Page 27 of The Doctor

Maso reached for the handle, opening the door and peeking in. “I’m sorry if I startled you. Is everything alright?” His gaze darted across the two of us. “I saw the car swerve and stop, and I was worried something was wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong, Maso.” I loosened my grip on Clara’s body, dropping my hand from her mouth. “We were just discussing whether or not to go home.”

He dipped his head. “Mr. D’Angelo is currently in the city, but you’re welcome to stay if you’d like. I can have Pippa cook up some dinner for you, if you’re planning on staying.”

Clara shifted in my lap, then her spine stiffened, and she froze as she sucked in a sharp breath. I was sure she felt me, my throbbing cock caught between the two of us. I took in my own breath, one full of Clara’s sweet, sweet scent.

“Why don’t you give us a few,” I managed. “We’ll drive back up to the house and let you know.”

“Very well.” He dipped his head again, then quietly closed the door and walked away.

Clara lifted her head off my shoulder, turning so she could look at me. Her pretty brown eyes were wide. Her pouty pink lips pursed before she pecked them to mine. “You’re still hard.”

“Clara—”

“Do you still want me?”

Yes.

Fucking hell.

“Clara, don’t—”

“Because I want you, Zeno. You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted.”

“Kid—”

She stopped me with a finger to my lips. “Every night, I dream of you. Of what it would feel like to have you inside of me. To have you make love to me. I want you, Zeno. I want to make love to you.”

I shook my head, pried her hand away from my face. “I can’t do this with you. I won’t.”

“Why not?”

Why did she have to look so broken?

Why did loving her have to hurt so much?

“Because I don’t love you like that.”

Lies.

Every last bit of it was lies.

Because I did love her like that. I loved her more than I’d ever loved anything in my life. But making love to her wasn’t something I could do. What I felt for her went beyond love, and I knew if I gave in, I’d tear her in two before I climbed inside of her and lost myself to this beautiful girl.

And neither of us would ever be the same.

Clara swallowed down her pain and climbed from my lap. She drove back to the house, and in the time it took to tell Maso we were leaving, she’d reclaimed the passenger seat.

She barely talked to me as I drove her back to the city. She barely looked back at me when we got to her house and she opened the door.

But she did look back. Just enough to catch my eye before she told me, “I love you, Zee.”

She walked to the front door, head held high and her tight body tense. When she disappeared behind the solid wood door, I wiped a heavy hand down my face.

“I love you too, kid.”

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