Page 2 of Taking Her Medicine

The huge lighted ball dropped on the television screen, signaling the end of the current year and the beginning of the next. It was a chance to change the course I’d been pursuing or lack of it and follow my dreams wherever they led me. Aaron cupped my cheek as the strains of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ played in the background.

He licked his lips, and I promptly gagged. Extracting myself from his embrace, I covered my mouth with my hands and rushed as fast as my drunk ass would take me, hauling off to the bathroom. I didn’t have time to explain, but he would undoubtedly understand my sudden issue.

* * *

Aaron

Repulsed.

Zoelle, my sexy next-door neighbor who I’d been crushing on since I met her, bolted off the couch, repulsed by my advance. She drank alcohol tonight, but despite a few slurred words she hadn’t seemed that out of it. No, I deduced the wrong conclusion because my own head wasn’t completely sober. The alcohol had turned her stomach, not my touches. What a lousy doctor I was, caught up in my own feelings instead of checking on her.

Making my way to the bathroom, I tapped on the door. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

“Just peachy.”

“Do you need some medical assistance?”

“Uh. Maybe. Do you know anyone who could help?” Zoelle cracked the door open and peeked through. She had pulled her golden brown hair away from her face into a messy bun. Tiny tendrils escaped from the confines of the elastic band, but my gaze drifted lower to her supple breasts that begged to be caressed through her off-the-shoulder top. I forced my eyes away from the sweet temptation of her body to find two cognac-brown eyes fixed on mine. I shifted slightly, hoping to kill the raging erection pressed against my jeans, but nothing short of grim thoughts or a long shower would work to control it.

Carrying her out from the backyard, I held her close to me, breathing in the sweet scent of her along with the mixed floral perfume—rose and something warm like amber—teasing my senses. I wanted to taste her. I forced a pause and reminded myself about her queasy stomach. It was not the optimal time to think about kissing someone.

“I’ve picked up some tricks in my spin through the emergency department,” I offered. “Give me your hands and I’ll show you.” Zoelle held them out toward me as she entered the hallway. I checked her pulse subtly, verifying that she wasn’t having a bigger medical issue, and pressed my thumb on an acupressure point to quell her nausea. It might not work since she’d imbibed, but it was worth a try. She visibly relaxed. I repeated the gesture on her left wrist.

“My stomach is a little better.”

“Would you like me to stay?” I released her hands. “I promise to be a perfect gentleman.”

“Yeah, Aaron. Thanks.” She side-eyed me as I led her to her bedroom. “You can sleep in here if you want. I mean we’re both adults.”

“I’ll be fine in the living room,” I assured her. I didn’t want to lie next to her all night under the guise of just being friends. No. When she invited me into her bed, I wanted it to be clear that we were together, otherwise it wouldn’t happen at all. “If you need anything, just shout. I’m a light sleeper from years on call overnight at the hospital.”

“Thanks,” she repeated. “Happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year.”

Heading to the couch, I wrapped up in the blankets that held a lingering fruity aroma, the scent of her perfume. It reminded me of her, and I wished my arms were around her instead of a throw pillow. I was serious about my resolution. I had let the two of us hang in a state of limbo without speaking to her about the possibility of a relationship. No. I wouldn’t allow the opportunity to pass again if I could help it.

Sighing, I rolled onto my side. My sweet neighbor had a sassy, flirty attitude that attracted me to her. We already had so much fun together, but I’d also seen glimpses of her that made me believe we were compatible in ways we hadn’t yet discussed.

Zoelle liked when I made decisions, simple ones like what movie we’d watch, or where we’d order takeout, but her entire disposition changed after those moments. She seemed more relaxed and happier. I’d bet money that she was submissive.

It was time to make her mine.

Chapter 2

One month later

Zoelle

I was curled up in a ball with blankets half strewn on my floor and couch from the constant tossing and turning. My throat burned on top of the dull ache and I was exhausted. I alternated being too hot then cold the past few hours, and my extremities felt like they weighed a hundred pounds each. I thought about texting Aaron and asking for his professional medical opinion, but we hadn’t seen or talked to each other much.

We had yet to sort out the ‘almost kiss’ from New Year’s Eve, and it still lingered at the forefront of my mind. My thoughts drifted to the imagery of him examining me, touching my intimate places as he checked me out thoroughly. I trailed my fingers across each of my breasts, pinching my nipples through my tee-shirt, wishing they were being touched by his skilled hands. The mental images aroused me, and I arched my hips to gain better access but soon the actions left me more tired, and I stopped fantasizing.

Three sharp knocks sounded on the backdoor to my house. Only Aaron and sometimes an errant package delivery person utilized that entrance.

Oh, no.

If it was Aaron, he would know immediately that something was bothering me and most likely try to diagnose my illness. Groaning, I rose to my feet, tightened the belt around my fluffy pink bathrobe and padded off. I opened the door without looking through the peephole and came face to face with Dr. Sexy Scrubs himself.

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