Their Divine Doctor(Divine Creek Ranch 9)(9)
Pressing her fingertips to her lips, she whispered, “Wow.”
A date? Hell yeah. How long had it been since she’d been on a date? Forever.
* * * *
Friday evening, Emma grinned as she pulled in to the parking spot designated for her vehicle next to her apartment building. She’d gotten home while the sun was still up. She grabbed her grocery bags and juggled them as she checked her mail then headed inside. The dark apartment was blissfully cool as she closed the door behind her. She wondered again if the smell of the previous occupant’s cat litter box would ever dissipate and added scented candles to her shopping list on the refrigerator.
After changing into a tank top and snug, stretchy pants, she set to work unloading her groceries on the kitchen counter. A growling rumble sounded from her stomach, and she pondered what to make herself for supper. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
She peered through the peephole and gasped in delight at what she saw. It was her handsome neighbors, with a pizza box and a bottle of wine in hand. A thrill raced through her as she whispered, “Awesome.”
She opened the door and immediately wished she’d stayed in her scrubs when they both looked her up and down and smiled. Duke said, “Hey, pretty neighbor! We saw you were home early and thought you’d like to share our supper with us.”
Self-consciously, she braced her forearm against the door to cover her nipples which had peaked at the sight of them. Dressed in her sports bra and a tank top, there was no doubt they’d be able to see them. “Sure! Um—Let me go change real quick, though. I was about to start supper and then unpack some boxes—”
“No!” Gage interrupted, then clamped his lips together before continuing. “I mean…don’t change on our account. What you have on is…just fine with us.” His cheeks turned a little ruddy as he spoke.
Duke chuckled as he glanced at Gage and said, “Yeah. Don’t go to any trouble because of us. After a long day, you’re allowed to get comfortable. Why don’t we eat, and then if you’d like we can help you unpack some boxes.” His gray eyes seemed hopeful and a little hungry as he glanced at her clothing again. Emma bit her lip as her nipples responded with another wave of throbbing awareness.
Emma beckoned them into the kitchen. “Sure. I hope you don’t mind eating on paper plates. I still haven’t unpacked everything in the kitchen. But I do know where my corkscrew is. You’re sure you don’t mind helping me?”
Gage replied, “Not at all.” He looked around, and his eyes rested on the boxes in the living room next to her couch.
Gesturing to the stack, she said, “Those are all my books, music, and DVD collection.”
Gage grinned and said, “This should be fun and a great way to get to know you.”
Emma thought she might enjoy this evening, until she remembered what was in some of those boxes Gage had eyed.
She got paper plates and plastic cups from the pantry as she pointed at the drawer that she knew contained the corkscrew. Duke and Gage quizzed her about her day as they consumed the pizza and the bottle of wine. By the time she’d finished her first glass of Barbera d’Alba, she’d decided that having their help unpacking would be a fantastic idea. They set to work in the kitchen first, as Duke and Gage put away the groceries she’d been unloading before they arrived. Duke pulled the produce from a bag and held up a rather large cucumber, and Gage followed suit.
“Mine’s bigger,” Duke said with a chuckle.
Gage smirked and replied, “Mine’s thicker.”
Emma let loose a giggle that ended with a snort and said, “That’s okay, they’ll both get devoured.” Did I just say that out loud? Both men groaned as they put them in the produce drawer and helped get everything else put away. Duke unpacked a box that contained her limited supply of alcohol and other odds and ends.
He pulled the long, skinny bottle of Galliano liqueur from the box and said, “You don’t strike me as the ‘liquor cabinet’ type.”
“I’m not. I wound up with it in a white elephant gift exchange one year while I was in medical school.”
Duke grinned when he saw the liqueur bottle and said, “I can make you a mean Harvey Wallbanger with that.” Duke winked at her as Gage pulled her bottle of Southern Comfort from the box.
“Or I could make her a Sloe Comfortable Screw with this.”
Emma slammed her mouth closed on the response right before it popped from her lips. How about we do both? Instead, she pointed at the Southern Comfort and said, “I have that for medicinal purposes.”