by Candace Shaw
Catalina opened her eyes and looked at Raven, who was washing her hands.
“Oh. Thank goodness.” The girl sat up, took her legs out of the stirrups, and pulled the exam gown down.
Raven dried off her hands and leaned against the counter. “See, that wasn’t too bad,” she said with a reassuring smile. “The results should take about a week. I’ll send a card if its normal, but I’ll call you if it’s abnormal. Do either of you have any questions or concerns?”
“No, Dr. Arrington. You answered all of my questions earlier,” the mother replied.
“Great. I’m going to let you get dressed. Make sure to stop by the reception area to check out.” She shook both of their hands. “It was a pleasure meeting you.”
Raven opened the door, and collided into a white-coated chest. Her hands rested on pure hardness that radiated strength and power from him. Strength and power that she could only imagine handling her exactly how she wanted in the bedroom or wherever. He seemed the type of man that could get busy whenever or wherever need be, considering he’d mentioned laying her out on the desk in her office. She hadn’t been able to sleep for the past two nights with that comment lodged in her brain.
“Excuse me, Dr. Phillips.” Her hands balled into fists when she realized they were still pressed against him. She immediately jerked them away, placing them in the pockets of her white coat.
“Sorry,” he said as his eyes roamed over her before they settled on her face with a knowing gleam. “Um … I was just going into the supply room.” He took out his keys and stepped toward the door across the hall from her exam room.
“While you’re in there, can you get me a box of hand sanitizer? I’m almost out.” She turned to walk down the hall, but he gently grabbed her hand and pulled her into the room with him.
“What?” she whispered as Armand closed the door.
He grinned. “Why are you whispering? There’s no rule against us being in the supply room. You need hand sanitizer, don’t you?”
Heat rushed over her face. A part of her was glad that was the only reason he pulled her into the room, but another part of her actually thought he was going to extinguish the fire that blazed in her when she ran into him. Correction. That had blazed in her since their tryst in his apartment.
“Yes … I just …” She raked her hair behind her ears. “I just thought you could grab them for me, Dr. Phillips.” She tried to concentrate on the task of breathing, but she wasn’t having any luck.
The side of his mouth etched into a grin. “You have a patient waiting?”
He stepped closer, and she moved back with a gulp, finding herself against a shelf.
“No.”
He reached his hand out, and she sucked in her breath. She thought he was about to caress her face, but instead his arm passed her and slid something down from the shelf above her. Backing out of her personal space, he handed her a box.
“Do you need more than one? There’re four containers in here.”
She glanced at the box of hand sanitizer in her hands and realized how paranoid she’d been. Apparently he was keeping his promise of not mixing business with pleasure. Deep down, she wanted to forget they’d agreed to it.
“No.” Relief swept over her, and her breathing relaxed. “This should be plenty.”
“Anything else you need while we’re here?”
Was that a trick question?
“I’ll look around,” Raven said, setting the box on a swivel chair, feeling much better and comfortable. She laughed at the thought of them actually making out in the supply room. She didn’t even know why that notion had crossed her mind in the first place. Oh wait, it was because the night in his apartment hadn’t left her mind, or that sensitive spot that made her a woman.
She took a few moments to browse the shelves and rack her brain for any other supplies her three examination rooms were almost out of. They were usually well stocked, thanks to the medical assistants, but she had a habit of overusing sanitizer. She glanced at Armand, who stood by the door, and she grabbed a box of gloves.
“Am I keeping you from something?” she asked, wondering why he was just standing there watching her and not gathering whatever it was he needed.
“Nope.” Armand shrugged nonchalantly with his hands in his pockets. “I have a conference call with the board in an hour, so I’m good. Take your time.”
She glanced around the small room again before her eyes settled back on his handsome face. “I believe I have everything I need. I’ll just leave so you can get whatever it is you want,” she said, turning toward the swivel chair to retrieve the box.
“Then you can’t leave,” he whispered.
Raven stopped in her tracks at his words. Her breathe halted in her throat, and her pulse raced as she waited with baited breath for his next move.
Armand’s hands reached under her coat and pulled her by the waist to his body. Juicy, thick lips hit the back of her neck and she exhaled a moan of relief. The warmth of his mouth on her skin sent tingles racing through her. The box of gloves dropped to her feet, and she clasped her hands in his to hold on, for she feared she’d fall over just from the passionate way his tongue ravished her neck uncontrollably.
“How did you know I wanted you to touch me? Kiss me?” Her breathing became unraveled again.
“You told me,” he answered gruffly. His hands roamed over her breasts while his mouth continued to press kisses all over her bare neck, reaching around to her collarbone.
“I never … said … a word.” She could barely stand up straight; heat ran through her body, lingering between her legs.
“Remind me to have a mirror the next time you’re in my presence. Your face told me everything I needed to know. Oh, yeah, and your breathing was somewhat staggered. Either you wanted me to touch you, or you’re having a heart attack.”
“What if someone comes in?” she whispered as his lips moved to her jawline. She turned her body to imprison his lips, winding her tongue with his in a fast rumba.
“Then we’re caught.”
Normally a statement like that would’ve had Raven pushing him away and sprinting out of the room without her supplies. However, all logic and sensibility had escaped her the moment she met him. For some reason the thought of getting caught turned her on, and she kissed him more intensely, meeting and matching his powerful kisses.
Raven was on a high she couldn’t explain. The wild and crazy kisses were foreign to her, to say the least. While she wasn’t a prudish, buttoned up, kind of a woman, she wasn’t the type to get hot and heavy in the supply closet with the chief of staff who was younger than her. However, he’d unleashed a sexual side that she never knew existed. All of her inhibitions no longer mattered, and she could just be free with her emotions and feelings. She felt empowered, and more feminine than ever.
“You’re so damn beautiful, Raven,” he said as his mouth traveled down her neck and back to her waiting lips. He caressed her breasts through her blouse as the other hand moved down to the belt of her slacks and unhooked the clasp. He locked eyes with her as his hand lingered on the button of her pants. She kissed him softly as she unbuttoned her pants and slid the zipper down. Backing them up against the wall, she placed his hand inside of her panties.
His finger twirled around her clit as heat pooled in her center. Breathing escaped her and she began to pant against him. She clutched his shoulders when his finger parted her lips, running up and down against the slickness that he’d created.
“Shhh …” Armand whispered against her lips as she let out moans, which were becoming louder each time. She couldn’t help it. She was falling into an abyss of erotic pleasure that stemmed from just his finger. The thought of anything more sent a cold chill through her as she shuddered in his arms.
Armand’s eyes grew wide, and he gently removed his hand from her panties.
“Wh—” she started, but he silenced her with a finger to her mouth. He jerked his head toward the door and mouthed for her
to button her pants.
There were voices just outside and the rumble of keys. Armand picked up the box of gloves off of the floor, grabbed another box of hand sanitizer and a pack of copy paper. Once Raven was buttoned back up and no longer flustered—at least not on the outside—he opened the door, but not before giving her a reassuring smile.
“Do you need anything else, Dr. Arrington?” he asked, looking back at her as she carried the one box of sanitizer.
“No. Thank you so much for helping me,” she answered, walking out into the hallway where Dr. Watkins and Kay were. “I would’ve had to make two trips.” She glanced at the key Dr. Watkins had in his hand, pointed toward the supply room, and she just barely contained her nervous laughter.
“No problem. I’ll just place them in your exam room,” Armand stated, opening the ajar door to the room and disappearing in it.
“Kay, you’re just the person I need to see,” Raven lied as she nodded to Dr. Watkins to acknowledge his presence. “I wanted to know if you could go into town with me to get some items for the princess party at the orphanage this weekend.” Maria had called earlier to ask if she and Kay were available to assist.
“Sure. I can go tomorrow evening.”
“Perfect,” Raven said just as Armand came out of the exam room. He took the box from her, but handed her the pack of copy paper she didn’t even need. “Thank you. Now I can print that report for you.”
“Cool. I’ll swing by your office before my conference call.”
Ten minutes later, Armand entered Raven’s office. “That was close,” he declared, sitting in one of the chairs across from her desk.
“I’ll say. We should probably stick to our agreement,” she said seriously.
He nodded his head. “Yeah … you’re right.”
*****
“Goodness you taste good,” Armand whispered, kissing the side of Raven’s neck while she sat on the table in his examination room; he stood between her parted thighs.
“Thank you,” she answered softly, caressing his head and trying not to make a sound. However, it was hard not to as his tongue seared against her skin.
It was the next morning after the supply room escapade, and she wanted to ask him a question about a patient. Upon entering the exam room, his eyes had zoomed in on her bare legs, and when he bit his bottom lip, she knew what was going to happen next. She gladly welcomed it. Before she could utter a single word, he grabbed her to him and placed her on the table, ravishing her lips with erotic kisses.
“I thought we agreed not to do this anymore,” he said in her ear.
“You grabbed me,” she reminded him.
“You came in wearing a sexy dress showcasing these sexy ass legs,” he replied, running his hand up her leg until he reached her thigh and gave it a squeeze. “Nice and juicy.”
“Ha. That’s cellulite. I’m not a spring chicken anymore.” She couldn’t believe she’d just told him that. A few years ago, when she first noticed the cellulite, she was upset about it. She worked out more frequently and cut back on certain foods. She’d done everything possible so Howard wouldn’t notice, but for some reason that fact that Armand knew didn’t bother her.
He shook his head and pulled her legs to him, wrapping them around his waist. “You’re as fine as Argentine wine.” Armand lightly kissed her. “I can’t get enough of you. It took everything I had not to break down your door last night. The thought of you lying in bed not far away was driving me insane.”
He continued kissing her softly, caressing and nibbling on her lips as she sighed his name over and over.
“I have a patient waiting,” she explained, reluctantly pulling away from him. “I came to ask you a question.”
“You just came to see me.” He kissed her forehead before she slid off of the table, pulling down her dress and straightening her white coat.
“What’s your question?” Grabbing a Kleenex, he wiped the smudged lipstick off of her chin. Then, she took the Kleenex from him, folded it, and wiped her lipstick off of his mouth.
“I wanted to know if you had time to stop in to see one of my patients. Dr. Watkins is her regular primary, but he’s booked today. I would hate for her to wait until a later time. Her glucose levels are high, but I figured you would be the better person than me to discuss some options. She’s already taking medication for something else.”
“I’ll be on in a few minutes.”
“Thank you,” she said with her hand on the doorknob. “I’ll see you later.”
He raised his eyebrow and a provocative smile crossed his face as he stepped closer. “Really?” He pushed a tendril of her hair off of her forehead.
His subtle touch incited goose bumps to rise on her skin. “We should really stop this.”
“Whatever you say, Doc.”
However, that was easier said than done. A few hours later, she found herself sitting right back on his exam table.
Later on that evening, Raven and Kay picked up the necessary supplies for the princess party and did some shopping at the Abasto Mall.
Before heading back to Ghilaua, they decided to have dinner at Tarquino Restaurant inside of the Hub Porteno Hotel. Raven was glad to be away from the medical facility for a while. She was used to leaving her place of work and going home, except the nights she spent in the on-call room at the hospital about once, sometimes twice, a week.
“Everything looks so good,” Raven said, perusing over the menu. “I have no idea what to order.”
“And everything is good, too. I’ve tried many of the dishes here. You really can’t go wrong unless there’s something you don’t eat.”
“Ha. I eat mostly everything.”
Raven settled on the prawns for an appetizer and salmon with ravioli for the main course. Before coming to Argentina, she wasn’t aware of the Italian influence on the Argentine dishes.
“So how are you settling into your temporary life with Doctors Unlimited?” Kay asked once their orders had been placed.
“So far so good. It’s definitely different from the routine I’m used to, but no complaints. I love my brother and didn’t hesitate to help him. Even though it did mean leaving my patients for a spell. I needed change of some sort. Even if I’m still doing the same thing, but I wanted a different environment.”
“I completely understand. I was on the verge of retirement when I heard about the organization. My children are grown and married, and I was recently divorced. Like you, I wanted a change of environment, but not necessarily a change in my career. I love being a nurse, but long hours at the hospital became tiresome for me. This atmosphere is more relaxed and I get to travel and see the world, experience new cultures.”
“Do you get to see your children often?”
“Oh yes, but because they’re grown now I know they’re fine. I’m going to officially retire soon … um, in about a year or two. Maybe get married again …”
“Oh. Are you seeing someone?”
Kay blushed like a high school girl talking about her crush, who didn’t know she was alive. “Dr. Watkins.”
Raven almost choked on her wine. “Really? I had no idea you two were seeing each other.” Were they about to head into the supply room like her and Armand?
“We don’t talk about it, but yeah, pretty much everyone knows or suspects it. He’s ready to move back to the States, as I am, for that’s where our children are. My daughter just got married and she’s talking children in a few years. I want to be there to be with my grandkids.”
Their food arrived moments later, which Raven was happy about because she was completely famished.
“So how did you find out about this place?”
“Dr. Watkins and I used to frequent this hotel in the beginning of our relationship when I was scared of people finding out about us. There’s no rule, but I just wanted to remain professional. However, when you fall for someone, eventually you have to let your guard down. Besides, everyone saw how he was looking at me when I first arrived.
Kinda how Dr. Phillips looks at you.”
Raven almost choked again, except this time there wasn’t anything in her mouth. “I don’t think he looks at me in any special way.” Okay, she knew that wasn’t true, but had everyone else noticed as well?
Kay laughed. “I’ve been around longer than you. That young man is smitten. I’ve worked with him for two years now, and his whole attitude has changed in the past week and half you’ve been here. He’s more upbeat. Trust me when I say I haven’t seen him look at the other female staff like he looks at you. Do you have a boyfriend back home?”
“No. It’s just me, but I don’t really think Dr. Phillips is interested in me. He’s always very professional.” The more she lied, the more she knew Kay was aware of it.
“Mmmm … well, Dr. Phillips is a nice guy. Nothing wrong with having a little fun while you’re here. You just need someone to write you a prescription for desire, and Dr. Phillips could definitely take care of that for you.”
Raven couldn’t help but laugh out loud and continued to deny; however, that could be exactly what she needed. Though, the more she thought about it, she could possibly see herself falling for a guy like him and the best thing to do was to avoid him.
*****
The next few days Raven tried her hardest to steer clear of Armand and not falter on their agreement again. They’d managed not to, but it was hard since she kept running into him. One evening she had to endure eating dinner at the same table when hers was the only one left with an empty chair. Luckily, she managed to keep focused on a conversation with Kay about her family. However, Raven could sense Armand’s intense gray eyes on her as the women conversed. She could barely eat as she mentally attached herself in the chair so she wouldn’t pounce on him in front of everyone. She decided to hurry and finish eating, stating she had an important phone call to make, which was slightly true. Cannon had left a voicemail earlier.
Moments later, she curled up on the couch in the living area of her apartment with her computer on her lap. The twins had decided to Skype.
“Hey, sis.”
“Hey. How’s everything?” Raven was glad to see a familiar face, especially her twin brother. While she loved all of her siblings equally, she felt a special bond with Cannon.