THE BENNETTS' CHRISTMAS (The Bennett Family and the Masters Family #6) - Brenda Jackson Page 0,86

they had only engaged in brief conversation, mainly about the weather and work. What he’d really wanted to talk about was their kiss, how much he had enjoyed it. And he really needed to find out what she wanted to do about the sexual chemistry that kept getting stronger every time they saw each other.

“Hello, Dr. Stanhope.”

He looked over to see Dr. Nestor walking beside him. She’d avoided him since the day he had shown her the door and was surprised she had sought him out now. “Hello, Dr. Nestor. How are you?”

She smiled over at him. “I’m fine, but I would be doing even better if I could entice you into joining me for dinner tomorrow. I’m a pretty good cook.”

Fat chance getting him over to her place, he thought. “Sorry, but I have plans,” he said, although he was playing fast and loose with the word plan.

He decided it was time to be upfront with her, so he pulled her aside. “Listen, I respect you as a colleague, Rosemary, but that’s as far as it goes.”

“Why do I get the feeling that you’re still upset with me.”

He nodded to a doctor who passed them and then glanced back at her. “I am not upset with you, but I am disappointed. Character is important to me, and the best way to determine a person’s character is to watch how they treat others. I have a real problem with anyone thinking they are better than someone else, just because of their occupation, educational status or race. In fact, it’s something I won’t tolerate in anyone I consider a friend.”

She didn’t say anything. Instead, she nibbled on her bottom lip. Seeing her do that had no effect on him at all, not like it did when he saw Sebrina doing it. “If I change my ways, will you reconsider going out with me?” she asked.

“You shouldn’t want to improve just to go out with me. I’d think you would want to improve because it is the right and decent thing to do. Now if you will excuse me, I need to go check on my patients.”

Then he walked off, hoping he’d given her something to think about.

Sebrina grinned as she sat down at the table where two other women were already seated. “You guys are so wrong for doing this.”

“Why?” Victoria asked, returning the grin. “Don’t you like surprises?”

“Yes, but when I talked to you a few nights ago, you didn’t mention anything about coming to St. Paul.”

Then she turned to Kennedy. “And when I talked to you yesterday about meeting you for lunch today, you didn’t say anything about Victoria being in town.”

Kennedy laughed. “Like Victoria said, it was meant to be a surprise and one I figured you would like. Besides, I thought you could use a little fun. The last few times we spoke, you sounded pretty uptight. Not like yourself.”

Sebrina could believe that. She really needed to talk to someone about what was going on with Parker. And these two, along with Monica, were not only her relatives but her closest friends. Confiding in them would be like old times. “Well, if a handsome hunk kissed you until your panties were wet and then proceeded to give you an open invitation to his bedroom but so far you haven’t taken him up on his offer, you would be uptight, too.”

Kennedy nearly choked on the water she’d been drinking. Victoria, on the other hand, just sat there with an even wider grin on her face. “Do tell,” she said. “And you’d better not leave out anything, Bree.”

Before Sebrina could get started, the waiter came to take their order. But as soon as he left, her cousins looked at her expectantly.

“There’s not a lot to tell, really. Parker and I tried dating someone else, although not really. He only went out with this one woman, and I went to dinner with Bob.”

“Is Bob still boring?” Kennedy asked.

Sebrina smiled. “Unfortunately, yes.”

“And he still doesn’t like any conversation while he eats?” Victoria added.

“Yes. He still has that quirk. He doesn’t like it when people talk when they have food in their mouths. He feels conversation should be withheld until after the meal.”

“Well, next time you need to tell good ole Bob that some people know how to talk in between bites,” Victoria said.

“There’s no need—we won’t be seeing each other again.” She explained how the evening had ended.

“Good riddance, if he thought a meal entitled him to a place in your