Nip and Tuck

Chapter 1

Evan flipped his pen in his fingers, looking absently at the computer monitor and at a piece of blank paper before him on his desk. He’d spent hours looking for information on his recent case but he had come up with nothing. He looked up at a knock on his open doorway. It was his fellow practitioner and partner, Jay. Evan nodded at him.

“What’s up? Do we have an appointment with a patient?”

“No.” Jay stepped into the room. “But you got a phone call that went to my line. Bit strange, though.”

Evan’s eyebrow shot up at the word strange. As cosmetic surgeons, strange was their life. Strange was their everyday fodder. What was strange was Jay ever calling anything strange nowadays.

Jay continued, “He specifically asked for you. Wonder if he actually wanted to ask you out instead?”

Evan couldn’t help but snort.

“Don’t you try hooking me up with anyone again, Jay. I told you I’m not interested.”

“Yeah, yeah. Talk to him anyway. He’s still on the line. Bet you’ll looove his voice.”

Evan rolled his eyes as Jay walked away. He picked up his phone, pressing the transfer button to get through to the caller.

“Saxton,” he said. “Who’s speaking?”

No answer, but Evan could hear someone breathing at the other end of the line. “Hello?” he tried again. “Anyone there?”

“Evan, I need your help. I want you to come here.”

The voice was soft, the tone intimate, but the directness somewhat put him off.

“What? Who is this? Do I know you?”

“You don’t, but you will. I can’t come to your office, Evan. You have to come here.”

“You need surgery?”

“God, Jay didn’t tell you?” The voice grew impatient.

“No. Dr. Packer didn’t tell me anything. Who is this and may I know what the nature of your problem is?”

“It’s Hunter. Hunter Donahue.”

The name didn’t ring any bells. Evan tapped his pen to the table. “Mr. Donahue—” he started.

“I know everything about him—and you. And I want you.”

“Huh? What do you want from me?”

“Evan—”

“It’s Dr. Saxton.”

“Evan, have you ever heard of the name Oliver Donahue?”

Oliver Donahue…

“The millionaire? And you…my God.” Evan sagged in his chair. Hunter Donahue. Evan remembered now—the only son and heir of Oliver Donahue, one of the richest men in America. “You were the one involved in the accident that—”

“Yes. My entire cabin burned down—and my boyfriend was killed.”

“I’m sorry,” Evan said, his mind racing. He actually had heard of Hunter Donahue—the Hunter Donahue. The man People Magazine had named one of this year’s sexiest while another magazine dubbed him the hottest gay s*x symbol. And the man was calling him, had specifically asked for him, wanted him to come to his place.

“I’ll tell you more once you’re here.” Hunter paused. “You’ll come over, then?” For the first time Hunter sounded a little unsure of himself.

“Yes, yes, of course. Give me an hour?”

“I’ll leave my address with your secretary. See you, Dr. Saxton.”

Evan stared at the phone for several seconds after Hunter hung up. He shook himself and began to Google Hunter’s name on his computer.

The accident happened six months ago but Evan couldn’t find anything else pertaining to it other than what Hunter had told him. There was nothing recent on Hunter or his family either.

Evan closed his laptop and picked up the phone. He waited for a moment before leaving a message on Jay’s voicemail. “Jay, I’m heading to Hunter Donahue’s place. I’ll see you later.”