Page 10 of What the Doctor Ordered
“Miss!” A deep male voice called out from behind me.
I jumped and whirled around to find Dr. Vale hurrying toward me. I felt my face flame as I took in his strong form and intense eyes. Something heated up inside of me as I pictured the way he threw his fist into Kramer’s face. I swallowed hard, then, instead of facing him like a normal person, I turned around and started sprinting down the street like a crazy person.
“Hey, wait!” Dr. Vale called after me.
I didn’t stop, afraid to even look back at him. I needed to get out of here. My mind was swirling, adrenaline coursing through my veins as my heels clacked against the ground.
“Stop,” he yelled in a commanding tone.
My heart hammered in my chest, and my feet seemed to stop without my permission. I didn’t turn to face him though, squeezing my eyes shut as I stood there on the path. My nerves seemed to spike when I heard Dr. Vale getting closer and closer. His footsteps stopped right behind me.
“Don’t be afraid,” he soothed. “I just want to talk to you.”
My breathing hitched. “About what?” I asked, hating the way my voice shook.
Dr. Vale cursed quietly under his breath. “I apologize,” he said. “This is incredibly rude of me. I don’t even know your name.” He suddenly appeared in front of me. “My name is Simon. Simon Vale. May I ask for your name?”
I inhaled sharply and craned my neck to look up at him. He was tall, even taller than Kramer. “Kiley,” I managed to respond. “Kiley Hart.”
Simon smiled at me, and his expression was gentle. “It was an unpleasant situation, but itisnice to meet you,” he said, holding his hand out toward me.
It took me a moment to lift my hand to his. My face flamed at the contact. His hands were smooth but strong and incredibly warm. “Nice to meet you too,” I replied, and a tight laugh fell from my lips. “Despite the strange circumstances that we’re meeting under, that is.”
One corner of Simon’s mouth twitched before his eyes darkened and his brows pinched a bit. “I apologize for what happened.”
Something akin to shamed filled me and I averted my eyes. “Well, I better get going,” I said. “It’s getting late.” I pulled my hand out of his and backed up a few steps, turning to go.
Simon reached out and grabbed my shoulder, pulling me back. “I’m afraid I can’t let you go just yet,” he said, and his deep voice was stern.
I blinked in confusion, trying to push down the heat that was quickly building between my legs. The hand he grabbed me with was the same one he used to punch Kramer in the face. My heart started to pound even harder and I realized with a start that I was aroused.
I swallowed hard. “Why not?” I asked and I forced myself to narrow my eyes. “You can’t keep me here. I am exhausted from the trying night I’ve had and would appreciate it if you would step aside so I can just go home.” I attempted to pull away from him, but his hand just tightened on my shoulder.
“I can’t let you go off on your own after what happened,” he said firmly. “You might be going into shock. You need someone to look after you for a little while.”
“I’m completely fine,” I snapped, pulling away even harder. Managing to escape his grasp, I started resolutely back down the road. I jumped when Simon appeared in front of me again.
“You are going to hear what I have to say,” he nearly growled, making my eyes widen.
I looked up at him and something in his expression caused my eyes to divert to the ground. “Sorry,” I murmured. “I’m the one being rude. You helped me out back there by exposing Kramer for who he was. Thank you for that. It could have been a disaster.”
Simon’s entire body relaxed but he did eye me suspiciously for another moment, as if he expected me to start running again. “You’re welcome,” he said. “Are you alright? You’re not hurt or anything, are you?”
My chest warmed at the question. This guy didn’t know me at all, but he seemed genuinely concerned about me anyway. I was touched but he still left me on edge as well. His determination to not let me get away from him was sending up red flags in my mind.
“I’m alright,” I said quickly, waving my hands in front of my face. “Kramer might have been a jerk and a liar, but he didn’t hurt me physically.”
Simon didn’t miss the emphasis that I placed on the last word. His dark eyebrows furrowed.
“Would you like to talk about it?” he asked carefully.
I blinked at him in surprise. “Are you that kind of doctor?” I wondered, remembering that Kramer had called him “Dr. Vale”.
Simon laughed and the sound was light and airy. “I’m not a therapist or psychiatrist if that’s what you’re asking,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m in family medicine but that doesn’t mean that I don’t get concerned when a young woman is being disrespected.”
“I appreciate that. You were quite the knight in shining armor,” I said, looking up at him shyly.
Simon nodded but then he suddenly looked down at me with a concerned frown. “You look a bit pale,” he said. “Are you sure that you’re feeling alright?”
