Silence fell between us. He knew bringing up my money was a sore spot for me and why. The longer I’d gone without being a Christmas, the happier I’d been. The world knew what kind of depraved soul my father, Randolph Christmas, was. The man was dead, but his sins against the weak, vulnerable, and young lived on. No one had to say they suspected I could be like him. I looked into their eyes and saw that I was guilty by association. Sometimes, I could have sworn I saw the judgment in Si’s eyes too. Maybe I was a coward, but I couldn’t live with that, constantly knowing people were wondering how much like Randolph I was.
“Don’t forget that I worked hard too. And I’m one of the best neurosurgeons in the world, and you know it,” I said, wanting him to admit it.
His face tightened as he examined me. “I know it,” he said finally.
I nodded sharply. “And Gina isn’t a bimbo. She’s a fucking survivor. And don’t worry about Dr. Ross or your career. I’ll take the hit before I let anything happen to you, and you know that too.”
Simon clenched his lips as he shook his head continuously. Fear was in his eyes, and I wished I could lend him some of my confidence.
Si and I had met at King’s Crest Academy, a boarding school in Connecticut. Despite its name, the place wasn’t built to be easy. Each day was supposed to feel as though we were being made to slog through shit—expensive, high-class shit. If I were more like my sister Bryn, I would’ve started brawls, landed myself in trouble, and embarrassed the family, and that would’ve made my father bring me home to be schooled. But living in the family mansion, a place I loathed, was different for a girl than for a boy, slightly more bearable. Our father behaved as if Bryn didn’t exist. I, on the other hand, a boy, a son, was clay for him to mold into a weapon so that he could acquire more financial and political power. It was Bryn who had given me the most valuable advice I’d ever taken. It had gotten me through the four years at King’s Crest and helped me become a person I wouldn’t have been without it.
“Make friends with outsiders, not those fucking cunt boys whose parents are afraid of Randolph. You’ll never be able to trust them. If they don’t know anything about you, then you can feed Father the shit you want him to believe.”
Simon Brown was a brilliant kid from England who had been accepted on a scholarship. I later learned that he grew up as an orphan. Since he had no fucking parents, I thought that made him luckier than me. Before his arrival, I heard talk of boys wanting to crack the outsider’s head open and serve his brains to the birds. Fuckers who were angry because they couldn’t please their fathers liked to run in packs and push around the weak. The problem was that Si wasn’t only a fighter, but he had more authentic confidence and smarts than every boy at the fucking school put together.
Our friendship began on the first day of school in biology class. The teacher told us to pick a partner for the semester. As I roamed the room, focused on the outsider, I could see my classmates eyeing me, hoping I would ask one of them to join me—too chickenshit to ask me themselves. I walked to the far corner of the room and stopped in front of Si’s desk. The outsider sat with his back straight, chin high. It was as if he knew the second-smartest kid in the room would know to approach him. Truth be told, I didn’t even know I was that clever at the time. It wasn’t until we got busy, pushing each other to be our best, that I realized my IQ was above average.
“Want to be partners?” I had asked.
At first, Si tensed up, gripping the side of his desk. Then he sat up straight, composing himself.
“Don’t bring down my grade,” he said.
“I won’t,” I replied quickly.
He shrugged nonchalantly. “All right, then. I’ll take you,” he said in his bold English accent.
I sat beside him. For the first time ever, I didn’t feel like a Christmas. I felt normal. I had two older brothers and two sisters, one whose existence I’d learned of six years ago. But Si was a friend who was more like the brother I would’ve chosen.
But there I was, locking eyes with my friend seventeen years later. He’d been keeping my secrets since our first year at the academy. He had none, while I had enough for the both of us.
“All right, then,” he said, sounding much like he had when he let me be his lab partner. “Don’t fuck this up, Ash.”
Sighing, I stood. “I won’t.” I couldn’t promise I wouldn’t fuck up my world, but I could without a doubt make the promise to not blow up his.
Si nodded sharply, letting me know that he was solidly putting his trust in my hands.
I still had two more surgeries on schedule for the day, a neuroendoscopy and a craniotomy, each to remove a tumor. As I walked down the hallway, head held high, I felt satisfied, knowing that I was a neurosurgeon and not a CEO. My father never would’ve let me be who I was. When I told him I planned to go to medical school, he shook his head adamantly and said, “I can’t use a doctor. Maybe a chemist for our product development interests.” Then he walked off.
But my father had a guy he thought he could control. I had the same guy, who operated in both our interests—Jasper, one of my older brothers, made sure I got what I wanted despite Randolph’s demands. I graduated from the academy a year early thanks to keeping up with Si academically then went straight to university. As an undergrad, I double-majored in chemistry and biology. After I graduated, my father thought I was working as a manager in product development for United Alliance Laboratories Chemicals, one of Christmas Family Industries’ conglomerates, but I was in medical school.
I was twenty-eight and nearing my fourth year as a neurosurgical resident at the University of California, San Francisco, when my father died on Christmas Eve. We were all in the mansion together, ready to play our roles for another bland holiday of parties, photo ops, and lies. Once he was dead and buried and unable to vex the world again, I decided to disappear.
Jake Sparrow was not a fake name, as far as I was concerned. Dr. Sparrow had done his fellowship in neurosurgical oncology plus advanced endoscopy and open-skull surgery in Australia. Si was the one who was able to get me into the program with my forged documents and no questions asked. As I said, Si had nothing to worry about. I wasn’t going to get caught. I started inquiring about legally changing my name. The problem was that I couldn’t do it without revealing my identity. The only person that could make sure I wouldn’t have to do that was Jasper, and I wasn’t ready to contact him yet.
Finally, the care station came into view. My team for my next surgery was gathered there. However, I couldn’t take my eyes off one of them. What the fuck is she doing here?
I walked faster, and the first thing I said when I reached them all was “Dr. Ross? What are you doing here?”
“I… Um…” Her face was red, and I relaxed a bit. I didn’t want her to think I was a prick.
“I asked if she could come in for this surgery. Dan had an emergency,” Deb said as she walked past us.
Fucking Deb had a point to prove. She was going to keep throwing Dr. Ross on my service until she knew I wasn’t being a dick to her resident.
The way Dr. Ross was looking at me, wide-eyed, with her succulent lips parted, had already made me fucking hard. Fuck!
“Dr. Sparrow, I promise. You want me on your team.”
I stood speechless as my chest fluttered. My stunned gaze glossed over my team members as I wondered if any of them had a clue what was going on inside me. I couldn’t be in the same OR with her, cutting on a patient. If Penina Ross was in the room, then she had all my attention. It was weak and unprofessional of me, but at least I was man enough to admit it to myself. One day, we could probably operate on a patient together, but that day wasn’t then.
“Dr. Ross, follow me,” I said curtly.
I took off without knowing if she was behind me. After I cleared the station and was heading down the sterile hallway, I could hear her footsteps. I should fuck her now. I want to fuck her now. I couldn’t. But I had to make her understand. She needed to go back to the
penthouse and relax.
“Dr. Sparrow, I wanted to thank you for your hospitality,” she said. Her tone was unsure. “The flowers were gorgeous.”
I didn’t turn around. I couldn’t speak. We walked across the ramp that led to the doctors’ offices. I took my keys out of my pocket before I reached my door. My heart banged like a broken radiator.
I fumbled with the key until it sank in the keyhole. Her anxiety overtook me. I hadn’t wanted to make her nervous, but I needed her to understand. I opened the door and waited for her to walk past me. When she did, my insides ignited.
Then I closed the door.
Chapter Seven
Penina Ross
I jumped when the door slammed. What is up with this guy? He’d shared his home with me, and I’d thought he would be nicer that day, more inviting, but he was the same dick I had faced from day one.
I folded my arms defiantly. “I’m sorry, Dr. Sparrow, but…”
“Be quiet,” he whispered then turned away from me.
I closed my mouth immediately as I leaned back, shocked that he had said that. “I don’t…”
“Quiet!” he roared, rubbing his temples.
I had to restrain the desire to say, “No, you be quiet.” But I could see how vexed he was. Maybe for me it was a listening moment and not a fighting one. So I pressed my arms tightly to my sides, opening myself up to hearing whatever made him not want to be in the same OR with me.
He finally looked at me again. Then he cleared his throat. “I’m attracted to you,” he whispered.
My eyes grew wide, and I realized he was examining my reaction.
“I can’t have you in the OR with me. Not yet. Go home. I’ll talk to Deb.”
I didn’t think my voice box could work, but I said, “I can’t go home, remember?”
“My place,” he said in a rush. “Go to my place.”
“I thought it belonged to a friend.”
His jaw dropped. Then all of a sudden, I was in his arms, and our lips were pressed against each other’s, our tongues swirling around each other, and holy shit, his cock was like a steel pipe against my belly.
The longer we kissed, the more my sex tingled and throbbed. I could’ve passed out from desire. Then he took me by the wrists and raised my arms above my head as his mouth abandoned mine. Dr. Sparrow’s tongue and lips caressed my neck and earlobe as he rubbed his erection against my pussy, causing orgasmic sensations to spark beneath my mound.
I moaned and sighed, wanting so much more.
“Penina,” he whispered, his warm breath filling my ear.
“Huh?” I sighed, dazed.
“Go the fuck back to the penthouse. Now.” Then without warning, he moved away and darted out of his office and into the hallway nearly as fast as lightning.
I rubbed the side of my neck, where his lips and tongue had last kissed and tasted.
“My… did that just happen?” I asked breathlessly.
It had. It actually had.
It was not easy giving up my space in the OR. I was a surgeon and desperately wanted to see the great Dr. Sparrow in action and perhaps acquire a few new techniques.
Are we going to have sex any time soon?
I was lost in my own world as I shook my head, returning to the call room to sign out for the day. I remembered being in the office with Dr. Sparrow, making out with him, feeling his cock against me, wanting him so much that I could burst. Am I in lust with the new attending? Absolutely. But for me to love him, he would have to change and in a major way. He would have to be less moody and weird and more consistent. But still, it all seemed so surreal. I couldn’t believe that of all people, it was I who had a physiological effect on the sexiest man in the world.
“What are you smiling about?”
I stopped simpering at the floor and looked up at Court, who was grinning while walking in my direction.
Wiping the smile right off my face, I nodded briskly as I passed her. I had forgotten how angry I was with her until then.
“Oh no, you’re mad,” she said.
I came to a halt then closed my eyes, composing myself. Her whiny and pleading tone, which was probably how kept women spoke to their sugar daddies, was annoying. Once the irritation she incited within dissolved, I folded my arms and walked over to stand beside her.
“Court, believe me, I want nothing to do with Rich. That’s why I broke up with him,” I said, keeping my voice contained.
Each passerby watched us inquisitively. By then, just about everyone knew Court was fucking my ex-boyfriend. Thank goodness I wasn’t the type to get rattled by gossip. I’d grown up having to be emotionally stable or else perish. What others thought about me belonged to them and not to me.
“But you and I,” I continued, “were supposed to be girlfriends. Put yourself in my shoes. It’s hard to trust you anymore.”
“Oh,” she said, collapsing her shoulders as if she were the most innocent girl in the world. “I’m so sorry. I really am, Pen. We can’t help who we fall in love with, right?”
I looked off to roll my eyes. She had said the same thing when she and Rich cornered me in Bellies the other day. Then I focused in on Dr. Sparrow speaking with Deb. The chief resident didn’t look happy, but finally, she shook her head and shrugged.
Then my gaze connected with Deb’s, and she waved me over.
“Listen, I have to see what Deb wants,” I said, walking away from Court. “We can talk about it later.” I shook my head. “Or maybe not. It is what it is.”
“But are you still coming to the party? I hope so!” Court said.
Shit, I forgot about that. I was struggling to come up with an answer while walking backward. I saw Court’s eyes grow wide at the same time I slammed into something tall, strong, and hard.
“Oh,” I said as large hands squeezed my waist. I recognized the scent of his breath next to my face.
“Sorry. Are you steady?” Sparrow asked. His cock of steel was against me.
I gulped nervously as I nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
“Dr. Sparrow, you’re coming, too, right?” Court asked, sounding more like a giddy Valley girl than usual.
He still had ahold of me. “Unless I’m called in. If not, I’ll be there.” His hands slid down my hips before releasing me. Our sweltering gazes were fixed on each other for a moment as he walked past me and continued up the hallway.
“I’ll send you my address, or should I just write it down for you somewhere?” Court asked while keeping up with him as he walked.
Goodness, she was like an overexcited puppy and would undoubtedly trade Rich for Sparrow in a nanosecond.
When I reached Deb, she let me know that I was off for the rest of the day and thanked me for coming in.
“I just don’t know about him. I don’t think he likes women. Whatever.” She shook her head and walked away.
It was always hard keeping up with Deb. She was always skirting from here to there, putting out fires. I wasn’t sure if she liked being chief resident, even though she was great at it.
I had it in my mind to tell her about the flowers he’d twice left me, but that would reveal that something intimate was going on between us. I couldn’t even tell her about his cock. Each time I’d gotten close to it, it had been as hard as a rock, and that for sure was a telltale sign that he liked women, or at least his dick did.
Chapter Eight
Penina Ross
After leaving the hospital, and while walking to the penthouse, I received a text from Jamie, informing the third-floor tenants that we could come get some essentials if we needed them, but the building must be vacated by six p.m. Once again, she apologized for the inconvenience and asked any displaced tenants to let her know. So I stopped by my place to retrieve my laptop, two clean sets of clothes, six pairs of fresh panties, a few bras, my deodorant, and my special French lilac body cream, which I only used on those rare occasions when I pampered myself.
As soon as I stepped into the penthouse, all the tensio
n drained from my body. The action was involuntary. Something in the air relaxed me.
I stripped out of my clothes and drew a warm bath in the large claw-foot tub, which was attached to the master bedroom suite, then slipped into the water. I had been on the verge of indulging in a bath earlier, before Deb called and asked if I could come in for one surgery. The difference between then and now was that I had a clearer understanding of how Dr. Sparrow felt about me. It was crazy and amazing how excited I’d gotten just by kissing him and having his hands all over me. I fanned my fingers across the side of my neck and let the tips slide down my skin. His lips and tongue had been there. His kissing and licking with the right amount of suction felt so erotic and delicious.
I slapped myself on the back of my hand, and beads of water dotted my face. “No, Pen.”
Sparrow might want to fuck like rabbits, but he was an attending. I had gotten through almost seven years of residency without being the subject of a scandal. One month, one week, and three days, and I would be done. It was not the time to ruin my impeccable reputation.
After bathing, I dried my skin then sat on a bath bench and massaged my French lilac lotion onto the parts of my body I could reach. I was luxuriating, sliding the cream up and down my legs, visualizing Sparrow’s hands instead of mine.
Then I saw Sparrow moisturizing my thighs. I had packed condoms earlier, ten of them. I was thankful they were large enough to fit him. Holy hell, his bulge was huge. My vagina had cobwebs growing inside it. I hadn’t had sex in a long time. I’d stopped banging Rich a day after he asked me if my pussy was itching, because his dick was. That was early last year. I had to remind him that I was the girl who always made him wear a condom.
Seduction (The Secret Billionaire Asher Christmas Duet Book 1) Page 5