Chapter 6

CHAPTER

SIX

Oliver

The building is quiet as I make my way down the hall to my office. I’m two hours early, but I couldn’t sleep. I spent some time in my home gym and had breakfast, but I was too antsy to sit. I decided to come into the office and start going over my schedule and reviewing patient charts for the day. There are a few nonemergency messages that came in from the call center over the weekend that I need to take care of as well.

Needing another cup of coffee to fuel my day, I head to the break room. Grabbing a pod from the drawer, I start the machine and wait for my coffee to brew. The spicy aroma fills the room, and that’s when I realize I didn’t see which pod I picked up. The staff goes crazy this time of year with pumpkin everything. Me, I’m just a plain black coffee kind of guy, but I’m also not one to be wasteful, so I’ll suffer through the pumpkin concoction.

I take a sip on my way back to my office, and it’s not as bad as I was anticipating it would be, thankfully. I sit back at my desk and take another sip. I’ve answered my messages, reviewed the charts for today’s appointments, and I still have at least an hour before the staff arrives.

A small square of yellow catches my attention, standing out like a beacon in the night on my desk. I avert my gaze. I know what it is, and I know what it says. I should have tossed it in the trash that day, but something stopped me.

Have a great day!

-B

B for Blakely Kincaid. The beautiful woman who has wormed her way into my life and into my mind. I can’t tell you how often I thought about her over the weekend. It’s an embarrassing amount. What’s even more embarrassing is when I woke up thinking about her, my cock hard and fisted in my hand.

Not my proudest moment.

Even though I tell myself to ignore it, my eyes drop to the note that’s uncharacteristically out of place on my pristine desk. That’s the nice thing about electronic health records; there are no charts and papers strung everywhere. I keep my office nice and tidy. I hate mess, and I hate chaos. I never used to be that way, but sometimes life gives you lemons, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to make the damn lemonade.

I need a distraction.

Going back to my computer, I open my email again. Surely, there’s some junk mail I can sort through. Instead, I see her name boldly displayed as my first email. I stare at the screen. Why is she suddenly everywhere? I can’t escape her or the way my body responds to her. My cock can’t handle much more time with Blakely Kincaid.

Knowing I can’t ignore her, not just because it’s in my contract to be on a hospital committee but because the marketing beauty has piqued my interest, and even though I tell myself not to look, I need to see what she has to say.

Opening the email, I scan its contents. It’s a request to visit the venue with her—her family's venue. I’m sure she knows that location like the back of her hand, yet she still wants me to go with her.

Why can’t she understand that I have no desire to be involved in this? I’m certain Hilary has told her, just as I have. Why won’t she give up?

I stare at the screen while reading and rereading her words. I stare so long that when a knock sounds at my door, I’ve lost all track of time.

Thinking about her.

This has got to stop.

“Good morning, Dr. Thompson,” Tabitha, one of the office receptionists, greets me. “This was dropped off for you.” She steps into my office and places a small plastic container on my desk.

“Good morning,” I mumble. “What’s this?” I don’t know what’s inside this container, but I’m pretty damn sure I know where it came from.

“Blakely dropped it off. She made some for the entire office but told me this one was for you. Oh, and this too.” She sets an insulated tumbler with Christmas trees and presents all over it on my desk. “She told me to tell you it’s hot.”

“Thank you, Tabitha,” I reply. She nods with a smile and goes back to her desk.

Me? I’m sitting here surrounded by the only woman to capture my thoughts since the night my life changed, and I don’t know how to stop it from happening. The phone on my desk rings, and I welcome the intrusion into my thoughts.

“Dr. Thompson.”

“Good morning. Did you get your treats?” a cheery voice asks.

I clear my throat. “I did.”

“Did you try them?”

“What is it?”

“You didn’t try them, did you?” The angelic voice laughs. “It’s Christmas bread. I made it this weekend.”

“You gave some to my staff?”

“Of course I did. Everyone loves Christmas cake.”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

“Oh, so I get to be your first?” she asks. She’s excited, but I’m not thinking about cake now.

“You want to be my first, Ms. Kincaid?” My voice is gravelly, even to my own ears. Fuck me, I need to just keep my mouth shut.

“You know I do,” she replies. She’s flirting with me—at least, I think she is. I should stop it, but I don’t.

“You’re trying to butter me up.”

“Yep. Is it working?” She laughs.

“Why is it so important to you that I go with you to see a venue you grew up in?”

“I didn’t grow up there.” She huffs out a breath. “Okay, fine, I did grow up there, but this is different. This isn’t a family get-together. This is my job, and I need this to be perfect. I didn’t attend the gala last year. I need someone who has been there to give me their thoughts.”

“Hilary.”

“She delegated this to me. To us. This is part of your job too. I promise it will be quick. I just… I need you there with me for this.”

There’s a tightness in my chest that I’m not used to. It happened as soon as she said she needed me. I don’t want to let her down or piss off the CEO because I’m not fulfilling my contract. It’s a quick stop at the end of my day. It’s not going to kill me to do it. I don’t want to be the reason she fails. I don’t need that on my conscience.

“Fine,” I grumble. “When?”

“Tonight?”

Tonight. She wants to meet tonight. “What time?”

“You tell me, and I’ll make it happen. I know there’s nothing scheduled at the manor. I already looked, so whenever works.”

“My last patient is at four. I can usually get out of here by five or so.” If I’m not finished charting, I can do it at home tonight. I don’t like to do that, but I can if needed.

“So, five fifteen or so?”

“Fine.”

“You’ll meet me there? You know where it is, right?” she asks. I can hear the relief in her tone, and that tightness in my chest eases.

“Willow River is a small town, Ms. Kincaid.” Why is my voice so low all of a sudden? I don’t understand why I respond to her this way. I’ve come to look forward to our conversations, even when she’s pestering me about this damn gala. That’s not good. I need to get myself in order. I’ll go tonight, pretend to care about what she’s asking for my help on, nod, and be done. That’s it. It can’t be more than that.

“That doesn’t mean you know how to get there, Oliver,” she sasses.

Fuck me, I have a list of things to keep that smart mouth of hers busy. “I know where it is.”

“Great! I’ll see you later today. Have a great day, Dr. Thompson.” I can hear the smile in her voice as the call ends. Somehow, the happiness in her voice lifts the corner of my mouth as I place the phone back on the receiver and stand to go see my first patient. I catch my reflection in one of the pictures hanging in the hallway and quickly school my features.

I’m not that guy, the one who walks around happy and smiling.

Not anymore.

I don’t know how it happened, but my day ran smoothly. In fact, it’s the smoothest day I’ve had in a while. All my patients were on time, and I stayed on schedule. That’s why I’m walking out of the office at four thirty. My charting is done, and I was driving myself crazy, sitting in my office, watching the clock, and staring at that damn Post-it.

I even splurged and ate the piece of Christmas cake that Blakely dropped off for me. The staff raved about it all day. One of the nurses even tracked her down in her office on her lunch break to get the recipe. Yes, it was good, I can admit that, but it was just cake. I don’t know why she had to toss the name Christmas in there—to make it more festive, I guess? Regardless, it was delicious, but I don’t plan on telling her that. That will be a win in her column, and this meeting is proof enough that Blakely Kincaid knows how to get what she wants. I should have remained strong, but damn, when she said she needed me, I knew it was going to be impossible to refuse her.

I take the long way around town. Willow River is small, so even the long route to Willow Manor isn’t going to take me forty-five minutes. I’m a punctual guy, so after driving way too slowly—so slow in fact, I’m surprised I didn’t get pulled over—I arrive at Willow Manor way too early. Not that I should worry, because I park next to Blakely’s car. I should have known she’d already be here.

Schooling my features, I turn off the engine and grab my keys and my phone before making my way inside. As soon as I pull open the door, I’m hit with Christmas music. Did she do that on purpose?

“Hello,” a woman with long brown hair and big brown eyes greets me. She’s older than me, but I don’t think by much. “Can I help you?”

“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.