Dr. Fake It - A Possessive Doctor Romance

But she was my mom, and I loved her so much it hurt. I couldn’t bear losing her, not after everything that had happened. She was my best friend and the only good person in my life, the only person that cared about me and believed in me, the only person that understood what my father put both of us through.

I couldn’t take risks with her, and he didn’t get it.

“I already said no.” I turned away. “Thanks for lunch.”

“Erica—”

I walked off, ignoring him. I stormed away and fought against tears. The idea that we’d do anything that might put my mother in jeopardy was too much to handle. When I got a little space from him and stormed down the sidewalk, weaving through afternoon traffic and trying not to look anyone in the face, ignored catcalls and homeless guys begging for money, I realized that Gavin might’ve been acting in good faith. He might’ve really been thinking about what was best for everyone, and maybe he thought taking my mom off the machines was the right call.

But it wasn’t right for me, not yet anyway. I couldn’t go down that path, couldn’t let myself picture what might happen if we were wrong. It was too much to bear.

I lost myself in the maze of Philly streets, passed full parking lots, cars jammed along curbs, quaint houses, buzzing restaurants. I found myself slowing outside of a Catholic church with a huge door and a towering spiral. I looked up toward the top and wondered what was up there—if they kept a real bell, or if they used a speaker system like most churches these days. I didn’t hear the footsteps approaching, but I should’ve been paying closer attention.

“Erica, Erica, Erica, my darling, you shouldn’t have run away like that.”

I felt like a spider ran down my spine as I turned. Cosimo stood leaning against a nearby tree, arms crossed over his chest, smiling at me. He had the sort of grin that made me want to scream. It was cocky and confident, but also creepy and horrible all at the same time.

“What are you doing here?” I took a step back toward the church, thinking he wouldn’t follow me, but he wasn’t some freaking vampire. Churches didn’t scare men like Cosimo.

“I followed you, of course. Your little date with the good doctor looked nice, at least until he spoiled it.” He smiled, tilted his head. “What did he say to upset you?”

“Nothing. Everything’s fine.”

He chuckled. “That’s clearly not true.”

“Get away from me.” I decided to make a break for it. He must’ve read my expression though, because he moved first, and stepped into my path. I sucked in a sharp breath, looking around wildly for someone to help me, but the people nearby barely glanced in our direction. We were just another pair of people having a conversation on the street in a city of millions. We were anonymous, we were nothing, and I felt a sudden, crushing sense of loneliness.

“I only want to talk.”

“We both know that’s not true.”

He sighed and spread his hands. “Why do you think I’m such a monster?”

“Because you tried to kill me.” I stared at him like he might burst into flames at any moment. Hell, I hoped he would. “You put my mother in a coma. You want to force me into marriage. You sent a goon to murder Gavin.”

“Yes, well, I did do all those things, I suppose that’s right.” He shrugged a little, as if it was of no consequence. “Even still, you know what I want in the end. I’m not trying to hurt you, not trying to ruin you. I’m trying to take you.”

“I’m not something you can steal away and keep, you psycho.” I shoved my shoulder against his chest and knocked him down a step. He didn’t fall though, and regained his balance by grabbing my wrist. I turned to face him, a snarl on my lips.

“You like your little doctor, don’t you?” he hissed before I could scream.

That brought me up short. I thought of the look in Gavin’s eye when I stood and stormed away. He was strangely hurt, and I knew why, I knew it but couldn’t bring myself to admit it, couldn’t let myself look too closely.

“Let. Me. Go.” I yanked at my wrist, but he only held tighter.

“I’m not an unreasonable man, Erica. I’ll make a deal with you. If you choose to come to me on your own free will, then I’ll leave Gavin alone. I can’t hold it against him, not really. He’s only trying to keep the woman I love safe.”

“You don’t love me,” I snapped. “You think I’m some kind of toy.”

“I can love a toy.”

I kicked him in the shin as hard as I could. He looked surprised when he cursed and lifted up his leg. His grip on my wrist loosened enough for me to rip myself free. I took a few stumbling steps back and nearly smashed into some girl hurrying down the sidewalk. She gave me a pitying glance, looked at Cosimo, turned pale, and kept walking.