One Hot Doctor by Sarah J. Brooks

Chapter 2

Cora

Three years later

My palms are sweaty as I drive to Riley’s place to pick her up for my nonappointment at the fertility clinic. When I found out they cater to walk-in clients, I decided to be one of those patients who don’t make an appointment. Just in case I change my mind.

I slow down and stop my car in front of the charming single-family home where my best friend Riley lives with her husband. Before I can compose myself, the front door swings open, and Riley bounds out, energetic even at the first trimester of pregnancy.

I can’t help wondering if I’ll be as energetic as she is, or I’ll be as sick as a dog. Probably the latter with my luck.

“Looking good, mama,” I say as she enters the car.

“We’ll both rock this mom thing,” she says in her typical Riley way. Nothing fazes her these days.

My insides tense at the mention of what I’m about to do. I feel suddenly unsure of myself, even if it’s something that I’ve been thinking about for years.

“You okay?” Riley says, tuning into my mood.

“I’m scared,” I admit to the only person I would tell anything.

Riley takes my hand and covers it with both of hers. “Of course, you are. It’s a big decision but remember you can always change your mind.”

She’s right; no one is holding a gun to my head. I inhale deeply and remind myself why I’m doing this. I’ve wanted a man and a baby for as long as I can remember, and in that order.

The problem is that the men part hasn’t worked too well in almost five years. No man has come close to my ideal man. Wait, that’s not quite true. There was one who came close, but his interest was sex, not babies. Even now, it hurts to remember, and I push away thoughts of T from my mind. I’m a strong, independent woman, and just because I don’t have a man doesn’t mean that my plans for a family can’t go forward. I’ll have my baby, and together, we’ll be a family.

I open my eyes and face Riley. “Let’s do this.”

“Okay,” Riley says.

I turn the ignition key and navigate the car back onto the road.

“I’m excited,” Riley says. “Our babies will grow up together. They’ll be best friends, just like we are.”

I laugh at Riley’s enthusiasm. “We should probably get me pregnant first.”

Warmth fills my middle. The thought of our babies growing up together just like we did makes me giddy with happiness. Riley and I grew up next door to each other, and our moms are also best friends. It’s cool to think that our babies might carry on the same tradition.

“How did you sleep last night?” I ask her.

“Pretty good, actually,” she says. “I hope that phase is over.” Riley’s been having a rough time sleeping lately, but the doctor is not worried about it.

We catch up as we drive to the clinic. Riley regales me with tales of her workplace, which is usually more interesting than mine. She works for the ambulance service as a paramedic while I own and work in a gym. The only thing the gym is good for is ogling guys. Contrary to popular belief, the guys who go to the gym are mostly married.

Butterflies fill my stomach again as I bring the car to a stop outside the clinic. I turn off the engine, and Riley and I get out of the vehicle.

The clinic occupies one side of the first floor. We walk through double glass doors and walk up to the receptionist.

“Good morning.” I introduce myself, and I’m lucky that it’s a quiet morning and I can see the doctor soon. She gives me some forms to fill out, after which Riley and I sit down to wait.

A couple walks in while we are waiting, and after talking with the secretary, they sit down. I watch them discreetly as they whisper to each other and hold hands. I swallow down my envy. I’m sure they’ve gone through their own struggles; after all, no one goes to a fertility clinic out of choice. Still, it’s better to be going through fertility treatments with a man who loves you than what I’m doing alone.

The secretary calls me to go in, and Riley squeezes my hand one last time.

“Do you want me to come in with you?” she asks.

“I’ll be fine, thanks.”

I flash her a smile of gratitude. My legs feel like two blocks of cement as I make my way to the door that the friendly secretary holds open.

The doctor is bent over some papers on his desk, but as soon as I look at that mop of thick wavy hair, a memory goes off in my brain. My heart pounds crazily, and my legs tremble.

It can’t be!He looks up, confirming my suspicions. Thomas.

The smile freezes on his lips. Neither of us moves as we stare at each other. I contemplate turning and fleeing, but that’s cowardice. Besides, I did nothing wrong three years ago; it was all him. Sort of.

Let’s have a baby.

I burn with shame when I remember the words I’d said to him. I hadn’t known him for more than three months, and I’d wanted to have a baby with him. What kind of desperation was that?

To be fair to me, Jasper’s sudden death had made us all a little crazy. Riley had fled California and gone to live in Utah while I’d asked a man I barely knew to have a baby with me.

A man I’d hoped never to see again.

He recovers fast and plasters a smile on his face. “Cora, what a surprise to see you here.” Thomas stands up and sticks out his hand.

I move mechanically and take his hand. As soon as his huge masculine one closes over mine, warmth spreads over my body.

“Hi.” My voice comes out squeaky, and I clear my throat to cover up my embarrassment.

“Please sit down,” Thomas says.

“Thank you.”

He smiles, and my stupid heart flutters.

“What can I do for you?” he says.

Relief surges through me at the professional tone he adapts. I can do professional. I can pretend that I don’t recall with alarming detail the feel of his huge cock in my hand. The taste of his pre-cum and the sound of his growls when he was almost coming.

My thighs tremble, and my panties dampen. An unbearable ache forms in my lady parts, and for a few seconds, all I can think about is how desperately I need relief.

“Cora.”

I snap back to the present. Thomas wears a look of concern. Great. I’ve probably confirmed that I have a nut loose in my brain. I have to get my act together. Just because I slept with him a few times eons ago doesn’t mean I can’t be professional.

“I want to have a baby.” That sounds eerily like the same thing I said three years ago.

“Are you having problems conceiving?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.

I close my eyes momentarily. What had seemed like such a great idea when Riley and I were planning it now seems weird. “No, not that I know of.”

A frown crosses his gorgeous features. Stop it! He’s my doctor now. I must start to think of him as Doctor Clarkson. Scolding myself has the desired effect, and for the next few minutes, I’m able to concentrate on the conversation.

“Would your partner be willing to come in for a checkup?” Dr. Clarkson says.

I stare at him uncomprehendingly. “Partner?”

“Well, yes,” he says. “Usually, you would require a partner to make a baby with.”

My face heats up. I was so busy ogling him and remembering that I forgot to explain everything properly. I take a deep breath. “I should have explained better. I don’t have a partner. I want to have a baby by myself. I mean with a sperm donor. God, this is awkward.”

“Hey, relax, everything will be fine,” he says in a soothing tone. “You came to the right place. A lot of women start with us when they want a baby through a sperm donor.”

Does he remember that I’d asked him to have a baby with me three years ago? Probably not. Three years is a long time ago, and between that time and now, I’m sure that Thomas, I mean Dr. Clarkson, has had countless lovers.

My gaze drops to his white shirt stretched across a very muscular chest that I remember palming and then purring with pleasure.

“We’ll draw some blood and get some tests done as well as an ultrasound just to make sure everything’s okay, and then we’ll take it from there,” Dr. Clarkson says. “How does that sound?”

I nod. “Sounds good.” Now that the shock of seeing Thomas has subsided, I’m starting to get excited about my baby. “How does that process work?”

He leans across the table and stares at me with his gorgeous dark eyes, and I’m struck anew by the sharp, masculine planes of his face. I swallow hard and force myself to listen to what he’s saying.

“Once we’re done with all the tests and see that everything’s working as it should, we’ll book you an appointment at the sperm bank, and they’ll take it from there.”

Fear courses through me as I think about the sperm bank. That part frightens me. I’ve done some research, and from what I’ve read, they send you profiles of donors who match your specifications.

“Talk to me,” T says. “I remember that look. You looked like that when you were worried.”

The easy banter we had enjoyed flies out the window, and tension fills the air. His words remind us that we are not a regular doctor and patient.

He lowers his glance for a few seconds and then looks at me again. “There’s several of us here, and I can arrange for you to see another specialist. I’m sorry. I hadn’t considered how uncomfortable this is for you.”

That would be the smart thing to do, but I can’t bring myself to say no. “It’s fine. Really. It’s nice to do this with a friendly face.”

“Okay.”

We smile at each other until it becomes uncomfortable.

“My secretary will direct you down the hallway to the lab.” He picks up the phone and calls her.

As T talks on the phone, I get a chance to observe him. He hasn’t changed one bit unless you can count growing sexier as a change. He taps a finger on the desk, and my eyes are drawn to his hands.

I remember he had massive hands and fingers. I blush at the memory of a finger inside me that felt like a small cock. I remember he could make me orgasm with a few pumps of his finger.

“She’ll make your next appointment, which should be in a few days’ time,” Thomas says.

“Great,” I say enthusiastically and stand up.

He walks me to the door. “It was great to see you again.”

“It was great to see you too.”

I let out a breath I hadn’t known I’d been holding when the door shuts behind me. I walk to the secretary’s desk, and she gives me the doctor’s card with my next appointment and then directs me to the lab.

“I can’t believe that was T.”

“Whose T?” Riley says.

I remember that Riley never got to meet him. “It’s a long story, but basically, he was this really hot guy that I was seeing a couple of years ago. You never met him.”

That’s the wrong thing to tell Riley.

“Why didn’t I meet him?” she demands.

We reach the lab, which saves me from answering but not for long. When I’m done with the tests, Riley pounces on me. As we walk out, I tell Riley the whole embarrassing story.

“Yeah, he was an ass, but you were weird,” she says.