Page 17 of Hush

Elise slid her hands to his waist, feeling the need to take hold of something to stop the floor from tilting. He groaned and pressed closer against her, his tongue now swirling with hers. Never in her life had she been kissed like this. This was not some exploratory, fact-finding mission, this was a tried-and-tested method, playful but demanding, his lips and tongue teasing yet confident. He was in complete control of her this way, and Elise felt herself give into it, yearn for it, and her brain started wondering about all the other ways he could take charge.

Ben slid his hands down her arms to her waist. A trembling urge to feel him closer to her took hold. She pulled him to her, feeling the hard bulge in his pants press against her sex. With a gasp, she arched back, releasing his lips as she did.

Ben gazed at her, his hand caressing the side of her waist, dangerously close to the sash he’d tied.

“We can’t actually…do this,” she said, looking into his eyes.

He released a tight sigh. “You’re right,” he said. “You’re totally right. I’ve been telling myself that all evening,” he added with a grimace. Then his eyes washed over her with a determined, fiery look. “But I can’t stop thinking about you,” he said.

Elise took that in, told herself to tuck it into a safe place so she could savor the way it made her feel. “I’ve…sort of been thinking about you, too,” she said.

He raised an eyebrow. “I care about Jaden a lot,” he said. “And I know he’s sensitive.” He put his hands on his hips, his face tight. “But I could transfer his care to another physician,” he said, but Elise could see the anguish this caused him.

Cold guilt washed over her like a bucket of ice water.I can’t put my needs above Jaden’s. “No,” she said quickly. “Jaden adores you. And he’s so fragile.” The idea of him asleep in his own bed in the house that no longer belonged to her dropped deep into her belly. She suppressed the cry climbing up her throat.

Ben released a tight breath. They stared at each other, and Elise felt longing expand inside her to an almost painful ache.

“Then we’ll wait,” he said. “After the stitches come out, he won’t be my patient any longer.”

Elise sighed, but it came out like a soft groan.

They kissed again, a slow, sensual kiss that sent her mind spinning.

“I think I should go,” Elise said, slipping away from him.

Chapter 8

Ben

Inside the stuffy meeting room, Ben planted his feet firmly on the floor while he swiveled his chair side from to side. A webinar played on the screen he and his three fellow surgeons and techs were being forced to watch for their latest round of C.E. credits. The information on spine and neck injury assessment was mostly review, but Ben dutifully took notes when it wasn’t.

After watching Elise leave the party, he stayed, hoping to dull his senses with more wine and lively conversation. But the image of her walking away from him had become burned into his mind. Jaden’s follow-up appointment was scheduled for this coming Friday. Technically, Jaden would still be his patient after that, if any complications surfaced. Ben couldn’t imagine letting anyone else take care of him.

He thought back to the way Elise grabbed hold of his waist, and the way she smelled. Her lips tasted of honey, and they’d felt so soft. He imagined trailing kisses down her body while she unbuttoned his shirt. A groan escaped his lips, but the webinar was loud enough to hide it.

He adjusted his position to give his growing dick more room, but it was no use, his erection thundered to life. Grimacing, he tried to refocus on the webinar where a doctor and nurse performed several neurological tests on a pretend patient. But it was no use.

He imagined pulling Elise into one of the bedrooms at the party. Kissing her, he would peel her dress off and touch her warm skin, sliding her bra straps down so he could touch her. He fantasized about how her nipples would feel rising to his caress, and how Elise would react. The idea of being so reckless and carefree, as if they were teenagers, tugged at the corners of his mind. After devoting ten years to his studies and goals, being able to break the rules for something so delicious seemed like a pleasure unto itself. Why hadn’t he just dragged Elise off at the party?

Because I’m chickenshit, he realized. Did he think he was taking advantage of his position as Jaden’s doctor to get it on with Elise? No. Did Elise think so? Ben shook his head. But the idea that someone like Ashley could find out and use it against him hovered on the horizon like a poisonous fog.

It had been so long since he’d felt like this about someone. After the way Ashley left him, he never thought he would feel like this again, and certainly not here, in this tucked-away place. Originally, he planned to stick it out for a few years in Walla Walla, lay low, get experience, then move on to a bigger city. But after a year in this small but picturesque place, he found himself thinking of staying.

He imagined himself with a simple house with some acreage so he could enjoy the views. What was so bad about staying in a small town? He had been surprised to learn he didn’t miss the big city. At first, he had assumed it was because Ashley still lived there in the apartment they’d shared, but, a year later, he felt differently.

If only he didn’t have to be alone. Ben wiped his face with his hands. He wished he could call Elise or stop by. Just to see her and find out how Jaden was doing. But he didn’t have her number. Sure, he could get it from her form, but that would definitely be a breach of conduct. He would have to wait until Friday.

After the webinar, Ben had to hide his wood by holding his clipboard just so as he stood and shuffled out of the room. He hurried to his office where he had a half hour before an afternoon of seeing patients. Collapsing into his desk chair, he lay his head back against the soft leather and closed his eyes.Up shit creek without a paddle, he thought.

He listened to his messages, half-hoping Elise had called. No such luck. On the fourth voicemail, his blood ran cold when a voice he recognized chirped through the lines.

“Long time no see, Benjamin,” Ashley’s silky voice sang. “I’m coming to town this weekend for a ski trip. You’re being such a good boy, so I’ve decided to treat you to dinner. Say…seven o’clock at Passatempo, Saturday? I hear they have great ravioli.”

Ben gripped the phone as she signed off. He squeezed his eyes shut. What the hell? Ashley was supposed to stay in her world. He wanted nothing to do with her. When he left, he had assumed they would never see each other again. Her ‘you’re being such a good boy’ rang in his head. He almost laughed out loud. She hadn’t given him any choice—if he didn’t abide by her plans, she would ruin him.

He didn’t have time to deal with her or the idea of seeing her again. Pushing back from his desk, he readied himself for his first patient.

It was easy to delve into the lives of his patients and push Ashley from his thoughts, but as soon as he exited the building that night, his boots padding across the snowy walkway, she returned. He went to the gym to lift with Kelly and shoot a few hoops, keeping an eye out for Elise as he moved from one location to the other. But the dance classroom was dark, and he didn’t see her.

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