Doctor For Hire

by Tory Baker

  I barely look around my house. When I first moved here, it was perfect. Now, it’s a place to land. I’m barely here and it’s damn lonely when I am. I close my eyes as the hot water hits me. Instantly Tabitha’s smiling face comes to mind, those beautiful dark eyes sparkling with mischief, that dimple I find myself wanting to run my tongue against. If Tabitha was here at my house it would feel better. It wouldn’t be lonely. It’d be a place I’d want to come home to. I’d always thought relationships were traps, but it wouldn’t be the same with Tabitha. She’s a nurse. She knows the demands of my career. She knows the long hours I have to devote. With her everything would be different. I growl under my breath.

  I can’t believe I’m thinking of tying myself to a woman… but I am. Tabitha is funny, smart and she’s not intimidated by me. She’s also sexy as hell and the reason my cock is rock hard right now.

  I turn off the water and grab a towel, haphazardly hooking it around my hips. I go through the motions of getting ready for bed and turn out the lights. I’ve never noticed how empty my house is before. Tonight the silence is damn right depressing. Once in bed, I lay there and think about Tabitha, wishing I could hear her laughter. That cute little giggle she has makes me smile even now. I reach over and grab my cell phone I tossed on my nightstand earlier. I don’t second guess myself, because it wouldn’t do any good. I need a connection with Tabitha tonight. I wish she was here with me and I’m going to make that happen—sooner rather than later.

  I pull up her number and send her a text.

  Me: Tabster.

  Tab: What?

  Me:Your new nickname.

  Tab: Um. No.

  Me:I think it’s cute.

  Tab:My sister’s cooking infected your brain. You’re crazy.

  Me:I had fun tonight.

  Tab: I did too.

  Me:What are you wearing?

  Tab:You really should go to the ER now.

  Me:I’m being serious. What are you wearing?

  Tab:What do you want me to be wearing?

  Me:Me. But, I figure that’s not going to happen tonight.

  Tab:I’m really starting to worry my sister’s food is bothering you.

  Me:The only thing that’s bothering me is you, Tabster. I want you.

  Tab:I don’t know what you expect me to say to that.

  Me:That you want me too.

  Tab:And if I say I do?

  Me:I’ll drive over there and give you what we both want.

  Tab:And if I say I don’t?

  Me:Then it’s still going to happen, just not tonight.

  Tab:I think the best thing to do right now is to not answer.

  Me:Chicken.

  Tab:Maybe. But I’m not going to have sex with someone who calls me Tabster.

  Me:I’ll work on a new name.

  Tab:Goodnight crazy man.

  Me:Goodnight Tab-u-lust

  Tab:Try again, Bozo.

  I stare at the phone, grinning like an idiot after that. I finally put it away, shaking my head. How have I gone so long without this woman in my life?

  Chapter Nine

  Tabitha

  “I can’t believe you’re dating Dr. Miner! Why didn’t you tell me?”

  I close my eyes. Delores makes the twentieth person to ask me that since I got to work today. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me that rumors about me and Brody would spread through the hospital, but it honestly didn’t.

  “We’re not—”

  “Publicly discussing it right now, Nurse Robbins.”

  I jerk up at the sound of Brody’s voice, surprised to see him.

  “Oh. Well of course. It’s just that Tabitha and I are so close, I was sure she would tell me,” Delores explains. She’s lying. I try to avoid talking to Delores at all costs. She’s one of the biggest gossips here. I roll my eyes, but I don’t deny it. Brody’s grin lets me know that he saw my reaction though and I share his smile—and I might get lost in his eyes for a minute… they are just so pretty...

  “I’ve asked her not to. You know how hospital gossip is,” he answers. Before Delores can respond he reaches over and grabs my hand. “Can I talk with you a minute? I was wanting to discuss the dates of your sister’s wedding so I can make sure Dr. Braden can fill in for me.”

  “Oh. Yes, of course,” I whisper, stepping around Delores. Brody leads us away from the break area, where I had been trying to get a bottle of water from the vending machine.

  “I’ll talk to you at lunch, Tabitha!” she calls.

  “Not if I see you first,” I mutter under my breath and I get rewarded with Brody’s bark of laughter.

  “I take it you and Delores aren't best friends like she insinuated.”

  “Not even close. You realize just by coming to talk to me that you’ve added fuel to the fire,” I warn him.

  “Interesting way to put it.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “Nothing, just that you’re expecting me to make it… hot.”

  “You really are insane,” I laugh, because I don’t know what else to say. He’s crazy. He’s also funny, sweet and hilarious. And I really like him.

  “I think you like me,” Brody says and I can feel myself blushing. I look at him and it’s on the tip of my tongue to say I don’t.

  “I think I do too,” I whisper instead. This flash of panic thrums through my body when I realize what I’ve just done. I rush to take it back, but I don’t know what I would say. I don’t get the chance anyway. Brody leans in closer, so close I can smell his expensive cologne and it, combined with the look in his eyes make my knees weak.

  “You wouldn’t believe how happy that makes me, Tabitha,” he murmurs. I find myself moving closer into him, almost as if there’s a gravitational force commanding me.

  “What are we doing?” I ask confused when he pulls away. Then, I remember where we’re at and I know my face colors beet red.

  “Getting to know each other,” he answers. His face gives nothing away. I have no idea what he’s thinking. What if I’m making a fool of myself here and he’s just… a player? God knows I’ve met plenty of men just like that.

  “That might be a bad idea,” I answer, suddenly confused.

  “You don’t want to be strangers when we get to the wedding around your family and friends do you Tabster?”

  “Ew. I told you no on that name and I guess not. We need to be believable I suppose.”

  “Then just go with it. Relax around me, be yourself,” he urges, and his hand comes up to drift against my shoulder. His touch seems to heat my body, almost burning it. The color of his eyes darken and I have the strangest urge to jump on him, wrap my legs around him and ride him like a racehorse.

  I don’t do that, however.

  “I uh… I guess we should get to work,” I stutter.

  “I’m scrubbing in on a routine surgery.”

  “Oh… I’m with Dr. Campbell this morning,” I tell him foolishly.

  “Lucky Dr. Campbell,” he smiles.

  “You didn’t feel that way when I worked with you…”

  “I was hungry. I’m not myself when I’m hungry,” he says with a wink.

  “Are you quoting television commercials now?”

  “Have a good day, Tab-Tab.”

  “You too and in case you were wondering, it’s a hard no on that name too.”

  “I’ll keep trying, gorgeous. I’ll keep trying,” he says as he walks away.

  I stand there like a lovesick fool and watch his ass as he walks away. In my defense, it’s a really good ass…

  Chapter Ten

  Brody

  “Are you hungry?” I ask Tabitha when she opens the door. I shake the pizza box at her to tempt her into letting me in. Today has been hell. I was so busy, I barely had time to look up. One of my patients coded on the table and I had to fight like hell to bring him back. I did, but it was close—too damn close, and he’s still critical.

  When I have days like today, I usually want to be alone. This t
ime, when I got off work, my first thought was to seek out Tabitha. I just didn’t want to go home to my empty house.

  “You do know my sister left this morning right?”

  “That’s good, I only brought one pizza and I’m starved.”

  “But there’s no need to pretend now,” she says, her face confused.

  She looks beautiful. Her dark hair, even darker eyes and her face devoid of makeup. She’s gorgeous without trying and she’s got an easy feel about her that makes me feel… comfortable. I’ve had women. I’ve not had to really work for any of them. Not to sound cocky, but I’m not bad looking and I’ve got money. Women come to me without even trying. Yet, not one of them has made me feel comfortable. I’d rather be alone than with them—more times than naught.

  “Maybe I just want to spend time with you.”

  “I—”

  “And besides, if we’re going to make people believe we’re dating at this wedding, we need to spend more time together.”

  “Oh… Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she says and she studies my face. I wonder what she’s looking for, and then I wonder if she found it.

  “Are you going to let me in?”

  “That depends,” she says, surprising me.

  “On what?” I ask, cautiously.

  “What’s on the pizza?” she asks and she smiles rather slyly.

  “Pepperoni, sausage, and cheese,” I answer.

  “No onions? I like onions,” she murmurs mournfully.

  “Well, I must confess, I do too. It’s just I was hoping to kiss you and onions might have stopped that.”

  “Kiss me?”

  “Purely for research purposes. I mean I need to be familiar with your kiss if I’m going to make your family believe we’re truly dating,” I tell her easily.

  “Oh… I never thought about that.”

  “I like to be thorough. So… dinner?”

  “What?”

  “The pizza is getting cold and you still haven’t let me in the door,” I remind her.

  “Oh! I’m sorry. Come on in,” she says, standing back from the entrance to let me in.

  I smile as I make it inside, suddenly feeling a little lighter than I did just moments before. Being with Tabitha is exactly where I need to be tonight. With any luck, I won’t leave until morning.

  Chapter Eleven

  Tabitha

  “For a man who came to my house with food and wanting inside, Brody…you’re kind of quiet tonight.”

  “I’m sorry, gorgeous. It’s been a rough day.”

  “I heard you almost lost a patient.”

  “I forgot the hospital grapevine.”

  “They said you wouldn’t give up on him though, Brody. That has to feel good. You brought him back.”

  “He’s alive, but I can’t tell you if he will survive, Tabitha. He’s stable, but…”

  “You’re not God, Brody. You can only do so much. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You gave your all in that surgery. Because of you, he has a fighting chance. That’s all you can do sometimes,” I tell him, and I reach out and grab his arm so he’ll pay attention. I don’t want him writing off my words as if I was just trying to make him feel good. I’m serious. I need for him to know that.

  “If I were in that man’s shoes, it’s you I’d want doing the operating. You aren’t like some of these doctors who go in and see a new case or just one in a number of cases. You see a real person and you give one hundred and fifty percent each time.”

  Brody looks down at my hand on his arm and when I’d take it away he caps his over it.

  “You really feel that way?”

  “Of course. I wouldn’t tell you that if I didn’t,” I respond, my voice quiet as heat from his hand spreads up my arm and through my body.

  I wish I knew what it was about Brody Miner that makes me feel so alive. There’s just something about him and my whole body responds to him like it has never done with another man.

  “You really are special,” he whispers and my heart stutters in my chest and my breath feels as if it has been knocked out of me.

  “I’m not, I—”

  “You are. What I can’t figure out is why you had to invent any kind of story to your family.”

  “I didn’t, I know. It was… pride maybe and well, you don’t know my family. They will—”

  “I didn’t mean that, Tabitha. I meant men should be lined up at your door dying for a chance to spend time with you.”

  “Brody you’re being really sweet, but you don’t need to try and make me feel bett—”

  “I’m being honest. You’re funny, kind, smart, you have eyes a man could stare at the rest of his life and never get bored. You have the cutest little dimple when you smile and I find myself wanting to see more and more of it.”

  “Brody—”

  “And your body… I find myself dreaming about your body, Tabitha.”

  “I… maybe we should call it a night…”

  “Dreaming of touching it, wondering if it would be as soft as my imagination says it is,” he whispers and as he’s talking his fingers are brushing up and down my arm. I feel like I’m being drugged, falling under his spell. I should fight it, but I don’t really want to. The promise in his face, the intensity of it makes me want to follow everywhere he might lead. Dangerous…I know it is, but it’s what I want.

  “Brody,” I whisper and I don’t know if I want to tell him we shouldn’t do this, or if I want to beg him to kiss me.

  “Are you soft all over, Tabitha?” he asks.

  “You could find out,” I dare him.

  Brody pulls my body into his lap then and his lips are on mine before I can even catch my breath. His tongue pushes into my mouth at the exact moment his hand slides under my shirt. His fingers stretch across my stomach and it feels like they burn into me, marking me. I can feel them searing me as they move slowly from my stomach to my chest. Brody pushes my bra up and captures my breast in his hand, squeezing it gently. My nipple is hard and it’s pushing against the palm of his hand. His skin feels rough compared to mine and the sensation against my nipple, makes me moan against his mouth.

  “I was right, Tabitha,” he whispers against my ear after our kiss ends. His hand is still pressing into my breast, the hold one of pure ownership that makes me feel so alive and wanted that I barely stop myself from begging him for more.

  “Right?” I ask, tilting my head so he can run his tongue against the shell of my ear.

  “You are soft all over,” he growls before biting on my earlobe and sucking it into his mouth.

  The pull of his mouth on my ear is something so erotic my stomach tightens in reaction. I’ve never felt anything like it. My breathing is ragged, I’m so wet that my panties are soaked and my body feels as if liquid heat is moving through it at the speed of light. My fingernails bite into his back as my body literally shudders with need. It’s been so long since any man has affected me like Brody is doing right now.

  I know I’m playing with fire, but I’ll worry about it later, right now this feels too good.

  Chapter Twelve

  Brody

  I didn’t plan on claiming Tabitha tonight. I wanted to work up to it slowly, get her used to me and to be honest I need to get accustomed to having a woman in my life permanently. It’s not something that I planned on, but now that I have Tabitha I know it’s what I want. I don’t know why I’m stalling to make my move. In the back of my mind, I keep waiting for this to turn bad. Every woman I’ve ever known either tries to control my life or they don’t like the fact that my job takes the majority of my time. Tabitha doesn’t seem that type, but I can’t help being cautious.

  For now, I put that out of my head and concentrate on the gift Tabitha is giving me. I break away from her lips so that we’re both sitting on the couch. Her eyes are glossy with desire and both of us are breathing hard; the sound is rough in the room and echoes even over the blood pounding in my ears.

  “Brody,” she whispers, her face
flushed.

  “Shh…” I respond against her lips and then kiss her again, because I can’t stop myself. When I move away from her this time, I pull her shirt up and swish it over her head, before she can stop me. She mostly helps me, but immediately her hands go to her breasts, as if to guard them from me. She even adjusts her bra so her tit is hidden from view. I can’t ever remember being with a woman so shy. It’s different and with Tabitha, it feels special.

  I move her hands out of the way and bring them down on her legs. Then, I move up to unlatch her bra, revealing her breasts to me. I watch as her nipples, which are already hard, pebble tight when the cool air hits them.

  My cock is so hard, it’s all I can do not to push her back and take her. I need to do this right, however. We leave for her family’s home soon. I don’t know if there’s anything between her and this jerk her sister is marrying, but I know I want her looking at me, thinking of me to fill her needs—before she sees him again.

  Fuck, even now I’m lying to myself. I want her belonging to me before then. Which is why I need to make this… perfect.

  I palm each breast in my hands. Their weight feeling perfect, the skin so soft I want to bury my face in them—or my cock. I brush my thumb carelessly across her nipple and get rewarded with here gasp. Her body shudders and the vibration is something I can feel just from our connection.

  “Brody—”

  My name on her lips brings out a possessiveness in me that I never knew existed before. I squeeze her tit tighter before I can catch myself. Tabitha jerks in my arms, but not to get away. If anything, she leans in closer. I shake my head to clear it. For the first time in my life, I am losing myself to a woman. I can’t even think straight. I move my hands down to her pants. She has on track pants that have a drawstring at the waist. I undo those easily and push them down her hips. She’s nervous—even skittish—but she helps me and in no time she’s sitting in front of me with nothing but a pair of royal blue panties. The color seems bright against her tanned skin.