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I hadn’t held out any hope that would be the case, of course, so I filled the first day with listening to half a dozen different speakers on a wide variety of cardiology topics that ranged from preventing heart disease, new pharmaceutical options for hypertension, post-operative care for heart attack patients and a new technique for valve replacements.
The first night was a mixer where I made plenty of connections, professional not personal, and fell asleep alone in my hotel room before midnight.
On the second day, I rushed off to a half-day symposium on new research in my specialty, pediatric cardiology, and that’s when I bumped into him, the blue-eyed cutie I’d seen laughing with world famous heart surgeon, Jack Brownly. He wasn’t just beautiful, he was tall and big, towering over all the other men in the room.
He’d captured my attention, but I didn’t approach. Instead, I watched for a few minutes before I lost him in the crowd.
“Oh, sorry.” I crashed into his wide chest that was even harder than it looked under his pale blue Oxford. “I didn’t see you, which is ridiculous since you’re a mountain of a man.” What am I saying? “Sorry, I just meant you’re so tall.”
The blue eyed cutie’s lips tugged into a slightly crooked smile. “It’s all right. Most people just call me a giant.”
“I’ll stick with the mountain comparison. Big. Hard. Imposing. Seems to fit you to a tee.”
“You think so?”
I shrugged as I picked up my folder and notebook. “I’ve never run into a mountain before, but I imagine you’re just a touch softer than that.”
“Thanks, I think.” His small chuckle seemed kind of rusty, but holy hell did it light up his face. I was hooked, at least on the idea of spending more time with him.
“You’re welcome,” I shot back and glanced at my watch. “Sorry about running into you, but I really have to go. The PC symposium starts in five minutes and I’d like to get a good seat.”
“You’re a doctor?”
The shock in his voice was palpable and written all over his face. “No, that’s not an offensive question at all. I just come to these things to find a rich doctor husband.”
He shook his head, looking horrified at my words. “You look too young to be a doctor.”
I shrugged. “Good skin care and lots of water.”
“Right. Shall we?”
I froze. “You’re going too?”
“I’m a cardiac surgeon.” He was proud of his achievement and stood a little taller, which was totally hot.
“Cool, let’s go.” We rushed towards the large room set aside for the presentations, side by side, casting glances at each other like it was the beginning of a rom-com or something. Inside the room was packed. “Whoa.”
We couldn’t find seats together and I felt a little disappointed that this was probably the last we’d get to see of each other before the conference ended. “A colleague saved a seat for me over there.” He pointed to a second row seat behind him.
“I’m over there,” I told him and pointed in the opposite direction.
“Have dinner with me tonight.”
I blinked, surprised but thrilled at the invitation. “Seven-thirty?”
“Meet you in the lobby?”
I nodded, a goofy grin on my face. “Wait. I don’t know your name.”
“Andrew,” he said as he backed away. “And you?”
“Zola.”
“Beautiful. See you at seven-thirty, Zola.”
My smile was wide and bright. “Looking forward to it, Andrew.” And for the first time since my last relationship ended, I really was looking forward to spending an evening with a handsome man.
“That was a wonderful meal.”
I felt as if I hadn’t stopped smiling since I came down to the lobby and saw Andrew standing beside the revolving door in a deep blue shirt that made his eyes appear a lighter shade of blue, and slacks that showed off the muscle mass underneath. He was made of solid rock, with a gentleness underneath that had me walking faster across the lobby to meet him.
“It was,” he agreed with a seductive smile. “Much better than the tough chicken on the menu at the conference.”
“Definitely.” The meal itself wasn’t just wonderful, but the company was witty and engaging. More appealing than I remembered. “Another cocktail?”
Andrew was intoxicating enough, but I found myself nodding. “Something colorful and boozy, please.”
“I think we can do that.” He flashed a wide smile showing off both rows of straight white teeth before summoning the server.
I took advantage of the distraction and ate him up. He was big and strong and handsome. He was a man at ease in his skin, chatting in a friendly manner with the waiter as he asked about different cocktails, one arm hung casually over the back of his chair.
I couldn’t wait to get my mouth on his, to see if that bottom lip was as plump as it looked, if his tongue was as capable as I imagined it to be. I wanted to rub my hands all over him, all over the hard planes and valleys of his body. Did he have a six pack or just a tight midsection that was just as drool worthy? Did he have a tempting sprinkling of hair that faded into a trail to paradise, or was he the hairy beast he seemed on the surface?
