“I'm taking you back up to the ER.”
“B-but--”
“Shh.” He pressed his finger against her lips and held her even closer against his chest as he pressed the button on the elevator, and a few minutes later they were back in the ER. After tucking a blanket around her, he straightened and explained, “I got the lab to put a rush on your blood test.”
Kasey glanced up at him expectantly but said nothing as she huddled under the blanket. Ashwin leaned down and smiled before he said, “You don't need an MRI, sweetheart.”
Kasey gave a faint nod but remained silent as Ashwin continued. “You're severely anemic, which explains the dizzy spells.”
“I wanna g-go home.”
Ashwin smiled and nodded. “Alright. But you and I are going to have a very long and serious discussion about letting me know when you aren't feeling well. Is that clear?”
Kasey nodded again as Ashwin leaned in even closer and rested his hand on her abdomen. For some reason the slight pressure of his hand on her belly caused her to shift restlessly beneath the blanket, and Ashwin frowned as he opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong. Instead he felt a feather-light thump against his hand, barely more than a blip under the radar. In that instant, he knew. Given the circumstances, though, there was no way he could tell Kasey, but that was fine with him. He instantly knew just when the best time to tell her would be, and he was smiling as he murmured, “Let's get you dressed so we can go home, shall we?”
Kasey nodded, relieved beyond words that he was actually letting her go home. Fifteen minutes later he signed her discharge papers, and five minutes later they were headed for home. Kasey was suddenly too weary to hold her eyes open another moment longer, and without a word she drifted off to sleep.
Kasey woke a few hours later in Ashwin's warm, big, comfortable bed, and she smiled and sighed when she felt his warm, solid body right beside her. She snuggled against him and threw her arm across his bare chest, which prompted Ashwin to murmur, “Are you awake?”
“Kinda...”
Ashwin laughed softly and said, “How are you feeling?”
“Sleepy.”
“Are you hungry?”
“No.”
“We need to talk, sweetheart.”
Kasey forced her eyes open and slowly raised her head, and there was fear in her eyes as she wondered just what Ashwin was about to tell her. She bit her lip as all kinds of scenarios played out in her head, and when two tears slid down her cheeks, Ashwin frowned and said, “There's no need to cry, sweetheart. It's nothing bad.”
“What is it, then?”
Ashwin sighed and said, “From now on, if you aren't feeling well, you need to tell me. Dizzy spells are nothing to take lightly, as they can have all sorts of causes. You're lucky that you didn't whack your head on that concrete and really hurt yourself.”
“I guess that means I'm a tough one, then.”
“Kasey, sweetheart, I've seen people die from accidentally banging their heads against concrete. I don't want to see anything bad happen to you.”
“So what does anemic mean?”
Ashwin sighed at her subtle tactic of changing the subject, but in this case, he was more than happy to comply. “Anemic means that your body is severely lacking iron.”
Kasey bit her lip as she pondered what he'd just told her. “So how do you fix it?”
Ashwin smiled as he reached over and retrieved a bottle from his nightstand. “With these.”
Kasey squinted at the bottle in his hand and inquired, “What's that?”
“Iron pills.”
“Are they made out of iron?”
Ashwin laughed and shook his head. “No, sweetheart. It's a prescription strength iron supplement.”
“Oh. OK.”
Ashwin retrieved another bottle from his nightstand and held it up for her to see. “I also want you to start taking these.”
Kasey sighed. She'd never been one to take much medication, and now Ashwin was intent on forcing her to do it. “What are those?”
“They're vitamins. They'll help.” He didn't tell her it was folic acid, and he could only hope that Kasey didn't figure it out on her own before he had a chance to tell her. He set the bottles back on his nightstand before he added, “There's one more thing.”
“Geez, not another prescription...”
“No.” He slid his finger beneath her chin and forced her to look at him as he said, “You have to start eating more, sweetheart.”
“I do eat.”
Ashwin frowned. “You don't eat enough.”
“Well, I don't want to get fat.”
Ashwin glanced down and surveyed her still-slender figure before he replied, “You're hardly in any danger of getting fat, sweetheart.”
Kasey shrugged and said, “Sometimes I'm just not hungry.”
“Holly told me that you've barely eaten all week, at least while you've been at work. And speaking of which, you are officially out on sick leave until I decide that you're well enough to go back. Understand?”
“But Ashwin—”
Ashwin gave a firm shake of his head as he pressed his finger against her lips. “You and Holly will just have to deal with it.”
Kasey shrugged as she snuggled against his warm body and closed her eyes. “I don't really mind. I didn't want to work on Thanksgiving anyway.”
Ashwin laughed and kissed the top of her head, but her next question caught him off guard. She sighed and drowsily inquired, “When you sent all of those people home tonight...do you really have the authority to do that?”
Ashwin sighed as he gently stroked her soft, silky-fine hair. “Yes, sweetheart, I have the authority to do that.”
“How?”
“It's a long story.”
“I'm listening.”
Ashwin smiled and shook his head at her insistence before he said, “Hmm, let's see...where should I start?”
“The beginning's always good.”
“Alright, then.” He sighed and added, “A long, long time ago, when I was but a mere boy--”
Kasey giggled softly, which prompted Ashwin to smile and lightly tap the end of her nose before he continued, “I realized that the only way to make my life better was by focusing on my education. I started medical school when I was sixteen.”
“That's impressive.”
Ashwin nodded. “I finished the standard medical training in half the time, although I still had to put in the full amount of time to complete my residency. By the time I was twenty-two, I was officially a doctor. I decided to study a few specialized areas of medicine, and as was the case when I was in medical school, I finished in half the time. By the time I was thirty, I was board certified in gynecology and obstetrics, cardiology, psychology, and psychiatry. I was already considered an emergency and family medicine specialist.”
Kasey swallowed hard when she realized that Ashwin was more than just your average ER doctor—hell, for that matter, there was nothing “average” about him at all. Ashwin gave her a gentle nudge and murmured, “You didn't fall asleep on me, did you?”
Kasey slowly shook her head. “No.”
“Well, then, say something.”
Kasey smiled against his chest and softly quipped, “Something.”
“If you keep being a wise ass, I'm going to turn you over my knee.”
“Ooo, promises, promises.”
Ashwin chuckled softly and murmured, “Do you really want me to do that?”
“Hmm...I'll have to get back to you on that.”
Ashwin laughed and kissed the top of her head, then said, “So now you know. Your doctor-boyfriend is considered a genius.”
Kasey raised her head off his chest and smiled. “That's no big surprise, Ashwin.”
Ashwin raised an eyebrow as he inquired, “Really?”
Kasey shrugged. “Everyone has their talents.” She raised her head and added, “Although I was wondering...”
“Yes?”
“Could you ple
ase explain to me why pi r squared? I always thought pie are round.” She bit her lip and whimsically added, “Hmm...no wonder I sucked at math...”
A look of incredulity flashed across Ashwin's face before he grinned and then dissolved into laughter at her ridiculous question. By the time his laughter subsided, Kasey was grinning at him, happy and relieved to know that he wasn't angry with her. Her eyes widened in surprise when he suddenly pulled her close against his chest and murmured, “I've got something you can suck, and I'll be a pretty happy guy...”
Kasey's grin widened as she teased, “Is it a pie?”
Ashwin growled and shook his head as he suddenly but gently rolled her onto her back, and as she lay there blinking up at him, he murmured, “Pie are eaten, sweetheart, and the last time I had a taste, you were much sweeter than any pie.”
Kasey swallowed hard as she gazed up into his eyes, and the hunger she saw there had nothing to do with food. She gasped softly when Ashwin lowered his head and captured her mouth in an achingly slow, thorough, deep kiss, and moments later her panties landed somewhere on Ashwin's bedroom floor as he slid them off and flung them into the darkness. Kasey's eyes widened in pleasure when Ashwin slowly slid a finger into her, and his voice held that rough edge as he murmured, “God, you're so wet...I just have to have a taste...”
Kasey gasped again as Ashwin slowly kissed his way down across her belly, and when she felt his hot mouth close over her sensitive little bud, she moaned softly and shamelessly pressed herself against his face as he slowly worked her into a frenzy with his mouth and fingers. Over and over he slid his fingers into her, slowly going deeper with every gentle stroke as he kept a steady, firm pressure on her now-swollen little bud with his hot, wet mouth. Kasey felt that delicious tension building deep in her belly as he continued to tease and tantalize her with his mouth and fingers, and her breaking point came when he smoothly slid three fingers between her thighs while his fourth finger slid into that dark, private place that was now rightfully his. Kasey gave a strangled moan and arched off the bed, effectively pressing herself even closer against him and pulling his fingers even deeper into her body as a primal scream erupted from somewhere deep within her. At that moment, she was convinced that she was literally on fire as pleasure scorched every nerve in her body from the top of her head to the ends of her toes. After what seemed like an eternity, she became vaguely aware of Ashwin's face beside hers, and when she finally blinked up at him, he was smiling as he murmured, “Are you alright, sweetheart?”
“Mmm...I'm better than alright...”
Ashwin laughed softly and carefully covered her with the comforter, then pulled her close against his body before they both drifted off to sleep.
Kasey woke sometime during the night to the delicious feel of Ashwin's hot, wet mouth on her sensitive flesh, and she couldn't help the soft moan that escaped her when she felt his tongue gently stroking up and down her labia before he slid it deep between her legs. She slowly came fully awake as Ashwin continued to stroke his hot, wet tongue up and down her labia, and her soft gasp of surprise and pleasure let him know that she was awake. She gasped again when he gently circled her sensitive little bud with his tongue, and when he suddenly drew it into his mouth, Kasey gave a ragged moan and arched her hips off the bed. She gripped two handfuls of the sheet as Ashwin continued to slowly suck the most sensitive part of her, and she was helpless to stop the monstrous climax that she felt building deep within her. Her moans intensified as Ashwin slowly slid a finger between the shadowed crease of her buttocks, and as he pushed his finger deep, Kasey arched even higher off the bed and screamed as fiery pleasure centered in the middle of her belly and cascaded downward. Kasey's climax seemed endless as Ashwin continued his slow, gentle sucking on her swollen, ultra-sensitive little bud, and by the time he finally raised his head, Kasey was unable to talk from all the moaning and screaming she'd done. He pinned her with that knowing smile of his as he teasingly murmured, “Are you awake?”
“Mm-hmm...”
Ashwin smiled and returned to his pillow, but before Kasey had a chance to recover from her mind-boggling climax, Ashwin effortlessly pulled her on top of him and replied, “Good.”
Kasey leaned forward and rested her forehead against his as she straddled his abdomen with her legs, and Ashwin slid his fingers through her hair when she tentatively pressed her lips against his. He groaned and wrapped his arms around her back as she dropped feather-light, teasing kisses all over his face, and he couldn't help his gasp of surprise when Kasey suddenly pressed her mouth against his and pulled his bottom lip into her mouth, savoring his surprised reaction as she nipped it with her teeth before she slowly stroked her tongue across his upper lip. Her mouth never left his as she slowly stretched her arms out as far as they would go, effectively pressing her bare breasts against his chest as she linked her fingers with his. Only then did she draw his tongue into her mouth, tantalizing him with the promise of more than just a kiss as she increased the pressure of her own tongue against his. It was her turn to be surprised when Ashwin suddenly growled and deepened the kiss, and her eyes widened as he effortlessly picked her up and gently set her down on his rock-hard erection. Kasey closed her eyes and gave a ragged moan as she sank down onto him, and she wondered at how much bigger he seemed, as well as how much more sensitive she felt. She fell forward against his chest and pressed her forehead against his again, and when she opened her eyes, Ashwin's face was dark with concern as he gently inquired, “Are you alright? Am I hurting you?”
“Yes and no,” she breathed as she slowly raised her head, a mysterious smile on her face as she enticingly moved her hips against him. Ashwin gently placed his hands on her waist and guided her movements as he slowly pushed into her, and Kasey felt everything in minute detail—she felt every hard, hot inch of him, every delicious quiver and stroke, and every spark of heat that was generated by their steadily increasing pace. Within moments Kasey felt that delicious tension building deep within her belly again, and as it slowly worked its way down to her very center, Ashwin gave a final, deep push into her as they climaxed simultaneously. Kasey moaned his name and collapsed against his chest as her body shook violently, and as she waited for her heartbeat to return to normal, Ashwin tenderly kissed her forehead and murmured, “That was...incredible.”
Kasey gave a weak nod and breathed, “Mm-hmm...”
“Are you alright?”
“Mm-hmm...”
Ashwin laughed softly at her sudden lethargy, and his voice was gentle as he said, “I love you, Kasey Marshall. I hope you never forget that.”
Kasey slowly raised her head and gave him a drowsy smile before she whispered, “I love you too, Ashwin Ross. I won't forget if you don't.”
Ashwin smiled as he gently settled her against her pillow, and as he pulled the comforter around them he murmured, “You've got yourself a deal.” He dropped a gentle kiss to her lips before he draped his arm across her waist, and moments later they drifted off into a blissful, sex-induced sleep.
CHAPTER 27
“Have you ever seen snow at the beach?” Kasey excitedly inquired as she stood at the balcony door, her nose pressed against the glass as she watched snowflakes drift down and silently land on the balcony railing. Ashwin laughed at her child-like enthusiasm over the unusual snowstorm they were getting on Christmas Eve, and as he wrapped his arms around her, he murmured, “I've seen snow here a few times, but there's something I love to watch more than snow falling down.”
“What would that be?” Kasey inquired as she continued to watch the fat white flakes coming down. Ashwin turned her around in his arms and gave her a tender smile, then simply replied, “You,” before he lowered his head and captured her mouth in a long, slow, thorough kiss that left no doubts regarding his feelings for her. By the time he released her, Kasey was dizzy with desire and eager to show him just how much she loved him. Ashwin threw her even more off-kilter when he gave her a gentle smile and inquired, “When would you like to leave
for my mother's?”
“You mean we're still going?”
“Of course. Why wouldn't we?”
Kasey turned to look outside as she said, “In case you hadn't noticed, it's snowing.”
Ashwin shrugged. “So?”
“You mean you're really going to drive for six hours in that?”
“As soon as we get away from the coast, the weather will clear up.”
“Since when did you become a meteorologist?”
Ashwin laughed and said, “I'm a weather channel junkie, remember?”
Kasey shook her head as she smiled up at him. “Oh, yeah. That.”
Ashwin simply laughed again and glanced at his watch, then said, “It's nine o'clock right now. I say we leave in the next couple of hours so it isn't too late when we get there.”
Kasey nodded. “Sounds good to me.” She sat down on the sofa and smiled as she glanced at their Christmas tree, then added, “What would you like to do until we leave?”
Ashwin sat down beside her and smiled, then clicked the TV on and replied, “Why, watch the weather channel, of course.”
Ashwin and Kasey arrived at his mother's precisely at six p.m., and as they walked into her cozy living room, Kasey smiled when his mother embraced her in a gentle hug and said, “You're looking well, child. I can tell Ashwin has been taking excellent care of you.”
Kasey nodded. “Yes, ma'am, he has been doing that.”
Ashwin smiled and hugged his mother, then murmured, “You're also looking well.”
Mrs. Ross simply smiled and ushered them into the kitchen, then ordered them to sit while she brewed a pot of coffee. As she was retrieving the cups from the cabinet, she inquired, “What would you like for dinner?”
Ashwin noticed that there was no impressive spread of food in the kitchen for their Christmas dinner, but he knew his mother well enough to know that by noon the next day, her kitchen would boast so much food that even Martha Stewart would be jealous. Ashwin shrugged and replied, “Whatever you feel like making.” He glanced at Kasey and added, “What about you? Are you in the mood for anything in particular?”
The Medicine Man, Book 2 Page 25
