Page 12 of Seven Days

“Fair enough.” He looks out the window for a second before watching me put my panties on with the towel still tucked around me. “Drop the towel. I want to watch you get dressed.”

I push my shoulders back and scowl at him. “Who do you think you are?”

“The man you asked to ruin you.”

I drop the towel as I put my bra on. “You had your chance.”

“That was just the beginning, Siren.” He stalks toward me and reaches around to help me clasp my bra. “We do need to restate the ground rules, though.”

“Okay, tell me your terms.” I step past him and open another suitcase.

“Rule one, this only lasts for a week.”

“Agreed,” I say as I pull out a pair of jeans.

“Rule two, no feelings or strings.”

“Done.” I grab a black tank top.

“Rule three, your dad can never find out.”

I shoot him a sideways glance. “Obviously.”

He nods and watches as I continue to get dressed. “That’s what I was struggling with earlier. Thinking about Jack.”

“You were thinking about Dad while I was laying naked in your bed?”

“Yes. I was. Thinking about how he’d feel knowing what I had just done to you.” He shakes his head and looks back out of the window. “I felt guilty as shit.”

“Can you handle the guilt?” I pull my shirt over my head before walking over to him. “Because I won’t allow you to take it out on me. I’m dealing with enough fucked up feelings to add yours to the mix.”

“I can.” He looks down at me and gives me a chaste kiss. “I will. Are you ready? We’ll barely make it to the office with enough time.”

“I am.”

* * *

Thomas’s officeis exactly what you’d expect from the best plastic surgeon in Orange County. The space is clean and modern with stylish accents that elevate it from cold and clinical to almost spa-like. He leads me back to a small room with a chair for taking blood samples before poking his head out the door and grabbing an older woman in pink scrubs.

“This is Vanessa,” he tells me, “she’ll get you taken care of and send you back to my office when you’re done.” Then he turns his attention to his nurse. “Vanessa, this is my friend’s daughter, Brianna. Do you have the orders I sent?”

“Yes, Dr. Brennan. I’ll get it all taken care of.” She pulls on a pair of latex gloves and sets a few viles out in front of me as he leaves. She goes through a few questions and verifies my identification information before starting.

“How long have you worked for Thomas?” I ask.

I’m curious if he’s totally different here. So many plastic surgeons are seeking fame now, but he’s managed to stay relatively under the radar, despite having the best practice in the area. Is he truly just a humble man? Do humble surgeons even exist? I’ve met quite a few who probably couldn’t define humility even with the dictionary open to it in front of them.

“I’ve been here for about eight years.” She presses down on my arm, looking for veins.

“What’s he like as a doctor?”

“He’s an excellent surgeon. Rarely takes time off and has a great bedside manner. All his patients love him as well as his discretion.” She cleans my arm. “In fact, we were all surprised when he took today off with such short notice.”

Warmth blooms inside me as I realize he took a day off to help me, even before we had sex. It hadn’t been planned all along as I assumed. I stop myself from thinking about it too hard, but it really shows that beneath his gruff and cold exterior, there is someone who cares. I want to press her for more information, but I don’t want to seem too nosy or thirsty. I don’t want there to be whispers in his office for this. It’s bad enough he’s pulling strings like this at all.

“Quick prick and some pressure,” she tells me as she slides the needle in.

She finishes up, hands me a cup, and points me in the direction of a bathroom. When I finish giving all my samples, she points me down a long hall and tells me his office is at the end. The door is open and a thin blonde with unnaturally large breasts is bent over his desk as they discuss something on the computer. The dress she’s wearing is so tight she might as well be naked.

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