A prescription for sweet satisfaction...

Pediatrician Macy Carter has been so busy expanding her practice she’s had no time to build the family she craves. Her late, much-loved surrogate father apparently had some matchmaking in mind when he arranged for a sexy architect to take over his home and company. Too bad Derek is a single dad who’s been there, done that, and intends to remain unattached. Their priorities are totally out of sync. Their chemistry? Unbelievably potent.

Thanks to his former mentor, Derek Logan just inherited an architectural business, a house and the gorgeous client next door. He’s keeping away from forever relationships, but this doctor’s sensual touch is addictive. Helping Macy build her dream medical complex awakens Derek to how much more he now wants out of life. But has he hesitated too long to prove he’s ready for and deserving of her love?

“I’m not crazy,” Derek said, as if reading her mind. “I just...”

He pulled her to his body and she swallowed hard at their closeness. His familiar scent washed over her like a loving caress, her self-control weakening. She might have thought about him all evening, but her thoughts hadn’t taken this route. Never had he regarded her with such desire swimming in his eyes. His gaze held hers but quickly lowered to her lips. It was as if he was contemplating his next move. He lowered his mouth closer to hers, but then he pulled back slightly. She wanted to scream, Kiss me already! but instead she waited.

His large hands cupped the sides of her face and he mumbled something she couldn’t understand. Before she could speak, he captured her lips in a searing kiss. Her thoughts jumbled inside her head. She didn’t know what had gotten into him, but whatever it was, she was all in. He kissed her with a hunger that left no doubt they wanted the same thing. At the moment, she didn’t care that he wasn’t looking for anything long-term. All she knew was that she needed him, desired him right then and there.

Dear Reader

After Legal Seduction, many of you contacted me asking if Iris’s sisters would get a story. Well, I’m happy to say—yes!

A Dose of Passion is Macy and Derek’s story. You remember Macy, right? Iris’s older foster sister, the doctor. Macy longs to fall in love and experience her happily-ever-after and Derek Logan is just the person to help her fulfill her dreams. He just doesn’t know it yet.

If you have read my Jenkins Family Series, you might remember Derek. He was first introduced in book one of that series—Craig’s older brother. Derek is a single father and his main goal is to raise his son. Life doesn’t always go as planned. Not only does he become a millionaire overnight, but he also falls in love when he least expects it.

I hope you enjoy A Dose of Passion.

Let me hear from you! (www.sharoncooper.net)

Sharon C. Cooper

A Dose of Passion

Sharon C. Cooper

www.millsandboon.co.uk

SHARON C. COOPER, an award-winning and bestselling author, spent ten years as a sheet metal worker. And while enjoying that unique line of work, she attended college in the evenings and obtained her BA from Concordia University in business management with an emphasis in communication. Sharon is a romance-a-holic—loving anything that involves a happily-ever-after, whether in books, movies or real life. She writes contemporary romance, as well as romantic suspense, and enjoys rainy days, carpet picnics, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When Sharon is not writing or working, she’s hanging out with her amazing husband, doing volunteer work or reading a good book (a romance of course). To read more about Sharon and her novels, visit sharoncooper.net.

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Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Epilogue

Copyright

Chapter 1

Macy Carter stood next to the hospital bed and stared down at the man who had been the only thing close to a father that she’d ever had. The man who had been a pillar of strength during some of the most critical times of her life. The man who had beat cancer once, but was now living his last days.

She adjusted the crisp white linen covering him, smoothing out invisible wrinkles and not caring that he hated people fussing over him. Her gaze took in his once-smooth dark skin that now had a yellowish tint. Noah Price was the strongest man she knew, and seeing him like this was like looking at a stranger. So much had changed over the past few months.

A heaviness lodged in her chest and tears pricked the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Noah had made her promise that she wouldn’t cry over him. As if she could actually keep that type of promise. She was trying. But what was she going to do without him?

She reclaimed her seat next to the bed and rested her head against the back of the chair, closing her eyes. The hospital room was quiet, except for the steady beep of the machines monitoring Noah’s vitals, which grated on her nerves more than if the room were full of people talking at the same time. Still, there was no other place she’d rather be than by his side. She would give anything to hear another one of his speeches. Make the most of your life, baby girl. She could hear the fatherly advice in her head so clearly. Had it not been for him, she doubted she would have made it through medical school and then her residency. He was everything she needed: supportive, encouraging, and her biggest cheerleader. Looking back on her life in foster care, she wondered what it would have been like to have him in her life from day one. A shoulder to cry on, someone to make her feel secure and someone to teach her about dating and staying away from knuckleheaded boys.

“Macy.”

Macy’s head jerked up. The single word, barely audible in the stark white hospital room, caught her off guard. For the past two hours, she had sat near Noah’s hospital bed and he hadn’t spoken a word.

She pushed out of her seat and slowly approached him. “Noah?” She grabbed hold of his limp hand, hoping she hadn’t imagined hearing his raspy voice. In the past five days, his health had taken a turn for the worse and the doctors had done all they could do for him. “Noah?”

He opened his eyes and turned to her, gently squeezing her hand. A slight smile tilted the left corner of his lips but disappeared just as quickly.

“Your mother,” he rasped. “How did it go?”

A sick feeling flowed through Macy as she thought about the brief conversation she’d had with her biological mother two days earlier. Of all the things Noah could have recalled, she couldn’t believe he had remembered her telling him that she had found the woman who had given birth to her.

For the past year, Macy had spent a small fortune paying an investigator to locate Patrice, only to find out the woman wanted nothing to do with her. At two years old, Macy had been placed in foster care after her mother had been arrested for shoplifting and carrying a concealed weapon. Once Patrice was released from jail, she didn’t fight to regain custody. Instead, she abandoned Macy, leaving her in foster care.

The slight pressure from Noah’s grip on Macy’s hand pulled her back to the present.

“Not good. She didn’t want to meet, and asked me never to contact her again. She didn’t even give me a chance to ask any questions before she hung up on me.”

To say Macy was devastated would be an understatement. Granted, her mother had been very young when Macy was born, but not wanting anything to do with her now was unbelievable. What type of mother would disregard her own child?

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Noah said. His voice was getting weaker by the day. He had been diagnosed with lymphoma over a decade ago and had been in remission until recently. Despite her and other doctors encouraging him to get treatment, he declined, stating that he wasn’t going through chemotherapy and radiation again. The doctors had given him two months, and that was six months ago, but now his health was declining at a rapid pace. “Her...loss.” Noah squeezed her hand again. Though his grip was weak, she could feel the love and support that he had always given her over the years.

Macy smiled. Her foster mother, Mama Adel, used to speak those same words whenever Macy got in a funk about Patrice giving her up. Had it not been for Mama Adel and Macy’s two foster sisters, Iris and Janna, Macy didn’t know where she’d be. The love she felt for those three women often made it feel as if her heart would explode. And then there was Noah. He had been her landlord shortly after she moved to Atlanta and quickly became the father she’d never had.

“Noah, I just can’t understand how someone can give up her child and not feel any remorse. She acted as if I was inconveniencing her by even calling.”

Macy glanced down at him. His eyes were closed and her gaze moved to the slight rise and fall of his chest. She sighed and pulled away, but he tugged lightly on her hand.

“Better off...without her. Time...to move on.” His voice might have been faint, but there was conviction behind his words.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yeah, I know, but it’s easier said than done.”

But he was right. It was time for her to move on. She was thirty-five, and there were things in her life she had yet to accomplish. One was opening a medical complex and the other, getting married and starting a family. These days, neither goal seemed reachable anytime soon.

Two years ago, Noah had told her that he wanted to help get the medical complex open. Already an owner of several properties in Atlanta, he had been on the lookout for the ideal location and building, or so he had said. Macy had identified several possible commercial properties in the Alpharetta area outside Atlanta, but Noah had always found something wrong with the buildings.

Noah cracked open his eyes. “Where’s Derek?” He rubbed his forehead and dropped his hand back onto the bed as if the appendage weighed a ton.

Macy shrugged, not that Noah noticed since he had closed his eyes again. She didn’t know where his mini-me had gone, but she was glad he wasn’t in the room.

She had officially met Derek six months earlier when Noah had to undergo surgery. Prior to that, she had only heard stories of him. Noah talked about his protégé like a proud father would discuss his son.

Macy still remembered the effect Derek’s arrival had on the nurses and hospital staff back then. Tall, muscular, with skin the color of milk chocolate and movie-star good looks, he had a larger-than-life demeanor that sucked the air right out of the room, and Macy had cursed her body for responding.

He was an extremely attractive man, but what held her mind, body and soul captive were his eyes. They were dark and intense, sharp and assessing, making her powerless to look away. Never had a man warranted that type of reaction from her. With this latest visit, he’d been in town for five days, and his presence was wreaking havoc with her senses.

“Derek stepped out.” Macy finally answered Noah’s question. Noah might have only been Derek Logan’s mentor, but almost everything about his protégé reminded her of her surrogate father. Like Noah, Derek wasn’t a big talker. There was a quiet spirit about him and she wondered if anything rattled him.

“Noah, do you want me to go and find him?”

He hesitated. “No.”

Good. The man was a detriment to her mental peace. When they both were spending time in Noah’s hospital room, she kept stealing glances at Derek. He might have been a little standoffish, but he was definitely nice to look at. As far as she was concerned, the less time she spent with him, the better. She had every intention of ignoring the strong pull she felt whenever he was near. She had a feeling he felt it, too. Eyes didn’t lie. His appreciative gaze had traveled down the length of her body on more than one occasion.

She shuddered. Yeah, the less time she spent in his presence, the better.

* * *

“Craig, I hope you’re not teaching my son any bad habits or spoiling him.” Derek Logan switched his cell phone to his other ear. He leaned against the sill of the floor-to-ceiling window in the small hospital waiting room, glad to hear his brother’s voice.

“Your son is in good hands, bro. I’m teaching him everything I know.”

“Yeah, that’s what concerns me. I’ve already had to break him from claiming every girl or woman he meets as his girlfriend.” Craig’s hearty laugh flowed through the phone line. Sure, he was laughing, but when Jason had asked his teacher to be his date, Derek had been caught totally off guard.

“Well, since I married Toni, Jason and I don’t discuss girlfriends.”

“Good. He’s four years old. As far as I’m concerned, he shouldn’t know anything about girlfriends.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. Now I’m teaching him all about what it’s like to have a wife.”

Derek shook his head. He knew his brother was joking, but ever since Craig married Toni Jenkins a year ago, all his brother talked about was how wonderful marriage was and how much he loved being a father. Their infant son had mellowed his brother out. As a Cincinnati police detective, he had been wound tighter than a politician on election day before he’d married and had a baby. As far as Derek was concerned, Toni was the best thing that had ever happened to Craig.

“So I assume you’re calling to talk to the kid.” Craig cut into Derek’s thoughts.

“Uh, yeah.”

“Well, he’s not here. Toni took him and the baby over to her grandparents’ house. I’m sure they’ll be back soon. I’ll have Jason call you when he comes in.” Derek heard pots banging over the phone line and assumed Craig was cooking. Out of the four of his brothers, Craig was the best chef, though they all could hold their own in the kitchen. “So how is Noah doing?”

“About the same. His doctor said there was nothing else they could do for him.”

“Ah, man, I’m sorry to hear that. I guess the better question would be, how are you doing with all of this?”

Derek had always seen Noah as invincible. For fifteen years, Noah had served as his mentor as well as a father figure, being there for all the big events in Derek’s life. He couldn’t imagine his life without the old man, as he lovingly referred to him.

They had met in Cincinnati the summer before Derek started college. Noah had been a presenter at a three-day seminar that Derek attended, and they immediately hit it off. When Noah had offered Derek, who was majoring in architecture, an internship at his company the following summer, their relationship took off from there. Derek spent every summer while in college at Price Architectural Firm.

“I’m all right. The whole situation is still a little unbelievable. Before I left his room, he mentioned that he was tired. I’m not sure if he was just tired...or tired of fighting.” Derek dropped down in a nearby chair, inhaled deeply and released his breath slowly. He’d had about six hours of sleep in the last forty-eight hours, and exhaustion consumed his body.

“Well, you know if you need any of us, just say the word and we’re there.”

“I know. Thanks, man. I appreciate that. With you taking care of my lil’ man, that’s all I can ask.” When Derek’s wife walked out on him and Jason four years ago, he had raised his son by himself, and though at times it was hard, he couldn’t imagine not having Jason in his life. He also couldn’t imagine not having the support of his family members, who were always willing to step in and help.

“So how are you dealing with, uh, what’s her name? Macy?”

“What do you mean?” He glanced at his Movado watch, a gift to himself after he landed a huge contract to redesign an office building a few months earlier.

“I mean, have you gotten to know her better? You do realize that you’re not getting any younger, don’t you? What better way to get back into the dating scene than with a doctor? She could probably teach you things that—”

“Man, I’m not trying to start anything here,” Derek said, though he’d been attracted to Macy from the moment he met her. “My main and only focus in Atlanta is Noah. Macy is like a daughter to him, so we’re cordial but nothing else. My life is in Cincinnati. You know that.”

“You’re a freelance architect. You can work anywhere. If she’s as hot as you described, maybe you should be trying to get to know her. It’s way past time you got back out there and started dating again.”

Derek sighed and ran his hand over his head. It seemed as if he was getting the same speech from everyone lately, especially from Craig and their brother Keith, who was two years older than Derek. He could understand Craig’s insistence, but not Keith, who was in the middle of a divorce.

He and Craig talked for a few minutes longer before Derek disconnected. It was time to check on Noah.

The moment he stepped into the room, Macy’s pager went off. She glanced at it and blew out a breath. Derek knew she was a pediatrician, but didn’t know much else about her, which was okay with him.

If she’s as hot as you described, maybe you should be trying to get to know her. Craig’s words flitted around in his head. She might have been fine as hell, with blemish-free skin, light brown eyes and a smile that could stop a man in his tracks. But Derek didn’t have time for dating, especially dating long-distance. So what if he was curious about whether her long hair was as soft as it looked or that her full lips tempted him beyond belief? He wasn’t going to start something he had no intention of finishing.

“When Noah wakes up, can you tell him I’ll see him a little later?” Macy asked.

Derek nodded and she surprised him by handing him a business card. They had been keeping vigil over Noah for days and this was the first time she had given him her contact information.

“The hospital knows how to reach me, but can you call me if anything changes?”

Derek accepted the card and glanced at it before returning his attention to her. He had to be careful around her. Those eyes, accented with long eyelashes, could do a brother more harm than good.

“Will do.” He slid the card into the front pocket of his pants, his gaze following her as she headed for the door. She had the type of body, curvy without being too skinny or fat, that typically made him take a second glance. She was always casually dressed whenever he saw her, but he could tell that beneath the clothing was a hot body.

He shook his head and chastised himself for allowing his mind to even go there. He didn’t need that type of distraction right now.

“You can stop faking sleep, old man,” he said when he approached Noah’s bed. “She’s gone.”

“Nobody likes...a smart-ass,” Noah said in a voice just above a whisper.

Derek smiled. He hadn’t been sure Noah was awake and had spoken the words just for the hell of it.

He took in the older man’s appearance. His once-full head of gray, wavy hair was very thin, and his sunken eyes made him almost unrecognizable. Once a large man, Noah barely tilted the scale at a hundred and forty pounds now, and the realization that he was looking weaker by the day unsettled Derek.

“Look out...for her.”

Noah’s words pulled Derek back to the present. “Excuse me?” He leaned in close.

“You heard...me.” Noah’s voice suddenly seemed stronger and he met Derek’s gaze for the first time in days.

Derek hesitated. There wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for his mentor, but he wasn’t exactly sure what Noah was expecting of him when it came to Macy. He knew they were close, but there was just so much Derek could do for her when he lived thousands of miles away.

“Macy seems pretty independent.” He shoved his hands into his front pockets and leaned his hip against the side of the bed. “I’m sure she’s going to be fine. Besides, you know I live in Cincinnati. Between my architecture business and Jason, I don’t have much time for anything else.” Derek shrugged. “I honestly don’t think you have to worry about Macy. She’s sharp. She’ll be all right.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“It’s time...start living.” Noah’s wheezy cough sounded as if it was painful, making his whole body shake. “That ex-wife did a number...on you,” he rasped. “But it’s time...to move on.”

Derek groaned and rubbed the back of his neck and strolled over to the single window that was on the other side of the room. Staring out into the night, the last thing he wanted to talk about was his ex-wife. The day she walked out on him and his son was the day he’d vowed to stay clear of emotional entanglements with women.

“Son...I’m tired,” Noah said. Derek glanced over his shoulder. Noah looked as if he had aged in only a few minutes. “I need to know...the two of you will be okay when I’m gone.”

Derek pushed away from the window and went to stand next to the bed. Yes, he knew Noah was dying. Yet he still couldn’t accept the idea of not having him around.

“Promise me...you’ll look after Macy. And that you...will start living again.” When Derek hesitated, Noah continued, “Promise...me.” His voice was almost haunting. Foreboding crept up Derek’s spine. “Promise me.”

Derek swallowed hard. “Yeah. Yeah, I promise.”

Chapter 2

Three days after Noah’s memorial service, Derek sat in his mentor’s lawyer’s office in shock. “He left me Price Architecture?” he said to himself.

No matter how many times Derek said the words out loud, he still couldn’t believe it. He rested his head against the high-back leather conference-room chair, trying to process all that Drew Ashton, Noah’s attorney, had told him. Noah and his wife had never had children and more than once, Noah had told him that he was like the son he’d never had. Derek now had a good idea just how Noah had felt about him.

Drew had gone through the specifics of the will as it related to Derek. Not only had Noah left him enough cash to live comfortably for years, but he had also bequeathed him a house in one of Atlanta’s suburbs. It was the knowledge that Noah had entrusted him with his multimillion-dollar company, his baby, that had Derek’s mind reeling, though. Never would he have expected to inherit the company. Sure, he had worked alongside Noah during the summers while in college and even occasionally after graduating, but Derek never expected he would one day be the CEO of the organization.

“Sorry about that.” Drew walked back into the luxury conference room and closed the door. The space looked as if the law office had spared no expense in its decor. The wall-to-wall bookshelves against deep taupe walls with dark wood trim gave the room a cozy feel, like a home library, fireplace and all.

Drew reclaimed his seat next to Derek at the round table. “I know this is a lot to take in, but I’m here to answer any questions you might have.” He opened the folder that he had brought back into the room with him. “You knew Noah well enough to know that the will comes with a number of stipulations.”

“I’m sure it does,” Derek said dryly, feeling a little overwhelmed with all that had happened since losing Noah. Overseeing the memorial service was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. There were moments in the days since then when he still couldn’t believe he was gone. Noah had always seemed bigger than life and Derek had no idea how his life would play out without having his friend and confidant in it.

Derek’s gaze dropped to the photo in his hands of the home that Noah had left him. Actually, it was more like a mini mansion. The two-story, five-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom, colonial-style brick house with tall, mature trees and a manicured yard was breathtaking, even on paper.

“As I mentioned, within the next three weeks, you would be required to relocate to Atlanta and live in that house for a minimum of one year. And as for the company, you must agree to take the reins of CEO and maintain ownership of the firm for no less than a year.”

“I would never sell Price,” Derek said, not meaning to voice his thought aloud. He was honored that Noah trusted him enough to oversee the company. For years, he had tried to get Derek to move to Atlanta and be his right-hand man. Derek hated that it took Noah’s death to get him to play a role in the firm.

“Glad to hear that.” Drew broke into his thoughts. “I know I don’t have to tell you that Noah poured his heart and soul into the company. His staff is more like family, and I think you will find them quite helpful as you get settled in your new role. As a matter of fact, based on what I know of you through Noah, you’re the perfect person to take the firm to the next level.”

“Thank you.” Derek met Drew’s gray-eyed gaze before diverting his eyes back to the papers in front of him. He had heard of people becoming millionaires overnight, but never had he imagined it could happen to him. Not only had Noah provided for his future, he had also set up a trust fund for Jason.

Derek shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around everything Drew had shared with him for the past forty-five minutes.

“Attorney Ashton, you mentioned I would have to move into the home and join the team at Price within three weeks. I’m not sure if I can pick up and move my household in that short amount of time.”

“First, please call me Drew. Second, Derek, you are now a very wealthy man, assuming you adhere to all of the stipulations in the will. Noah has left you additional funds to assist you with any and all relocation costs. You’ll soon find out money solves a lot of problems and comes in handy when you have to do something quick.”

Drew slid a check across the table and Derek’s gaze immediately zoned in on all of the zeros behind the five. His mouth dropped open. He fingered the check but didn’t pick it up.

“This is just for relocating?”

Drew chuckled. “Actually, that check is yours free and clear, whether you agree to the stipulations in the will or not. Noah wanted you to have something whether or not you decided to relocate and build a life here in Atlanta. So if you decide not to move here and accept the CEO position, you won’t walk away empty-handed. Oh, and the trust fund for Jason is not contingent on anything. Noah often referred to him as his grandson.”

Derek nodded.

“I know this is a lot to take in, but there’s more.” Drew closed the folder and, as if on cue, the conference room door opened and his assistant stepped in.

“Drew, Macy is here. Should I show her in?”

“Yes, please do.”

Derek cocked his head and looked at the attorney, but before he could pose a question, Macy was standing in the doorway.

Her gaze met his, and it was clear she was just as surprised to see him as he was to see her. She recovered quickly and walked farther into the room and shook Drew’s extended hand.

Derek stood and he couldn’t stop his gaze from roaming over her sexy body. He hadn’t seen her since Noah’s memorial service.

Despite a hint of fatigue around her eyes, she was as beautiful as ever. Gone was the ponytail she usually sported, as well as the simple shirt and slacks she preferred for work. Instead, she wore a low-cut red blouse that highlighted her breasts and flat stomach. The short black skirt she wore stopped just above her knees and fit her curves perfectly without looking indecent. In all of the times he had seen her, he’d never realized she owned a pair of shapely, traffic-stopping legs that seemed to go on forever. She had worn a pantsuit to the memorial service, but a woman with legs like hers should show them off every chance she got.

“Derek?”

His gaze shot up when he realized Drew had called his name more than once and gestured for him to reclaim his seat at the round conference table.

Instead of greeting Macy with words, they nodded at each other.

“Macy, please have a seat here.” Drew pulled out the chair on the other side of his. “I wanted you both to be here so I could discuss the rest of Noah’s will.”

* * *

Macy restrained from fanning herself at the sight of Derek in a suit. Had she known he would be there, she would have mentally prepared herself. His presence still affected her down to the core of her being. Granted, she hadn’t been with someone in months, but how could she be attracted to a man of few words who was also aloof and seemed to want to be anywhere she wasn’t?

If only she could forget how good it had felt to be in his strong arms, hugged up against his hard body. She would never forget that day, for more reasons than one. It was a week ago. Derek had called her at work, informing her that she needed to get to the hospital. Noah had passed away before she arrived. Though she knew the day was coming, she hadn’t wanted to believe her father was gone. No amount of preparation had prepared her for the loss she felt deep down in her soul. And to be comforted by Derek had wreaked havoc on her emotional state. His long, muscular arms wrapped firmly around her and the woodsy scent of his cologne had her wanting to bury her nose in the crook of his neck for a deeper sniff. The man who she’d thought was unfeeling and distant comforted her with soothing words while he held her close until she was able to pull herself together.

She glanced at him across the table and their gazes collided. It was as if someone had wrapped their hands around her throat and squeezed. She could barely breathe staring into his dark, intense eyes. Diverting her gaze, she returned her attention to Drew, who was speaking and sifting through a file folder on the table in front of him.

“Macy, here’s a letter Noah left for you. I’ll let you read it now before we proceed.”

She hesitated before accepting the white envelope and fought the urge to hold it against her chest, over her heart. She had always thought of herself as a strong person, but the past week and a half had proven she wasn’t as strong as she thought.

She took a deep breath and released it, bracing herself for Noah’s last words to her. The last thing she wanted to do was fall apart in front of Drew and Derek.

She smiled at the sight of Noah’s scribble.

My dearest Macy,

If you’re reading this letter, it means I have gone on to a better place...hopefully. I hope you don’t think I forgot about our agreement regarding the medical complex. I didn’t. Drew will give you the details regarding the building and the renovations.

Baby girl, I hope you know how proud I am of the woman you’ve become. You were like a little girl to me when you first moved to Atlanta for college, and I watched you grow into an amazing woman. You’re the daughter I never had. It’s no wonder people gravitate to you. The love and compassion you show everyone you meet, as well as your work ethic, make me proud.

But I worry about you, the way you always put others first, stretching yourself thin, and you’re the first person people seek out when they have a problem. Promise me you’ll start taking care of yourself. I know we always got together for dinner on Thursday nights, but maybe you can keep that going, just with someone else. Perhaps with a man your own age?

Macy chuckled at the last sentence and blinked rapidly, fighting off the tears that were threatening to fall.

I want you to have the type of love and passion I shared with Lorraine while she was alive. There’s nothing like finding your soul mate and building a life together. It’s time for you to settle down and have the family you always wanted. I just hate I won’t be there to walk you down the aisle the way we used to talk about or hold your firstborn.

I love you, baby girl. I’ll be with you always.

Noah

Macy closed her eyes and held the letter to her chest, unable to hold her tears at bay. She would never hear his deep voice call her “baby girl” again and she felt the loss the same way she had when Derek had first informed her that Noah was gone. She felt so blessed to have had him in her life and he would forever hold a special spot in her heart.

Macy slowly opened her eyes when she felt a hand on her arm.

“Are you okay?” Drew asked. He handed her a box of tissues. “We can give you a moment if you need it.”

Derek stared at her openly and didn’t speak, but she didn’t miss the concern in his eyes. Maybe he wasn’t as distant as she had first thought.

“Sorry. I’m all right,” she said to Drew and dabbed at her eyes and cheeks. She breathed in deeply and slowly released her breath. Something she did often, especially right before she had to deliver bad news to the parents of her patients. “Thank you for giving me this.”

“My pleasure.” He squeezed her arm and returned his attention to the papers in front of him. “I’m sure you both have other things to do today, so why don’t I explain another part of Noah’s will.” He handed Derek a large manila envelope and then gave another one that wasn’t as thick to Macy. They both opened them and perused the contents.

Macy’s heart thumped faster against her chest as she sifted through documents that included a deed and title to a new commercial building that would one day serve as a medical complex. Her gaze fell to the set of keys in her hand. Noah had done it again. He had helped get another one of her dreams started. All she could do was stare at everything, finding it hard to believe what it all meant. He had already left her an obscene amount of money, but to give her a building, too, was unbelievable.

“Wow.” The one word slipped through her lips and didn’t begin to express the elation flowing through her body. He had told her he was going to help her with the medical complex, but to see his promise come to fruition was beyond exciting.

She glanced at Derek as he went through the contents of his envelope. He also had a set of keys that she wondered about, as well as some drawings and what looked to be a blueprint.

Derek shrugged. “Exactly what am I looking at here?” he asked but didn’t look up from the documents.

“That’s most of what you will need to get started working on the medical complex that Noah promised Macy.”

“What?” Macy and Derek said in unison, staring at Drew.

“What do you mean, he’ll be working on my medical complex?”

Macy sat dumbfounded as Drew explained how Derek would be in charge of overseeing the project from the beginning to the end, including the design, renovations, furnishings and everything else needed to get the doors open.

What had Noah been thinking? Sure, he had told her Derek was one of the most talented and sought-after architects in the country, but did he have to get him involved with her project? Why was he forcing her to work so closely with Derek? Surely he had sensed the tension between the two of them during their visits. How was she going to keep her wits about her if she had to see Derek and be subjected to the hypnotic scent of his cologne whenever they had to meet to discuss the specifics of her ideas?

By the scowl on Derek’s face, he wasn’t any happier about the news.

God help me. She was going to need to do a lot of praying and probably take some cold showers over the next few months just to get through this new adventure.

Chapter 3

Derek drove into the cul-de-sac and to his new place. The brick colonial, with four oversize pillars and beige trim, was one of the largest homes in the neighborhood, and it was his. He still couldn’t believe all that Noah had left him. Derek also couldn’t believe he’d packed up both himself and his son and relocated to Atlanta, all within a two-and-a-half-week period. As a single father, raising a child alone was hard enough. Take away his built-in babysitters, and it was like sailing upstream without a paddle.

Now that he had made the big move, the challenges it would bring, raising Jason and getting acclimated to a new city, were at the forefront of his mind. Not only that, but he had started his freelance architecture business a few years earlier and it had recently taken off. Leaving Cincinnati to oversee Price Architecture was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but he hated that he had to subcontract out some of his own projects before coming to Atlanta.

Derek pulled into the extra-wide semicircular driveway and slowed before he reached the three-car garage. Noah had given the mansion that he’d lived in before passing away to his favorite charity. Derek couldn’t understand why he would purchase this home only to risk leaving it empty, considering he couldn’t have been sure Derek would agree to the relocation. Noah didn’t do anything without a reason, but this part of his will had Derek stumped.

His gaze fell back on the structure of his mini mansion. He couldn’t keep the smile from spreading across his lips. Noah definitely knew what Derek liked when it came to houses. Tudors were his favorite, but this colonial-like home was a little unique, with its wide Palladian window above the double burgundy front doors.

He drove farther up the driveway, stopping in front of one of the garage doors before cutting the engine. Part of him was excited about all of the changes to his life, but there was a twinge of anxiousness that spun inside his gut.

“Daddy, why did we stop?”

Derek turned to the backseat where his four-year-old son sat in his booster seat, playing a video game. Jason had been so quiet, Derek had momentarily forgotten he was there.

“This is our new home, son. Ready to check it out?” Derek stepped out and walked around the car to open Jason’s door, but his son didn’t budge. Neither of them was overly thrilled about leaving their home and family in Cincinnati, but together they were going to embrace this new chapter in their life. “Let’s go, kid.”

“Is Uncle Keith here? He said he was coming to my new house,” Jason asked as he slowly climbed out of the Mercedes ML63 SUV. Derek’s new assistant at Price had surprised him with the vehicle when they departed the plane. He now understood why she had asked him a series of questions the day he met with her. One question had been about his ideal car. Who knew the car of his dreams would be waiting for him? Supposedly, it was part of his benefits package.

“Daddy, is he coming?” Jason pulled Derek back to the present.

Just then, Keith Logan pulled up in a rented SUV that he was using until his car, which he’d had shipped to Atlanta, arrived. Keith parked next to Derek and climbed out of his vehicle.

“Hey, Uncle Keith!” Jason ran to his uncle, who lifted him up in the air. “What took you so long?”

Derek chuckled at his son’s enthusiasm. It was as if he hadn’t just seen Keith at the airport. They had arrived to Atlanta in style, flying on the company’s private jet, a first for all of them, one that Jason would be talking about for weeks.

So far, the relocation was going great. Since his brother was in the midst of a divorce and ready for a new start, Derek had invited him to Atlanta. Keith jumped at the opportunity. It was a win-win for both of them. Derek would get some help with Jason, and Keith had a potential job opportunity with Price Architecture.

“Looks like a nice neighborhood,” Keith said. They stood on the front stoop with suitcases, waiting for Derek to open the door. “A little bougie. So you ought to fit in perfectly.”

“Ha, ha, ha. Whatever.” Derek pushed the front door open and deactivated the alarm system using the keypad just inside the wide foyer. His brothers had always called him “bougie,” claiming he was stuck up despite growing up in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Columbus.

Keith released a long whistle as the three of them stood in the foyer of their new home. Derek had to admit—it was a beauty. The semicircular staircase with ornamental wrought-iron railings and a chandelier made of the same material gave the space a rich, unique feel. A large area rug with a design and colors that pulled from the taupe walls and iron accents partially covered the dark hardwood floors. Whoever Noah had used to renovate the home had nailed his personal style.

“Dang, man, you said this place was big. Heck, it’s like three times the size of my house in Cincinnati. What’s the square footage?”

“Daddy, where is my room?” Jason started roaming around the empty lower level while Derek and Keith remained where they were.

“Upstairs, lil’ man. It’s the second room on the left.” Jason ran up the stairs and Derek wondered if he understood which room was his. “Oh, and to answer your question,” Derek said to Keith, “we’re working with over 3,500 square feet.” He picked up the luggage he had left near the front door. “Four bedrooms are upstairs and there are two you can choose from. I’m thinking I’ll use the one down here as a guest room.”

“I assumed I’d be getting the master bedroom,” Keith said with a straight face as they clumped up the carpeted stairs. Out of Derek’s four brothers, Keith was the laid-back one that kept the rest of them laughing and on their toes.

“And why would you assume that?” When they reached the top landing, they found Jason in the master bedroom. “Guess you’re out of luck, Keith. Looks like someone beat us to it.”

“Daddy, my room is big!” Jason said, trying to climb up on the king-size bed Derek had ordered weeks earlier and had delivered. With his assistant Louise’s help, he had ordered furniture for his and Jason’s bedrooms, as well as for the family room. He had everything delivered a couple of days earlier. Now they were just waiting for the movers to bring some of his furniture from his and Keith’s old houses, as well as a ton of boxes. Normally, Derek wouldn’t be looking forward to unpacking, but the movers had not only packed up everything for him, but they would also unload everything as well.

“Wrong room, kid.” Derek set his luggage near the closet. “Come on. I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.”

“Yay! I have two beds,” Jason said as he ran into the bedroom and climbed the steps to the top bunk. Since his son was into spaceships, Derek already had some ideas on how they would transform the area. “Look at my room, Uncle Keith.”

“Yeah, man. It’s big. A lot more space for all of your junk, I mean, your toys.” Keith laughed. He left them in Jason’s room to go in search of his own bedroom.

Derek stood at the single window looking out onto the front yard and street. He was slowly starting to warm up to the new life he was getting ready to dive into.

Change often comes with gifts, Noah had once said when he first found out about Derek’s ex-wife leaving him. At the time, the only gift Derek could see in the situation was Jason. Now that his life had recently been flipped upside down, albeit in a good way, Derek wondered if Noah had started making these plans even back then.

* * *

Hours later, Derek strolled outside and sat on one of the steps to his deck. Leaning back, his elbows propped up on the step behind him, he watched his son run around the yard, trying to get his kite to fly. To be young and carefree again. The boy had an endless amount of energy.

Derek closed his eyes and let the beaming sun warm his skin. Long morning. He could honestly say he was exhausted. The past few weeks had been unbelievably busy, and sleep every night hadn’t come easy. He couldn’t get his mind to slow down. He had so much to do, including finding a preschool program for his four-year-old son in less than a month. And then there was Macy.

Macy. The beautiful, sexy goddess with the long legs and bedroom eyes was sure to be the new bane of his existence. The little sleep he had gotten over the past few weeks included erotic dreams of her either in skimpy attire or nothing at all. He groaned just thinking about her full breasts and curvaceous body. Working on the medical complex with her was sure to prove to be the greatest challenge of the move. He hadn’t even started yet and already thoughts of her made a certain part of his anatomy jump to attention. Sitting next to her at the memorial service and then across from her in Drew’s office weeks ago left his body reeling.

“Lunch is here,” Keith yelled from somewhere behind Derek. “Get it while it’s hot.”

The three of them ate while Jason kept a steady flow of conversation going, giving Derek and Keith a chance to interject periodically. When it seemed Jason was all talked out, Derek knew his son would be asleep soon.

“I really appreciate you letting me stay here a while. I have a feeling this move is going to be good for all of us.” Keith stood and tossed his paper plate in the trash before pulling a beer out of the refrigerator. “Not only do you get someone to help with Jason, but you also get to live like the rich and famous.” He emphasized by lifting his arm and waving it around at the large space and twenty-foot ceilings. “And I’ll get a fresh new start.”

What started as an amicable divorce process between Keith and his wife had turned ugly a few weeks earlier when Keith’s father-in-law laid Keith off from work, saying they were taking the company in a different direction. At first, the news couldn’t have come at a worse time, but then, with the opportunity to start over in Atlanta, Keith had figured something good could come out of a bad situation.

He had an interview with the finance department at Price Architecture in three days. Though Derek told him he’d have to get the job on his own, he had no doubt that his brother would wow them. The guy was a whiz with numbers and had played an instrumental role in taking his father-in-law’s company to the next level.

“I think the lil’ man has finally worn himself out.” Keith nodded toward Jason, who was asleep in his chair. Derek caught him just in time, before he fell out of his seat.

“I was wondering when he’d clunk out.” Derek lifted him. “He’s been going nonstop since six o’clock this morning, with only a short nap on the plane.”

Derek carried him upstairs. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he ran his hand over his son’s soft curly head and stared down at his sleeping form. Jason was the most important person in Derek’s world. Sometimes, when he thought about the responsibility of raising a child on his own, it made him nervous. Other times, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

He placed a kiss on the top of his son’s head and bounded back down the stairs.

“It looks like the movers are finally here,” Keith said from the living room window. “But they are a little distracted by the cutie-pie in the tiny shorts next door who’s cutting her grass.”

Derek stood next to his brother at the window and pulled down one of the slats of the blinds, stretching his neck to see the person. It wasn’t the short-shorts his brother alluded to that he was interested in, though. He hadn’t met any of his neighbors yet and hoped there were children nearby that were Jason’s age.

“Instead of staring out the window, maybe you can roll up your sleeves and help guide the movers.”

“I’d rather go next door and introduce myself to the cute neighbor. Apparently, she doesn’t—”

Derek released the slat and started to walk away, but quickly turned back when at the last second he caught sight of the woman behind the lawn mower.

“What the...”

Ignoring the rest of Keith’s comment, Derek bolted for the front door. He cleared his four concrete steps with no effort and stomped across his yard and the neighbor’s double-wide driveway, not stopping until he was in front of the lawn mower.

“Hey!” Macy yanked out her earbuds and snatched off her sunglasses. “What are you...?” Her voice trailed off and surprise registered on her beautiful, sun-kissed face. “What...what are you doing here?” she yelled over the rumble of the mower before shutting it off. “How did you know where I lived?”

“Like you don’t know.” The words flew out of Derek’s mouth impatiently. He folded his arms across his chest, anger darting through his body. He didn’t like games, and apparently she and Noah had a game of their own going on. First, the medical complex project, and now this. “Why didn’t you tell me the house Noah left me was next door to yours?”

Her mouth dropped open and she leaned away from him as if he had struck her. “I didn’t know Noah left you a house, and I sure as heck didn’t know it was that one!” She jabbed her glove-covered finger toward his home. “And how dare you step to me like some crazy madman?” she seethed, her eyes boring into him like a laser beam. “I don’t know what your problem is or what you have against me, but I’m sick of it!”

She snatched her gloves off and stepped around her mower, standing only inches from him. He could feel her anger seeping through her pores, right along with the perspiration coating her skin. “You have been a big, brooding...lug,” she yelled, frustrated, her hands on her hips. “From the day I met you, you treated me like a piece of gum you’ve had stuck on the bottom of your shoe. What have I ever done to you?”

Derek studied her, trying to decide if she really didn’t know what Noah had been up to. By the way she was shooting daggers with her eyes, it was safe to say she hadn’t been a part of Noah’s little game.

Instead of answering her question, his gaze traveled the length of her, from her messy ponytail propped on the top of her head to her thin tank top displaying her more-than-a-handful breasts. He stopped at the tiny shorts. When he should’ve been trying to come up with an answer to her question that wouldn’t make him sound like a total jerk, he instead had an overwhelming desire to pull her into his arms and taste her pouty lips.

Damn, he had it bad. The woman’s gaze cut into him and all he could think about was having her body rubbed up against his, sweat and all.

“Oh, so now you have nothing to say?” She slapped her gloves against her thigh, seeming to be madder than before. “You are unbelievable. You come over here making this big fuss about something I have no knowledge of and now you’re standing there ogling me.” She turned and went back to her lawn mower. “Well, I guess that’s better than the permanent scowl you wear.”

Derek sighed and rubbed his hand over his head and let it slide down the back of his sweaty neck. He didn’t know if he would ever get used to the ninety-degree temperature. It was only July. He didn’t want to think about how hot it would be in August.

“I don’t scowl,” he finally said. His words sounded wimpy even to his own ears.

The sharp edge to her humorless laughter made him want to snatch back his words. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” She used her forearm to dab at the sweat on her forehead. “I can understand you being concerned about Noah, but that constant frown you wear on your face whenever I’m around is a good sign that you have a problem with me.”

“I don’t have a problem with you!” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his cargo shorts and stared down at his shoes, trying to come up with something intelligent to say. What the hell was wrong with him? He was acting as if he were still in high school. She was right about one thing, though. He did have a problem with her. She was too damn fine for her own good and he was seriously attracted to her. And he hated it. Now what to do about it was the question.

* * *

The last thing Macy needed was to live next door to the man she couldn’t stop thinking about. She didn’t want to believe Noah was playing matchmaker from the grave, but what else could she think? First he created a situation in which she would have to work with Derek over the next few months, and now this. How was she supposed to have peace of mind when she knew the tall, dark, brooding man with the sexy, intense gaze was sleeping next door to her? He had already caused her some sexually frustrated, sleepless nights. Now she would probably have to move if she ever wanted to get any rest.

She slipped her gloves and her dark shades back on. She so wanted to be angry at Derek, but how could she be when he towered over her like some sex god? Tall, lean and gorgeous. He looked good enough to make her want to drop her panties, no questions asked. Damn her body for betraying her. His blue fitted T-shirt stretched across his solid chest, hugged his thick biceps and lay flat against his abs. The cargo shorts he wore hung low on his hips, and his thick legs were muscular, like those of a football player. Her gaze finally edged back up his body and landed on his intense eyes. Damn him and his sexy eyes.

“Why are you still here?” she snapped. “I have work to do.” Mama Adel would have a fit if she heard her being this mean to anyone. She would always tell her foster daughters there was no excuse to stoop to someone else’s level if they were acting a fool.

He looked as if he was trying to determine whether or not she was telling the truth, but said nothing. His shoulders dropped and he rubbed his forehead.

“I’m sorry,” he said gruffly. “I was surprised to see you out here.”

“Probably no more surprised than I am to see you standing on my grass, blocking me from finishing my yard.” She slipped off her work gloves again and shoved them into the back pocket of her shorts. It seemed as if he was in no hurry to leave her alone.

Swiping her arm across her forehead for what seemed like the hundredth time, she wiped away the perspiration beading at her hairline. Noah, what are you up to? Derek moving in next door wasn’t a coincidence.

“Are you saying you didn’t know that Noah purchased that house and insisted I move into it?”

“I didn’t even know the house was for sale. My neighbor, a sweet older woman who was always a pleasure to have living next door, told me she had sold the house about a month ago.” Macy didn’t try to hide the bite in her words. She wanted him to know she wasn’t any happier than he was about this new development. “She said someone had made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. And despite what you might think, Noah didn’t always check with me whenever he decided to do something crazy.”

“So you didn’t know he was leaving me that house in his will and insisting I move into it?”

Macy’s hands flew to her hips. “What part of ‘I didn’t know’ don’t you understand? You come over here yelling like you’ve lost your mind because you think I’m playing some game? Well, I’m not. I don’t play those types of games.”

“Daddy!” Macy heard the high-pitched voice before she saw the cutest little boy running across the yard toward Derek, not stopping until his arms were wrapped around his leg. “Hi. What’s your name?” the little guy asked, hiding slightly behind his father.

A smile tugged at Macy’s lips. There was no way this cutie-pie could be related to the big lug. She bent down to his level. “My name is Macy. What’s yours?”

“Jason.” He finally released Derek and approached Macy. “I’m four. How old are you?”

“Jason.” Derek’s warning tone caused Jason to glance up at him. “What did I tell you about asking grown-ups their age?”

Jason lowered his eyes and bit on the tip of his finger. “You said it’s not appopiate,” he said, butchering the word. Macy was impressed he had even gotten that close to saying it correctly.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Jason.” Macy stretched out her hand for a handshake. Jason glanced at his father before accepting her hand and grinned, showing off two missing front teeth and making Macy fall in love with him instantly.

“You want to be my girlfriend?”

“Jason!”

Macy burst out laughing and tipped backward on her haunches, catching herself with a hand behind her before tipping all the way back. She stood to her full height and dusted her hands on her shorts. She didn’t know what was funnier, the fact Jason knew anything about girlfriends or the horror on Derek’s face.

“What did I tell you?” Derek lifted his son effortlessly, holding him out in front of him. “You are too young for a girlfriend and you are not to ask another grown woman to date you. Do you understand me?” Jason nodded slowly and Derek threw him over his shoulder, clearly frustrated but eliciting a giggle from his son. “I’m sorry,” Derek said to Macy. “Apparently I need to break some of the bad habits he’s learned from one of his uncles.”

Macy waved him off. “No harm done. He’s absolutely adorable.” Thanks to Jason, some of the tension between them seemed to have dissipated.

They stood there in awkward silence. Like her, Derek was probably wondering what was on Noah’s mind when he’d purchased the house for Derek to move into. They continued to stand there, each in their own thoughts, until they heard a ton of noise coming from the movers.

“Listen, I’m sorry about yelling. I just—” he shrugged “—was surprised to see you.”

“Yeah, you said that.” Macy put the left earbud in her ear and started to put the second one in. “Next time maybe you can think twice before coming onto my property and yelling at me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He turned and Macy grinned when Jason, who was still hanging over Derek’s shoulder, waved at her.

Such a cute kid. Too bad his father is a jerk.

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