Doctor's Delight (18 page)

He rang again.
By eleven o’clock he was ready to ring the hospital and find out if
she was still there. Shit, he was turning into a stalker. Nurses
sometimes worked late, depending on what was happening, and he
didn’t have the right of a husband, live-in boyfriend, or fiancée
to ring the hospital and find out. Plus he was pretty sure she’d
fry his balls if he did ring.

He rang at
eleven thirty and she answered.

“Hello?” She
sounded tired.

“Hey, love.”
Tension uncoiling inside him, he leaned back in the armchair. “You
sound tired. Hard shift?”

“Busy. One of
the patients went into organ failure.”

“Nasty. You all
right?”

“Fine. What are
you still doing up?” She yawned.

Waiting for
you. Worrying myself sick. Wondering if I am turning into a
stalker
. “Just watching some TV, thought I’d call and whisper
sweet nothings in your ear.”

“That’s nice.”
She yawned again and spoke softly to someone.

Rick was
immediately on the alert, only to relax once more when he heard
Frizz’s complaining meow coming through the line, followed by
Cherry’s clearer words as she turned back to the phone.

“The cats are
hungry,” she explained unnecessarily. “I’m going to feed them and
then go to bed.”

“Want a back
rub?” he asked, only half joking.

Obviously the
heart of his desire didn’t take the hint, because she only yawned
again and mumbled, “Aren’t you working tomorrow?”

“Yes. But for
you I’ll make it a later night.”

She laughed.
“Yeah, right.”

“Seriously.”
The yawn this time was so loud that he could almost picture her
half asleep on her aching feet. Gently, he added, “Go to bed, love.
No doubt I’ll see you at the hospital tomorrow.”

“Right,” she
mumbled. “’Night.”

Listening to
the dial tone, Rick thought it was probably the first time in his
history that a woman had hung up on him. He just wished he could be
there to rub her aching feet, to give her an erotic little shower,
and then tuck her snugly into bed.

Instead, he was
going to go to his own bed alone and stare at the ceiling all
night, thinking of what he wanted right now but couldn’t have.

The phone rang
and he picked it up listlessly. “Yeah?”

“Geez, bro,”
his sister’s voice came down the line. “Sound enthusiastic. Watcha
doing?”

“In danger of
turning into a stalker.”

“Ooohhh, tell
me all about it.”

He smiled a
little. “Tell me why you’re ringing, first.”

“David and I
had a little disagreement.”

Rick sighed.
Oh, joy. He settled in to hear about her woes, knowing from
experience that his big sister was going to tell him whether he
wanted to listen or not. “I’ve got an early morning, so don’t take
too long.”

“That David is
such an arse, did you know that?”

“From the
moment you first told me years ago.”

~*~

Cherry was
making the bed when she felt someone watching her. Glancing over
her shoulder, she saw Rick standing in the doorway, a patient’s
file in his hands. His gaze slid over her warmly, but there was a
shadow in his eyes.

Clearing her
throat, she straightened and turned around. “This isn’t your
patient.” Realizing how that sounded, she bit her lip, glad that
said patient was in the shower with the door shut. “I beg your
pardon. Did you want something, Doctor?”

His smile was
easy, those green eyes crinkling at the corners in amusement. But
there was still that shadow.

Immediately she
wondered if he’d changed his mind about them, if he was regretting
being intimate with her. Her stomach muscles clenched.

“Actually,
Cherry, I was wondering if you could give me a few minutes in the
treatment room.”

“Now?” Hell,
their familiarity was spilling over into their work relationship.
She wouldn’t normally answer a doctor that way. “I mean,
certainly.”

He stepped
back, allowing her to pass him, and she sucked in a lungful of the
aftershave he’d used that morning. Yummy. Mentally shaking her head
and girding her loins for bad news, she strode into the treatment
room with Rick bringing up the rear.

A busy time of
the morning, no one noticed them going in, and as the door swung
shut behind them, she was so very glad.

“Yes, Doctor?”
Facing him, she waited calmly for the axe to fall.

What he said
instead floored her. “I didn’t use a condom last night.”

“Pardon?”

“A condom. A
raincoat. Safety. Cherry, I got so carried away that I forgot to
put on a condom before we made love.”

Made love. That
sounded so…warm. It also made her blush just a little, but she had
her wits about her. “That’s okay. I took the morning-after pill
this morning.”

“You did?” He
looked first surprised, then relieved. “Okay then.”

“So no harm, no
foul.” She smiled a little.

“True.” His
eyes took on a sudden gleam. “Mind you, I quite enjoyed spilling
myself inside you without protection.”

Her heart
skipped a beat. Trying to maintain her professionalism, she replied
coolly, “Is that all, Doctor?”

He took a step
nearer, making her back up against the shelf holding all the
bandages. His gaze swept over her shirt and pants. “I’m having
fantasies of a naughty nurse.”

“Rick!” she
hissed, colour blooming in her apple cheeks.

“And I’m Dr
Discipline.”

She gaped at
him for several seconds, then started laughing.

Reaching out
one hand, Rick grabbed the shelf and leaned forward, trailing his
other hand along the collar of her shirt. “Tut-tut. Is Nurse Cherry
laughing at authority?”

“This is a
really sad fantasy.”

“But it’s my
fantasy. It can be as sad as I like.” He dipped his finger into the
crevice between her breasts, obviously enjoying her catch of
breath. “But in my fantasy there’s no crying, just a lot of moaning
and writhing.”

“I think I’ve
heard enough.” Feeling flustered, she was grateful when the pager
in her pocket emitted a welcome buzzing. “And saved by the
proverbial bell.” She tried to push past him, only to be stopped by
his body not giving an inch.

“There’s still
tonight, love.” He pressed his lips to her brow. “How about wearing
your uniform for me and we’ll play doctor and nurse?” He grinned.
“I can bring my speculum, check out your—”

Her hand
slapped over his mouth. “You’ve gone from sad to disgusting.” Her
cheeks burned though she couldn’t stop the grin that curved her
lips. “No more. Be quiet. Go and do your doctor thing and let me
get back to work.”

He nipped her
fingers, causing her to jerk them away. “Your wish is my command.
For now.” Dropping a quick kiss on the top of her head, he stepped
back. “But tonight, Nurse, be ready for me.”

“You are such
an arse.” Tugging the door open, she peered out.

Coming up close
behind her, he queried, “Safe?”

“No thanks to
you.”

“Then venture
forth, Nurse.” He slapped her voluptuous derriere heartily.

Cherry started,
glared at him over her shoulder, and exited fast. She just hoped
that no one would see her and Rick leaving the treatment room,
though no one here would think anything of it. They’d probably just
think they’d been discussing wound dressings or something mundane
like that, not talking fantasies.

She couldn’t
resist a glance over her shoulder to show a grinning Rick strolling
over to the nurses’ station where he opened the file cabinet and
searched for the files of his inpatients. She had to admit that
regardless of the heavy workload the nurses were under at the
moment from the influx of patients, her heart felt lighter and her
day was irrevocably brighter.

A woman stepped
in front of her and Cherry started to veer away, only to find a
slim, elegant hand on her upper arm. Glancing up in surprise, she
found herself looking into the cold, beautiful face of Annabelle
Forbes.

The same woman
that had wanted Rick, and whom he’d, well, not exactly dumped, but
he’d chosen Cherry over this elegant beauty.

Pulling her
professional demeanour around her like an invisible cloak, Cherry
smiled at her. “May I help you?”

“You can tell
me where my father, Dr Forbes, is,” Annabelle replied coldly. Her
gaze raked over Cherry. “I know he’s visiting patients on this
ward.”

“I’m not sure,”
Cherry replied. “I didn’t see him come in.”

“And they say
you’re a good nurse. Oh well.”

A little
shocked, Cherry stepped back. “You can wait in the lounge and—”

“No need. I
have important business to take of and can’t wait around. I’ll
leave him a message on his pager.” That cold gaze raked insolently
over her again. “What a nice uniform. It does hide some sins,
doesn’t it?” Annabelle walked off.

Cherry stared
after Annabelle for several seconds before glancing down at
herself. Her uniform shirt was like every other nurses’ in the
hospital, but it didn’t exactly drape down over her hips so neatly
like Maxie’s, nor did it nip in at the waist like Susie’s. It was
exactly what it was, a large uniform top made to fit a large
nurse.

“What a mole,”
Maxie said from behind her.

Turning, Cherry
saw her friend glaring in the direction that Annabelle had taken.
“She’s right. It does—”

“Bullshit!”
Angrily, Maxie looked at Cherry. “You’re worth four of that
cold-hearted bitch, and don’t you start doubting yourself, you hear
me? You have more going for you than she does. Don’t let her grind
you under her cloven hoof.”

Surprised by
the vehemence in her friend’s voice, Cherry gaped.

“I wouldn’t pee
on that walking skeleton if she was on fire,” Maxie, “But you I
would…I mean…” She stopped and grinned sheepishly. “Well, you know
what I mean.”

Unable to help
it, Cherry started laughing and gave Maxie a hug. “I know what you
mean, and I’d be grateful. I think.”

“Just you
remember it.” Maxie’s pager bleeped demandingly and she stepped
back. “Bugger. I better go and see what room twenty five wants.”
She frowned warningly at Cherry. “You just remember what I
said.”

“I wouldn’t be
game to forget it,” she assured her. Watching her friend walk away,
Cherry had to admit that she did feel a little better.

Doubts still
assailed her but no more than normal. Except for Rick. Now she’d
seen Annabelle again, she was full of doubts about Rick’s
attraction to her. Did men like Rick really look past the surface
like he was trying to assure her? How could she be sure she wasn’t
just something new for Rick to occupy himself?

And why the
hell was she letting Annabelle’s poisonous words upset her? Shaking
her head, she went back to the patient’s room. Right now she had
other things to concern herself with, she had time for self-doubts
when she’d finished work.

The time went
fast and it didn’t seem long before she was leaving the hospital,
stepping out into the warm sunshine. Looking up at the sky she saw
clouds scudding past and wondered hopefully if they were finally in
for some rain.

“Hey!”

Cherry waited
for Maxie to catch up with her.

Maxie looked up
at the clouds. “Rain?”

“We live in
eternal hope.”

“Curtis’s
Coffee Café.”

“What?” Cherry
raised her eyebrows.

“We’re meeting
Susie there.”

“We are?
Why?”

“Because we’re
plotting Annabelle’s downfall.” Maxie laughed at Cherry’s
expression. “No, dummy. We’re going to bitch about the bitch, and
spend some time loving ourselves. I’ll meet you there.”

“What makes you
think I have time to go there?”

“Got a date
with Dr Luscious?”

“Well, no,
but—”

“Frizz and
Sugar have no food?”

“As if! No,
they have biscuits out and water, but—”

“You don’t want
to play with us anymore?”

Cherry rolled
her eyes. “Curtis’s Coffee Café it is. Let’s go.”

When they
arrived, Susie was already sipping on iced tea and looking very
cool and beautiful in white shorts and a pale blue top.

Maxie slid into
the booth and Cherry slid in beside her.

“So, how are
the slaves released from the sweat shop?” Susie queried.

“Relieved.”
Cherry studied the menu.

“I don’t know
why you bother doing that,” Maxie said. “You always order the same
drink and food.”

Cherry frowned
at her over the top of the menu.

“Bet you don’t
do that with Rick,” Susie drawled.

“I do,” Cherry
replied.

“Really?”

“I don’t take
crap from him.”

“Really?”

“Or anyone
else, for that matter.”

“Only Annabelle
Forbes,” Maxie muttered.

“Ah, Annabelle
Forbes.” Susie pursed her lips. “Rude bitch extraordinaire.”

“That’d be the
one.”

Cherry shook
her head. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Of course we
worry about it,” Susie said. “You worry, we worry.”

“I’m not
worried.” Cherry glanced up at the waitress who approached and gave
her usual order. “A small hot chips and a glass of Diet Coke.”

Maxie smirked
at Cherry as she gave her own order. Cherry stuck her tongue out at
her.

“Children,”
Susie admonished. “Enough.”

“To the matter
at hand,” Maxie said. “Who thinks Annabelle has had so many face
lifts that her belly button is now on her face? I always thought
her lips were a little puckered.” She demonstrated.

“Oh, Max.”
Cherry laughingly groaned.

“Oh, come on.
After that put-down she gave you at the hospital? It’s the kindest
thing I can say about her.”

“Do not tell me
that you allowed her to get to you,” Susie said sternly.

“She
didn’t.”