Doctor Love: A Medical Romance Series (Medical Heart Throb Series)

by Andrea L. Smith

  Longing filled her, along with a wish that his words meant what she wanted them to. But she knew they didn’t. In Gabriel’s eyes, she was still one of the boys, his little sister probably. Not someone he’d want to be with.

  “I’d lose my mind not being near you, too,” she said. “But this is a serious decision, Gabe. I couldn’t bear the guilt of burdening you with my mess.”

  “You’re not trapping me. For the last time, I want to do it.”

  Again, she released a heavy breath. “Have you thought about it? Really thought about it?”

  He snorted. “Callie, you know I have.”

  “Ok, let’s see; where will we live? My apartment or yours?”

  “Well, mine has way more space, doesn’t it?” He grinned as she rolled her eyes.

  “Ok, whatever. But what happens when you take a woman home? How will you explain if she runs into me?”

  Gabriel stared at her, his expression blank and his lips pursed.

  “See, you didn’t think it through.” The thought of Gabriel with another woman made her sick. It was one thing to imagine him with someone else. Being under the same roof, with him a few doors down, touching a woman the way she’d been dying for him to touch her…

  No. Hell no. She couldn’t take it.

  “Look, I’ll find another way out, k? I’ll talk to my boss, see what he can do.” She curled her legs and reclined against the pillows, hoping he would take the hint and leave. She needed some alone time to overcome his effect on her. Her body still tingled with awareness, even more now that she realized it was his dick pressing through the pants.

  Oh, lord. Her sex throbbed beneath the sheet.

  Gabriel’s hand on her knee made the ache so much worse. “Callie. Look at me.”

  She shifted her head to meet his gaze.

  “Please, let me help you.”

  What was up with her imagination tonight? Why was she seeing things? The desperation on his face wasn’t real. It couldn’t be.

  She tried to ignore the flutters in her stomach. “I don’t want you to regret this, and I think you will. Not now, not when you are hell bent on helping me. But what happens when you decide to settle down? What happens if you find your soulmate months—a year from now? What will you do then?”

  “I won’t.” He laced her with a convicted glare.

  “You don’t know that.”

  “That’s one thing I’m sure of, Callie.” He released her knee and pushed to his feet. His expression hardened in a way she’d never seen before. “My soulmate, she’s not out there.” For an instant it seemed he was about to say more, but he exhaled, short and rough, before looking away.

  “If you’re sure…”

  “I am sure.” He shot her a fiery glare, as if he dared her to counteract him.

  Callie raised her palms, conceding. “Fine. As long as you’re clear on what you’ll sign up for.” He returned to the bed, much closer this time and she gave him a light punch on the arm to ease the tension. “But you’re stuck with me for a while, dude. No complaining, got that?”

  Gabriel smiled, the corner of his eyes crinkling. “Got it, boss.” He opened his arms and she shimmied down to meet him, conscious of the sheet around her. “It’ll all work out, you’ll see.”

  “I know.” She buried her face in his chest, breathing in his comforting scent. There was something about being in Gabe’s arms that triggered a sense of safety and it went beyond his massive build. It was an inner strength that seeped above the surface, cloaking her with warmth and happiness. If only she could live with him forever… be with him forever…

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “Earth to Gabriel.”

  Snapping fingers pulled Gabriel from his reverie—another daydream about Callie. He blinked, his eyes coming into focus on the woman before him. Before last night, Adrienne’s sexy perch on the bar stool in that tiny, revealing red dress would have claimed all his attention. But not tonight. Tried as he could to focus, Callie remained in the center of his mind.

  He probably shouldn’t have taken Adrienne up on her offer tonight. Not when his best friend was all he thought about. But he’d needed the distraction, and the sports bar that brimmed with noise and activity was the perfect place to achieve that. Plus, Adrienne’s company was a great bonus. Usually, there was never a dull moment around her.

  Until tonight.

  He just couldn’t connect to her, or erase Callie and her softness in his arms last night.

  Oh, man…

  He shook the emotions free and zoomed in on Adrienne. “I’m still here.” He drew closer to her, placing his feet on the bar pin and widening his legs so her knees nestled between them. His fingers trailed up her thighs and his hands came to rest just below where her dress ended.

  Adrienne fingered his collar with a tiny pout. “Are you? You seem totally distracted just now.”

  “A lot on my mind, that’s all.”

  “Like the woman from last night?”

  Gabriel reached for his drink on the bar counter to buy time while he processed his response. Adrienne had agreed on them keeping it casual, even introduced him to other women. But lately he sensed a hint of possessiveness that put him on the alert. Her phone calls and texts doubled. She wanted way more of his time than usual. He didn’t want to read too much into it, but if she was catching feelings, he would have to end their fling. Especially since Callie would live in his apartment from now on.

  He still didn’t believe she decided to marry him. Sure, she only agreed to get her green card, but he couldn’t help the euphoria that filled him whenever he thought about it. Though, on the downside, he had to set emotional boundaries. That was the only way he’d keep his distance.

  And even then, it was going to be hard as hell…

  “Gabriel.”

  For some reason, he felt a fierce need to keep the subject of Callie away from Adrienne. “No. Just work.”

  “Mhmm.” From her doubtful expression, it seemed his response wasn’t enough. She confirmed by asking, “who is she, anyway?”

  “A friend.”

  “Just—”

  Not wanting to stretch her questioning, Gabriel grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her. But again, he felt no desire. As he eased away, she leaned forward and curled her fingers in his shirt, deepening the kiss. He obliged, not wanting to hurt her feelings. Thankfully, she soon broke the kiss with a slight moan. “How about we finish this in bed?”

  Should they? He wasn’t really in the mood, for sure. But this was probably what he needed to sleep through the night without being overwhelmed by his longing for Callie.

  But his conscience plagued him a little. Yes, he and Adrienne had made their arrangement clear in the beginning, but it didn’t feel right using her like this. Especially when he suspected she wanted more.

  “I don’t know, Adrienne…” He gently removed her hand that caressed the back of his neck.

  “Oh, come on.” She drew lines across his crotch, the move stirring him a little. “I’ll make it worth your while…”

  Oh, what the hell. He didn’t doubt she would. That was the one thing that kept him going back for more. In the five months he’d known her, Adrienne had pulled some unthinkable moves in bed, never failing to satisfy him.

  Besides, he would never have Callie. Why should his yearning for her hinder him from having a good time?

  Waving to the bartender, he reached for his wallet. Time to enjoy the night. Within minutes they were out the door, hustling down the sidewalk to the parking lot. As he gunned the engine of his two-seater, his cell phone rang. At first, he decided to let it run to voicemail, but seeing Callie’s bright smile on the screen made him grab it.

  “Hey, you.”

  There was a slight silence on Callie’s end before she said, “hey.”

  “You okay?” Her single syllable response carried a heaviness he didn’t miss. Something was wrong. Her harsh sigh confirmed it.

  “Callie, come on. Talk to me.” He h
oped to God she hadn’t changed her mind from marrying him. It was the only way to help her. Boundaries or not, he needed her here.

  “It’s nothing, Gabe. I’m just exhausted from packing up. Just wanted to check in.”

  Relief flooded him. Ok, so she’s still on board. “As long as you’re okay, then I am.” From the corner of his eyes he saw Adrienne cross her arms.

  “Yeah, I’m good. Tomorrow we can start making plans for the ceremony.”

  “Sounds great.” He ended the call with a smile. He, Gabriel DeLuca was getting married in a week. If anyone had told him this a month ago, he would have laughed to their face. He’d never been the marrying type, never seen himself as someone’s husband or father—not until his feelings for Callie took off.

  When the idea came to him last night, he thought of it as nothing but a way to help Callie. A quickie wedding, not entirely real, just on paper. They would go on living their lives as is.

  But the moment she agreed to his crazy idea, he realized how much he wanted it to be a real thing. Coming home to Adrienne each night, having dinner around the table he never used, making love to her until they needed air… he wanted all that. He didn’t deserve it, or her, but he yearned for it.

  But he had to get his mind right and keep it that way. Adrienne was still in the picture. So were other women he got with now and then. Though lately he’d begun longing for more than the wild life he lived, he was still a far way from settling down. Callie deserved a man who was all in. He was still on the road to maturity, nowhere near the man she needed.

  He would marry her. When her paperwork came through, he would set her free. But just thinking about it left a pit in his stomach.

  “The ‘friend’ from last night, right?”

  It took him a moment to hear Adrienne’s question, he was so deep in thought. Looking over, he noticed her scowl. He shook his head. Yup, I definitely need to nip this in the bud.

  “Yeah, that was her. Is there a problem?”

  Adrienne scoffed. “You tell me. This woman, whoever she is, seems to get more of your attention tonight than me.”

  “Come, on, Adrienne. This… whatever this is,” he didn’t want to accuse of her being jealous, though it was clear as crystal. “This isn’t you.”

  “What isn’t? That I’m not willing to play second fiddle to your so-called friend?”

  “Second fiddle? I’ve been here with you all night.” He braked at the stoplight and turned to her hostile glare. “What do you want from me?”

  She exhaled harshly. “Not a damn thing, Gabriel.” She whipped her head to gaze out the window as the car moved off again.

  “I don’t get why you’re mad. We both agreed to keep things casual, that the minute either of us wanted more, we’d end it. Didn’t we?”

  “Yes, we did.”

  “Tell me, Adrienne, are we still on the same page?”

  “I guess...”

  “No. There’s no guessing. If this is getting too intense for you, let’s end it. I’d hate for us to part on an unpleasant note.”

  “No, no,” she quickly said. “It’s not.” She reached over and gave his thigh a reassuring stroke. “Forget what I said. I’m a little grumpy.”

  “As long as you’re sure…”

  He reversed into the parking lot of their apartment building before getting out and opening her door. The elevator ride seemed longer than usual as he tried to find the right words to let her down. He just wasn’t feeling it, or her. And it wasn’t because of her behavior in the car. He wasn’t in the mood to make love to her, or any other woman tonight.

  Except Callie.

  Within the last twenty-four hours, he hardly thought of nothing else; her hot, writhing body beneath him, her sexy mouth making his toes curl, those gorgeous hands of hers doing damage to his body…

  Man, he’d wanted no one this much. And damn, he couldn’t have her.

  The sound of the opening doors pulled him back to reality. “Your place, or mine?” Adrienne asked.

  Gabriel released a sharp breath. “Not tonight, Adrienne. I, uh… I’m not up to it.”

  Her shoulders slumped. “Was it because of what I said?”

  “No.” He pulled her into a hug, not knowing why he needed to reassure her, but wanting to do it, anyway. “I really have a lot on my mind.” Releasing her, he brushed her hair aside and kissed her cheek. “Some other time, ok?”

  Adrienne nodded, her lips tightly folded. She swung around and pushed her key in the door. Without a backwards glance, she stepped inside and slammed the door. Gabriel sighed. Maybe it was time to end their affair.

  Maybe.

  He entered his apartment, acknowledging the emptiness, wishing Callie was around. But within a minute he took it back. In less than a day she would move in, right down the hall. How the hell would he manage living under the same roof? Would the emotional boundaries be enough? Could he handle her being so close and not being able to touch her?

  Well, this is what you signed up for. For better or worse, right? At least for a year.

  The longest year of his life, no doubt. Hopefully, her papers would come through before his sanity left him.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  I shouldn’t have lied. I should have told Gabe the truth.

  For the tenth time, Callie checked the lock on the front door, again self-assuring that it was still secured from when she looked a few minutes ago. Though she had the locks changed earlier, paranoia still reigned. In another scenario it would have been unnecessary spending, given that she was already packed and ready to move into Gabriel’s place. But she still had a month left on the lease, so she could come and go until then. Besides, it was the only way she would sleep tonight after facing Matthew today.

  Again, she kicked herself for not taking her spare keys when she left him. At the time, she’d thought nothing of it, just wanted to get away. All along, he had the easy access to her, and now she was sure he’d used it.

  She’d been taping the last box when the front door opened. A second later he stepped in with the cruel smile she’d gotten to know too well, the one that came before the force of his fists.

  The memory of them made her back from the living room, rushing to the bedroom, but she wasn’t quick enough. He caught her before she closed the door.

  “Let me go!”

  “And if I don’t?” His mocking leer made her stomach turn with hate. How was she ever attracted to this man? Yeah, he was handsome, in a clean-cut way. A shaved head with topaz-colored eyes and an athletic body. But his insides were like mud; dirty, a stark contrast to his outward appearance.

  “I swear to God, I’ll scream.”

  “Be my guest. Scream all you want. Whoever comes will get a big payday, believe me.”

  She shoved against him. “Not everyone’s for sale, Matthew, believe me.”

  “Well, you certainly were.”

  “No, I was stupid. Big difference,” she spat out, still struggling to get away from him. “Do you think I cared for your money?” Sure, she loved that he spoiled her rotten, but that wasn’t why she stayed. She had her own money. Over the years, she’d done nothing but invest her earnings. Thank God she did. Now it came in handy, since she wouldn’t be able to work for a while.

  She’d genuinely cared for Matthew until his true colors began showing. But no money in the world could get her to stay. And now, she wanted him out of her apartment, back to whatever hole he crawled from. “Let me go!”

  “Not until you take me back.”

  “I’d rather die first.” She communicated her disdain for him with her eyes. “You’ll never have me again.”

  “You’re a fool, Callie. I could have given you the life you wanted—still can. All you need to do is come back.”

  “Right… so you can break my limbs next time. No, thanks.”

  Matthew chuckled, releasing her with a push. “Ready for the trip back home, I see.” He surveyed the packed boxes with a pleased look. “Ever figured out why they
canceled your permit?”

  “I know you’re behind it all, you slime. The break-in, the fire…it was all you.”

  “Guilty.” He spread his arms, grinning from ear to ear. “But can you prove it?”

  Of course, she couldn’t. And even if she could, he had the power to make it go away.

  “Come back to me, Callie, and you’ll get your permit back. Better, we’ll get married right away.” He dipped in his pocket for the sparkling diamond ring that had been on her finger weeks before. “See, I even brought the ring, just in case.”

  “It’s a no for me, Matthew. I’ll take my chances alone.”

  Matthew let loose a frustrated breath. “You are nothing without me, Callie. Nothing. Here, or in another country. You’ll never find a man like me.”

  “That’s a relief.”

  His lips curled. Dark clouds formed in his eyes. His hands curled into fists. A familiar fear rose in Callie’s throat. She stood between the couch and Matthew, and her only route of escape lay over the back of the furniture. But she could never vault it fast enough. He would get her before then.

  “If you touch me again, I swear, I’ll press charges. I don’t care if they stick. Your ass in jail will give me enough satisfaction.”

  Matthew gave her a long, frosty stare before flexing his hands. “You’re not worth it. Not anymore.” He turned to go, not before kicking a box. “Enjoy your new—old home. Whatever. Hope the cold won’t get to you.” His cruel laugh followed him out and down the hall.

  As soon as he cleared the door, Callie dashed and closed it. Not that it mattered; he still had her keys. So, she took to task the phonebook, finding a locksmith with an express service. Higher fee, but worth her peace of mind.

  Matthew’s visit brought an unexpected ray of hope, one she didn’t know she needed. He thought he’d done enough to get her out, and as long as she kept under the radar, he’d be none the wiser. His trips to Trenton had been for her benefit. With her ‘out the country’, he had no business coming here. She could live her life in peace, away from his abuse and revenge.

  She thought of telling Gabriel everything. She was this close. But she couldn’t get the words out in the phone call to him minutes ago. Gabriel hands were already full with her immigration issues; should she burden him with more? Besides, Matthew was no longer a threat. Better let sleeping dogs lie.