Page 25 of What the Doctor Ordered
“I’d like to see you try,” I said with a snort. No one came between me and my desserts, unless they wanted to lose a finger.
I inhaled sharply when Simon put his hand beneath my chin, tilting it up so that I could meet his gaze. His eyes had darkened, the gold flecks in them nearly gone. He leaned toward me so he could whisper in my ear.
“Don’t tempt me, little girl. You’d best behave yourself.”
I was barely able to repress the shudder that wanted to pass through me at his touch and the way his warm breath tickled my ear.
Simon ended up being right, of course. Dessert was exactly what I needed to cheer myself up. It helped that the treat bar was just as impressive as the rest of the mansion. The long white tabletook up an entire wall and was filled with all kinds of pastries from fruit tarts to little cakes.
“You may have one more,” Simon said sternly.
I blinked up at the killjoy next to me. I had just finished off a fruit tart after sampling one of the vanilla cakes. I gave him a dubious look. “How am I only going to have one more?” I demanded. “There are dozens to try!”
Simon narrowed his eyes at me and opened his mouth, most likely to scold me but then he spotted something over my shoulder.
“My mother’s coming this way,” he murmured to me.
I followed his gaze and easily spotted Fiona Vale heading our way. There was a young woman at her side, with flowing blonde hair and an icy blue dress that matched her eyes.
And she was glaring at me.
“Simon,” Fiona said as they reached us. “You remember Sicily Alcott, of course.”
Simon nodded. “Yes, of course,” he said. He turned to the blonde. “Good evening, Sicily. I trust your parents are doing well?”
Sicily smiled widely at Simon, batting her eyelashes up at him. “Yes, they are, thank you so much for asking, Simon. I’ve missed you. You really should come visit the manor sometime soon. Father asks about you.”
I thought I noticed Simon shift uncomfortably, but he was good at hiding it. “Perhaps we can arrange something,” he said. He put his arm around me then. “Sicily, this is my fiancée, Kiley.”
I tried not to look smug when I noticed Sicily visibly flinch at my title. She turned to me and wouldn’t quite look me in the eye as she nodded. “Good evening,” she said stiffly.
“Good evening,” I echoed tersely.
“Well, I’ll leave you kids to catch up,” Fiona said, clapping her hands and turning. “I am helping out with the auction later on so I will see you all a little later.”
“So, what is it that you do, Kiley?” Sicily demanded once Fiona was gone.
I blinked at her. The sugary sweetness was completely gone from her expression. She was openly glowering at me.
“I’m studying for my doctorate at the moment,” I said. “Studying to be a veterinarian. What about you?”
Sicily completely ignored my question. She sneered. “Oh, a vet,” she said, her tone mocking. “How interesting that you aren’t even studyingrealmedicine. Simon, where did you even meet this girl?”
“That’s enough, Sicily,” Simon hissed.
Sicily and I both jumped at the dark tone in his voice.
Sicily frowned at him, her blue eyes wide. “What’s wrong, Simon?” she asked sweetly. “I was just trying to get to know Kiley a little bit. She is going to be like family, after all.”
“Getting to know her is perfectly fine,” he replied, his jaw tight. “But I won’t have you disrespecting her. Veterinarians are well-respected medical professionals. Don’t suggest otherwise. I will not take kindly to it.”
Sicily frowned at Simon, looking hurt by his words.
“I just remembered that I am needed elsewhere as well,” she said stiffly. “I’ll see you later, Simon.”
She glared hard at me as she turned to leave.
I was glad to see her go.
