The Procedure

by Tabatha Vargo

  Shaking her head, she began to deny that something was bothering her. She wasn’t being honest. I had come to know her well, and I knew from the reddened streaks on her cheeks and the soft, puffy glow around her eyes that she had cried recently.

  “Nothing,” she supplied with a false smile.

  “You’ve been crying,” I said.

  Reaching up, I moved my thumb under her eye before curving my hand around her soft cheek. She smiled and nuzzled my palm with a sigh, sending sparks down to my toes.

  “I’m just sad about leaving Duke. I don’t want him to think I’m abandoning him. Do you think he will?”

  I knew that wasn’t the real reason why she was upset, but since I didn’t want to pry until she was ready to tell me, I went along with it.

  “Of course not, love. And it’s only for a few days. He’ll be so excited to see you when you get back that he’ll forget about everything else.”

  She nodded in agreement. “You’re right. That makes me feel better.”

  I smiled and brought my other hand to cup her other cheek, pulling her close and placing a kiss on her head. Resting my forehead against hers, I took a minute to breathe her in. Her hands found my sides and her fingers flexed, pressing deeper in my shirt, heating my flesh.

  I wanted to kiss her sweet lips, but if I didn’t take this slow with Samantha, the weekend would fly by way too fast. That was the last thing I wanted to happen. I wanted to relish in the uninterrupted hours with her.

  Pulling back, I lifted her face and smiled down at her. “You ready to go?” I asked.

  Closing her eyes against the sun, she smiled sweetly up at me. “Very ready. It’ll be nice to get out of Miami for the weekend. It’s been so long since I went anywhere with…”

  She stopped, and her eyes flashed open apologetically. I never wanted her to feel bad about anything with me. She could do no wrong by being comfortable enough to speak candidly with me. Honestly was the foundation for any relationship, be it friends or lovers.

  “It’s okay, love.”

  “I need to stop doing that. I don’t want to talk about Michael anymore this entire weekend.”

  “I think we can handle that.” I smiled and turned to open the passenger door for her.

  Not mentioning his name meant keeping my guilt to a minimum. Out of sight, out of mind—that was my personal quote for the weekend.

  She thanked me and slid into the seat. When she pulled the seatbelt down and around her, her dress dropped low, showing a tiny bit of cleavage. I moved my eyes and again, they landed on her flesh. I tried not to notice the way the thin material of her sundress rode up her thighs, but it was like taking a bullet to the chest.

  Shutting the door, I made my way around the car and got in. The engine hummed when I started it up. When I put it in drive and pulled away, it purred.

  “Say goodbye to Miami,” I said, changing gears before resting my hand over hers.

  She took a deep breath before looking out of the window. Some unknown emotion moved across her face before she whispered, “Goodbye.”

  WE DROVE TO Miami International Airport in silence. I was starting to feel anxious about asking her to come along, and I was worried that maybe she was slowly changing her mind. Not to mention, I positive there was something more than just Duke bothering her, and I was worried that maybe that something was being with me.

  She was staring out of the window. The music on the radio filled the thick silence, but it wasn’t music I wanted to hear. I wanted her to talk to me—to trust me enough to know she could. I wanted her voice to move across the car and stroke my nerves, but she didn’t speak.

  “A penny for your thoughts, love.” I broke the impenetrable quiet.

  Samantha rolled her head in my direction and smiled at me. “I was thinking how pretty this drive was. My mother would have loved this view. She used to talk about coming to Miami and enjoying the sunlight, but she died before she ever had a chance to see it.”

  “How did she die?” I asked before silently hating myself for doing so. She was upset. The last thing I wanted to do was make her even more so.

  “Breast cancer. She died when I was eight.” Her somber voice cracked with hurt, effectively cutting into me, as well.

  “Were the two of you close?”

  She nodded, her blonde strands whispering across her tan shoulders. “I was the only child, so I was my parents’ pride and joy, their baby girl. I could always count on them both.”

  My eyes moved to the road before moving back to her profile.

  “Then we found out she had stage-four breast cancer, and life seemed to halt in front of my eyes. I sat and watched her deteriorate, and then she died six months later. Time didn’t move again until after she was gone. After she passed, my dad took on the role of both parents. Before we knew it, I was nineteen and moving away with Michael. I didn’t see my dad again until he called to let me know he was dying, too.”

  She stared at the windshield as if her memories were playing in movie form across the thick glass. Her hands were restless in her lap, and I wanted nothing more than to stop the car, pull her into my arms, and comfort her.

  Instead, I leaned over and took her hand in mine. Despite the warm afternoon, her hands were ice cold. She stared down at our hands before turning to look at me and smile.

  “Thank you.”

  “For?” I knew I hadn’t done anything.

  “For being here. For making me see that I’m still a whole person.”

  “It was my pleasure, Samantha.” I squeezed her hand tightly.

  I wanted to tell her how she had changed me too. I wasn’t the same man I was when she first stepped foot into my office. I wasn’t the gentleman doctor who put everyone else first. I was a man burning with love for a woman who wasn’t mine. I was also the man who no longer cared about boundaries. Because when it came to Samantha, I’d tear them all down to be near her.

  Words of love danced across my tongue, but I knew it was the wrong time no matter how loudly my heart screamed it. It needed to be at the right time, or never at all.

  We were on a flight headed to New York within two hours. My body melted into the first-class seat, and I was happy to see Samantha relaxing next to me. The strain on her face earlier was gone, replaced with a content smile as she stared out of the window and into the clouds.

  Again, pressure and worry that she was having second thoughts about what she was doing with me moved across my chest. I took a deep breath and tried to stop my racing thoughts. For all I knew, something could have happened with Michael before she left. And while it was on the tip of my tongue to ask, I knew I couldn’t do so because my reason for wanting to know was completely selfish.

  Samantha slept through most of the flight. Her soft breathing filled my side, and I couldn’t help but look at her. She was angelic. Her soft lips parted and her cheeks flushed with sleep. Her long lashes rested against her cheeks, fluttering occasionally. Leaning over, I placed a soft kiss on her cheek before I pulled out my files and began preparing for a speech I was signed up to give the following day.

  There was a car waiting at the airport to take us to our hotel. The hospital board had arranged everything for me and my guest, including the hotel arrangements, so everything ran like clockwork from the driver to the ride over to the hotel.

  I placed my hand on the small of Samantha’s back as we made our way to the front desk. Our luggage was taken care of for us, so she carried only her small purse. My eyes followed the strap over her beautiful shoulder and down until I had to look away.

  The attendant behind the desk noticed and smiled at me knowingly.

  “How can I help you, sir?”

  “I have a reservation for Dr. Roman Blake.”

  Her fingers were quick as they moved over the keyboard and with a few clicks of her mouse, she found me.

  “I have you right here, Dr. Blake. You’re on the eighth floor. I’ll have your bags delivered to your room.”

  I too
k the room key she handed me and smiled at her before turning stepping back toward Samantha. “Ready?” I asked.

  Samantha blinked, confused at first, and then she snuck a look at the desk clerk, who was looking back and forth between the two of us. A pretty pink blush covered her cheeks before she moved closer to the counter.

  “I have to check in, too,” she said to the clerk.

  I was momentarily confused, and then I felt my own skin flush. I hadn’t realized Samantha had gotten her own room. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when we finally made it to the hotel. Had I really just assumed she would share a room with me?

  “Of course.” I chuckled, trying to ease everyone’s embarrassment.

  Placing her purse on the counter, she gave the woman her name. “Samantha… Aldridge.”

  The slight hesitation in Samantha made the woman look up and give me quick glance before she was typing again.

  She chewed the side of her mouth before she looked up with a smile. “Looks like they put you on the fifth floor, Mrs. Aldridge.”

  “That’s fine,” Samantha rushed.

  I didn’t have to see her face to know she was red. Her shoulders were stiff, her back straight.

  “Actually we have a room available on the eighth floor, but it’s a couple of doors down from Dr. Blake.”

  I wanted to lean over the counter and kiss her for giving me what I wanted. When she looked my way, I gave her a wink, making her blush.

  “Honestly, it’s okay. I don’t want to make any more work for you,” Samantha continued.

  Again, the clerk smiled. “It’s not a problem at all, Mrs. Aldridge.” She typed some more. “There. All taken care of.”

  She handed Samantha a key card, and then Samantha turned toward me with an awkward smile on her face.

  “Are you ready?” she asked. Her eyes looked everywhere but my face, and I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Yes. They’re going to bring our luggage up to our room.” I realized my mistake again and almost choked on my words. Clearing my throat, I tried again. “Our rooms, I mean.”

  Still, she refused to look me in the eye. “Okay,” she said, nibbling nervously on her bottom lip and giving me an actual physical reaction.

  Shaking myself, I took a deep breath. “After you.” I motioned for her to go in front of me.

  The trip had taken a turn for the awkward, and I was desperate to get it back on the right track

  It took ten minutes to get to the eighth floor and not once in that entire time were we alone. There were too many damn people in New York.

  Stepping off the elevator, I walked Samantha to her room before going to mine. The conference wasn’t until the following day, and it was still early. We had an entire night to spend together and regardless of how nervous she obviously was, I wasn’t about to miss my chance to spend time with her.

  “Samantha.” I stopped her with a hand on her shoulder before she could go into her room.

  She turned toward me and finally met my eyes. “Yeah?”

  “Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?” I made sure to ask as if it were a date. It was time I made it clear what my intentions were with her.

  Her face lit up, and a knowing smile pulled at her pink lips. “Pick me up at seven?” she asked.

  Reaching out, I tucked her hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek. “I’ll be here.

  FALLING FACE-FIRST onto the bed, I moaned loudly into the smell of freshly washed sheets. The entire trip so far had been nothing if not awkward. I wasn’t sure what it was we were doing, but I was positive it wasn’t supposed to be happening this way.

  Rolling onto my back, I stared at the tall ceiling and took a deep breath. I had an hour to get ready for dinner with Roman, and already, my body was tingling with anticipation. The man was making me crazy. Even though I’d spent most of the day in a daze, trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life when I got back to Miami, I was always aware of him. My body craved him, and I didn’t know how to handle that. I’d never felt something even remotely like it in my life.

  Once my luggage came, I pulled out a dress worthy of a date, since he’d asked me as if it were a date, and I took the entire hour showering and getting dressed. Once everything was done, I slipped on my beige dress, sheer in the back, and put in a pair of earrings to compliment it. I was slipping on my heels when there was a light tap on the door.

  Smoothing down my dress and checking my hair in the mirror by the door, I opened it to find Roman standing there looking delicious. His navy, three-piece suit was perfectly pressed as if he hadn’t traveled from Miami to New York. His hair had the naturally tousled look as if he’d had a stressful day at the office and couldn’t manage to keep his hands out of it. I loved it, and the urge to tug on it was strong.

  Looking into his whiskey-colored eyes, I lost myself and all the thoughts I’d had prior to opening the door. He grinned down at me as if he could hear my thoughts.

  “You look stunning,” he said, reaching out and running a finger across my bare shoulder. Chills rushed down my body, making the baby hairs at the nape of my neck tingle.

  “So do you.”

  And it was the truth. Roman Blake was a beautiful man, inside and out, and having his eyes all over me was almost too much to bear. I could practically feel them as they moved over my dress and down my legs. The touch was soft and thrilling… sexy.

  “Shall we?” he asked with a lifted brow.

  Grabbing my purse from the table beside the door, I let the door close and took the arm he was offering.

  He smelled like soap and sunshine and when he wasn’t looking, I let my face brush across his arm as I inhaled him. When we reached the elevator, he looked down at me and again, he grinned as if he knew everything I was thinking.

  “So where are we going?” I asked.

  “You’ll see,” he answered, looking away.

  I followed Roman onto the elevator, across the lobby of the hotel room, and into the back of a black limo. He was ever the gentleman the entire time—opening doors for me, ushering me with his hand on the small of my back, which I loved, and always making sure were we walking together. It was nice to spend time with someone who didn’t make me feel like they were ashamed of me.

  The limo drove through the city was surreal, the bright lights beaming through the tinted windows and moving across Roman’s face like a movie reel. I hadn’t been to New York in a long time, but the city was timeless and never changing, no matter how many new buildings went up or old ones came down. The city was a lot like Roman. Strong and full of mystery.

  I turned away and was looking out of the window on my side of the car when I felt Roman’s hand skim mine. His warm fingers sent chills up my arm and, without thinking, I linked my fingers with his. I smiled out at the city when I felt him give my hand a squeeze.

  The scenery began to repeat itself, confusing me a bit, but then the car pulled up at the hotel again. Stopping in front of the doors, Roman opened his door and began to get out.

  “Um, Roman. I thought we were going to dinner?” I asked.

  He bent down, looking back into the car at me with a smile. “We are. Come on.”

  He reached out his hand, and I took it as I exited the car. Again, I took his arm as he walked me back into the hotel and onto the elevator. He pressed the number eight for the eighth floor, and I knew we were going back to one of our rooms.

  Nerves worked their way up my spine and forced me to take a deep breath.

  “You okay, love?” he asked.

  Suddenly, his pet name felt more intimate. I’d heard Roman call women love many times, but now that my feelings for him were becoming more obvious, the name felt different. It wasn’t in my imagination that it sounded different coming from him when he directed it toward me.

  Stepping from the elevator, we walked to his room. I stood to the side as he pulled out his card key and opened the door. I gasped when I took in the inside of his suite.

 
; The room was illuminated in candlelight. Tall, stemmed candles and flowers covered every square inch of his room. Stepping into the space and looking around, I saw that dinner was set up at a small table for two in the corner of his room.

  “It’s beautiful, Roman,” I said as I took in the room in its entirety.

  And then I felt him at my back, his hot breath tickling the hairs on the back of my neck.

  “A beautiful room for a beautiful woman,” he whispered.

  Roman pulled out my chair, and I took a seat. When he pulled up the silver platter in front of me, I was surprised to find a meal from Mama Maria’s in front of me, including a chocolate ball for desert.

  I laughed. “I can’t believe you did this for me,” I said, smiling across the table at him when he sat.

  “Haven’t you figured it out yet, Samantha?” he asked.

  “Figured out what?” I asked, confused.

  “There isn’t much I wouldn’t do for you.”

  His said those words with a serious face, his eyes taking in my expression.

  There wasn’t anything I could say to that. Instead, I reached across the table and covered his hand with mine.

  The rest of the night consisted of delicious Italian food, funny fortunes inside of chocolate, lots of smiles and laughter, and so much touching I was sure I’d soaked my panties. I squirmed in my chair as I waited and hoped with bated breaths that Roman would make the one big move that would leave me gasping and sweaty in the sheets that covered his bed, but throughout it all, he remained ever the gentleman.

  AFTER DINNER, ROMAN walked me to my room. I walked at his side with heat between my thighs and wine flowing through my veins. With my arm in his, I let my fingers roam back and forth over his forearm, relishing in the way his muscles would flex beneath my fingertips.

  Pulling out my card key, I opened my door and turned to face Roman again. “Tonight was more than perfect,” I said, slipping my key back into my purse.

  “You’re more than perfect,” he responded. Losing his hand in the hair behind my ear, he rubbed my cheek with his thumb.