I’m in the mood for you. But not here. “I am.” She kissed him quickly and stepped back. “Let me get this cleaned up first, though.” He made to stand and she put a hand on his shoulder. “Sit for a minute. I’ll get it.”
She discarded the needles in a sharps container and returned the lidocaine to the cabinet.
“Just leave the instruments on that tray. Becky will sterilize them when she comes in tomorrow.”
When the room was tidy, they headed out. Brianna passed a jar of condoms sitting on the reception desk and, on impulse, grabbed a handful. Matt looked at her with his eyebrows raised, and she felt a blush creep up her neck. “Just in case,” she said with a smile.
Matt locked the door to the clinic behind them and walked briskly toward his home, tugging her along. Brianna had to lengthen her stride to keep up. “Getting your power-walk in for the day?” she asked with a laugh. What was he doing? He should have been taking it easy.
He looked at her with a gleam in his eye.
Oh. She felt a tingle from her head to her toes.
They stepped in the front door. “How’s the hand?” Brianna asked. He really should have an early night if he wasn’t feeling well, she thought.
“Great. Still frozen. I don’t feel a thing.” He strode into the kitchen, rummaged through the pantry, and pulled out a jar. He returned to her, his eyes smoldering and questioning, his body close, his chest barely touching her breasts. He ran his tongue along her jawline to her earlobe. Shivers ran down her spine and need pooled in her belly. She wanted him.
“I’ve got chocolate sauce, and my bedroom’s down the hall,” he whispered in her ear.
CHAPTER 9
Brianna held up the condoms in one hand and ran the other down his chest. “You had me at chocolate.” She pressed a kiss to his lips.
Matt chuckled and led her into the bedroom. Warm night air fluttered the curtains of an open window, and moonlight streamed in across a king-sized bed. Matt turned on a lamp sitting on the nightstand, set the jar down, tossed the condoms down with it, and gathered her in his arms. “You said no shenanigans,” – he leaned back to look her in the eyes – “which is what I have in mind.” He lowered the zipper of her dress. “So I want you to be sure.”
She slipped the dress from her shoulders and unhooked her bra. “I haven’t had shenanigans with very many people.” Her bra fell to the floor. “But I’m sure I want it with you.”
She reached to undo the buttons of his shirt, pushed it open, and stroked the smooth skin and firm muscle of his chest. Her breasts brushed against him, her nipples pebbling, and she wound her hands up his neck to run her fingers through his hair. Soft and full. Like the sensation of his lips on hers.
His hands roamed everywhere, brushing the tip of one breast, circling the sensitive curve, cupping the weight. He traced a line down her side and slipped under the lace she wore, smoothing a trail down her thigh, taking the fabric off. Brianna stepped out of her panties and helped him with the button of his shorts, no longer patient. He was hard and ready, and she shivered at the sight of his body. He was gorgeous, and those smoldering eyes focused on her, drinking in the sight of her naked body and so wantonly hungry, was heady. Emotion swirled in her chest.
He lifted her up and set her on the bed, covering her with his weight. He held her arms over her head and plundered her mouth. Brianna hooked her legs around his and pumped her hips, going moist at the contact with his body.
He released her hands and swept his tongue down her neck. She arched her back, offering him her breasts. He laved and sucked, nipped and tugged. Brianna squirmed and closed her eyes, letting sensation wash over her. He reached between her thighs. One stroke of his finger had her bucking and groaning.
“Condom.” She leaned over, grabbed one off the nightstand, and ripped it open. Matt sat up on his haunches and took it from her. The sight of him rolling the condom on, over his whole sexy hard length, had her mouth watering. “Next time, I get to do that,” she murmured.
He chuckled, looking adorably embarrassed. “Deal.” Then he leaned down and kissed her. “The pleasure would be all mine.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” she said with a smile against his lips.
She raised her hips and rubbed against him. When he slipped inside, she sighed with pleasure, and when he started moving, she grabbed the sheets and held on. Gentle gliding changed to deep thrusts as she matched his rhythm. A sheen of sweat covered their bodies. She nipped at his shoulder, licking the salt, and ran her hands down his back, the skin soft and slick. Pressure built, and she tightened around him in waves. He groaned and shuddered in release.
Brianna wrapped her arms around Matt and held him close, waiting for the emotional surge that came with her orgasm to pass. Sometimes it overwhelmed her, with a trace of sadness that brought tears to her eyes. But not this time. This time she was content and relaxed, with happiness in her heart.
When she loosened her hold, Matt rolled to one side and pulled off the condom. He kissed her cheek and wrapped his arm around her, tucking her close.
She snuggled closer. “Wow, if that’s what you can do with one good hand, I can’t wait to see what you do with two.”
Matt chuckled. “You’re awesome.”
Brianna smiled. “So are you.” She eyed the jar on the night table. “We still have chocolate sauce.” He hardened against her. “And a willing participant.”
He chuckled, reached for the jar, and opened it. “Absolutely.” He gently nudged her onto her back and slowly drizzled the chocolate across her chest. Her nipples tightened and she shivered.
“Oh, sorry, I’ll have to clean that up,” he whispered. He set the jar aside and knelt beside her. With light strokes of his tongue and meticulous attention to detail, he took control.
Brianna’s heart fluttered, and she closed her eyes. You can never go wrong with chocolate.
CHAPTER 10
Brianna woke to the sound of an alarm clock. Matt, lying beside her, reached to shut it off. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I have to go to work, but stay as long as you want,” he whispered. He brushed her hair back from her face.
She smiled without opening her eyes.
She surfaced briefly at the sound of the shower and again when she heard Matt walk into the bedroom. She opened her eyes and watched him remove the towel from his waist. Hello and good morning. She’d had her turn with the chocolate sauce the night before. The memory of the dark, rich sweetness mixed with his salty skin had her wanting more.
“When does your clinic start?” she asked sleepily.
He glanced over with a smile. “In about fifteen minutes. Why?”
“The condom on the nightstand wants to make a wake-up call.” Brianna grew moist watching Matt go hard.
“Is that so?” Matt crawled across the bed toward her.
“Yup.” After a sizzling kiss, Brianna reached for the condom and tore open the package.
She nudged Matt onto his back and knelt between his legs. She took him in her mouth, teased the length of him with her tongue, and stroked him with her lips. When he moaned and tensed, Brianna smiled against him.
“Any more awake and it’s going to be over,” Matt ground out.
Brianna pulled back, rolled the condom on, and straddled his waist, guiding him inside. With a satisfied sigh, she arched her back and moved. Matt touched her breasts, lightly at first, then reared up to take a taut nipple in his mouth.
Their hips pumped in a rapid tattoo, short frenzied pulses feeding a deep craving need. The pressure circled and swirled, clawed and gripped her, leaving her desperate for more. She linked her hands with Matt to hold on, loving the feel of his lips on her skin, his body inside her. Pressure swirled deep inside her, built in a wave, and spun out of control. She held her breath and tensed when it peaked, savoring the shiver that swept down her spine. Matt thrust his hips one last time and shuddered.
Brianna collapsed on top of him and curled against him, listening to
the pounding of his heart.
When their breathing slowed, she smiled at him. “I’d like to say I’m sorry that you’re going to be late, but I’m really not.”
“I’m sure if they knew how great that felt, the patients would understand.”
“Ha ha. I hope they don’t find out.”
“Speaking of which, I should get going.” He kissed her forehead. “I should be finished by three today. There’s a salt pond at the center of the island with landlocked tarpon. If you’re interested, we’d have time to cycle to see it.”
“Oh, cool. I’d love that.”
“Perfect. It’s a date.” He removed the condom and headed to the ensuite.
“How’s your hand?”
He stopped and flexed his fingers and then opened his palm. “A little stiff, but it feels good. I think kissing it better made all the difference.”
Brianna smiled and blew him a kiss. “I think so, too. Six years of training is overrated.”
He chuckled and went to get dressed.
Brianna watched him go. She could spend every morning waking up to him. Every morning for the next fifteen days. And then what? She’d be back home thinking this was a dream.
She shook her head and pushed the thought away, not wanting a shadow of sadness overhanging everything they did. Live a lot, enjoy the moment, and worry about tomorrow tomorrow. Lots of mantras to keep her mind busy.
A few minutes later, Matt returned with a mug of coffee and handed it to her. “For you.”
Brianna’s heart melted. “Thank you. That’s sweet.” She sat up and wrapped her hands around the cup.
“Help yourself to muffins in the freezer, and hang out for as long as you want. If you go out, don’t worry about locking the door. I can do it remotely with my phone.”
“I’ll probably head back to the villa after I get dressed. And spend the day lounging there. I might even go snorkeling again.”
“Take a life jacket,” he said with a smile. “Have fun. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
Brianna heard the front door close. She took another sip of coffee and then set the mug on the nightstand. She could hear the waves crashing and the birds singing outside. She picked up one of Matt’s T-shirts and pulled it over her head. His scent lingered on it, and she hugged it closer.
Smiling at herself, she picked up her coffee and padded to the kitchen. She took a muffin from the freezer and went outside to sit. The air was fresh and the day already warm. A light wind kept it comfortable. She sighed in contentment. Another gorgeous day.
As soon as she finished breakfast, she rinsed her dishes and went to change into her dress. Before she left, she jotted a note for Matt.
Thanks for breakfast. Can’t wait to see you again. She drew a heart and put her name beside it.
And then frowned. Love, Brianna. That’s what the heart represented. Is that what she meant?
Did she love him?
Wasn’t it too soon?
Something deep inside tugged at her.
No. She couldn’t be. Didn’t want to be. How would that ever work?
She would not, could not, love Matt. He would be a wonderful holiday distraction. For two weeks she would enjoy him. And then as easily as the surf washed away footprints in the sand, she would walk away and let it go. A brief sexy interlude to tide her over until her more practical soul mate came along, when she was ready. And preferably on the same continent.
Did you hear that, heart? That is the plan.
She took the note and crumpled it into a ball. Another one for the vault.
CHAPTER 11
M att hurried into the examining room and apologized as he shut the door behind him. “Sorry I’m late. I’m Dr. Gaelen.”
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Hayley.” The young woman, dressed in white shorts and a pink T-shirt, her black hair pulled back in a ponytail, smiled easily. “No worries. Actually, I was a bit late myself.” She shrugged. “Island time, right?”
Matt smiled, sat across from her, and read her chart. “You’re concerned about a urinary tract infection?”
“Yes. It started last night, but it’s worse this morning. Burning when I pee, pressure here.” She pointed to her lower abdomen. “I feel like I have to go all the time, but then I can only pee small amounts. It’s really uncomfortable.”
“Any back pain or fever?”
“Not that I’ve noticed. I’m usually pretty healthy, so it’s a bit of a surprise.”
Matt dipped the urine sample, and the results were consistent with a bladder infection. He examined Hayley and ruled out kidney involvement. “I think you’re right, it looks like a bladder infection. I can prescribe an antibiotic, and you should be feeling better within forty-eight hours.”
“Oh, that’s good news. I don’t want to spend my whole holiday feeling like this. What could’ve caused it? I’ve never had one before.”
“It’s usually caused by bacteria that are carried forward on the skin from the bowel. Intercourse can sometimes push the bacteria up the urethra. And then urine in the bladder acts as the perfect culture medium.” He handed her the prescription. “Peeing after sex flushes the bacteria out, and wiping from front to back helps prevent the bacteria from ending up on the skin near the urethra.”
“Okay, that fits. My boyfriend and I have been a little ‘busier’ than usual in the past couple of days,” she said with a grin.
“Anecdotally, patients also blame bubble baths, hot tubs, or tight clothing, but I don’t think there are any good studies to support that.”
“Not an issue with me, but good to know.” She waved the prescription. “Hopefully, this will be the end of it.”
“If not, come and see me again.”
Hayley nodded. “Will do. Thanks.” She held out her hand. “Nice to meet you. And no offense, but I hope I won’t be back.”
Matt laughed. “None taken. Have a good one.”
The rest of the morning was hectic but straightforward. His mind only strayed a dozen times to images of Brianna. Just as he finished the booked appointments, a wave of walk-in patients kept him working through lunch. He grabbed a quick bite and ate it while he caught up on his charts. It started to die down mid-afternoon, and he began to plan what to make Brianna for dinner as he finished the last of the paperwork.
His phone rang, and he saw that it was Kirk. “Buddy, what’s up?”
“Not much,” Kirk replied. “Ava passed along a fascinating tidbit that might interest you. Are you still chasing Brianna’s skirt?”
“You have such a way with words.” He shook his head. “Why do you ask?”
“Trying to help you out. I don’t think you need to worry that she’s after your money.”
“Why’s that?”
“She’s a doctor.”
The disbelief in his voice made Matt laugh. “Yeah, I know.”
“What? How’d you find out?”
“She told me. Right before she sutured my hand last night.”
“She sutured your hand?”
Matt laughed. “Do you feel like you’re a little behind the times?”
“What happened?”
“I grabbed a towel off the counter with a knife underneath it. Long story short, it slipped, and I needed six stitches near the palm of my hand.”
“Ouch.” Kirk tsked. “And the very lovely Brianna Scott fixed that up for you, did she?”
“She did.” He looked at her handiwork. “Did a good job, too.”
“So, if she’s a doctor, she’s got to be loaded.”
“Or have a pile of student debt. She told me she won a lottery to pay it off and fund her vacation.”
“Seems unlikely. Do you believe her?”
“I do.”
“Sounds like you’ve crossed her off the gold-digger list.”
“Pretty much. If she is, she’s fooling me.”
“Which wouldn’t be hard to do.”
“Hah. Well, I can’t see it. She’d have to be very good. I doubt she�
��s even made the connection.”
“Her eyes don’t light up with dollar signs at the mention of your last name?”
“No.” Matt stared in the distance. How much had she heard his last name? How much did he care? He’d fallen for her, hard and fast. But she wasn’t like the others. At least, he hoped not.
“Or you no longer care because the sex was that good.”
Matt was silent. It was more than the sex. He sat back with a sigh.
Kirk hooted.
“What makes you think I slept with her?”
“Good question. She seems smart. Why would she? Unless she fell for your dinner-and-dessert trick.”
Matt frowned. “What dinner-and-dessert trick?”
“Your cooking skills are infamous. Hell, I’d jump into bed with you if you’d make that homemade pizza again.”
Matt shook his head. “There’s a picture I don’t ever want in my head.”
Kirk laughed. “Well, if you were gay… and I was gay… just sayin’.”
“I think it’s time to finish this call and pretend this conversation never happened.”
“Alrighty. You have fun. Seriously, if you’re having trouble getting laid, try the pizza.”
Matt pulled the phone from his ear and disconnected. With friends like that …
He shuddered thinking of all the times he’d used Kirk as a sounding board for relationship advice. No wonder they were both still single.
CHAPTER 12
Brianna snapped open a beach chair and tugged on the frame to make sure it was secure. Last thing she needed was to have it fold up on her when she sat down. Seems sturdy. She dragged it under a palm tree, stretched out, and buried her feet in the sand.
At three o’clock in the afternoon, the temperature was comfortable in the shade and the top layer of sand still hot from the earlier sun. She wiggled her toes, burrowing deeper to the cool.
This was the perfect spot – in plain view of her villa so she’d see Matt when he arrived, and a handy place to people-watch. The waves were bigger this afternoon, and a group of teenagers were jumping in the surf.
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