by Rush, Olivia
“Don’t make me any promises,” I said.
“All I’m promising you is a job. Tomorrow morning. Show up dressed in those tight little pants and that cute blouse.” He drew me closer and brushed a kiss across my lips. Fire sprouted through my center and I clung to him. Finally, he broke the kiss, brushed the hair back from my face, stroking my cheek as he did. “I’d better head out. If I don’t, it’s going to be damn difficult to keep my focus at work tomorrow.”
Mason kissed me once more on the cheek then lifted me and set me aside on the blanket. “There’s food too, if you’re hungry,” he said, his voice choked. The outline of his dick pressing against his jeans was plain by the lantern light. “I’ll carry the picnic basket up to the house for you and clean up the rest of this stuff. You go inside and relax.”
“I can help,” I said and rose.
“Fuck it, Becca, I know you can, but if you stay, I’m going to strip you and fuck you under the stars. Go.”
I stood, staring at him, flushed from head to toe, my pussy pounding out the beat of my heart.
Mason cast me one last, hard glance. “Go. Now.”
I turned my back on him and hurried up to the house, barely clinging to the last vestiges of my control.
Chapter 12
Mason
I sat in my office, staring at the screen listing all my appointments for the day, and sporting an erection that would’ve made a porn star blush.
Rebecca was out there, sitting at the front desk talking with super pregnant Mary, and they got on great. Which was perfect but didn’t help my situation.
I was caught between wanting to tug Becca into my office and fuck her raw on the desk and the guilt tearing through my stomach—I’d put off my moving plans. I hadn’t exactly asked to stay in my position, though Crown would no doubt be overjoyed, but the thought was in my mind.
It tore at me.
I hadn’t let anyone in since Tabitha, and that’d been an ultimate cock-up.
But the thought of leaving Stoneport at the end of the month seemed totally implausible now. I wanted Rebecca happy. I wanted her safe. I wanted her bent over my lap while I spanked her supple ass cheeks and played with her pussy.
My cock throbbed, and I gripped it. “Down, boy,” I muttered. “Now is not the time.”
But he was damn well insistent. He got what he wanted, much like me. I pushed back in my chair and touched a finger to my zipper. Christ, I couldn’t rub one out here. I could try in the bathroom, but—
A knock rattled my door, and I rolled forward in my chair again, affecting a stern expression. “Come in,” I called out.
The doorknob turned, and Becca stepped into my office, wearing those tight tailored pants, and that light sleeveless blouse. “Coffee,” she said cheerily and nodded to the tray she’d brought with her. She left the door open a crack and came forward to my desk. She placed the tray atop it, smiling. “What a morning,” she said and mimed swiping sweat from her brow. “I really can’t thank you enough, Mason. I mean, Doctor Dunn. This has been an awesome morning. Mary’s so sweet, and she’s been really helpful. All simple stuff, really, just scheduling, answering calls, the admin… Hey, are you OK?”
I grunted a nod in response. The rose-petal scent was too fucking much. If she didn’t leave now, damn, the animal would come out.
“Thanks,” I said and reached for the coffee just as she shifted the little sugar pot closer. Our fingers brushed, and electricity shot through the space between us. Fuck. Enough of this.
I shoved my chair back, breathing hard, and circled the desk.
Becca turned toward me. “Mason, you’re—”
I slipped my hand into the mess of curls at the back of her neck and walked her to the door, slammed her up against it, closing it with a snap. “I can’t fucking do this,” I growled.
“What?” She tilted her head back, looking up at me with bedroom eyes. Desire and nothing else. Fuck, fuck, fuck, she was mine.
“This,” I said and lifted one of her legs, wrapping it around my waist. I angled myself so that my cock, trapped as it was, rubbed against her warm, little box. “You can work here, but you can’t come into my office, Becca. If you do, I’m going to break our little friendship pact and fuck you so hard everyone in the office will hear. Got it?”
“Uh huh,” she whispered.
“So? Why haven’t you left yet?” I leaned my head against her, nosed the crook of her neck and inhaled her, grinding myself into her. Christ, I couldn’t take much more of this—I’d jizz my fucking pants at this rate.
Becca didn’t answer my question. She simply pressed her tits into my chests and ran her hand down my spine, and then along the muscles to either side of it.
I opened my mouth and latched onto her neck, suckled on her, fed on that unique fucking flavor that drove me so wild I couldn’t see straight. I worked my way up and down her neck, trailing wetness, then slipped my hand down her body, toward the top button of her pants.
“I want you,” she whispered. “Mason.”
“I know, baby,” I said. “Come bend over my desk. I’m going to worship your pussy, your body, like the queen you are.” My throat hurt from holding back. My dick ached.
“The—I—” Rebecca’s hands reached for my zipper. “I can’t think straight when you’re nearby.”
“Ditto.”
She unbuttoned the top button, went for the zipper next. “I want to taste you. Can I please suck your dick?”
“Jesus, you’re so fucking sexy when you beg.”
“Please,” she said, a hint of a smile lifting the corners of her lips. “Pretty please.”
I sucked on her earlobe and—
A knock rat-tatted against the wood behind us, the reverberation traveling through her body and mine.
Fuck.
We sprang apart, the spell broken, and Becca’s cheeks fired red. She looked down at herself, and straightened her shirt, her pants, then pointed to mine. I zipped up and hurried to my seat, lowered myself into it and busied myself with the coffee.
“If that’s everything you need,” Becca said, breathlessly.
“Not even close,” I replied. The knock came again, and I sighed. “Come in.”
The door opened, and the last person I wanted to see walked into my office. He halted, his classic jock face crinkling into a cheesy smile. His gaze switched from Becca to me, then back again. He appraised her openly, and she took a step back, folding her arms across her chest.
“Am I interrupting something, Doctor Dunn?” Perry asked.
“Only the natural flow of order,” I replied then looked up at Becca. She was my calm in a sea of anger, but I couldn’t allow her to witness what would happen next. “Thank you for the coffee, Rebecca. Let me know when my ten o'clock is here.”
“Yes, Doctor,” she replied, then strode from the office, ignoring Perry completely. She shut the door behind herself and plunged us into awkward silence.
Perry Jackson, my once best friend, moved forward and took a seat in front of my desk. He touched a finger to the standing calendar on my desk. “I didn’t expect to find you here, Dunn,” he said. “I was under the impression you’d be gone by now.”
“End of the month,” I replied, stiffly. “And what the fuck do you know about it?”
“Everyone knows about it.” Perry’s grin was sharkish—too many teeth and too fucking white. “Everyone that matters, anyway. Crown called me a few weeks after you handed in your notice. He wanted me to be your replacement, can you believe it? But I said no, of course. Conflict of interests.”
“You’re goddamn right.”
“Aw, man, are you still bitter?” Perry sighed, and ruffled his dark hair. “You know, I would never have touched Tabby if she hadn’t been desperate for it. We fell in love. Surely you understand what that’s like?”
“Are you actually asking me that question?” My muscles corded under my shirt. It wasn’t the fact that Tabitha had cheated on me with my best friend that go
t to me. It was the fact that my best man—the one person I’d trusted—had betrayed me.
When I’d left Stoneport behind, gone to do my service, I’d asked Perry to look out for Tabitha. He’d broken my trust on every fucking level, and yet he had the audacity to sit in front of me like we were still buds.
Like I’d offer him a beer and we could talk about medicine, our studies, the good old times, as if nothing had happened.
This motherfucker was a demon. Too bad I was the fucking devil, and I would destroy him if I had the chance.
The quiet grew between us as Perry sat in the chair, larger than life, smiling at me. “It’s a good thing you’re leaving, Mason. That’s what you do best, right? When Tabitha needed you, you left.”
“For fucking Afghanistan, asshole.”
“Right, your service.” He gave a mock salute. “Soldier first, doctor second, husband last.”
“What do you want, Jackson?”
“Nothing. I’m just catching up, checking that all your plans are in place. I might not be your replacement, but I am interested in a position with this practice. I’m here for an interview, and, given that Crown has always liked me, I’m sure I’ll get the job.” Jackson put his hands behind his head and leaned back, grinning at me. “Especially now there’s that cute new assistant working here. She’s got an ass on her.”
I slammed upright, the tops of my thighs slammed into my desk, and the coffee cup jumped, slopping brown liquid over my desk pad. “Shut your fucking mouth,” I said and pointed a finger at him. “Don’t think I won’t break you, Jackson. Our friendship is nothing, our history is gone. It’s just you and me now, motherfucker, and I will wreck you so hard you won’t know which way is up by the time I’m done with you.”
Perry paled. He’d always been the smaller one between the two of us, the weasel-lookin’ motherfucker. Wiry muscle, short, but a fuckboy in essence, doctor or not. He sniffed and rose from the chair, brushing off the front of his button-down shirt. “Seems I’ve touched a nerve.”
“Get out of my office,” I replied, evenly. “You come back in here again, I’ll seriously fuck up your perfect hairdo, get it?” I’d scalp the motherfucker.
Jackson turned and headed for the door, and I held myself back from following him and ramming his face into it. He looked back at me. “It was nice seeing you again, Mace.”
“Go fuck a garbage disposal, Jackson.”
He let himself out of the office and shut the door softly. Everything he did was soft and sneaky. I sat back down, shut my eyes, and exhaled. It’d been a long time since I’d been that angry. It had been a week of testing my limits. My control.
I’d had more than enough of it.
Perry’s words flitted through my mind. He was here, not working at the practice up in New Orleans, and he was going to take a place with Crown. Christ, leaving Stoneport had never been as appetizing. Except for the fact that it meant leaving Becca behind too, and there were too many wolves around to do that.
“Shit,” I muttered and kneaded my forehead.
How the hell had I wound up in this mess? From lusting after my next-door neighbor to caring about her on a level I’d sworn I’d shut down a long time ago.
My desk phone trilled, and I lifted the receiver from the cradle. “Yeah?”
“Doctor,” Mary said, “your ten a.m. has just arrived.”
“Right. I’ll be right in.” I hung up and refocused. This was what mattered—work, helping people. I’d have to deal with all the other shit later.
Bottom line, Perry near Rebecca was out of the question.
Chapter 13
Rebecca
“And that’s it,” Mary said, running a hand over her belly. “You’re done for the day. Listen, it was such a pleasure to meet you, and I’m looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow. I just know you’ll do great while I’m gone.”
“Fingers crossed,” I replied and smiled at her. She was one of the first genuinely nice people I’d met in Stoneport—heck, in life. No ulterior motives, just a kind soul. “Gosh, I feel kind of bad for leaving after a half day.”
“No way. That’s the privilege of being an intern. There’s not much more for you to do today. You can stay a full day tomorrow, how about that?”
“Sounds good to me. Listen, thanks for everything today, Mary. You made the whole process so much easier.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” she said and tilted her head to one side, smiling.
I grabbed my handbag and waved goodbye, heading for the warmly lit parking lot outside. Gosh, I couldn’t wait to get home and snack on something homemade. Just being in the kitchen would soothe me after one helluva day.
I’d nearly lost it back in Mason’s office. The thought of what’d happened sent tingles through me. Given the chance, I’d have done it again, and that was scary. Mason was irresistible. Thinking of him muddied everything.
I headed out to my car and got in, grimacing at the heat that’d built up inside over the course of the morning. “Ugh,” I muttered and started the engine. Except, the engine didn’t start. “No. No, come on, are you kidding me?” I tried again, but the battery was officially dead. Had I left my lights on? Not a chance—I was religious about switching them off.
Perhaps the old gal had finally given up.
I groaned and rested my forehead against the steering wheel. This was the last thing I needed. I didn’t exactly have expendable cash right now, and VW Beetle parts were pretty hard to come by. “Goddammit,” I muttered.
Knuckles tapped against my closed window, and I jumped upright and spun around, heart leaping into my throat.
The guy who’d interrupted Mason and me earlier stood outside my car, crouching ever so slightly and smiling in at me. “Car trouble?” he asked.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. This dude gave me the fucking creeps. After being with Kieran, I’d finally honed my fuckboy radar, and this guy set the needle right in the red. “I’m fine,” I said and wiped sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand.
“Doesn’t look like it. You need me to take a look?”
“No, thank you.” I turned the key again, just for the hell of it, and still nothing. What had I expected? A miracle from above?
“Seriously, I’m good with this stuff. Let me help you.”
Clearly, Mr. Fuckboy Extraordinaire hadn’t received the message loudly or clearly. I clunked my car door open, forcing him to back up a couple paces, and clambered out into the sun. At least there was a breeze out here. “I don’t need any help,” I said clearly, holding on to the top of the car door. “The battery’s dead, which means I’ll have to get a new battery. And, unless you’ve got jumper cables for arms, I don’t see how you can help. Thank you, though. I appreciate the offer.”
Cheeseball McInterruptie Pants cocked his head to one side. “I’m always willing to help out a damsel in distress.”
I looked around. “Sorry, I’m fresh out of those,” I said. Can I offer you a kick in the groin, instead? Gosh, what was it about this guy that gave me the uber creeps?
“You’re funny,” he said, chuckling, and put out his hand. “I’m Doctor Jackson, by the way. But, you can call me Perry. I give pretty women that privilege.”
Oh god, I think I just threw up in my mouth a little. “Well, how privileged am I,” I said and didn’t shake his hand. There was something about this dude that was vaguely familiar. Like I’d met him before today, but I just couldn’t place where I’d seen him.
“I didn’t catch your name.” Perry slid his hand down and into his pocket.
I hesitated. I didn’t want to tell this guy anything about myself, but being rude—ugh, I hated that, too.
“I’m only asking because it seems like we’ll be working together, right? You’re the new assistant. I saw you in Doctor Dunn’s office, serving coffee.” The way he worded it, with an emphasis on “serving,” brought on another bout of the skin prickles. “I’m going to be working at this prac
tice too, as a doctor, of course. It would be good to get to know each other.”
“In a strictly professional sense, sure. My name is Rebecca,” I said, still reluctant about it.
“Nice. Gorgeous name. I knew a model by that name, once.” He chuckled again, this time a throaty, horrid little laugh. “So, now that we’re not strangers anymore, are you willing to let me help you?”
“You got jumper cable arms? Seriously, I don’t need help.”
“At least let me give you a ride,” Perry said, his smile faltering. “It’s the least I can do.”
“I’m good. Walking is great exercise.”
“Aw, c’mon, it’s boiling out.”
I opened my mouth, this time to give this goober a piece of my frazzled mind, but the slam of a door stalled me.
“She said no, Jackson.” Mason strode from the front of the building, his face a thundercloud. “No means no.”
Perry laughed again, but it was forced this time, and he took a couple steps back with it. “All right, all right. Looks like Doctor Dunn is marking his territory.”
“Excuse me?” I whipped my head around and glared at him. “What did you just say?”
“Nothing,” Perry replied, grinning like a jackal. “Nothing. See you soon, Rebecca. Hope the car troubles sort themselves out. Enjoy the walk.” He strode off then, bringing out a set of keys. The lights of a nearby Audi flashed.
Mason stepped forward but didn’t touch me, thankfully. I wouldn’t have been able to handle it right now, there was so much tension in the air. I was stewing in it.
“You all right?” Mason asked. “Ignore that jackass. He’s nothing.”
“Really? Seems like a pain in the ass to me,” I replied.
“I overheard something about car trouble?”
I patted the roof of the rusty old car and shrugged. “Seems like she’s giving up on me. It’s a battery issue, but it’s no biggie. I’ll walk home. Or call an Uber or something.” Did they have Uber in this town?