Bryan poked his head in. “It’s time.”
Smoothing out non-existing wrinkles in her silk blouse, she followed him down the stairs and to the front door. “Any news on our missing doctor?”
“Still working on it.”
“Bryan…?”
“Trust me. Have I ever let you down?”
With a roll of her eyes, she pushed through the exit door and into a balmy afternoon.
“Here she is now, folks. Our mayor of Oakland, Texas. Miss Cassie Yearwood,” city council member Justin Lake introduced her. She shook his hand and stepped up to the podium, not feeling her usual confident self.
Waiting for the semi-enthusiastic applause to stop, she then started her speech. “Good morning, friends. I hope this Monday finds you well. The good news is, we finally have a doctor coming to Oakland.” Cheers erupted. “Soon, you will be meeting Doctor Saxour and we want to make him feel very welcome. We’ll show him the benefits of small town living. No smog. No hustle and bustle of traffic. Dorothy’s pastries.”
“Should I give him free muffins and eclairs?” Dorothy Smart, the owner of Bagels and Booths, said. The peacock feather in her straw hat waved in the breeze.
“That would be mighty kind of you, but if he’s into fitness like a lot of docs I know, you might want to switch out the muffins for fruit parfaits and coffee.”
“What about the insurance he’s accepting? That’s important to me.”
“George, that’s important to all of us. That’s a great question, one I’m sure Doctor Saxour will answer for you,” Cassie added.
“I hear he was some big-time doc at a hospital. Why is he coming here?” One of the council members asked.
“Well, I can assure you it isn’t for your karaoke Friday nights at the bar, Max.” Cassie looked at Bryan who finally gave a thumb’s up. Thank goodness. “Without further ado, I’d like to welcome Oakland’s newest member to our polite and pleasure-filled community. Doctor Samuel Saxour.” She searched for the doctor.
Her smile was lost.
The temperature had gone from hot to scorching. Her knees threatened to give out.
She clutched the edge of the podium as she tried to keep herself from falling. The nice-looking man in a button-down and dark denims strolled toward her. His warm, familiar gaze held hers and she couldn’t turn away, but feared that someone would notice her flushed cheeks. She remembered how she’d squirmed under him, begged him to touch her, had her mouth wrapped around him.
How could he be here?
“You? Is this a joke? You’re Doctor Samuel Saxour?” she said through clenched teeth, careful so no one would hear. Here was her secret lover. The man she’d experienced more pleasure with than she had with her husband, or any man for that matter. The man who had made her tremble with need. Here. Right in front of her.
“Hello, Lolita…or would you prefer Cassie?” he said in a whiskey smooth voice.
Images of her naked and quivering while lying on the sand as he filled her body played like a movie in her mind. She’d never been so open to her wild side before. They’d been in every sexual position possible, and some they probably created. Now he would know that wild and passionate Lolita in Florida was actually mousy and boring Mayor Cassie Yearwood in Oakland.
Beyond the doctor’s shoulder she caught a glimpse of Bryan who was snapping his fingers as if he could snap her back on track. Get it together, girl. “Please step up to say a few words, Doctor Saxour.” Her knees wobbled as she motioned for Sam to take his place at the podium.
“Please, call me Sam.”
She’d never seen a more shit-eating grin in her life.
Stepping behind him and plastering on her best plastic smile, she knew she’d have to have a long talk with the new doctor soon.
“Hello, Oakland. I’m looking forward to seeing you in my office.” Sam looked over his shoulder and met Cassie’s gaze. “I have a remedy for all your ailments.”
Her body sizzled.
Not sure how long he spoke, she barely caught more than three words of his speech through the blurred, intoxicated cells of her brain. Why was he here? In her hometown? This was exactly what she’d wanted to prevent.
Did he think he was smart?
When he took a step back, gaining applause from the crowd, she stepped up and mumbled a few words about punch and hors d'oeuvres and turned to him… “I need to see you in my office, now!” She didn’t wait for an answer. She led the way, ignoring Bryan’s attempts to speak with her.
3
Damn, why did she have to be so beautiful.
hose were Sam’s thoughts as he stood next to the tall, slender man who had introduced himself as Lolita’s—no, Cassie’s assistant. How would she feel about him being here, in her town? After she’d walked out of his life, he’d done nothing but miss her—missed her luscious body that still had him boiling. He’d never chased a woman in his life, but sometimes a man had to put his pride aside and do what his instincts told him to do.
Eventually he’d have to admit to her that he’d paid for her name and address from one of the employees at the resorts. The scrap of paper with her information had been in his pocket until it had burned its way into his brain. He’d planned to do a little research, just for curiosity’s sake, nothing more. But when he’d read that her town, Oakland, needed a doctor, he had been more than ready, and willing, to relocate. Hell, he’d been thinking about relocation for months now. After a fall-out in his old practice over patients without insurance, he hadn’t worked in six months. Six long months. He was ready to get back into the groove.
And here he was.
Coming here had been a risk. He knew nothing about the woman standing behind the podium, but even now, as she demurely tucked a tendril of her hair behind her ear and dampened her lips with the tip of her tongue, she was oblivious to what she did to him. It was pure torture. In paradise, she had been confident in her skills, open to try anything. She’d blossomed like a perfect rose. Here, she looked uptight in too-baggy clothes that didn’t draw attention to her beautiful curves. And yet, he found her just as sexy.
Then she announced his name and all hell broke loose. He was about to pay the price for his impulsive move of showing up here.
*****
Her nerves were off balance. She felt anxious as she led the way into her office, her heart beating a thousand beats per minute in an uneven rhythm that made her dizzy. She stopped to allow the doctor to pass, their gazes meeting for a long second before she looked away…had to look away before she lost the last little bit of control.
Closing the door softly, she turned to face him, reassuring herself that she could maintain resistance—could ignore the fluttering of need swimming through her bloodstream. He smiled and she frowned. Anger splashed through her. “What. The. Hell are you doing here?” She stayed against the door as far away from him as the room would allow. The heat ticked up and moisture beaded between her legs.
“Wow! The mayor. I have to admit, that’s not the career I would have guessed.”
“That wasn’t my question. What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to start up my practice. Your town needs a doctor, right?” His smug grin ripped right through her. He had an air of confidence that irritated and excited her all at the same time.
“Yes, but it’s not supposed to be you.” She kept her voice low for fear someone in the outer room might be eavesdropping. The last thing she needed were more rumors swirling around town after she’d dealt with enough during her divorce. She knew, without a sliver of doubt, she was about to pay dearly for every single orgasm she’d experienced in the doctor’s bed.
His smile grew broader as if he had the upper hand. She was reminded of the times she’d had him in her mouth, sucking him into surrender. He didn’t have power then. Her mouth watered and she swallowed hard, chastising herself for where her thoughts headed. The time of uninhibited sex had passed.
“Okay, I might have cheated a little.”
“Some rules are meant to be broken.”
“Maybe in your world, doctor, but here things are different.”
Some of his smile was lost. “You can call me Sam now. The pretense is over.”
Her heart fluttered. Why did a part of her feel flattered that he wanted to see her again? Maybe because she’d missed him, especially during those nights when she was alone…lonely. How was it possible to miss someone she barely knew? Missing and wanting someone could be easy when there were no expectations.
The look in his eyes as he watched her made her a little scared of her reaction. The battle against her feelings was waning.
Had she been a fool getting involved with him in the first place? Pretending she was Lolita, a woman who appeared connected with her dirty side, free to try new things, with no responsibilities. Cassie had done far more idiotic things. Staying with her cheating husband for as long as she had ranked high on that list. With Sam, she was a different woman. Giving into temptation was something she’d never allowed herself before, not even in her twenties. She’d always put college, career, and family before everything else.
“Why are you dead set against me being here?” he asked.
“This wasn’t part of the plan.” She moistened her lips.
“Meeting you wasn’t a plan either and that worked out pretty damn good.”
“We had an expiration date.”
“Expiration dates are for milk, not sex.”
“If we’re comparing ourselves to milk, the cream has spoiled.”
“I don’t think you truly believe that.”
She shrugged. “You don’t know me.”
“Are you married?” His lips thinned.
“No...oh, no.”
“If you’re worried that I’m going to show everyone the pictures I took at the resort—”
“Pictures? You took pictures?” Her stomach dropped into her heels.
A smile broke out over his clean-shaven face. “No. I’m joking. You don’t have to worry, sweetheart. I’m not a man who kisses and tells. Our secret is safe.”
She heaved a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. Sam being here was hazardous. “You see, this is already getting out of control.”
“For you or for me, because I’m loving this town already. The scenery is magnificent.”
“You loving this predicament doesn’t surprise me.” She pressed her temples where a throbbing ache was threatening to unravel. “Let’s have a seat.” Before I fall.
He casually sat down on the chair across from her desk and she took her seat, picking up the pen and thrumming it hard against the desk. Sam’s eyes targeted the object of noise and she dropped it. One corner of his mouth lifted in a panty-melting grin. She hated that her nerve endings weren’t immune. Nibbling her bottom lip, she searched for a logical brain route that wouldn’t land her eyeball deep in his arms again.
She rolled her chair back just enough to cross her legs, hoping it would block the throbbing in her core. When she felt more under control, she exhaled slowly. His smile grew and she was knocked for another loop. Maybe she was trying too hard to forget what they’d shared. Possibly, if she accepted the fact that she’d been screwed senseless, embraced it and moved on, then she could handle this unexpected twist professionally and rationally. Yet, how could she simply move on when her panties were soaked? The soft lace of her thong rubbed her swollen clit like a gentle finger or tongue. An image of his head between her legs, his dark hair a stark contrast with her pale thighs, made her tremble in desire. She’d never felt more turned on without one itty bitty touch to push her that direction. This wasn’t a good start to being professional.
The man had his secret ways.
“You’re upset,” he said in a husky voice that targeted her nipples.
“Smart and good looking,” she sighed, glaring at him across the cluttered desk. “You can’t be here. This won’t work!”
With mesmerizing blue eyes, he dropped his gaze to her breasts and back up, smiling as if he knew her nipples were now tight buds aching for a lick or suckle. The sensation slithered down into her toes.
“We don’t have to allow this to be a problem. We’re adults, right?”
“Adults yes, but let’s not forget how we acted like porn stars back in the Keys.”
He found her description funny. His laugh drove through her like a hot poker. “Let’s be reasonable.”
“Reasonable?” She folded her arms over her chest, ninety-five percent sure the shadow of her nipples could be seen through the thin, white blouse. She didn’t want him to get any ideas that she was turned on. “I don’t like games, Doctor Saxour. I feel this is a game you’re playing, and not only is my career at stake, but the livelihood of my town.” She tried her best to snag him with a firm expression, but she feared it fizzled into a Bambi-like look. It didn’t help one bit that each time he moved his large hands on the wooden arms of the chair she got a vivid image of him running his fingers over her breasts. Her hips. Her legs.
He stretched his long legs, showing off thick, denimed thighs. Damn. He knew he was sexy and that was a problem. “Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?”
“Excuse me?”
“Playing, Miss Lolita. You’re accusing me of being a player, but do I need to remind you of the games we played two months ago? You didn’t seem to mind then.”
“There’s something called boundaries, Doctor Saxour.”
“You left without a goodbye. I woke up and you were gone.”
She gave a dry, shaky laugh. “I’m sorry if your feelings were hurt and you can’t handle a woman who doesn’t want…well, more with you. If you’ve come here expecting that we’ll take up where we left off, you’re sorely mistaken.” Why didn’t she feel her words in any fiber of her being?
Sam didn’t respond. He just sat there looking as if he was playing a hand of poker.
And then he got up, rounded the desk and bent close to her ear, enough so that she caught his sandalwood scent. “I think you’re afraid of your feelings, Miss Yearwood.”
“I-I…no, that’s not true.”
“No?” He lifted a brow. Slowly, he touched her cheek. Cassie gasped, watching a ghost of a smile raise both corners of his mouth as he brushed his knuckles along her jaw and down her neck, pausing at the dip in her throat. “Why are you quivering? Why are your eyes shining like diamonds?”
“It’s a bit cold in here, that’s all.” Her voice shook. Why did she even bother?
He ran his fingers to the swell of her breasts, lower to brush over one sensitive bead through the silk fabric. A jolt of electricity shocked her inner thighs and her breath stilled. She was a puppet on his string.
“You’re so soft. So fucking beautiful,” he whispered. “I’ve missed holding you. Missed that sweet pussy. I want nothing more than to feel you squirm under me again.”
Her fingers nails dug into the arms of the chair as she digested every word. Shudders of bittersweet pain took her body hostage, melting her. How could she resent him and want him all at the same time? Why did this man, one she barely knew, breed feelings in her? Was it the naughty, dangerous side that he brought out in her? He was the ultimate adrenaline rush.
Shivering, she watched him kneel in front of her, running his hand from her bare ankle all the way up inside of her skirt to the part of her that screamed for his touch. He skimmed the backs of his knuckles along her lace-covered slit and his breath came out in a hiss. “Already wet,” he groaned.
Her thighs spread a little wider on their own. She’d lost all control of her body.
Laying her head back, she closed her eyes, until she felt one finger at her chin. She opened her eyes and he was staring at her.
“You don’t get to pretend this isn’t happening by closing your eyes and shutting me out. I want you to understand the desire between us, how connected we are. I want you to
want me.”
“I-I…” What could she say? She’d spent years building a wall around her naughty side.
“Why are you afraid of the reaction of your body, sweetheart? Why are you hellbent in fighting the feelings? A body like yours is meant to have freedom. Made for feelings.”
“I have responsibilities. If you haven’t noticed, this is my office.” She was breathless.
“And does responsibility make you less of a woman? Make desire less? Are you willing to sacrifice your needs for your job?” His stare burrowed into her.
Any response she had was lost to the grip of physical need as he slipped the elastic band of her panties aside and slid a finger along her throbbing seam. “So wet. Freshly groomed. Like satin. I love how your body responds without inhibition. Now if only your mind would do the same.”
She watched him and could see his pulse pounding in his neck.
“Tell me you don’t want this and I’ll stop, sweetheart.” He held her gaze. “If you don’t tell me to stop, I’m going to fuck you like I’ve dreamt about since you walked away from me.”
Truth of the matter was, she wanted his touch, wanted him to bring her to orgasm again and again just as he had in his bungalow in paradise. When her refusal didn’t come, he stood, grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet. His arm snaked around her waist and pulled her close. “Don’t blame me that I didn’t warn you.” A growl escaped his lips a second before he slammed his mouth to hers, taking her breath and every bit of resistance.
Everything around her disappeared as he devoured her mouth, dipping his tongue in and out, sipping her like a fine wine. She took a short step back, her bottom hitting the edge of the desk and she gripped it as his wide fingers dug into her hair, sending the bobby pin she had holding her wispy bangs dropping to the floor. She didn’t care what happened outside of the door to her office as long as he continued to kiss her into a stupor. Her heart had a beat of a jet airplane, hitting every turbulence in the sky. Bringing her hands up, she grasped his large shoulders.
Hot as Hell (Studs in Scrubs Book 1) Page 2