Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CARA
I’m about to fill Raven in on what I saw in the basement yesterday, but think better of it when I feel Lenora’s penetrating glare from across the room. She may not have seen me down there, but I don’t want to risk it getting back to her that I know her secret.
“What have I missed?” I whisper to Raven as I straighten my uniform.
“Mr Greenblat has tried to strip down three times since the session started.”
“Well, that’s hardly new news,” I chuckle.
Doctor Mayfair clears her throat, ready to invite the next patient to share with the group. “Who’s next? Ezra, would you like to share your feelings?”
My head snaps up, wide eyes locking with his.
I jumped at the chance to meet Raven here, even though it wasn’t on my rota today, because I thought it might be a chance to get to know him better.
Whenever I see him, he never gets close enough for me to start up a conversation.
Just silently teases me with heated side glances from afar.
Maybe now I might actually get to find out something about him.
The wild scenarios i’ve been constructing in my head are doing nothing for my wellbeing.
“It’s healthy to share our feelings, Ezra,” Doctor Mayfair pokes again with a chipper lilt to her tone as she flicks her dark hair over her shoulder. I glance between the two of them, his gaze still trained on me.
I don’t know if the softly-softly approach works on psychopaths, but hats off to her for giving it a good go.
She leans in and squeezes his arm reassuringly as if it’s nerves that are keeping him quiet.
Is she flirting with him?
“You’ve got competition,” Raven whispers beside me, confirming my thought.
Watching the good doctor here eye-fuck Ezra has envy stirring in my veins.
That glint of understanding washes over his expression, and his wicked grin grows.
He breaks off the staring contest we’re having to turn in his chair and face her, the overhead strip light flickering as though it’s some cosmic intervention from the universe, like those moments in the film where the characters get the warm and fuzzies for each other.
Well, fuck that! I blame Nicholas Sparks for every irrational scenario that is going through my head right now.
He’s not hers. Plain and simple.
“The universe better come up with a better plan before I pull the fire alarm and officially end this little get-to-know-you party.”
Raven helps herself to more of the complimentary snacks and says around a mouthful of a biscuit, “It’s therapy.”
“Then she should therapise.”
“That’s not a word,” she snorts, crumbs decorating the lapels of her uniform.
“You understood me though, right?” I quietly caw, hissing out the words as I pour myself another cup of coffee. More caffeine that my nervous system clearly doesn’t need. I’m wired, horny, and stressed-out—maybe I’m the one who needs to see a therapist.
Doctor Mayfair is a beautiful woman, warm tan skin, slender figure, pin-straight black hair down to her hips, bright green eyes flickering with interest. She leans forward enraptured, waiting for Ezra to speak.
“I feel like this room could use some better lighting,” he deadpans blandly.
The doctor winds a length of hair around her finger and chuckles, “No, I mean emotionally, silly.”
“Emotionally, I feel like this room could use some better lighting.”
The snort of laughter at his response is out of my mouth before I can pull it back.
For someone who flounders under scrutiny, I sure do seem to put myself in this position a lot.
I wordlessly mouth my apology for the interruption to everyone looking my way, tugging at the collar of my uniform as a flush of crimson heat creeps up my neck.
“Is it hot in here?” I whisper to Raven.
Crossing her arms, she urges me with a head nod to look back at the circle. “She certainly thinks so.”
I see Little Miss Prissy Knickers rest her elbow on her knee, her fist propping up her chin, the curve of her ample cleavage fighting against the buttons of her white shirt directed right at Ezra. I can’t hear them over the battering of my rising blood pressure thumping in my ears.
‘ Doctor Prissy Knickers,’ my brain corrects, and the urge to throw something intensifies.
He smiles warmly at her, and I wrap my fingers around the handle of the coffee pot.
Her head falls back as she laughs heartily like Cinder-fucking-rella, with that dazzling white toothed smile, slapping Ezra’s knee playfully when she rights herself.
Raven leans into my side as she watches the scene play out. “Is that arousal or anger I’m seeing on your face right now? We’ve not known each other that long, so it’s hard to tell.”
“I wonder how smiley she’d be with a few missing teeth,” I bite back, my tongue pushed into the roof of my mouth as my jaw flexes. The handle of the coffee pot snaps off in my hand, and a bubble of a laugh rises in Raven’s throat.
“Anger; got it. You’re feisty. I like it,” she quips, nudging my shoulder and lifting a row of biscuits from the basket, motioning for me to hide the evidence of my Hulk moment.
“Is everyone having sex in this place?” I pout, directing the question at Raven but still studying Doctor Mayfair.
The pheromones in the air right now are like an iron weight filling my lungs.
I glance at him hesitantly, not entirely sure why I care so much how he is reacting to her advances.
I don’t know him, not really. But then he’d have to be blind not to notice how stunning she is.
I’m startled to find he isn’t looking at Doctor Mayfair or her incredibly perky tits though.
Thighs spread, leaning back with his arm slung over the back of his chair, his dark hooded gaze is trained on me .
Intensely-cock-sure is how I would describe the satisfied smirk settling on his face right now.
As though he has a front row seat for the inner workings of my raging jealousy.
He’s on the other side of the room, and yet the pull between us feels as strong as it does when he’s beside me.
My thumping heart settles a little when he breaks the contact. Releasing me.
Disappointment and relief fight for equal space in my chest at the loss.