Chapter 5
Ifelt ridiculous parking my broken-down car in the parking lot—which cost me twenty-two dollars for the day.
It looked out of place next to all the Tesla’s, Audi’s, and BMW’s. I ignored my brain as it tried to find Justin’s car.
The clinic A/C blasted me in the face as soon as I stepped through the door. The contrast from extreme heat to extreme cold raised goose bumps on my arms and under my dress slacks. I’d worn a simple blouse with a floral pattern, black pants, and my only pair of kitten heels.
The woman behind the desk still looked down her nose at me. “Can I help you?” She had bleach blonde hair, a fake tan, and fake blue contacts. The make-up she wore was applied a tad too heavily, making her look older, the wrinkle on her forehead emphasized by the caked make-up lodged in the groove.
Her badge announced her as Midge. If I had to guess, I’d put Midge on the wrong side of 50 and not happy about it.
Upon closer inspection, I couldn’t tell if her eyebrows moved.
Which made it really hard to figure out if she was surprised to see me, or unhappy.
Her eyes narrowed as I neared, so maybe the unhappy option.
I cleared my throat. “Hi, I’m here for the intern position.”
Midge started typing onto the computer. “Name?”
“Katie Malone.”
Her eyes widened, and I’d imagine at one point in time, her eyebrows would’ve risen too. “Joyce’s daughter?”
Hearing my mother’s name rattled me. Did Midge know my mother?
“Um, yeah.” I know I didn’t exactly resemble my mother, something I was grateful for.
I didn’t need a constant visual reminder of the woman who couldn’t make the time for me every time I looked in the mirror.
My auburn hair and brown eyes must’ve come from my dad’s side of the family.
Whoever they were. I never knew, according to my mom, my dad never wanted me.
Story of my life.
Midge clicked around on her computer. “Dr. Kingston didn’t say his daughter was coming to work with us.”
“Step-daughter,” I corrected her.
She continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “He didn’t tell us that you were so grown up, and so pretty too.” Her smile could have given me a cavity.
I forced a smile, suddenly uncomfortable. “Thank you?”
She pushed a clipboard of papers over the reception desk at me. “Here’s some paperwork to fill out.”
“No need, Midge. I’ve squared everything away.
” Justin entered the front waiting area through a large door.
I thought our time apart would’ve tampered my reaction to him, but his voice slid across my skin, making its way into my blood, and making my mind wander to where it shouldn’t.
I was right back to being pressed against his body, craving the feel of his lips on mine.
For someone whose occupation involved being around so many people, Justin had an almost dangerous energy about him. Who came to a scary surgeon? Or was it just me? Given the hearts in Midge's eyes, I already had a good idea of the clientele beating down Justin's door.
It didn’t help that he wore another outfit tailored to his every muscular curve. Today his shirt reminded me of sandy beaches, a soft beige with black slacks. The sleeves to his button up were rolled, exposing tanned forearms with a dusting of hair.
Phantom fingers curled around my arms.
I could still feel the strength of him when he’d swung me around at the Ramirez’s house. It left me wanting.
And now I was staring.
I shook myself.
Don’t think about sex with him. Don’t think about sex with him. Don’t you dare think about sex with him.
But not even my final school project, something that had captured my attention for months, could distract me from my wandering thoughts and fantasies of Justin.
I hadn’t seen him in over a week and I couldn’t stop myself from greedily taking in every inch of him.
I caught him doing the same and flushed with pleasure.
Suddenly the A/C didn’t seem so bad.
Midge’s gaze volleyed between us, a curious glint in her eye. I forced a smile to my face. “Morning.”
He didn’t look the least bit disgruntled, as if our mutual undressing hadn’t affected him at all.
“Katie, I’d like you to meet Midge. She’s my right hand here.
” Midge practically glowed. “She’ll teach you everything you need to know.
I’ll have you helping with charting and setting appointments.
Midge and I couldn’t agree more on how perfect your timing is.
” He shared a smile with Midge and a jolt of jealousy shot through me, shocking the hell out of me.
“That’s right,” Midge’s eyes traveled up and down Justin’s powerful frame. “Dr. Kingston has been very busy. All the PR about the clinic is really bringing in the clients too.”
Justin winced. “We’ve been over this, Midge. That’s not the reason I’m building the clinic.”
“Well either way, we’re getting more attention now than we’ve ever gotten before. I told you it would bring more clients and media. I still think you’re taking on too much. You’re starting to get wrinkles. I told you to let someone else handle it.”
“This is something I want to oversee, it’s important to me.”
Midge rolled her eyes, casting me a glance as if to say, ‘men.’
“Fine, be stubborn, but you should at least relax once in a while. A woman would help with that.”
Did she just make a pass at him?
“Don’t you agree, Katie?”
No. I didn’t believe in needing another human being in your life. They were unreliable. And definitely not some cure all to combat wrinkles. “I think the wrinkles make him look distinguished.” The words slipped out before my brain could process properly.
Midge frowned, or tried to. Her forehead twitched.
I wanted to look anywhere but at the six-foot-two male in front of me.
The one I’d just complimented, because the laugh lines at the corners of his mouth and eyes were sexy.
I’d yet to see a grin light up his face, but I wanted to.
I wanted it directed at me. Everything about Justin ticked all the right boxes and it put me in knots.
Maybe I shouldn’t have agreed to this.
Thoughts meet box. Box meet back of my brain.
I’d already looked through the paid internships Zoe had forwarded me and nothing would cover my tuition. Even if I worked the remainder of the year. Justin’s deal was the best I was going to get, so I needed to get over myself.
Stiffening my spine, I lifted my gaze to his.
Our eyes connected, and I felt the heat all the way to my toes.
Off limits. Stepfather. Boss. Twenty plus years my senior.
The reasons I should rid Justin from the sexy fantasies in my mind were endless, but my body didn’t want to listen. His face had been the only one I’d climaxed to that day after he’d left my house. No matter how hard I’d tried otherwise. It grated worse than sand in my mouth.
“Well,” Midge interrupted our staring contest and spoke to Justin, “either way, I think you should still do something to relieve the extra stress you’ve introduced into your life. I’m more than happy to bring you to the hot yoga class I go to on the weekends.”
Justin’s eyes lingered on me. “Hmm, physical activity is a great stress relief.”
My nipples puckered against my bra, moisture gathering between my legs.
The corner of his mouth quirked, those blue irises dipping to my chest for a fraction of a second.
Damn him.
There was no way he could know I’d thought of his mouth on my clit. That all it’d taken was that one visual of his head between my legs to send me spiraling out of control. I’d moaned his name, and at the end of it, I’d punished myself with a cold shower.
I shouldn’t have agreed to this.
Mental box? Meet my foot. Stomp stomp.