Broken Desires (4 page)

The few seconds that followed changed the entire playing field in a way that Daniel would’ve never predicted.
For one, he’d never seen so many sparks flying from a woman’s eyes. It transformed her. Truly. And he got terribly aroused, perhaps interpreting the strength for the maturity he mentally wished upon her.

“
Is that so?” Calm and collected. “Well I think it’s unfortunate that you seem to totally enjoy standing between women’s legs all day long. By the way, what on earth possessed you to become a gynecologist?”

H
oly hell, look at her. He suddenly wanted to explore the unnamed and odd emotion her fiery behavior evoked in him. “Possessed? It’s a respectable profession.”

“For a man?”

“Why not a man? It’s the female body to me, nothing more. Strictly anatomical. If it weren’t, I wouldn’t be in the profession.” The lie came out silky smooth.

She regarded
him like a strange anomaly. “Are you gay?”

He barked a laugh
, having a hard time playing angry victim. “So, because I have self-control with my body and mind where women are concerned, I’m gay?”

“You’re a man, men have chemicals and instincts--not something you can help.”

“Well this man can help it. Does that bother you?”

“No, it doesn’t bother me that you can control yourself, it’s just…uncommon.”
Seemed like she wanted to say unheard of. “So, you’re saying you never have any sexual reaction? Ever?”

“God, no.”
He pasted a convincing disgust on his face.

“Do you date?”

With every word he was convincing himself that he could manipulate this strength to serve his need. “Do you?”

“I asked you first.”

“When I want to, yes.”

“Are you a virgin?”
He gasped a laugh at the ballsy question. Then she smiled, a saccharin smile. “Come on doc, you talk about this kind of stuff all the time with women. Not a big deal?”

He stared at her,
completely thrilled that he was back in the game. But how to answer? Maybe irked honesty. “Okay, fine. Yes, I am a virgin.” Aside from the disgusting sex forced on him. 

Watching her attempt to hide her shock was
kind of priceless.

“
And I’m not a virgin,” was her flustered comeback that made as much sense as his need to continue fighting. He was not a fighter. But with her, it felt more like…an erotic rubbing up against.

He
put a hand on his chest in all sincerity. “I’m so happy for you.” 

“I didn’t mean it like it’s such a great thing. I was just…I just thought it only fair you know what I was. Or wasn’t.”

“I don’t judge people by their sexual activity, Sofia.”

“Neither do I
, Daniel.”

“
So, why did you ask mine?”

“Just…curious. You’re different. I just wanted to know
--”

What was wrong with me
?”

“No, that’s not what I said.”

“You didn’t really need to.” He liked the way her eyes looked when angry. Clear and sparkly. How would they look sedated with pleasure? Panic stirred inside him at the idea he wouldn’t get a chance to find that out.

“
Look, I just wanted to know, that’s all. Not what was wrong with you, or right with you that you--”

“Aren’t normal. Like other men.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, stop finishing my sentences.” She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Okay, fine, I wanted to know just
how
different you were. I don’t give a flip that you’re a virgin any more than you care I’m not. But not being a virgin doesn’t make you a slut.”

“I never said it did.”

“I never said you said it did.”

Three seconds of silence
and challenging stares ensued and Daniel was rock hard. “Fair enough Miss Sofia.”

Her eye
lids lowered to pissed half-mast. “You don’t believe me. Just say it.”

“I don’t believe you.”

She huffed and shook her head, staring at the space before her. “And why the hell should that bother me so much?” she asked no one in particular.

He had to smile.
“Maybe because you care about what I think?”

“Or maybe I don’t like being called a liar
.”

He gave an indifferent nod and shrug. “Or that.”

“So what about these sex classes? When do you start them?”

The change of subject threw him. He leaned forward then back,
switching tracks. “As…soon as possible.”

“And do you still want me a part of that?”

Shit. His sweet vixen officially had him clueless. “Why wouldn’t I, yes, of course I do. If you want to.”

“So, what can I do to help you with that?”

He stared into her gaze, debating her angle. “Well if you have friends that you think might need something like that, you could—”

“
Be your calling card.” She eyed him with
you’re so busted
squinty eyes.

He didn’t think he’d ever made one of his females angry on a first date. Hell, ever. By this point he had them begging him for more pleasure.
But here she was, pissed enough to throw down on his front lawn and him dying to have her. She was fabulously adorable. “Calling card?”

“
Oh don’t play dumb doc. We know that’s what this whole dinner thing is about.”

Time for a little return fire.
“Is that what the fuck you think?”

Dropping the “f” bomb
in his silky cool tone was supposed to gain him a little control but instead she set her lemonade on the table and shot up to tower over him, accusing finger jabbing. “You think those sexy good looks will just get you any damn thing you want.” She actually gave him a once over and he held his breath due to his engorged cock. “Well I’m here to inform you
doctor
that you’re not… all that and a… and a…whatever, I’ve lost my appetite, I need to go.”

What she’d lost was her train of thought when her eyes snagged on his arousal.
She hurried for the door and he shot up and latched his fingers onto her upper arm before she could open it. “Don’t leave,” he pleaded tenderly at her ear.

“I have to.
I’m sorry.”

His jaw hardened with the rest of his body
at what he heard in her tone. It was pure emotion and he felt it to the very core if his arousal, making him throb with a vicious agony. He’d fucking gone without for too long. Emotions were like refined sugar…addictive and deadly.

He
jerked his hand off and stepped back, allowing her to leave. All while his cock lamented every step she took away from him. He wouldn’t force it. But without a doubt…he would find a way to seduce her into being his next fix.

Chapter Four

Sofia wanted to sprint home.
What the eff had just happened? Her emotions and body were so wound up, she couldn’t even trace where their conversation had begun to go wrong. And her
body.
Like a backstabbing friend, it was ready to pounce on the man while she was insulting him. And why in God’s name was his dick hard during all that? Bastard.

She was pissed about a lot of things and didn’t care to rationalize them.
Likely when she did, she’d have a hard time facing herself in the damn mirror. She could definitely take a rain check on that.

Hell, she didn’t even have the courage to call
Dara. Tomorrow. Everything tomorrow.

****

Two hours later, Sofia’s doorbell rang. Still reeling from her almost dinner date with the hottest guy on the planet, she shuffled to the door and opened it, not even clear headed enough to look and see who it was.

She froze at seeing the d
oc getting in his car and leaving. She looked down. A covered dish was on her door step with a note. She picked it up and brought it inside. Shutting the door, she opened the note.

Sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken negatively about your dream to be a baker.
Please let me try this again.

P.S.

Don’t forget to reschedule.

Tears blurred Sofia’s vision. Well, she’d wondered what had bothered her so much and there it was. He’d hit the nail on the head
in one simple sentence. Him being disgusted with the only thing she had left of her father had hurt like a bitch.

He wanted to try again.
Her stomach fluttered as images of his body tormented her. Why did he have to be so goddamn
fine?
His hard on had
really
affected her whoremones. And what on earth did he want to try again? Where was he headed with all his sexy trying?

She opened the dish and her stomach rumbled. Taking the plate to her room, she sat in the bed and ate all of it slowly and reverently. Not only did the man look like a god, he cooked like one too. She’d never
eaten anything that delicious in her life and couldn’t even begin to know what it was. She’d have to ask him. Maybe when she saw him at the appointment she’d schedule tomorrow.

****

Sofi hit end on her phone and turned on the washing machine. The deed was done, appointment rescheduled.

“Sofi?”

“Coming Gammie.” She raced to her grandmother’s room before she tried to get up on her own. “Wow, the queen has wakened from her beauty rest.”

“I’m about to pee on myself and that won’t be none too pretty.”
Her words bobbed as much as her head did.

Sofia took
the trembling outstretched hand and helped her to the bathroom. “I want to go out today,” her grandmother announced while she pottied.

“Is that so? Where to?”

“I wanna get my hair done. Saw my reflection yesterday and thought I was getting a visit from that hideous Albert Einstein.”

Sofia laughed
, loving her grandmother’s humor. “Consider it done. Heck, we may as well both get our hair done, what do you think?” She helped her back in the bed and her grandmother looked at her as she lay back against the pillow. “Don’t be silly Mary, you look beautiful enough.”

Sofia’s heart dropped. “Thank you Gammie. You always mistake me for Aunt Mary.
” She straightened her covers and patted her frail legs. “I’ll take that as a compliment, she is very beautiful.”

It was hard
to watch her grandmother process her words. Watch as she fumbled through the cloud of confusion. “Yall damn well do look like twins.”

The good thing about her Alzheimer’s was it seemed to only flash on and off. But then again, it was like a caution light on the road to the afterlife. A constant dreadful remin
der of what was just up ahead.

S
ofia went to her room to dress, dialing Dara. On the second ring, her friend’s panicked high pitch voice blasted, “Where the hell have you been?”

She sighed. “Moping. Sorry.”

“Moping? And you didn’t call me? What happened?”

“I don’t have time to rehash the whole thing. I’m taking Gammie to get her hair done.
But I did get a second date even though the first one was screwed up.”

“Shit, tell me while you get ready!”

“Oh God, Dara, I’m really not sure what happened, all I know is our conversation went wonk over the stupidest…” she paused, “Oh my God, the good doc is a virgin.”

D
ara sucked in a
long
breath. “No fucking way! And he wants to conduct sex how to classes? Hello?”

“I know. He’s a strange
, strange man Dara. And too sexy for his own good. No, for my own good. And he’s like really into food. I mean when I asked why he took a profession that had him between the legs of women, he was all like disgusted with the idea he would be sexually interested. I mean seriously disgusted. But on the other hand, when I was eating his appetizers, the man looked like he was on the verge of orgasm.”

D
ara sucked in another long breath. “Well then that’s your
angle
. Food. You bake—”

“Ha! Don’t even go there, the man is anti-fucking-sweets all the way. He lectured me when I told him I’d dreamed of becoming a baker, then topped it off with calling me a murderer.”

“Whaaaat?”

“Said I was killing myself and everybody else!”
she cried, holding the phone with her shoulder and lacing up her sneakers. “God I was so pissed. Ended up leaving right after.”

“For
what?
That’s not something to leave over!”

“Well, it was to me.
He insulted me. And my father.” Sofia stood and closed her eyes. “But then…”

“Ohhh, but then, yes?”

“Then he dropped a plate of food off at my door a few hours later with a
sorry
note. Asked if he could try again and reminded me to reschedule my appointment. So. He seems to want to see me again, even if it’s in the stirrups.”