Forbidden Prescription 6: A Stepbrother Fake Girlfriend Medical Romance (Forbidden Medicine)

by Stephanie Brother

  “Well, I just recently became a resident doctor with CUIMC, but I can tell you I am treated very well, the doctors are top notch, so are the nurses. The patients are well cared for and we have a great administration who is always accessible to us. I can only hope that once I finish my residency, I will be able to join the CUIMC surgical family permanently. Working with Dr. Rye, here, as a supervisor has been a dream come true for me. We are both from the same small town, and getting to see his skill in the surgical theater has been amazing, I can only hope that I will be able to one day be his colleague at CUIMC,” Olivia said with a genuine smile and enthusiasm for the hospital.

  I was impressed with her knowledge and her ability to speak to someone she’d never before met. She completely sold the family feeling that CUIMC strove to achieve with its network. Once she was finished talking to him, I scheduled a lunch meeting with him later in the week, to introduce him to the CEO. Afterwards, the administrator, Dr. Farnham, who was the hospital VP and had sat at the table with us, told me he heard that we were about to gain a new doctor in the CUIMC family, and he was proud of my hard work. I could have kissed Olivia right there.

  Relieved to have managed to do the CUIMC family proud, I had a few more drinks and tried to enjoy myself. I looked over at Olivia and saw her stifle a yawn, the cue that the evening was winding down. People were beginning to depart and it was getting late.

  “How about a dance before we go?” I asked.

  “I don’t really dance,” she said.

  “Me neither,” I replied. “It’s slow dancing, so you just kind of sway around, you know?”

  “Sure,” she said, finishing her drink. We walked to the dance floor, her arm in mine, and we made our way underneath the dim, colored lighting.

  I pulled her in close, and she didn’t seem to mind. We swayed to the beat, her hand in mine.

  “Dr. Farnham said you’re a keeper,” I said into her ear. “It’s too bad I have to return you at the end of the night.”

  “I had a really good time,” she said. “It’s really cool to see what goes on outside of the hospital in regards to research and networking.”

  “I’m glad you came with me. I truly think you helped me convince Dr. Michaels to join the CUIMC family.”

  “I don’t know about that,” she said modestly. “I do feel a little bad about all of the trouble I caused you before this. On the other hand, if you had only simply asked me to go, maybe I wouldn’t have had to go through all of that.”

  I laughed. “Nothing comes easy,” I replied. “I guess I formally apologize for being rude. It’s not often that people call me on my bullshit. I can’t promise that I won’t be an asshole again. It’s just kind of in my nature.”

  “Just getting to talk to some of the doctors here almost made it all worth it,” she said. “Do you think they’ll remember me once I’m out of my residency?”

  I nodded. “It’s possible. A good impression goes a long way. Dr. Farnham doesn’t compliment just anyone.”

  I held her close to me as the music wound down. Then, we stood for a moment in silence, our bodies touching. Neither of us wanted to move.

  Finally, I took her by the hand and led her out of the building and into the waiting car in front.

  “Back to my place, please,” I said, not wanting to give Olivia up. “When we get there, can you circle the block as she changes her clothes, then take her back to her apartment?”

  The driver nodded and took off, rolling up the partition. We sat in the car, no longer holding hands, but we each sat with our adjacent hands on the seat, just in case either of us suddenly felt brave. I wasn’t sure where we were at in our relationship. The night went better than I could have ever expected, but I still didn’t know what was proper protocol. I had put the poor girl through enough, and she had done me such a huge favor that I didn’t really want to bother her again. Not right now, anyway.

  But, if she wanted to stay at my apartment for a little longer, I would not object. Not at all.

  When we returned to my place, she sauntered off to the spare room, shutting the door behind her. I wanted to follow her, but knew it wouldn’t be received well. A few minutes later, she returned in her street clothes, all the glamour from the night gone. Still, she looked good— tired, but with a glow about her.

  She stood in front of me, a smile on her face. She fiddled with her fingers, as though she was nervous.

  “Thanks again,” I said.

  “Don’t mention it,” she replied. “It was great.”

  “I just want to let you know, you really have a bright future at CUIMC. I’m not just saying that because you did me a favor. I think I underestimated you before.”

  I held my breath. A compliment from me was about as meaningful as me telling her that I loved her. I didn’t hand out compliments often. I had to fight the urge to turn it around into some kind of dig at her, just to feel normal.

  We stood in silence for a moment, neither of us wanting to make a move.

  “Well, I don’t want to keep the driver waiting,” she finally said. “Goodnight.”

  She reached in for a hug, and I gave her a soft kiss on the lips before she departed. Then, I watched as she went into the elevator and left me alone in my apartment, wondering what the hell happened that day.

  Chapter 13

  Damon

  The next morning, I awoke to the sensation that there was someone in my bed. I quickly felt the sheet beside me to realize that it was cold. Perhaps it was just a dream.

  I padded down the hall to the guest room and was immediately struck with Olivia’s sweet scent the moment I stepped inside. It was whatever flowery, fruity perfume she was wearing the previous night, and I couldn’t get enough of it. I walked to the long dress hanging from the bathroom doorway and inhaled. I had an almost Pavlovian response to it, my stomach buzzing as it often did when she was near. I picked up the bracelet on the dresser, wondering if I’d have a chance to put it back on her wrist. I had outfitted dates with jewelry before, but she was the first one who declined to take it as a parting gift. Either she was too humble to accept such a gift, or she was expecting to see me again. I hoped for the latter.

  The rest of the morning was spent replaying the previous night in my head. I smiled when I remembered how brilliant she was with Dr. Michaels. She said that the night was enough thanks from me, but I don’t think she realized how much money she was about to make the hospital by bringing him into the network. I could shave off a fraction of the bonus I would get and pay off her student loans with it. Taking her to the event ended up costing a few thousand dollars, but she helped open the door to much more income for the hospital.

  I had already made up in my mind to give her the internship. Or, at the very least, find her an equally good one within the hospital. I realized that Dr. Farnham thought she was my girlfriend, and that might look suspicious to award her such a prestigious internship. But, he knows her and knew what she was capable of, so it might just work out after all. Not only was the she the most qualified resident for the job, but there was no one else I’d rather have in the surgical theater with me, even if she did just hand me tools and observe, or go over patient files.

  She was stuck on my mind though, and it was making it impossible to do anything else. I couldn’t watch TV without wondering what she was up to. I couldn’t browse through intern assignments without thinking about all the things we talked about last night. I couldn’t even take a nap for a moment without her soft curves in that snug, red dress in my brain.

  When I took a shower, she was fully on my mind. I kept imagining her in there with me, our bodies sliding around each other while the warm water cascaded down her long hair.

  It was too much. I either needed to call a girl to relieve some tension or do it myself. I knew I could find someone to come over for some lazy weekend sex, but the thought wasn’t all that appealing to me. I didn’t want another girl. I wanted Olivia.

  Instead of making a booty call, I t
ook matters into my own hand. I closed my eyes and touched myself, thinking of her chest in that dress at the bar. Then, I pictured her in the conference room, bending over so low that I could see half of her ass in those sexy panties. I replayed the memory of her flirting with me as she stood between my legs, begging me to do something about it.

  It didn’t take me long to relieve some of that pressure inside of me. Physically, I was taken care of for the time being, but it wasn’t enough. I needed the real thing or I was going to go crazy. Unfortunately, she was off limits. We completed our agreement, and now it was time to go back to our doctor/intern relationship.

  Back on the couch, I decided that I wanted to see her. If I could restrain myself, I reasoned that it might help me diffuse the strong feelings of attraction to her. If I cut myself off, cold turkey style, I would surely lose my mind. Besides, if I asked her to come to my apartment, she would surely turn me down. I needed to frame it in a way that would seem totally harmless.

  I pulled out my phone and typed a few different drafts of the same sentiment, before erasing them and trying again. I wanted to take her somewhere nice for dinner, as a way to say thanks again. Then, I decided that dinner could be too sensual. There were always drinks involved, and when the lights went low, there was no telling how we would react. No, a dinner frequently ended with an invitation up to my place, something that was strictly off limits.

  Lunch was safe. We could sit outside on the patio, in the full daylight. It was starting to get quite warm outside. It might be a little romantic, but could also pass for a business function. Lunch was just one step above coffee when it came to non-sensual dates. That would be perfect. I could get my little fix, then make it through the rest of the weekend until I saw her in sessions. That could work.

  Would you be interested in going to lunch with me today? I can pick you up around noon and we can go to this new brunch spot I found on 5th Ave. Girls love brunch, right?

  I sat with my phone clutched in my hand, eagerly awaiting a response. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest when the device buzzed a few minutes later.

  If breakfast foods in the afternoon and day drinking is a girl thing, then I’m glad I’m a girl. I’ll see you around noon.

  I grinned and jumped up from my couch. It was clear that I was too excited about seeing this girl and that was a problem for me. But, it was a problem I would have to sort out this afternoon, once the high wore off.

  After she gave her response, I continued to second guess my choice. Should I have asked her to dinner instead? If we had dinner, there was a greater chance she’d end up in my bed. Forbidden, yes, but the forbidden pleasures were double the fun. Was there any conceivable way a brunch could end in passion? It seemed unlikely.

  One roll in the hay wouldn’t be a problem, right? A one-night stand could always be chalked up to having too much to drink, or just getting caught up in the moment. It was easy to walk away from a one-night stand. It was a mistake. Or, it was a lot of fun, but best if we didn’t do it again. Then, things could return to normal and I’d move on to my next infatuation.

  The issue was when it went beyond the one night. That’s when feelings could develop. I wasn’t too worried about getting attached, but I had a feeling Olivia would. She was a sweet girl and I didn’t want to break her heart. I would have to when the time came, but I didn’t want to if I could avoid it.

  And, I didn’t want to get a taste if it meant I had to go back for more. The prospect of naughty afternoons in a hidden corner of the hospital sounded appealing, but would only make things messy. No, I had to behave myself this one time.

  Chapter 14

  Damon

  I picked Olivia up in my Range Rover, no need for a driver this time. I nearly stopped along the way to her apartment to get her some fresh flowers, but that seemed a little too over the top for a friendly lunch outing. When I picked her up, she was wearing a cute, summery dress. Nothing too extreme this time. She looked like herself, which was just fine. I liked her just as much this way as I did in skin-tight clothing or even in her scrubs.

  When she got in the car, she took one look at me and frowned.

  “Something wrong?” I asked warily, afraid that I had already offended her somehow.

  “No,” she giggled. “I’ve just never seen you in anything that wasn’t scrubs or a tux.”

  “Oh,” I replied, looking down at my jeans and quarter-zip combination. It was designer, but certainly not my normal weekday look. “Do I look bad?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think you could look bad. Where are we going?”

  I started driving, leaving the campus. “It’s not too far from here. I’ll have you back to your studies at a decent time.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about it,” she replied, looking surprisingly relaxed. “I don’t have all that much to do this weekend.”

  “Have you finished your essay for my class?” I joked.

  “Actually, I just started it this morning. Do I still have to turn it in?”

  “I think it’s only fair.” I winked. I didn’t want to tell her that I wouldn’t hold it against her if she chose not to turn it in. “You don’t really have to spend that much time on it.”

  “No, I think you’re right,” she said. “If I’m going to win the internship contest, I want there to be solid proof for your choice.”

  I smiled. Sometimes, I swore she was smarter than me. If the medical field didn’t work out for her, she would make a great lawyer.

  When we got to the restaurant, I placed my hand on the small of her back and walked with her to our seat. She didn’t recoil at my touch— a good sign. I felt lighter just being around her, and warm when we touched. I was pathetic, but I was enjoying myself.

  After we ordered, we basked in the warm sunlight, drinking our beverages. She opted for the bottomless mimosas, while I agreed to get into the spirit of brunch and ordered a Bloody Mary. I teased her mercilessly for being such a stereotypical girl when she took a picture of the dishes once they came out.

  “What were you like in college?” she asked, trying to challenge me. “I bet you were the stereotypical fraternity boy.”

  “I wasn’t in a fraternity,” I said. “I was in a student club.”

  “What’s the difference?” she teased.

  “Money,” I replied coolly. “We wore suits and drank fifty year old scotch. The people you’re referring to wear polo shirts and drink mystery concoctions out of a plastic cup.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You think you’re so superior. I bet you wouldn’t last a day as a normal person.”

  “You forget that we come from the same place,” I retorted. “I should be making the same jokes about you.”

  “We weren’t rich,” she said.

  “Then how did we end up on the same block?” I asked.

  She twiddled her thumbs for a second. “It’s probably from my dad’s life insurance and the settlement we got from the train company.”

  “Oh,” I said, suddenly regretting teasing her about that topic. “I didn’t know.”

  “Of course you didn’t,” she said apologetically. “It happened such a long time ago.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “Thanks,” she said quickly. “You didn’t know me back then. My dad was the one who inspired me to go into medicine. Who knows where we would have been if he’d survive the crash. Maybe we would have been next door neighbors.”

  I smiled at the thought. “I’m kind of glad we’re not, though,” I replied.

  “Me too,” she said earnestly. “I was kind of an awkward kid, and if you knew me back then, you wouldn’t want anything to do with me today.”

  “I don’t know about that,” I replied. “People can change.”

  “Have you?” she asked.

  I thought for a second. “Nah, not really.”

  We were halfway through lunch when my phone started ringing. I pulled it from my pocked and looked at the front screen.

  “
It’s my dad.”

  “Answer it,” Olivia replied. “It’s fine with me. I know my mom would want me to answer, or she’ll start assuming I’m dead.”

  I gave her an apologetic look and answered the call, wondering what my dad had to say. It wasn’t often that he called me. I figured it had to be somewhat important.

  “Hi, Dad,” I said.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “Oh, just having lunch,” I said.

  “With a colleague? You shouldn’t answer the phone when you’re with a colleague.”

  “No, with a friend,” I said, giving Olivia a wink. “What’s up?”

  “I’ll make it brief since you’re busy. I’ve met a fabulous woman and we want to get our families together to meet sometime soon.”

  “Yeah?” I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Are things getting serious? Is she The One?”

  “I’m very fond of her,” he said. “It would mean a lot to me if you met her.”

  “When and where?” I asked, trying to speed up the conversation.

  “Soon, I think. I will call you sometime this week with details. I’ll leave word with your nurse.”

  “Okay,” I said. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  I hung up the phone with a long sigh and tucked it back into my pocket. Noticing Olivia’s frown, I decided to fill her in on the family secret.

  “My dad wants me to meet his new girlfriend,” I groaned.

  “What’s so bad about that?” she asked.

  “Honestly, nothing— if it were the first or second time doing this. My dad falls in love too easily and too quickly. That’s why he’s been married five times.”

  She laughed. “Really? I thought you said your parents didn’t split up until you were older.”

  “You’re right. He’s managed to date, marry, and divorce women that quickly. I like to keep records. The shortest period of dating before the marriage was six weeks. That was with Monica. She had humongous tits, but she was a bitch.”