by Luna, David
When his pup looked up at him, he shook his head and whimpered again, holding his arm to his chest. Jeremiah turned back toward Ronan and continued, “Robbie, my new pup, was grooming himself by the stairs when this one here jumped on his back to play. Robbie was startled and accidently threw Michael off him. He didn’t catch himself in time and took a tumble down the stairs. We think his wrist is just sprained, but he’s in a lot of pain, so we wanted to make sure. Jamie said he’d have the x-ray results back in a few minutes, and we’d see if that’s the case.”
Just as he said that, there was a knock on the door. Ronan told Jamie to enter as he stood. From Jamie’s expression of concern, Ronan knew they weren’t dealing with just a sprain. Jamie had their largest med-tablet with him and brought up the x-ray for them to look at.
“Well, Jeremiah, it looks like your pup’s got a distal radius fracture, not just a sprain. The good news is, it’s a stable fracture. We’ll be able to put a cast on him right away, and he’ll be out of it in about six to eight weeks. You can make an appointment for six weeks right now, and we’ll do another x-ray at that time to see if he’s able to get it off. Jamie, can you set that up while I get what’s needed for the cast?”
“I have the supplies all ready for you on a tray outside the door, Dr. Kincaid.”
Ronan nodded his thanks to Jamie and looked at Jeremiah. “What’s his favorite color?”
Jeremiah grinned and tugged on the pup’s green collar. He looked down at him, fondly. “Green. Isn’t that right, pup? But for work we should stick to black.”
Michael yipped softly, his body language making it clear he was knackered and in pain. He rubbed his face on his owner’s shirt, and Jeremiah soothed him as best he could. As Ronan headed out the door to get the supplies, Jeremiah gave him a sad smile. The next appointment was made by the time Ronan was back, and they made quick work of wrapping the pup’s wrist in a black cast, bringing a tired smile to his face.
“There you go, pup. You’ll be good as new in several weeks, all right? Take it easy and maybe try not to jump on your brother’s back anytime soon, okay? You need to get better for your Master, all right?”
A soft yip was all he got. He gave the pup a good rub and some scritches, shook Jeremiah’s hand, and let Jamie lead them out to the front. He made some chart notes on the exam room’s computer and turned to see Jamie standing in the doorway, biting his lip. "I hope I didn’t make them uncomfortable. Michael surprised me when he presented as a puppy."
Ronan smiled at Jamie’s earnest expression. "Sometimes patients present as themselves or the role they play. That’s why I needed to make sure you were comfortable working directly with the types of patients I see on a daily basis. I’ve made this a safe place for anyone to be themselves, and that includes playing their roles here. I’m always happy when they do because it means we’ve established trust. It also depends on how they're feeling and the type of relationship they have."
“You mean, if their relationship is Dom and sub?”
He shook his head. “No. Most of our patients fall into that category. I mean, whether or not they are Master and slave and/or have a twenty-four-seven power exchange.”
Jamie turned back toward the front and pointed. “Are they…?”
Shaking his head again, Ronan answered, “No. In Michael’s case, when he’s not playing his role, he’s a lawyer, and a pretty powerful one at that. He was feeling vulnerable, and he was in pain, and those aren’t feelings he can freely express as himself, which is one of the biggest reasons he’s a pup. He can express his vulnerable side and be free to let his owner take control, so he no longer has to.”
Jamie’s smile was genuine, and he blushed a bit when he said, “That must be really freeing. I mean,” he gripped the back of his neck with his left hand and looked down at the ground as his face reddened even more, “it must feel good to be able to let go like that.”
The fact that Ronan’s dick was hardening in his pants was worrisome. His nurse wasn’t supposed to turn him on. The complications that would bring were endless. But he couldn’t leave him hanging either. His inner Dom practically vibrated with the need to assuage what was, quite possibly, Jamie’s inner sub. “That’s exactly what it is. Freeing. When a submissive is finally able to trust his Dominant enough to let every vulnerability show, their relationship moves to the next level, and they can both draw strength from that.”
Jamie nodded. “I can see how that would be the case.” He pointed behind him toward the hall again and cleared his throat. “Uh, I’m gonna shut everything down for the weekend. Is there anything you’d like me to do before I head out?”
“Do you have plans tonight you need to get to?”
Wait, what?
Jamie looked taken aback, but he quickly shook his head. “No. I don’t. I was just going to go grab something to eat on my way home and relax.”
“Why don’t we go out and grab a bite? My treat. You’ve had a great first month here. You’ve really settled in well and have become a great fit for the office. I’d like to thank you for working so hard to treat our patients right.”
What the actual fuck are you doing, Ronan?
Jamie, eyes wide in surprise, a slight blush again suffusing his face, nodded. “Ye—” he cleared his throat and tried again, “Yeah, that would be great. Thank you.”
Ronan had no idea what the hell he was thinking, asking Jamie to dinner, of all things. At least he had the presence of mind to have Jamie follow him in his own car to the hole-in-the-wall Mexican place Ronan loved.
He knew having him in close proximity would wreak havoc on his libido. He didn’t want it to feel like a date for either one of them. Definitely not that. But who was he trying to convince, himself or Jamie?
They were greeted warmly by Daniela, the hostess, as she gathered their menus and flatware. “Right this way, Dr. Kincaid.”
“How’s the family, Daniela?”
“Oh, they’re great, Doc. Little Nico lost his first tooth.”
He laughed and asked, “How much does that set you back these days?”
She sighed and rolled her eyes as she showed them to their table. They sat as she explained, “Well, two dollars, but his sister was so upset she didn’t lose one too that he decided to rip one of the dollars in half so that she could have some, too.”
He and Jamie both laughed at that as she shook her head. “Enjoy your night, you two.”
They thanked her as she walked away, both still smiling as they met each other’s gazes. Ronan really shouldn’t have gotten so much satisfaction from the blushing and the lowered eyes, but dammit, his dick betrayed him yet again, chubbing up in his pants as Jamie fiddled with his flatware and then picked up his menu.
“So, how are you liking your job so far?”
Jamie closed and set down his menu and glanced up, giving Ronan a beautifully genuine smile. “I’m loving it. Truly. I have to admit, I was a bit uncertain whether this was the right fit for me, but it’s challenging in new ways, and I’m learning a lot. Thank you for the opportunity.”
“You’re welcome—”
Their waitress came back, interrupting them at that moment, and poured them both some ice water. They gave their drink orders. Ronan went first and ordered a Corona with lime to let Jamie know it was all right to order from the bar. He got a grin in return, and another Corona with lime was ordered. He glanced at Jamie’s closed menu. “Do you know what you want already?”
Jamie nodded and looked at the waitress. “I’ll have the shrimp fajitas, please.”
Ronan handed the menu over, having never opened it. He always got the same thing. “Steak fajitas and some of your hotter salsa, please, for the chips.”
As she scribbled their order down and walked to the kitchen, he gazed back at Jamie. “I wouldn’t have guessed you were uncertain about it at all. You’re very confident in your work, take initiative, and don’t wait for me to tell you what’s needed. You either already know or check in if there’s
something you haven’t been trained on yet, which is rare. You’re very competent. Not only has it been noticed by Natalie, but Gina had fantastic things to say when she gave me her final pass down before she left. More importantly, I’ve had several patients who have commented on it, Jeremiah included.”
Jamie brightened at that, eyes popping wide. “Really?”
Damn, but he was eager to please. “Yeah, really. I couldn’t be happier with your work so far. You’ve already proven to be an asset to the practice.”
“Thank you, Ronan. That means a great deal.”
“I’m glad. Okay, so let’s forego any more talk of the office. How are you settling into Powell’s Point?”
They continued to chat about everything other than work and got to know each other a bit better. Ronan found he actually enjoyed Jamie’s company. By the end of their meal, they were laughing and relaxed. Ronan paid for their dinner, and Jamie kicked up a fuss until Ronan used his no-nonsense voice and said it was a business dinner. And even with the stubborn, prideful glint in Jamie’s eyes, the blush returned at that point, and the fiddling was only curtailed by Jamie putting his hands in his pockets as they walked out to their cars.
Ronan couldn’t help his need to ensure Jamie got off all right, so he walked him to the opposite side of the parking lot where his car was parked. Ronan held out his hand, watching as Jamie tried to subtly wipe his palm on his thigh before grasping it. It was a simple handshake, yet Ronan could feel the connection buzzing between them. From the look in Jamie’s eyes, so could he. Ronan found it impossible not to rub his thumb softly over the back of his hand and watch the shiver that traveled up his spine.
When Jamie’s gaze shot to his in question, Ronan gave him the smallest of smirks and a two-fingered wave as he stepped back and watched Jamie get into his car. He couldn’t deny being pleased while he watched Jamie fumble the keys twice before he could get it into the ignition and turn his car on. He watched, hands in his pockets, as Jamie drove away.
He didn’t know whether to chastise himself for his behavior or congratulate himself for getting under Jamie’s skin. He knew it wasn’t smart to mix business with pleasure, and he wasn’t about to take it any further. But he couldn’t deny loving the fact Jamie was affected by him, just as much as he was affected by Jamie. At least that made him feel like he wasn’t being an old creep feeling the way he did.
And if he went home and jacked off to the images of his nurse blushing, stammering, and saying, “Yes, Doctor,” who could blame him?
JAMIE
The nerves that had plagued his body Friday night at dinner with Ronan, that made his palms sweaty and his skin sensitive to touch, were back full force. And Jamie blamed Ronan. The anticipation of seeing him again after the reaction he had to him, a reaction Jamie knew Ronan was fully aware of, had him on edge. Jamie was somewhat annoyed and fascinated at the same time. It had been a long time since a man had affected him that much. And he wasn’t even sure that anyone from his past could compare to what he was feeling now.
Yet, as he went through the motions of his morning, setting up for the full schedule of appointments, he couldn’t help thinking over every move Ronan had made, every word they’d exchanged, the goddamn praise that had warmed him with pride and lust. Jamie didn’t understand why he was feeling all of this, how this guy could bring out things in him that had only ever bubbled under the surface. And not just bring them out. It was like a seismic shift. Something nearly unexplainable that he hadn’t seen coming.
The question of why…why Ronan and why now…pushed at him every minute.
“Jamie?”
Hearing Natalie’s voice suddenly behind him made Jamie startle and blush. Yet another new thing to come from working with Dr. Kink. Jamie rolled his eyes at himself and how ridiculous he was getting.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. You were kind of staring off in space and not hearing me,” she explained. Natalie was the receptionist who did most of the annoying paperwork that both Ronan and Jamie hated. She was the friendly face that greeted the patients and every one of them loved her. Who couldn’t with those big, chocolate brown eyes and sincere smile that she always had at the ready.
“It’s okay. Not your fault I’m being a space cadet. Is there something you needed?”
“Your first patient is here.”
Shocked, Jamie looked down at his Fitbit and noticed it was already five to eight. “Sam?”
Natalie nodded. “He seems to be the quiet type, but it could be that he’s new to us here.”
Jamie nodded. “I’ll be right out. Let me just finish organizing this shelf,” Jamie responded.
Taking a deep breath, he let all of his thoughts about Ronan go and concentrated on his job.
A few moments later, he walked out to the front desk, grabbing the patient folder from Natalie, and he continued to the waiting room. Jamie didn’t bother to look the chart over since he had basically memorized everything that was in the new patient paperwork that Sam had taken the time to fill out online days before the appointment. What Sam had written for the reason for his visit had piqued Jamie’s curiosity. He’d been attacked. He never mentioned the hows and whys, which left that small voice inside Jamie wondering and asking lots of questions.
Most people who took the time to fill out the paperwork usually went to the extreme. Although Sam had filled out all the questions, he did so in a way that still made it unclear what exactly was going on with him physically.
When Jamie opened the door that separated the waiting room from the exam rooms, the lone figure sitting looking out the bay window jumped in his seat. His wide fearful eyes immediately found Jamie’s. After a moment of staring, he seemed to relax.
Jamie felt bad for the guy. The trauma of whatever the attack had been was wreaking havoc on him.
Sam was a guy of average height, according to his chart, and above-average build. The strength in his body was clearly visible through the long-sleeved white Henley and gray sweats he wore. The solemn look that replaced the fear that had just been there, and the way he seemed to scare so easily, created a picture Jamie was struggling to figure out.
He was clearly still recovering physically. The walking cast on his right leg and the way he had a protective hand on his side gave evidence of that.
Sam seemed so broken and lost. Or maybe Jamie was reading too much into someone’s expression who was probably just stressed over his attack.
All sorts of scenarios were running through Jamie’s head as to how the man had been injured. A man that size wouldn’t be the first choice for any mugger or thief. Jamie certainly would think someone like that would be safe from the sort of attack he’d gone through.
He was most likely a Dom too. His build alone would’ve scared anyone off from even daring to try to force him to do anything. Even with the broken look he had on his face, there was this standoffish aura about him that wasn’t very inviting.
“Sam?”
Sam stood when he heard his name, a polite but fake smile plastered to his lips as he limped toward Jamie. Jamie could see the caution in Sam’s eyes. No one could hide that amount of uncertainty when it poured off them.
Jamie hated not knowing what he was walking into, but he clearly needed to tread carefully if just opening a door made Sam as jumpy and scared as it had.
Jamie smiled, hoping to put Sam at ease. The caregiver in him wanted to comfort and make him feel safe and welcome. “Right this way.”
Sam followed Jamie down the hall to the nurse’s station where the scale was placed against the wall next to Jamie’s workspace. As they walked, Jamie had chatted away making polite conversation and getting short, perfunctory answers in return. Sam seemed to be preoccupied with keeping an eye on his surroundings, and he evened flinched when he heard Dr. Kincaid laugh down the hall.
By the time he had Sam weighed and in the exam room, Jamie had run out of things to talk about other than the reason Sam was there to see Dr. Kincaid.
; “Can you tell me why you’re here to see the doctor?” Jamie kept his voice slow and quiet.
Sam, who had kept his head down while they had gone over family history, finally looked up at Jamie. The pain and embarrassment in his eyes nearly broke Jamie’s professional demeanor.
“I was released from the hospital two weeks ago and was told to follow up with my family doctor. But…” Sam looked toward the door then cast his eyes down, shame filling his deep voice. “But I moved…here. I moved here…to get… I had to find a new apartment. I moved from another state, and a friend recommended Dr. Kincaid.”
“Dr. Kincaid is a very good doctor, so that was a good recommendation. And Powell’s Point is a great place to live, so both smart choices. I recently moved here too. Can you tell me what hospital and why you had been admitted?” Jamie never looked away from Sam. He wanted to show him he held no judgment against him for whatever he was going to tell him.
But Sam never responded. “Sam? Can you look at me?” When Sam finally looked up, Jamie never wavered. Trying not to frighten Sam anymore, he slowly walked over to him, grabbing the stool and lowering himself onto it. “There’s no judgment here.”
Sam nodded, swallowing hard. Then, in the softest voice Jamie had ever heard come out of such a big guy, he said, “My Dom he…he hurt me. But the…the last time was the worst. He nearly…nearly…” Sam shook his head, and Jamie’s heart broke for him. A sense of guilt soon followed. He had pre-judged him purely based on his size. Like that was a defense against abuse. Jamie should’ve known better than that.
Jamie reached out carefully, placing his hand on Sam’s knee and squeezing before reassuring him, “You do not have to talk about it. If you just tell me the hospital name, I can request the records.”
“No, no. You can’t. I mean…there’s a restraining order and everything but I don’t… I can’t take the chance. Umm, I have them…in my car. I can go grab them for you. That way he…” Sam’s voice broke as a tear fell.