That evening as she sat on her couch, Brooke toyed with her cellphone, trying to make up her mind whether to call Robert. She’d left Emily’s place before the men had returned since she had some chores to do. So, she hadn’t seen him since that morning.

Brooke groaned in indecision. She didn’t want to seem needy, but it would be nice to hear his voice. Buster jumped up on her lap and batted at her phone.

“No. You can’t have that. You don’t have anyone to call,” she said.

Buster meowed and rubbed his head against her hand.

“Should I call Robert?”

The cat let out a yowl and pawed the phone again.

Brooke laughed. “Okay. I’ll take your advice, but if it blows up in my face, I’ll never listen to you again.”

Robert picked up after the second ring.

“Hi. How are you?”

The sound of his voice made her a little giddy. Control yourself. “I’m good. How about you?”

“I’m, uh, good, I guess.”

His voice was a trifle strained. “You don’t sound too sure about that.”

“Well…this is so embarrassing. I let peer pressure get to me today,” Robert said. “It’s been one of my biggest downfalls of my entire life.”

Brooke chuckled. “What did those boys do?”

He cleared his throat and Brooke could just see the self-conscious expression on his face. “I took Chase and Ric up on a dare while we were suit shopping.”

“What kind of dare?”

“The kind that leaves you without hair on your private parts.”

A shriek of laughter burst from Brooke, and she clapped a hand over her mouth.

Robert chuckled, but said, “It’s not funny! It burns like hell and this cream they gave me isn’t helping.”

Brooke shook her head back and forth as laughter gripped her.

“I think I had a reaction to the wax and it didn’t help that I was wearing jeans today. They tend to rub more.”

Brooke couldn’t contain her mirth. “I’m so sorry, Robert. It’s not funny, but it is.”

His laughter indicated that he was being a good sport about it. “I had to buy a pair of sweatpants to wear home so I got some relief.”

That set Brooke off again. “I can’t believe you let them talk you into that.”

Robert said, “They made a very compelling argument why I should get it done.”

“This I have to hear,” Brooke said.

“Most of it involved pleasing your partner and how the sex is also better for you, too,” Robert said. “Chase said it’s good for—you know what? I’m sure you’d rather talk about something else.”

Brooke said, “Oh, no. I’m fascinated. Did you get everything done?”

“Oh, my God,” Robert muttered. “Everything except my chest. I just had that trimmed and blended, or whatever they call it. I swear that Chase’s whole body is completely bald except for all the long hair on his head. He hates armpit hair and everything.”

Brooke hadn’t had such an entertaining conversation in a long time. “Well, arm pit hair does trap bacteria that causes odor, so I can understand his point.”

“I no longer have any of that.”

Brooke grew concerned at his sigh of discomfort. “Robert, what time did you have that done?”

“I don’t know. Around noon?”

Brooke frowned. “Most of the irritation should’ve gone away by now.”

“Well, it hasn’t,” he practically growled. “I’m going to kill those guys.”

“Robert, I’m going to bring you a special cream and a couple of other things.” Brooke was in nurse mode now. “You might be having a severe reaction.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that, Brooke. I’ll just call the doctor in the morning.”

“Robert, I’ll be there in half an hour.” Brooke hung up before he could argue and went to change.

* * *

As he opened his kitchen door, Robert hoped that his face wasn’t as red as his sensitive areas. “Hi,” he said with a sheepish smile. “Come in.”

Corky rushed to greet Brooke and then ran off to get a toy.

The concern in Brooke’s eyes surprised him. Should he be more worried than he was?

She sat a plastic grocery bag on the counter. “Take off your T-shirt.”

Despite his discomfort, Robert couldn’t help wishing that she wanted him to undress for less clinical reasons. He complied and was startled by Brooke’s gasp.

“Robert! Lift your arms!”

He did and the cooler air felt good to his enflamed armpits.

Her nostrils flared and her eyes flashed dark fire. “You wait until I get ahold of those assholes. Did the waxing therapist do a test area before starting?”

Robert said, “No. Were they supposed to?”

“Yes. Anyone new to waxing should have them do a small test area first,” she replied. “Okay. Let’s go to the bathroom.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”

“We need the tub. I brought a calming oatmeal bath that’s good for treating sunburns. It’ll calm the irritation down.”

She started through the kitchen, giving Robert little choice but to follow her. He moved gingerly since even his cotton boxer briefs bothered him.

“Then I have a vitamin E cream for you to put on when you get out of the tub,” Brooke informed him as they came to the bathroom.

Sketch wasn’t in the tub at the moment.

Brooke turned on the water and waited until it was the correct temperature. “I’m just making it lukewarm. Hot water will irritate your pores and skin more.” She sprinkled in some of the oatmeal bath. “There. Let that fill up.” Her gaze lowered to his sweat shorts. “I suggest only boxers tonight. Your skin needs to breath and you want to keep it as cool as possible. Your pores are open and the risk of infection is higher.”

The idea of his male parts becoming infected filled Robert with alarm. “But I’ll be okay if I do what you’re saying?”

Brooke gave him a reassuring smile. “Yes.”

He let out a relieved breath. “Good. I’ll follow my nurse’s orders to the letter then. You have a wonderful bed—bath side manor. What made you become a nurse?”

“I remember Emily’s mother fighting cancer and I felt so helpless. I really wanted to help her and Emily. Then when Tyler’s sister Lizzie was killed in a bike accident I went with them to the hospital and saw a way where I could help. A place where I didn’t feel so helpless. I could do something, even if it was holding a relative as they cried. I decided there and then to go into the medical profession.”

“You have such a soft heart, Brooke Carpenter.”

Her warm smile heated him everywhere and he turned away before she saw the effect she had on him burning or no burning man-parts.

Going into his room, which was a disaster at the moment, he grabbed a pair of boxers and went back to the bathroom. Brooke had shut off the water.

“I’ll leave you to it.” She sat a small jar of cream on the counter. “A little bit of that goes a long way, so don’t slather it on.”

“Okay. Thanks, Brooke,” Robert said.

“You’re welcome, sweetie. Now, you get your bath. I’m going to order us a pizza,” she said. “I haven’t had dinner yet and I’m starving.”

“You’re staying?”

“If that’s all right with you?”

He was thrilled but played it cool. “Of course, it is.”

“Good. Get in that tub.”

Robert saluted her and she smiled as she left the room. He shut the door, undressed and got in the tub. The cool water made him sigh with relief. Leaning back in the tub, he thought that an allergic reaction had a silver lining since Brooke was going to stay for dinner.

* * *

The credits rolled at the end of the second old black and white horror movie that Brooke and Robert had watched. They sat on his couch, finishing bowls of mint chocolate chip ice cream and laughing at the cheesy special effects. Robert was feeling much better and he was grateful to Brooke.

She sat her empty bowl on the coffee table and stretched her arms high over her head. The action lifted her breasts and she saw Robert follow their movement. It gave her a little thrill that he was paying attention.

His eyes darted away when she looked at him and she smiled. “Thank you for such a nice evening.”

“Thank you for coming to my rescue.”

“Happy to do it.” Brooke knew that she should leave since she had to be up early for work, so she forced herself to rise. “Well, I have to head out.”

Robert got up with her. “Okay. Be careful going home. Just so you know, I didn’t mention to anyone that you spent the night last night.”

That brought Brooke up short. “Why not?”

“Well, we share the same friends, which kind of makes it hard to have privacy sometimes, and I just didn’t think that it was anyone’s business but ours.” His smile made her stomach do a little flip. “They’d have grilled us about it, and I didn’t want to answer those kinds of questions.”

She returned his smile. “Same here. There are some things that are just between us.”

“Mmhm.”

Her eyes widened when his gaze turned seductive as he closed the distance between them. He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her close. His skin was fragrant from the oatmeal bath and it was a surprisingly sexy scent.

Slowly, she trailed her hands over his shoulders to his chest. His solid muscles felt so good and she couldn’t resist caressing him.

He lowered his head to brush a kiss to her forehead, then dipped it lower to lightly kiss her lips. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met,” he murmured. “I’m not feeding you a line, either. I was attracted to you that first time I saw you at Emily’s.”

“Why didn’t you ask me out?” Brooke inquired. “I’d have said yes.”

“Really?” He smiled against her mouth. “I’m kicking my ass that I didn’t. Why didn’t you ask me out?”

Brooke’s cheeks grew warm. “I didn’t think you were interested. But maybe I needed a bit of courage. I’m so pleased I asked you out at the hospital.”

“You did ask me out, didn’t you?” His hands roamed up her back and Brooke’s pulse skipped. “Not interested? I was definitely interested.”

“I guess we wasted a lot time.”

She almost shivered as he skimmed his hands back down to her hips. “Guess so. I don’t want to waste any more time, do you?”

The low, husky timber of his voice and the way his fingers tightened a little on her flesh wove a sensual spell around her. Their mouths were only a couple inches apart and she wanted to feel his lips on hers. Wanted him to kiss her until her heart pounded.

“No, I don’t.”

“Good.” He slipped his hands into the back pockets of her jean capris and squeezed her rear end. “I have wanted to do that for so long. You have such a pretty ass.”

Brooke giggled, but his kneading turned her on. “Thank you. Do I get to do that to you?”

“Honey, you can do anything to me you want,” Robert said.

“Let’s start with this.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought their mouths into firm contact. Opening her mouth, she teased his lips with her tongue. With a growl, he parted them and touched the tip of his tongue to hers before deepening the kiss.

Brooke had kissed a lot of men, but Robert’s kisses were so different. He slid his tongue into her mouth with a slow urgency, exploring her tongue and teeth, as though trying to memorize just that one part of her. Desire wound its way through her as he continued the leisurely assault on her senses.

He took his hands out of her pockets and ran his hands over her buttocks, grasping her cheeks and holding her against his lower body. The bulge she felt nudging her lower stomach told her that he was also getting excited. He wasn’t there quite yet, but he was on the way to a full hard-on.

She only wore flip-flops and something cold and wet touched the toes on her right foot. Brooke squealed and jumped in surprise, banging her forehead hard against Robert’s nose.

“Ow! Shit!” He grabbed his nose and backed up.

Looking down, Brooke saw Sketch inspecting her toes. “Oh, my God. Robert! Are you okay?”

He took his hand away from his nose and she was relieved to see that it wasn’t bleeding.

“Yeah, I’m all right. No nosebleed.”

“I’m so sorry.” Brooke lightly touched his nose. “I didn’t know Sketch was there, so when he started licking my toes, it scared me.”

He adjusted his glasses and smiled. “I understand. It’s okay.”

Brooke cupped his cheek. “It’s just as well, I guess. You really shouldn’t have sex tonight. A condom could irritate your skin again.”

A frown marred his handsome features. “Damn.”

Taking his face in her hands, Brooke pressed a kiss to his lips. “You have to be careful.”

His smile filled her with happiness. “Okay, but I get one more kiss before you leave.”

With great reluctance, Brooke stepped out of his embrace. “No, no. That’ll only make it harder to leave.”

He heaved a sigh. “Okay. Be careful going home. Text me when you get there.”

Brooke agreed, pressed a brief kiss to his lips, and left before she changed her mind.

* * *

Robert and Brooke didn’t get to see each other again until Friday night. He’d asked her to go back to the restaurant they’d gone to on their first date so they could have a nice dinner and do some dancing. Brook had agreed and informed work that she’d be unavailable that night. She was determined that nothing would interrupt their evening.

Just as he had on their first date, Robert treated her like a queen. He showed up at her house dressed in a camel brown suit jacket worn over a black dress shirt and matching camel dress pants. It fit to perfection and Brooke wanted to drag him in her house and rip it off him. Seeing him shirtless on Sunday night had filled her with hunger and erotic dreams about him had kept her awake that night.

This time when he buckled her seatbelt, he leaned in for a light kiss that made her yearn for more.

“Did I tell you how incredible you look?” he asked, still so close to her.

She tried to control her pulse as she smiled. “You did.”

His eyes traveled over her. “I’m not going to apologize for telling you again. In fact, you’ll probably hear it a few times tonight.”

Brooke’s blood warmed as his gaze seemed to touch her everywhere. “I don’t mind.”

Smiling as he withdrew from her, Robert started the car and pulled out of her driveway.

* * *

That night, a different side of Robert began to emerge and Brooke was mesmerized by him. Over the previous weekend, his initial shyness had abated and he was much more at ease with her. His witty conversation, gentlemanly behavior, and attentiveness made her feel cherished.

Just as he liked holding hands or having her on his arm when they were walking, Robert touched her hand often during dinner. While they were waiting for their dessert, he kissed the back of it, sending a delicious shiver down her spine.

Once their baked Alaska was served, Robert scooted hers out of her reach.

“Robert, it’s dangerous to deny a woman dessert when it’s sitting right there,” Brooke said.

He picked up a fork and broke through the meringue outer shell. He put a small bite on the fork and held it out to her. “For you, love.”

Brooke practically swooned at the smooth British accent that he pulled off as though he was a native Londoner.

Robert grinned at her surprise. “Cat got your tongue?”

Brooke laughed. “I guess so. That is so sexy.”

“Really? It annoyed my ex,” he said in his normal voice as she took the bite off the fork he held for her. “My grandfather was English and I always mimicked his accent when I was a young boy. He sounded like James Bond.”

“No. You’re definitely my Superman.” She closed her eyes as the treat melted on her tongue. “That’s incredible, and, by the way, your ex sounds like a bitch.”

* * *

Brooke’s statement caused Robert to choke on the sip of wine he’d just taken. So much for being smooth. He pressed a napkin to his mouth as he coughed. Brooke patted him on the back and giggled while he composed himself.

Robert’s voice came out a little hoarse. “I’m okay now. Thanks. Kate thinks she was, too.”

Brooke took her dessert from him and he didn’t fight her on it. He’d intended to feed the whole thing to her, but the romance of the moment was broken and doing that seemed silly to him now.

“You need to listen to Kate more,” Brooke said.

Watching another bite disappear into her pretty mouth distracted Robert for a moment. “I do listen to her.”

Brooke raised her eyebrows at him momentarily. “So, tell me what these other women found so boring about you.”

Robert folded his napkin and laid it down as he considered his answer. “Basically, that I’m too much of a…homebody. I’m cool with going out only once a week and just chilling at home. My work can be challenging and I volunteer a couple of nights a week, and then there’s the rescue. So, the other nights, I don’t feel like going to clubs in Denver or drinking half the night.”

Brooke finished a bite and motioned at him with her fork. “So, that’s it? You’re not a party animal, so they think you’re boring?”

“Pretty much.”

Brooke lowered her voice. “They really were bitches. Shallow, too.”

Robert laughed silently, his shoulders shaking. Brooke joined him, their laughter mingling together. They finished their dessert and moved to the dance floor. He was having such a good time that he forgot to be nervous about dancing.

Knowing that Brooke thought highly of him gave Robert a confidence he hadn’t felt in a long time. He took Brooke in his arms and started moving to the beat of the slow, romantic song the band played. Keeping his touch light, he slid his left hand down to the small of her back while he kissed her hand and drew it against his chest.

Brooke smiled up at him and his heart throbbed a little harder. The graceful way she moved against him was exciting, but he kept control over his body even as his bloodstream heated.

Robert combatted his physical reaction to her by saying, “You never did tell me what you named the kids.”

He loved the way she turned bashful and hid her face against his shoulder. “I hoped that you forgot about that.”

“I’m sort of like an elephant. I have an excellent memory.”

Turning her face up to him again, she said, “Well, you already know that I named one of them Spring. The other ones are Hopper, Scamp, and Skip.”

Robert cleared his throat and schooled his face into a neutral expression. “Those are good names for goat kids, all right.”

She giggled. “Shut up, Robbie.”

“I’m glad you finally told me. I’ve been calling them Steve, Lucy, Polly, and Denise.”

“Denise the goat?” She started laughing too hard to dance and stopped moving.

“No wonder they kept looking at me funny. They didn’t like those names.” Leaning down a little, he said, “Very inconsiderate of you not to tell me, about Spring, Hopper, Scamp and Skip, love. You’ve been a very naughty girl?”

She grabbed his tie and tugged on it. “What are you going to do about it?”

Several other dancers sent curious smiles their way.

“Perhaps there will be no more late-night donut deliveries.”

Brooke moved in closer. “You’re too nice to do that. That’s what I like about you.”

It was as if the music faded away and there was just the two of them staring at each other. It took them both a moment to realize the music had ended.

They returned to their table and sat down.

His pulse jumped when she took his hand and looked intently into his eyes. “Take me home, Robert.”

The way she spoke told him that she had much more on her mind than just going back home. “Thank God. I’ve wanted to take you home since the moment we arrived.”

Brooke smiled at his playacting. Robert wasted no time in paying their bill and escorting her out to his SUV.