Page 36 of Dr. Damaged Protector

Olivia explained what she had overheard and Kate's reaction after she tried to talk her out of staying in the toxic relationship. I wasn't expecting Kate to not listen to her closest friend's advice.

There was no need to tell her about my father's failure to decide on a wedding date. But something didn't make sense.

"Why were you at the manor this morning, though? Did you forget something there?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm having problems getting a place to stay," she explained. "The hotel bills were too expensive. And I'm yet to know how much I'm getting paid.'

"Seven grand a month," I replied, "but go on."

"That's…a lot," she paused to digest it. "Anyway, the short answer to the story is, I'm living at your manor– temporarily."

I widened my eyes in surprise after the announcement. I had no idea she was staying in a hotel. Hmm?

My heart hurts.

The fact I didn't know anything about her situation bothered me. But at least, with this, she was closer to me physically. It would have provided the perfect opportunity for us to get to know each other better.

"It's nice to have you next door," I said in a friendly tone. "And the next time you have any kind of problems, let me be the first person you'd call.”

The last line was more of a command than an offer, and judging by the look on her face after I said it, she understood it was.

"Dr. Hills," she called out. "I know I had a moment of weakness with you in the office. While I enjoyed every bit of it, I want us to maintain a proper work relationship. I don't want any special favors."

"Don't expect any unless absolutely necessary," I assured her.

I understood her worry, but it really wasn't anything to bother herself about. Especially when I, for one, never mixed business with pleasure.

Chapter ten

Truce and the Danger

Lucas

She was distant again, and this time, it wasn't entirely my fault. We had come to the agreement that we needed to maintain and respect our relationship as boss and employee, with nothing else. But I won't lie, it wasn't easy.

It's one thing if I only saw her at the hospital,; but this time, she was at my home too. One time, I woke up in the middle of the night feeling thirsty, so I went to the kitchen, and there she was.

Olivia was standing there, a glass of milk at her lips, as she dutifully gulped down every last drop of it, letting out a sigh of satisfaction. She wore a white nightgown that stopped right below her ass; it clung against her chest, revealing protesting nipples.

I swallowed. She was beautiful. The dull lighting from the kitchen gave her an almost ethereal appearance that made it hard for me to look away. My heart pounded; it wasn't for lust.

I recalled seeing her hard at work helping the nurses and other doctors the best way she could, switching into scrubs, and playing with the kids in the children's ward. Her job was just to be a secretary, but seeing her do more than she ought to made me sit up at the office. I found myself trying to improve so she wouldn't overtake me.

As she washed the glass and returned it to its place, she looked for something to wipe her hands clean but gave up as she couldn't find it. She brushed it against the back of her dress. The motion caused the dress to lift, revealing she wasn't wearing any panties.

It was somewhat risky, considering there were other men in the house. She turned around and saw me. Even with the faint lighting, I could tell she was blushing.

"Goodnight," she said as she hurried past me.

"Goodnight."

I didn't feel so sleepy anymore.

****

She would join me at the office in the mornings, which meant waking up earlier. Breakfast would also require the presence of my father and his fiancée at the dining table.

"Oh, and I don't like the necklace you wore when we met my friends yesterday," Father said to Kate.

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