Page 7 of Cocky M.D.
I shook my head, though he was right. Olivia was perfect for both of us. Her kiss had made me want more, and that never happened. I swallowed and said, “I won’t.”
She glanced up at me. The gleam in her eye gave me hope. I stilled, as I wanted her beside me and against the wall. I had no answer to unsaid questions. She stood and said, “Look, it’s late. It’s been a long day. But give me your address, and I’ll come by tomorrow to talk. Maybe I can help out a little, as hospitals are no place for you.”
One day at a time is the path to victory.
Bradley hugged her and said, “Thank you.”
“No problem.” She hugged him back.
If I married Olivia, then my son might never lose her, and I might get to satisfy that itch she sent through my body that demanded I taste more of her. I straightened my shoulders, as if I needed to fight off that thought. I patted my son’s back and said, “Let me talk to Olivia now. Go to the living room for a minute.”
I would have sent him to the car, but I wasn’t sure I wanted him alone outside. He went to her couch and picked up her remote as he said, “Yes, Dad.”
Next to Olivia, my chest swelled like I’d found someone special, but I kept it professional and said, “Miss Steel, the salary is negotiable, and I can be generous.”
She had her hands in her back pockets like she was nervous near me, too, and directed me to the window, where we might talk without being heard. I walked beside her, but her lips had my complete attention, and she lowered her lashes. Every instinct was to kiss her again, but she said, “Bradley made so much progress this year. I’d hate for him to revert.”
I rubbed the back of my neck and ignored how she made my heart beat differently. “I have to work at ten, so if you can come early in the morning, I’d like that.”
Her gaze narrowed on me, and she asked, “How early?”
Good.Hopefully, we would find out what I needed from her, though I wanted far more than I should. I glanced at Bradley, who was flipping channels. “The earlier, the better.”
She rolled her shoulders and said, all business, “I showed up at school at seven thirty. Is, say, eight a.m. too early?”
Our earlier kiss played in my mind like a movie. She’d wanted me, and she’d pressed her lips back like she, too, ached with need. So I leaned down and whispered in her ear, “It’s fine. Can I ask why you kissed me?”
Her eyes widened, and I thought she would correct me about who’d kissed whom first. The air near her smelled fresh, like a sugar cookie. She swallowed and said, “I shouldn’t have.”
I reached for her hand, and for one second, our palms connected, which sent a thrill through me. “That’s not true, but why did you?”
Her lips curved higher on one side of her face, like she was fighting a smile, then she said so low that I almost didn’t hear her, “Because you started it, not me, and I’ve never been kissed like that.”
Fuck, she was sweet, and part of me wanted to toss her over my shoulder and get her the fuck out of there. But I clamped down my inner caveman, as years of training had taught me, and I asked, “You haven’t?”
“No,” she admitted quickly.
I pressed my advantage and leaned in as I said, “Yeah, and I’d not seen cotton panties on a sexy woman in a long time.”
She shook her head and patted my face like I was a little boy. “Oh my goodness, you’re bad.”
I stepped back and glanced across the room, and I noticed Bradley was staring at the TV like he was enthralled. I nudged her back and kept her close for our conversation to be private. “My son says you’re good with bad boys, so maybe you can redeem us both.”
She laughed, and that sweet sound filled my hearing. She said, “It’s hard to imagine you’re anything like him.”
I winked at her. Bradley had green eyes and a thinner frame, but he was young. I zipped his bag and said, “He has his mother’s looks, but his personality is just like mine.”
She gave a quiet chuckle, but then she narrowed her gaze. “Look, I know you need immediate help, and tomorrow I’ll probably be okay for a short-term thing while you find a real replacement, but don’t count on me for anything long term.”
The next day Operation Sweet-Talk Olivia would start, but for the moment, I led my son to the door. “I’ll treat you so well that you’ll never want to leave us.”
Olivia shook her head, and her nearness made if feel as if my skin were awakening. She let out a dramatic sigh. “You’d tempt any woman with a pulse.”
I stopped, and she walked into me, her ample body pressing against mine. If Bradley weren’t there, I would have picked her up and let her feel Little Johnny standing at attention for her. “No, not everyone, but I’ll have to up my game with you.”
She slipped out of my way and reached for the door, but she patted my muscular chest. “You’re dangerous. So how did you become a doctor?”
I fed her the usual line I gave when asked. “My wife was sickly, and she said doctors were responsible. It’s nice to help people who have sticky situations like yours today or someone who needs medicine. It’s a way of giving, but I’m ambitious.” Olivia’s nearness made me want to tell the truth, but I continued with the usual excuse. “So we’ll discuss my career plans and how I get to see your no-nonsense cotton panties again.”
