, and to be part of his team was a high honor. Dr. McIntyre had worked out all the details and made all the arrangements. All Parker had to do was to move to St. Paul for a year and take the position. He hadn’t wasted any time leaving Boston.
His phone rang and he picked it up, recognizing the ring tone. Speak of the devil. “Hey, Evan.”
“Are you there yet?”
“Just got here.”
“So how is it?”
“It’s a nice set up and the weather isn’t too bad,” Parker told him.
“Give it a couple of weeks. I bet it will be just as cold there as it is in Boston.”
“Probably, but I’m not afraid of a little snow.” There was no way that he could be when he’d mostly lived where cold, harsh winters were normal. That’s why knowing that one day he would be moving to sunny Florida was appealing.
He and Evan Naples had met years ago in medical school and had become the best of friends. Up until now, their career paths had pretty much taken the same course. Evan had his eyes set on becoming head of the neurology department in a Dallas hospital, and there was no doubt in Parker’s mind that he would get it.
“Have you met your housemates yet?”
Ah…there it was. The real reason Evan had called. He’d known Parker would be sharing a house with two women. “I met Sebrina when I got here. She’s a heart specialist at the same hospital I’ll be working at. Her sister Monica is away on a cruise and won’t be back for a while.”
“And?”
“And what, Evan?” he asked, like he didn’t know.
“What does this Sebrina look like? If she favors Dr. Rae’jean Bennett Garrison, I’m ready to meet her.”
Parker shook his head. “She doesn’t really favor Dr. Garrison, although she is a very beautiful woman.”
“How soon can I come visit?”
“I’m not sure if I want you to.”
Evan laughed. “That didn’t take long.”
“If and when you ever meet her, you’ll see why,” Parker said, grinning, not surprised his best friend had figured things out so quickly.
“Man, I’ve never known you to act territorial.”
Evan was right. He’d never been possessive when it came to women. “I guess there’s a first time for everything.”
“Well, I can’t wait to meet her. And I will be meeting her, Parker. However, I promise to keep my hands to myself.”
“You’d better.” Parker couldn’t believe he was saying these things to his best friend, all about a woman he’d met less than an hour ago. He’d have to deal with his attraction to Sebrina soon, or he’d blow this once-in-a-lifetime chance at the hospital.
No sooner had he ended the call with Evan than he heard a knock on the bedroom door. “Yes?”
“I’m ready, Parker.”
“I’ll be right out,” he called. She might be ready, but he wasn’t sure that he was.
Sebrina had been right—this place was great. She’d directed him to a nice neighborhood café that was within walking distance. He bookmarked the place in his mind—he’d definitely be back. On their way to the café, they’d passed numerous store-fronts that were decorated for Christmas. Even the light poles on the streets had been transformed into candy canes. There was no doubt about it—the entire area was definitely into the Christmas spirit.
The weather was cold, so they’d both worn heavy coats and gloves. She also had a cute knit cap on her head. He’d heard snow was on the way, but that was okay. Before heading out here from Boston, he’d made sure he had a new set of snow tires put on his car.
As they walked, she’d told him about the neighborhood, made up mainly of a community of beautiful older homes. Most of the original owners had moved out and the young up and coming professionals had moved in. There was rarely any crime in the area, and she contributed that to the neighborhood watch program in effect. On one side of their place lived a couple of attorneys, and on the other side, there was an engineer and his wife who was a teacher. Across the street lived the owners of one of the clothing stores they’d passed. Everyone was friendly and pretty much minded their own business.
Once they entered the cafe, she was greeted by many of the staff. It was obvious she was a regular. She removed her coat to hang it up, and he saw that she had changed into a pair of jeans and a pullover sweater. He tried not to stare but couldn’t help himself. She had looked cute in her leggings but the outfit she was wearing now clearly emphasized her curves and nice backside. He was suddenly really glad he’d told Evan not to visit.