by Ella Jade
“Not really.” She shrugged. “I haven’t spoken to him since the engagement party. We’re cool like that.”
“I see.” I nodded. “You two were awfully close that night.”
“I don’t think so.”
“That wasn’t the two of you dancing once the older crowd left that night?”
“We’re friends. He’s fun to be around.”
“He does know how to have a good time.”
“Yeah, he does.” When she smirked, she confirmed they were more than just friends. “Kirsten is with one last patient. They should be out in a few minutes. She said I could lock up and go. You could wait here for her.”
“Thanks.”
“So, what’s up with you two?” She grabbed her bag and logged off the computer. “Are you dating?”
“I think so.” It had been a few weeks since the engagement party and we were seeing one another regularly. We had yet to put a name to what we were doing but it seemed like dating. “What does she say about us?” Maybe Rayne could help me figure out what was going on in my personal life. I sure as hell had no clue.
“She doesn’t have to say anything.”
“What do you mean?”
“I see that smile on her face and the funny way she walks the morning after she spends a night with you.” She winked as she came around the desk. “Whatever you’re doing is working for her. Don’t stop.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“I hope it’s not a game for you.”
“What?” I wasn’t the one who initiated this game.
“I know you Clark brothers.”
“You know Max.” I shook my head, wondering what lines my brother had tried on her. “I’m not Max.”
“I certainly hope not.”
When she went toward the door, I wondered what she had meant. Was Max messing with her head? Even from England he managed to screw things up. Rayne looked like she could handle my brother. She was sharp and didn’t take shit from anyone. She probably gave just as good as Max did. Whatever they were doing was none of my business. They both tried to be discreet. Besides, I had my own relationship to figure out.
“See you around.” She waved. “Kirsten has an early morning tomorrow. Be gentle.”
I rolled my eyes and laughed as she made her way out into the humid June evening. I liked her spunk.
“Hey.” Kirsten came into the reception area wearing her lab coat with a little fish on the pocket and her stethoscope still around her neck. Hot. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Underneath that coat, she wore a floral sundress and the sexiest strappy, lavender heels. She was all legs. She had to be the most alluring pediatrician in the country. I’d play doctor with her. “Hello.” I moved toward her, wrapping my arms around her waist. “How’s your day going, Dr. Dunlap?”
“It’s almost over.” She pressed her palms against my chest. “My last patient is in the bathroom getting her diaper changed and then I’m all yours.”
“I like the sound of that.” I tugged her to me. “I’ll need a kiss to hold me over.” I lowered my gaze to her lips. “Just one.” I brushed my mouth along hers, running my tongue between the seam of her lips. Holding her toned frame against mine, I kissed her softly. As I moved my mouth to her jaw, I continued to keep her close, staring into her eyes. Just as I was about to steal another kiss, she backed away.
“Just one.” The sound of footsteps echoed on the other side of the door behind us. “We’ll be alone soon enough.”
She pulled the door that led back to the patient rooms, holding it open as a woman pushed a stroller out. I moved away, taking my phone out of my pocket to check my email one last time before we left for dinner.
“Are you all set?” Kirsten asked.
“Yes, Dr. Dunlap, thank you for everything.” When the woman spoke, I recognized her voice immediately. I looked up just as her gaze connected with mine.
“Miles.” Her voice was higher almost as if she was surprised by my presence. That made sense. What would I be doing in a pediatrician's office? As a matter of fact, what was she doing here?
In the words of Jameson, all I could think was... the stripper.
“Cassandra.” I didn’t expect to see her here, looking a lot less vivacious than I remembered her and pushing a stroller out of a pediatrician's office. My pediatrician. “How are you?”
“I’m good and you?” She pressed a pacifier into the tiny, baby’s mouth.
“I can’t complain.” I glanced into the stroller. “Who is this beautiful little girl?”
“This is Mila.”
“You two know one another?” Kirsten asked.
“We’re old friends.” I stared at the baby. “How old is she?” Did I really want to know? I calculated in my head the last time I was with Cassandra. Our nights were always brief. They were sporadic and fun. When they ended neither of us expected anything from the other.
“She’s just about three months old.” Cassandra smiled at Kirsten. “We were so lucky Dr. Dunlap had an opening when she was born.”
“In March?” I was still calculating to be sure.
Kirsten shot me a curious glance. The last time I was with Cassandra was a year ago. Nine months to have a baby and three months later. Shit!
When Cassandra maneuvered the stroller past me without answering my question, I noticed the diamond ring on her finger. She was married. So maybe that meant that Mila wasn’t... of course she wasn’t mine. I was over-thinking this. “It was nice seeing you, Miles.” She made her way out of the office rather abruptly. She didn’t even ask what I was doing there. Was she trying to get away from me? Was I still over-thinking?
“How do you know Cassandra?” Kirsten asked.
“We were a...” Fuck buddies? “Friends.”
“Friends?”
“Are you ready to go?”
“What kind of friends?”
“The kind who don’t talk about it the next morning.” Or a year later for that matter. Or when they have a baby that you could possibly be... “Let’s go get a drink.”
“Are you okay?” She took off her lab coat and hung it in the closet behind the desk before grabbing her bag. “You look like you might be ill.”
“I could be better.” Taking her hand, I led her to the door. “There’s this really cool bar down the street. Let’s start there.”
“Okay.” She held onto my hand, impressively keeping up in those high heels. “We could go back to my place and order in if you want. Maybe talk?”
“Talk?” Now she wanted to do traditional?
“You look stressed. Maybe I could help.”
“Nothing a drink won’t cure.” When we turned the corner, I saw the bar I had in mind. “Come on.” I hurried down the steps that led to the basement bar and grill. “How was your day?”
“Fine.” She sat when I moved the bar stool out for her. “It’s your day I’m worried about.”
“I had a fantastic day.” I handed her the bar menu. “What are you having?”
“Just a glass of water for now.”
“Water? Are you on call?”
“We had a few kids with a virus. One has asthma. I want to have a clear head if I need to take any calls tonight.”
“You’re very responsible. I like that about you. I wish I was that responsible.”
“You’re pretty responsible.”
“Not all the time.” Why did I let Cassandra inside my head? If her baby was mine wouldn’t she have told me? What right did I have to make such an assumption about her child?
When the bartender came over, I wasted no time with our order. “A glass of sparkling water for my friend and I’ll have a shot of tequila. Just keep them coming until I say stop.”
“You’re sure you’re not going to tell me what’s bothering you?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” I downed the first shot. “I’d much rather focus on you.”
“You obviously need to unwind so go for it. I’ll get you home
.”
“Thank you.” Turning to face her, I scooted her stool closer to me so our legs were touching. “Did CC tell you my mother has planned an engagement dinner for next week?”
“Yeah, because that big party wasn’t enough.” When she giggled, I couldn’t help but lean in and kiss one of those adorable dimples. “Your mom is great.”
“She’s excited Jameson has settled down.” I made quick work of my second shot, putting it on the bar and pointing to the empty glass. The bartender came over and filled it again. “This dinner is just for the family and bridal party. Maybe a few friends.”
“CC said it’s at your parents’ house. Does that mean your mom will cook?”
“Oh, God no.” When I finished my third shot, my head started to spin but I was more relaxed. Cassandra and Mila weren’t front and center anymore. My main focus was Kirsten. “We don’t want that. She’s a hell of an attorney but she’s not a very good cook.”
“Maybe you should slow down now.” She swiped the shot glass, putting it in front of her. “For a few minutes.”
“Why?”
“Because I can already see it in your eyes.”
“I’m not drunk.”
“You’re not sober.”
“How about a beer?” Why am I asking permission to drink? “Then we’ll eat.”
“Okay, I said I would get you home but I don’t want you to get sick.”
“I’m not an amateur.” I cupped her cheek in my hand, caressing her skin. “But I’ll slow down if it makes you feel better.”
“Thank you.” She slid off the stool and moved to stand between my legs. “Maybe I want you coherent when I take you home.”
“Hmm...” I liked her bolder side. She may look sophisticatedly innocent but she was wild in the bedroom. That was becoming more evident each time we were together. “Maybe you should take control tonight.” I licked my lips just before tugging her into my lap and kissing her. She sighed when I rested my hand on her upper thigh, squeezing her soft flesh as I deepened the kiss.
“Miles.” She broke the kiss. “Settle down.”
“No.” When I brushed my mouth along her jaw, she tensed. “What’s wrong?”
“That woman is taking pictures of us.” She glanced across the bar. “Do you know her?”
“What?” I made eye contact with Ellie Hawk, the biggest gossip columnist in D.C. “She’s a reporter.”
“For who?” Kirsten slipped out of my lap and sat back in her chair. “Why is she taking pictures of us?”
“She sees a story.” I curled my finger and summoned Ms. Hawk to come over. “I can’t stop her but I can try to spin it. That’s what I do for a living.”
“Spin what?”
“Don’t worry.” I took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “She has made a career out of the Clark brothers. When Jameson was hooked on drugs she did a story on him daily. My mother threatened to sue when Ellie got wind of Jameson in rehab shortly after Sam died. From then on she prints fluff about us. I don’t think anyone reads the bullshit but she keeps trying. I guess she has to make a living somehow.”
“Miles.” The brassy blonde with the fake boobs joined us at the bar. “It must be my lucky night.”
“Ms. Hawk.” Those shots were cluttering my head but I focused because I had to make sure I didn’t give her any ammo to use against my family. “What can I do for you?”
“You’ve already done it.” She held up her phone and smiled at Kirsten. “Who’s your friend?”
“This is Dr. Kirsten Dunlap.” I motioned for the bartender. “Kirsten, this is Ellie Hawk, an aspiring journalist.”
“Ah, Miles, you are the cutest Clark brother, aren’t you?” She laughed. “It’s good to meet you, Dr. Dunlap. Do you practice here in the city?”
“Don’t answer her,” I said. “She can do her own research.”
“Are you instructing her as her boyfriend or is she your client?” Ellie asked. “You have to give me credit for pursuing a family of lawyers. It makes my job so challenging.”
“How do you do, Ms. Hawk?” Kirsten extended her hand. “It seems you know the Clark family well.”
“They keep me quite busy,” she said. “Especially when Max is in town. His bar fight a few weeks ago got a huge amount of hits. I always get a boost in readership when I run a story on him.”
“Don’t you have another family you could disrupt?” I asked. “Surely, we’re old news.”
“Are you kidding? Max and his antics, Jameson and the wedding of the year, and now you and Dr. Dunlap. I have a feeling I’m going to have lots of new material.”
“You know the deal, Ellie,” I warned. “Nothing defamatory and it has to be the truth.”
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’m not about to piss your mother off.”
“Good.” I took Kirsten’s hand when the bartender came over. “We’d like a table now. Can you transfer my tab?”
“Of course, Mr. Clark,” she said. “I’ll get you a table.”
“Thank you.” I turned to Ellie. “That’s all I have for you tonight.”
“Are you kidding?” she complained. “What kind of doctor is your friend? Are you seeing one another? Is it serious? You haven’t given me anything.”
“Exactly.” I helped Kirsten off the high chair.
“Are you going to at least tell me if you two are official?” Ellie called after us.
“No,” I said.
“No, you’re not going to tell me or no, you’re not a couple?”
“You’re the reporter, you tell me.” I kissed Kirsten’s cheek. “Are you ready to eat?”
“What do you think she’ll print?”
“Nothing.” I shrugged. “She has a few pictures of us kissing.”
“Why does she care who you kiss? Why is that news?”
“She and Jameson had a thing a few years back but it didn’t go anywhere. He helped her get her first job at some internet news outlet. He called in a favor and she thought that meant they had a future. When he ended things with her, she used her words as revenge. He became her target.”
“You’re all lawyers. You can’t stop her?”
“My mother tried but she isn’t doing anything illegal. She snaps shots of us in public and she only tells the truth. She spins it with some creative headlines, but her stories never amount to much. We just ignore her.”
“Oh.”
“I’m sorry.” My day just kept getting shittier. “If I would have seen she was sitting across from us, I wouldn’t have done the PDA. That’s not part of our deal.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“You know what, I need another drink.” This night was turning out to be a real clusterfuck. “A few more shots and some beers.”
“Whatever you want.”
“I want you to be happy.” I wrapped my arm around her waist. “I want to be the one who makes you happy.”
“You do.” She kissed my cheek. “I just hope whatever is bothering you isn’t as bad as you think it is.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
***
Kirsten
A couple hours later, I managed to get Miles out of that pub and back to his house. He had a good time tonight. As the evening progressed, the more he drank, the less stress he seemed about whatever was bothering him. We all had bad days.
“Let’s get you to bed.” I guided him up the steps.
“I like the way you think.” He nuzzled my neck. “You smell so good.”
“Thank you.” We continued up the stairs but he stopped halfway. “What’s wrong?”
“I need a kiss.”
“I gave you a kiss when we unlocked the door.”
“That was a long time ago.”
“It was three minutes ago.”
“Too long.” He closed his eyes and puckered his lips. “I need another one.”
How could I resist that? I kissed him softly. When I moved away he opened his eyes and stared at me. “What?”
“That’s it?” He wobbled backward. “Whoa.”
“Let’s get off the steps.” I took his hand and led him to his bedroom. “You need to sit down.”
“I need you.” He sat on the edge of his bed, reaching for the buttons on the front of my dress as he kicked off his shoes. “Right now.” Pulling me into his lap, he kissed my neck as he slipped his hand between my legs.
“You’re a little drunk.” I unbuttoned his shirt, smoothing my hands along his taut chest and sculpted abs before removing it. “I wouldn’t want to take advantage of you.”
“I’m a lot drunk.” He tugged on my panties, sliding them down my legs and over my ankles. “Take advantage of me.” He flopped onto the mattress, unbuckling his belt. “You can do the rest.”
Taking off my shoes, I sauntered over to him and dropped to my knees at the foot of the bed. Making eye contact with him, I unbuttoned his pants and lowered his zipper. As I licked my lips, I shimmied his pants and boxers down his legs, helping him out of them. I squeezed my thighs shut when I brought my mouth to his impressive erection. Running my tongue along his tattoo, he hissed when I grasped his length in my hand.
“Maybe I can make you forget what’s bothering you tonight.”
“You already have.” He tangled his fingers in my hair when I swirled my tongue around his tip. “Kirsten...”
My name tumbled off his lips in a long, slow moan, fueling my desire to take all of him into my mouth. Slowly, I worked my way down his length, licking the underside of his thick, erection. Taking my time, savoring the noises he made, knowing I was responsible for his pleasure. He tightened the grip on my hair when I took all of him in my mouth, bobbing my head back and forth, licking and sucking until he was moaning incoherently. It didn’t take him long to take charge, setting the pace with a jerk of his hand. He liked it fast.
“God, baby, where...” His thighs tensed underneath my arms as he squirmed. “As much as I want to come in your mouth.” He coaxed me away from him, holding my head still, he ran his thumb along my wet lips. “We need a condom.”
When he tried to get up, I pushed him back down. Standing, I lifted my dress just above my hips, giving him a full view of what was underneath. Freshly waxed for him. He inspired me to buy sexy underwear over the last few weeks, make sure I was well-groomed, and schedule a visit to my gynecologist. Thanks to a quick shot, we didn’t need a condom.