Page 33 of Body

“Shall we go, Kitten?” His hand caresses my elbow.Kitten?I’m going to ensure that nickname doesn’t stick.

I hug Maria good bye, and Chase holds out his hand to her. “It’s been a pleasure, Miss De La Torre.”

Maria laughs and pulls him into a hug. She whispers something in his ear before patting him on the back. Chase coughs. “Understood,” he says with a nod.

He leads me out of the apartment and into the waiting car. I give Jack directions to the doctor’s office then lean back into the seat next to Chase. He puts his hand on my stocking covered knee and slides it down my inner thigh until he reaches the edge of my thigh-high.

“Good girl,” he whispers. He traces the edge of the stocking, and I open my legs wider. He doesn’t take the bait which makes me pout. “All in good time,” he says against my ear before nipping the flesh there.

I groan and clamp my legs together. “What did Maria say to you?” I ask, trying to tame the wild harlot inside of me.

“She threatened me,” he says flatly.

I blink a few times while the words have trouble forming on my tongue. “She didn’t!”

He grins and nods. “She said if I hurt you she’d fucking kill me. Her words, not mine.” He chuckles.

She’s a dead woman. Wait until I get my claws into her. Revenge is a mean bitch and I intend to invoke mine at the most inopportune time. I shake my head in frustration. So damned protective, my girl. I can’t wait to get her back.

“I like her. She’s very,” he pauses, “real,” he finishes.

Just then my phone pings. I pull the phone from my new Louis Vuitton and check the screen.

To: Gillian Callahan

From: Maria De La Torre

Gatito? I hope that means he likes licking the kitty. (-;

“God, she’s incorrigible!” I laugh and try to stuff the phone back into my purse. Before I can, Chase swipes the phone and holds it out while I try to grab it. His arms are too damn long!

“What?” The man has no concern for one’s privacy. He reads the message and hands the phone back to me with a smirk. It burns a hole through my palm as I wait for his response.

Time has stopped, and I lean my head back and close my eyes, not wanting to know what he thinks. His hand slides higher up my leg, almost tickling the edge of my panties. His nose brushes my neck and the small hairs there stand on end. His tongue trails up the side of my neck and swirls the edge of my ear. The breath I was holding escapes in a whoosh.

His voice is more like a growl than a whisper against my ear. “I plan to lick youeverywhere, every inch, especially here.” He punctuates his statement by cupping my sex roughly. I bite my lip and thrust my hips forward on a moan. I feel his lips curl into a sultry smile against my cheek. “I love how responsive you are. How wet you become for me.” He slides one finger up and down my cleft, his breath against my skin sets my nerve endings on fire.

The car stops and Jack gets out. I curse when Chase removes his hand and adjusts his suit coat over his straining erection. At least I know he’s as affected as I am. The outside world would never have a clue he’s just fondled a woman in his car. He is stellar at keeping his composure.

We get out of the car and walk into the doctor’s office. I take deep breaths and hold his hand. It’s like an anchor in an oncoming storm.

Chapter 9

The doctor’s office is bright and comfortable. Purple chairs nestle against a long wall in the waiting area. Magazines are scattered on top of the lone coffee table. Chase picks a seat away from any of the other patients as I check in. I haven’t been to this doctor previously but made sure my past records were sent from the doctor I had in Sacramento prior to my visit. I’m ordered to fill out paperwork. Chase sits quietly next to me, his warm hand caressing my back in soothing sweeps. He doesn’t know this, but I am not a fan of doctors. Countless visits to hospitals where doctor after doctor quizzed me about how I got hurt, poked and prodded at me has made me leery.

In the past I’d always lied, made up bogus stories about falling down on my bike, rollerblades, and stairs. None of which happened but seemed likely. Some of the medical professionals cared very little. Others would notify me they were bringing in a patient advocate. Those words always made me throw on my clothes and escape as if the building were on fire. The last thing I needed then were helpful “advocates” who would end up calling the police on Justin.

I learned that particular lesson the hard way. Justin was a master manipulator. The first time an advocate tried to “help”, I was beaten black and blue while being fucked brutally. I could barely walk for days after. Justin claimed he fucked some sense into me. It worked. I never spoke to an advocate again. Not until I made the call that saved my life.

Within fifteen minutes of arriving with Chase, I am seated in another waiting room. Chase followed me into the exam room as if he were owed the privilege. I sit on the exam table and twist my fingers together as he sits in a lone chair behind me. The silence between us is comfortable but still heavy with that energy that sizzles when we are near one another. He browses through his emails on his cellphone as I try to calm my heart rate with deep yoga style breathing Bree taught me. Being in a doctor’s office with Chase is a bit unsettling. If I’m honest, being in a doctor’s office at all is unsettling.

The doctor strides in with his nose in my file. He’s a man of about fifty, dark wavy hair, tall, strong build. He wears rimless glasses that add nicely to his features.

“So, Miss Callahan, you’ve come to have some stitches removed.” He looks at me over the rim of his glasses.

“Yes, Doctor Dutera.”

He flips through pages in my file, skimming them. It’s not a small file. The doctor in Sacramento must have been thorough in sending my past medical history. “Looks like you are no stranger to having stitches removed.” I clench my jaw tightly. “Let’s see here, also broken ribs, fractured wrists, dislocated shoulder, broken arm, not once but twice, black eyes and a slew of hospital visits.” He shakes his head and smacks his lips. “Looks like for a couple of years you were a regular over at Mercy General in Sac.” His eyes are kind as he looks from the file to me, then over at Chase. “Do you have any residual pain from those injuries,” he asks.

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