“Thank you so much,” she said into my ear. Her warm breath sent shivers down my spine. “I don’t know how I’m going to repay you.”
My lower half instantly thought of a way to be thanked for my intimidation tactics. My brain, on the other hand, could not control my body’s desires. I was aroused by her touch, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to be wrapped up in her embrace in my bed, with much less clothing. I wanted her affection to be for me, not just the favor I had done.
If she hadn’t noticed already, my body was sending a very clear signal to her, one that I wasn’t ready to express. She wanted to be with me because I could keep other men away from her, not because she wanted to be with another man. I needed to separate myself from her physically, even though I just wanted to be near her.
“I should make sure the door is locked,” I said. “Just in case, you know?”
“Oh, okay,” she said, quickly dropping her hands. I turned away from her as quickly as I could and walked briskly toward the front door.
When I got there, I faced the door and placed my hand on the metal deadbolt. Of course, I remembered locking it when I came home, but it was the best excuse I could come up with at the time. I needed to collect myself.
I closed my eyes, trying to think about anything other than Ariana and her gorgeous body. I tried to conjure up mental images of anything to turn me off—unattractive patients, gross diseases out of medical textbooks, and that stalker creep. After a long moment, I managed to get my excitement for Ariana to subside, but I knew it could come back at a moment’s notice.
I walked back to the couch and sat with one leg drawn up, my knee nearly touching my chest. From her angle, my leg could reasonably conceal anything I didn’t want her to see. I thought I had left those days behind me when I was done with puberty.
“It’s locked,” I said, completing my cover. “I put in a security system when I built the house. You’re safe here.”
She smiled. “Thank you. I really do feel a lot better.”
“Was it too much?” I asked. I had threatened a complete stranger over the phone. It was a first for me. I had always been protective over people I cared about, but they were usually family or past girlfriends. This was the first time I had intimidated a guy over a patient.
“In any other circumstance, maybe,” she said. “But I think it was completely appropriate for Jake. By the way, where did you come up with all of that?”
“The threats?” I asked. “Maybe I’ve been watching too many action movies. I’ve never even punched a guy in my life.” I laughed.
“No, the other stuff? About our supposed wedding?” she asked, looking bashful. “How did you know my mom’s name and my favorite color?”
I cringed. Apparently, I paid much closer attention to her than she did to me. I tried to cover, downplaying my observations.
“You have your mom listed as your emergency contact on your chart. I just saw it today. As for your favorite color, that was a complete guess. You’re wearing a blue dress. You also have a blue cell phone case.”
“Oh,” she giggled. “Well, you have excellent deduction skills. You were right on both accounts. What about the other stuff?”
“What other stuff?”
She looked at the ground. “The nice things you said about me. It all seemed so—I don’t know,” she trailed off.
Now I knew what she meant. She was wondering how I came up with everything I said about how wonderful she was and how important she was to me. I had no choice but to face reality—I was falling head over heels for my patient. Her safety meant much more to me than anyone else in my care. The more time we spent together, the more I adored her.
But, how could I explain that everything I said was based on my real feelings? I would scare her away faster than Jake had scared her off. The truth was, I did think she was stunningly gorgeous and sweet. I knew in my heart that I would be lucky to ever start a family with someone like her. I had even realized that I had been longing for a companion for quite some time.
I could date all the beautiful women in the world, but it would never give me the satisfaction that I truly wanted. I wanted just one girl, more than I’ve ever wanted anyone.
They say you always want what you can’t have. Maybe that had something to do with it. But maybe I was just in the middle of an impossible turn of fate.
“I don’t know,” I said, trying to come up with a reasonable answer. “I suppose it’s true, to a certain extent. You are very pretty and nice. I guess I just did a little embellishing to get the point across. I don’t know what came over me, but something about hearing him talk to you made me snap. You don’t deserve to have to deal with that kind of stuff.”
She bit her lip. “That’s really nice of you to say. You’ve done far more than I ever expected of anyone. Hearing you talk to him really changed my perception of men.”
“How so?”
“Maybe there are some good ones to make up for the bad ones.”
“Of course,” I said, taken aback by her generalization. “And girls like you deserve to find happiness, especially with good men.”
She leaned the side of her head on the couch and ran a hand through her hair. “I hope you’re right about that.”
Chapter Eight
Ariana
I tightened my embrace on Daniel, not knowing if I’d ever have this opportunity again. Of course, I was extremely grateful for his help. He had exceeded my expectations and I was so thankful for it.
But, I also had the chance to react in a way I might not if it were anyone else helping me. I certainly wouldn’t hug a classmate like that, even if they provided me with answers to my exams. I was taking advantage of my situation, and I don’t think Daniel minded.
I only say that because he hugged me back with equal enthusiasm. When I put my mouth up to his ear to thank him for his help, I felt his cheek graze against mine. When I purposefully pressed my lower half into his body, I suspected he became physically aroused.
When he quickly dismissed himself to check the front door, I couldn’t help but smile to myself. My suspicions had been confirmed. It was childish of me to be so pleased by his embarrassment, but it felt so good to finally have the right guy turned on by me.
It felt so good to be close to someone again, too. I hadn’t realized how much my body craved physical contact with another person. When I spoke into his ear, I wanted to rest my head on his strong shoulders and bury my face in his neck. I wanted to have him hold me while I inhaled the musky scent of his aftershave.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little aroused myself. For a moment, I let my imagination run wild, imagining him swooping me up and carrying me to his bedroom. I didn’t know if I could go all the way with him on the first night together, but I would have loved to kiss him. His lips just looked so soft and inviting. I had no way of knowing, but I had a sense that he was an amazing kisser.
As I waited for him to check the locks, sitting smugly on the couch, curiosity came over me. When he spoke on the phone to Jake, he said things that were a little too accurate. When I listened to him describe our imaginary life together, it was almost exactly what I had pictured in my head during my daydreams. I always wanted a small wedding with close family and friends. I had even imagined myself holding a small bouquet of blue hydrangeas.
That dream, and then listening to him tell Jake why he supposedly loved me, left me all choked up. I knew it wasn’t real, but it was still the most romantic thing I had ever heard said about me. Sure, I’d had a few guys tell me I was hot every now and again, but I was rarely told I was beautiful.
As much as I enjoyed listening to him compliment me and engaging in flirty banter, my heart ached the tiniest bit. Whatever was going on between us would never pan out the way I wanted it to. But, if I could spend one-on-one time with Daniel, I would try to enjoy it, even if it wouldn’t last.
“Now that we’re done with Jake,�
�� Daniel said, changing the topic, “should we have a drink?”
“Sure,” I answered. “One drink wouldn’t hurt.”
He pulled two beers from the fridge and handed one to me. I took a long sip, thinking of something to say to him to continue our fun.
“If you’re such a romantic guy, then why are you single?” I fished.
He coughed, nearly choking on his drink. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve never thought of myself as romantic. I’d rather think of myself as a player,” he joked.
“No, you’re definitely romantic. I think you like the idea of being the protector.”
He thought it over while he took a drink. “There are a few things in my life that I am passionate about. As you can probably tell, if there’s something worth doing, it’s worth doing right. I didn’t build my own practice because I wanted to have a mediocre career. I think that attitude applies to other things. Since when are you so interested in my love life?” he smiled.
“I’m just making small talk,” I said, trying to minimize my apparent interest.
“It doesn’t sound small to me,” he said, leaning forward.
My heart pounded in my chest. Was he leaning forward to get comfortable, or because he wanted to kiss me? Should I lean in too, to show I was interested, or just wait to see what happened? I was so out of practice with these things and I didn’t want to make the wrong move.
Just as I decided to lean in a little to encourage Daniel, someone yanked open the sliding patio door and stomped their way inside.
I yelped, startled by the intruder. Daniel leaped to his feet and stood in front of me, his arms slightly outstretched.
“Dad,” he shouted. “What the hell are you doing?”
The man stood in the doorway, slightly bemused. He was overweight, his wrinkled shirt taut over his beer gut. His graying hair was disheveled and his eyes were bloodshot. The only similarity the two men shared were their bright, blue eyes.
“I thought I’d come in to grab a beer. I’m out,” he said, walking toward the refrigerator. “Are you going to introduce me to your little friend?”
Daniel balled up his fist. There was clearly some bad blood between him and his father, and his intrusion wasn’t helping things.
“Dad, this is Ariana. Ariana, this is my father, Terry.”
Terry looked her up and down before concluding, “She’s okay.”
Daniel shook his head. “Did you find what you’re looking for?” he asked, his patience wearing thin.
Terry cracked open a beer and sat down in the reclining chair, facing me. “Did he pick you up from the bar?” he asked, rudely.
“She’s one of my patients,” Daniel corrected him.
“Oh. So, what’s wrong with your brain?” he cackled.
“I have epilepsy,” I explained. “Sometimes I have seizures.”
“If they haven’t stopped, maybe you should find a new doctor,” Terry said. “Daniel doesn’t have a lot of experience.”
“He’s a great doctor,” I said. “I’m very lucky to have him.”
Daniel said that he wasn’t close with his father, but I couldn’t imagine that their relationship was this strained. Parents shouldn’t talk about their kids like that, especially when their kids are wildly successful. Something didn’t add up to me.
I thought about how my mother thought of me, and I couldn’t imagine anything that would make my mom less proud of me. Even if I committed unspeakable crimes, I knew that she would come to my defense. In the past, I may have done things that she didn’t approve of, but at the end of the day, she loved me and would never speak to me like Daniel’s father spoke to him.
“So, are you two screwing?” Terry asked, too casually.
I opened my mouth to protest, horrified by his accusations. Not only was it wildly inappropriate to ask such a thing in front of your son’s guest, but it made me feel uncomfortable and slimy that someone would assume that upon meeting me.
“Why are you doing this?” Daniel asked wearily. “Please apologize to Ariana.”
After seeing Daniel blow up at Jake, I was worried a fist fight would erupt in the living room. I wanted to excuse myself from the room, but I didn’t want to draw more attention to myself.
“She’s cute, but that’s not very smart of you,” Terry said, almost gleefully. “It seems like you’re not as smart as everyone makes you out to be.”
“There’s nothing going on between us,” Daniel said dryly. “You can go back to the guesthouse now.”
“You’re going to ruin your career by hooking up with your patients. It’s a bad idea. I’m trying to give you some good advice. Actually, I don’t care. Do whatever you want, but don’t say that I didn’t warn you. Use protection, okay,” he said, looking at me. “He may be a doctor, but he doesn’t specialize in infectious diseases if you know what I mean.”
“Enough,” Daniel said sternly. “This isn’t necessary.”
“I’m just kidding around,” Terry said, clearly not telling the truth.
This pissed me off. If Daniel could defend me, then I wanted to help defend him. He didn’t deserve dealing with his asshole father any more than I deserved to deal with my creepy stalker.
“I don’t know what you think is going on here, but you have the wrong idea. Daniel is my doctor, but he’s never done anything unprofessional with me.”
“Ariana,” Daniel sighed, trying to stop me from engaging.
“Let her talk,” Terry said, a stupid smirk on his face. “It’s fun to see her get all flustered and come up with excuses.”
“This isn’t an excuse. If you must know, your son is a good person, one of the best men I know. I was having trouble with a stalker and he offered to let me stay here until things got better. He didn’t offer to help me because he wanted to hook up with me. He’s just letting me stay here so I don’t get kidnapped or attacked by this creep. Your son is not only extremely intelligent, but he is noble, too. There aren’t many people who would go to great lengths to protect someone like me. You should be proud of him.”
Daniel had gone pale. I could see the muscles in his jaw bulging as he gritted his teeth.
“That’s my son,” Terry chuckled. “The white knight that always has to butt into other people’s lives to save the day. Do you know why he does that? He’s not doing this for you. He’s doing this because he likes to feel like the hero. Maybe his mother and I didn’t give him the attention he wanted. Maybe he doesn’t get enough recognition at work or compliments from women. I don’t know what his deal is.”
“That’s a terrible thing to say!” I exclaimed.
“I’m telling the truth,” he responded. “I hate to see a young, pretty girl like you get into trouble because of him. Or do—I don’t care. I don’t know anything about you besides the fact that your life is in the hands of someone who likes to mess around in other people’s business. It’s your choice.”
“Get out,” Daniel said, pointing to the door. “You’re drunk and not making any sense.”
“Maybe you’re making this story up to make yourselves look better when you’re sneaking around, doing something you shouldn’t be doing. How do I know you’re not just telling fibs?”
“She told you the truth,” Daniel said. “That was far more than you ever needed to hear. She doesn’t owe anything to you. I don’t owe anything to you. I’m helping her because I care about her wellbeing. That’s what people do—they take care of others.”
Terry relaxed in the chair. I was thankful that he had stopped berating his son and interrogating me, but his presence was uncomfortable. There was no way either of us could carry on a conversation at this point. He kicked his legs up, as if he were settling in for the evening. As far as I was concerned, we’d have to sit in silence for the rest of the night.
“Please go,” Daniel finally pleaded.
“I don’t even care anymore,” Terry said, walking back to the fridge. He piled cans in his arms and retreated toward the back door. “It’
s your life. You can make whatever mistakes you want.”
He struggled to pull open the door, nearly spilling his cans all over the back patio. Eventually, he managed to exit the house and close the door behind him.
The second he was out of sight, Daniel strode over to the door and locked it. He pulled the curtains over the wide glass door. When he stood still, I could see that he was slightly shaking.
“Are you okay?” he asked me, avoiding eye contact.
“I’m fine,” I said, “but I don’t think you are.”
He closed his eyes and gently shook his head. “He shouldn’t have spoken to you like that. I’m so sorry.”
“No harm done. You were right when you said you were nothing like him.”
“That’s the biggest compliment that anyone could pay me right now,” he said, his blue eyes meeting mine. “So, now that this night has been completely ruined, shall I show you to your bedroom? That is, if you still want to stay here.”
I stood up and put my hand on his arm, trying to comfort him. “Of course, I want to stay here. I’m really glad you invited me over tonight, despite all of our personal drama.”
He cracked a smile. “It sure keeps things interesting, doesn’t it?”
Chapter Nine
Daniel
I wanted to bang my head against the wall. Everything was ruined. Before my dad barged in, I was even thinking about testing the waters and trying to hold her hand. I just had the feeling that if I tried to make a move on her, she would go along with it.
If there was ever a right mood, it had been killed by my dad. I certainly didn’t feel like flirting after all of that. I’m sure Ariana didn’t either.
I don’t know why he chose that moment to come inside. For the most part, he kept to himself out back behind the house. The guesthouse was small, but it was no different than a one bedroom apartment. It had a small kitchen, so he didn’t need to use mine. Besides, I was fairly certain he only ate microwave meals and takeout. I had also never known him to run out of booze, so maybe he was just looking for an excuse to be a jackass.
Forbidden Prescription 4: A Stepbrother Fake Marriage Medical Romance (Forbidden Medicine) Page 5