Chapter 23
When I became a partner at a physiotherapy clinic, I”d wanted to earn more so Flora and I could have a home and the basic luxuries. It had been a year since, and making good money was nice; the brutal working hours, not so much.
When I was with the hospital, I saw patients at work, and that was that. Now, I had to go around New York three days a week to meet patients in their homes. I liked that part, but it also meant longer workdays. I took paperwork home and worked at night after Flora went to bed.
Fridays and Mondays I worked from the clinic close to home, which made my life a lot easier. At the clinic, it was eight to five, and then I was supposedly free. But as a business owner, I had so many responsibilities that I had to work twelve hours days and some weekends to keep afloat. The rest of the week, my schedule was splintered around when my patients were available and, since I worked with kids, it was usually after school.
Mick helped a lot with Flora, and so did Arturo, whose schedule as a doctor was busier than mine.
Rowan called as I was looking at my budget, trying to see how I could keep everything above water and still go back to working at the hospital, at least until Flora was older.
Since our date at the botanical gardens, Rowan called every evening after he knew Flora was in bed.
”Hey, how was your day?” he asked, and I heard the clink of a glass. He was probably sitting on his porch in Montana, having a drink. I could almost visualize him. A part of me missed those wide-open spaces. It had been so beautiful and breathtaking, and yet I couldn”t get myself to even go on holiday. Some hurts ran deep.
”Busy. You?”
”We”re having some trouble with water pipelines, so I spent a lot of time working on that today. We start vaccinations tomorrow, so that”s its own version of hell. I may not be able to call you. We”ll be riding, and the cell signal ain”t great on the range.”
”You sound tired.”
”It”s been a right bastard of a day. But I”m on my porch; it”s quiet. I have you with me, and a good glass of Scotch.”
”Flora talked about you today because she was reading the book you gave her,” I told him, not sure why I felt the need to let him know my daughter was just as smitten with him as I was—as I had been, and probably always would be.
”Yeah? I was wondering if maybe we can have dinner together, you, me, and Flora, this Saturday.”
”You”re coming to New York again?”
”We have a date every Sunday, baby, so hell yeah.”
My throat closed.
”You can”t come back every week.”
”Sure, I can. It”s just a three-hour or so flight if I charter a plane. Plenty of direct commercial flights.”
I didn”t know what to say. It was a major commitment he was making.
”Aren”t you busy with vaccinations?”
I knew ranch work didn”t stop on weekends.
”Clay can manage. He says hello and that his shoulder is doing great.”
”You told him you saw me?”
I heard him drink his Scotch. ”Yeah. He and the ranch hands were all on your side. He was happy that you allowed me to take you on a date. Apparently, I”ve been a miserable son of a bitch since you left.”
He was talking about me to his friends. He was meeting mine. This was getting real, really fast.
”I can”t see you this weekend,” I blurted out.
There was a long silence. ”Baby, don”t do this.” I heard a rustle on his side and his footsteps on hardwood. A door closed. I assumed, he was inside his house now.
”Do what?”
”Run from me.”
”I”m not,” I said defensively. ”I”m busy. I have a child. I have a small business.”
”You have to eat, so give me that time with you.”
”You can”t just keep flying to New York.”
”Why not?”
”Because…you just can”t.” Couldn”t he see how dangerous this was?
”I”ll sit outside your condo and wait for you, and take whatever time you can give me.”
I banged my head on the table twice.
”Isha? What the fuck is that sound?”
”That was me rapping my head on my dining table. Bugger it, Rowan, you can”t just walk into my life like this. I don”t want it.”
”Keep your voice down; you”ll wake up Flora,” he chided.
”Rowan, I don”t want this.”
”Define this.”
”A relationship with you,” I replied quickly.
”Dinner isn”t a relationship. A date on Sunday morning is just that…a date.”
”You”re being obtuse on purpose.”
”I love you, Isha, so I”m gonna do whatever I need to do to be near you. If you feel strongly about not wanting this, when you see me this weekend, tell me to my face. You won”t ever have to see me again.”
”Fine. I”ll tell you to your face,” I muttered.
”I”ll believe it when I see it.”
”Bollocks!”
”Darlin”, you”re going to look at me, and you”re going to get wet. You”re gonna remember how good it felt when I was inside you.”
His voice had dropped to a sexy drawl, and I was aroused, wet, wanting. Bloody arsehole!
”You were so tight, Isha. Fuck, I couldn”t breathe. You felt so damn good. I still remember everything about that night. You sucked me off. My cum was dripping from your mouth and….”
”Well…then…good…night, Rowan.”
”I”m hard for you, baby.”
”Rowan, I”m not having phone sex with you.”
”Are you wet?”
I licked my lips. This was way too tempting.
”You smell like jasmine. Your pussy is magic, and when I licked you…the way you came. God, baby, tell me you remember. Tell me I”m not alone.”
Was he masturbating as he spoke to me? The idea excited me. I wished I was bold enough to get into bed with my vibrator, and let him dirty-talk me into an orgasm.
”I remember,” I breathed. ”I remember…everything.”
”How did I taste?”
”Salty.”
”Fuck. Baby, fuck. I want you so much.”
His breathing was heavy now like he was catching his breath. After a little while, he whispered, ”Phone sex with you is better than the real thing with anyone else.”
”Did you…ah…did you?”
”Come? Yeah, I did. I spilled all over my hands, thinking about you. If you were here, I”d make you lick my hands and dick, clean me up with that pink tongue of yours. Would you like to taste me, baby?”
”Ah…well….”
”Get into bed, Isha, and spread your legs for me.”
”I do not think so.”
He chuckled. ”You sound so prim and proper when you say that in your hoity-toity British accent.”
”I am prim and proper, but I am not hoity-toity,” I said in an exaggerated uppity Belgravia accent.
He laughed. ”I”ll see you over the weekend, darlin”. What time do you have dinner?”
”Six.”
”I”ll be there. Do you want me to bring takeout? What does Flora like?”
This man was killing me. Bloody hell!
”I”ll cook.”
”I”d love that. Goodnight, sweetheart.”
”Goodnight, Rowan.”
I hurriedly closed down my computer after we ended the call and went to find my vibrator.