Page 39 of The Doctor

I was no different than her own family.

My next question made me feel even worse. Because I had access to her calendar, too, and I didn’t know a damn thing. “When’s your next class?”

She shrugged again. “Ten minutes ago.”

“Clara!” I struggled to sit up, but the girl was still straddling my lap, her breasts were still pressed against me, nothing but a thin cotton tank top keeping her nipples from scraping along my chest.

While I was distracted by that, Clara took my face in her hands, and the urgency I felt, the arousal that followed, froze as I waited for her to ruin everything with her kiss.

“I already spoke to my professor,” she said, her thumbs sweeping the corners of my lips. “Today was just a review for the test I made him let me take last week. He agreed I didn’t need to come in today.”

Her eyes didn’t meet mine when she spoke. Instead, she followed the movement of her thumbs, tracked her gaze over the lower half of my face.

Stared at my lips.

I wanted her to kiss me again.

I wanted to delve into her mouth with my tongue, to taste her and touch her and sink my dick into her over and over again.

There would be no stopping me if she did it. I was too weak, and she was too… perfect. Sitting there across my lap. Body just barely covered by her tank and shorts. Skin so smooth and warm beneath my palms.

She swallowed hard, then lifted her gaze to find mine. “Can you give me another driving lesson today?”

Her request fell like a heavy weight upon my shoulders. I lowered my chin, and found myself staring right at her full, pouty lips.

Found myself disappointed that she wasn’t kissing me again.

But still. It was the right choice. The right thing to do.

“There won’t be time to drive out to Paulo’s again.”

Her head bobbed, and her voice sounded so small when she said, “I know.”

“Are you okay driving in the city?”

Before answering, she smoothed her hands over the sides of my head, letting her fingers tangle in my hair. “If you’re there with me, I can do anything.”

“Clara…” I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t stop myself. I wrapped my arms around the girl, tugging her closer until she was plastered against my body. Until the cold stickiness of my release was pressed between our stomachs, reminding me of what we’d just done, of what, with her request, we wouldn’t be doing again.

She held me tight, and I didn’t want to let her go. It wasn’t until she released me, when she pulled back and gave me another of her sad smiles, that I gave in to the knowledge that she’d made the right choice.

“Go get cleaned up,” I told her, the words scraping through my throat. “Then we can go.”

13

Clara

Between the pills and Zeno’s presence, I felt stable. Capable. Able to focus enough to deal with New York City traffic. Even with the discomfort that wound through me as I waited for him to address what we did, I was able to keep my attention on the mechanics of the car.

Turn signals. Rear view mirror. Brake and gas pedals. Zeno’s favorite symphony played quietly from the stereo, lulling me into comfort.

He directed me through the familiar streets around his house, keeping me away from the busiest roads, and just like it had back at Paulo’s estate, my confidence in my abilities grew.

I felt like I knew what I was doing. And with each affirmation from Zee’s mouth, I felt like I could do more.

“You did good, kid,” Zee told me after I’d finished a perfect parking job between two not-so-perfectly-parked cars. I beamed at him and ate up his returned smile. But that smile fell, and I could almost feel the tightening of every muscle in his body. “Do you think you’re ready to try a busier street?”

My own smile dropped as my gaze drifted down the street. I could see Central Park from here. Could see the heavy mid-day traffic that frightened me.