Her Dominant Doctor
By
Bella Jackson
Copyright © 2014 by Stormy Night Publications and Bella Jackson
Copyright © 2014 by Stormy Night Publications and Bella Jackson
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published by Stormy Night Publications and Design, LLC.
www.StormyNightPublications.com
Jackson, Bella
Her Dominant Doctor
Cover Design by Korey Mae Johnson
Images by Jimmy Thomas at RomanceNovelCovers.com and Bigstock/Backyard Productions
This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults.
Dedication
To my husband… my best friend… my soul mate… my life.
Chapter One
Annie O’Reilly slowly became aware of her surroundings as she woke in the recovery room, still a bit disoriented, which was a typical after-effect of the anesthesia as it wore off. Annie gazed around the immediate area. It was familiar, but not familiar. White, sterile walls. Distinct smell of rubbing alcohol. That’s right, hospital. As her level of consciousness rose through the pea-soup thick fog, Annie realized she was still alive. It was with pure happiness and profound relief that she took a silent inventory of herself and her surroundings. The sticky tape on the back of her hand secured an intravenous line. It pulled on the delicate skin, not painfully, but enough to cause her to be constantly aware of its presence. She could hear the beep beep sound of her monitored heartbeat fill the room and the annoying itch under her nose was, no doubt, from the nasal cannula providing a continuous flow of oxygen. Her mouth was bone dry and lips were rough and chapped. The last couple of days came back to her in a wave of overwhelming memories and shattered dreams. Despite all of that, she was simply grateful to be alive.
Catching from her peripheral vision a silhouette sitting beside her, she turned, heavy-headed, to the right, fully expecting to see a nurse. Annie was pleasantly surprised, however, to find the strong profile of her very handsome surgeon, who she had only met just prior to the operation. Dr. Thomas Callahan cradled a thick blue binder in his left hand and with his right, wrote with a silver, expensive-looking Mont Blanc pen. He sat slightly hunched over, his expression in deep thought. Annie noticed the stubble of a five o’clock shadow on his prominent jaw. Soft brown curls streaked with silver poked out from under the blue surgeon’s cap at his nape. He was incredibly good-looking.
When he turned, she sharply inhaled, stunned by the unusual shade of blue in his sparkling eyes. They were almost turquoise but with a hint of jade green. They were the most beautiful windows to the soul she had ever seen. He held his head high, proud and confident on broad shoulders that could carry the weight of the world with ease, she imagined.
Annie was acutely and increasingly aware that the man’s presence caused an inappropriate stirring deep in her belly. When she met his gaze, she was presented with a full-on bright and beautiful smile. She slowly exhaled the deep breath she was holding, then mirrored his smile in return.
“I must have died and gone to heaven. Only an angel could look as good as you do.” His deep rich baritone laugh brought about the realization that her unfiltered thoughts were spoken aloud. Blood pounded in her temples as she felt heat color her face. Humiliated, Annie’s tear-filled eyes looked away. Trying to compose herself, she cleared her throat and asked, “Is it really over?” Her voice was raspy and uneven.
Annie turned her head back to face him, meeting his gaze. Dr. Callahan was chuckling, but then his smile quickly turned into a frown. “It’s alright, Ms. O’Reilly. There is no need for tears. You are fine and, yes, it is really over.” He nodded his head reassuringly. “You are in the post-op recovery room. The surgery went perfectly and you are now on the road to restored health. All you need to do for the next few days is rest and recuperate.”
Annie felt the tenderness and affection radiate off of the doctor. His steady gaze held her own as she struggled with the lingering effects of the anesthesia. It took several moments before Annie’s eyes closed, relief and contentment washing over as she recognized his welcome words.
Looking back at him, Annie spoke, her voice genuine. “Thank you so much, Doctor, for seeing me through this.” She sheepishly added, “Um, sorry for the angel comment. My brain is not firing on all cylinders just yet. Between the drugs and the jet lag, I can’t be held responsible for the stupid things I say.”
He smiled, showing her those pearly whites again. “No worries, Ms. O’Reilly. I’ve been called many things in my career. Being called an angel is actually a nice change of pace for once,” he quipped. His amused expression morphed to one of inquiry. “Please tell me, how are you feeling? Are you experiencing any pain or discomfort?” The kind concern in his voice warmed her. She caught a whiff of his masculine scent, earthy like fresh herbs and peppermint. It was pleasant and subtle, much like the man himself.
“I’m not in pain, Doctor, not right now. Actually, it feels nice to be pain-free. It’s been too long since I felt… normal.”
Thomas pursed his lips in agreement. “Yes, I would imagine that to be true, given your ordeal over the past several days.” His vivid blue eyes were full of compassion. It took Annie’s breath away.
Her ordeal. That was the understatement of the century. Cruising on a transatlantic voyage bound for several European ports, she survived what most would consider the worst-case scenario vacation nightmare. In a foreign country, with an unknown illness, and completely alone.
Ten days into the cruise, Annie experienced the most horrific and unrelenting pain in her upper stomach. The ship’s doctor, unable to diagnose her given the limited equipment on board, told her to disembark in Barcelona, the next scheduled port. Annie boarded a flight home to Boston, landing at Logan International Airport eight hours later. Perspiration broke out on her upper lip as she painstakingly hailed a taxi, luggage in hand, requesting to be taken to the closest hospital.
When this all transpired, Annie could never have imagined she would end up with the most gorgeous, sexy-as-fuck doctor in all of Boston. Glancing over at him, all Annie could think was that he was so good-looking and must be a master in the bedroom. The phrase ‘sex on legs’ kept playing in her mind. She pinned his age as close to hers, in his early forties. From what little she had seen thus far, he was well over six feet tall with a nice physique and an award-winning smile. She was positive he had excellent dental care as a kid with teeth so straight and white. He had a distinguished masculine appeal that made her toes curl. Dr. Callahan was the epitome of a woman’s dream man. He certainly looked like the embodiment of Annie’s dream man. Strong and confident. Tall with muscular arms that would hold her in a tight grip, embracing her in security.
Aware of the desert in her mouth, she asked, “May I have some water, please? My mouth is so dry. I have a sore throat too.”
The doctor winced in sympathy, patting her hand. “That is probably from the tube the anesthesiologist placed down your throat to help you breathe during the operation.”
“Oh,” she blandly replied. Annie fully expected the doctor to summon one of the nurses to assist her and was surprised to see Dr. Callahan put the chart and pen down on the bedside table and reach over. Holding something in front of her, Annie saw it was a white plastic spoon.
“Here you are. You can start with a few ice chips for now. They will help with the sore throat. We need to reintroduce fluids and food
slowly and carefully as your system starts to wake up and recover from the trauma of surgery.”
Opening her mouth, Annie moaned in pleasure as the cold ice chips coated her parched mouth and scratchy throat with moisture. Chewing the small shard so it melted quickly, she opened her mouth to indicate the desire for more. Dr. Callahan complied with the silent request, bringing the spoon to her lips again with more ice. The simple act of kindness was both sensuous and tender, and his patience shocked Annie, although she was profoundly grateful for it.
As she looked up to his kind face, Annie was perplexed. She would never expect a doctor, a skilled surgeon, to feed her ice chips. Still, it was a great treat to be taken care of by someone. Anyone. Especially one as good-looking.
Always independent, Annie never asked for help from others. In her current predicament, however, she understood the need to be gracious and accept assistance. She found it odd that Dr. Callahan would assist with such a menial task, especially when there were many nurses flittering around the room, although she was unsure what they were doing. Annie was the only person in lying on a gurney, and the remaining four beds were empty. That made Dr. Callahan’s actions even stranger, but it was also very welcome. Annie was mesmerized by his humanity and his presence provided her with a sense of protection. His tender ministration warmed her and provided her with security. She felt butterflies in her stomach and knew it was not post-anesthetic nausea. No, it was desire, something she had not felt for a long time.
“Is that better, Ms. O’Reilly?” he asked in a voice laced with concern.
She nodded her head. “Yes. Thank you, Doctor. My throat feels much better now.”
“Good. Now let’s take care of those chapped lips,” he said, holding up a red tube of cherry Chapstick. It was exactly the same kind she used. Annie found that curious but did not have time to think about it further because she felt the wax being gently rubbed on her lips. She was shocked at the intimacy in the action and could not stop staring at him with wonder. She was entranced at the synergy created by what felt like a loving gesture more so than skilled professionalism.
Fatigue suddenly gripped Annie, firm and unrelenting. The exertion expended from such a simple interaction reminded her of the gravity of her situation. Her eyelids became heavy and her vision distorted as sleep threatened to take her. It was disappointing, given her desire to converse with her mysterious visitor, but she could not string a coherent thought together as the need to sleep gripped her.
Feeling his large, warm hand pat her own, she heard him say, “Just close your eyes and rest now. I will be by to see you when you are settled into your room.” Just on the fringes of slumber, the most she was able to do was slightly nod her head to acknowledge him. She was fairly certain she heard an amused chuckle as the darkness overtook her.
* * *
Thomas quietly laughed as he watched his patient drift off to sleep, feeling a deep sense of contentment. The brief interaction with Annie was pleasant and filled him with satisfaction. Pleased that he could tend to this beautiful woman, he rechecked the monitors, glad to see that her vital signs were all within normal limits for a post-operative patient. While confident that in all likelihood all would go well, Thomas knew enough to never take a simple surgery or recovery for granted. Things could go wrong that were not anticipated. Luckily, Ms. O’Reilly was a textbook case.
While not unusual for a surgeon to visit a patient in the recovery room, it was uncharacteristic to spend considerable time with one single patient, especially one that was stable. Normally, the nurses were responsible for this; however, he felt compelled to see his patient through post-op care. Thomas found Ms. O’Reilly’s story interesting. Aside from his keen desire to interact with her, taking this time gave him an opportunity to really look at her uninhibited and appreciate her attractiveness. His pale patient looked helpless and alone lying attached to the numerous wires that monitored her vital signs.
Her facial features were well-proportioned, with a cute button nose and pink cheeks coloring her ivory skin. He found the Marilyn Monroe-esque beauty mark on the right side of her face enchanting. In the relaxed state of slumber, she looked innocent and ethereal, angelic. He was surprised at the pleasure he felt by simply watching her sleep.
He believed she was the type of person one could trust. He had no basis for that assessment, but somehow felt it to be true. She had a depth of character and reminded him of an old soul. Genuine. He was really attracted to her. She brought his alpha male protective instincts out to the surface, probably because she appeared so weak and defenseless. No woman ever had such an effect on him so quickly, let alone a woman who was under his medical care. Usually he did not have to work hard at maintaining his professional persona but, with Ms. O’Reilly, that seemed to go right out the window.
Increasingly aware that the recovery room nurses were watching him with nosy curiosity, Thomas left them to monitor her. Heading back to his office, he grabbed a cup of coffee and sank into the oversized black leather ergonomic chair, propping his feet up on the sturdy antique oak desk. He needed an injection of caffeine to counteract his exhaustion. To say it had been an extremely long day was an understatement. He felt like he had just run the Boston marathon, a combination of intense fatigue, coupled with a feeling of elation, like a runner’s high. He sensed it had everything to do with his last patient. Sipping the strong brew, he reflected on the events that led to meeting her. Annie.
Hoping to leave right when his shift ended, he had been informed that there was an emergency cholecystectomy on the way up to the surgical floor. He had been grateful it was a straightforward procedure, usually completed in just under an hour, provided there were no complications. Gallbladder removal was common and he had performed hundreds of them in his career.
Thomas had logged into the computer system to read the notes on his soon-to-arrive patient. The documentation showed that she was a forty-one-year-old female suffering from an acute gallstone attack, who had been across the Atlantic Ocean when the pain started. He winced in sympathy for the poor woman. To have suffered such distress was bad enough, but while traveling must have been a miserable experience, forcing her to cut her vacation short. Tragic.
It was at that point that he had looked up to see the gurney being wheeled down the hallway. Annie O’Reilly had been officially transferred from an emergency room case to a surgical case. Her care was his responsibility to provide, oversee, and safeguard. He had prepared to meet and examine his patient, entering the pre-op suite.
Having barely looked at her as she passed him a few minutes before, Thomas really saw her for the first time, doing a double take, momentarily stunned by her attractiveness. Annie O’Reilly had soulful brown eyes and a round face that was a combination of youthful and fresh, but also showing depth and maturity. Her complexion was pale and smooth, like ivory. Her mahogany hair was fanned out on the starched white pillow in stark contrast. She appeared to be of average height for a woman, although it was hard to tell with her lying on the gurney. Thomas was pleased to see enough definition under the thin white hospital sheet to know the woman had a voluptuous physical shape. He could most definitely identify that she had large breasts, a realization that pleased him greatly. He was a breast man and ardently enjoyed extended breast and nipple play. It was upon that thought Thomas immediately recognized the inappropriateness of his internal monologue. He was not allowed to think about his patient in any way other than in the strictest professional manner.
“Hello, Ms. O’Reilly. I am Dr. Callahan and will be performing your surgery.” He extended his hand in greeting. He felt the delicate bones and soft skin of her hand when she grasped his in return. He glanced down, noticing the absence of a wedding ring on her left hand, which lay beside her. Thomas was irritated with himself for even looking. The woman was ill and needed his expert skills. Lusting over her was wrong on so many levels. The sound of her melodic voice brought him back to reality.
“Hi, Doctor. It’s nice to me
et you, although I would prefer that we did not have to meet under these particular circumstances.” Her smile was beautiful.
Thomas chuckled. “Yes, I can understand why you would feel that way. Let’s see about getting you taken care of. I’m going to do a quick exam, alright?” He could see the apprehension on her face. “It will just take a minute,” he reassured her.
Annie nodded her head and bit the corner of her lip, which Thomas found endearing. Carefully pulling down the stiff sheet, he pulled up her hospital gown. Probing the area with his fingers, he became hot and his heart beat faster. Her skin felt so silky. He could not help but confirm that his patient was a well-endowed D cup. That revelation caused his cock to stir in his scrub pants, the unwelcome reaction horrifying him. It was unacceptable. Thomas needed to complete the exam with the required detached and objective mindset of a surgeon. Pressing down firmly where her gallbladder and liver were located, he saw her wince in pain.
“I’m sorry, Ms. O’Reilly. I know that must hurt,” he said sympathetically. It bothered him to cause her more discomfort, despite the fact that it was a necessary evil.
“It’s okay, I understand, Doctor. I’ll just be happy to get this over with and get home. How long will I be in the hospital?” she asked, her voice laced with apprehension.
Swiftly, Thomas carefully covered her with the sheet. “If all goes well, as I imagine it will, you should be able to go home in a couple of days. It will depend on your recovery. Right now, let’s get you in the operating suite and remove that gallbladder.”
Annie smiled. “Sounds good to me, Doc. Thank you for taking care of me.” Annie bit the corner of her lip again. His cock grew stiffer, leaving him with a half-mast boner. Mortified, he used his lab coat, pulling the sides closed, to cover the evidence of his lack of professionalism.
Her Dominant Doctor Page 1
