Page 14 (1/2)

What did itwould come of this No one ever had to know From what Brian had told hiet over a shitty ordeal And he really had no proble used, at least not in that capacity They were a matchhis knife over a to for conversation, "a doctor, huh?"

"Looks that way" She put the skillet on the stove and turned on the burner He tried to iine it, but he just couldn’t see her in scrubs "After nursing for several years, I started to feel like I knew as much as any of the pediatricians I’ve ever worked for, so why not? And I love kids soyour dreams"

One of her shoulders lifted nonchalantly "I should have followed it fifteen years ago"

Fifteen years ago, he was still in ht

"What’s so funny?"

"You just kinda…brought hoe difference"

"Oh" She laid a strip of bacon in the skillet, where it sizzled angrily "I hate to even ask how old you are"

"So don’t I’ll tell you I’ it several more syllables than it contained "Well, Ian, I hope you don’tas you don’t ht rob the cradle from now on"

He could da robbed fro "I know I’ the invitation for her to fess up

She gave hilance over her shoulder "So don’t Only, I won’t tell you"

"I’ll just find out from your brother," he teased

"He’ll want to knohy you’re interested"

"Maybe I’ll tell hiet you here because you’re so scared of him? I don’t think so"

"I’m not scared of him, dammit, and I’ll let you in on a little secret You really didn’t have to work that hard to get me here"

"Well It felt like I did" He could hear the smile in her voice, and it was impossible not to answer it with one of his own

"Sorry about that"

"So then, why did you play so hard to get?" Gabby continued her task, laying a couple more pieces in the skillet He finished the tomato and started on the lettuce in the time it took him to formulate an answer

It was coht that he didn’t care about being used…at least not for sex On a deeper level, though, so in the bar and feeling like he was the prey and she the predator He’d spent too much of his life that way He’d worked too hard to escape it all Any little re backhe tried to avoid at all costs The less he thought about his past, the better

But a beautiful woh to make that happen There was uess I wanted to see how hard you’d work to get ood substitute It e, then?"

"Maybe"

"I guess I like a challenge"