Yes, Doctor

by Katy Connor

  Something cold and dark twists inside me. I stay motionless, schooling my expression into one of boredom. “You do? Good for you. And who am I, exactly?”

  He threads his fingers behind his head and crosses his ankles on my desk. On. My. Desk. “Hotshot heart surgeon.”

  “Cardiothoracic surgeon.” I yawn, covering my mouth with the back of my hand. “Your point?”

  A snide smirk stretches his lips—lips that once travelled Bia’s body. One slice of a scalpel across his carotid artery and he’d bleed out in seconds.

  Fuck, I’m balancing on a precarious edge here.

  “My point is”—he arches an eyebrow at me—“you have a serious reputation in this hillbilly town. One I could destroy if I reported your unfounded assault on me three weeks ago.”

  I arch my own eyebrow and wait, even as a stony rage boils inside me. He’s clearly here with an agenda. Why make it easy for him?

  The silence stretches for a long moment, and he begins to fidget. In the bright light of my office, I can see his tan is far from natural, and that the blond of his hair is helped along by a bottle.

  “So,” he says, shifting on his seat, “I’m thinking I can stay quiet about the assault if you agree to give Bia to me.”

  The world turns icy cold, and then searing hot. How I stay in my seat, how I don’t stand and end his life with the silver letter opener on my desk, is beyond me.

  He watches me, leaning forward in his seat and resting his elbows on his knees. He’s eager. Very eager. Too eager. There’s something almost desperate about him, but he’s trying to hide it.

  “I mean,” he goes on, tapping his thumbs together quickly, “is she worth losing your career for?”

  Yes. She’s worth losing everything for.

  Drawing a deep, slow breath, I fix him with a level stare. “And you want her back because you love her?” The words are like acid on my tongue. “Or because you don’t like the idea of her being with someone else?”

  He lets out a guffaw. It’s loud and overtly smug. “So, we’re good? You’ll give Bia to me and I’ll forget you and I ever met?”

  I smile. Does he notice it doesn’t reach my eyes? “Fuck off,” I say with congenial calm.

  He blinks. And then frowns. “Is that…wait. You’re saying no?”

  “I’m saying she’s her own woman. She’s not something to be given, especially to an asshole like you. I’m saying if you don’t get out of my sight and stay away from her, I’ll make sure your life is far more miserable than it clearly already is.”

  His eyebrows shoot up his forehead. I’ve never seen anyone look so struck dumb with disbelief. It’d be comical if I didn’t want to kill him. “You’re kidding? You’d risk your career over a cunt to fuck?”

  I keep my seat. Just. The air in my lungs burns. “Choose the next words that come out of your mouth carefully, Donny.”

  He snorts. “And here I was thinking you didn’t know who Bia was, what with her name change and everything.”

  Name change? A dark pressure stabs at my chest. “I know who Bia is,” I say, holding his stare. “My woman.”

  “And you’re only fucking her because she’s a hot piece of ass?” He sneers. “Yeah, right. I’ve had that ass. It’s not that hot.”

  Curling my fists, I clench my jaw. “I’d suggest you leave.”

  “Sure, I’ll leave. And head straight to the cops. Ready to kiss your career goodbye?”

  What is this prick’s problem? “Be my guest.”

  He snorts again. “Guess heart surgeons don’t make as much as I thought, what with you ready to throw it all away. Reckon the cash cow will still support you when I ruin you?”

  Cash cow? “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  Donny looks at me. Frowns at me. “Bia Malone. Or Adams, as she’s calling herself now. She’s the only child of Jacinta Malone.”

  “Who?”

  He laughs. Throws back his head and laughs. I want to fucking smash his face in.

  Shaking his head, he snorts. “You’re either the best actor I’ve ever met, or totally clueless. If you don’t know, I’m not telling you.”

  An uneasy knot twists in my gut. I’ve had enough. “Fine. Now fuck off.”

  He narrows his eyes. Studies me for a second and then shrugs. “So cops it is, then.” He shoves himself from the chair. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Enjoy your destroyed career.”

  I straighten to my feet, press my fingertips to my desk, and smile. “Donny, it doesn’t matter what you threaten. Bia will never be yours. Pack up your shit and get out of Hardrock. Bad things have a strange way of happening to outsiders who come here and piss off the locals. Those cops you keep talking about? I’ve saved a lot of their lives. So you go right ahead and see who they believe.”

  Uncertainty swims in his eyes. He opens his mouth, thinks better of whatever he was going to say, and snaps it shut again. Spinning on his heel, he storms across my office and yanks open the door. “Keep her,” he throws over his shoulder. “Life’s too short for bad sex.”

  “Donny?” My calm voice stops him. He looks at me, hand on the doorknob. “Clearly you have no idea how to give a beautiful woman pleasure, because making love to her, it doesn’t get any better.” I smile.

  He grunts and stomps through the door.

  Releasing a slow breath, I lower myself back into my chair and open my laptop, worrying about Bia. Will he try to see her?

  The guy is a coward, but I have to make sure. I send her a quick text, telling her to call the police if the guy shows up.

  She texts me back: ?

  The phone on my desk rings before I can answer her. Fuck.

  Snatching it up, I ram it to my ear. “What the hell do you want?” I snarl to whoever is on the other end.

  “Time for you to do some schmoozing, Bernadi,” Scarlet tells me when I answer it. “Potential benefactor for the new cardiology wing coming in to see where his money will go. You’re good at kissing ass, right?”

  I can’t miss this. I text her back: He was here. I handled it but be careful.

  The rest of the day is a nightmare. I’m not good at kissing ass, but for the new cardiology wing, I’ll suffer through it.

  All I want to do is go to Bia.

  Make love to her. Protect her from whatever’s brought her here. What was so bad that she has to hide who she is?

  What if Donny’s there?

  The unsettling thought slices through my mind while I’m mid-conversation with All Saints’ potential new suitor. I stop speaking. Grind my teeth.

  “Sorry. I have an emergency,” I say, shoving my untouched scotch into his hand and hurrying from the hospital’s private conference room.

  I don’t give a flying fuck if I’ve just lost the hospital millions. I need to see Bia. I have to know she’s okay.

  Now.

  Chapter Ten

  TAL

  “Fuck,” I mutter, glaring at the Closed sign on the shelter’s main door. “Fuck.”

  Dragging my hand through my hair, I check my watch. Of course, it’s after five. Why did I think she’d be here?

  Fuck. Fuck, fuck.

  I climb back onto my Ducati and floor it, heading for our condo complex. My gut’s a churning knot. My heart’s trying to smash its way out of my body.

  I’ve been calling, but she doesn’t answer. What if he’s hurt her? Fuck. I’ll never forgive myself. I should have gone straight to her after he left.

  Screeching to a halt outside our building, I throw myself out of the car and run inside. My senses are sharp, hyper alert. Some sick story plays in my head. What if he’s not hurting her. What if she’s missed him. My fucked-up imagination—honed by years of watching my parents wage psychological warfare on each other—tells me over and over I’ll find Donny in Bia’s home, going down on her on the very bed on which she and I confessed our love for each other.

  Once again, I don’t take the elevator. Too slow. I sprint up the stairs until I hit our floor
and shove open the door.

  I’ve never been this flustered. Huh, unraveled is more accurate. Am I too late? Has Donny—

  “I’ll tell him.”

  At the sound of Donny’s voice, a red mist falls over me. The bastard. He’s here.

  “He won’t believe you.” The contempt in Bia’s voice makes me stumble to a halt just before I step out of the stairwell.

  “You kidding? I’ve seen the jealousy in his eyes. The possessiveness.” Donny laughs. “All I have to do is tell him every time he was at the hospital these last few weeks, I was fucking you in your bed, and he’ll lose it. I’ll show him photos.”

  The air splinters around me. My lungs shut down.

  “You don’t have any photos.” Steel laces Bia’s voice. “I know you don’t.”

  Donny laughs again. “True. But he doesn’t know that, does he.”

  “He won’t believe you. He loves me.”

  “Maybe. I can be convincing, though.”

  Bia’s choked sob scrapes at my sanity. It’s full of pain and anger. “I can’t believe you’re trying this, Donald. And I won’t let you blackmail me. It won’t work. Please just leave me alone.”

  “You don’t want me to go, kitten. You need a man like me in your life.”

  I step out of the stairwell, and find Bia standing at her closed door, her back to me.

  Bia. Alone.

  The stairwell door shuts behind me and Bia lets out a startled gasp, spinning around to face me. Hugged to her chest by one arm is a paper bag of groceries. In her other hand is her smartphone.

  Relief floods her face. And something else. Shame?

  Fear?

  Stare locked on her, I clench my teeth. “What’s going on?”

  “Donny’s threatening—” She breaks off, cheeks going red. “He’s trying to…”

  I destroy the space between us and take her phone from her hand. “Fuck off, douche bag.”

  “Shit,” Donny yelps through the phone’s speaker a split second before killing the connection.

  I stare at the phone’s screen, pulling in a slow breath, and then look at Bia. “Blackmail?”

  Biting her teeth, she shakes her head. “He said unless I left with him he was going to tell you—”

  “I heard.” I’m trying to be calm. It’s clear she’s shaken. And I want nothing more than to fold her into my arms and love her. But I need to understand. “And you were right. I would never believe him. But why is he trying to blackmail you?”

  She stares up at me, eyes wide. Shining.

  I drag my hand through my hair. “I should have known he wasn’t going to fuck off after he came by.”

  Hands trembling, she rubs at her face. “Oh God, what did he say?”

  I’m not going to tell her. Not the full version. She doesn’t need to know how reprehensible Donny was. I shake my head, my gut churning again. “He threatened to press charges against me for attacking him, if I didn’t walk away from you.”

  She groans, shoulders slumping. Grief and shame etches her face. “I’m so sorry.”

  “For what? Being in my life?” No fucking way does she need to apologize for that.

  Her laugh is wry. “Bringing him into ours.”

  My breath catches in my throat. Does she realize she used the word ours? Does she know what it’s doing to me: flooding me with a joy beyond explanation.

  Our life.

  Our life together. Hers and mine.

  I brush her lips with mine, needing to show her. I’ve never been so gentle with her. It feels so right.

  She leans into me for a heartbeat, and then pulls away again. “Clearly you said no. To Donny. You’re here with me now.”

  “Fucking right I said no,” I growl. I want to kiss her again.

  Our life. Have I ever felt so happy?

  And yet…

  “Why is he trying to blackmail you, beautiful?” I ask as gently as I can. I don’t care. Not really. Not as long as she’s with me. But I need to know.

  She lets out a shaky sigh. “I’m rich.”

  I blink. Okay, I wasn’t expecting that answer.

  Her cheeks blush, and she jerks her gaze all over the place for a second before looking back at me. “I mean, my mother is. Really rich. There is a trust fund I’ve never really touched. I work for a living, as you know, even though I kind of pay myself, but my mom…well…” She peters off, giving me a little shrug. “I just wanted to let you know. I trust you. And I don’t want to keep secrets from you.”

  I trust you. Everything becomes better at those words. Everything.

  I feather my fingertips over her cheekbones, a smile pulling at my lips. “I don’t care about who your mother is, beautiful. Or how much money she has. In case you haven’t noticed, money’s not so much an issue for me.” I flash her a grin. “Heart surgeon, remember.”

  She snorts, a soft sound I find ridiculously adorable, and then grins. A wicked, playful one. “Yeah, you do seem to have a thing for the finer things in life.”

  I chuckle. “The only thing in my life worth anything now is you.”

  Her eyes flutter closed for a heartbeat, and then she looks up at me again. “Remember that when Mom turns up here one day.”

  “Is she going to tell me I’m not good enough for you?”

  A glint of steel flickers in her eyes, and her grin returns. Sharp. Fierce. “If she does, I’ll tell her to fuck off.”

  Good God, I love her.

  “Is it bad of me to say good?” I ask with a happy smirk.

  She laughs. The sound is pure and beautiful and makes my heart soar. “Tallowwood Bernadi, it’s insane and illogical, but from the moment I saw you I knew I’d met the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. And the second you touched me, I hoped that’s exactly what was going to happen.” Her lips curl, and her eyes dance. “I love you. Now let me get rid of these groceries so I can show you how much.”

  I chuckle. “Open your door, Bia.”

  She does as I ask, and I scoop her up and carry her across the threshold.

  Her condo smells of her, and it makes my cock harder. Who am I kidding? Everything about Bia makes my cock harder. Tonight, after I’ve fucked her so often there’s no cum left in either of us, I’ll give her the key to my condo. I’m ready for her to be completely in my life in every way she wants. More than ready. From this point onward, I live, I breathe for her.

  I carry her to the kitchen, laugh as she unceremoniously dumps the bag of groceries on the counter, and then growl with hunger as she trails her fingers over the growing bulge in my pants. “What are you waiting for, Tal?”

  With a caveman grunt, I haul her off her feet and sling her over my shoulder.

  She squeals and laughs as I carry her that way to her bedroom and deposit her on the bed. My control is strained to breaking point.

  She looks up at me.

  “I need you spread-eagle on the bed,” I say, smoothing my hands down over her calves. Hell, I’m on fire, craving her to a feverish point. “Promise to keep your legs and arms where I put them.” I circle my fingers around her ankles and inch her legs apart a little. “Okay?”

  Her pupils dilate. Her belly hitches. She dips her head in a little nod. “O-okay.”

  My hands shake as I undress her. I take my time, no matter how hard it is not to rush.

  Hard. That’s exactly what I am—hard and thick and ready to sink into her flesh. Every inch of her body I reveal, I kiss, lick, and bite, until she’s pleading with me to hurry up and make love to her.

  “Tal…” Her moans make my head swim. “I want you inside me.”

  When she’s completely naked, when her nipples are shiny from my saliva and her inner thighs branded by my mouth, I align her feet to the bottom corners of her bed and place her hands on the pillow beside her head. Her belly hitches as she prepares herself. She has no idea what I’m about to do, but she trusts me.

  She trusts me.

  And I love her even more for that.


  “Don’t move,” I say, slowly trailing my fingertips over her puckered left nipple.

  Her breath quickens, and she makes a soft keening noise as she rubs her thighs together.

  “Tsk tsk, beautiful,” I murmur, sliding one hand down the length of her body to her pussy. I trace two of my fingers up her slit, smiling at how wet it is. So wet and ripe and ready for me. “I told you not to move.”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispers, watching me. The playful gleam in her eyes makes my balls throb. “Punish me.”

  Fuck. Me.

  “Spread your legs, beautiful,” I order. “Put them back where I placed them.”

  She does. I can see her glistening pussy lips as I walk to the foot of the bed and inch her legs farther apart. I lick a teasing line up the inside of her leg, all the way to the junction of her thighs. She trembles as I do, the unschooled movement a testament to how affected she is.

  I torment the sensitive flesh of her folds for a while with my tongue, and then I work my way up to her breasts.

  Her nipples fill my mouth with perfection, and I spend long moments sucking on each one until she begs me again to fuck her.

  Without answering, I return to her pussy, this time licking at her clit over and over until she comes. I lap at her release, loving the way she’s moaning my name. I will never get tired of hearing her say it. Just as I’ll never get tired of making her come.

  As her bucking hips begin to slow, I position myself between her ankles, and—after spitting on my middle finger—sink my thumb into her tight pussy. And then press my wet, lubricated thumb to her anus.

  “Again…” She tosses her head to the side, hands clenching and unclenching above her head. Her eyes are closed, her voice husky. “D-do that again. Touch me there. More. Please.”

  Her permission propels me to a wild edge and, supporting my weight on one elbow, I take one of her nipples back into my mouth, sucking hard as I slowly penetrate her ass with my middle finger.

  “Yes.” She rams her hips upward. “Yes!”

  I sink my thumb and my middle finger deeper into her body until I can touch them together through her inner walls. I know how sensitive the membrane there is. I know the pleasure detonating in her body now.