The next day, Monday, Roy watched Kendall, and it was obvious that she was brooding. He’d been warned about approaching her at work, so he waited until Monday night. She was on call, and after a late-running case, she was finally going to her car after dark.
“Kendall!”
“Great,” she muttered, turning to find Roy Cramer running toward her out of breath. “What is it, Roy? You shouldn’t even be talking to me.”
“Kendall,” he gasped, holding on to his knees, “I don’t get it. Why’d you go to Ed? You could have just told me to stop.”
“Roy, I don’t have to justify anything I do. You’ve been warned to leave me alone. If you don’t, I’m going to the board. If Ed can’t convince you to leave me alone, maybe they can.”
“I used to think you were worth the risk. But you’re just a whore.”
Flabbergasted, Kendall glared, wondering where this line of attack was going to end up. “What are you talking about? I’m a whore because I won’t have a drink with you?”
“I saw that kid at your house, going back and forth all weekend. What’s that all about? Trying to deceive people into believing you are the pure and benevolent Dr. Kendall Williams. But I’m not deceived. I know what goes on behind closed doors, and his leaving at midnight doesn’t deceive me. And I know he’s gone now. I saw him walk down to the train. He can’t protect you if he’s not there.”
“Stay away from my house,” she cried.
“I know if we could be together just once, if you’d let me make love to you, you’d feel the same way.”
“Roy, get away from me before I call the police,” she said. “I mean it. Back off.”
Lunging toward her, he kissed her on the mouth, one hand in a vise grip around her waist, the other smashing her breasts, tearing her coat open. He ground his hips against her, his pointy erection painful and infuriating, and moved his hand under her coat in back and began to dig in her crotch from behind.
She beat him with her fists, struggling to get away from his mouth, her muffled cries for help echoing through the dark, cold parking lot.
Quickly letting go of her, he took a step backwards when he realized they weren’t alone. “Roy, what the hell are you doing?” Exhaling with relief, Kendall saw Adam running toward them. “Answer me, Roy. What do you think you’re up to?”
“I don’t need to answer to you,” Roy said, but took another step away from Kendall.
“Roy, are you insane?” Kendall cried. “He just assaulted me. He just told me he’s been watching my house. I don’t know what to do.”
“Call the police right now,” Adam said. “Then I’ll drive over to the precinct with you to file a restraining order against old Roy here.”
“I’d never hurt her,” he cried.
“It’s against the law to force yourself on a woman, you idiot,” Adam said. “It’s called attempted rape.”
So Kendall did it, she called the police, explaining a doctor had just attempted to assault her. They had someone in the area that would be right there. Adam stayed with her, and surprisingly, Roy didn’t leave even after they warned him the police were coming.
“I have nothing to hide,” he cried.
And when the police arrived, Roy repeated his verbal attack, calling Kendall a whore, admitting that he’d staked out her house and watched her new boy toy coming and going.
“Are you injured?” they asked.
She shook her head while Adam stood with her, his arm around her shoulder.
“I told her we’d be good together, that’s all,” Roy cried. “I just wanted her to see how good I could make her feel.”
The humiliation for Kendall was complete, and it took all her willpower not to crumple into tears.
“Dr. Williams, you’re safe now,” the officer said. “He just sealed his own fate. You need to go back inside and have a rape kit done. We’ll arrest him for attempted rape.”
“He wasn’t successful, thank God,” she said.
“They’ll swab your mouth,” the officer said softly, aware that Roy was taking in every word.
They read Roy his rights, and he struggled as they handcuffed him.
“I’m not afraid of you,” Roy said. “I did nothing wrong. You’re defending her because of her imaginary fear that I care enough about her to attack her.”
“Do you want to attack her again?”
“No, of course not,” Roy said, finally coming to his senses. “This is just a huge misunderstanding. It’s harassment. And anyway, I have to come back here tomorrow morning. All I want to do is go home and get some sleep.”
“Yeah, I don’t think you’ll be coming back here anytime soon.”
The police talked to Kendall while the arresting officers took Roy downtown. Adam went back into the hospital with her and one of the officers, and they swabbed her mouth and lips and took pictures of her face that clearly showed where hands had grabbed her.
It was almost eleven by the time she got home. The house was dark. Usually on call days, she’d remember to leave a light on for Dolly, but she’d forgotten due to her discombobulation over Mark leaving. Dolly was waiting at the door and zoomed out when Kendall opened it for her.
“Poor Dolly,” Kendall cried, waiting outside with her.
Dolly wanted her dinner, too, and stood at the counter waiting while Kendall fixed her bowl. Distracted by the events of the evening, Kendall wondered if the situation with Roy would have gone any farther if Adam hadn’t come in the nick of time.
When Dolly was cared for, she made a cup of decaf and sat down to text Mark. She decided to omit the story about Roy because all it would do was make him worry, and she didn’t want his focus to be sidetracked. Then her phone rang. It was Mark.
“Hey you,” he said. “I wanted to hear your voice.”
“Hey yourself. How is it?”
“After the week with you, this sucks, actually. Fortunately, my roommates are all gone home, so at least I have peace and quiet.”
“I wish I was there.”
“No, you don’t. It smells like dirty socks in here. I wish I was there. I’m not going to last three weeks, so be ready for my homecoming.”
“Thank you,” Kendall said, tearing up. “I feel like a teenager in love.”
“Are you in love?”
“I might be,” she replied. “I can tell you what I feel, and I have not felt this way before.”
“I’m listening.”
“Now that you’re in my life, I can’t imagine going back to living alone. I’ve already told you that. You’re a great companion. We have fun together. You’re smart and funny and handsome. That’s pretty good after only a week together, don’t you think?”
He chuckled, agreeing with her. “You know how I feel. We just have to get through the next six months. I’ve been thinking about transferring.”
“You’d lose too many credits. We’ll make it work. I’ll come there when you can’t get here. Dolly loves to ride in the car.”
“I’ll look for an apartment without roommates,” he said.
“Yes, I agree that will help. I’ll help you with the rent.”
“I hate to say I might need it,” Mark admitted.
“Now I’m feeling hopeful again,” Kendall said.
“It’s past your bedtime,” he said. “How long are you on call until?”
“Seven in the morning. Things were quiet when I left the hospital, so I think I’m safe.”
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, then?” Mark asked, reluctant to hang up but knowing she had things to do.
“Yes, absolutely.”
They said goodbye, and she went back to the kitchen to put together something to eat. The last of the turkey would make a good sandwich. That and a Diet Coke and she was satisfied.
“Come on, girl, let’s get upstairs.”
One sweep around the first floor and she made sure all the doors were locked, fear of Roy trying to retaliate by breaking in to her house if he was released from jail
a new worry.
The week went by in a flash with no more issues with Roy in jail. Kendall’s team protected her from hospital gossip when it appeared that not all the doctors were in her camp, choosing to side with Roy, who they said was jailed for a consensual kiss. They didn’t know about the groping. Nightly calls from Mark made getting through the day tolerable.
Before Mark, she was in the habit of making each moment special. Now, missing him, moments were reduced to time increments to get through until he returned. On their call Thursday night, she actually cried, missing him.
“I’m so sorry,” she sobbed. “I guess I’m lovesick.”
“Me too,” Mark answered. “I miss you so much.”
By Friday, if asked, Kendall would have referred to herself as a basket case, she missed him so badly. She ignored the impact the assault had on her, and keeping it from Mark was not easy, but she just didn’t have the courage to tell him. “You’re a whore” still echoed through her brain.
So when she pulled into the driveway and saw a duffel bag on her porch, her heart skipped a beat, and then he walked out from behind the carriage house, a huge smile on his face.
Not bothering to drive into the garage, she got out of the car and ran to him, jumping into his arms. They kissed and held each other, together again.
“What a wonderful surprise,” she cried, kissing his face.
He had her off the ground and carried her to the porch, both of them laughing. “Let your poor dog out. She’s been barking for twenty minutes.”
Kendall unlocked the door, and Dolly jumped on Mark, licking his face when he bent down to pet her, and then sped off for the yard.
“Aw, even the dog missed me.”
“How long will you stay?” she asked, threading her arm around his waist as they followed the dog back outside.
“Till late Sunday. I’ll be back Thursday night though. Attendance is only mandatory Monday through Thursday. I’ll have to work on my paper this weekend, but it’ll keep me out of your hair.”
“I don’t care. It’ll be nice to be in the same building with you,” Kendall said.
Mark pulled her close and bent down to reach her mouth. Even through their winter coats, the lines of her body were evident, arousing him more than he normally was. Her body was exactly what he liked, curvy and voluptuous and healthy. The skeletal look so many women he knew were striving for didn’t appeal to him. When he’d questioned Kendall about the minuscule portion-controlled items she purchased for her lunches, she said she watched calories during the week because she liked to eat on the weekends.
“You’re perfect in my eyes,” he’d said.
“Thank you, but I’d be unhealthy if I didn’t watch it. I make up for it when I’m out.”
On Friday while they waited for Dolly to finish her toilette, they kissed in the shadows of the porch, and for the first time, he let his hand wander under her coat, finding the bottom of her sweater and creeping underneath it. The skin on her abdomen was silky and warm, and he ventured up higher to her breasts, encased in cotton, but still soft, and was relieved they weren’t augmented.
Kendall sighed with contentment; what he was doing to her felt so good. She had worried that the first time they touched each other would be awkward, but this felt natural, it felt right, like it was meant to be.
“Let’s get inside,” she whispered, ready for more. “Dolly, inside!”
They stood aside and let her race in. They hung their coats up, and Kendall took his hand and led Mark to the den. They didn’t waste any time, lying on the couch together, kissing cautiously at first, exploring. She reached down and fondled his crotch, his penis already hard as rock. It strained against his jeans, and she wanted to get inside his pants with a vengeance.
“Unzip,” she whispered.
“You too,” he replied, and they both disengaged their hands and arms to undo their pants. He slid his hands under the elastic of her underpants and was happy to feel that she hadn’t shaved her pubic hair.
“Can we go up to your bedroom?” he asked. “I can’t get at you like I want with these clothes on.”
“Let’s go,” she said, getting up off the couch and rearranging her clothes.
On the way up, she made one stop by the front door and was glad she did because it was unlocked. They went up the stairs together, not talking, Kendall especially aware that this was momentous for her because it meant that she expected something from him in return.
“If we do this, there’s no turning back for me,” she said. “I’m in it forever. You’re stuck with me.”
“I want that,” he said. “You’re mine.”
In her bedroom, he looked around at the white carpeting and the cool colors. “This reminds me of being on vacation,” he said. “It’s peaceful and serene.”
He pulled her over to the bed and kissed her again while he unbuttoned his shirt. “Take this off,” he said, pulling her sweater up.
His shirt was off and he stood in a white T-shirt, watching her lift her sweater over her head. She was wearing a utilitarian bra, something that would be comfortable while she performed surgery all day. Her breasts were much larger than he’d realized, and he could see she had tried to minimize their size by wearing a bra that compressed them against her chest. He kept his hands off, for now.
Then she undid the fastener on her slacks and let them fall. She had on basic utilitarian underpants, too, and knee socks, so that she looked down at her legs and started to laugh at herself. “If I’d known I was going to be doing a striptease, I’d have stepped it up in the glamour department.”
“I love the way you look,” he said, hooking his fingers in her underpants. “I’m going to take these off myself.”
She smiled nervously as he pulled them down, over her little belly, and finally that mound of light brown hair. He dropped to his knees to pull the panties to her ankles. Grasping her by the thighs, he nudged them apart just enough so he could see her lips, a little mound of pink flesh sticking out. He pushed her to the bed, pulling the pants off one foot, and spread her legs apart so he could suck on those lips.
It was such an amazing feeling for Kendall, nothing she’d ever felt before. He kept at it and separated them with his fingers, inserting one inside her while he licked her clitoris. It didn’t take long for her to grab onto the sheets and cry out, the pulsations of the orgasm he gave her starting in the curling of her toes and moving up through her thighs, taking her breath away so that she grunted uncontrollably.
Panting, she opened her eyes to find him smiling at her, watching her, then pulling his jeans down, his penis unleashed. She saw his narrow hips with his penis and balls in the middle of a black forest of hair. He was not a kid. Standing in between her legs again, he pulled her closer.
“Wrap your legs around my waist,” he instructed.
He picked her up and, in one movement, grasped his penis and pushed it into her as gently as he could. With his hands under her buttocks, he lifted her a little bit, thrusting in deeper.
“I’m inside you,” he said, exhaling. “It’s like I can finally relax because my cock is in you.”
She wiggled around a little bit to feel it there, squeezing her hand down between their bodies to feel where they were joined, gently fondling his balls.
He groaned. “Be careful,” he said. “You’ve got me ready to explode.”
Lifting Kendall up, he turned around and sat on the edge of her bed, still inside her, and unhooked her bra.
Even after letting him go down on her, the unleashing of the breasts was going to be embarrassing for Kendall. Her breasts were big and pendulous, even though she’d never had a child. It was hereditary; her sisters were the same way, and their mother and aunts had been, too.
“Oh, um,” she stuttered.
“It’s okay,” he whispered. “I want to see them.” He pulled the straps off her arms and groaned. “They’re beautiful.”
He ran his hand over the lines where the garment had smash
ed them down. “Don’t wear that bra anymore,” he said. “You should be proud of your breasts.”
For the next five minutes he examined them, sucked on the nipples, and held them in his hands.
“That’s it for me,” he groaned, grabbing her around the waist.
He thrust into her again and again, lifting her up and pushing her back down on him, and then he grunted and held on to her tight, letting out a long, “Aw.”
He wrapped his arms around her and gripped her against his body for a while, not wanting the moment to end.
“Let’s get under the sheets,” he finally said, letting her get off.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” she murmured, dizzy.
But before she could get away, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “Let me see you.”
Holding her at arm’s length, he looked at her carefully, at her breasts and her triangle of hair, and then turned her around so he could see her from the back. “I want to remember this when we’re apart next week.”
“I don’t even want to talk about that yet,” she said. “I’ll come there to be with you if you can’t be here.”
Mark let go of her hand, getting under the covers, suddenly exhausted. By the time Kendall came back and crawled in beside him, he was snoring.
At eight, a bell ringing woke Mark up. Then Kendall woke up when he got up to find his phone.
“I think it’s my landline,” Kendall said, pointing to the nightstand.
Without thinking, Mark picked up the phone and said hello, obviously just waking up with a frog in his throat.
“Hold on,” he said, wincing. “Sorry. For you.”
She took the phone from him. “Dr. Williams.”
Mark pointed to the bathroom and left.
“Kendall, it’s Ed Rosenstein.”
“Yes, Ed,” she said, trying to wake up.
“I wanted you to know Roy is out of jail.”
“Unbelievable,” she said, watching the bathroom door.
“You’ll have to press charges now, Kendall. The police are going to contact you. It’ll mean a trial. Until that happens, the state isn’t going to suspend his license. I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing more to say,” Kendall said. “It appears Roy is going to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and he’s not even going to get his hand slapped.”
Whispers of Winter: A Limited Edition Collection of Winter Romances Page 100
