Page 37 of What the Doctor Ordered
I pursed my lips and chose my next words carefully. “I don’t think you come off as guarded at all,” I said. “When I met you, you were standing up for yourself and exuding a strong sense of confidence, more so than I have seen in most people.”
My chest warmed even further when Kiley’s cheeks bloomed with color. I longed to run my finger across her skin so I could feel just how much it had heated. I leaned forward todo just that, brushing my thumb lightly across her cheekbone, marveling at the warmth there. The color deepened at my touch, and I couldn’t help but drop a kiss to the heated flesh.
I could suddenly feel my own skin heating as well and I cleared my throat, gesturing ahead of me. “It’s getting late,” I said gruffly. “I should probably take you home.”
I thought I detected a flash of disappointment in Kiley’s gaze, but it was gone before I could be sure. “Thank you again for today,” she said. “With everything going on lately, this was the perfect escape.”
I opened my mouth to respond in kind, but I could feel a rift forming as something warned me to back off. I was starting to care about Kiley far too much and with our current situation, I needed to tread carefully. I couldn’t fight the pleasure that filled me when I learned that Kiley was developing feelings for me but I also knew that things weren’t simple enough for me to just accept them.
I had been hurt too many times to just accept them.
The drive home was silent, and I regretted it as I watched Kiley walk up to her apartment building after I dropped her off.
“I don’t see what the problem is, man. You obviously like this girl.”
I gave Theo a dark look. My best friend was sitting beside me at the bar, calmly sipping on a beer while I mulled over my situation.
“I’m painfully aware of my growing affection for her,” I said through my teeth. “That is exactly the problem.”
Theo set his glass down. “Isn’t this what you wanted?” he asked. “You needed someone to play the part of your fiancée, but did it ever occur to you that the two of you might decide you want to stop pretending?”
I scoffed and gripped my own glass, then sighed and let it go before I shattered it in my hand. “This isn’t some chick flick, Theo,” I said. “My and Kiley’s situation is delicate. If we were to enter into a real relationship, it would be built on the foundation of a business transaction and that can’t be good.”
Theo was generally a patient man. It’s what made him a good doctor and a good friend. I could tell that I was wearing on even his endless patience, however.
“Look, Simon,” he said. “Even if you might not have met Kiley in the conventional way, that doesn’t mean that you can’t go on to have a healthy relationship. I’ve heard of couples who met at funerals, for crying out loud!”
I frowned and looked down at the bar table, considering his words. Could I really make this work with Kiley, even after I had treated her like an employee I wanted nothing more than sex from?
I had my doubts. I knew what it was like to try and make any relationship work, let alone one with the complex dynamics Kiely and I share. Having to live with the repercussions of failure after the fact is a familiar and unwanted experience, but something tells me it would be so much worse to fail at a relationship with Kiley.
Theo let out a heavy sigh, pinning me with a look. “I haven’t seen you this laid back and happy since we were in college,” he said. He punched me in the shoulder, the way he used to back in our dorm room. “Look, I get that you’ve been burned by other girls in the past, but it’s pretty clear Kiley isn’t like those other women you dated. So you better not screw things up with this one. She’s good for you, I can already tell. If you mess up, I might just have to come in after you and steal this Kiley girl for myself.”
I felt a growl building up in my throat at the thought.
Theo laughed but put his hands up in surrender. “I’m just joking, man,” he said with a wry chuckle. “But seriously, though. If you’re so worried about her being unsure about you because of this deal you made, you’re just going to have to prove to her that this isn’t just about obtaining your father’s company. Show her that you actually care about her. Unless you really don’t.”
I blew out a breath, grabbing my glass again to take another swig. “I do, Theo, but it’s easier said than done,” I muttered.
Theo just laughed, grabbing his glass as well and gesturing to the bartender for another round.
“I never said it was going to be easy,” he pointed out. “But the things that are truly worth it in life rarely are.”
Amen to that. Damn.
CHAPTER 17
Kiley
“I’m on my way to get you, sweetheart. Be ready this time or I’ll take my displeasure out on your bottom.”
My face burned as I read the text message, and I quickly grabbed my purse and slipped on my shoes before racing out of my room.
Lily was doing yoga beneath the large window in our living room. She eased out of the complicated pose she was in so she could grin at me. “Where’s the hot doctor taking you this time?” she asked mischievously.
I grinned back at her. “Just dinner,” I said.
Lily rolled her eyes. “That’s what you said last time, and he ended up taking you to a cafe that is almost impossible to get reservations for,” she pointed out.
