Shae nodded, pleased. “That’s the spirit. Now, let’s talk about your pain.”
Otis pulled Pat Morita away from his sleeping wife’s side. “I’m glad you’ve decided to go ahead with the operation. I really feel it’ll give Sue-Lin back some real quality of life.”
Pat Morita nodded slowly. “I hope so, Doctor Ford. I really do. She’s a trooper, but she gets real frustrated when she can’t do simple tasks. It breaks my heart, doc.”
Otis patted his shoulder. “I’m going to try and fix that, Pat.”
Morita nodded, but then held Otis’s gaze. “I know there’re risks to any surgery, but …she’s eighty-six, doc.”
“Sue’s got the body of a sixty-year-old, Pat. We’re monitoring the tumor and we don’t think it’s grown since diagnosis. Better we get it all out now.”
Otis made his way back to his office, satisfied. Sue’s surgery was scheduled for the following week; his other patients were all post-surgical cases. He was gathering Sue’s case notes when Shae came in. He noticed a stress line between her eyes as she sat down opposite him.
“You okay? How’s Bay doing?”
Shae shook her head. “Not so good, at least, emotionally. I think it would help if we were more aggressive with her rehab; it would distract her from—“
“No. She’s not ready; her abdominal wounds were too severe.”
“But she says she’s ready to get better.”
“No, Shae. Listen to me. Bay is going into the anger part of her emotional recovery. She’s furious that someone else could dictate what happens to her body, so she’ll try and push herself too hard—and possibly do irreparable damage.”
“But if Bay feels …”
“Shae …” He sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face. “Can we talk about this tomorrow? I’m tired.”
Shae swallowed her protest. “Of course. Look, I’ll finish your clinical notes for you. Why don’t you get some sleep in the on-call room?”
Otis looked at her with a strange smile on his face. “You are one of a kind, Shae Groves. Come on, leave the notes. Let’s go grab some dinner.”
“What did you mean by that? That I’m ‘one of a kind?’”
This time they had found the nearest fast food joint and Shae was gratified to see Otis scarf down a Mushroom Swiss burger with the same enjoyment as he did a cordon bleu dish.
He chewed for a second, his eyes amused. “I mean that most residents don’t talk to their bosses like you do. Don’t get me wrong. I like it. There’s nothing more frustrating than a resident who won’t speak up. No one benefits.”
“There’s a ‘but’ coming …”
Otis grinned. “But …don’t mistake collaboration for permission. If I disagree with you—like I do on Bay’s treatment—then my say is final. That’s not me being arrogant. Okay, it is a little, but that’s my experience speaking. It’s what I’ve worked hard for my whole professional life.”
Shae nodded slowly, listening to him. “Does medicine run in your family?”
Otis shook his head. “No. My mother was a college professor at Harvard.”
“That had to help with the application.”
Otis grinned and nodded. “It did.”
“And your dad?”
A cloud passed over his face. “He was a lawyer, like Roman. A good one. A brilliant litigator.”
Shae watched his expression. “He passed?”
Otis pushed the rest of his burger away, uneaten. “He was shot and killed in a bodega robbery when I was eight. Roman and I were with him. He died because the gunmen were going after us.”
Shae was shocked into silence. “Oh, god, Otis. I’m so sorry. I can’t even imagine.”
Suddenly she realized how much pain Bay’s shooting must have caused him, bringing back terrible memories. God.
She slid her hand over his, seeing the bleak look on his face. It was odd to see him like this. All bluster and confidence were gone and he was just a man in pain. For a moment he froze, then slowly and very deliberately, laced his fingers between hers and looked up, gazing into her eyes.
A deep burn started in her stomach as they gazed at each other, then Otis leaned over and gently kissed her. It was a brush of his lips, quick but sweet, but it sent a flood of desire racing through her and she couldn’t help the little moan that escaped her lips.
“Otis …”
Then he was up, pulling her along with him as he headed for the door. His car was parked down the street and soon they were racing to his apartment. It all happened so quickly that Shae’s head spun, but all she knew, all her body knew, was that she wanted this man and she wanted him now.
He kissed her the entire ride up in the elevator and this time it was a deep, sensual embrace that left her breathless. His hands cupped her face, his lips moved against hers, and his tongue massaging hers gently. Shae’s arms snaked around Otis’ lean body, her hands splaying across the hard muscles of his back. She dug her nails into him and he groaned, pressing his body hard against hers. She could feel his cock hard against her belly.
“God, I want you,” she gasped as the elevator doors opened up into his apartment. Otis said nothing, but swept her up into his arms—impressive when considering her tall frame—and bypassing the rest of his apartment, strode to his bedroom. He lay her down on the bed and covered her body with his, kissing her deeply as his fingers moved to unbutton her shirt. He buried his face in her neck as she hooked a leg around his waist.
This is crazy. You have to stop. But she didn’t want to stop or to feel the bereavement when his hands stopped touching her. Otis pulled her shirt open, kissing from her throat, between her breasts, then down her stomach where his tongue circled her navel, her belly quivering with desire. When his mouth found her sex, Shae gasped his name and heard him chuckle just before his tongue found her clit.
“Oh …god …” Her head fell back onto the pillow as he tasted, tongued and teased her. She felt the excitement build inside of her. “I want to taste you,” she managed to gasp out and was gratified when he guided her hand down to his cock.
“Feel how much I want you, my lovely Shae,” he whispered. “You can have any part of me you want. All of me …”
She found his zipper, slid her hands into his underwear, and took his rigid, pulsing cock in her hand. She stroked him as they kissed. “I want you inside me,” she urged him and they undressed each other quickly.
His cock stood upright against his belly as he took his pants off, and for a second she drank the sight of him in as he smiled and obviously enjoyed her admiration. When he climbed back onto the bed, his hands were rougher, pulling her legs around his waist. Slipping a condom over the length of his cock, he stroked her damp bush, then with one sharp thrust, he took her, burying his cock deep inside her.
Shae thought she might go insane from the pleasure. Otis was a masterful lover, knowing when to hold back. He took her nipples into his mouth, biting down and sucking until Shae thought she might die from excitement. Otis Ford nailed her to the bed, each thrust timed perfectly to maximize her pleasure, and when she came, she was utterly lost in the moment. Otis found his own climax a moment later and together they collapsed on the bed, chests heaving with their efforts to catch their breath. Finally, they looked at each other and burst out laughing.
“When I said we should go for a quick bite …”
Shae laughed, rolling onto her side. Otis ran a leisurely hand down her body.
“Christ, Shae, if you knew how long I’ve wanted to do that.”
She smiled, flushing. “How long?”
“Since we met. Since you stood in my operating theater and argued with me. If you knew what was going through my head.”
Shae wiggled her body forward until her nipples touched his chest. “Tell me …”
Otis pretended to consider. “Well, first, I would have sent everyone else away and taken the patient back to her room. Then I would have closed the gallery. I’m not a voyeur,” he grinned, “and nei
ther do I wish to be observed. I don’t want to share you.”
“So everyone is out of the room …” Shae tangled her fingers into his chest hair and he smiled at her, brushed his nose against hers.
“Then, slowly, we would take each other’s scrubs off until both of us were naked …”
“Like now,” she whispered, hooking a leg around his waist. Otis kissed her again, his hand snaking down between her legs.
“I would touch you …like this …” He began to caress her and she drew in a sharp breath. He slipped a finger inside her and she moaned. “That’s it,” he whispered. “Let me love you, Shae.”
“Don’t stop,” she moaned, and the pressure of his hand increased as he slid another finger inside her and rubbed.
“I would kiss from your delicate throat down to your soft belly, tasting your gorgeous salty skin, then my tongue would find you again, delving deep inside you …”
“Wait,” Shae gasped and came again, her body vibrating. Otis smiled and gathered her to him, kissing her gently.
“Beautiful Shae …”
The shriek of his beeper ripped through their love haze and they groaned in unison. “Go away…” But he rolled over and checked it. He sat up.
“Oh, damn it …”
“What?” Shae’s heart began to thump. Otis sighed.
“Sue-Lin. She’s been fitting and won’t respond. Oh damn, damn, damn.”
In less than two minutes, they were dressed and in the elevator on the way down. Otis rubbed his face. “God, I knew I should have gone in sooner …”
Shae said nothing, just slipped her hand into his. He squeezed it tightly. “Come on, let’s get there.”
At the hospital, Otis went into surgeon mode and as Sue-Lin was wheeled into the theater, Shae scrubbed in beside him, Otis directing her as to what he would need. Shae, her heart pounding, listened carefully as she scrubbed and cleaned her hands. A nurse helped her with her gloves and then she was in the theater with Otis for the first time.
Otis made the incision, and for the first time, Shae got to see his skill close up. He was gentle, yet precise, his manner with the surgical team professional, but never rude.
Otis felt around in the incision and groaned. “Ah, damn it. Cancer’s metastasized.”
He looked at Shae for a long moment. “Doctor? What are my options from here?”
He was teaching her. Testing her. Behind her mask, Shae grinned. A few hours ago, they were making love and now … “You can close, run more tests, see how far the cancer has spread, then operate. You can close, test, and not operate if the cancer is stage IV, and make the patient comfortable with palliative care. Alternatively, you can try to cut out as much as you can right now, but then risk post-surgical infection and the possibility of more surgeries and increased pain for the patient.”
“Good.” Otis’s eyes were tired, but they sparkled at her. “In this case, what do you think is the best option …Dr. Groves?”
Shae was glad of her mask, because the way he said her name, low and sensual, sent a jolt of arousal through her, making her cheeks flame red. “I would go with the first option. That way, you can discuss the results with the patient and let them make an informed decision.”
Otis’s eyes crinkled and he turned back to the team. “You heard the doctor. Let’s close and get set up to run tests.” He bent over Sue-Lin’s head. “And you hang on in there, Susie. I promised your Pat I’d make you well.”
That was the moment Shae fell in love with Otis Ford.
Bay grabbed the bars either side of her and used her upper body strength to hoist herself up into a standing position. Agonizing pain ripped through her and she bent double, wheezing. Shae watched her with concerned eyes. She hooked her arm around the smaller woman’s waist.
“Lean into me, Bay.” She felt Bay’s weight on her—the younger woman had lost a considerable amount of weight since the shooting and Shae’s toned body hardly felt the extra weight. Bay sighed, looking drawn and fatigued. They’d been practicing walking for a week and Shae could tell Bay was frustrated with her lack of progress. She steered Bay back into the chair and the woman didn’t resist. Shae pulled up a chair next to her.
“That’ll do for today, honey. What’s your pain level? One to ten.”
“Eight.”
“Bay.”
Bay sighed and dropped her face into her palms. “Ten. I don’t get it. Shae, why is it still so painful? My wounds are nearly healed; I’ve been trying to exercise.”
Shae grabbed a pad. “Let me explain how gunshot trauma affects your body. You were shot in your belly, which is nearly all soft tissue. When a bullet is fired from a gun, it’s not just the projectile, but the air displacement which causes the damage. Yes, we repaired the affected tissue and organs, but you will have nerve pain for a time yet.” She took Bay’s hand in hers, feeling the bones of her hand. “We know you can walk. It’s just overcoming the nerve pain and the abdominal muscles that were damaged. It will get better, Bay.”
Bay’s whole demeanor was troubling to Shae. “Bay, have you talked to the psychiatrist?”
Bay scratched at her head absently. “I want to. It’s just every time he asks me to remember what happened, I get panicky. Then I get angry with myself because I know I’m safe now and that Stu isn’t coming back, but I’m still so scared for Kym. God, why didn’t I just insist on going to the police when he attacked me the first time?”
Shae was silent. She had gotten the whole story from Otis when Bay was still critical. Roman had told him that they were still looking for the couple; she hoped Kym Clayton was still alive and okay. Stu Lawson was a monster.
Bay shook her head. “Look, I want to do this, however much it hurts. I’m not going to be bed-bound forever. I have a commitment to Pete, to Kym, to Tom, for Christ sakes.” She seemed to choke up then. “We were going to get married. Did you know that?”
Shae nodded. “I did, and I promise you, we will get you walking and back to your life so you can walk down that aisle and marry your lovely Tom. Is he coming down this weekend?”
Bay shook her head. “No, he has to work. Pete and Hank are coming, though.” She smiled then. “Two giant teddy bears of happiness.”
“Every girl should have that in her life.”
Bay laughed with Shae, and then looked at her. “How about you? Got rid of the pesky ex yet?”
Shae rolled her eyes. “If only. But he seems to have stopped with the sugar-coated promises.”
“Faux-mises.”
“That’s not a word, but I like it. Wanna go back to your room?”
Back in Bay’s room, Shae opened the window for some air while Bay settled back onto the bed, grabbing her iPad.
“Let’s see what crap people are printing about me today.”
Shae shook her head. “You shouldn’t look.”
Bay smiled. “You know what, some of it is so ridiculous that it actually cheers me up. Oh, okay, this is very weird.”
Despite herself, Shae was curious. “What?” Bay flipped her tablet around and Shae nearly recoiled. Jason.
“What the hell?”
Bay read the article, grinning and shaking her head. “‘I’m so proud that my beloved wife, Dr. Shae Groves Kline, has been working to save one of our own,’ the thirty-seven-year-old country superstar, Jason Kline, said, before launching into a cover of The 9th & Pine’s biggest—and so far only—hit. The singer paid tribute to the band and its singer Bayansii Tambe—wow, great research there—who was shot in a home invasion last month. The twenty-five-year-old singer—I’m twenty-four actually—is still in critical condition in the hospital. Again, awesome research skills.” Bay laughed out loud. “Seriously, where do I start? And how the hell do they know you’re my doctor?”
Shae held up her hands. “I swear, it wasn’t me.”
“Oh, I know that, silly. Really, this is exquisitely funny.”
Shae was glad Bay seemed to be taken the trashy article for what it was. “Look, Ja
son is a jerk. Plus, he is almost my ex-husband. Plus, I never, ever took his name.”
“Glad to hear it.” Otis was standing, leaning against the door frame. He was dressed in a blue shirt and trousers, the shirt unbuttoned a little. Shae felt her cheeks pink with pleasure at the sight of him.
Otis smiled at Bay. “You’d never take Tomas’s name, would you?”
Bay laughed. “I’m trying to persuade him to take mine when we get married. Then he’d be Tom Tambe and that’s too good an opportunity to waste.”
Shae was glad that Bay was more cheerful now. “Right, before we sign off for the evening, have you got everything you need? Books, pain meds, T.V. remote? Good. And would you please finish your supper tonight? We need to get your weight up.”
Bay shook her head sadly. “I never thought I would lose my appetite for any reason. It’s like losing my super power.”
Otis laughed. “Well, we could always arrange some contraband to tempt you. What do you feel like?”
Bay’s smile faltered. “I really don’t know. Look, don’t worry. I promise I’ll eat whatever they bring me.”
Otis took Shae’s hand as they walked back to his car. He opened the passenger door for her, but she hesitated. He raised his eyebrows at her.
“Doubts?”
She tried to smile. “Conflict. Otis …what we did, being together, I want you to know that I’ve never experienced anything like that. With anyone.”
“There’s a “but’ coming,” he smiled, repeating her own words back to her. “Shae, get in the car and we can talk freely. Then, if you want to go home, I’ll drive you home, no strings, and no recrimination.”
They got in and Otis turned on the air conditioning. Shae sighed and looked at him. God, he was gorgeous, those thick black lashes, those deep brown, almost black, eyes.
“But …” She touched his face. “I have to maintain a certain reputation, at least in the beginning. I do not want to be the resident who did well because she’s screwing the boss. There’s the fact that, technically, I’m still married and to a well-known man. That ass is trying to use Bay to get publicity for himself and shame me into getting back with him. I cannot risk him finding out and using you as leverage. I won’t risk your reputation either.”
Rockstar Untamed: A Single Dad Virgin Romance Page 90
