“No, I have not felt any pain since about a day or two after the surgery. At least at the incision sites. I did feel quite a bit of pain in my shoulder. You weren’t kidding when you warned me about that before I left the hospital. The shoulder pain was worse than the surgery!”
Thomas nodded. “Yes, many of my patients have told me that.” Sharing medical information was a relief. It allowed him to relax slightly. “With laparoscopic surgery, air is pumped into the abdomen. When the surgery is finished, the air is pumped out, but there are residual pockets that get trapped, leaving the body to absorb. It’s a harmless side effect for this type of surgery, but there is a nerve that travels from where the air is pumped all the way up to the shoulder. The trapped air pushes on the nerve, which gets irritated and causes the pain,” he explained, rambling.
“Hmm. Yes, I remember you telling me that,” she replied. Her eyes were focused on his face, looking at him in serious concentration. Her gaze was searing and he found it difficult to concentrate.
Dr. Callahan cleared his throat again. He removed his hands from her skin and gently pulled her shirt down. He would leave it to her to straighten out her panties and jeans. “The incisions look great. No swelling or signs of infection. You can sit up now.” Thomas turned away quickly to sit at the desk and type some notes into her chart. It gave him the time he needed to collect himself and rein in his inappropriate thoughts and even more inappropriate hard-as-a-rock cock.
Completely unprofessional! It took a few minutes for the erection to subside. He forced himself to think about Mrs. Hildreth, his tenth grade history teacher. She was the most unattractive woman he ever laid eyes on.
It worked. The thought of her warts, buck teeth, and polyester pantsuits caused his hard-on to subside. Garnering a professional demeanor, he turned around to look at Annie. She had moved back to the chair. He could see she was breathing rapidly. Her eyes were glassy and unfocused.
“So remind me again, Annie. What do you do for work? It says in your chart that you are a behaviorist,” he stated, answering his own question.
“Yes, I work with developmentally disabled children and adults.” Her enthusiasm was apparent at her change in posture and inflection in her voice.
“How much physical work is involved in what you do?” he asked, very curious. He had a vague idea of what a behaviorist did, but wanted to hear her soft, lilting voice.
“It’s not very physical at all, usually. At least as long as no one is throwing things at me or flipping tables over.” Her shoulders shrugged and she laughed.
Startled by her statement, Thomas turned to look at Annie. Those protective instincts immediately kicked into high gear. “What do you mean, people throw things at you? Flip tables? Is your work really that dangerous? Are the people you work with violent? Why would you put yourself at such risk?” He rapid-fired the questions incredulously.
Annie looked shocked, shaking her head. “Oh, no, you misunderstand. It’s not that bad, not really. It doesn’t happen all of the time.” She continued to explain, “Usually, I am observing people’s behavior and then writing plans and reports. That part of the job is not physically challenging at all. I did not mean to imply that my job was dangerous. Intense situations at times, yes, but not dangerous. I don’t put myself at risk with the people I work with.” She finished by stating in a firm and indignant voice, “And I really do not like your use of word ‘violent’ when referring to my clients. They have behavior issues. Same as people without disabilities.”
His tense muscles finally relaxed and he let out a long, hard breath. The thought of any harm coming to her brought his alpha-maleness out in full force. Her strong advocacy for her clients did intrigue him though. Her cogent reaction was interesting, a rather forceful diatribe that made him want to take her over his knee and spank the haughtiness right out of her. I have to stop thinking about spanking her. He swallowed, composing a reasonable response. One that did not include corporal punishment.
“I certainly did not intend to offend you, Ms. O’Reilly.” His tone was calm but also admonishing. Authoritative. It was necessary to re-establish his control. “I was concerned when you implied that your job was dangerous. It’s important that you do not overdo it at home or at work. Your body has been through a traumatic experience and needs to heal. To do that, you need to rest. Physical exertion must be limited until you are fully well.” Thomas cleared his dry throat. “No lifting anything over ten pounds for at least six more weeks. Can you comply with that restriction?” He felt more on solid ground using his dominant doctor tone. He needed solid ground right now.
“Yes, that’s not a problem. At least not at work.”
Thomas looked intently at Annie, waiting for her to continue.
“Of course, I might have to yell at the baggers at the grocery store if they put too many heavy items into my shopping bags,” she laughed nervously.
Before he could stop himself, he asked curiously, “Don’t you have anyone who can help you with your groceries? A boyfriend perhaps? Or a neighbor? Family?” He knew it was a blatant attempt to fish for information. Unashamed, he wanted to learn more about her lone status. She was such a mysterious, fascinating woman.
“No, I don’t have anyone. No boyfriend,” she stated pointedly. “My neighbors are elderly. And my family, well, what little family I have, they are not around here. So I have to do my own grocery shopping.” Annie raised her hand. “But don’t worry, Doc, I promise not to lift heavy things. I will do whatever you tell me to do if it means I can go back to work,” Annie declared.
Thomas decided it was time to finish this appointment. He let out a slow deep breath and handed her a piece of paper, willing his hand to stop shaking. “Alright, Annie. Here is your form clearing your return to work. You can go back on Monday. Remember your lifting restrictions. Other than that, I think you are all set. Signed off from my service as it were.” He sounded awkward. Realizing his rambling was obscure, he restated, “What I mean to say is, you are no longer my surgical patient. I feel confident that you are well on your way to a full recovery and will no longer need my services.” There, that sounds better. It sets the record straight. After today, the doctor/patient relationship would end, leaving it possible for Thomas to pursue her.
“Yes. I don’t have a gallbladder anymore, so no fear of a recurrence,” she joked.
Thomas smiled warmly. “True.” The long silent pause was awkward. There was an undeniable tension in the room, laced with sexual undertone. Standing, he offered his hand. “Well, Annie, I wish you good health.”
She stood up. Her small hand reached out to shake his. “Thank you, Dr. Callahan. I appreciate all you have done for me.”
As soon as his hand touched hers, he felt an electrical charge. He wanted to hold on to her hand indefinitely. “You’re most welcome, Annie.” Reluctantly breaking his hold, Thomas was struck with a feeling of emptiness, unsure if he could let her walk out of his office. He opened the door for her to exit the room.
“Good-bye, Dr. Callahan.”
“Thomas,” he corrected.
She looked at him questioningly. “Thomas?”
He nodded. “My first name. It’s Thomas. Since I am no longer your doctor, it is only fitting that, if you insist on me calling you Annie, I insist that you call me by my given name. It’s Thomas.”
Her frown morphed to a warm smile. “Good-bye, Thomas.” She turned and walked away. Past the reception desk and out of the office door. Out of his life.
He stood helplessly, watching her departing form. He loved hearing her say his name. Her voice was so soft and sweet. Filled with longing, he was overwhelmed with regret. It was a profound sense of loss, as if a piece of him had broken off. He never felt so deeply for a woman. Never wanted to care for a woman in the way he did for Annie. It was very disconcerting. Go after her. Right now. She’s not your patient anymore.
His feet started to move before his head caught up to what he was doing. As he walked briskly out
of his office, his staff looked shocked. He was shocked as well. Never one to be impulsive, he could not explain the compelling need to go to her. To stop her from walking out of his life.
Looking down the main hallway, he saw her at the elevators.
“Annie, please wait a moment. Please!” His deep voice carried down the hallway. Moving at a slight jog, he caught up to her before the elevator doors opened.
“Dr. Calla…” she started to speak and he immediately brought his fingers to her lips, stifling her words. He had a strong desire to remove his fingers and use his own lips to kiss her, to discover firsthand just how warm and soft they were, but he refrained from acting on that instinct.
“Remember, Annie, my name is Thomas. We’ve already been through this,” he teased, moving his hand away from her red plump lips.
“Thomas, I don’t understand. What’s wrong?” The baffled look that touched her pale face left Thomas with an overwhelming need to make her smile.
“What’s wrong is that you are walking away from me,” he said in a sure and confident voice. “As soon as you walked out of my office, I ceased being your physician. Therefore, it is not a breach of ethics and I am not under any obligation to maintain a professional distance from you.” Feeling uncomfortable, his hand rubbed his forehead. You sound like a lawyer, you idiot.
Annie stood quiet, waiting. “I ran out of my office to catch up with you. I am standing here as Thomas… a man who is very interested in seeing you… Annie, on a social basis.” Taking a deep breath, he added, “I would really like to take you out for dinner if you are interested.” Please be interested, he silently pleaded.
Thomas was looking at her, desperate for her to say something. Anything.
“Yes, I mean, um… yes, I am interested. In dinner. With you,” she rambled.
He felt his heart soar. She said yes! He did a silent fist pump in triumph. “Good. Well then, how about tomorrow night? Do you have plans?” He kept his voice smooth despite the internal chanting and cheering in his head.
Annie’s laugh was loud. “Plans? Dr. Callahan, did you not just finish giving me a lecture about taking it easy and giving my body time to heal?” She shook her head. “No, the only plans I have are to be home in my pajamas watching boring reruns on TV.” She continued, “Tomorrow night would be perfect.”
Thomas chuckled at her response. “We just established that my name is Thomas. Please address me as such,” he said playfully. “Say seven o’clock? I can pick you up at your place.”
“Yes, tomorrow at seven would be great.” The smile brightened her entire face. Beautiful.
“Okay, I’ll see you then.” Thomas pressed the ‘down’ elevator button as the doors had long since closed. He added, “I’ll get your address from your chart. Is that alright with you?” Not wanting her to feel taken advantage of or to appear inappropriate, Thomas felt it prudent to ask permission to obtain the information.
“Yes, that’s fine.” As if on cue, the elevator doors opened. Annie stepped in, turning to hit the first floor button. His eyes caught hers in a mutual look of anticipation. He nodded his head slightly as the doors closed. Elated, Thomas stood at the closed elevator doors for several moments with one thought running continuously through his mind, ‘until tomorrow night.’
Chapter Three
Annie was beyond nervous as she looked out between the curtains to see if Thomas had arrived. Not seeing his car yet, she was happy to have a few minutes to wait. She needed to use the time to calm down. It was still early yet, and luckily she had started to get ready for her date over three hours ago. Even after a long, hot shower in which she scrubbed her body head to toe, shaved all unwanted hair, and washed and conditioned her crown of red locks, she could not settle down.
The excited anxiety continued to grow into anticipation as the time loomed closer to his arrival. She did her hair and makeup, wanting to look especially nice for Thomas. The fact that he had asked her out was a real boost to her self-confidence. She still harbored the smallest amount of disbelief that he was interested, but quickly changed her thought process. She needed to focus on the positive. He had asked her out on a date. Men only do that if they are interested. It’s not as if she had not been asked out on a date before, but Thomas was in a category of gorgeous and sexy all his own. Never before had she dated such a handsome and distinguished man.
Not sure what to wear, Annie tried on three outfits before settling on a simple, pretty dress, black with white polka dots. The dress was classic and timeless. The skirt was full and feminine. The dress accentuated her curves nicely and the neckline was low enough to show a respectable amount of cleavage, making her feel attractive. It was a dress she felt comfortable wearing. She also wore a new bra and panty set, black with delicate lace trim. It had been a long time since Annie wore pretty underthings. Her standard utilitarian white and beige colors were boring. The high she had felt after the encounter at the elevator had prompted her to take a trip to the mall. She thought there was no reason why she could not wear sexy underwear, even if he wouldn’t see it. Or maybe he will, depending on how the evening goes!
Annie had not been with a man in a couple of years. Her only long-term relationship, with Greg, had ended badly and had left her with no desire to seek another relationship. Close to marriage, but also feeling the pressure of quickly approaching the end of her childbearing years, life took a dramatic and unforgiving turn for the worse when their attempts to get pregnant failed after several years. The familiar anguish ached in her heart. It was a never-ending yearning for the children that she would never have. But this was not something Annie wanted to think about right now. She wanted to enjoy the girlish giddiness she felt while getting ready for her soon-to-arrive date.
Walking back to the closet, Annie found a pair of black and white patent leather pumps with a kitten heel. The shoes complemented and matched the dress perfectly. Looking through her jewelry box, she decided to wear a delicate, pretty pearl necklace with matching earrings. Appraising herself in the full-length mirror, Annie was satisfied with her appearance. She walked out of the bedroom, leaving a mess of discarded outfits strewn all over her bed.
In the living room, she sat on the couch and took some deep breaths to calm her nerves. The time between the phone call from Thomas earlier in the day until now left her fraught with anticipation. Thomas had called to confirm her address and reiterate that he would pick her up at seven o’clock. Sure enough, he was punctual. It was two minutes to seven when Annie heard a car pull up in front of her house. Peeking out between the curtains in the front window, she saw a shiny black BMW SUV park along the curb. Nice set of wheels. She saw his car door open and watched as Thomas got out of his vehicle. He strode up the brick walkway tall with an air of confidence and authority. He was a virile man who looked like he could take on the world. The sight of him made her heart skip a beat.
Annie silently squealed with happiness as she opened the door to find the handsome man holding a robust bouquet of flowers. They were wrapped in green tissue and tied with a white ribbon. Thomas wore a navy blue pinstriped suit with a white shirt and striking tie that had a bright blue, white, and black paisley print. The tie made the blue of his eyes even more dazzling than she remembered. Annie noticed them twinkling with delight as he smiled at her. She was sure her eyes were equally sparkling as she returned his warm smile.
“Hi,” she said shyly. Opening the door wide, Annie stepped back to welcome Thomas inside. At once, Annie felt his masculine presence fill the small entryway, recognizing the significant contrast in height difference.
“Good evening, Annie. You look lovely.” She flushed at his obvious gaze lazily traveling from her feet all the way up her body. “These are for you.” He held the flowers out to her.
Annie’s hand brushed his as she took the lovely bouquet of white lilies and white and lavender roses. Bringing the bouquet to her nose to smell them, her eyes closed in pleasure. The scent was heavenly, stirring that peaceful place wi
thin her when she walked through her garden.
Looking back at him with blissful appreciation, she said, “They are beautiful, Thomas. Thank you so much.”
“A beautiful bouquet for a beautiful lady,” he replied. His stare penetrated through her like an x-ray. “Now that I know you have such a sincere and happy reaction to receiving flowers, I may be compelled to fill your living room with them every day, just for the pleasure of watching your reaction. It is truly a lovely sight to behold.”
Oh… my… God! It’s getting hot in here. With a shy shrug, Annie rocked back and forth, making the skirt of her dress float around her. Using the usual humor to deflect from her discomfiture, she teased, “Hmmm, you are a sweet talker, aren’t you? I bet you say that to all the ladies.” She bumped his arm with her elbow in jesting collusion. Doing so gave her the proximity to catch his subtle manly scent. At once, Annie felt weak in the knees and stumbled slightly as she pulled away, overcome with a wave of pure desire. Strong hands steadied her, the skin-on-skin contact sensitizing her flesh, causing a stirring deep within her core.
His expression was resolute, voice inflexible. “No, actually I don’t.” His hands held her forearms firmly yet tenderly. Electrical impulses buzzed up her arm, like a swarm of bees around a hive, in rapturous delight. “You look beautiful, Annie.” His eyes reflected warmth and sincerity. “I’m glad you like the flowers. In fact, I was hoping you would. It is hard to choose flowers because what a person likes is so personal. I wasn’t sure what you might like, but was pleasantly surprised when I pulled up to your house and saw that outstanding perennial garden. It led me to the conclusion that you enjoy flowers, so I’m hopeful I made the correct choice with these.” He pointed to the bouquet. “Was the garden here when you bought the house or did you plant it yourself?” His voice was filled with genuine curiosity.
Her Dominant Doctor Page 4
