Page 51 of Wild Promises

Warmth flooded my body. I wanted to be his girl. I wrapped my hand around his, and he intertwined his fingers with mine as we headed toward the exit. Outside, it was windier than before. I held my coat more tightly to my neck. Xander must have noticed because he drew me into his side with his arm over my shoulders. "Warm enough?"

His scruff teased my cheek as he spoke into my ear.

I could only nod, the sensations of being this close to him overwhelming me. On the sidewalk in front of the little housethat housed dad's practice, a man in a suit stood on the front porch. "You must be Lincoln Sterling.”

The man turned, his gaze flicking from me to Xander who still had his arm draped over my shoulders in a proprietary gesture. "That's right. And you are?"

"Tori Clark."

"Ah. The daughter." A smile spread over his face as he held out his hand for me to shake.

I didn't like his characterization of me as the daughter. I didn't know what that meant, but as soon as he said it, the tension went out of his body. As if I wasn't someone to worry about. Had my father said I didn't want the practice? "I'll find my father for you."

Xander opened the door for both of us, then followed us inside. I expected him to make his excuses and go to work. But he stayed by Lincoln's side while I ducked into my father's office. "Your first appointment is here."

Dad looked up from his screen. "Oh, good. Did you meet him?"

"He seems fine." What could I judge in a few-seconds-long interaction?

Dad smiled. "He said he wants to move closer to his family and settle down."

I felt a little underdressed in my sweater and slacks. "Did you need me to tag along?" Suddenly, I wanted to know everything about these buyers so I could plan my strategy.

"That won't be necessary. I'll drop him off at your office at some point so you can get to know him. I'm sure you want to know if he'd be willing to keep you on."

"The practice could use two, if not three more doctors, but don't you think any new buyer wouldn't want to keep the daughter of the previous owner on?" It was the way Lincoln had saidthe daughterthat had me jumping to that conclusion.

"I would think they'd want all the help they could get, especially from someone who's already worked here and is known in the community," Dad said as he headed out the door to greet Lincoln.

My stomach sunk like a rock. Dad was naive. Any new owner would see me as competition. By the time I joined them, Dad was introducing Lincoln to the front office staff.

Xander leaned on the counter, his demeanor relaxed. He didn't feel out of place in his ski uniform of fleece and thick sweats. He was confident in himself. Why couldn't I feel the same? Dad's belief in these buyers was throwing me off my axis. I had little control over my professional life at the moment, but I could maintain a grip on my personal one.

Xander's gaze flicked to me as I approached, his eyes darkened with desire. That couldn't be for show, could it? Besides, everyone was paying attention to the new doctor, who was young and handsome. He wasn't as built as the man standing in front of me though.

"I should get back." Xander grabbed my hand and tugged me closer. My entire body heated from the proximity. He smelled like the outdoors with the lingering fresh scent of soap. It was intoxicating. With his free hand, he cupped my cheek. "I'd kiss you, but we haven't had our practice session yet."

My muscles turned liquid at that statement. Were we going to practice tonight? If so, I couldn't wait to get home and start our lessons.

He lowered his face, and my heart rate picked up. But he only kissed me on the cheek. "Have a good day."

"You too," I said as his hand fell away, and he walked out.

I watched him go, his ass filling out those sweats to perfection. It was the skiing he did every day. He was in shape from the squatting and bending. I bet his body was sculptedunder those clothes. When he finally walked out of view, I sighed and turned to greet our receptionist.

"You and Xander, huh? I didn't see that one coming," Lizzie said.

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "He's a bit of a playboy. Surely, you know that."

Irritation shot through me. "I think Xander is charming, and people mistake him for being a ladies' man. But it couldn't be further from the truth. He's sweet, kind, and caring." The best man I knew. I walked away before she could answer. I wasn't interested in hearing her response. Now I knew what Xander was talking about. Everyone had dismissed him: the town, his family. He was fighting an uphill battle, and my heart ached for him. He wanted to be seen differently. I hoped our fake relationship helped others see him in a different light.

I saw a ten-year-old who'd been complaining of fatigue, knee pain, and headaches. I ordered a blood test for her. It could be a few things, and I wanted to ease her mother's mind, so I promised to call them with results instead of having her find them on the online portal first.

When I came out of that appointment, Dad stood at my office door with Lincoln. "Oh, good. I'll take your next patient so you can get to know each other." Dad was practically beaming. He must really like this guy.

I wasn't certain about him yet. I gestured for him to sit in one of the chairs across from mine.

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