I left the car where it was; half in the driveway. I doubted it would start so that I could move it. The neighbors didn’t bother coming out to see what the matter was. It wasn’t that kind of street.
I scooped up the package on the porch, rushed into the house, closing and then locking the door behind me. “Victoria?” I called out softly.
She didn’t make a peep. I found her sitting at the top of the stairs, just behind the stairwell. She was curled into a ball with her arms wrapped around her knees. Her eyes were shut so tight her eyelashes touched her cheeks.
“Toy, baby. I’m here.”
I touched her softly, with my fingertips at first.
“Victoria, open your eyes.”
“I th-thought it w-was the cable g-g-guy,” she said. She rocked faster and her eyes stayed closed. “I came d-down the steps and opened the door and everything. You were g-gonna be so p-proud of me.”
“I am, baby.” I stroked her long, wheat-colored hair out of her face. “Look at you. You’re out in the hall. You’re not locked in the bathroom.”
Toy took a deep breath. Her hands relaxed enough for me to curl my fingers around hers. But she didn’t open her eyes.
“The door is closed, baby. She’s gone.”
“She said she’s gonna sell. Gonna kick us out. Out. Out.” Toy began hyperventilating and rocking again. Her fingers gripped mine and her arms clenched around her knees.
“That’s not gonna happen, baby. I won’t let it.”
She shook her head. “I can’t go out. Out. Out.”
“Toy. Stop it.” I put every ounce of bass in my voice that I had.
Toy stopped talking. She shut her mouth, but she didn’t stop rocking. I knew she was trying to break through, trying to master herself. My heart clenched to watch her struggle.
“Count your primes,” I commanded.
She nodded her head. She took a few deep breaths. Her rocking slowed but didn’t stop.
“Now, Toy.”
“Two…three…five…seven…”
“Good girl. Get on your knees.”
She unfurled her arms and came to her knees. She wore a pair of loose jogging shorts and a tank top. “…twenty-nine…thirty-one…”
“Good girl. Keep counting.”
Victoria was a theoretical mathematician. She’d gotten her degree from MIT via their online campus. She had some contracts with international think tanks but her condition didn’t make her the most reliable employee. Most of her contracts were paid after completion of the work. She didn’t always make her deadlines, which meant she didn’t always get her fees. But still, clients came back to her again and again because the woman had a beautiful mind.
“…seventy-nine…eighty-nine…Ah!”
Toy lurched forward. Her partially bare ass cheeks clenched. Her eyes closed and her head dipped back.
I shook my head after stinging her ass with my open hand. “Did you forget something?”
She took a deep breath and settled back down. She recounted. “Seventy-nine, eighty-three, eighty-nine…”
“Good girl.” I pulled the elastic of her shorts all the way down exposing her creamy ass.
Toy gasped as the cool air hit her bare skin. Her blue eyes clouded over like a rainy day. Her pink lips parted on a soft sigh.
Good. She was in the present moment.
I rubbed her ass in soft circles, feeling her shake in anticipation of the next whack. Her counting slowed. I gave her a slap. “Did I say stop?”
“No, Mistress.” She began the sequence again.
Anxiety disorder was a bitch of a disease. It could attack people in many ways and go undetected. When I met Victoria it was as her mother’s in home nurse. I tried to hold my tongue as her mother yelled at the poor girl, convinced Victoria was being lazy. It took me just a few weeks to see that Victoria had severe anxiety. The cache of prescriptive drugs she was on made her lethargic and shiftless. But after I caught her watching me beneath a hooded gaze, I knew exactly what she needed. A firm hand.
I slid my fingers between her ass cheeks and into her wet cunt.
“Squeeze,” I said.
She did as she was told and squeezed her pussy muscles around the single finger I inserted in her.
“Ah,” she yelped as I spanked her with my free hand. I felt her walls quiver as the sting resonated deep inside her.
“You stopped counting,” I said.
“Sorry, Mistress.”
“Squeeze.”
She struggled to do both; count primes and squeeze her pussy walls. The tactic worked. Her mind was on her tasks and not on her worries of the future. I sped up the motions of my finger inside her, finding the thick patch of nerves at the front of her sex. I pushed outward and rubbed hard.
With my other hand, I gave her a firm tap every other prime. She was a shaking quivering mess by the time she got to one hundred and ninety-nine. Her orgasm rocked her body harder than her fear. I cradled her in my arms as she came down.
I loved watching a woman come. There was something about the feminine orgasm that entranced me. A woman’s orgasm was so fickle that her release was a coveted dream, an answered prayer. I was blasphemous. I liked being a god.
I viewed male orgasms as selfish acts of completion. But a woman came with her whole body, her spirit, her soul and oftentimes it was only the beginning. Her body opened, allowing a deeper access after each series of contractions.
Victoria was drowsy after coming down. I helped her back to bed and tucked her in for a nap. Any worries of her bitch of a sister or our money problems were gone by the time I closed her door.
I headed to my own room. I was wired. My body primed for a release of its own, but I was too tired to play with myself. I felt a moment of regret that I hadn’t taken Eagle up on his offer. But it was only a moment, and then I was asleep.
Chapter Eight
I slept a full twelve hours. When I woke up, I spent an agonizing twenty minutes on the toilet unlocking my bowels. Then I scarfed down the French toast and fresh squeezed orange juice Toy had prepared for me. She was doing well this morning. The cable guy came and fixed the Internet. She’d handled the service visit on her own after I answered the door.
I wanted to feel proud of her, but I was too exhausted. I climbed back in the bed and went back to sleep for another four hours. By the time I opened my eyes again it was time for my next shift.
Rising from the cocoon of my comforter, I felt well rested. I had every intention of going into work and being professional as shit to every doctor, nurse, and patient I encountered. I was working the afternoon shift today and would get to skip the morning rush hour traffic so I took my time getting ready.
With no commuters to fight, I’d make it to work in twenty minutes easy. I kissed Toy goodbye and I walked out the front door. It wasn’t until I closed and locked the door behind me that I remembered.
Fuck.
My car sat half in and half out the driveway. To add insult to injury, a citation flapped against the windshield in the light breeze. I pulled out my phone and called an Uber. The ETA on the app said ten minutes.
Thirty minutes later, I walked into the sliding glass doors of the ER. I was ten minutes late. But no one seemed to notice. At the nurse’s station, there was a flurry of activity.
“What’s going on?” I asked as I stepped into the fray.
“Sisters of Mercy Hospital is here,” said Midge. “Sacred Heart is considering a merger.”
I cursed out a hiss, pretty apt because a snake was trying to enter my paradise. Sisters of Mercy was a Catholic hospital. Over the last decade, Catholic hospitals across the nation were merging with for-profit and nonsectarian hospitals on a rapid, gluttonous basis. The Catholic hospitals claimed to provide charity care that would serve the poor and uninsured. But that care came at a price; namely the violation of women’s reproductive health.
“They brought in a team to tour the facilities to make their final decision.”
�
�Where’s Wanda?” I asked.
“She’s out sick.”
I pinched the bridge between my eyes as a nerve worked in my left eye. Wanda was rarely sick, but of course she’d catch something when a potential virus made ready to infect us.
“Charity’s going to tour them,” Midge continued.
That was probably wise. Charity could schmooze the pants off anybody. I wouldn’t be surprised if that included a priest. I was not good at holding my tongue when I disagreed with someone. I’d likely tell the delegation every ill thought I had about an organization like theirs.
“If she impresses them, and we do merge, she’ll get the supervisor position for sure,” I said. “Either way, I think I’d have to leave Sacred Heart. I can’t decide which is worse? Being under Catholic Doctrine or being under Charity’s management.”
“Well, it’s not over yet.” Midge rubbed my shoulder. “She’s bound to fuck up. She always does.”
“Yeah, but then she fucks somebody and it all goes away.” I picked up a chart and turned from Midge. I barely got a few steps before I hit a wall.
The wall’s arms came out and grabbed me. I looked up into bright, hazel eyes set in a dark face. Eagle’s skin was smoother than a Hershey’s bar and damn me if I didn’t want to bite his lips.
“I was wondering where you were,” he said, his mouth spreading in a grin.
“Car trouble.” My entire body weight was cocooned inside his ropey forearms. My feet were on the ground but my head felt light.
“Want me to take a look?”
“At what?”
His large hands cupped my elbows lightly. My fingertips tingled and the center of my palms warmed.
“Your car,” he grinned.
“My car’s not here. I had car trouble this morning.”
He cocked an eyebrow and grinned while my brain caught up with my mouth and I remembered that I’d said that already.
“It’s a long story.” I shook my head to clear it and stepped out of his hold. “Why were you looking for me?”
“My brother’s been asking for you.”
“I’ve been taking care of Mr. Trent.” Charity strolled down the hall, her hips swayed and switched in her tight fitting scrubs. She sidled up to Eagle as though she were waiting for a pat on the head. She eyed the thick candy bar, but when I turned to him, his eyes were still on me.
“I think Crow needs his bed pan changed,” Eagle told her. “Would you take care of that for me Nurse Rita?”
Charity bristled. Her eyes narrowed and she grit her teeth like a kid at the front of the class with a raised hand who just got overlooked. But then Eagle turned that charming smile on her.
“Do you think you could do that now?” he asked with that Cheshire-wide grin.
Charity melted on the spot. I swear I saw her panties drip down to her ankle. She giggled and then headed down the hall to take care of Crow’s shit.
With Charity on her way, Eagle turned that smile back on me. After that display, I had even more envy for the power of his cock. But I didn’t necessarily want it. I had a collection of my own.
“You just got yourself a fan,” I said.
“I’m cool.” He shrugged. “She doesn’t make me hot.”
I laughed at the joke. He pulled in his bottom lip. The way his eyes oscillated over my body raised the temperature in my cotton scrubs.
“You need to stop looking at me like that,” I said.
“Like what?”
“Like I’m candy on a stick.”
His smile dropped in disappointment. “You’re not?”
I grinned, but my words were firm. “I told you, I’m not on your invoice. I don’t date patients.”
“I’m not a patient. But it’s no matter, I don’t date.” He studied me. “Neither do you.”
The way this guy read me was uncomfortable.
“You seem to have a lot of doctors interested in you,” he said. His gaze was fixed over my shoulder where I saw both Dr. West and Dr. Page sneaking glances as they stood before the surgery board.
I shrugged. “I’m up for a promotion.”
“Let me guess; they’ll give you their vote of confidence in exchange for… a favor?”
“Something like that.” I was insanely curious to know what he had to say to that. When he did speak, it wasn’t what I would’ve expected.
“You’re a ladder climber?” He nodded at me with approval. “I like ambitious women. I assume that was your rival? Nurse Fangirl. She giving you trouble, too?”
Eagle inclined his head to Charity who was in Crow’s room. I saw Crow grimace as Charity shut the door.
“She gives nurses a bad name, sleeping her way to the top.”
Eagle raised one of those eyebrows at me again. I knew he’d seen me yesterday with West and the cock cage key.
“I fuck for fun, not free rides.”
He crossed his arms and nodded. “I can respect that.”
“But I’m done fucking doctors. Charity can play that game if she wants.”
“You need any help? I’m good with games.”
I gazed up at him. He held still for my perusal. I had no idea what he thought he could do and I didn’t want to find out. Owing a man like Eagle seemed like a dangerous proposition. “No, I’ll get this promotion on my own merit.”
“Nurse Cleo, there you are,” said Page, coming over in a huff. “Mrs. Steele is out and I need a nurse to take around the Sisters of Mercy Hospital Delegation.”
“I thought Nurse Charity was helping you with that?”
“I can’t find her?” Page shrugged as he rubbed a finger against the side of his nose.
“Really?” I said. “I thought she’d attached herself to you.”
He balled his hand at his side and pursed his lips. “Do you want to come along or not?”
I was about to point in the direction where he could find Charity, but then I realized this could give me an edge in the promotion. I turned back to Eagle. “I’ll be by later to check on your brother, I promise.”
Eagle nodded. There was a twinkle in his eye that told me to expect trouble when I found him later. When I turned I felt that heated gaze again on my ass. I may have put a little switch in my step in anticipation of my next run in with that man.
Chapter Nine
I followed West down the hall. He stepped ahead, his long strides forcing me to fall behind. It was a power move. I swallowed hard. I didn’t want to play with him, I reminded myself. Even if playing meant beating his smug ass to a simpering pulp. I was sticking to the plan. I was on a doctor diet.
“Just smile and nod,” West called over his shoulder. “You can handle that, can’t you, Nurse Cleo?” He managed to look down his nose at me from the quick glance his profile gave me.
I glared at the back of his head, keeping my pace. I clenched my fingers into fists. I would not crack my open palm against his tight ass like I wanted to.
Up ahead, I saw the members of the Sisters of Mercy delegation. They were easy to discern. The men in the group were in business suits with pinched looks on their faces. The women, the two of them present, were dressed in habits and coifs; nuns.
I saw the Chief of Staff, Gary Rowe. His salt and pepper head bobbed enthusiastically at the stoic congregation. Chief Rowe was smiling and schmoozing. He was in his natural habitat. He looked up and his smile slipped a fraction when he saw me. I’d made him my bitch my first year here. His gaze diverted to the ground and he straightened his tie.
I focused my attention on the two women in the group. The older nun looked down her nose at me even though I was taller than her. She’d read me right, I couldn’t disagree. I was worse than Mary Magdalene.
The younger nun held no judgment in her eyes, though I know she had assessed me, too. She had the cool gaze of a trained nurse. But she kept the diagnosis to herself waiting for the older nurse to make the prognosis.
“This is Dr. Page,” said Chief Rowe. “He is one of our promising surgeons.”
The gentlemen shook Dr. Page’s hand. Then they turned their attention to me. There was a brief, awkward silence when it wasn’t clear whether or not I’d get an introduction.
“And this is Nurse Cleo,” Page filled the gap. “She’s going to show you the Emergency Room floor, which is the heart of what we do here at Sacred Heart for our neighbors in the surrounding community.”
I smiled and offered my hand. I was careful to keep my grip light against all of their soft, fleshy palms. I saw pupils dilate as each male gaze connected with mine. They’d read me right, too.
When I got to the nuns I wasn’t sure if I should shake hands or not. What was the protocol with holy women? The young nurse held out her hand.
“I’m Sister Ruth.”
Sister Ruth’s hands were pale white, but her skin was rough as though they’d seen many a hard day’s work. I liked her instantly.
“And this is Sister Mary Helena,” Sister Ruth offered.
Sister Mary Helena did not hold out her hand. She gave me a barely perceptible nod.
“Nurse Cleo,” said Chief Rowe. “As you may have heard, Sacred Heart Hospital is considering merging with Sisters of Mercy Hospital. It would be a boon to the ER and our mission to help the less fortunate in our great city, which I know has been one of your passions as you’ve moved up the ranks of hospital staff.”
Rowe was baiting me. The only rank I’d moved up was from interns, to attendings, to surgeons. He knew I was angling for a professional promotion. Had it been so long that he’d forgotten who he was dealing with?
My nostrils flared as my gaze narrowed on a spot between his chin and neck. I knew first hand how sensitive that spot was, and what I could get him to do if I bit down hard there. I watched his throat work and his eyes widen at the edges.
I let out a low exhale and gave him a nod. I hadn’t forgotten what Wanda told me. I needed Rowe’s vote if I wanted that promotion. So, instead of sassing him like I wanted to, like I knew he wanted me to, I put on my most jovial smile and turned to face the congregation.
“I would love to show you the good work we do here at Sacred Heart.”
Slippery When Wet Page 5