The Doctor's Choice by J. D. Faver Page A

in his throat.
    Cami spo ke to him and stroked his head.
    E.J. kept his distance , but followed her into the kitchen. “How about this for a vase?” he asked, pointing to a large white milk pitcher.
    “That will do nicely .” She filled the pitcher with water and trimmed the stems under the running faucet.
    “I see I’m not the first man to thi nk you deserve roses,” he said.
    “Actually,” she said, “my fiancé sends me roses on many special occasions.”
    “This is a special occasion to me,” he said. “I’ll always want to remember our first date.”
    She gave him a sharp glance. “You said a dinner is just a dinner.”
    E.J. grinned, leaning closer to her, and whispered, “I lied.”
    “So, what am I to expect of you this evening?” She finished arranging the roses and turned to face E.J. confidently.
    “You can expect to be treated like a lady. But I put you on notice, Cami Carmichael. I plan to try to impress you and attempt to sweep you off your feet.”
    “Excuse me?”
    “I’m pursuing you, officially.” He stood grinning at her.
    “Ah,” she said. “Thanks for the warning.”
    He raised his eyebrows, as though surprised. “You don’t think you’d like to be pursued by me?”
    “Somehow, I sense that your motives aren’t pure.”
    E.J. took one rose out of the bouquet and held it to his nose, inhaling deeply. “And what, lovely doctor, do you perceive my motives to be?”
    “I think you’re here because of your father’s interest in acquiring my aunt’s …my land.”
    “Interesting theory,” he said, all the while gazing at her with his incredibly blue eyes. “However, you ’ll soon discover that I’m not in the least bit interested in acquiring any ranch land. I’m not a farmer or a rancher. I was raised in the city, Dallas to be exact. I have an MBA in accounting. I imagine I’ll return to Dallas whenever my dad gets over this kick he’s on.”
    “And what kick might that be?” Cami leaned back against the counter and folded her arms across her chest.
    “My dad has delusions of being a gentleman rancher. He made his fortune in the oil business. I grew up expecting to be dragged kicking and screaming into the world of energy, but he decided to change venues when I least expected it.”
    “So, why are you here, E.J.?”
    He hesitated. “You’re a very direct person, Cami. I like that. You seem to think I have some sort of ulterior motive in asking you out.”
    She grinned up at him. “Your dad made it pretty clear that he wants this property. He’s got a reputation for getting what he wants , no matter what.”
    “And you think I’d allow myself to beco me a pawn in my father’s game?”
    She cleared her throat. “I don’t know you well enough to answer that question.”
    “Then it’s time you get to know me,” he said. “Let’s go.”
    “Are you sure you still want to take me to dinner?”
    “Oh, yeah,” he said. “It’s actually quite refreshing to be in the company of a woman who doesn’t see dollar signs when she looks at me.”
    Cami pushed away from the counter , a wry grin on her lips. “That’s definitely not what I see when I look at you. Let’s go.” She headed for the front door.
    E.J. helped her into the leather ja cket and held the door for her.
    When she stepped out onto the porch she saw a Jaguar XKR gleaming in the moonlight. “This is not the car I expected to see a rancher’s son driving.”
    He gave her a mischievous smile. “I am my own man, Cami.”
    “Good to know.” She slid onto the expensive leather seat.
    When they were on the road, he turned to her and said.
    “The only reason I asked you out was because I ’m attracted to you. You’re lovely and intelligent; a refreshing combination. I enjoyed dancing with you and I wanted to spend more time with you.”
    “And here we are,” she said. “Where are we going?”
    “We have limited choices here in Langston.” The high performance engine whined as he shifted