Page 288 of The Doctors Will See You Now

“Yeah,” he added, and his smirk got bigger. “But you didn’t nickname me Ugly Doc, now did you?”

“I’m about to change it to Creepy Doc.”

“You think I’m sexy,” he declared. “Harlow Paige thinks I’m sexy as fuck.”

“How do women stand you?”

He winked. “Most women find me charming.”

“I guess I’m in the minority, then.”

Liar, liar, pants on fire, Harlow…

He chuckled. “You’re so full of shit.”

“And you’re full of yourself.”

“Nah,” he refuted. “I’m just aware of the effect I have on women.”

“Are you going to buy me a drink, or are we just going to stand around and talk about how amazing you think you are?”

Scott’s chocolate eyes sparkled with intrigue. “Goddamn, you’re a feisty little thing, aren’t you?”

“I’m just me.” I shrugged. I honestly didn’t know any other way to be. I knew I could come across as opinionated—or bitchy—to some people, but it was just my nature to say how I felt and not beat around the bush with niceties. Hell, I often envied the people who could sugarcoat things to prevent hurting someone’s feelings.

“I think I like you, Harlow,” he said with a smirk.

Obviously, no matter how badly I wished I could deny it, Scott Shepard was starting to grow on me too. I liked his cocky smiles and witty banter. And don’t even get me started on his muscular body or goddamn eyes. Jesus Christ, I could spend hours swimming through those chocolate orbs.

But instead of letting him know the real effect he had on me, I quickly redirected the subject. “Well, if you want to stay in my good graces, you should recall that you offered to buy me a drink…”

He grinned. “You’re in luck. Remembering things is yet another talent of mine.”

I didn’t know how I’d gotten here, holding the door open to a bar I almost never told anyone about for fear that its secret special something would get out—and instantly turn popular—while Harlow scooted inside ahead of me. It was like my body was acting on its own, without permission from my brain.

But as I’d watched her say quick goodbyes to everyone but me and scoot out of the party after leaving me aroused and emotionally twisted on the dance floor, I hadn’t been able to stop myself from following her.

And I still was.

We made our way through the crowd in The Library, an ironically named establishment with loud, pounding bass and a heavy beat. With Harlow leading the way, we ended up at the bar, where she ordered two shots of tequila.

The bartender set them both on the bartop, and I pulled money out of my pocket to pay as she slammed the first one back and then picked up the second.

“Uh…” I laughed and leaned in to speak closely enough that she’d be able to hear. “Isn’t one of those for me?”

“No,” she said, just before she tipped the second glass back and swallowed the liquid whole with ease. My eyes dilated as they zoomed in on her throat and lost all real focus. The glass knocked as she slammed it back to the bar surface, and my eyes jumped back to hers. “Order your own.”

“I thought you didn’t drink much hard liquor,” I said, watching her eyes turn almost immediately hazy with the fresh buzz.

She smiled, looser already, and plopped onto the stool to her left. “I don’t. Trust me, with those two shots, the edge is officially gone.”

“Well, then,” I said with a laugh, taking the seat to her right and signaling the bartender for two more. “I guess I better catch up.”

We didn’t say anything else as the bartender prepared my shots, placed them on the counter, and took my payment.

Something was going on inside of Harlow’s head, but I wasn’t the guy to try to figure it out. I didn’t spend my time musing over complicated women and wondering about the things that made them that way. I was out to entertain and be entertained, and at the end of the day, if both of us got physical gratification out of it, all the better.

I’ll admit I had to fight the urge to wonder—and ask—with Harlow, though. An urge that had never before existed.