Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 86763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
“I came as soon as I got your message,” the man said as he pulled back enough to get a look at Seth’s face.
“I told you that you didn’t need to come,” Seth said. “I know you had patients to see…”
The man made some type of dismissive grunt and then he was pulling Seth back into his arms. “My favorite patient needs me, I’m there,” the man insisted.
Patient? The guy was a doctor? What the hell was Seth seeing him for? And what the fuck kind of doctor acted so familiar with a patient?
“I knew it was too soon for you,” the man said with a shake of his head. “I wish you would have heeded my advice…you know I only want what’s best for you.”
When the man finally released Seth after running his hands up and down his arms for a ridiculously long time, his beady eyes shifted to me. “Who’s your friend?” he finally asked. I didn’t miss the way he swallowed hard as his gaze fell to the gun I had yet to put away.
“Barry, this is Ronan Grisham. He’s an old friend of the family,” Seth said.
I was pleased to see the man made no attempt to shake my hand. In fact, he actually moved back a couple of steps as I came around the couch and approached both of them. I barely hid my smile at that.
“Ronan, this is Dr. Barry Fields,” Seth murmured. “He’s been helping me work through some things,” was all he offered in way of an explanation.
Barry laughed and reached out to pat Seth’s arm. “Now, now, Seth. You know we’ve come to mean much more to each other than just doctor and patient,” he said jovially.
Seth shifted uncomfortably at either the words or the intimate contact but he made no move to extricate himself from the other man’s lingering contact. Since I couldn’t rip the fucker’s arm off his body, I settled for stepping forward until Barry was forced to move back enough that he couldn’t maintain his hold on Seth.
“Time for you to go, Barry,” I said coolly.
“Well, uh…I think it would be better if I stayed,” Barry stammered. “Even you should be able to see that Seth needs a doctor,” he added arrogantly.
“He has one,” I interjected. “A real one.”
“Ronan…” Seth warned but I ignored him.
Barry’s mouth was opening and closing like some kind of fish gasping for breath. “I don’t know who you think you are, Mr. Grisham, but Seth is my patient-”
“You’re right, Barry,” I said calmly as I put my gun into one of the double shoulder holsters under my jacket. “You don’t know who I am.” I fisted my hand in his expensive sweater and shoved him back against the wall. “And believe me, you want to make sure it stays that way. Now get the fuck out!”
I held him there for several seconds as he squirmed to break free of my hold and when I finally did release him, he gave Seth a quick glance as he straightened his sweater. “Seth, I’ll call you later to see how you’re feeling.” The man straightened as best he could and then nodded at Seth and slowly left the room as if leaving was his choice.
It wasn’t until I heard the front door slam closed that I turned my attention to Seth. I was surprised when he pushed past me and said, “It’s your turn, Ronan. Get the fuck out.”
Chapter Two
Seth
I wasn’t expecting Ronan to put his hands on me. And I definitely wasn’t expecting the rush of the lust that went through me when he shoved me hard against the wall and held me there with his body. My anger was supposed to have made me immune to the need I’d had for him from the time I was old enough to realize that’s what the emotions churning through me were, but it hadn’t. My fury, my hurt – all they did was ratchet up the intensity of what I was feeling.
I should have done a lot of things as he held me there.
Pushed him away.
Cursed him.
Admitted that he’d destroyed me when he’d walked out on me three years earlier.
But all I could do was stand there and relish the feel of his strong fingers wrapped around my wrists, pinning my hands to the wall. I welcomed the heat that wafted off his big body and warmed me in a way that nothing else could. I drank down the sound of every one of his rough breaths, the only proof that he wasn’t completely unaffected by the contact, because his hard eyes gave nothing away. And when I dropped my eyes to his lips, lips I knew from experience were softer than they looked, I felt the slightest shudder roll through his body.
I didn’t know how long he held me there for and, in truth, I didn’t care. I’d wanted for so long for him to see me as something other than his boyfriend’s pesky, desperate little brother, that I needed to get as much out of this one moment where he was seeing me as a man that I could, because I suspected it would have to sustain me for a very long time.