Page 10 of The Lessons

“I see.” Dr. Lerner’s lips formed a thin line as she closed her notebook.

I held my breath as my eyes darted from her to the floor and then back again. Did she believe me? I’d turned my life upside down in order to get it back on track. I’d signed their contract. I was doing this. I tapped my fingers gently on my leg as I stared at Dr. Lerner and held my breath.

“Natalie, we are definitely going to be able to help you. I’m confident of that.”

I exhaled. Thank fucking God.

“Try to relax. We’re going to go at your own pace. I promise.” Her phone buzzed, and she looked down. “The surrogate is here. I’ll fetch him so that we can all talk together.”

I nodded as she stood up and exited the office. As soon as she was gone, I got up and walked over to Larry and Lucius, my nervous energy getting the best of me. “Well, boys, I guess we’re really doing this. Wish me luck.” I know it sounds crazy, but I felt like Larry started to shake his head at me. I had bent down to get a better look at him when the door opened.

“Natalie,” Dr. Lerner began.

I pulled away from the aquarium and started to stand up.

“This is Ryan Andrews. He’s going to be your surrogate.”

Chapter Three

Natalie

A familiar set of blue eyes greeted me.

No. Fucking. Way.

Ryan-fucking-Andrews? The hot guy from the library?Hewas mysurrogate?

Well, fuck me.

Shit.

I felt all the blood drain from my face as a high-pitched buzz took over my ears.

I couldn’t believe this was happening. What the hell was I supposed to do? I flicked quick glances at his face, trying to figure out if he recognized me, but his countenance didn’t give anything away. If he did recognize me, would he say something?

Yet even as fear seized my heart, I was simultaneously greeted with a wave of relief. Honestly, I could’ve done a lot worse in terms of a surrogate. At least he was really, really good-looking. He was dressed differently today than the last time I'd seen him, now in a gray suit and tie. I tried to look him over without staring too conspicuously. As I contemplated my next move, I realized that he’d had his hand extended in my direction for a while.

“Natalie?” His cool eyes looked deeply into me and threatened to knock me over until he raised an eyebrow.Oh, right. Shake the damn hand, Natalie.

“Hi,” I breathed.

“It’s nice to meet you.”Nice to meet me? Okay, so he had forgotten about the library? That he’d programmed his number into my phone? Oh, my God, his number.A wave of disappointment washed over me, almost immediately giving way to concern. What if knowing my surrogate was against the rules? Shit. I’d moved all the way across the country so that I could be completely anonymous during this whole process. And now, through a perverse twist of fate, that was no longer the case.

“You okay?” His eyebrows pushed together with concern, and I felt something deep inside me start to warm. Shit, he was asking me to respond, and I was standing there like an idiot.Reese, say something, genius!

“Sorry. Yes. Hello. Nice to meet you, Mr. Andrews.”

“Shall we have a seat?” Dr. Lerner suggested. Either my reaction was on par with most patients, or she wasn’t picking up on the tension.

I found myself wondering how she was able to stand there, so calm in the presence of such…maleness. Surely, something deep inside her clenched when she looked at this man? I didn’t see how any woman could resist him; I mean, he was masculinity and sex incarnate. Yet she took a seat in her chair, and I mirrored her, returning to my place on the couch.

Ryan followed and stretched out on the sofa next to me.

I tried to ignore the charge of electricity between us, instead focusing my attention on the coffee table.

“Now, Natalie, as we mentioned before, you have a finite number of sessions with Ryan. And while you’ll be meeting with me once a week, you two will be meeting privately twice a week.”

“Uh-huh,” I mumbled, still shocked to the core. I fumbled, trying to find my words. “Will he report back to you on my progress?” I glanced over at Ryan.

---