When I left my small hometown years ago, I never expected to come back. I certainly never expected that when I did, I'd be working for him.
He's the town's doctor. He's supposed to be a respectable member of society, a pillar for the community. He's supposed to have come a long way from the bad boy who rode a motorcycle in high school.
But he hasn't. One glance from those lustful eyes looking at me tells me that he has the same voracious appetites that he did when we were younger.
Only it's not quite the same stare. It's more urgent. It's more intense. I'm not the same nerdy girl who tutored him. I've grown up, developed fertile curves that I know he finds irresistible.
In this small town, rumors travel fast, and the family doctor can't be seen as a player. So he does try to resist. And I do too. But with every smoldering glance and moment of sexual tension, we find our barriers breaking down.
After a stressful night of touch-and-go baby delivery, a moment of elation overcomes our inhibitions. It seems like maybe we'll need to confront those rumors sooner rather than later, especially before I begin to show the results of that night.
Can I give this doctor the family he has always desired?
Dr. Matthews leaned in and brought his lips toward mine. He paused right before our lips touched. Just for a moment, though. It was as if he were making sure that I wanted this. The universe held its breath as we both held our breath. I noticed everything from the way his aftershave lingered in the air to the water droplets in his hair. After a second that felt like eternity, he leaned in the rest of the way, firmly pressing his lips against mine.
Our fate was sealed.
A soft moan made its way up my throat as I relaxed into his kiss. I closed my eyes and let my hands drift up toward his face. His beard stubble tickled my fingertips as I dragged them over his cheeks.
It must have been the adrenaline we'd both experienced that morning. Or maybe it was that the emergency had bonded us closer than ever before. I didn't know what had gotten into either of us, but I suppose it didn't need explaining. It felt good and right and that's all I really cared about. I needed a release that only he could give me.
Jacob slowly broke our kiss and dropped his hands to the top of my hips. Then he leaned in again, passionately pressing his lips to mine. My heart began to do flip flops behind my rib cage. Within a few seconds, I felt Jacob open his mouth and gently dart his tongue out, teasing it into my mouth.
A tingling sensation coursed through my body as our tongues lightly wrestled with each others, twisting around in a sensual dance. I reveled in the sensations: his taste, his smell, the way he held his body against mine. This wasn't a dream. This was actually happening.
Jacob broke the kiss and took a step back. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes dark.
“I'm sorry. That was unprofessional.”
My heart hammered in my chest and my lips ached for more of his kisses.
“I don't care,” I told him. “I don't want to stop.”
He looked up, his eyes bright as they met mine. Desire that matched my own shone in them and my body heated. I took the step forward to bring us back together. Slowly, I brought my hand up and wrapped it around the back of his neck.
“Are you sure you're okay with this?” he asked, his hands already coming to my hips.
“Just shut up and kiss me,” I said, still smiling.
Don't forget to join my mailing list as well for updates! (clickable link)
Chapter 1
“Did you get fired from your last job?”
I did a double take as I removed the stethoscope from my ears. “Excuse me?”
“Did you get fired from your last job?” Abigail St. James repeated, impatiently holding out her arm for me to take the blood pressure cuff off. The small exam room suddenly felt constricting with the former prom queen lording herself over me yet again. It had been fifteen years since high school, yet nothing had changed.
“No, I was not fired,” I replied, trying to keep my voice calm as I undid the Velcro and hung up the cuff. “In fact, my boss begged me not to go.”
“Sure they did.” Abigail rolled her big blue eyes. “Why are you back then?”
“I wanted to be closer to my family. So I moved back and I got a job here at the clinic,” I said. “Please put your finger here so I can check your pulse.”
I held out the small pulse-ox finger machine. Abigail held out her left hand with a big sparkly diamond on the ring finger and then waggled her hand. She waited for me to put the machine on for her rather than just sliding her finger into the finger spot. It was her way of showing me that she was still in charge.
“I married Aiden. You remember, the football quarterback?” Abigail made sure to flash her big sparkly ring a little bit more. “We have three kids.”
“Congratulations.” I checked the numbers on the pulse ox and took it off her finger. Everything was normal.
“I'm sure that my son will be the quarterback just like his dad.” She looked up at me with big blue eyes and a cruel smile. “While I'm sure your kids will be sitting in the stands pigging out on nachos just like you did.”
Fifteen years and she was still a total bitch picking on the shy kid. Where she had been popular, I'd been the slightly chubby, quiet kid that liked reading and science. Abigail had made it her personal mission to harass me all four years of high school. Apparently that wasn't enough for her.
I am a professional, I reminded myself as I considered telling her that she was the one who needed to lay off the nachos now. I was the one who had seen the scale numbers. I kept my mouth shut, though. I didn't need stoop to her level.
“I don't have any children yet. I decided to focus on my career as a nurse.”
“That's too bad.” Abigail shrugged. “Kids are everything. I guess you'd need a husband for that, though, huh? I don't see a ring on your finger.”
Her words hit me with a punch to the gut. I wanted kids. I wanted a husband and kids and a dog and the white picket fence. I just didn't have them yet. I hadn't found the right guy and I was afraid that time was slipping away from me. But, the last person I wanted to tell that to was Queen Abigail.
“Okay. Everything looks good. The doctor will be in shortly to see you.” I didn't bother to smile as I went and washed my hands.
“But seriously, Hannah, why are you ba
ck?” Abigail asked. “You were free. You could have done anything. Why are you back in Riversville, Iowa?”
“Like I said, I wanted to be close to family.” I dried my hands and opened the exam room door. “I'll go let Dr. Matthews know you're ready.”
“At least I like Dr. Matthews being back,” she mumbled.
I hurried out of the room and then leaned against the closed door. It took me a moment to regain my composure. Fifteen years since high school and yet that girl was exactly the same. Beautiful but mean. Some people never changed.
I shook my head and headed over to my small office to finish charting her information. It struck me as odd that I had an office as a nurse, but this was a small doctor's office in a small town. I'd been here for about a month, so I had things the way I wanted them. Most days it was just me, the doctor, and Donna the receptionist in the office. It was a big difference from the downtown Chicago hospital I used to work at.
“Hannah, you have a patient waiting for you in Room Three.” Donna, the front secretary popped her head into my office. She had a wide smile on her face and even though it was Monday morning, she was still as cheery as always.
“Thanks, Donna,” I said, quickly finishing up my charting on Abigail. “I'll be there in just a second.”