Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 67492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “Yes. I’m Dr. Oliver Thompson. I’m supposed to be meeting a colleague here. Blakely Kincaid. I’m early.”
“Oh, Blake’s my daughter. Welcome. She called me earlier to let me know that the two of you would be looking at the space. Blake is in the main ballroom, as we like to call it. Right through those doors.” She points to two double doors. “You can go on in. I’m Kennedy, by the way. It’s nice to put a face to the name.” She offers me her hand and a reassuring smile.
I take it and offer her a smile in return. “Nice to meet you as well.” It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask her exactly what her daughter has told her about me, but for the first time in I don’t know how long, I’m worried about what she might say. It’s not that I want to impress her, but come on, no one wants to be nice to the guy who has been a dick to their kid.
With a nod, I move to the double doors and pull them open. Blakely gasps, and I have mere seconds to react. I rush forward and catch her just before she falls off the ladder she was standing on.
“What are you doing?” I ask, my voice scolding.
“I was hanging some garland,” she says, wrapping her arms around my neck.
“You could have been hurt.” I stare down at her, where she rests in my arms.
“I’m okay. You just startled me.” Her blue eyes seem brighter this close.
“You don’t need to be climbing ladders,” I grump.
She chuckles. “I’m okay, big guy. You can let me go now.”
I hesitate, because fuck me, she feels good in my arms. She fits as if this is where she belongs. The heat of her next to me is a warmth I didn’t realize I’d missed until now. Slowly, I release my hold on her, placing her feet back on the floor.
“I just need to finish this, and then we can take a look. Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you this early.” There’s a light pink hue to her cheeks. Is that from her fall, or is it me and our close proximity?
“I’ll do it.” Bending over, I pick up the garland that fell to the floor and place my hand on the small of her back as I step around her to the ladder. “Just tell me what needs to be done.”
“You don’t have to do that. I can get it.”
“Blakely,” I growl her name. “Tell me where the damn garland goes.”
“There.” She points to the spot directly above the ladder. “I need to finish this wall, and I’m done. Mom started it, but she had some paperwork to do, and I told her I’d finish up.”
“Well, now I’m here, and I’ll finish up.” I get to work hanging the garland as far as I can reach before climbing off the ladder and moving it down the wall until all the garland is hung.
“Thank you, Dr. Thompson,” she says when I come down off the ladder.
“Oliver,” I correct her, my voice husky. “You’re supposed to call me Oliver.”
“Oliver.” She smiles, and I swear to everything holy, I feel that smile inside my body. It’s a warmth and a… yearning like I’ve never felt before.
“What’s next?”
“Next?” She pauses. “Right. The gala. Let me run to the office and grab my notes.” She turns on her heel and rushes toward the double doors while I take the time to adjust my cock that’s pressing uncomfortably against the zipper of my dress pants that I wore to work today.
I should make my excuses and leave. I knew being this close to her, especially after the way I can’t seem to get her out of my mind, was a bad idea. However, now I know what it feels like to have her body next to mine. I’ve seen those deep blue eyes up close. I’ve felt her hot breath against my skin.
I’m giving myself tonight. I’ll stay here with her and be present for whatever she feels like she needs me for, and then I’m done. I’m too attracted to her, and I can’t go there. I won’t go there, so this has to stop. There needs to be a buffer between us at all times.
After tonight.
CHAPTER
SEVEN
Blakely
As I barrel into my mom’s office, my heart pounds out a heavy rhythm. “Hey,” I greet her. I’m breathless and turned on, something I did not expect to happen with the grumpy doctor. Sure, I knew he was hot, but his touch set my body on fire.
“Are you okay?” Mom asks, standing from her chair to come closer. She places the back of her hand on my forehead, just as she used to when I was younger and she was checking for a fever.