Page 13 of What the Doctor Ordered
“Had you always wanted to be a doctor?” Kiley asked conversationally after a few moments of companionable silence.
I stilled at the question. “Not exactly,” I said. “My father was a doctor. Since I was a little kid, I knew I wanted to be just like him. Everyone admired him and he was one of the kindest people I’d ever known. He didn’t just save lives, he enhanced them.”
I marveled at how I was already opening up about my father to this girl. Since his death, it was difficult to talk about him. I could barely have conversations about him with my own mother.
For some reason, talking to Kiley was as effortless as breathing.
I shook that thought away. She might clearly need a keeper but that wasn’t going to be me. All I needed was someone to play the part of my fiancée, and then I could carry on with how life used to be.
I just needed to come up with a tactful way of asking Kiley. She would be perfect, but I didn’t want to rush into things this time. My cheek still stung slightly from where the last woman I tried tooffer the position to had slapped me. I was determined to make this one stick.
“Thank you for the meal,” Kiley said, putting her fork down on her near-empty plate and grinning at me.
“It was my pleasure,” I replied, reaching over to take her plate away. I paused when I noticed something, and I frowned at her.
She blinked up at me. “Is something wrong?” she asked.
“Yes, actually,” I said, pushing the plate toward her. “I couldn’t help but notice that your broccoli is untouched.”
Kiley blinked before shrugging her shoulders shamelessly. “Yes,” she said. “Sorry. I don’t really eat vegetables much.”
I raised an eyebrow, feeling my palm twitch. “Are you allergic to broccoli?”
Kiley tilted her head as she studied my darkening expression. “No.”
I leveled her with a look. “Then, I would like to suggest you eat it,” I said calmly.
Kiley wrinkled her nose and gave me an unhappy look. “I don’t particularly like broccoli,” she said. “And like I already mentioned, I don’t really eat vegetables.”
I let out a hard laugh before I could stop myself.
Kiley scowled. “What’s so funny?”
“Sorry,” I said, even though I didn’t really mean it. “I just find it amusing that you’re going to be a healthcare professional and yet you refuse to eat your vegetables.”
“Well, I highly doubt that I’ll be encouragingmypatients to eat their veggies,” Kiley rejoined wittily. “Since the high-quality food I will recommend comes conveniently prepared with all the nutrients they need. Now, if you hide broccoli in some brownies or something tasty, like dog food makers do for nutrients in dog food, I might eat it.”
I just stared at her in amazement before shaking my head. “That has to be the brattiest thing I have ever heard come out of a young woman’s mouth.”
I wondered briefly if that comment was a bit too forward, but Kiley just smirked at me. “I have been known to say quite a lot worse,” she said sassily.
“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” I said. “And I suppose you have never been paddled for any of these sassy comments either, am I right?” I felt great satisfaction as I watched Kiley’s cheeks turn a delicious pink color, and noticed she recovered much more quickly than I would have expected.
“No, I can’t say that I have,” she said, her eyes dropping to the top of the counter.
Was that an ounce of disappointment I was detecting? My cock pressed against the front of my slacks at the thought. “It’s no wonder you’ve got such a smart mouth,” I said, my voice dropping an octave. “Have you ever been spanked before?”
Kiley’s cheeks darkened and she shook her head, her eyes suddenly shy.
My heart rate picked up speed and I slowly turned my stool so that I was facing her fully. My fingers found Kiley’s chin and I lifted it so that she was forced to look at me straight on. I marveled at how soft her skin was.
I stared at her for a long moment, trying to decide if this was something she might be interested in. The decidedly carnal need I had to dominate a woman was clawing its way to the surface. I never even entertained the possibility that it might happen with a girl that I was planning to have as my potential fake fiancée.
Kiley’s breathing was becoming more labored and her face more flushed. Her bright green eyes appeared a little stunned as well. I wondered if I was reading the need behind them correctly. I crossed imaginary fingers in my mind.
Lowering my hand so that I could wrap my fingers around her slim wrist, I gently began to tug her up from her seat. “I think you are long overdue for a punishment,” I told her in a low voice. I stood up, watching her carefully, giving her plenty of time and space to refuse if this was not for her.
She inhaled sharply but stood to her feet. That was all the encouragement I needed. I frowned down at her, trying to hide just how pleased I was by her wordless agreement. “You’ve been sassy, careless with your safety, and disobedient,” I intoned, pulling her along with me out of the kitchen and into the living room. “For all that, I’m afraid that you’ll have to be punished quite severely, young lady.”
