Her Old-Fashioned Doctor (12 page)

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m okay. I’m sorry I broke your rule, and worried you, and planned to lie to you. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

He stroked her hair and his hand traveled down her back. With gentle caresses, he rubbed her punished bottom. “I know you’re sorry, darlin’, and you’re forgiven. Why don’t you try to take a little nap? You look exhausted.”

Her eyes grew heavy at his suggestion she sleep, and a she snuggled deeper into the pillow. “Maybe just a short nap. Will you stay with me for a while?”

“For as long as you’d like, darlin’.” He stretched out beside her and sat up on his elbow, gazing down at her as he stroked her back. She fell asleep almost instantly, and John stayed with her several more minutes, just enjoying being next to her and the heat of her body. A peaceful expression relaxed her face, and as her soft breaths tickled his neck, he didn’t want to leave her side but did so anyway because he needed to make some calls and check on some patients he’d treated recently.

As the days passed, he continued to enjoy Melissa’s presence in his cabin, in his life. But as time went on, she became quieter and withdrawn. Sadness often lurked in her gaze, and he knew she was thinking about her family. About her life in New York. About leaving.

One night as they lay in bed together, she confirmed his worst fears.

“I’ve enjoyed my time here, John, Very much. These last two weeks have been amazing and I’ve come to care for you a lot.”

His spirits sank at the defeated tone in her voice and her rigid posture. She was about to let him down, about to leave him forever. Pain burst through his jaw as he clenched his teeth.

“But despite all that, I have to leave. I’ve decided to skip Florida and head straight back to New York. It’s time I settle things with Steven and start my new life. I know I promised not to leave without telling you, so this is me telling you. I’m sorry.”

His throat constricted and burned. “I don’t want you anywhere near Steven, Melissa. He sounds unstable.”

“I can take care of myself. Besides, I might not even have to see him. I can always work through my lawyer. Our house needs to be sold, and I’ve got to find a place of my own and make a decision about school. It’s for the best.”

Angry words rested on the tip of his tongue, as well as pleas for Melissa to stay with him. But he didn’t berate her and he didn’t beg. Instead, he took a deep breath and leaned down to claim her lips, determined to make their last few hours together count.

She returned his kiss with an urgency that spurred him to straddle her and pin her hands above her head. She briefly struggled but he kept her easily subdued and deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue into her mouth to taste her one last time. Her scent and the little noises she made in her throat drove him mad with longing. Breaking the kiss, he released her wrists and pulled her nightie over her head and divested her of her panties too. He stripped off his boxers and situated his cock between her thighs, rubbing the tip over her moisture.

Unable to resist her sweetness a second longer, he gripped her hips and slammed into her. She was so warm and tight around his cock, and he set a rapid pace of fucking her. She writhed and moaned beneath him, her nails digging into his sides. Pleasure twisted her face, and she came around his length, her center gyrating in tune to each cry that left her lips. He pounded into her until he found his own release, and then he gathered her close to his heart.

He took her once more that night, much gentler the second time. The first time he’d fucked her, but the second time he made love to her. Slow and gentle, never once looking away from her pretty blue eyes. She shuddered beneath him and more than once he had to wipe away her tears.

The next morning he carried her suitcase to her car, a sick feeling ravaging his insides. His heart had never felt so heavy, nor his spirits so bleak. She walked outside wearing the same blue dress she’d been wearing the night he met her, the night she’d rammed into the back of his truck. The night two strangers had laughed together in a diner and shared a piece of chocolate cream pie. Though it had only been about two weeks ago, it seemed longer. The depth of their friendship and love rivaled that of the connection he’d felt to his wife, and that realization jarred him. He’d spent years alone, using his busy work schedule as an excuse to keep from dating, to keep from moving on. Melissa had crashed into his life—literally—and filled it up with the most magnificent colors.

“Good-bye, John.”

He approached her and cupped her face, raw emotion burning his throat. He swallowed past the painful lump and hugged her to his chest. “Please let me know once you’ve arrived home safely. A text will do. Good-bye, Melissa.”
I love you. Stay here and let me keep loving you, you stubborn little girl
.

He pulled back and brushed a soft kiss across her lips, unable to utter another word, let alone give voice to the frantic thoughts racing through his mind.

She smiled and wiped a tear away, then got into her car. He closed the door and backed up when she started the engine. This was really happening. She was really leaving.

With a wave of her hand and another smile, she began the slow drive down the long, gravel driveway. She paused in the distance, at the very end of the road, and for a split second he believed she was going to back up and return to his arms. But she turned onto the main road and he glimpsed her red car moving fast through the trees.

She was gone, and all the magnificent colors she brought to his life faded to black.

Chapter Nine

Melissa stared at the orange and golden leaves in the small wooded area behind her parents’ home, wondering how brilliant the tree-covered mountains in West Virginia looked at this time of year. She glanced down at the guest list for this evening’s benefit dinner and studied each name, willing one of them to transform into Dr. John Holden. But he wasn’t coming, and she hadn’t heard from him in weeks. She’d known his attendance was a long shot, but she’d mailed the invitation nonetheless. Two invitations, actually. One to his cabin and the other to his office in town, just to be sure he’d receive it.

A cool breeze nipped at her legs, and she ventured into the house and up to her old bedroom. It didn’t feel like home, but it was a happier place than the house she had shared with Steven. She once again thanked her lucky stars that they hadn’t ended up married. She’d only seen him once since the night she’d caught him with the hookers, three weeks ago during the sale of their house. His haggard appearance had startled her, and if the gossip her friends had fed her could be trusted he was heavily into drugs.

Shaking the memories away, she walked into her closet and selected a black shimmering dress and a pair of red heels. She laid the items out on her bed, trying to summon up the strength to go through with the benefit. A heavy cloud of disappointment enveloped her, and it was impossible to break through it.

She’d spent weeks, with the help of her mother, organizing a dinner and benefit auction for House Call Hope. The event was sold out and even if no one bid on the artwork up for auction, John’s nonprofit would be set for a couple of years. Her family, friends, and acquaintances liked to be seen at events such as this, all of them eager to improve their images. She supposed some of them truly liked helping the less fortunate, but she doubted many of them would be willing to take on John’s responsibilities.

Maybe that was the reason for his absence and his silence. He was too busy to come to New York, too busy to call or text or email.

Bullshit
.

She pressed a hand to her head. Pain threatened to split her skull in half, and she took deep breaths and slipped her clothing off, hoping a relaxing bath might melt her stress away. She strode into her bathroom and turned on the water. Sitting on the edge of the tub, she poured liquid soap underneath the faucet and watched the bubbles grow. The lavender scent filled her senses and helped her mood, if only a little. Her headache lessened and the tension left her shoulders. She sank down into the warm water and let her mind drift until the absolute last minute.

A peek through the open door at the cat-shaped clock hanging on her bedroom wall had her rushing to crawl out of the tub. She double-checked the time as she dried off, wishing she could slow the rhythmic swaying of the cat’s tail, each movement indicating another second gone by. Another second without John.

She rushed to brush on a faint amount of make-up, but ended up applying a generous volume of foundation underneath her eyes. Curses fell from her mouth and she stared at her reflection, praying no one would ask if she was sick. Weeks of not sleeping had taken a toll on her appearance, not to mention her health too. She became sick to her stomach much too often, and the slightest amount of stress induced a pounding headache that usually radiated right behind her eyes.

It was as if she was physically in mourning for John. God, she missed him, so much that the mere thought of him almost made her burst into sobs. Sometimes at night she curled into a ball on her bed with tears streaming down her face, feeling like the worst kind of fool for leaving him.

Once, in a fit of desperation, she’d called Amy Lou’s Diner around seven in the evening—John’s normal time to frequent the establishment—and the elderly waitress had informed her that John had last stopped in a week ago. Melissa hadn’t expected to speak with him when she called, but she’d wanted to know he was still out there in the backwoods of West Virginia, still making house calls and eating chocolate cream pie.

She curled the ends of her hair to give her locks a smooth bounce, and she shimmied into the little black dress and red heels as quickly as possible, all the while wondering if John had given her a second thought since the morning she drove away from his cabin. He’d appeared stricken and she’d felt immense guilt during her departure, but the stubborn man hadn’t so much as picked up a phone.

She’d texted him after she arrived at her parents’ home per his request, and he had replied with two brutal letters that heated her blood even now.

Ok
.

After all they’d been through, he’d had nothing more to say to her. Years would pass and it would remain the last thing the love of her life said to her.
Ok.

It killed her that tonight’s fancy benefit was for his nonprofit, and she had to remind herself that even though they weren’t on good terms, or
any
terms, he still did good work. He was still a good person who cared deeply about the people in the community he’d been raised in.

She applied her favorite shade of pink lipstick, grabbed her handbag, and hurried down the stairs. The cool air once again nipped at her exposed flesh and she paused, debating whether or not to take the time to fetch a shawl. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. Her phone buzzed from inside her handbag, probably her mother asking why she hadn’t arrived at the benefit yet. Deciding to forgo the shawl, she headed for her car and stopped in the center of the long driveway.

A tall figure was pacing back and forth behind her car, and she slinked behind a row of neatly trimmed bushes, a flash of fear tightening her stomach.
Steven
? She swallowed hard and wished the live-in cook wasn’t on vacation right now, or that she’d gotten ready earlier and gone ahead with her parents to her grandparents’ house where tonight’s festivities were set to take place.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins and she peered over the bushes. The man wore a perfectly tailored tuxedo, and she watched his long strides and hand gestures as he paced. She tilted her head and listened. He was talking to himself!

She covered her mouth in an attempt to conceal her heavy breathing. It wasn’t Steven. Hope blossomed in her heart slowly, like a perennial
flower coming alive in the springtime after a long, cold winter. She felt her eyes grow wide and she stood straight up, her gaze locking instantly with the one man she’d spent weeks grieving over. After all this time and zero communication, why was he here?

Oh right. She’d invited him. She straightened her dress and approached him, stilling the petals of her unfurling hope from reaching a full bloom. Maybe he was only here for the benefit. She erected a wall around her heart and met him in the middle of driveway.

“Do you always talk to yourself?” she asked. Her eyes widened when she noticed his truck parked outside the tall fence that surrounded the property. Her gaze shot to his. “You climbed over the gates?”

“Guilty as charged, darlin’.” He reached for her hand, but she snatched it away.

“Why are you here?” She folded her arms across her chest and gave him her most vicious glare.

“You invited me.” This time he grasped her hand and didn’t allow her to pull away. He yanked her against his chest and circled his arms around her, and his familiar masculine scent left her awash in memories of their short time together.

Though she wanted to push him away, she found herself latching onto him and pressing her cheek against his jacket. “You could have told me you were coming.”

“I wanted to surprise you.” He stroked her hair. “And I wanted to apologize for my silence.”

She drew back and peered up at him, lost in his beautiful dark eyes. All her anger and resentment burned away in the heat of his penetrating gaze. He rubbed her arms up and down, and it took her a moment to realize he was trying to warm her up and chase away the goose bumps. When his caresses failed to work, he removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders like a perfect gentleman.

A perfect gentleman who liked to spank naughty female bottoms, among other salacious activities. She shivered at the memory of all their naughty encounters, including the two punishment spankings he’d given her.

“Thank you, John.” She smiled briefly and welcomed his embrace. The sun dipped through the trees behind him, casting a radiant glow across the lawn. She considered his apology and thought about her own actions. Aside from sending the benefit invitation, she hadn’t attempted to contact him either. Perhaps she was being a little unfair. She cleared her throat and looked into his eyes, her heart clenching at his pained expression.