Doctor Feelgood: (A Bad Boy Doctor Novel)

by Weston Parker

  She could tell him no, obviously she would, if he forced the issue, but what would that do to her reputation? She couldn't afford to lose another hand, or she'd be left vulnerable. There was only her bra and panties to protect her from his lecherous intentions.

  Dani frowned down at her cards. She had a pair of twos, but she was sure by the hungry look on Jeffrey's face that those cards wouldn't beat whatever he was holding. Sure enough, he laid down his cards and smiled a predator's grin up at her. "Three of a kind!" Now let's see some skin!"

  Shit. Dani took a deep breath, realizing that it was now or never. Either he'd pass out, or she'd have to explain why exactly she wouldn't get naked with him when so far she'd seemed receptive to his advances.

  Time to go for broke. "Down boy," Dani whispered in a seductive voice. "I'll take it off for you, but first, how about another drink."

  "Dunno," Jeffrey slurred. "I think I've had enough."

  "Aww... The big dean can't keep up with a lady scientist?"

  "Fine," he grumbled, taking another tiny liquor bottle from her. "Now you owe me a shirt!"

  "Ok, ok, keep your clothes on," she said, giggling falsely at her own pun, then she stood and walked a short distance from the bed. Dani kept her back to him but turned her head over her shoulder to address him. "Drink up, and I'll take this one off nice and slow."

  Jeffrey's eyes blazed with desire and triumph, and he gulped the liquor down and tossed away the empty bottle. Dani twitched her hips to unheard music and began to slowly unbutton her shirt.

  Inside she was terrified that her gamble wouldn't pay off and that she was encouraging the very behavior she wanted to avoid. She slid her shirt down, exposing her pale shoulders while risking a glance at her companion. He'd moved up the bed, his back resting on the pillows, fully reclined.

  She noticed that his eyes were beginning to droop, and it gave her the courage to continue. Sliding the shirt down further, she revealed a black bra that contrasted starkly against her smooth white skin.

  His gaze still followed, but she could swear that his breathing was getting deeper. At last, she slipped the shirt off entirely and crossed her arms over her bra before turning around.

  When she looked at the dean again, his eyes were closed. His breathing was deep and even.

  She had succeeded.

  Quickly she pulled her shirt and pants back on, buttoning every button securely. Dani sat down on the edge of the bed and waited until she was sure that he wouldn't wake up again. How was she going to explain this tomorrow?

  If the dean believed his seduction had been victorious, perhaps it would take the pressure off, and he'd leave her alone, having gotten what he wanted.

  Dani frowned at the thought, reminded of the ranger who'd made it clear that sex was all he'd wanted from her. She shook her head to clear it, refusing to give way to the guilt she felt lurking inside, waiting to harangue her over her actions with the ranger. Guilt could get in line, right behind dignity, who she knew would want a word with her after its sacrifice this evening.

  Dani was above all a pragmatist, and she knew it couldn't hurt to have the dean's positive opinion in her tenure committee meetings. So her tactics were sneaky. They were no less devious than Jeffrey's had been in trapping her in this situation in the first place.

  Being careful not to wake him, she pulled off his socks, then unbuttoned his shorts and pulled them off as well. Finally, she undid several buttons on his shirt.

  There, he looks properly disheveled, she thought, but I don't. With a sigh, she pulled off her slacks, and undid the top two buttons on her shirt. That will have to do, she told herself as she climbed into bed. Thankfully she could huddle under the blankets while he slept atop them. Before long she drifted off to sleep, praying that her little lie would go unnoticed.

  * * * * *

  Dani was up and showered before Jeffrey ever cracked open an eyelid the next morning. She made horrible smelling coffee and prayed it would wake the dean up, but finally had to resort to shaking him awake. "Jeffrey," she cajoled in what she hoped resembled a playful, friendly voice, "time to take me home. Get up."

  Several groans later, the dean managed to sit upright. "What happened last night?" He was holding his oversized head in both hands, fingers tight in his salt-and-pepper hair.

  "I think we had a little too much to drink," Dani answered. At least you did.

  Jeffrey stood, swaying slightly but finally catching his balance. It was comical to watch his voyage of discovery as he realized he was not wearing pants. First shock, then comprehension, and finally satisfaction flittered across his squint-eyed face. "Did we..." he drawled, meeting Dani's eyes.

  "A lady never tells," she answered with a smug smile. Let him make of that what he will.

  Cleary, he took it as a definite affirmative, and his smile was so wide she thought his arrogant face might crack in half. "Look," she said in her most professional tone, "we really must get going. I have to get back to my camp, and I'm sure you've got plenty of work to do on campus."

  "Of course," he said, stumbling to the bathroom. "Just let me grab a shower. Unless you'd care to join me...?"

  Dani giggled, inwardly wanting to retch. "Already had one." She turned her back to him and primped in the mirror. When the door was closed she stuck out her tongue at his now-absent reflection. An hour later she finally got him out of the hotel and into his car.

  "Now, how about some breakfast?" he asked, leaning back against the leather seats and sliding one arm around her shoulders.

  "Could we hit a drive thru?" she practically begged. "I've got a schedule to keep, and I don't want to miss any activity. Pacific Tree frogs are always busiest around midday." This wasn't strictly true, but any excuse was a good one if it meant getting away from him faster.

  "Surely your frogs wouldn't mind if you had a hot meal." Jeffrey wasn't one to give up without a fight.

  "They might not mind, but I do." Dani nearly growled in response, then frowned as she saw the dean's hands tighten on the steering wheel. Anger wasn't going to win this battle. Time to change tactics.

  "As a fellow scientist, you must understand how important timing is in these matters." Her voice was soft, and she placed a hand on his arm for a moment. This small action seemed to calm him and he, at last, gave in.

  "Oh, all right. But when you finally come out of those blasted woods, you'll have to let me treat you to a proper breakfast." His eyes said that he hoped that breakfast would follow another night of passion.

  She prayed that he wouldn't discover the first night of supposed passion had never happened.

  The remainder of the ride was uneventful. It took about two hours to get back to the parkland, a marked improvement over yesterday's trip. Her bad mood seemed to evaporate as she got closer to her camp. A pair of blue eyes appeared in her thoughts, and she allowed herself to smile as she remembered the feel of his lips against hers, his hands on her body.

  She knew she shouldn't be thinking about Caleb, shouldn't be anticipating her return as he'd likely ignore her when she did. Still, he'd hung around her campsite after they'd had the most incredible sex in her limited experience. Maybe he wasn't as serious about his one-night restriction as he claimed.

  When the Mercedes finally pulled up beside her car and the ranger's truck, she was excited to resume her work. And to see the handsome ranger again. But when she looked up and saw him sitting on the steps of his porch, steaming coffee cup in hand, she immediately noticed his rigid posture and deep scowl.

  Sudden realization overtook her, chilling her like a blast of frozen mountain air. She'd just spent the night away from camp. Oh shit, what does this look like? First I hop into bed with him the day after meeting him, then I leave to spend the night with my boss soon after.

  Dani a deep breath and climbed out of the car.

  Chapter 8

  Caleb watched the shiny black Mercedes pull up in front of him and wondered how the top of his head didn't fly off. He'd spent the night
wide awake, watching for a pair of headlights that had never shown, his anxiety climbing as every hour passed.

  As the sun crept over the trees this morning, he'd realized jealousy had him by the balls. It was a curious feeling, like a hundred fishing hooks tearing up his insides, one he'd never experienced before. He didn't get jealous because he didn't care about the women he'd been with because he never saw them again.

  But this time, this time he couldn't keep the tension inside him from boiling over.

  There was no reason for him to be so angry. No reason except that the delectable Professor Greenhorn just spent the night with another man.

  His inner-devil had a point. And yet, he had no official claim to Danielle, and thus no legitimate reason for harboring such irritation towards her. Legitimate reason? Harboring irritation? Let's face it, you're furious. And who gives a damn about legitimate reasons -- that pansy asshole has no right to put his hands on your woman.

  And that, his conscience responded with perfect logic, is precisely the problem. She isn't your woman, and you shouldn't be feeling such strong emotion. Isn't that exactly why you've hidden yourself so deep in the woods?

  Caleb inwardly groaned. He felt wild like his control was hanging on by a thread. Was he just like his parents as he'd always feared? Would he lose control, hurt himself or those around him?

  Would he hurt her?

  More than she could hurt him?

  Caleb tried to push his unruly thoughts away as Danielle, and her dean stepped out of the car. He watched silently as Jeffrey met the little professor at the front of his car and tugged her small hands into his.

  The dean attempted to pull her close, and Caleb thought that perhaps she resisted, but she ultimately submitted to the hug. The embrace seemed to last an eternity to Caleb's distorted perception, but it finally ended, surprisingly enough without a kiss. He couldn't help leaning in to catch their words.

  "Thank you for an enchanting evening," the beanpole dean was whispering huskily. Caleb thought he caught a faint blush staining Danielle's cheeks.

  "Thank you for dinner," she replied, pulling her hands out of his and looking away. Was she embarrassed by their closeness? By the deviant acts they had no doubt committed last night? Or did she have the good sense to be self-conscious of their public display of affection, right in front of his cabin and his very eyes?

  Dean Fischer, at last, made his departure. The professor watched the sedan depart, unmoving. Then she turned and met his eyes, and he felt his heart freeze in his chest.

  After they'd made love, he'd been shaken by his feelings. He hadn't wanted to go, hadn't wanted to shut her out like all the other women. He didn't know why, he just knew that for the first time, not seeing a woman again had seemed worse than the alternative.

  He'd thought about letting her in, but he recognized now that it wasn't possible, not with the feelings that erupted inside of him whenever the professor was close by. They made him feel crazy, unhinged, unpredictable. Everything he'd promised to himself that he would never be.

  Hell, he'd carved himself a private place out here in the woods. He'd separated himself from the rest of civilization, just to avoid these kinds of feelings. Feelings that took him back to a cold, unhappy place he never wanted to see again.

  If he wanted to keep himself sane, to keep them both safe, he had to freeze her out. And stay frozen himself.

  * * * * *

  Dani approached the cabin, telling herself that it wasn't a walk of shame. She'd done nothing, and yet she felt defensive. Not only had she been subjected to an uncomfortable evening of the reprehensible dean's not-so-subtle and thankfully thwarted seduction, but now she had to deal with Caleb's censure too. She hoped the confrontation with the ranger would be short, and that her honest explanations would be accepted.

  Dani didn't know why it was so important that she not seem like an easy woman. A slut. Even if she knew that was what the situation looked like.

  He probably won't even care, her inner voice spoke up. You were just a lay to him, so why should he care if you've moved on. Shit, he probably moved on the second he slid the condom off.

  She stopped at the bottom of the steps and looked up at the attractive ranger. His face was quite striking, high cheekbones, a strong jaw, and lips that could have been sculpted by the gods. A flash of memory -- the softness of those lips pressed hungrily against hers -- sent blood flowing rapidly to all of her most intimate places.

  But the most stunning aspect of his appearance was his gorgeous blue eyes, blue eyes that were currently meeting hers with the intensity of a winter snowstorm. She shivered, a sudden chill racing across her skin.

  "Hi," she almost whispered, anxious that her estimate of their confrontation was entirely inaccurate.

  He didn't respond, just nodded, and she could no longer meet those ice-blue eyes. Instead, she focused on the shallow dimple on his chin. "I can explain." She risked another glance into his eyes, but they had moved off to the horizon, focusing somewhere off in the middle distance. "You see--"

  "You ready?" he interrupted, standing but still not meeting her gaze.

  "Uh, yeah, I guess," she said as he walked down the steps and headed towards the ATV. She followed, dry washing her hands as they went. He climbed in and started the motor, seemingly impatient to be gone. Dani slid in beside him and braced herself as he pulled out onto the trail.

  She decided to try again. This was just a misunderstanding, and he'd soon realize that fact. "Look, Caleb--"

  "Not really in the mood to talk today," he said, his voice high but curiously flat. He seemed to be purposefully avoiding her gaze.

  Dani was confused. Although she'd only known Caleb for about a week, he'd seemed like a reasonable man, if a bit of a cocky prick. His attitude had softened when he'd had her in his arms, and when they'd parted that night, she'd thought that they at least had the beginnings of a decent working relationship, maybe even a friendship.

  And now the cold-shoulder. He refused to let her explain, and so was refusing to learn the truth. She felt the familiar rise of anger and held it back, not wanting to resort to rage in order to plead her case. It probably wouldn't help matters any, if she knew him at all. They'd just end up fighting.

  Dani sighed, realizing that even though she probably didn't matter to him, even though he was no doubt trying to avoid an awkward situation, she couldn't just let things rest. Not with him holding a negative opinion of her, although it was her own actions that had led to that conclusion.

  Dammit, she wasn't a slut!

  "You don't understand--" she began again, but he interrupted her once more.

  "What is there to understand?" he asked, and this time she caught a hint of cruelty in his tone. He continued to try and shut down the conversation, but she wasn't going to allow it.

  "Dean Fischer--"

  "Look," he said, finally meeting her eyes. "What does it matter to me who you fuck? I've told you I'm not in the mood for conversation, and I meant it. Or perhaps you'd prefer to walk the remaining miles back to camp?"

  Dani felt like she'd been physically assaulted -- a slap across the face wouldn't have been more alarming. "What does it matter who I fuck?" she shouted suddenly, no longer able to hold back the tidal wave of fury that roared to life inside her. "How dare you?"

  She sputtered, unable to put two thoughts together because of her rage. He stared at her, his eyes displaying an icy calm that drove Danielle's anger to even greater heights. "Stop this thing!" she screeched, and when he did, she immediately hopped out.

  Dani stormed towards the path that led to her camp, utterly furious, in shock that Caleb could be such a cold-hearted bastard. But that last comment had pushed her overboard and into a sea of her own rage. And the waves were big enough to capsize a cargo ship.

  The nerve of him, assuming that she would have sex with him one night just to go off and screw her boss the next. She wasn't some loose woman whose legs spread for whoever happened to be walking by at the mome
nt.

  And even if she did have a more open sexuality, the ranger certainly shouldn't hold it against her. Talk about a double standard! He probably laid everything with a pulse, but he had the nerve to hold it against her when he thought she did the same thing!

  Dani frowned. She didn't have one-night stands, and she certainly would never sleep with someone to advance her career.

  But you're willing to let the dean think that you did, her inner voice reminded her.

  Shut up, she shot back at it. She had tried to make the best out of a bad situation.

  And look what it got you, her inner voice sneered. Or more precisely, look what it lost you.

  Dani huffed. She was disappointed in herself, which just served to ratchet her rage up even higher. He wasn't mine to lose, she reminded herself.

  * * * * *

  Caleb sat there, staring but saying nothing, as the professor started off towards the woods. She stopped suddenly, whirling back to snarl, "And don't bother stopping by camp anymore. As far as I'm concerned, we're not friends and are barely occupational acquaintances."

  With a huff she turned back to the woods, but only got a few steps before she spun around again, scrunching up her face to add, "And you're an asshole!"

  With that, she plunged into the woods on the old hunting trail and disappeared from sight.

  Caleb sat for a moment, breathing deeply, pushing down the emotions that welled up inside him. Despite being enraged by her preference for another man (especially such a pompous little snot), a flare of warmth still shot up inside of him. She was really adorable when upset, and even more so when aroused. He remembered holding her, remembered how warm and willing she'd been in his arms.

  The ranger growled in anger as his thoughts circled back to her betrayal. The idea of that bastard putting his hands on her made him quake. He wanted to destroy something, to smash something, or someone, to bits, just to make this feeling go away.