One Hot Doctor by Sarah J. Brooks

Chapter 24

Thomas

“We’re going to miss you around here,” Dr. Bradley says.

It’s my last day at work, and all morning, my colleagues have been streaming into my office to wish me all the best for the future. I know I made the right decision. I feel at peace and excited for the future.

I applied for the opening at the hospital. I haven’t heard anything yet, but I’m not worried about that. I can afford not to work for an indefinite period with my savings and investments, though I’m sure that it won’t be for long. My qualifications and experience are sought after in the marketplace.

I’m looking forward to a breather. I can’t remember being free and waking up to an empty calendar. Cora and I are going out for dinner to celebrate. That’s going to be fun. Cora’s company is always nice. More than nice, to be honest. She and I have grown closer than I could have imagined, and for an inexplicable reason, I don’t have an urge to flee.

“I’ll miss you guys too,” I say and look around my office with nostalgia.

I’ve been thinking of this place as somewhere I’ve wasted my time, but that could not be farther from the truth. The experience I’ll take with me is invaluable. It dawns on me that had I not been working at the fertility clinic, Cora and I would not have reconnected. My chest squeezes at that thought.

By five, I’m just about ready to leave. It’s emotional saying goodbye to Brenda, and we hug for the first and last time. It takes me two trips to my car to carry everything, and when I finally drive away, all I feel is relief that I can move on with my life.

I haven’t told anyone else about Tessa, and I don’t plan to. I’d considered calling Chad for all of five minutes and then realized it was a horrible idea. It would be like rubbing salt into a fresh wound. He would not help with my healing process. Plus, I didn’t want to see his face. All he is in my mind is a shadow, and it’s better it remains like that.

My phone rings, and it’s my mom. My parents have been surprisingly supportive and understanding when I told them that I was leaving my job.

“How does it feel like to leave the clinic?” my mother asks.

I smile. “Good. I’m looking forward to relaxing a little. How’s Dad?”

“Your father’s fine. He’s right here waiting for me to get off the phone so that he can ask me how you are.” She chuckles, and so do I.

As soon as we finish talking and disconnect, another call comes through. It’s Fran and Martin, and they’ve put me on speakerphone.

“It’s good to hear you sounding so happy,” Fran says after we go through the how are you feeling stuff.

“Yeah, I actually am.”

I’d be lying to myself if I thought that resigning from my job is the sole reason for my happiness. A lot of it has to do with Cora. She’s helped me through a period that would have devastated me for months. It was nothing special, but just having someone get angry on my behalf and back up my beliefs on relationships was enough for me.

We talk for a few more minutes and then hang up.

At home, I carry my things in and then take a leisurely bath before getting ready for my dinner date with Cora. I’m whistling as I stroll to my car. It feels as if a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

I buzz Cora’s apartment, and her voice comes over the intercom, saying she’ll be down soon. I wait outside the building enjoying the evening breeze. She comes down a few minutes later, and a flare of attraction shoots through me as soon as I see her.

“You look beautiful,” I tell her as I lean forward to kiss her.

I love her in dresses, and this one is particularly sexy as it’s sleeveless and knee-length, showing off her shapely legs.

“Thank you,” Cora says, looking me up and down in a way that makes me feel like flinging her over my shoulder and taking her back upstairs.

“Shall we?” I offer her my arm.

She slides her hand into the crook of my arm, and we walk to my car. I open the passenger door with flair and give a slight bow.

She giggles. “I like this version of you,” she says.

“You’ll be getting a lot of it.” Joy practically seeps from every pore of my being.

“Does that have anything to do with leaving your job?” she asks as I’m driving.

“Some of it.”

She doesn’t probe and just smiles in response. It hits me anew how restful I find Cora’s company.

We get to the Italian restaurant and make our way in. We are shown to a nice table with a view of the garden.

“Dinner is on me, seeing that I’m the only one with a job,” Cora teases.

I laugh. “I’m good for now. Make that offer in a year’s time. I’ll take you up on it then.”

She stares at me dumbfounded. “You have savings to last a year?”

“More. And it’s not just savings. I’ve invested a lot over the years, and I get a nice income every month.” I’m surprised that I’m telling her all this. Financial matters are very private. Something that you only discuss with a partner.

A server comes, and we give her our orders for drinks and then food.

“This is nice,” Cora says, looking around the room. “I love going out for dinner. It makes me feel so grown-up.”

I laugh. “That from someone who has been running her own business for years.”

She smiles sheepishly.

Our sparkling water is brought to the table, and after pouring it into glasses, the server leaves. Cora takes her glass and raises it in the air.

“To the best doctor I know. May the next phase of your life be filled with happiness and fulfillment.”

“I’ll drink to that.” We clink glasses.

“How is your mom doing?” I ask Cora. She hasn’t mentioned her in weeks.

Cora shrugs. “She’s okay. Still determined to go through with her plans to open a bar with Ian. She’s driving us crazy.”

I make it a point not to interfere in people’s lives, but something has shifted between Cora and me. I feel comfortable sharing my thoughts with her.

“What are you afraid of?” I ask her.

She looks perplexed, but when she understands my question, a thoughtful expression comes over her pretty face.

“I’m afraid that she’ll lose all her life savings in the venture,” Cora says.

“You were worried even before she told you about the bar, so it can’t be that,” I tell her.

“True.” She takes a sip of her water and then swipes a pink tongue over a plump bottom lip, causing my heart to skip a beat.

She looks away, and after a moment, she looks at me. “I don’t know to be honest. I know that Adeline is worried about the embarrassment and what people will say and think, but I don’t care about that.”

“Maybe it’s because Ian represents a change that you’re not ready for.”

She sighs. “Probably, and I don’t know him. He’s a stranger as far as we’re all concerned.”

“You can rectify that,” I suggest gently.

Her eyes widen. “You mean get to know Ian?”

I nod. “It might ease your worries.”

“My heart is beating crazy fast right now at the idea of making myself get to know Ian although it’s the logical thing to do,” Cora says.

I steer the conversation away as I don’t want her to stress over it. Our food arrives. Spicy pasta dishes that look as enticing as they smell.

“Delicious,” Cora says when she takes her first bite.

“I hope the spices won’t be too much for the baby,” I tell her. Some women have to stay away from spicy food while they are pregnant.

Cora waves a dismissive hand away. “I’m good.”

I love watching her as she eats. She appreciates good food and doesn’t keep moaning about the calories as a lot of women do.

When she takes a break, she looks at me and cocks her head to one side. “I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see you looking at peace.”

“I think peace might be stretching it,” I tell her. “I have moments when I’m so angry that if Tessa were to be nearby, I’d strangle her with my bare hands.”

“Maybe you should forgive her,” Cora says softly. “People make mistakes, you know. Things that they regret later.”

I stare at her. “How do you forgive someone who can’t own up to their mistake or apologize for it? Besides, from what I pieced together, she was planning on leaving me for the guy.”

“You don’t know that,” Cora says. “And I don’t believe it either. She had an affair with him for two years. A woman in love just doesn’t wait that long to be with the man she loves.”

The air between us becomes charged. Is Cora talking about Tessa or herself? Is she in love with me? I dismiss that thought as soon as it forms in my mind. Of course, she’s not in love with me, nor I, her.

This business with Tessa has completely shattered my belief in love. If someone like Tessa can cheat, someone who supposedly loved me … I just don’t know.

The rest of the dinner is a bit stilted, but by the time we leave, we’re at ease with each other again.

“Do you want to come in?” Cora says when we reach her place.

“I’d love to.” I want to lose myself in her luscious body and forget about what I now think of as my fucked-up marriage.

We ride the elevator up to her apartment. As soon as we shut the front door and lock the world out, I take her in my arms and kiss her deeply. She smells so sweet and tastes even sweeter.

I caress her gently as we kiss, reminding myself that I really do have to be gentle with her now. Wanting more of her, I break the kiss and lead her to her bedroom.

I undress her slowly, enjoying every part of her bare skin that is exposed. I kiss her shoulders when her dress falls to the floor. I stroke her back and snap open her bra, and in seconds, it’s gone. Her breasts have become larger, and I hold the weight of them in my hands.

Cora lets out a low moan that goes straight to my dick. I run my thumbs over the taut peaks, and she arches her back. An overwhelming need to taste her comes over me, and with a growl, I bend my head to her nipples.

Her hands make frenzied movements on my head as if she can’t decide what she wants to do. After I’ve had my fill of her breasts, I take her to the bed and kneel between her legs.

“I’m super sensitive these days,” Cora says, proving it by screaming when I kiss her mound over her panties.

I pull her panties down over her curves and then return to my position while pushing her legs further apart. I pleasure her until she comes at least twice. Only then do I get off the bed and strip off my clothes.

I return to the bed and slowly press my cock into her soaking wet folds. “I love how you’re always ready for me.”

“How can I not be after coming twice,” she murmurs. “Oh, God.”

Her pussy walls give way as I push my steel-hard cock into her. I close my eyes as she envelops me like a candy wrapper.

“Please,” Cora moans and then imprisons me with her legs.

I’d promised myself to be gentle, and I make love to her in deep but slow thrusts. She squeezes her thighs in frustration as if I’m a stallion she’s urging to move faster.

Sweat trickles down my face at the effort I need to keep my cool and not slam into her. Because of our speed or lack of it, our orgasms build up slowly, and when they come, they are deep and satisfying.