The M.D.'s Mistress

by Joan Hohl

  “No, and what do you mean by my condition?” Becca asked, stunned by his blatant assumption. “What condition?” she stormed, in attack mode. “I’m a little tired. I’ll be fine. In fact, I’m feeling better already.” She pulled a cheery smile, but felt it didn’t quite come off. “That’s all there is to it. End of story.”

  During their strained exchange, Becca could hear Sue talking on the phone, even though she couldn’t make out her words. Then she heard Sue cradle the instrument.

  “Becca…I have sandwiches and a salad prepared and in the fridge for lunch,” Sue said in a rush as she approached the table. “And a chicken vegetable pie ready to go into the oven for supper.” She hesitated, smiled and rushed on. “Dr. Carter wants to see me…would it be all right with you if I went out for the night?”

  Becca was already nodding her head, a smile shadowing her lips, certain Sue’s sudden attack of nerves could be attributed to John’s invitation…for the night, perhaps? The shadow materialized into a real smile at the thought. She had guessed Sue and John were interested in each other, and both were tiptoeing around making a bold move.

  “Of course, I don’t mind. I’m tired, Sue, not half-dead. I’ll be fine.”

  “Oh, thanks, sweetie.” Sue actually beamed. “I’ll just get my purse and—”

  “Sue, wait a moment, please,” Seth said, interrupting her. “Before you leave, can you direct me to the closest motel or rooming house?”

  “Rooming house!” Sue exclaimed. “Motel? I’ll do no such thing.” She swept the area with one arm. “Here’s this big house, and you’re thinking rooming house? Becca has the master suite down here, but there are four empty bedrooms upstairs.” She paused to breathe.

  Becca jumped in. “Uh, Sue, I don’t think—”

  “Now don’t tell me the owner will mind, honey,” Sue interrupted. “What that rich man doesn’t know won’t be hurting anyone.”

  She glanced at Seth, who, to Becca’s way of thinking, appeared much too innocent-looking. “Now, before I leave, you go right out and get your gear from the car, then I’ll show you the place and you can take your pick of the rooms…all with their own bathroom, I might add.”

  “Well…if you insist.”

  Becca gritted her teeth at the humble note in his voice.

  “I do.” Sue gave a definite nod of her head. “No, we do. Don’t we, Becca?”

  No! Becca kept her lips tightly closed to contain the word of denial from bursting out of her mouth. “Yes,” she agreed, not too graciously. “We do.”

  Seth smiled.

  Had Becca been closer to him she might have smacked that victorious smile from his face. Wanting only to put some distance between them before she did something rash like face-smacking, she said, “Why don’t you get your bags so Sue can be on her way?”

  He nodded, smile still in place. “Right.” Moving smartly, he headed for the door.

  Becca heaved a soft sigh of relief. Still, Sue heard it. “You’re still tired. Why don’t you lie down for a bit? The sandwiches and salad will keep.”

  “I’m fine, honestly.” This time Becca’s smile was genuine. “I promise if I start to feel any worse, I’ll rest.”

  Sue smiled back. “Okay, and it might help if you’d eat a little something.”

  “That sounds good to me,” Seth chimed in, strolling into the kitchen, suitcase in hand. “I haven’t eaten since early this morning.”

  Hanging on to her fraying composure, Becca rose from the table, carrying the still full coffee cup. “Okay, you get settled in and I’ll serve lunch.”

  “Good,” Sue said, heading for the archway into the dining room. “Follow me, Seth. I’m sure Mr. Moneybags won’t mind how long you stay.”

  Oh, hell…hell…hell! Becca railed to herself. Just stay as long as you like, Seth. Have yourself a great time driving Becca to distraction.

  Fuming, she dumped the now cold, bitter coffee into the sink and fixed a fresh pot. While the coffee brewed, she set about slapping place mats and napkins on the table, followed by plates for the sandwiches and small wooden bowls for the salads. She was setting the large bowl of mixed vegetable salad onto the table when Sue hurried back into the room.

  “Seth will be down in a minute,” she said, grabbing her purse and heading for the door. “I’ll be leaving now…okay?”

  “Yes, of course—go, Sue.” Becca made a shooing motion with her hand, managing a smile for her. “I’ll be fine. Dr. Carter is waiting.”

  “Right.” Excitement glimmered in Sue’s eyes. “Uh…I don’t know when I’ll be…”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Seth drawled, sauntering into the room. “I assure you, I’ll take good care of her.”

  Sue grinned, and rushed out of the house.

  Becca was simmering. Who in the world assigned Seth Andrews, boy-wonder surgeon, to take care of her? She was fully capable of taking care of herself, thank you.

  Carefully setting the sandwiches on the plates, she tried to calm her rising ire, afraid if she didn’t she might explode all over the place, or him.

  “Do you want a glass of water?” Becca avoided looking at him by turning to go to the cabinet where the glasses were kept.

  “Yes, please.” There was a trace of hidden laughter in his tone.

  “Why are you here anyway?”

  “Why else—to check on you.”

  The simmer was quickly turning into flaring temper. “Have a seat,” she said with false calm. Back in Philadelphia, she thought, rather nastily.

  Lunch was hardly a pleasant chatty occasion. In fact it was eaten in absolute silence.

  Out of pure contrariness, not thirst, Becca drank two cups of the fresh coffee, while simply nibbling at both her salad and sandwich.

  Naturally, Seth serenely ignored her while eating every bit of his lunch…not to mention the half of sandwich she left on her plate.

  To Becca’s further annoyance, he monitored every swallow of coffee she took.

  “You know,” he said, too casually, “instead of gulping caffeine, you should be resting.”

  Skirting the edge of serious anger, Becca glanced at him balefully. “Is that a professional or merely personal opinion, Dr. Andrews?”

  He appeared unfazed by both her expression and sour tone of voice. “Both.”

  “Well, you can take both opinions and jam—”

  “Careful now, Rebecca,” he cautioned. “Let’s not get down and dirty here.”

  Throwing her hands into the air, rather than her fist at his head, Becca shoved back her chair, stood and began clearing the table. “I don’t want to listen to you issuing orders or suggestions.” Carrying the dishes, she stopped halfway between the table and the sink to turn and face him. “You are not my boss here.”

  “I am not trying to boss you around.” Seth shoved his chair back and circled the table to stand over her. Anger was beginning to color his voice. “Can’t you see I’m trying to help you?”

  “No.” She gave a sharp shake of her head. “All I see is a man trying to tell me what to do and when to do it. Well, I’m tired of it.” Becca drew a quick breath, and ranted on, “I have been telling you I am fine. Why can’t you let it go at that?”

  “Because you obviously aren’t fine,” he snapped back at her. “If you were fine you wouldn’t have damn near collapsed in John’s office.”

  Although Becca was well aware that everything he was saying was true, she couldn’t admit it.

  “Why don’t you just go get your bag and go back to Philadelphia, and leave me alone?” She spun to go to the sink and deposit the dishes. “You’re not my keeper, you’re a surgeon. Go back and save someone’s life, for heaven’s sake!” She turned again, away from him. Gently but firmly grasping her by the upper arm, he stopped her in her tracks.

  “The way you’ve been pushing yourself, you need a keeper.” His voice had a ragged edge. Turning to face her, he clasped her other arm. “It might as well be me.”

  “I don’t thin
k so,” Becca retorted, a shiver rippling through her when he raised his hand to cradle her face. “You’re the last person…”

  “Oh, Becca, shut up.” With that, he very effectively shut her up himself, by covering her mouth with his.

  Six

  A t first his kiss was really not a kiss at all, simply his cool lips on hers. Becca went stiff, ice invading her spine, freezing her to the spot with outrage.

  Damned if he wasn’t doing it to her again, kissing her to keep her quiet. Oh, Becca, shut up. Only this time he didn’t press his mouth to hers almost as if he wanted to devour her.

  And then, all hell broke loose inside her mind, her emotions, her entire body.

  Seth’s lips grew warm, his mouth taking command of hers as though it was his right, as though she belonged to him, was his to do with as he pleased.

  She wanted to shove him away, but at that moment he slipped his hands from her face to wrap his arms around her, drawing her hard against him.

  She lifted her hands to scratch at his face, tangled her fingers in his hair to tear at it, pull it from his scalp.

  Her rioting emotions, frustration, need, emptiness and a sudden flare of physical response stilled her hands, turning her fury into passion.

  She did slide her fingers into his hair, but to tug his head closer. His tongue swept inside her mouth, teased her tongue, sending electrical shock waves throughout her body. The tips of her breasts tightened and tingled all the way down to her feminine core. Without thought or direction, Becca arched into him.

  He made a low, almost growling sound in his throat, thrust his tongue deep inside. Tightening his arms around her, he trailed one hand to the base of her spine, crushing her to the hard readiness of his body.

  She felt him…all the way from the top of her head to the tip of her now tingling toes. Somewhere, in the very back of what was left of her mind, Becca thought she should stop him.

  No, no, she banished the dimming thought. She didn’t want to stop him, she wanted…Releasing her fingers from his silky hair, she curled her arms around his neck and hung on, hungrily returning the kiss as if her life depended on it.

  With an urgent need to breathe, Seth again lifted his head. Becca wanted to protest, but she couldn’t speak. He didn’t loosen his hold on her and she continued to cling to him. Resting her forehead against his heaving chest, she shivered to the excited arousal racing along her nervous system, tangoing up her spine.

  “Ahhh, Becca.” Raising her chin with his other hand, he again lowered his head to command her mouth with his.

  This time his kiss was gentle, teasing, his tongue playing hide-and-seek with hers. Kissed senseless, beyond coherent thought, she simply melted into him, returning the kiss, joining with his playful tongue.

  She was only vaguely aware of being lifted into his arms. His increasingly hungry mouth setting her on fire, she clung to him as he strode into her bedroom, kicking the door shut behind them.

  “Seth…” she began, only to have him silence her with one finger over her lips.

  “Now is not the time for talk, Becca,” he murmured, gliding his finger over her bottom lip. “Now is the time for indulgence, of our senses, in each other.”

  A tremor of longing rippled through her at the images his words evoked. Images right out of her dreams about him, them, together. Without a murmur of protest, Becca raised her mouth to his.

  Within minutes, without breaking the kiss, they slipped out of their clothing. Then finally, skin to skin, they fell onto the bed together.

  Seth’s body was hot and smooth and hard. She shivered in the heat of him. She trembled as his hands began to move, caressing her body.

  A soft protest sprang to her throat when his mouth left hers. Her protest swiftly changed to a moan as his lips tracked the path of his hands.

  Following his lead, Becca skimmed her hands over every inch of his body she could reach. She loved the feel of his hot skin beneath her palms. His back was broad, muscles taut with expectation. She traced the length of his spine. Emboldened by the quiver of his body, she smoothed her hands over his tight, narrow buttocks then stretched to slide her palms down his muscled bunched thighs. He made a guttural sound deep in his throat as she skimmed her fingers up the insides of his thighs.

  Her own muffled groan echoed his as his one hand cupped one of her bottom cheeks and the other hand cupped her mound.

  Without conscious thought, her thighs parted. She gasped with surprised pleasure when his fingers found and teased the most sensitive spot on her body.

  “Seth…” That was all she could manage to say between short harsh breaths.

  “You like that?” His voice was low, pure temptation. His mouth sought and found her breast, lips closing around the tip.

  This time she couldn’t manage even one word. But her gasp, the tremor that cascaded down her body, told him all he needed to know. “You like that, too?” His warm breath bathed her wet nipple, causing her to shiver.

  Becca was long past denial. “Yes, yes, yes,” she said, raking her nails down his back.

  “Umm…” he murmured, shivering in response. “And I like that.” Sliding up over her, he took her mouth in a soul-stirring, mind-destroying kiss. “And I like that.” He deepened the kiss. “And that,” he whispered against her lips before drawing a shudder from her by gliding his tongue along the inside of her lower lip. “But I like what’s next even more.” Kneeing her thighs wider, he settled between them.

  She half expected to suddenly wake up, as she always did in her dreams when he slid between her thighs.

  But Becca knew she wasn’t dreaming when with one thrust he was inside her, filling the aching emptiness.

  This was Seth inside her, pleasuring her, driving her higher and higher. It was wonderful. Aroused beyond anything she would ever have imagined herself to be capable of, Becca went wild in response.

  Her breathing harsh, her body growing moist with perspiration, she arched up, into his every thrust, wanting more and more of him.

  Leaning down over her, his hands covered her breasts as his lips covered her mouth, his tongue thrusting in rhythm with his body.

  Becca was certain she was dying, or would if the tension, the friction of their joining, went on much longer. “I…I…” She gulped a breath. “Seth, please, I can’t…I can’t take any more.”

  “Do you want me to stop?” His voice was a purr that stroked her senses, incited her hunger.

  “No!”

  “Then, what do you want?” He had slowed his rhythm. “Tell me, Becca.”

  “You know.” She grasped him by the hips, urging him deeper, deeper. “You know what I want.”

  “Yes,” he whispered, plunging hard and fast. “I know, because I want it, too.”

  Becca went frantic as the tension built higher…higher…and then it snapped, flinging her wildly into a place she had never been. She cried out with the joy of it.

  The very next instant, as if from a far distance, she heard Seth grunt before crying out his own release from the shatteringly wonderful tension.

  Collapsing on top of her, Seth buried her face in the curve of her neck. Bearing his weight, Becca cradled him in an embrace of her arms and legs as their labored breathing slowly returned to normal.

  Satiated, completely fulfilled and wonderfully drained, Becca closed her eyes, beginning to drift in the area between wakefulness and sleep.

  She felt Seth move, shift his body from hers to lie next to her on the bed. She shivered and Seth drew her to him, while pulling the comforter over both of them.

  Sighing with the double sensations of warmth and safety, Becca surrendered to slumber.

  It was dark when Becca stirred to the delightful sensations created by Seth’s hands stroking her now sensitized skin. Barely awake, her body responded to the arousing glide of his hand as it skimmed from her hip to her breasts, caressing one and then the other.

  She sighed as his mouth moved over her face, leaving tiny kisses in its wake
. She moaned with need when his lips took hers and his free hand delved into the apex of her legs, testing her readiness. Clasping him to her, she returned his kiss, her mouth and body demanding more, more of the ecstasy he had already given her.

  With a soft chuckle, Seth obeyed, sliding his body between her parted thighs.

  This time there was no teasing play. There was just a mutual urgency driving them. Seth was demanding, and so was Becca. She wanted to wring every drop of passion from him.

  Seth didn’t disappoint her. His thrusting body drove her quickly to the edge and over it. Becca’s near scream of exquisite satisfaction and delicious pleasure was silenced inside his mouth.

  She felt as if she had died, and didn’t care. Close to unconsciousness, she was barely aware of Seth’s tortured breath as he muttered close to her ear.

  “That was fantastic.”

  They were the last words she heard before falling into a deep sleep.

  Becca woke alone in the bed. Before opening her eyes, she floated in her dreams. They were like all the others, except this time she hadn’t awakened at the most crucial moment. A soft smile on her lips, she opened her eyes, blinking at the bright sunlight streaming through the two bedroom windows.

  What time was it? she wondered, yawning and glancing at the beside clock. After ten? When had she gone to bed? Her mind still a little hazy, she tossed back the comforter. The ache in her inner thighs, the tenderness in the apex of her legs, brought consciousness and memory flooding her mind.

  Seth.

  Turning her head, Becca looked at the empty space next to her. She sniffed, then drew a deep breath. She could smell him, the combined odors of sex and sweat and Seth’s own masculine scent.

  Memories continued to play inside her mind. His kisses, his caresses, his…twice! It was all there, in full color. Becca grew warm with a flush spreading from her cheeks to the rest of her body. She felt hot again and needy and…something niggled at the fringes of her mind, something important that she couldn’t grasp.