Deuce's Dancer Read Online Free

speaking and his Spanish was perfect. Her father would understand every word. "Yes, I know your daughter, Mr. Peréz. She and I met in Jamaica. We were both on vacation there and-"
    "Dr. Journey and I didn't have much time together." Well, that much was true enough.
    Juan looked between the two, his brows beetled and lined face showing his irritation. "That's all, Pilar?"
    Pilar nodded vigorously, while Deuce pulled out his stethoscope. She could sense the tension in his body, even from three feet away. She knew he was going to have something to say about finding her, but maybe she could slip out before he got the chance.
    "Since you speak Spanish, Dr. Journey, you don't need me here. I'll just go-"
    "The technician who'll be doing your father's stress test only speaks English, Ms. Peréz. You might want to stay here."
    "Oh." Her heart was beating so fast, she felt like a hummingbird. Deuce's cologne reminded her of nuzzling against him in bed. Her cheeks got hot even thinking about it and she hoped that no one would notice.
    Deuce gave her a look that said he did notice, as he was listening to her father's breathing with his stethoscope. He went on with the exam like she wasn't there, however.
    "Okay, Mr. Peréz, you can see the nurse and she'll get you set up with the technician who'll be doing the stress test. We need to put some jogging shorts on you. You're going for a run."
    "Hmph," was all her father said, but he got off the table and headed toward the door. As he was leaving, Deuce put a hand out to stop Pilar from following. A big hand, one that she remembered touching her intimately. Her stomach did a flip-flop.
    "We need to talk, Ang…Pilar."
    "We don’t have anything to say to each other, Deuce."
    "I'm not so sure of that. I know I have things I'd like to say to you."
    Nothing polite, she was sure, and nothing harsher than she deserved for misleading him. He had a right to be unhappy and it pained her, but her reasons remained. "I need to go help my father." She tried to walk by, but he took her arm. It was a gentle hold, but firm.
    He held up her father's chart. "Your number is here on his chart as an emergency contact, Pilar. I'll call you tonight."
    "Deuce…" Oh, how she'd love to talk to him. They'd had so much to talk about. But, there was a lot that had to be left unsaid. She couldn't let him get attached to her. It wasn't fair. If he knew… "Look, Deuce, I'm not available."
    "There's someone else?"
    "No. But you don't understand-"
    "I'll call you. Go help your father." Stepping out of the way, he whispered softly as she walked by. "Tonight. Don't forget."
    She'd never forget. Never.
    * * *
    Pilar paced the carpet in her apartment that evening, waiting for Deuce's call. She would have liked to duck out and be a coward, but he'd be calling her cell phone anyway, so he'd find her no matter where she went. She considered simply turning the phone off, but with her father's recent heart attack, it might be irresponsible. When it rang, she nearly jumped out of her skin, she was so tense.
    It was now or never. Pressing a button on the phone would send the call to voicemail. They'd never have to talk. She bit her lip as the phone rang two more times. "Oh hell." She picked it up and hit the answer button.
    "Hello?"
    "Hello, Ang…Pilar." He gave a bark of a laugh. "It's going to take me a while to get used to calling you that."
    "You don't need to get-"
    "Look, Pilar. I respect your privacy. I respect your desire to keep your vacation separate from your real life. I get that, I really do. But now things have crossed over. We're both in Houston. Your father is my patient. We might run into each other anywhere."
    "Houston is a big city, Deuce."
    "We ran into each other already, didn't we?"
    That was undeniable. "Well…yes. But Deuce, it can't work for us. It can't."
    "Why not?" The frustration in his voice was unmistakable.
    "It's complicated."
    "Explain it to me and I might understand."
    "I…we…"
    "Have dinner