“Oh, no.” In one second it clicked. The resident. “Reed, please say you didn’t.”

  “But I did.” Reed grinned, clearly pleased with herself.

  Terri wanted to grab Reed by her tie and pull her out of the pub to give her a piece of her mind. Sure, plenty of attendings dated residents, even if it was heartily discouraged. The problem was her history. It simply couldn’t happen again.

  She had no time to argue. Reed started to their table with Julia’s hand locked in hers and, steeling herself for who she might see, Terri glanced to the back corner. A blush immediately shot up to her cheeks.

  Of course it’s her.

  Reed had found the one resident that could easily grace the cover of a lesbian GQ. Terri had spent the past year actively trying not to notice her. Unfortunately there were only so many butch women in the hospital, and none of them were as hot as Elizabeth Samuels.

  Tonight her scrubs had been exchanged for a pair of tailored dark gray slacks and a collared paisley shirt with sleeves rolled up to her elbows. The top two buttons of her shirt were undone in a casual look that only made her more appealing. She kept her short brown hair in a messy cut that Terri could almost imagine running her fingers through. But it was her broad shoulders and fit athletic build that really were the problem. No doubt she could pin someone on a bed. For whatever reason.

  Terri’s mouth went dry when she met her gaze and smiled. Of course she had a perfect smile. Probably she was an amazing kisser too. But that didn’t mean she’d be interesting. Or even nice. With luck, she’d be an annoying know-it-all.

  As soon as they reached the table, Reed made quick introductions. Elizabeth Samuels went by Sam. She shook Julia’s hand first and then turned to Terri.

  “Hi.”

  Dark blue eyes settled on her and Terri couldn’t hide a fresh blush. She tried to keep her pulse in check as she reached across the table to clasp Sam’s hand. Smooth skin and a firm grip—the universe clearly had it out for her. I’m not dating a resident. Not again.

  “I’m happy to finally meet you,” Sam said. “I keep hearing your name around the hospital.”

  Reed coughed and Terri’s eyes darted to her. Oh, she’d definitely pay her back later for this.

  “And not only from a certain radiology guru,” Sam added.

  “Really? Who else?” Terri wished she’d thought before the question slipped out. She didn’t want, or need, to hear accolades, but now it sounded as if she were fishing for exactly that.

  “My friend Carter told me I should pay attention to you and then I heard the same thing from about a half a dozen other residents. And Shellhammer over in ICU calls you the boss-diggity-dog.”

  “Shellhammer’s right,” Reed agreed. Her wink across the table at Terri wasn’t subtle. “Boss-diggity.”

  Reed pulled out a chair for Julia and promptly sat down next to her. The only remaining seat was the one next to Sam’s. Terri felt Sam waiting. Sitting down next to her would only add to the feeling of being on a double date. She looked up from the empty seat and Sam’s eyes caught hers. A warmth swept through her body, and she quickly took her seat, knowing her cheeks had betrayed her again. Sam sat down, and Terri avoided looking her direction.

  “Didn’t you say that Shellhammer told you to spy on Terri?” Reed asked.

  “He did,” Sam said.

  “So did you actually spy on her?” Julia asked.

  “Well, not creepy stalking or anything. I checked out a few cases and talked to some residents.”

  Julia raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, that sounds like spying.”

  Sam’s smile was sheepish. “Dr. Anderson’s got a reputation for being the best internist in pediatrics. I wanted to know why.”

  “You can call me Terri. We’re not in the hospital.” Terri wasn’t sure what to say about the spying part, however. And was it better or worse that Sam was buttering her up with compliments? She had enough to worry about with the tingling sensation that zipped through her body every time Sam looked her way.

  “Terri’s rep is well earned,” Reed said. “She’s saved a lot of lives.”

  “You have a lot to do with that,” Terri returned. “It’s nice to have a radiologist who doubles as a rock star internist on speed dial.”

  “Which is the only reason you agreed to ballroom dancing.”

  “True.” Terri wanted to add that Reed owed her double for letting a resident tag along. Especially this particular resident.

  “I need both of you on speed dial when I’m seeing my own cases,” Sam said.

  “For the next two years, you’ll have us,” Reed said. “After that…”

  “After that, you might have to block my number ’cause I’m gonna keep calling.” Sam looked over at Terri. “Is now a good time to ask for yours?”

  Reed chuckled. “You gotta work on your pickup lines, my friend.”

  Finally it was Sam’s turn to blush. “That’s not what I meant. I mean I would ask for your number but…not like that.” She blew out a breath and added, “I promise I’m cooler than I seem right now.”

  “That’s too bad,” Terri said. “I was starting to think you were tolerable.”

  “Well, I’m not that much cooler.”

  Terri couldn’t help smiling. Being the recipient of Sam’s attempts to impress wasn’t completely awful. It wasn’t going to work of course, but still.

  “I’ve got a Cherry Coke and a margarita?” The waitress glanced from Julia to Terri since Reed and Sam both already had drinks.

  “The margarita’s mine.” Julia leaned close and kissed Reed. “Thanks for ordering for me, sweetie.”

  “Then I’m guessing the Cherry Coke’s for you.” The waitress placed the soda in front of Terri with a smile.

  “Thank you.” Terri reached for the glass. Reed inviting Sam was akin to handing her a cool soda after a long walk in the desert. So tempting. The soda she wouldn’t say no to, but Sam she had to resist.

  “So, Sam, how’d Reed convince you to come dancing?”

  Reed spoke up before Sam could: “Someone kind of invited herself.”

  “Only because you were tripping about being the only woman in a tie at a straight dance class. And then I didn’t have time to go home and get my tie.”

  The image of Sam in a tie was not what she needed to think about. She sucked down a big sip of the soda, thankful no one could read her thoughts.

  “I don’t usually invite myself to things. But I love dancing and my friends all got stuck working late.”

  “Benefits of radiology,” Reed said. “We know when to call it a day and go home.”

  “Or go out dancing,” Julia added.

  “Or do that.” Reed wrapped an arm around Julia’s chair. “Gosh, I can’t wait to waltz with you.”

  “Gosh?” Julia leaned close and pecked Reed’s cheek. “Sweetie, no one believes you want to do this, but there’s a possibility you might like it.”

  “There’s also a possibility I’ll injure one of us.” Reed countered. “We could skip the wedding, you know, and go on a longer honeymoon.”

  “You want to miss your wedding night with me?” Julia waggled her eyebrows.

  “Not when you put it that way.” Reed returned the waggling eyebrows, laughing as she did.

  “When’s the wedding?” Sam asked.

  “October.”

  “Do you two have a photographer? Before med school, that was my full-time job. I’ve shot a lot of weddings.”

  Terri wondered how old Sam might be. She seemed more mature than a lot of the residents, and there was a chance she was older if she’d had the photography gig for a while. But how much older? Probably not enough.

  Julia looked at Reed and then back at Sam. “We don’t. Are you offering?”

  “I’d love to. Assuming I can get away from the hospital.”

  “I can pull some strings,” Reed said. “You won’t need that much time off anyway. The wedding’s going to be close. We’re getting married at a little winery in Napa.”

  “You get me the time off and I’ll take the pictures.”

  Julia clapped her hands together. “This is perfect! Reed kept saying all of our friends could take pictures, but I wanted a real photographer.”

  “You know it’s all about what the bride wants,” Sam said, clinking Reed’s bottle against hers. “Didn’t you get that memo?”

  “Apparently not.”

  “So, let me get this right,” Julia started. “You’re a photographer, a doctor, and you waltz? Do you put all of that on your dating profile?”

  “Usually I lead with a bit about stamp collecting.” Sam grinned. “I don’t get a whole lot of matches.”

  “Stamp collecting? Are you serious?” Reed squinted at Sam. “How old are you? Eighty-seven?”

  “Close. Thirty-one. And you can see my stamp collection whenever you want. But tonight I’m gonna wow you all with my completely uncool waltzing.” Sam struck a pose and everyone laughed.

  Terri’s body warmed when Sam joined in. She held onto Sam’s gaze even when she knew she ought to look away. Someone who could poke fun at themselves got major points in her book. But a resident was automatically disqualified, she reminded herself. And thirty-one? No way.

  “How’d you get into ballroom dancing?” Julia asked.

  “My folks sent me to an all-girls private school and ballroom dancing was required. Since I was tall and not exactly girly, I got picked for lead all the time. I didn’t think I’d like it at first, but there’s nothing like having a beautiful girl put her hands on your body and ask you to make the next move.”

  Reed scratched her head. “Maybe I need to reframe this waltzing thing in my mind.”

  Julia bumped against her shoulder. “Ahem. Suddenly you’re realizing that it won’t be so awful to dance with me?”

  “So where do you fall, Terri?” Sam asked. “Are you a dancing queen or only here ’cause Reed sounded pathetic when she called you?” Sam ducked when Reed playfully swatted at her.

  “Definitely not a dancing queen. I like to dance, but I have to be in the mood.”

  “Meaning the right partner?”

  Terri shrugged. She didn’t want to take Sam’s bait. “More the right scene. I like dance clubs.”

  “Lots of sweaty sexy bodies and a nice hard beat?”

  The tone of Sam’s voice wasn’t suggestive, but her words had Terri stumbling for an answer. It didn’t help that Sam’s eyes were locked on hers and the smile on her lips had a wicked certainty to it.

  Terri cocked her head. “You spying on me in dance clubs too? You should probably stop.”

  The confidence in Sam’s eyes slipped away. Maybe she didn’t fully understand the risks, but Terri knew all too well. Setting boundaries was for the best.

  “I really haven’t been spying. I mean, I did follow some of your cases, but only because Weiss and Shellhammer both told me I should.”

  “Wait, Weiss told you to spy on me too?” David Weiss was the chief of medicine—effectively Terri’s boss as well as everyone else’s.

  “Weiss is an old family friend. He was close with my grandpa. Anyway, my point was that he thinks highly of you.” Sam held Terri’s gaze. “I’m sorry if I was out of line with that dance club stuff.”

  The concern on Sam’s face was obvious, and Terri decided she’d made her sweat enough. “Okay. Apology accepted.”

  “I can’t wait to see you two in rounds together.” Reed leaned across the table to pat Sam’s shoulder. “Be prepared to get whipped, my friend.”

  “I don’t think whipping will be necessary.” A flush went through Terri and she didn’t dare look in Sam’s direction. Whipping? Seriously? Hoping to deflect, she quickly added, “How long are you in Radiology?”

  “Two more weeks. Then I’m on Med-Peds.”

  “Med-Peds?” Julia’s eyebrows bunched together.

  “Internal medicine-pediatrics,” Reed answered.

  While every resident cycled through internal medicine and most spent at least a month in pediatrics, not every resident ended up working with her. With any luck, Sam would be scheduled with McReynolds. “Who’s schedule are you on?”

  “Yours.”

  Shit. Terri cleared her throat. Now she really had a problem on her hands. “I shouldn’t have made that whipping comment. It was inappropriate and—”

  “And funny,” Sam finished. “Now we’re even.”

  Even? Terri wasn’t sure what was worse—that she needed to have the upper hand with Sam or that part of her liked when she lost it.

  “Sometimes I’d like to be a fly on the wall in that hospital of yours,” Julia said.

  Reed shook her head. “Terri would grab a fly swatter and take you out in two seconds flat.”

  “I would. Sorry, Julia. I’m a hard ass. I do my job and expect everyone else to do theirs.” She hoped Sam understood exactly what she meant by that.

  “In the meantime, lives get saved but the flies are screwed.” Reed tipped back her bottle, finishing the last of her beer. She eyed her watch. “All right. Time to face the gallows.”

  Terri carefully avoided bumping Sam’s chair as she stood up. Gallows might be an exaggeration, but she wanted to skip the dance class as much as Reed did. And yet she wondered exactly what she was dreading.

  No harm would come from one dance class. Even if someone from the hospital saw them together, she could easily explain it. All she needed to do was get through the evening—then promptly forget any attraction to Elizabeth Samuels.

  Chapter Two

  Who knew that Dr. Anderson—Terri—had tattoos? And not simply a rose or a little butterfly on a shoulder or an ankle. Some artist had spent some serious time on her arms and back, and although the dark green tank top concealed some skin, the wing of a bird peeked out where the fabric scooped low over her cleavage, making it even harder for Sam not to stare at her chest.

  The pub had been a near-complete disaster. Not only had she talked too much, she’d taken things too far with the dance club comments. The look on Terri’s face then had spoken volumes. Now she had to get through the next hour without saying, or doing, something stupid.

  Probably she had no business going for the aloof powerhouse that ruled the third floor of the hospital in the first place. But despite all the ways she’d screwed up, her body stirred with arousal when the dance teacher had motioned for Terri to stand next to her.

  “Can I ask a favor?”

  Terri glanced up from her purse. She’d gone to check her phone again—the third text notification in ten minutes. But this time, Sam noticed, she hadn’t responded and instead turned her phone on silent.

  “Sure.” Terri tucked the phone into the front pocket of her purse and then straightened up. “What is it?”

  “For the next hour, can we pretend that you’re not an attending and I’m not a resident?” It was a ridiculous request, but she had to ask anyway. When Terri didn’t respond right off, Sam added, “There’s a chance I’ll step on your toes.”

  “So it’s not that you’re worried about all of this ending up on your review?” A hint of a smile crossed Terri’s lips.

  “That too.”

  She rocked her head side to side as if weighing her options. “Okay. One hour off the record. But step lightly. I’m wearing sandals.”

  Sam let out the breath she’d been holding. “You got it.”

  So far, they’d only gone through hand positions and the footsteps for a basic box step. The dance instructor had stopped there to go around the room and check in with everyone. Then she’d started chatting. Sam wished she’d hurry up so she could get over the hurdle of taking Terri’s hand.

  It hadn’t taken Weiss or Shellhammer’s advice to get her to pay attention to Terri. Between the long curly red hair hardly tamed by the clip at the back of her slender neck, arresting green eyes, and a confidence that roared through her, Terri was impossible not to notice. Sam couldn’t keep her eyes off of her.

  As far as hospital gossip went, the jury was out on if she was dating anyone. Aside from Reed, she seemed to keep to herself. One nurse let it slide that she’d dated both men and women in the past and a rumor circulated that she’d been in a love triangle with two residents years ago, but most of the details sounded too crazy to believe.

  “So I’m guessing you don’t usually make a habit of taking dance classes with residents?”

  “Not since that last twerking episode.”

  “Twerking?”

  Terri’s smile finally cracked. “I’m trying to lighten the mood.”

  “For a minute there I had this image of you—”

  Terri held up her hands. “Please erase that image.”

  Sam laughed. “I don’t think I can.” Joking was definitely progress. And when Terri relaxed and really smiled, she was even more attractive.

  “Hey, one hour off the record applies to me too.”

  “Okay, okay.” Sam stopped laughing. “Honestly after you jumped on me about the spying thing I thought you were a tight ass, but one joke about twerking and you’ve completely changed my mind.”

  “I didn’t jump on you. Let’s not start that rumor too.”

  Immediately Sam thought of the love triangle rumor. Could it be true?

  Terri continued, “I’m sorry I was harsh earlier, but I didn’t want to give you the wrong idea. Reed socializes with residents. I don’t. It’s nothing personal.”

  Nothing personal. Terri certainly knew how to slap her ego. But Sam wasn’t giving up that easy. “Good thing I’m not a resident for the next fifty-three minutes.”

  “Smooth. Very smooth.”

  “And while we’re off the record, would you mind if I get something off my chest?”

  “Fifty-two minutes and counting. Now’s your chance.”

  “I like club dancing better than ballroom.”

  “So the crowded dance club with the sexy sweaty bodies is actually your thing?”

  “I’d say it’s a shared thing,” Sam returned. “Dance club later?”

  “Not a chance—but nice try.” Terri continued, “I kind of liked the image of teenage Sam stuck in a private school ballroom making all the preppy girls swoon better than dance club Sam.”