Love, Doctor (Inner Harbor 1)

“They are important to me too.” She gives me a disbelieving look. Why does this woman make me want to argue and fight when I feel my most defeated this afternoon?

“We don’t even know each other,” I reason.

“It’s crazy. I know.” I’m glad she’s agreeing with me even if she’s pursuing this.

As doubtful as I am, her idea isn’t terrible. However, it’s not the course of action I want despite her pouty lips, dark as sin eyes and a body worth slamming against the wall so hard it jars my medical degree from its hooks.

“I doubt it would even work. The immigration officer seems pretty interested in getting me on a plane out of here.”

“So, we’ll call a lawyer and find out what can be done.”

Gently I step away. “It isn’t that easy.”

My body wants her, but I need space and time to think. I can’t deny the attraction. Its borderline inappropriate. No, it’s pretty damn inappropriate. I don’t want or need a martyred wife. Nor do I want my license revoked. She’s not a patient but it’s damn close.

Her face remains bright red and she looks down maybe embarrassed, but I can’t tell. “I get it.”

“Get what?” Her eyes gloss over and I expect tears.

“You not attracted to me, but that’s okay. This would have been a fake marriage anyway.” She clarifies confusing me even more. She wants to marry me, but not be with me? She thought I thought she wasn’t attractive? God my head hurt even more wrapping around that idea.

“A fake?” No. I had to question Piper’s sanity. My sanity. We were not doing this. Of course I am fascinated by her, but marriage? We didn’t know the first thing about each other. I sit down in my chair suddenly more tired than all my thirty eight years. I don’t even know how old she is.

Curiostiy begs the question, “How old are you?”

“Twenty-six.”

“Twelve years.” I mutter noting the age difference.

I doubt she heard me and continues, “Yeah you know, you do your thing, and I do mine, but Maisy gets cured. We could get divorced in a few years and maybe remain friends. You get to stay permanently in the states and we all live happily ever after.” She claps her hands, a big smile from ear to ear and wham bam problem solved, except it isn’t, not really.

Her words sit with me. It’s crazy talk i

n a desperate situation. How could I fake something like that with her? I look at her and realize how hard that would be. Her soft skin and light scent that follows her everywhere, even lingers in Maisy’s room when I’m there. Nothing about marriage to Piper could be fake. My body wants her far more than that even if my head and heart are at distinct odds.

“It’s not as simple as that.” I toss a pen on my desk thinking about how I’ll be forty in two years’ time and she won’t even be thirty.

“Sure it is.” Piper sits on my desk taunting me with the curve of her ass bubbling on the edge. She starts sorting the mail envelopes on my desk. For some unknown reason, I don’t mind her invasion of my privacy. Save for her shuffling and making quick work of the mess the office is quiet in a soothing way with her here. In under a minute everything is placed neatly in corresponding stacks I couldn’t have managed on my own.

“You need someone to come in here and clean.” We both look around the room assessing. Dust bunnies linger in corners from neglect. My bike helmet rests on the only other chair in the room with my jacket. Admittedly I’d rather be doing research than dusting. I couldn’t see myself in a cute little outfit and a duster, Piper however would look hot in one. She’s twenty-six for fucks sake. I shake the image out of my head but I know my home office could use a good cleaning.

She’s too young.

If she only knew what I was thinking.

There’s definitely a method to my madness, a chaos in my order. She’s right. I do need someone, someone who compliments my faults, someone who enjoys sorting mail… an idea comes to mind and before I can squash it, my mouth opens saying it going against all other thoughts I had in the span of five minutes.

I blame the honeysuckle.

That scent is like a drug and now I’m entertaining ideas I shouldn’t.

If there was a time to start drinking this might be it.

“If we’re going to do this Piper, it’s going to be for real. Not some fake marriage that gets me sent back doubly screwed.” Her eyes pop wide but I think she’s down with this as much as I am despite the hesitancy.

Maybe a little dusting outfit for our first anniversary.

What the hell am I thinking?