Grumpy Doctor

“Maybe,” I said and let out a long sigh before sitting down next to her. I left some space between us, but I was tempted to put my hand on her leg. “But maybe not.”

She frowned at me and shook her head. “You didn’t see the way she reacted.”

“You did tell her that I’ve been training you, right?”

“Yes, but—”

“And you spoke up in my defense?”

“Of course.”

“Then I think that’ll mean something. Even if not right away.”

She laughed a little. “Come on, you can’t be this optimistic. I just told you that your own boss wants you gone.”

“I knew that already,” I admitted, leaning back into the couch. “Gina thinks I’m after her job.”

She gave me an odd look. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t think you needed to know.”

“Come on, Piers. You’re like in the middle of a political battle for your life and it sort of seems like I’m your only ally.”

“I’ve got other allies, but I understand your point.”

She shifted closer to me, leaning across the divide. She sipped her drink and put a hand near mine, but not quite touching. Her skin looked smooth and gorgeous, and I realized that I’d never seen her outside of a professional context before—at least, not in clothes other than scrubs. She looked normal, beautiful actually, even in loungewear. Some of her hair fell down onto her shoulders from the messy bun that sagged along her slender neck, and I was tempted to reach out and touch her chin, her cheek, her full, slightly parted lips.

I thought of kissing her, and realized coming to her place might’ve been a mistake.

But she let me in, knowing full well what it might mean.

“What are you going to do?” she asked, and I wondered if she meant with the hospital, or with her.

I hadn’t decided in either case.

“Keep going on,” I said. “There’s not much else I can do. Gina wants me out, and that’s not changing. All I can do is try to prove my worth.”

“You’ve done that already.” She tilted her head. “Maybe it’s time for a change.”

“I don’t change easily.”

“I know.” She smiled a little, like she was thinking of some private joke. “You can try though.”

“I’ve changed already,” I said, and I inched a little closer, my hand moving to cover hers. She didn’t pull away, only kept looking at me. “Training you is a big deal. Hell, even taking you on at all.”

“Not like you had a choice.”

“I always have a choice, even if it’s not a good one.”

“I still think I made things worse.”

“You didn’t.” I reached out and touched her cheek, grazing against her skin, just barely. She turned her chin toward me, leaning into that touch, and I moved closer, my legs touching hers. She leaned back against the couch and stared at me as I put my other hand on her thigh, fingers dimpling her flesh, and felt my heart thump in my chest, over and over again, wondering if I was doing the wrong thing, if maybe this would set me back weeks, or months, or years—or if I could ever come back.

And I found that I didn’t care.

I kissed her, slowly at first, biting her lower lip, her tongue and taste flooding into me. I thought of all the time I’d spent alone in operating rooms, practicing my talents, working on my skill, and I wondered how much of that had been wasted, how much of it mattered—since here, right here, kissing Lori, I felt more alive than I ever felt performing surgery, even when it went perfectly, even when I saved someone.

I couldn’t help myself. The last thing either of us needed was an affair on top of everything else, but I’d been wanting this for so long, since the moment I saw her in my office and thought, goddamn, what an attractive doctor—I knew she’d be a problem.

A good problem, a delicious problem.

I pulled her into my lap. She came willingly. I took off her top, kissing her neck, let her bra slip down onto the floor. I palmed her breasts and tongued her pink nipples as she moved her hips up and down, writhing against my stiff cock.

“Tell me something,” I whispered in her ear as I gripped her tight, firm ass. “When you first met me, did you think you’d end up here?”

“No,” she said.

“I did. The first time I saw you, I thought I was going to get you in bed.”

“You’re a bit arrogant.” She bit my lower lip. “Why’d you think that?”

“Because for the first time in a long time, I wanted someone.”

She tilted her head. “You haven’t been on dates?”

“I haven’t done much more than work.” I teased her nipples again then turned her, rolling her onto her back, pinning her onto the couch. “I haven’t had time. I haven’t cared.”