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I think I even fall asleep for a while. Exhausted from the trauma of it all.
When I wake up, there’s a sandwich and a lukewarm coffee waiting for me, which I devour without even thinking.
Numb until there’s a gentle knock at the door and he walks in.
I almost feel like I’m dreaming again because it’s the man himself.
It’s Mark Love.
Dr. Love.
If he’s photogenic and looks great on TV, he’s perfection in real life.
He’s not in a white coat though. Maybe it’s a casual day?
He’s got straw-colored chinos on, which he fills perfectly, from the ankles to the honest pant bulge at the front.
His white shirt is perfectly pressed, but the few buttons left undone at the top showing his smooth pecs and a tan they don’t sell in a bottle tells me it’s not a workday for him.
Day off probably.
His whole body has such presence, such a command over the whole situation I feel my knees weaken and spots dance in front of my eyes once I stand up way too quickly.
Too eager to get closer to him.
There’s just something about this man that makes me gravitate towards him, needing to touch him or have him touch me somehow.
His strong hands support my arms, holding me up as he guides me to sit back down on the fabric two-seater couch.
“Easy now,” he says in a deep voice, the spice of his cologne like medicine of its own, giving me strength as well as the weakness of surrender to his touch.
“I’m Doctor Love. Call me Mark. I’ll be operating on your dad shortly. He’s gonna be fine,” he says reassuringly.
“Evelyn,” I murmur, hearing my voice waver as I introduce myself.
But he probably knows who I am, of course, he does. He knows everything. I can just tell.
The calm eyes of a professional surgeon, scan my face, then move slowly down the rest of my body as the eyes of the man take me in.
I almost recoil with the usual embarrassment, but he makes a low sound of approval.
Satisfied with something, I feel those huge hands squeeze my arms a little firmer.
“You’re gonna be fine too, Evelyn” he adds, smiling, and I almost squeak as I watch those dark eyes of his dance in a question I’ve only dreamed of him asking before his attention shifts back to my eyes.
There’s a long silence, and I only wish I was meeting Mark under totally different circumstances. But then again if I was, I wouldn’t know what to say or do either.
He’d have no real reason to talk to me otherwise.
Dr. Mark Love.
A man who knows what he wants. A man who could have any woman he wants to.
It feels like I’m thinking a thousand things at once, but feeling just one thing before I realize we’re both just sitting on this couch, his hands still gripping me gently. Neither of saying a word.
It feels like he already knows everything about me and without knowing how, it feels like I know everything about him too, just from looking into his eyes.
He notices me taking in his clothes again, or maybe he can read the thoughts behind my eyes as I stare shamelessly at him.
“I was called in,” he explains calmly. “Your dad’s saved me from a forced vacation, so I owe him one already,” he says and flushes crimson, hearing his own words.
Being reminded of dad, why I’m here. It stings a little, but what hurts more is the thought of Mark Love on vacation.
“Family vacation, or?” I hear myself ask him, sounding more hurt than curious.
He frowns instantly, his hands moving towards mine but he draws them back quickly.
“No!” he says quickly. Loudly. “No family… Nobody. Just me,” he says firmly, giving me such an intense look.
I already know I want all of him, and he already has me, whether he knows it or not.
He asks if I have anyone.
“I mean, like a boyfriend or someone you’d like us to call. Anyone close,” he says in a gravelly voice, looking at his own feet for the first time until I tell him no.
Making him smile.
“We don’t even have full insurance,” I hear myself confess, almost wincing as I grip his strong arms back with my own hands.
Grateful to have an excuse to clutch at the man, which there’s so much to take hold of. But regretting it has to be here, that it has to be like this.
He frowns for the first time since our meet, shaking his head a little as he looks deep into my eyes.
“Your dad is sick, Evelyn. And I have to operate. We can worry about the bills later. Right now I just need you to-”
I feel my breath catch and I shiver all over. Hearing him say he needs anything from me is a promise I know I’ll already keep.
