Page 20 of Cooper

“You betterhave a damn good reason for standing there,” she remarkedwithout opening her eyes.

“What if I saidI am enjoying the scenery?” He crossed his arms over his chestand propped a shoulder against the doorjamb. Her eyes drifted open,and he was subjected to what he would interpret as an insolentstare.

“My heart isall aflutter.”

He laughed softly,amber eyes twinkling. “Then my work here is done.”

“What do youwant?” She asked rudely.

“A mutualpatient wants your input. Mr. James Freeman. He says he prefers toget the last word from you.’ His expression turned sober. “Itake it you did not let him know the cancer is spreading?”

“Guilty. Theman is ninety years old and does not need anyone prodding and pokingaround in his body. He wants to be left alone.”

“He livesalone.”

“The way heprefers it.”

“You don’tthink he should have a nurse or someone caring for him?”

“He cannotafford it and does not want anyone in his space.”

“Except you. Hetold me you drop in to check on him repeatedly.”

“So?” Sheasked, glaring at him.

His eyebrows lifted.“Is there a reason you are so defensive?”

“You are justthe guy who fills in for a fill-in doctor. Nothing that happens hereshould concern you.”

He stiffened at that.“I am a doctor, and when it concerns my patient-”

“He is my damnpatient. When you leave here to return to your fancy hospital, youwill forget all about this place. Because, let’s face it, it’snot your usual style, right?”

Cooper felt thepleasure drifting away as he stared at her furiously. “Is it mymoney that offends you? Because if it is, then you are a damnhypocrite, considering that you are not strapped for cash.”

“Get the hellout of my face!”

“Gladly!”

She stared at thespace he had just vacated and willed her anger to dissolve. He got onher wrong side for some reason. Men like Dr. Cooper Rochester wereaccustomed to women falling all over them, but she was not thatgullible.

Men like him alsoreminded her of her treacherous dad, which might account for why shewas so jumpy around him and so pissed off. She could not wait for Dr.Graham to come back.

*****

She would give it onehour, and then she was leaving. She felt uncomfortable. It was not asif she was not accustomed to a setting like this - she had grown upattending this type of function. The hotel ballroom might bedifferent, but it was the same to her.

It looked the same,felt the same way, and was filled with the same kind of overdressedpeople who had more money than brains. The women looked likepeacocks, decked out in all their finery with jewelry sparkling underthe lights from the chandeliers suspended from the soaring ceiling.

And her dress waslike a paper napkin. The more she tried to pull it down, the more itwas determined to ride up under her ass. This was the last time shelet her mother pick out her outfit.

She plucked a fluteof champagne from the passing waiter, utterly oblivious that she wasattracting much attention from the opposite sex.

“Want somethingstronger?” Her brother’s amused voice had her lurchingaround and almost spilling the drink.

“Oh God, yes.There must be a bar around here somewhere.”

“Aren’tyou driving home?”

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