Doc - A Club Alias Novel

“Um... well, I guess I’ll just go in,” she says, but she doesn’t make a move to do that. She still has her seat belt on, and she keeps glancing between the door out her window to the right and then straight ahead like she’s halfway wanting me to hightail it the hell out of here.

As much as I want to make the decision for her to take her home and beg her just to go to cosmetology school and I’ll pay for everything, I know that’s something she wants to do on her own. Every time I’ve offered it in the past year, she’s not responded well, and it triggers memories of being dependent on her ex.

So instead, I help her in the other direction. I reach over and push the button to release her seat belt, and the click makes her jump and look at me.

“You’ve got this, goddess. Just two hours doing something you love. We’ll only be missing two episodes on Netflix tonight.” I grin, and she feeds off the expression and smiles as well. “I’ll be here at 8:00 to pick you up, and you can tell me all about it. Hell, if you want me to, I’ll just pull around and park until then. I have an audiobook I can listen to.”

Her face softens and her eyes get glossy. “Thank you, Neil.” She sighs. “I know the first time I said it, it was directly post-orgasm, so there might be some doubt whether I really meant it or if I was... what was it you said? ‘Letting sex muddy my emotions.’” She smirks, teasing me. “But just so you know, I really do love you. And as needy as I am as far as... Words of Affirmation?” She lifts a brow, questioning if she got it right by her tone, and I nod. “As much as I need those words, I might be really bad at returning the favor. I show my love by doing things for you. By cooking your meals, keeping our home all pretty, you know what I mean?” She tilts her head.

“That love language is called Acts of Service,” I provide, and her eyes brighten.

“That makes sense. I’m good at that one. Acts of Service.”

“Damn right you are, goddess. And you can service me anytime.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her, trying to make her laugh and calm her nerves even more so she won’t get in there and freeze. But as much as I want to go inside and stand guard over her like the Asgardian demigod she likes to compare me to, I know my girl can hold her own. I’ve seen that sass and feistiness enough to know she’d be able to stand up for herself around a bunch of women.

It’s just men she’s leery of.

She giggles, reaching out to stroke my beard for a moment, her eyes full of that love she was speaking of, and if I had any doubt before, I don’t anymore.

“I love you too, baby,” I reply, turning my lips into her palm and kissing her there. I meet her eyes once more. “So you want me to stay? It’s really no problem.”

She shakes her head. “No, that’s silly. I’m sure there’s something more important you can get done while I’m working. We’re what? About twenty-five minutes from your office and the club? That would give you almost an hour and half to do… something shrinky, right?”

I narrow my eyes on her.

She leans across the console and puckers her lips. “Kiss me. I’m off to work. I’m no longer a lady of leisure.”

I lean over and press my lips to hers, and then she spins and opens her door. When she gets down and closes it, she makes it halfway to the door before she turns and gives me a little wave. I roll down the passenger window so she can see I wave back. The tint is too dark otherwise. Once she gets up to the door, she tries the knob tentatively, and when it opens right up, she turns a surprised look my way over her shoulder. I give her a nod, and she blows me a kiss before going inside and shutting the door behind her.

There’s a knot in my gut. An ache there telling me not to leave her. But I’m sure I’d feel the same way with anything she would’ve gotten for her first job that wasn’t remote from the safety of my fortress-like home.

I contemplate following through with my idea to just park in the lot that’s probably around back where the valets take the customers’ cars, just in the off chance she might need me. But after she specifically told me I shouldn’t, I don’t want to come off as controlling when she’s here to regain her self-sufficiency.