Page 71 of Doctor Neighbor

The air between us is tense—a blended concoction of desire, worry, and unresolved emotions all around. I can see the vulnerability in her eyes, mixed with something else... need, perhaps? Or is it desperation?

My hands itch to reach out and pull her close, comfort her, lose ourselves in each other, and forget about the world outside for a moment. But I hold back, knowing that this isn't the time. We have too much to talk about, too much at stake.

Cole stops in front of me, her chest rising and falling with each breath. I can smell the faint scent of her shampoo mixed with the clean scent of her skin. It's intoxicating, and I have to force myself to focus.

"Buster," she whispers, her voice barely audible.

I swallow hard, trying to keep my voice steady. "Cole," I respond, my tone equally soft.

She takes another step closer, now standing between my knees. I can feel the heat radiating from her body, and it takes every ounce of willpower I have not to reach out and touch her.

"I..." she starts, then stops, seeming unsure of what to say next.

I wait, my heart pounding in my chest. The silence stretches between us, thick with unspoken words and suppressed emotions.

The towel wrapped around her waist teases at the edges of her curves, and I can't tear my eyes away from the smooth expanse of her shoulders, the gentle swell of her breasts.

Her approach is tentative, her dark eyes locked on mine, searching for comfort, reassurance, a connection that might anchor us both in the storm of fear and uncertainty that's enveloped our lives.

I want to be that anchor for her. I want to be the one she turns to, the one who can protect her from the pain and the worry, if only for a moment.

"Buster," she whispers, and the sound of my name on her lips sends a jolt of desire straight through me. It's a petition, a question, a desperate need that resonates in the very core of my being.

"Cole," I reply, my voice a soft rumble that I barely recognize as my own.

I want to say more, to tell her that everything will be okay, that I'll do whatever it takes to help Maddie and make things right for her and her daughter.

But words seem inadequate in the face of so much emotion and fear. And deep down, to my core, I don’t know if I can promise her that right now.

She steps closer until she’s standing between my knees, her body heat enveloping me and drawing me in. I can see the flicker of vulnerability in her gaze and the tremble in her lips that she's trying so hard to control.

My hands ache to reach out and touch her, to pull her into my arms and hold her until the world makes sense again.

But I don't move. I wait, giving her the space to decide what she needs and wants from me at this moment.

"I..." she starts, her voice breaking on a single syllable. She swallows hard, her throat working, and for a moment, I think she might change her mind, turn away, and leave me aching with the need to comfort her.

Instead, she closes the distance between us, her legs brushing against mine as she straddles me on the sofa. The feel of her body against mine, the warmth of her skin, the pressure of her weight... it's like a dam breaking inside me, unleashing a flood of desire I can no longer contain.

My hands find their way to her hips, pulling her closer, feeling the dampness of her skin through the fabric of the towel.

She gasps as our bodies align, her eyes fluttering closed as she tilts her head back, exposing the long line of her neck.

I lean forward, pressing my lips to the hollow at the base of her throat, tasting the salt of her skin, the faint residue of her bath. She moans softly, her fingers threading through my hair, holding me to her as I kiss my way along her collarbone, up the slope of her shoulder.

The towel falls away, pooling at her waist, and I cup her breasts in my hands, feeling their weight, the stiffness of her nipples against my palms. She arches into my touch, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps as I tease and torment her, driving her closer and closer to the edge.

I can feel the urgency building inside her, a desperate need for release, oblivion, and something to hold onto amid the chaos surrounding us. And I give it to her, my hands and my mouth worshiping her body, stoking the fire inside her until she's crying out, her body shuddering against mine as she finds her release.

We move together, our bodies locked in a dance as old as time, a desperate, frantic coupling that's as much about comfort and connection as it is about passion and desire. It's a reminder that we're alive, together, and have something worth fighting for, even in the face of fear and uncertainty.

And as we find our release together, our bodies joined in the most intimate of ways. I'll do whatever it takes to keep this woman and her daughter safe. I'll face down any challenge, obstacle, or adversary that comes our way.

Including the possibility that Maddie is my daughter…and that her mother kept that possibility from me, even for a short time.

Cole and Maddie are my world now, and I'll be damned if I let anything take them away from me.

TWENTY-FOUR

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