Best Friend to Doctor Right

by Ann Mcintosh

  Her orgasm came with the force of a runaway train, barreling through her, causing every muscle and sinew to stiffen, shutting down her nervous system, making lights flash behind her tightly closed eyes.

  And hearing, feeling Kiah join her, took the sensations straight to sublime.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  KIAH LAY IN the dark, wondering if he was dreaming.

  It all felt too good to be reality, and he wished he could, like Mina had, fall asleep, so as to hold on to the perfection.

  But although his body was sated, his brain wouldn’t shut off, his thoughts confusedly swinging from euphoria to fear, and back again.

  They’d made love. Him and Mina. She’d shared her body with him in the most wonderful, meaningful night of his life.

  Their kisses, the love they’d made, had been sheer perfection.

  He’d been right to worry making love would change their relationship, and use that instinctive knowledge to try to stop it from happening. He already felt a shift inside, the emotional bond he’d always had with Mina transforming in a way he didn’t want to contemplate.

  It scared him, the way she’d made him feel, the rightness of touching and kissing her, the joy he’d gotten from hearing her cry out in pleasure. The utter ecstasy he’d experienced in her arms.

  Down this road lay the type of madness he’d tried so hard to avoid all his life.

  The insanity of love.

  His mind whirled, bringing up ghosts of the past, as though to emphasize the severity of the danger he was courting.

  His father collapsing, dying in front of him.

  Mom, losing the only stabilizing force in her life, and morphing from a relatively normal person into something close to a monster, turning on her children, blaming them for everything.

  Kiah had had the Haraldsons to run to when things got bad at home. Karlene hadn’t been so lucky.

  “Those damn people done steal one of my children.” He heard his mother’s voice, as clear as it had been that night, when he’d tried to take Karlene with him, just to get her away from his mother’s poisonous tongue. Remembered her crazed stare as she held on to Karlene, silently daring Kiah to tear her daughter from her arms. “They not getting the other one.”

  He’d had to turn away from the plea in Karlene’s eyes, and make his escape.

  Roy, battered and broken in spirit after a bomb had killed four of his friends, tearing through the troop transport he was on. Unable to function, despite his love for his wife and daughter, harangued by his mother-in-law at every turn.

  Kiah had seen it firsthand while visiting Canada, and he’d tried to tell Karlene what their mother was doing wasn’t healthy.

  She’d shrugged. “She’s trying to help me out, Kiah. Taking care of Charm when I have to work. I don’t listen to her when she’s bad-mouthing Roy. He’s a good man.”

  “Tell her not to come over anymore,” Kiah had said. “She just upsets Roy, and he doesn’t need that right now.”

  “How can I tell her she can’t see her granddaughter, when she’s helped me out all this time?”

  And no matter what he said, Karlene made excuses for Mom and, in Kiah’s estimation, her devotion to their mother had cost Karlene her life. Cost Roy his, too.

  Funny how, until Mina had mentioned it, he hadn’t thought about what Charm might think of her father. Kiah had been too busy hating him to even consider talking about him, although they’d had a good relationship in the beginning, and Kiah had thought him perfect for Karlene.

  And Roy had loved Charm. Somewhere there were pictures he’d retrieved from Karlene’s house after the horrific tragedy. Pictures that showed Roy holding his daughter at various stages of her life. That showed his absolute love and devotion.

  How could that love not have stopped him from doing what he did?

  Those were the questions that made Kiah afraid.

  He’d examined his own character and knew there were situations he absolutely needed to avoid. He was as faithful and caring as his father, who’d put up with his wife’s moodiness and meanness without complaint, but he also had his mother’s temper. He’d discovered that young, when he’d finally had enough, and had gone toe-to-toe with Mom, unable to stop himself from shouting right back at her. Having to walk away when he realized he was about to completely lose control, fearful of what might happen if he did.

  The more you cared about people the easier it was to hurt them, or be hurt in return. He’d had enough of that to last him a lifetime.

  He and Mina had crossed a treacherous line tonight, and now he’d have to deal with the fallout. Unfortunately, the only way he’d be able to know what came next would be to see how Mina reacted in the morning.

  But he wanted her again.

  Desperately.

  If this was to be the only night they spent together intimately, he wanted it to be as intense and memorable as possible.

  Enough to last him the rest of his life.

  So he woke her slowly, bringing her up from sleep with gentle caresses.

  She stretched in his arms, her hand finding the back of his neck, pulling him down for a kiss.

  If he could die then, in her arms, kissing her sweet mouth, he’d go a happy man.

  “Kiah,” she said, his name infused with such longing his heart dipped and raced to hear it. “You make me feel so good.”

  “That’s my aim, sweet girl,” he replied, touching her softly, trying to retain the memory of her silky flesh, the heat and need of her, in his fingertips.

  “You’ve exceeded your goal.”

  Then words were unnecessary as their bodies took over, desire rising like flames to lick at their skin, demanding they touch more, kiss harder, wrap around each other, as though never to let go.

  Need, sharp and undeniable, brought them back together, Kiah sinking into her, losing himself in the rhythm of love. Tumbling, as though down a mountain, when she cried out, clenching around him, and threw him into orgasm.

  * * *

  Mina awoke with bliss still echoing through her body, and lay still for a moment, savoring it. Beyond the window, birds were chirping and doves were cooing, enhancing her sense of well-being.

  A small part of her was still disbelieving, a little shocked at what had happened the night before, but the rest of her practically purred, sated and love-drunk.

  Wanting more.

  A smile curved her lips, and, even to her, it felt sly.

  “Hey, sleepyhead.” Kiah’s deep voice sent a thrill of desire down her spine. “You’re finally awake.”

  Opening her eyes, she blinked over at him. He was smiling, too, but his gaze was shadowed. Watchful.

  Mina’s stomach rolled.

  “Hey yourself,” she replied, hitching herself up on the pillows so they were eye to eye.

  “How’re you feeling?”

  Did he mean her arm, the rest of her body, or emotionally? Mina tried to figure it out but failed. Kiah was holding his own feelings close to his chest. Best to just jump in with both feet, since that had always been their way.

  “My arm feels fine, and the rest of my body is humming, it’s so happy.”

  So maybe not both feet, since she hadn’t mentioned anything about her head space. She’d held back, waiting to see where he was at, before she said the wrong thing.

  His eyes sparked with a hint of the fire she’d seen in them the night before, and her nipples tingled as goose bumps broke out across her shoulders.

  Then the light faded, and he rubbed his hand across his chin, his morning stubble rasping beneath his palm.

  “I need to know that what happened hasn’t changed anything between us,” he said, giving her a level, guarded look.

  “We agreed it wouldn’t.”

  “I know, but I—”

  “You what?”

 
She wasn’t letting Kiah off the hook. Whatever he had going through that head of his needed to be let out. Expressed clearly, so there was no miscommunication.

  “Dammit, Mina. You know you mean more to me than anyone outside of my family. I need to know you’re okay with what happened last night. That we’re okay.”

  Tilting her head, she took in his expression. There was a hint of anguish in his eyes, and his lips were tight, almost angry. No matter what she felt, she knew he needed her reassurance.

  “Kiah, nothing, and no one, could ever change what I feel for you. Last night was amazing. Magical. I’ve never been so thoroughly satiated in my life, and I’m glad I found that with you, because I trust you more than anyone.”

  His expression lightened, and, for the first time that morning, his smile touched his eyes, as well as his lips.

  “Okay. Good.” His eyelids dipped, and his smile changed, becoming sensual. “It was amazing for me, too...”

  She smiled, and although she knew she should just take what she’d already been given, and not get in any deeper, said, “Want to see if it’s as good in the cold light of day as it was last night?”

  “Oh, yeah,” he said, his lips already just a breath away from hers.

  And it was even more glorious than it had been before, Mina thought later as she stood under the shower, after Kiah had left to go to work.

  Thank goodness she was off that day, because there was a lot she needed to work through, and it would definitely have distracted her from her job.

  Why did it feel as though her entire life had led up to last night? That the experience of making love with Kiah was the most perfect moment she’d lived?

  He didn’t see it the same way, she realized. It seemed that, to him, what had happened was a one-off. Or a three-off in this case. Maybe even a more-off, since Miss Pearl and Charm weren’t back until tomorrow, and they had the place to themselves tonight. Apparently, he was okay with letting this new, sexual component of their relationship fall away thereafter.

  She wasn’t sure she was.

  If she’d rediscovered her confidence in St. Eustace, it felt as though her deepest, most sensual and loving self had come to light in Kiah’s arms. Giving that up, just as she’d found it, was a nonstarter.

  Not that she thought it could continue on indefinitely. Even without him stating it was only for these few glorious days, eventually, and more likely sooner rather than later, she’d be going back to Canada. Why couldn’t they enjoy this new aspect of their relationship for as long as they could?

  How to convince him of that was another question, but one she vowed to tackle with vigor and focus. She’d need to be gentle with him, give him space to work it all out in his own way, but that didn’t mean she had to be passive. It wasn’t her style, anyway. Never had been, except for those months when she’d floundered, lost and unable to see a way out of her nightmare.

  Kiah had been the only one who’d known what to do, and if it weren’t for him, who knows how she’d have ended up?

  That gave her pause as she stepped out of the shower and started drying off.

  Was she avoiding all her unresolved feelings and issues, and using Kiah’s lovemaking as a way to not face them? He’d warned her that sex muddied the emotional waters, even when both parties knew it wasn’t going any further.

  Was this sexual adventure with Kiah even healthy?

  Maybe, she thought, rubbing the towel over her hair, she needed to sort herself out before deciding whether the change in her relationship with Kiah was advisable and should continue?

  But deep in her heart, she already knew: a fundamental change had taken place, whether they liked it or not. All she could do was prepare as best she could, and see where it ultimately led.

  Then her already chaotic world was further disarrayed by an email from Toronto South formally offering her a full-time teaching position, as the deputy chief of orthopedics.

  She sat back, looking at the screen, her heart racing. It seemed like something of a miracle, the culmination of all her career dreams. While they’d originally asked her to stay on as a lecturer, and she’d refused, the position of deputy chief hadn’t come up before.

  It couldn’t have happened at a worse time.

  Yet, the choices she faced career-wise seemed nowhere as important as deciding what to do about her feelings for Kiah.

  She still hadn’t told him about the job offer from Dr. Hamilton, and didn’t really plan to tell him about the Toronto offer, either, until she figured out what she wanted to do. Hopefully, the director would be discreet and not spread the word about wanting her to stay.

  Part of her rebelled at the thought of leaving St. Eustace; yet, she also had to be practical. Letting her emotions over the change in her relationship with Kiah muddle her thinking wouldn’t help her make good decisions.

  She spent most of the day going over the tutorial plans she was working on for the hospital, trying to lose herself in work rather than let her mind obsess over the night before. Yet, more than once she found herself staring off into space, smiling, her body tingling at the memories bombarding her.

  By the time Kiah got home, she was glad to set her laptop aside, as she looked up to smile at him. His gaze seemed watchful, making her wonder what he was expecting. So she went out of her way to sound casual, almost breezy, as she greeted him.

  “Hey,” she said. “Long day, huh?”

  “Emergency cesarean,” he replied, flopping down beside her. “Her OB was on the other side of the island, and couldn’t make it back in time to operate. Mom and baby doing well. Father’s a blithering mess, though. It’s their first.”

  Mina chuckled. “So many of them are, when delivery time comes. I don’t think the fact they’re about to be a father truly sinks in until they actually see the baby.”

  Kiah smiled, resting his head back on the couch and closing his eyes. “And I don’t think any of them have a clue what to expect during the actual birth. Intellectually, they have an idea, but the reality still comes as a shock.”

  There, that was normal, she thought, except for having to battle the urge to grab him, kiss him, take him back to bed. He didn’t want that new twist in their relationship to become a regular part of it, so she had to honor his wishes.

  Let him make the first move, if he wanted to.

  “Miss Pearl left food in the fridge, but I wasn’t sure what you’d want. It looks as though she thought we’d be inviting an entire army over while she was gone.”

  He chuckled, rolling his head to look at her. “That’s how it always is, when she leaves even for a couple of days. And when she comes back, she’ll want to know why it looks as though nothing was eaten.”

  “Well,” Mina said, stretching, and swinging her feet down to the ground. “In that case I guess I should go and pull something out so she doesn’t get mad at us.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” Kiah agreed, even as he was reaching to pull her onto his lap. “Don’t want Granny vexed.” With a hand on her nape, he tugged her unresisting form close. “She’s scary when she’s vexed.”

  “That she is,” Mina agreed against his lips, her heart singing, her pulse going haywire.

  It wouldn’t last forever, she knew, but she’d take whatever he wanted to give.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHARM AND MISS PEARL came back the following day, both exhausted, and with the older lady limping.

  “It’s just a sprain,” she said, when Kiah asked her what had happened.

  “We were going down to the river this morning, and Granny slipped,” Charm said. “She scratched her hand, too,” she added.

  “Let me take a look, Miss Pearl.” Mina tried to guide the older woman to a chair, gently insistent when it looked like her patient was going to balk. “It won’t take a moment.”

  While she grumbled, Miss Pearl allowed Mina to remove the
bandage she’d wrapped around her ankle, so Mina could see the affected joint. Kiah went and retrieved the first aid kit, and, on his return, took a look at his grandmother’s hand.

  After a thorough examination of the ankle, Mina looked up at the older woman.

  “There’s a fair amount of bruising and swelling, so you know I’m going to prescribe the RICE treatment, don’t you?”

  Miss Pearl looked as though she wanted to argue, but Kiah looked up from dressing the cut on her hand to say, “Listen to Mina, Granny, and don’t be difficult.”

  “RICE? What’s the RICE treatment?” Charm asked. She’d been leaning over Mina’s shoulder, watching what was going on.

  “It stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. Granny needs to stay off her foot for a couple of days, put ice on her ankle and keep it wrapped up. And she should keep her foot elevated, too.”

  Charm straightened and gave her great-grandmother a long look. “Okay, Granny, you’re under chair arrest for the next couple of days, and Sheriff Charm is going to keep an eye on you, so make sure you behave.”

  Miss Pearl scowled, but no one paid her ill temper any mind, as they all pitched in to make her comfortable.

  Once she was settled, with her leg up on a low table and ice pack in place, Kiah said, “Charm, go have a shower, while I get dinner heated up.”

  “Okay,” she replied around a huge yawn. “But somebody’s going to have to help me comb out and plait my hair when I’m finished.”

  “I can help with the combing,” Mina said. “But not the plaiting.”

  “It’s my ankle that’s hurt,” Miss Pearl interjected, sounding put out. “I’ll plait it for you when you’re ready.”

  When Charm had gone to shower and Kiah was in the kitchen, Mina fiddled with the remote, trying to find the older woman something to watch on TV.

  “Leave that, Mina,” Miss Pearl said, the timber of her voice commanding. “I want to ask you something.”

  “Okay,” she said, giving the other woman her undivided attention.

  “One of the mothers on the trip is a nurse at the hospital, and she says there’s talk that Dr. Hamilton has offered to bring you on staff.”