AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Easy.
CHAPTERTWO
EVAN
Seatedbehind my desk in the cool darkness of my office, I rub my eyes and sigh. As an OB/GYN, it’s my job to care about my patients’ sex lives. But my initial reaction to the thought of Natasha having sex at a party just to get it over with was anything but professional.
Absolutely not,I thought to myself.No way in hell.
It was the kind of thing a father might say in response to his daughter’s request to stay out past curfew. In other words, completely inappropriate given that Natasha isn’t my child. But that simple fact wasn’t enough to quell the heart palpitations, excessive perspiration, and oral parafunction threatening to crush my molars into dust.
I was never so grateful for a pair of legs to duck behind. And I’ll admit, as far as legs go, hers were pretty spectacular.
But this isn’t what I do. I don’t make a habit of checking out my patients…likethat. On the rare occasion when our interactions veer toward flirtations, I laugh it off, figuring if they’re comfortable enough to flirt, I must be doing something right. But Natasha wasn’t flirting or seeking my attention. She was just being herself. Her honesty and her innocence, even her nervousness, touched me deeply, unlocking a protective instinct I haven’t felt since my son was little.
Natasha’s not a child, but something about her comes off as…innocent. Still, I shouldn’t be thinking about her as anything more than a patient.
Even if she is an exceptionallybeautifulpatient, who deserves to be with someone who will take her comfort—and her pleasure—seriously, it’s not my place to tell her what to do with her body. I can only make her aware of the potential benefits and risks at her disposal and hope she heeds my advice.
I switch on my desk lamp and dive into paperwork prior to my next appointment. Between covering for Dr. Longmire and seeing my own patients, the day passes quickly.
It’s still light out by the time I make it to the gym after work. Normally I’d sweat out the day’s stress by running circuits on my favorite machines, but tonight I need to be quick if I’m going to make it home in time to shower and change before dinner with my son.
Ben Gold, one of the owners of Gold Standard Fitness, greets me with a wave as I pass the front desk. Ben’s a giant, even by my standards, and one of the most hardworking people I’ve ever met. Maybe too hardworking for his own good.
“Evening, doc,” he says, nodding.
“Hey, Ben. You ever think about taking a night off?”
He grunts. “Careful, you’re starting to sound like my sister.”
“Maybe you should listen to her.”
“Say that again and I’ll revoke your membership on the spot.” His gaze drifts toward the yoga studio. “As a matter of fact, I do haveplanstonight.”
“I don’t think a yoga class counts as taking the night off if it’s held at your place of work,” I say, just as a pretty young redhead in tight athletic pants exits the studio.
Awareness dawns on me as I watch Ben track her across the room.
“Your plans have excellent posture,” I tell him.
He shoots me a glare.
“I know you didn’t come in here to ogle my staff, doc.”
“That I did not.”
Chuckling, I continue making my way to the treadmills for a quick cardio warmup. Each step on the track helps me leave the day’s events behind me as the tension in my muscles slowly eases. With my body on autopilot, I can let go of my thoughts—at least, that’s how it’s supposed to work. Tonight, it seems that no matter how fast I run, I can’t wipe Natasha’s face from my mind’s eye.
It's been hours since I had her on my table, but she’s like a song stuck on repeat in my head. I can’t stop replaying her appointment, recalling the sound of her voice and the pink flush in her cheeks. Tenderness blooms in my chest at the memory. I rub at my sternum, fighting the sensation as best I can.
Get a fucking grip, Evan. She’s a goddamn patient.
Technically she’s notmypatient, but she’s still a patient at the practice where I work. And who knows where she’ll end up after she graduates from college. I’ll probably never see her again, unless she runs into trouble with her IUD or picks up a disease from some unscrupulous frat boy.
Tension creeps back into my muscles at the thought of her fucking someone—hell,anyone.
But specifically, someone who isn’tme…
