One Hot Doctor by Sarah J. Brooks
Chapter 1
Lexi
“Eye Candy alert!” Jen my workmate, says, leaning on the bar counter.
I look up and my heart nearly stops beating. You can tell a lot by how a man walks and the man approaching the bar counter has an unhurried sexy swagger. He reaches the counter and stares with liquid brown eyes at the displayed bottles behind me.
Jen grabs the beer bottle from my hand. “Don’t let him get away,” she mutters and leaves.
I’m too mesmerized by the stranger to respond. He’s dressed in a blue button-down shirt that molds the fullness of his chest and his wide shoulders. My breathing goes shallow and my legs turn to jelly. I can’t remember the last time a man had such an effect on me. And that’s saying a lot because I work at The Alma Cocktail Bar and I get to interact with attractive men every night.
I realize that my mouth is open, and I quickly snap it shut. I grab a cloth and wipe the counter in front of him. It’s already clean but I need something to do. My gaze falls on his full lips and I imagine nibbling on them. He looks like a good kisser. You cannot have such lips and be a horrible kisser. I rouse myself from my fantasies and smile at him. “Hi, welcome to The Alma. What can I get you?” I say.
He stares at me as if he knows me from somewhere but cannot place me. Not likely. This was a man you never forgot. He exudes raw sexy magnetism before uttering a single word.
“A bourbon on the rocks,” he says. His voice is velvety, like a caress. A voice that can make you come just by whispering dirty words in your ear.
I turn away to mix his drink and pray that he doesn’t notice that my breath is hitched. My hands tremble. What the hell is wrong with me? This man is a customer. There’s an unwritten rule here at work that servers should not date customers. A rule that my colleagues flout all the time.
Okay. I desperately wrack my brain for another reason to stop romanticizing about the sexy stranger. I bring the image of my ex to the forefront of my mind. Calling Eric my ex is stretching the truth a little. We were together for a total of fourteen days. Most of which was spent between the sheets. Then he disappeared. He stopped taking my calls and answering my messages. A hit and run. It wasn’t the first time it happened. My sister says that I give my heart away too quickly.
She’s right. When I meet a man I’m attracted to, in a matter of days, I’m already planning the wedding. What can I say, I’m optimistic like that. Scratch that. Used to be. I’ve changed. I’m not going to let myself get hurt again. No more planning weddings on the second date.
Not that I’ve stopped believing. I’ll just take my time searching for my prince. I know he’s out there. The idea of finding a good person is what has kept me going. I long for a family of my own. A chance to do things the right way. Coming from a dysfunctional home, I admire families that seem to have it together. I want that for myself. I need to belong somewhere. But salivating after a stranger is not the right way to go about it. Not to mention that bars are not the right place to meet a serious boyfriend.
I turn to the stranger and when I place his drink on a coaster in front of him he smiles, and all the warnings disappear from my mind.
“Thank you,” he says and glances around the bar.
I know that look. I see it in almost all the male customers who come in and a few women too. He’s on the hunt. He’s here to look for a woman. I step away from him and wipe down the sparkling clean counter.
I’m relieved when I spot two customers headed to the bar. One of them is Jeremy, a regular.
“Hi Lexi,” he says and like a real gentleman, he pulls a stool out for his date and helps her sit down.
“Hi,” I say and smile. With Jeremy, I keep conversation to the bare minimum.
“What will you have to drink?” he asks his date, a sweet smile on his face.
She’s charmed. I can tell by the way she looks at him with adoring eyes. I push back visions of the other girl Jeremy came in with two days ago. He changes his women like he changes boxer briefs and is sweet and charming to all of them.
I reserve judgment and take their drinks order. Bartending has taught me not to stick my nose where it doesn’t belong. Soon after, a woman walks in alone. She’s an attractive redhead and she takes the stool next to the sexy stranger. He’s probably found his prey.
She orders a glass of red wine. I pour it for her and when I turn back, she and the stranger are talking. My chest squeezes painfully. Don’t be silly, I scold myself. I’m here to work and the customers are here to relax and socialize.
Still, I keep one eye on the two as I serve other customers. To my relief, the sexy stranger turns away, seemingly losing interest. A smile tugs at my lips. I find myself going to him.
“Another one of those?” I ask.
He turns to me. My body melts under his heated gaze. His stare drops to my mouth, leaving me in no doubt what is on his mind. My lips suddenly feel dry and I lick them.
“Only if you’ll join me,” he says.
I glance at my watch. “In three hours.”
“I’ll wait,” he says.
He’s flirting. It’s what men naturally do. My mind knows it, but my body doesn’t get that memo. A warm liquid ache rises from the depths of my body. It’s been too long since I’ve had sex. That’s why my mind is in the gutter.
“Meantime, I’ll have a bottle of water please,” he says.
“If we’re going to have a drink, we should exchange names,” I tell him.
“That’s probably a good idea,” he says. “Name’s Ace.”
The name suits him. “I’m Lexi,” I say and strike out my hand across the counter.
Instead of shaking my hand, he envelops my hand in both of his, and arousal sparks through me awakening the kind of longings that get me in trouble. He lets go but seconds later, my hand is still buzzing from his touch.
If a simple touch like that can heat my body, what if he…? This man is dangerous. I should keep away from him. If I know what’s good for me.
I swallow hard and try to talk myself out of having a drink with the stranger. I lie to myself it means nothing. After all, I always have a drink after work. I usually sit down at one of the corner tables and sip it slowly and unwind before leaving for home.
What does it matter if he joins me? After my drink, we’ll say goodbye and part ways. I’m a responsible adult and I can rein in my lust. I can enjoy his company without sleeping with him. But I can’t help but wonder what kind of lover he is.
A considerate one I’ll bet. A man who pleasures a woman first before seeking his pleasure. I almost laugh out loud at that. Most men are the opposite of that and fantasizing that Ace is one of those few is lying to myself. Giving myself an excuse to have sex with a stranger.
The crowd that comes in at ten keeps me busy until closing time. The sexy stranger orders two more drinks. After closing time, I wipe down the counter and the surfaces.
Half-past twelve finds me at a corner table sipping my drink and ogling Ace. Away from the counter, I can look at him properly. The shirt he’s got on does nothing to hide his ripped abs and bulging biceps. He’s clearly a man who loves the gym. The hint of dark facial hair enhances his sex appeal but it's more than that. I try to analyze the hot pull of attraction that I feel for him. I’ve never felt anything like this for any other man. He has an air of self-control, making him seem in total control of everything around him. While other men would be hunting for something to say, Ace is content to sit and listen to the background music. I, on the other hand, want to talk. So far, we’ve only exchanged names and general chit chat.
“Are you from around here?” I ask him.
“Yes, but this is my first time here,” Ace says, his eyes dark. There’s something dark and dangerous about him. My insides tremble.
“I don’t live too far away from here,” I tell him, and then my face heats up at the implication of my words.
He contemplates me. “How about we continue this at my place?”
I form the words no in my mouth. Panic engulfs my chest. What if I say no and I never see him again? What if he’s the one? It’s only a drink after all?
I know he can see the conflict in my face. Another man would jump in and try to cajole me into going home with him. Not Ace. He sits watching me. Waiting for me to make up my mind. And that’s the clincher. I find it sexy as hell. He’s so confident that he just waits.
Like he knows the answer will be yes.
I grapple with indecision. Just one drink, I tell myself.
Who was I kidding, I think later as we hungrily eat each other’s mouth in the elevator? He tastes of the bourbon I served him earlier with a hint of mint. The elevator comes to a stop and he breaks the kiss and leads me to his apartment.
I register the bareness of his apartment before he pulls me into his arms again and before I can protest, our mouths have meshed together. Warning bells ring in my head. It’s all moving too fast. We need to get to know each other first before jumping into bed.
Maybe we can get to know each other afterward.
His hands find my nipples underneath my top and all rational thought leaves my head. I moan as his fingers expertly tease my nipples over my lace bra. I realize that we’re moving and by the time we get to what I assume is his bedroom, we don’t have a stitch of clothing on and I’m panting for him to take me.
I’m embarrassed by my lust, but I take comfort in that it’s mutual. Ace guides me to the bed and arranges himself between my legs. I let out moans as his tongue works over my folds. I’ve missed this so badly. I come over and over again as he tirelessly pleasures me.
My body screams for more. “I want you,” I tell him, and he growls in response.
It’s only later that I realize with dismay that we had sex without protection. I prop myself up on my arm. “Did you?”
Ace trains those gorgeous liquid brown eyes on me and when understanding dawns, he shakes his head. “No, but I withdrew.”
Relief surges through me. I’ve never done anything so stupid. I can’t even tell my sister. She’ll chew me out for it and lecture me about the dangerous diseases that lurk in strangers’ bodies.
I lower my head and plant kisses on his hairy chest. He has a distinct woodsy scent as if he works outside.
I raise my head for some conversation. “So, what is that you do?”
He threads his fingers through my hair. “Right now, what I want to do is to ravish you again and again.” He pulls me to lie on top of him and kneads my backside.
His manhood hardens between my legs and I shift so that it rubs deliciously against my still sensitive sweet spot. He cups the back of my head and brings me down to his lips. He nibbles on my lower lip and then sucks it as if it’s the sweetest thing he has ever tasted.
He slides down and captures my left nipple in his mouth and plays with the other. My nipples are the most sensitive part of my body and before long, I’m squirming and moaning his name. He nips each nipple with just the right amount of pressure.
He drags his tongue down to my belly, pushing me up so that I’m on all fours. He slides further down and grips my hips with his big hands. I gyrate as if I’m on the dance floor as his tongue teases my pussy.
I grab a fistful of bedsheets as an orgasm rolls around my stomach working its way to the rest of my body. Ace completely slides from under me and I hear the rustle of a foil packet.
Moments later, he thrusts his manhood deep into me, filling more than just my pussy. He fills a void in me that I hadn’t known existed. He glides in and out of me in perfect rhythm.
He makes me forget all the heartbreak of the previous months. It doesn’t matter that Eric left me without an explanation or goodbye. What matters is here and now and the pleasure that wipes away all that pain.
Is it possible to fall for a man hours after meeting him? I have a feeling about Ace. He’s special. The sex is out of this world but it’s more than that. We have an almost spiritual connection. I felt it the moment he walked up to the bar, and by the way, he stared at me, I know he felt it too.
I see stars as the world around me splinters into a million pieces and it’s a while before the tremors in my body cease. Ace goes to the bathroom and when he returns, he wraps me in his big arms and I lie on his chest as if we’ve been sleeping together for years.
I’m exhausted after that session and I feel my eyelids growing heavy. We don’t make an attempt at conversation which suits me just fine. We can talk when we wake up. I sleep with a smile on my face.
It’s the silence that wakes me up. I blink at harsh sunlight burning my eyes. I feel my side, where Ace had lain. His side of the bed is empty. I listen to his sounds in the kitchen or bathroom. Nothing. When my vision clears, I look around the bedroom.
The closet doors are flung open like someone was packing. Heart thumping, I sit up and peer into the open wardrobe. It’s empty. I jump from the bed, dragging the covers with me. I peer into the bathroom and the guest bedroom.
He’s not in the living room or kitchen either. And there’s no note. I let out a nervous laugh. He’s probably gone out to get us some breakfast. Two hours later, after I’ve showered and dressed, a knock comes on the door.
Relief floods me. I fling the front door and come face to face with a man with a badge pinned on his shirt that says Pinnacle real estate. He’s carrying a file.
He narrows his eyes. “I’m sorry. Mr. Carter said he would vacate the apartment by today.”
