“Just tell me when she gets here, that will be all,” I grumbled .
I wasn’t in the mood to deal with Mary’s jealousy and bad attitude. I was well aware of the policy and knew that Tabitha had four more minutes to get here before I would start to worry. I folded my hands in my lap as Mary closed the door. It was hard enough to stay focused, but now I was wondering if she was still going to show up. The hands on the clock seemed to slow down, adding to the torture of my wait. I watched it closely, waiting for the knock that would announce Tabitha’s arrival .
It never came .
I sat there like a fool for an hour after her appointment. Finally, I had to let the staff go for the weekend. With no other appointments, it was pointless for me to keep them there. Each time Mary would come in to check on me I’d pretend to be working diligently on paperwork. I gave up the game once she was gone after assuring her for the tenth time that everything was fine .
When I was alone at last, I texted Selina. She didn’t answer and after a few minutes I gave up on being patient and called her. She would at least know where Tabitha was at. I strummed my fingers impatiently against the desk. Why was I acting like such a child ?
“Hello?” Selina said softly .
“Hey, Selina. It’s Earl,” I said, trying to sound casual .
“Hey,” she whispered. “Is everything okay with Mom and Gary ?”
“What?” I stammered. “Oh yeah, sure. Yeah this isn’t like an emergency or anything. I was actually just wondering if you knew where Tabitha was at .”
“Oh,” she said quickly. “Let me call you back, I’m in class .”
“Okay sure, that would be—” I started to say .
She hung up before I could finish. I ground my teeth, trying to keep my wild temper under control. Tabitha at this point was being a little childish. I knew that Selina could have shared the information with me even in class. Again, I sat tapping my fingers until finally, after what felt like an eternity, my phone lit up as Selina called me .
“Sorry about that,” she said. “I had to step out of the room. Tabitha had a job interview this morning. I know she was pretty confident about getting it. I haven’t heard from her yet, though, so I don’t know if she’s back at her place or not .”
Her honesty was surprising. I thought she would be helping Tabitha dodge me. “Do you know where her interview was at ?”
She hesitated. “I do, but listen she doesn’t want to talk to you, okay? I don’t know what happened with the two of you, but you really got to her. She doesn’t let people in often and you screwed the pooch on that one .”
I groaned, “I know that, Selina. I am trying to find her so I can tell her how sorry I am. I know I screwed up and I don’t want to lose her .”
Selina sighed, “You do make a convincing argument .”
“Tell me or don’t tell me, but I’m not going to give up. I made a mistake, I’m only human .”
“I’m not the one you should be telling.” She sighed. “It was with the Fink Group. They want her as an entry level associate to head up a new charity .”
“Wow,” I stammered. “That would be a great fit for her. She’s so generous as it is .”
“Well her interview was an hour ago. So unless it went terribly wrong I would think she’d just be finishing up .”
“Thanks, Selina, you’re a lifesaver,” I told her quickly as I grabbed my keys .
“Just don’t screw this up again, okay? She needs you and you need her. If I didn’t think it was meant to be, I wouldn’t be helping you at all .”
“I promise I won’t screw it up again,” I told her as I ran out to my car. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to go try and get my girlfriend back .”
* * *
I tried to call Tabitha again, but she didn’t answer. I was parked outside of the Fink Group main office waiting for her. I wished I knew if she was even in there or if I was just wasting time. Either way, I would do what it took to get her back. It was a mantra that I told myself over and over again as I waited .
Finally, I saw her emerge from the building and I quickly jumped out of the car. She saw me right away and froze, but she didn’t turn away, which was a small victory for me. I reached her in a few short seconds and resisted the urge to wrap her into my arms and cover her with kisses .
“What are you doing here?” she hissed. “It was Selina, wasn’t it? I swear that girl can’t keep a secret to save her life .”
I laughed, “Don’t blame her, she just wants to see you happy. Can we please talk? Just for a few minutes ?”
She bit her lip and looked down at her watch. “I guess so .”
I struggled to keep from jumping up and down like a little kid. “Coffee ?”
Tabitha nodded and we started walking slowly over to a coffee cart across the grass covered pavilion. It was elating just to be in her presence .
“Sorry I missed the appointment this morning. I meant to call, but it just slipped my mind .”
“Oh, it’s no big deal. I’m happy you decided not to go through with it. What changed your mind ?”
Tabitha blushed. “It was what you said actually .”
“Oh?” I said excitedly .
“Yeah, I went to a career advisor and they talked with me. We found a field that I was qualified in, but still gave back to the community. Then I let Selina help me pick out a few new outfits and then I came here. This was my first interview since everything changed .”
“Wow!” I stammered. “That’s amazing! I mean that is really great to hear. So how did the interview go ?”
“Great! I got the job. I start first thing on Monday. They even gave me a housing allowance to move closer to the main office .”
“Well it sounds like things have really turned around for you. I wanted to talk to you about the way things ended between us,” I said quickly .
We were almost to the coffee stand and I didn’t want the trance to be broken. She had a glow about her that radiated happiness. I wanted to sweep her off her feet and take her back to my apartment and show her just how proud I was of her achievements. The fact that she wasn’t going to alter her perfect body was just icing on the cake .
She shook her head. “Listen, I hate how things went down too. I wanted to call you, but then I got sucked into everything else that was happening. I didn’t have time and to be honest, I wasn’t sure that you would even want to talk to me .”
“Why wouldn’t I want to talk to you? I’ve tried to call you a few times now .”
“I thought it was just about the surgery.” She shrugged. “I know that my mother has complicated things. She has always been good at doing that .”
“I don’t care about your mother. You are the one that I want to be with,” I told her softly .
She shifted and looked at the coffee cup now in her hands. “I was going to see if you wanted to have dinner with me tonight. A sort of ‘thank you’ for suggesting that I go to a career advisor first. You saved me a lot of pain. I was about to make a big mistake in getting that surgery .”
“That was all you. You are the one who wanted to change and put in the legwork instead of taking the easy way out like so many others. It’s another amazing quality that you have .”
Her cheeks blushed a bright red, sending a thrill down my body. She cleared her throat. “So what do you think? Would you want to have dinner with me ?”
“Absolutely. I would love to talk more about us,” I said .
“Just one more thing,” she said quickly. “Did you talk to your dad about my mother? I haven’t had any angry phone calls since she left. It’s a little strange for her. I’m normally the first person she lashes out at when things go wrong .”
“Yeah I did, we don’t need to worry about it though. And if she calls you then tell her to shove it. You don’t need that kind of drama in your life .”
“But I need you, right?” she asked sarcastically .
“Tabitha,” I said .
She shook her head. “Let’s not get into that right now. You said ‘yes’ to dinner and I’m going to hold you to that okay? Why don’t we meet at The Lounge around seven ?”
“I could pick you up if you’d like. If it would make things easier .”
Tabitha shook her head, looking away from me for a moment. I took a step closer to her and gently squeezed her arm. She looked back at me and I could see she was fighting back tears .
“What’s wrong ?”
“Nothing, I just don’t want you to make my life easier okay? Can we please just meet at the restaurant ?”
“Sure, I was just—” I let my words trail off .
Tabitha was right. I was always trying to make things easier for her, but it was only because I cared so much. I hated it when she struggled. Right now, it was easy to see that I was the one pushing her away. I had to find a way to let her be her own person and not constantly take control of the situation .
“I can meet you there, no problem,” I told her quickly .
She smiled and her tears dissipated immediately. “Great, I can’t wait .”
I stepped closer to her and lightly kissed her cheek, taking in her enchanting scent. I didn’t want to pull away from her, but I knew I had no choice. With one final breath of her sweet perfume I stepped away from her and headed for my car. I didn’t trust myself to linger any longer. She was my kryptonite .
Chapter Nineteen
Tabitha
“I ’m really glad we decided to do this,” I told him nervously .
“Me too! I was a little scared to approach you after everything that happened. You know your mom shouldn’t have anything to do with us .”
“Maybe it was a good thing she butted in when she did,” I told him casually. “You’re right, we do need to talk .”
The time apart had given me time to think. I cared about Earl, more than he would ever know. But I was my mother’s daughter. People would always be looking down on me. Earl deserved a woman far more worthwhile than me. I knew that the stalemate with Opal wouldn’t last forever. She would be back to cause more destruction and I didn’t want Earl to be in her path when it happened .
“Do you mind if I go first?” he asked anxiously. “I’ve been trying to find you for days .”
I smiled. Nothing he could say would change my mind. “Sure .”
He reached across the table and took my hands. The second our skin touched the slow burning ember erupted into a volcanic flame of desire. The few days apart had been rough on my body. It had grown accustomed to Earl’s skilled touch .
“I know you’ve been thinking about ‘us’ and so have I. You don’t know how proud I am that you got that job.” He started to fidget. It amazed me how a man so raw and rugged could fumble over his words. “Your desire for independence is one of the reasons I love you .”
I sucked in a sharp breath and looked at him. The room faded around us. No one else mattered in that moment. I didn’t know what to say. His words made my heart race. How could I respond to something so sudden? Was I ready to tell him I loved him too? It didn’t matter, he quickly cleared his throat and started talking again .
“This is all moving so fast, I know that. I just need you to know how I really feel. I’ve been miserable without you around .”
“I don’t understand what’s changed so much in a few days. The other night you walked away without looking back,” I reminded him softly .
“I was an idiot. I was enraged and I assumed the worst when I shouldn’t have. Is there any way you can ever forgive me for that ?”
“I don’t know,” I told him. “What happens the next time we get into a fight or argument? Are you going to flip out on me again ?”
“No,” he said adamantly. “Never again. I was so wrong to do that to you .”
I swallowed, it was so hard to keep my head from spinning. A week ago I would have swooned over the idea of him professing his feelings for me. I needed time to think about what was happening. Sure I had feelings for him, but could I really trust him? Could I ever really trust anyone? He’d packaged me together with my gold digging mother so easily .
“I know that I messed up,” he said as he took my hand. “All I’m asking for is the chance to make things right. Can you give me that? Let’s start things over fresh from the beginning .”
I looked at him, my stomach doing a little somersault. “A fresh start ?”
Earl nodded. “That’s all I’m asking for .”
“God knows I’ve needed a few of those in my life .”
“Does that mean you’ll give me another chance?” His eye lit up .
I couldn’t stop myself from laughing at the expression of pure joy on his face. If I was unsure about being with him before now it was gone. He cared about me and my feelings for him couldn’t stay hidden much longer .
“I can’t believe this is really happening!” he exclaimed .
I giggled like a young girl just as the waiter brought out our food. My appetite was gone. I looked at Earl and knew that he was thinking the same thing that I was. The dinners could wait just like everything else. I only wanted one thing in my mouth and I wasn’t going to get it sitting in a room full of people. I raised my eyebrows a couple times and jerked my head toward the door. In a flash he was pulling out his wallet and leaving money on the table before grabbing my hand and tugging me out the door .
We laughed together as we climbed into the back of his waiting car. It was like the first night we were together all over again. His hands moved all over my body in a fevered rush. I didn’t stop him, I was doing the same thing as our lips crushed together. My tongue darted into his mouth as he groaned and pulled me onto his lap. I didn’t care about the skirt as the thin material split up the sides .
His hands ran up my legs, digging into the tights and ripping them into shreds as I jerked apart his shirt. We weren’t going to make it all the way back to his apartment or mine. I ran my hands down his chest and hooked my finger through his belt as I pulled it open. I could feel the heat radiating from his hard cock through his jeans. With one hand I rubbed his cock through the material as I unbuttoned his pants with the other. All I could think about was feeling his cock buried to the hilt inside of me .
“I want you,” he groaned .
I couldn’t speak as I bit down on his neck. His hands found my nipples through my shirt and he pinched them ferociously. I squealed and bounced up and down on his lap. He ripped through the last of the fabric. Finally, his lips found their mark as he clamped down on one of my engorged nipples. I quivered in his hands as his fingers found their mark and plunged into my dripping body. My entire body vibrated with pure pleasure as he moved back and forth inside of me .
The need to feel him inside of me intensified with each passing second. Jerking down his pants, I fell away from his skilled fingers and down onto my knees. In a matter of seconds I had my lips wrapped around his throbbing cock. It wasn’t enough though, it would never be enough until he was buried deep inside of me. I scrambled back up to his lap, his eyes locking onto mine. I saw the same need for pure, unbridled passion in his eyes. He grabbed my arms and pulled me back onto his lap. I rose up on my knees, my waiting slit just inches from his cock .
“Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you?” he growled as he playfully bit my nipples .
He had my hands extended above my head, pressed against the roof of the car. I shuddered at how helpless I was, it aroused me even more. I bit my lip and looked down at him, his lips parting once more over my reddened nipple. Wiggling my body, I slipped down until the head of his cock was pressing to enter my body .
“Please, I need it,” I begged him breathlessly .
He chucked, “How bad do you need it ?”
Before I could answer, he thrust his hips upwards quickly. His cock jabbed into my slick body and I gasped. Instantly my clit started to thrum with joy as I shuddered and fought to escape the sweet torture. He didn’t move away, leaving his cock buried se
veral inches inside of me. I wanted to bounce on him, feel him moving inside of me, but this sweet torture would never end. Even as I tried to beg him for more he slowly slipped out of me. The second he was gone, I longed for the torture once again .
“Please,” I begged him .
“How can I say ‘no’ to that?” he asked .
Earl let go of my hands and I slipped down onto his thrusting cock. I screamed out his name as the waves of passion encompassed me. My fingers tangled through his hair, tugging and pulling as I slipped back and forth on his throbbing member. The pace started to speed up, his large hands crushing my exposed body to his chest. The sweat of our bodies mingling together as the air around us grew stale. He moaned out my name softly against my flesh. I curled my legs around his waist, allowing him to lift me up with his massive thighs before bouncing back down onto his lap .
Earl’s hand moved further down my back into the crease of my buttocks. His finger pressed against my button and I wiggled uncontrollably. He knew the little wild things that drove me absolutely insane. I pulled harder on his hair, arching my back as my body clenched down on his rod. The tightening of my body made him suck in a sharp breath, his thrusts coming faster as I struggled to keep the orgasm at bay. I wanted it to last forever. The pure euphoria that I felt with him was like a drug and I was happy to die an addict .
The vibration in my body built until it was a humming of pure pleasure. Every thrust brought me to a new height. I pulled him tight against me as his shaft pounded my tightening core until finally, his seed spilled into my waiting body. At the same time my entire body seemed to explode and shatter into millions of atoms made from ecstasy. The moment was blinding .
In the heat of the moment I cried out his name and admitted to what I knew all along. “I love you, Earl .”
* * *
“G ood morning,” he whispered to me .
The light was stabbing at my eyes, but I didn’t care. Waking up next to him felt like a wonderful dream I never wanted to leave. I could smell the hot coffee sitting on the night stand. The silk sheets wrapped around my naked body as I moved. I was sore, but left in a blissful state of happiness. Stretching out I smiled up at him .
Forbidden Prescription 5: A Stepbrother Plastic Surgeon Romance (Forbidden Medicine) Page 11