Free The Greek Doctor's Proposal by Molly Evans Page A

this about me.”
    Reaching out, she squeezed his hand with hers. “Thank you for telling me. Seems like we’re two of a kind, aren’t we?”
    “We are.”
    Conversation drifted to more comfortable topics, and Miklo didn’t press Jeannine any further on the scar issue. He had enough of his own scars to deal with, so he could hardly cast any stones for covering hers.
    “Obviously, with such language skills, you’ll have traveled a great deal, right?”
    “Yes. Greece, of course, Spain, and Italy are my favorite places to visit.” Sipping his iced tea, he studied her. “Your eyes remind me of the Aegean Sea. Not quite blue, not quite green, but definitely crystal clear and fathomless.”
    “You’re going to make me blush.” And, in fact, she did flush, the heat rising in her neck and face.
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you, but whatI said is still true.” He left money on the table for the bill and stood.
    “It’s okay.” Jeannine stood, and he pulled her chair out. They walked several blocks through the adobe structures of Old Town, decorated with items of native American and Spanish influence. Ristras , dried red chili peppers strung together in vertical bundles, hung from almost every door or window, creating bright spots of color in an otherwise earth-tone shopping district.
    “Jeannine?”
    She jumped, realizing she had been in her own world for a few moments. “Sorry. What?”
    “I asked if you were ready to go home or if you wanted to do something else.”
    “Oh, yes. I didn’t mean to keep you. I’ll go home. It’s been quite a day.” And she didn’t want to take over his entire day off. With three brothers, he probably had family events to attend.
    “I just want to call and check on Roberto before we head back.” Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out his cellphone.
    Amusement swirled in her eyes, and Miklo paused. “What?”
    “We can never quite let it go, can we?” She indicated the phone in his hand. “The job, I mean. Even with all of the other things going on in our lives, we just can’t stop being a nurse or a doctor any time we want to. Leaving work at work just doesn’t happen for us. It’s in our blood, isn’t it?”
    Impressed by her understanding, Miklo nodded,wishing his wife had seen things that way. She hadn’t been in the medical field and her insight had lain in other areas. The past was the past and it needed to stay where it was. But it rode his back wherever he went and his efforts to move on had failed. “You’re right. Sometimes I wish I could just step away from it, maybe into something like dermatology. But unless I’m out of the country, I feel like I’m on duty all the time.”
    “Well, if we go to the Chocolate Fantasy Ball, you can take the night off and enjoy yourself, can’t you?”
    “I certainly will, but what do you mean, ‘if we go,’?” He stepped closer to her, and she tilted her head back to look up at him. “You’re going to go with me, dance with me, eat the most divine chocolate on the planet, and enjoy yourself, too.” There was no way he was going to let her out of this.
    “Isn’t there someone else you’d like to take? Don’t feel obliged to take me if you have other…commitments.”
    “There are no other commitments.” Without protest, she allowed him to take her hands in his. Her touch aroused him. The desire he felt for her excited and puzzled him, but he didn’t want it to go away. Activity bustled around them a few streets away. The sounds faded from his mind until they were the only two people standing there. The secrets in her eyes pulled at him, and he stepped close to her.
    The afternoon sun warmed his back. Jeannine’s warmth filled his arms and heated the front of him more than he had thought possible. “Jeannine,” he said as heleaned closer to her. Instinct or curiosity made her lift her face to his. “You are going with me.” The hesitant desire swirling in her eyes was all he needed to