“Nata...we can’t do this.”

To Dr. Adam Cordeiro, Natália Texeira has always been off-limits. As his best friend’s sister, and a cancer survivor, he’s felt a duty to protect her. But the doctor he meets on her first day at Santa Coração Hospital is all grown-up and far too tempting...

Natália has always had a crush on Adam, but he has a playboy’s reputation! Nevertheless, when their forbidden passion becomes irresistible, Natália is compelled to discover what’s really holding Adam back from giving his heart...

Hot Brazilian Docs!

Sizzling Brazilian nights with the hottest docs in Latin America!

The hotshot docs of Santa Coração Hospital are all top-of-their-class surgeons—and Adam and Sebastian are no exception! But handling a medical emergency is nothing like falling for the two feisty, sexy women who stumble across their paths. Suddenly these Brazilian docs are further out of their depth than they’ve ever been before!

The Hot Brazilian Docs! duet by Tina Beckett is available from September 2017.

Adam’s story:

The Doctor’s Forbidden Temptation

Sebastian’s story:

From Passion to Pregnancy

And if you missed them earlier:

Marcos’s story:

To Play with Fire

Lucas’s story:

The Dangers of Dating Dr Carvalho

Dear Reader,

Best friends! They’re wonderful to have! You do everything together: share experiences, celebrate victories and losses…and stay adamant about remaining bachelors. Yep, Adam Cordeiro and Sebastian Texeira are childhood buddies, and they are both determined to remain unattached. But what happens when one best friend falls for the other best friend’s kid sister? Oh my!

That’s exactly what happens to Adam after catching Natália Texeira in her barely-theres. Natália is even less inclined to tie the knot—especially since she’s always had a little crush on the hunky Brazilian doc. But when the kindling is ignited it turns into a blaze that nothing can extinguish…not even Sebastian’s blatant disapproval.

I loved these two characters. Natália’s vulnerability struck a chord with me, and I so wanted to give her the happy ending she deserved.

Thank you for joining Adam and Natália as they struggle to overcome deep emotional issues from the past. And maybe—just maybe—this special couple will decide that love is worth fighting for. I hope you love reading about their journey as much as I loved writing about it.

Enjoy!

Love,

Tina Beckett

Three-times Golden Heart® finalist TINA BECKETT learned to pack her suitcases almost before she learned to read. Born to a military family, she has lived in the United States, Puerto Rico, Portugal and Brazil. In addition to travelling Tina loves to cuddle with her pug, Alex, spend time with her family, and hit the trails on her horse. Learn more about Tina from her website, or ‘friend’ her on Facebook.

The Doctor’s Forbidden Temptation

Tina Beckett

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To my family. As always. I love you!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

About the Author

Title Page

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

THE VIEW WAS SPECTACULAR. At least from where he stood. And not at all what Dr. Adam Cordeiro expected when he opened the door to the exam room.

Instead of eighty-seven-year-old Delfina Benton, who was confined to a wheelchair, the figure in front of him stood on her own two feet. Although all he could see of the person at the moment was a pair of frilly fuchsia panties. And since she was facing away from him and bent over at the waist, trying to force her foot into a pair of black jeans...

Meu Deus do céu.

He glanced at the electronic file in his hand. Room 206. And the placard on the wall beside him read...204. Damn. Wrong room.

Slowly backing away, he was just getting ready to close the door when the figure straightened and then whirled around with a couple of hopped steps until she’d moved far enough to look at him. Her face turned the color of that lacy undergarment. “Adam! What are you trying to do? Give me a heart attack?”

Him? Give her a heart attack? He didn’t think so.

“You are very lucky it wasn’t Sebastian who opened this door.”

“I thought I locked it.”

One leg was still half-buried in the leg of the jeans, while the other impossibly long limb was completely bare. And sexy.

And...hell, no!

Where was the pale, skinny little girl he’d practically grown up with? Not here, that was for sure.

The woman standing before him was all feminine curves and dark-lashed eyes. And...

Off limits.

Completely off limits. His comment about Sebastian wasn’t totally misguided, because if someone happened to come into this room and see them, both he and Natália would have a whole lot of explaining to do. Besides being his best friend, Sebastian Texeira was pretty damn protective of his little sister. With good reason.

“Well, you didn’t lock it.” Realizing the door was still open, he swung it closed, shutting off the view to anyone else who might happen by. It took more strength than he expected, but he somehow managed to pivot to face the door. “You might want to finish what you started.”

Except what she’d started was a small fire in the pit of his stomach that was growing bigger by the second. And higher.

Shuffling sounds behind him told Adam that she was taking him at his word. “Thank you for at least turning around.”

“There is a staff dressing room, you know.”

There was a pause. Then her voice came from behind him. “I was in a hurry. And the floor was practically empty.”

Speaking of empty, he was supposed to be seeing a patient right now. “Anyone could have walked in on you, Nata.”

Why had he never realized that the shortened version of Natália meant “cream” in Portuguese? And hell if it didn’t fit her perfectly right now. A thought that made him brace his hand against the doorjamb.

“Good thing it was you, then.”

If she could read his thoughts, she might not be so blasé about saying that. Because while she might view him as an annoying big brother, kind of like she saw Sebastian, Adam wasn’t feeling very brotherly right now. Instead, his reaction was something quite...different.

He gritted his teeth. “Are you done yet?”

“Almost.”

He tried not to let his brain wander down any more side roads.

This was Natália, Sebastian’s baby sister, damn it! But his mind just would not let go of the picture of Nata standing there in a pair of tiny skivvies and a matching bra that barely held her curves at bay. Well, they were even then, because Adam was barely holding some things at bay himself.

He waited a second or two longer, and then she murmured, “It’s safe.”

It wasn’t. Not by a long shot. But that didn’t stop him from turning around to face her once again. This time she was fully dressed, her close-fitting jeans topped with a dark green tunic that she’d belted around her waist. Her sleeves came down past her elbows, a habit she’d adopted in her teenage years and still preferred, even on the hottest days of summer. Her hair was a dark disarray of curls that bounced past her shoulders, and he knew from memory that they slid all the way down to the slope of her lower back. She’d always kept those dark locks long.

And he’d never thought of that as sexy before. Until now.

He was in trouble.

“Is Sebastian here?”

Natália glanced around, eyes wide in what had to be fake fear. “I don’t know. Did he come sneaking in too?”

“I didn’t come sneaking. And you know what I mean.”

“No. I really don’t.” She slung a purple bag over her shoulder, the silver chain matching the color of the belt links. “But I never knew you were the peeping Tom type.”

“I’m not.” He scowled to cover the fact that he’d done exactly that for the first five seconds after entering the room.

No, you tried to leave as soon as you realized what was happening.

And if Natália had been doing something other than changing? This time it was his face that was growing hot. Not in embarrassment, but in anger. He’d never even seen her hanging out with a man, much less caught her in the act of getting it on with one.

Why would he even care?

Because Sebastian wouldn’t approve.

And you, Adam? Would you approve?

Hell and double no. He and his friend had always tag-team protected Nata.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date.”

A date? Adam swallowed. Was that why she had on those sexy undergarments? Because she had always seemed the type to lean more toward utilitarian selections when it came to clothes. Or was he just remembering Nata as a kid and forgetting that she was now a grown woman?

She had a date.

Well, good for her. Adam might not have found happiness at the altar of so-called love and matrimony, but that didn’t mean that someone else couldn’t find a partner who would honor their vows.

Or at least not cheat on him with someone from the same hospital.

Priscilla had remarried almost before the ink had dried on the divorce decree.

Bile washed into his gut. If someone tried to do that to Natália after everything she’d been through, he would put a fist down their throat.

“Adam?”

His gaze jerked to her face to note that her head was tilted and she was staring at him as if he’d grown horns. “Sorry, did you say something?”

“I was asking if you were going to keep blocking that door.” She tugged her left sleeve down just a little bit lower. He’d always hated it when she did that.

Despite her veiled request, he didn’t move right away. And he almost didn’t move at all. He wanted to know where she was going in all that pink lace. “So you have a date, do you? Does Sebastian know?”

“Yep and no. My plans for tonight are none of my brother’s business.” The smile she threw him was one he recognized all too well. Full of mischief and laughter, it said she wasn’t about to tell him what he wanted to know. Instead she arched her brows in a very feminine move that Adam would have never pictured her doing. Before panty-gate, anyway.

Panty-gate? Oh, brother. He rolled his eyes and stepped to the side, gripping the door handle and pulling the door open in one swift move designed to let her out so that he could finish his day and see his last patient. And try not to think about what else he had seen or what Natália was going to do that she didn’t want her brother to know about. In the meantime, he was going to mind his own business and forget—or at least try to forget—that this unfortunate encounter had ever happened.

* * *

Natália Texeira swished down the hallway, trying to look a lot more confident than she felt. In reality, her legs were shaking and her heart was pounding. A date? Well, that was a great line.

Not so great was the look of shock on his face. Did he think she couldn’t get one? Well, he could just go and...

Better not to even think that. Because while he might have been surprised about her so-called date night, his reaction to seeing her undressed had been totally masculine.

And totally hot.

She’d dreamed about him looking at her like that for most of her teenaged and young adult years. But since he was six years older than she was, he’d always thought of her as a little kid. Those days were long gone. They were both adults now. He’d been married and divorced. They’d moved past childhood infatuations.

Not that Adam had ever had a crush on her.

She wanted to look behind her. Was dying to know if he was still staring at her. There’d been something in those deep brown eyes that had made her insides sizzle. Of course she’d kept her scarred arm facing away from him, although she had no idea why. He had to have seen it at some point over the years. More than once, despite all her efforts to keep it hidden.

“Nata? Did you forget something?”

His voice sounded from right behind her. Not only was he looking. He’d followed her. She couldn’t imagine what he was talking about. Heart in her throat, she spun around to face him.

In his hand he held something brown and shiny and... Her barrette.

The tiny zing of anticipation died a hard death. Ugh. What had she thought he was going to say? That she’d forgotten to kiss him goodbye? Not in this lifetime.

“Thanks.” She forced a smile, hoping it was bright and cheery. She gave her sleeve a tug and then held out her hand for her errant hair ornament. In her haste to get away from him, she hadn’t realized she’d left her hair down.

“Why do you keep doing that?”

She blinked. “Doing what?”

“Pulling at your sleeve. Is your arm hurting you?” His brows puckered in... Concern. Oh, God, no. Not again.

Her smile disappeared. “No. This shirt is just snug.”

Liar. Her top was a stretchy, flowy material. The opposite of snug.

“When was the last time you had it checked?”

“Are you kidding me, Adam?” This time it wasn’t anticipation that tingled up her back until it hit the base of her skull but raw anger. “I’m a doctor. I think I would know if my prosthesis was giving me trouble.”

His wince was unmistakable at her bald words. Well, what she’d said was true. Her prosthetic device might not be visible to the world, but it was there just the same. And for him to ask her about it after the encounter they’d just had was almost unbearable. So much for feeling sexy and confident. He’d just transported her back to when she was sixteen and woken up in a hospital bed with seven inches of her left humerus gone, replaced by a shaft of metal. She found herself bending her elbow, a subconscious response to thinking about the osteosarcoma that had almost taken her arm. If she’d never gotten sick, her life would be very different now.

And maybe Adam would have looked at her through different eyes.

But it was what it was.

“I’m sorry.”

The man actually looked penitent, something she couldn’t normally say about the handsome orthopedic surgeon. He’d had a reputation as a playboy back in high school, college and for most of med school. All that had changed when he’d gotten married and then divorced a couple of years later. Women still threw themselves at him, but from all accounts those advances were ignored with a quick smile as he went on his way.

Except the way he’d looked at her in that exam room... If she’d wrapped her arms around his neck would he have rebuffed her?

Um, yes, if this conversation was anything to go by. And she would be mortified to have him set her aside like a child. She wasn’t a child. And she was going to show him that once and for all.

Only she had no idea how. Or why.

Up went her chin. “You and my brother need to get it through your thick skulls that I do not need protecting. I’m a big girl with big girl panties, and I’ve been wearing them for quite some time.”

“So I’ve seen.” The words were muttered in a low pained tone. At first she thought she’d misunderstood him, but since he was now avoiding her eyes like the plague, she was pretty sure she’d heard him correctly.

Well, then. Maybe she hadn’t been wrong about his adult male reaction after all. “That’s what you get for walking in on someone—”

“In an unlocked exam room. What if I’d been the hospital administrator?”

“You weren’t. Karma wouldn’t do that to me.”

At least she hoped not. She tried to be nice to those around her. Except when a certain overprotective brother and his hunky cohort started to meddle in her affairs.

Not that she had any affairs worth meddling in.

“Oh, I think karma has a pretty twisted sense of justice.”

Was he talking about his divorce? She’d heard his ex-wife had not only married another doctor but she’d gotten a hefty settlement during the divorce trial. Due to some ridiculous lie about how he withheld himself from her emotionally after she’d told him she didn’t want children.

Adam was no cold fish. And surely his wife had known how much he wanted a large family. Natália remembered him always talking about wanting lots and lots of kids. Of course, he would tweak her nose as he said it, adding something along the lines of hoping all his little girls were as cute as she was. Only that was never going to happen. Not now. And unlike his ex-wife, it wasn’t because Natália didn’t want children. “Maybe it does, since you happened to be the one who caught me. Someone who is practically family.”

The dig was meant to get a reaction out of him, but she was sorely disappointed. He merely nodded.

She flexed her elbow again, then stopped mid-movement when his eyes followed the gesture. “It’s fine. Just a bad habit.”

Kind of like her crush on Adam had been. A bad habit that she’d had the hardest time breaking. But she had. Finally.

Right?

Absolutely. Maybe karma really did have a twisted sense of justice. She couldn’t give him what he wanted. In more ways than one.

“If you’re sure,” he said.

“I am.”

He glanced at her face, lingering there for what seemed like an eternity before his gaze brushed down her nose...across her lips. She swallowed, then his index finger came up and tapped under her chin. “I like your hair down, by the way. I don’t think I’ve seen it that way in...well, a long time.”

Her mouth popped open, but before her sluggish brain could even think of a response he’d dropped his hand to his side with a lopsided smile. “I’d better go. I have a patient to recheck before I clock out. And you evidently have a hot date.”

That’s right. She was supposed to be going out on a date with someone besides a bowl of yakisoba from a nearby takeout joint. If her food was hot, it counted, right? Why had she ever concocted that lie? Maybe because she’d been so flustered to have been caught there in her underwear by the very man she’d fantasized about for so many years. “Yep. I’d better go and get ready then.”

He started to say something, and then gave his head a brief shake. He took a step or two in the opposite direction and then threw a single line over his shoulder without looking back. “Call me when you get home from your date.”

What? Oh, no!

She would be home in a half-hour. Forty-five minutes, tops. And then she would have to come up with a plausible reason why her “date” hadn’t lasted longer than it had. She could ignore his order. And have him call Sebastian and very possibly the police?

Not if she could help it. A slow smile curved her lips. That was fine. She’d call him. But she’d wait a couple of hours and make him sweat a little.

He rounded the corner, leaving her standing alone in the hallway with nothing more than her thoughts—which were now running wild with all sorts of possibilities.

But one thing she did know. When she finally put that call through, she was going to have a tale to tell that beat all tales. Of being wined and dined long into the night. She could pick up a bottle of wine with her takeout and watch a romantic movie. So it wouldn’t be a total lie. Right?

And he would stay on the other end of that line and listen to the whole darned thing. After that, it was doubtful that Adam Cordeiro would ever try to play big brother to her again.

* * *

She was stranded.

Dammit. She turned the key in the ignition of her small car again, only to hear the same ominous click she’d heard for the last five minutes. She’d tried to call three of her girlfriends, including Maggie, but so far two of them had gone to voicemail. The other was working the graveyard shift and Natália hadn’t had the heart to ask her to leave the nurses’ station right after she’d gotten to work.

She could call Sebastian. And have him give her a lecture about having her car serviced regularly? She tried to remember when the last time had been. But life was so busy with all these hot dates and everything...

She rolled her eyes. Natália had had one serious relationship in her life. And in reality she was too self-conscious about her scar and the questions that would invariably come up. Plus the fact that her chemo treatments meant she could develop lymphoma at some point in her life. And, really, how did one bring up subjects like that with someone you were just getting to know? And yet to not talk about the realities she faced seemed dishonest somehow. To let someone fall in love with her and then suddenly spring it on him: “Hey, I had cancer. And chemo. And a complicated surgery that included having most of my arm bone removed. Oh, and by the way, I’m sterile and might not live to a ripe old age.”

Her lungs went tight all of a sudden at the thought of not ever having a baby. Dammit, Nata, you hold babies every single day.

But it wasn’t the same. She sighed in exasperation.

So, yeah, she never could figure out how to deal with any of that so she just did the next best thing. She didn’t date. Or at least she rarely dated. Her boyfriend hadn’t even lasted long enough for her to think about The Talk. Maybe because she’d been an uptight neurotic mess the whole time they’d dated. Undressing in the dark had been a huge turnoff for him, and she hadn’t wanted him to see her scars so that she didn’t have to go into explanations... And, well, it had just been too exhausting to keep up the act.

It was easier just to deal with eating takeout and sleeping alone.

She was going to have to do what she’d vowed not to do. But at least she had the great story she swore she’d have before she talked to him—she had her bottle of wine right next to her. Ugh! She could just catch one of the many buses that came through the area, but in São Paulo, leaving a car unattended was just asking to have it stolen. Or at least stripped down to almost nothing.

Kind of like she’d been in that exam room.

That got a smile out of her.

He had told her to call him, right? And she had wanted to make it uncomfortable for him, hadn’t she? Well, what could be more uncomfortable than having to come and give her a ride back to her apartment—after calling for a tow truck to have her car transported to her place, at least until she could find a service station that had time to fix it.

Securing the carton of yakisoba behind her purse on the seat so it wouldn’t dump out all over her floorboards, she fished out her cellphone. She didn’t bother wondering if his number had changed since the last time she’d called him, because she was pretty sure it hadn’t. Adam had had the same phone number for the last several years. He didn’t deal well with change.

So his divorce had probably not been the easiest thing for him to deal with. But he’d survived. Just like she’d survived a life-changing illness. His ex had been bad news. In Natália’s book he was much better off without her.

She took one deep breath and then two, her lips moving as she went through the story she was going to give him when he answered the phone. Then she found his number in her list of contacts and hit the dial button. The phone rang. And rang. And rang again before clicking to voicemail. Natália ground her teeth. Okay, so maybe Adam wouldn’t get the satisfaction of rescuing her after all. There was no choice. She had to call Sebastian. Just as she punched in the first two numbers, the cellphone began to ring. She glanced at the screen.

Adam.

Only now she was all frazzled, the planned words swept away.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Adam, it’s me, Natália.”

“I know who it is. Sorry, I was in the shower and didn’t hear the phone right away.”

The image of Adam standing on a bathmat with water streaming down his chest was something that made her brain freeze even further. “I know I said I’d call you when I got home, but I’m...um...kind of stranded.”

“Stranded? What do you mean, stranded?” There was silence for a second or two, then his voice came back. “Meu Deus do céu. I want a name, Nata.”

The low quiet tone held a wealth of menace. How humiliating was this? But she’d called the man. She could hardly pretend she hadn’t said the words. “I’m at the yakisoba place down in Santo Amaro.”

“I’ll be there in a few minutes. But I’m still waiting for a name.”

She gulped. “Okay. Palácio de Yakisoba.”

“Not the name of the restaurant. The name of your date.”

The name of her...

Deus!

That’s right, where was that story you thought up?

Not in her head, that was for sure. She did not want to admit that she didn’t have a date after all. For some reason she thought he would be far too pleased with that news. And the last thing she needed was for Adam to turn into Sebastian and go all big brother on her. She didn’t need two of them. So she decided to hedge.

“It doesn’t matter. I just need to be jumped.”

Another pause. Longer this time. “Jumped?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t understand.”

Did she have to spell it out? “My car died at the takeout place. I think it’s the battery.”

A low chuckle came through her phone. “I see. For some reason I thought jumped meant...”

“You thought it meant what?” Natália was thoroughly confused.

“Never mind. So you were the designated driver this evening?”

Well, since she’d designated herself to drive to the restaurant, this question she could answer fairly truthfully. “Yes, yes, I was. It didn’t work out quite like I was hoping.”

“I’m glad he didn’t just leave you without transportation. Not that I approve of him leaving you there with a car that is quebrado. Did he find another way home?”

She gulped. “There is definitely something wrong with that picture, isn’t there?” Mainly because it wasn’t true. Not at all.

“Don’t worry, Nata. I will be there in fifteen minutes. Don’t go anywhere.”

Exactly where was she supposed to go? Her car was stuck here and so was she. “Please don’t say anything to Sebastian about this.”

“Your brother has a right to know.”

“Um, not really. I’m a grown-up, remember?”

“Then you should be grown-up enough to tell him yourself.”

Her brother would freak out if he thought some man had abandoned her at a restaurant. She was going to have to tell Adam the truth, dammit. But it could wait until just before she closed the door of her car and left the parking lot. She didn’t want to have to endure the expression on his face. Or listen to some kind of quippy comment. Yes, that would be the best route. “Don’t worry. I’ll let my brother know you turned into my knight in shining armor.”

A low dark sound tickled her ear. “I’m no knight, Nata. Remember that. I’ll see you soon.”

With that he was gone, and she was left standing next to her useless car with an even more useless sense of longing. Why could Adam never see her as an adult?

Maybe because they’d grown up together. Maybe because she had been someone he’d had to be careful around because of her cancer. Whatever it was, he had never seen her as an equal. Even after coming back to Brazil after furthering his training in orthopedic surgery in the United States. That had been after his marriage had taken a wrong turn.

If anything, Adam was more cynical and guarded now than he’d been as a young adult. Who could blame him? His wife had cheated. None of it could have been easy for him.

Shaking her head, she opened the door to her car and got back in. If she could just get the darned thing started, she wouldn’t have to face him at all. Her momentary thrill at having gotten a reaction out of him in that exam room had changed to flat-out embarrassment. She’d been mistaken about the expression on his face. She had to be. Her conversation a moment ago confirmed that.

She turned the key in the ignition and heard the same sluggish growl the vehicle had given for the last half-hour. Something was definitely wrong with it.

Another car pulled up beside her. It wasn’t Adam, and the young man seated in the passenger seat made her slightly uneasy. Dark hair and hard eyes surveyed what he could see of her, from her hands clenching the steering wheel to the window that was half-open to let in a little cool air. Maybe she should have waited in the restaurant rather than sitting around in the open with her car in obvious trouble. This wasn’t a particularly dangerous part of São Paulo, but there were always people out there who were willing to take advantage of a vulnerable situation. Her parents had been robbed at gunpoint twice while stopping at night at a traffic light. People had learned to just run the lights if it was late at night, rather than risking a problem.

“Precisa ajuda?”

His words were nice enough, asking if she needed help.

“No, I’m good. I have someone coming. They should be here any minute.”

Instead of discouraging the man, his door clicked open and one scrawny leg appeared followed by another as the man stood. “Maybe I should take a look at it.”

“No, I really am okay. I think I’ll just—”

Her words were cut off when another car pulled up between them, the sleek front bumper coming within inches of the intruder’s knees. The man’s head turned so fast that strands of his lank hair fell over his forehead as he shouted, “Oi, cara, quase me atropelou.”

Oh, damn. That was probably the wrong thing to have said to the owner of this particular vehicle, whose occupant emerged, one hand resting on his door, the other on top of his sports car. “You’ll get a lot more than run over, if you take one more step toward her.”

The driver of the original vehicle called to his buddy, who scowled for a second or two before ducking back inside. The two then peeled out of the parking lot, a cloud of burning rubber filling the air.

Adam slammed the door to his car and crossed the few feet until he was standing next to her little clunker. “If I try the handle to your door, I will find it locked, will I not?”

Her fingers itched to punch the button that would do just that, but he would hear it. “No, because I was just trying to start it one more time before going back into the restaurant. And I have a pretty powerful scream, if you remember.”

One side of his mouth lifted, the anger in his eyes dimming. “I do at that. I also remember how you used to like to shriek right in my and Sebastian’s ears.”

“Only when you were being really mean. Like setting my dollhouse on fire.”

His smile widened. “You never liked that dollhouse.”

She shrugged. “It didn’t matter. Besides, if anyone was going to burn it down, it was going to be me.”

Instead, her parents’ fighting had burned down her whole childhood. Sebastian’s too. She had made the decision that she would not marry someone unless they could be friends outside of the passion. The problem was finding the right balance. It was either friend/friend. Or passion/passion. So far the terms seemed to be mutually exclusive. Maybe she was looking for a unicorn—something that didn’t exist.

“You never did, though.” His grin faded just a little. “So, now that the excitement is all over, what seems to be wrong with your car?”

“I think it’s the battery. Sometimes it acts like it wants to turn over, but other times it just clicks.”

“Try it now.”

Natália obliged, turning the key and giving it her best shot. She had no better luck now than just before those thugs showed up. “See? Do you think a jump will work?”

“No. I bet it’s your starter, which means it will have to be towed to the shop.”

She groaned. “I have to work tomorrow, how am I supposed to get there?”

“We do work at the same place.”

No. That was not an option. “I can take public transport.”

“Have you seen the subways at rush hour?”

“Yes. I used to ride them to school. We all did.”

“That should be reason enough for you to want to avoid them.” He motioned for her to give him a minute and then held his phone to his ear. Once he started talking, it was obvious he had a mechanic on the other end of the line.

Perfect. This was all she needed. Her day had gone haywire from almost the moment she got up that morning.

He was off the phone within seconds. “I have a friend who’s sending a truck. He said he should be able to have it fixed by tomorrow afternoon.”

Not soon enough to avoid having to ride into work with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Ridiculous. Why was he taking over and making decisions for her? “What if I had my own mechanic?”

“Do you?”

“Not really.” The misery she felt must have shown on her face because he reached down and opened her door. “Come on, Cinderella. We’ll leave your keys with the owner of the restaurant and I’ll take you home.”

“Public transport.” But the words came out as a sullen mutter, because she already knew it would do no good to suggest it. There was nothing to it but to let Adam take her home.

But if she had her way, it was going to be the shortest trip in history.

CHAPTER TWO

“WHY DID YOU tell me you had a date?”

Taking a long pull of the beer Nata had offered him, he leaned back in his chair and studied her. With her hair now piled on top of her head and held with a clip, she had a sheepish look on her face that almost made him laugh. Almost. Because the wave of fury that had churned to life in his gut when he thought she’d been abandoned by some nameless jerk had shocked him. Sebastian would have been mad too. But his anger would have been because Nata was his sister. What was Adam’s excuse?

Something he’d better not examine too closely.

“I have no idea. It just kind of came out. I didn’t expect my car to break down or for anyone to find out.”

“I bet.”

Natália glared at him over her glass of wine. They had split the container of takeout food, Natália saying it was the least she could do to repay him for arranging for the tow and bringing her home. He could have refused to share her meal. Probably should have refused.

He’d been feeling out of sorts for most of the day. Sitting across the table from her wasn’t helping.

“You and Sebastian have always tried to run herd on me, and I didn’t want you taking up where you left off before you...”

She didn’t finish the sentence. What had she been about to say? Before he divorced? Before he left for the United States? Before he’d caught her in her “barely theres” in that damned exam room?

“Your brother and I were worried about you, that’s all.”

“You babied me. From the moment I got my diagnosis. It was irritating.”

“If Sebastian had been diagnosed with cancer, what would you have done?”

Her brows puckered for a few seconds. Then she took a deep breath. “I probably would have done some of the same things. But not to the ridiculous extent that you both went to.”

“I’m pretty sure I remember you flipping out when Sebastian broke his arm, threatening to ‘flatten’ whoever had tripped him in the school hallway that day.”

“Someone told me the person did it on purpose.”

“See? You were protecting him.” He took another drink of his beer. “The same way we both protected you.”

Her jaw lifted to a dangerous angle. “We? There’s a difference between you and Sebastian. You are not my brother. And I’m not your sister.”

She didn’t need to tell him that. Not any more. But it stung that she’d just put him firmly in his place...as an outsider. “Maybe not. But I’m your brother’s friend.”

And that brother was fiercely protective of his sister. He’d never approved of any boy...or man...who’d been attracted to her. It was probably a normal sibling reaction. Adam had always been careful to keep on the right side of that barrier, never allowing even the slightest hint of interest to show in his words or actions. Not that there’d been any interest between him and Sebastian’s sister. They were too far apart in age and too close in other ways. And Adam did not have a good track record when it came to relationships.

Like his high school girlfriend? He’d messed up big that time. Or how about his ex-wife?

Not a good track record at all.

Much better to stay friends with Natália than to ruin things forever.

“Yes, well, that doesn’t give you a license to criticize my choices.”

“Whoa.” He held up his hands. “Exactly how did I criticize you?”

“Well, you...” She swirled her drink in her glass. “I’m sure you would have if I’d actually had a date there in the car with me.”

That made him chuckle. “Would you have introduced him to me?”

“Absolutely not.” She stood up and held out her hand for the empty plate. “Are you finished?”

“Yes, with everything except for this.” He held up the Cellophane wrapper that contained a fortune cookie. “We should probably open it and see what it says.”

There was only one cookie, since there had only been one order of food. He wasn’t even sure why he’d mentioned it, except that he couldn’t remember a time he and Nata had shared a meal together. Not without her brother or someone else being there. He was loath to bring the time to an end for some reason. Maybe because she had called him for help, rather than another friend or her brother.

The slight frown she’d carried all evening disappeared. “If it says something about being unlucky in love I’m going to be seriously ticked.” Then she stopped. “I’m sorry, Adam, I wasn’t directing that at you.”

“It’s okay.” He’d already been unlucky in love, not once but twice. Not much could be worse than what he’d been through on either of those occasions. “There’s not much chance of it predicting my future with any accuracy.”

He helped her clear the table, carrying the cookie with them into the kitchen.

“You’re never planning on getting married again?”

“Nope. Once was more than enough.”

“But what about that big family you said you wanted?” Natália didn’t look at him, making short work of scraping the plates and setting them into hot soapy water she’d prepared a few seconds earlier. “Not everyone is like Priscilla.”

He didn’t really want to discuss his ex. Or children. Or hear Nata say he could very well find someone amazing, if he gave women a chance. “Do you want me to make coffee?”

“Yes, please. The grounds are in the cabinet to your left.”

“No fancy pod system?”

“I prefer to do things the old-fashioned way. It helps me appreciate it more.”

Adam wasn’t going to even touch that one. Because he could think of at least one thing that he preferred to do the old-fashioned way as well. And it didn’t involve coffee. Instead he got busy measuring out the grounds and filled the machine with water. He’d only had one beer, but somehow his head was a little fuzzy, as if he’d spent the night at the bar. Maybe it was just everything that had happened: the distress call, those thugs at the yakisoba place, finding out that she hadn’t had a date after all.

Within ten minutes they were in the living room with a tray, two coffees and the lone fortune cookie between them. Natália settled on the couch, and he set the tray on the table and lowered himself beside her.

She picked up her mug and took a deep sip of the contents, wrapping her hands around it and holding it close to her lips. Her eyes shut for a second. “Perfect. Thank you.”

“I aim to please.”

Those words came out all rough-edged, loaded with a meaning that had nothing to do with coffee. He purposely cleared his throat, to make it seem like that was to blame and not his own damned inner processes that had been running rampant all day.

He picked up the fortune cookie and tossed it in the air, catching it with a flick of his wrist and shoving his open palm toward her. “I think you should do the honors.”

It definitely shouldn’t be him. Not when he was suddenly aware of every move she made...of every glance she angled toward him. Of those damned panties that he knew lay just beneath her sensible clothing. Down that path was madness and irresponsibility. And self-destruction.

Natália’s brown eyes met his for a second and then she set her mug down and plucked the fortune cookie from his palm. Her lips twisted to one side. “Chicken.”

Yes. He was. And he was okay with that label. It was better than some of the angry accusations he was currently throwing at himself.

The crinkling of plastic seemed louder than normal. He set his own coffee down as he waited for her to finish opening the package. Then it was in her hand. “We’ll split it.”

She broke the cookie in two and handed him the half without the little slip of paper sticking out of it. Then, gripping the fortune with her thumb and forefinger, she teased it from its home. Popping her half of the cookie in her mouth, she turned the paper over so she could read it.

Her jaws suddenly stopped chewing, her eyes widening in something akin to horror.

“What?” he asked. “It’s not predicting one of our deaths, is it?”

He didn’t really think it was, but the color was seeping out of her cheeks. “Do you want me to read it?”

Her mouth went back to working on the food, moving in jerky starts and stops before her throat moved and she swallowed.

Something was bothering her. “What does it say, Nata?”

She licked her lips. “It’s stupid. I should just throw it away.”

Maybe she should. But now he wanted to know what was on it. What she thought was so terrible that she didn’t even want to voice it aloud. It was nonsense, right? Then why was he suddenly worried that his past might be rising up to find him?

“Either read it or give it to me.”

“Fine. You want to know what it says? I’ll tell you.” Her chest heaved as she took a deep breath and then blew it out audibly. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Her head bent as she leaned closer to whatever was written on that paper. “‘Soon you will meet and kiss someone special.’”

The words ricocheted through the room, bouncing around as his head tried to make sense of them. Then they registered, and he laughed in relief. “That’s what you were so upset about?”

“Well, I know it’s stupid, but it’s a little embarrassing, don’t you think?”

“No, I don’t think.” He slid his fingers over the side of her cheek. “I did meet you at that restaurant. And I’m at least a little special, aren’t I?”

“Well, of course.”

He leaned sideways and kissed her cheek. “See? Painless. That wasn’t embarrassing, was it?”

“No, I guess not.” She smiled.

“Your turn, since the fortune was for both of us.” He presented his cheek to her.

The second she touched her lips to his skin, though, he knew he’d made a huge mistake in asking her to reciprocate. The kiss hit him just beside his mouth, the pressure warm, soft and lingering just a touch too long. Long enough for his hand to slide to the back of her head, his fingers tunneling into her hair. Then, before he could stop himself, his head slowly turned toward the source of that sweet heat until he found it. Leaned in tight.

Instead of her pulling away, he could have sworn the lightest sigh breathed against his mouth. And that was when he kissed her back. Face to face. Mouth to mouth.

It was good. Too good. He tilted his head to the side, the need to fit against her singing through his veins. He captured a hint of the coffee she’d drunk, and the wine, his tongue reaching for more of the same.

He forgot about the meal, the fortune cookie...everything, as the kiss went on far beyond the realm of the words “platonic” and “friend” and into the hazy kingdom where lovers dwelt.

Every moment from this morning until now seemed to have been spiraling toward this event.

A soft sound came from her throat and the fingers in her hair tightened into a fist, whether to tug free or pull her closer, he had no idea. Then her mouth separated from his and she bit the tip of his chin, the sharp sting jerking at regions below his belt, a familiar pulsing beginning to take over his thoughts. If he didn’t bring this to a halt now...

Somehow he managed to let go of her hair and place both of his palms on her shoulders, using the momentum to edge her back a few inches. Then a few more.

“Nata...we can’t do this.” The words didn’t seem all that convinced. “Sebastian would kill us.”

His friend would approve of him using his name as a weapon. At least in this case.

Brown eyes blinked up at him. “Why does he have to know?”

“If you think he wouldn’t find out, you’re wrong.” He kissed the corner of her mouth, trying to force a playful edge to the act. “Let’s not take that fortune too seriously.”

Her gaze went from warm to cool in the space of a few milliseconds. “I wasn’t taking anything too seriously. But maybe you were.”

Hell, maybe he was. Maybe that was behind the need to claw his way back to reality. A reality he wasn’t enjoying all that much right now.

“Nope. I just don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea.”

There was silence for a second or two. “I’m taking it that that person wouldn’t be you.”

His disastrous youth came to mind. All the more reason not to ruin a good friendship over a stupid impulsive move. Like kissing Natália? “No, it wouldn’t be me.”

“And you’re arrogant enough to think I would fall down and bawl my eyes out if you say you aren’t attracted to me?”

No one had said anything about being attracted to her. Obviously he was, although he was smart enough not to let his thoughts stray too far in that direction. At least not often.

He tried to soften his words. “I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t be attracted to you, Nata. You’re beautiful and kind. Everything a normal man could want.”

“You forgot to mention my uncanny ability to see through bullshit.”

He had not forgotten that, which was why he’d wanted to end the kiss before she read through it and saw something very different. She’d always been able to read people, even as a teenager. Maybe because of all the medical professionals she’d been through. With a maturity that often far outweighed her years, she had known when someone was trying to placate her or when they were telling the raw, unvarnished truth. Thank God, though, that she hadn’t been able to tell how shocked he’d been by his reaction to that kiss. And if he had his way, she never would, since he wasn’t likely to repeat his mistake.

“Your brother, unfortunately, tends to see things that aren’t there.”

“Do you honestly think I am going to go running to him and tell him we sat in my apartment and made out?”

Made out. Hell, the woman didn’t know the meaning of that word, because had he gotten that far, Natália would have been flat on her back on the sofa and there would have been a very different outcome. Graças a Deus he’d come to his senses in time.

“No...” He dragged a hand through his hair, trying to figure out a way to explain this that didn’t get him into even hotter water. “So we’ll keep this strictly between us.”

Her mouth twisted sideways. “Do you want me to pinkie swear?”

“Not necessary.” Besides, he didn’t want to touch her again. Standing to his feet, he motioned toward the coffee table. “Can I help you clean up?”

She stood as well. “No, I’ve got it. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at the hospital.”

With that, Adam headed for the nearest escape route: the front door. “Thank you for dinner.”

“Thank you for rescuing me.”

Adam heard a weird note behind the statement. “You’re welcome. My friend texted that he should be able to get to your car sooner than he thought. It may be back by tomorrow morning. I can come by and pick you up for work, if not.”

“Thanks, but I’ve got it.”

He frowned. “Call me if it hasn’t been delivered. I’ll need to check on its progress.” He wasn’t trying to contradict her or irritate her any more than necessary, but he’d been the one to call the repair shop and have her car towed away. The least he could do was make sure it arrived safely back at her place.

She reached around him and opened the door. “I will. Or I can call Sebastian.”

“Do you really think that’s a good idea?”

Up went her brows. “Do you really think this was a good idea?”

“It wasn’t all bad, was it?”

“No. Dinner was great.”

Meaning kissing him had not been. He could call her a liar—hell if she hadn’t kissed him back—but what would be the point? Maybe it was better for them both to just leave things where they were.

They gave each other a quick goodbye, then Adam stepped through the door and waited until it closed and the deadbolt engaged before heading back to his own car. Yes, putting this behind them was the smartest thing. He could only hope that Natália threw that damned fortune from the cookie into the trash and forgot about tonight...and everything leading up to it.

* * *

“We kissed.”

Natália said the words in a pseudo-whisper, even though she and her best friend Maggie Pinheiro were alone in the exam room. Married to a family friend, Maggie and Natália had hit it off from the moment they’d met at the couple’s wedding four years ago. Maggie, her husband Marcos, Natália and Sebastian all worked at the same hospital, in fact. And now Maggie was pregnant. Very pregnant.

“You kissed who?”

Natália shook her head, suddenly remembering that she hadn’t seen Maggie in the two days since she’d had Adam over to her apartment and locked lips with him. Thank God her car had been delivered the morning after, so she hadn’t needed to call him and ask him for anything else. It was all too humiliating. Not only having to confess that she didn’t have a date but kissing the man like a hungry piranha finding its first good meal after the rains came.

Women loved Adam and the man knew it. He had to. She saw the looks they gave him in the hospital corridors.

“Adam Cordeiro.”

“The orthopedic surgeon?”

Maggie was an American who’d come over to Brazil on a special exchange program and who’d ended up staying after she married Marcos. Although she was fluent in the language, she still had a charming accent and periodically stumbled over an unfamiliar word or phrase.

“Yes.”

“Aren’t he and Sebastian good friends?”

Natália crinkled her nose. “Yes. We all kind of grew up together.”

“I bet that was awkward.”

“It was horrible.”

Maggie’s eyes widened as she sat on the table, waiting for her obstetrician to get there. “The kiss? I always thought Dr. Cordeiro was kind of cute.”

“Says the woman who is pregnant with another hottie’s baby.”

Her friend’s hands smoothed over her round belly. “Oh, believe me, I am not looking to swap partners.”

“Adam is not my partner.”

“I would hope not, if he’s a terrible kisser.”

Natália’s eyes closed for a second before she looked at her friend again in exasperation. “That’s the problem. It wasn’t a horrible kiss. It was a good kiss.”

“I thought you just said it was bad.”

This time she laughed. “No. Not the kiss. That was phenomenal. The horrible part was that it was Adam and not someone else.”

“You don’t like him?”

She dropped into the chair across from the table. “He’s like a brother. Well, more like he sees me as an annoying little sister. He only kissed me because the fortune cookie told him to.”

“What? Okay, Nata. You have got to slow this train down a little bit. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Well, I certainly hope not because that would mean everyone else at the hospital knows what happened.”

“Including your brother?”

Natália groaned and leaned forward in her chair, rubbing the scar hidden beneath her white lab coat. Images of her teenage years and the way everyone had coddled and protected her came to mind. Including Adam.

“Don’t even talk about Sebastian. Adam was more worried about him finding out than anything else.” She quickly gave her friend a summary of what had happened between her and Adam, zeroing in on how she had kissed him on the cheek, only to have him suddenly swoop down and cover her mouth with his. It had been...magical. And horrible. And...confusing.

Maggie slid off the table and came to sit on the chair next to hers, making sure her hospital gown was firmly covering her thighs, Natália noticed. Her friend had scars of her own from where she’d self-harmed many years ago. “So, did you want it to be different than it was?”

Did she? Natália had no idea really. Did she want Adam to be attracted to her?

Hadn’t he said that any man in his right mind would be? Yes. Which meant he was just giving her a logical excuse for that kiss. Logical, though, meant that he didn’t see his reaction to her any differently than his reaction to any woman he found attractive.

So how many women besides his ex-wife had he kissed the same way he had her?

Was she kidding? This was Adam she was talking about.

So that number was way more than she cared to imagine.

“It would be far too complicated between us. He is as irritating and bossy as Sebastian. He doesn’t see me as an adult.”

Maggie covered her hand with hers. “I don’t think that’s quite true. If that kiss was anything like you say it was, he definitely sees you as an adult. Even if he doesn’t want to admit it.”

“You think so?” The question was rhetorical, she didn’t really want an answer. Or did she?

“I do.” Maggie stood and wiggled her way back onto the exam table. “And if this baby keeps putting off making an appearance, his little brother is going to be all grown up with children of his own.”

Natália tensed for a moment before forcing herself to relax again. This was one of her best friends. And if anyone deserved to have a healthy, happy baby, it was her.

“You still have six weeks before your due date.”

Her friend groaned. “Do not remind me. I am ready to pop.”

With that, the conversation thankfully returned to Maggie’s pregnancy and how far behind her friend was in decorating the nursery and making room for the pile of baby clothes she expected to amass at the baby shower Natália was throwing for her. “You can’t have the baby before the shower.”

“How about as soon as it’s over?”

Natália laughed. “Yes. As soon as it’s over I will personally drive you to the hospital.”

She could only hope that the party and all the preparations leading up to it would help take her mind off of a certain handsome orthopedic surgeon.

Or else she was in big trouble.

CHAPTER THREE

ADAM CAREFULLY WASHED the exposed femur of all visible dirt in preparation for debriding. A motorcycle accident earlier this afternoon had resulted in Katia Machado’s bone being forced through her skin and clothing as she slid along a dirt road. As a result, small bits of gravel and red clay had been ground into the wound. The warm, moist atmosphere of his patient’s body would provide a haven to all kinds of pathogens, including tetanus. He needed to make sure the injury site and everything inside was pristine by the time he closed her leg back up.

Examining his incision to make sure it was large enough, he began the complex process of undoing all the damage Katia had done to her leg. Kind of like he needed to do with Natália?

Fixing that problem wouldn’t be as cut and dried as the surgery he was now doing. What had come over him? He hadn’t drunk that much. Neither had Nata. And yet they’d both acted completely out of character. And he’d behaved almost as irresponsibly as he had when...

He gritted his teeth to stop the flow of recriminations.

“Suction, please.” Beads of perspiration gathered on his upper lip in the air pocket beneath his surgical mask, but he didn’t stop to blot them, not wanting to further the risk of contamination to the wound.

He and Nata were eventually going to have to sit down and talk this through, or that ill-fated kiss would hang over their friendship and ruin it. He didn’t want that to happen. And he had been aware enough to realize that Natália had had a little crush on him when she’d been a teenager. Thank God that stage hadn’t lasted long. Then those brown eyes had fixed themselves on someone her own age and off she’d gone.

There’s only six years between you, Adam.

It might not seem like a big deal now, but when he had been twenty-three and she’d only been seventeen and still in the midst of her battle with osteosarcoma and the resulting surgery to remove a large section of the bone in her arm, it had been impossible.

It was still impossible, and not because of the age difference. There were a whole lot more factors in play now. And it was just not worth it. Nata knew the happy-go-lucky boy who’d hopped from one girl to another back then. She did not know the cynical, jaded man he’d grown in to.

Or maybe she did.

He could only hope. He wouldn’t have been good for her back then. And he certainly wouldn’t be good for her now.

As soon as the suction cleared away the blood and fluid that had gathered in the tissues, he used a gloved finger to explore further back, making sure everything was tight and secure, no sign that her bone had ripped through any other tissue. Using a squirt bottle, he rinsed the area again, the loupes he wore magnifying everything and helping him spot anything foreign as the water carried it out.

Too bad those special glasses couldn’t help him peer into Nata’s head and help him repair what he had messed up. Instead, he was flying blind and every word he’d spoken in her apartment afterwards had seemed to make things worse.

He knew she’d hated the way he and Sebastian had treated her like cracked glass, afraid the slightest knock would cause her to shatter into a thousand pieces. She’d surprised both of them, not only by not breaking but powering through her whole ordeal with a lot more grace than he might have done. And she’d come out the other end a beautiful and mostly confident woman. There was still that scar that she kept hidden. Brazilian women liked their clothes and when it was hot, those clothes were designed to help keep them as cool as possible. And Adam had never fully understood why Natália had wanted so desperately to be a neonatologist when she couldn’t have children of her own. Or maybe it was because of that.

He avoided that floor of the hospital, because it might not hurt Nata to work there, but it caused a kind of pang in his gut when he thought about her cuddling those babies every single day—especially knowing the awful truth about himself.

Dragging his thoughts back to the job at hand, he inspected his work and made sure everything was as absolutely sterile as he could and then motioned to his assistant. “Let’s line up the bone, so I can set the pins.” Danielle moved to the knee, while Adam stayed where he was, handing his instruments to one of the nurses. Tugging the bones in opposite directions, they were able to maneuver them so the broken ends joined back together. Then, with Danielle keeping everything in place, he quickly drilled the pins into the bones.

He knew where he’d gone wrong with Nata. He just didn’t know how to rectify his mistake. Not without insulting her. Or, worse, hurting her feelings.

Hell, what if they’d spent the night together? He’d have to do something a whole lot stronger than hurt her feelings if that was the case.

Yeah, things could definitely be worse than they were. The only thing to do was finish this surgery and find Natália. Then together they could come up with a game plan on how to handle this whole thing. Either that or he’d better turn tail and run for the next big city. And if there was one thing Adam didn’t do, it was run.

* * *

Propping the tiny form up on her shoulder, she stared at the familiar figure standing outside the viewing area. Adam? Here in the neonatal intensive care unit?

She could count on one hand the number of times he’d been down here. Actually, on two fingers. He’d come to visit her floor exactly twice. She’d been up to Orthopedics lots of times. She had friends up there. She guessed Adam didn’t have any friends in her department. Except for her, that was.

Unless they were no longer friends.

Her heart shot down her throat, lodging somewhere in her abdomen. Was he here to tell her that he wanted nothing to do with her?

He motioned at the interior of the room in an unspoken question. Can I come in?

More than anything she wanted to shake her head and tell him there was no trespassing. Not on her turf and not in her heart. But she also wanted to know what he wanted.

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