Healing the Doctor (BWWM Interracial Romance) (7 page)

Greg chuckled. “You don’t get along with your dad, I gather?” he said as he parked outside a posh little bistro. He loved to eat there even though he was always alone. It would be wonderful to have Hailey as company for a change.

Hailey talked animatedly, and Greg’s mind was full of hope. He knew he was acting like a lovesick teenager.

“Where do your parents live?” he asked between mouthfuls of a turkey sandwich.

“Misty Heights.”

“Oh! I used to live near there…with Deb,” he said, suddenly avoiding her eye.

All the happiness and joy at the small, cozy table disappeared. Hailey waited for Greg to glance back up at her again, but he was toying with his sandwich, his jaw hardened.

Hailey didn’t know what to say. The knowledge that Greg’s mood was destroyed proved that she could completely see their future being clouded with the ghosts of his past.

“Are you alright?” she asked kindly, reaching for his hand. Greg clasped her hand tightly in his, and forced himself to smile.

“I’m sorry, Hailey. I really am. I don’t know what to say. I just feel like a part of me is dead, and whenever I think of the past, I can’t help but feel this dread run through me. It’s so hard to get rid of.”

Hailey paused, and liked the fact that he was at least talking about it with her. “It’s okay, Greg. It’ll get better,” she said, hoping fervently that it was true.

“Hailey?” Greg said when she didn’t make eye contact. He clasped her hand even tighter, and Hailey smiled at him.

“I like you, Hailey. I really like you. I haven’t been with anyone else in five years. I’ve never felt the urge to be with anyone. And now, it’s like I’m depending on you. You keep me sane. You make me happy.”

Warmth spread through Hailey’s limbs, and the fact that she was the first woman Greg had opened up to since Deb died felt wonderful. She knew she was lucky. Deb had left behind an amazing man and wonderful partner, and Hailey wasn’t going to let him go that easily.

Chapter Twelve

“Thank you for lunch,” Hailey whispered as Greg dropped her off at her place. This time, she wasn’t going to avoid asking him up. She wanted to kiss him again, and she needed her privacy.

“Do you want to come upstairs for a coffee now?” she asked mischievously and Greg grinned.

“I’d love to,” he said and hand in hand, they went up the third floor to her apartment.

Greg walked inside her spacious apartment, furnished tastefully in white and green. It was light and airy, and had a homely feeling to it, which his apartment did not.

“It’s beautiful,” he said, really meaning it.

Hailey walked to the kitchen and started the coffee maker. Then, to Greg’s complete surprise, she sat down right next to him, her hip grazing the side of his leg.

The intimacy, the closeness, was enticing, and he felt desire coursing through him. Hailey was so close, he could almost feel her body heat emanating from her thigh and caressing his. Silently, he turned to face her, and what he saw in her eyes made his heart stop.

She was looking right into his eyes, her eyes trusting, caring, and her gaze kept darting to his lips. She was desperate to be kissed, Greg knew, but he was in inner turmoil. No matter how aroused he was, he was anxious of the intimacy, of being alone, and the fact that once it started, he might not be able to stop.

He didn’t want to scare Hailey off, and he wasn’t sure he could go along with it. He had thought he would never be able to be with a woman again, not this close. What he felt for Hailey wasn’t just lust. He adored her, and he was scared of not being the perfect lover or falling short of what she needed in a partner emotionally.

Hailey waited for a few seconds for him to kiss her. When it was obvious he was over thinking the matter, she slid her hand along his shoulder and pulled him lower. Her lips grazed over his, and Greg’s indrawn breath snapped his control.

He slid his lips hungrily over hers, tasting her, biting her lips slightly, and Hailey clung to his shoulders like she was desperate for his touch. Of their own accord, his hands slid around her waist, squeezing her flesh and Hailey whimpered in his mouth.

Greg touched the tip of his tongue to her lips, urging them to part, and when Hailey submitted to his will, his craving increased.

He pushed her down onto her couch and covered her body with his. His thighs pressed between her thighs, urging for space through the skirt that didn’t allow him entrance. His hand slid up her waist, covering her breasts over the white starched shirt of her suit.

Hailey moaned into Greg’s mouth and only managed to make him wilder, lost in the mindless frenzy of feeling her body, tasting her mouth, exploring her tongue.

Greg knew he should slow down but it was impossible. He wasn’t thinking of anything but the desirable woman beneath him, and he ached to claim her body with his. His cock was pulsating with need, pushing through the confines of his jeans, and for a moment he actually contemplated taking her then and there, cheating on the foreplay.

Greg finally abandoned Hailey’s lips for an instant and stared into her hooded eyes. Her face was flushed, her soft lips slightly swollen from his rough kisses. She caressed his jaw, loving the slight stubble grazing her palm.

“I’ve never-” she began but then stilled as she recognized the naked flame ignited in his eyes. He wanted her, and in response, her pussy clenched enticingly, almost burning with the need to be filled by him. She wanted to scream for him to take her, but it felt wrong. She was falling in love with Greg, and she wanted to take it slow, wanted to savor the wonder of their first touch, their first time together.

“I’ve never felt like this with anyone before,” she whispered, sliding her hand lovingly over his jaw.

Greg wanted to say the same thing, it was filling his mind and almost fighting to be let past his lips but he was scared, scared of making his feelings known.

Life had been so harsh with him. Whomever he loved was snatched away. He had long ago decided he wouldn’t feel anything past adoration for Hailey. He cared about her too much to curse her with what his love would undoubtedly bring.

He bent down and kissed her chin, making her smile shakily. Her insides were turning into liquid, molten jelly and she relished the amazing sense of it spiraling through her.

Hailey could suddenly sense his inner struggle to keep things safe, and she didn’t want that. She wanted to be wild, she wanted to let go; they had wasted too much time dealing with things that didn’t matter anymore. He was hers, he was in her arms, and she wanted him to herself, completely.

Hailey pushed at his shoulders and Greg assumed she wanted him to let her go. He swiftly sat up and then inhaled sharply. Hailey slid up her skirt, baring her smooth, shiny thighs, and straddled his legs.

His lust burned to an inferno that consumed him and with a groan, he covered her lips with his once again. He was lost in the wave of emotions Hailey was making him feel. Her lips were wild on his, hungry and desperate, and her hands were sliding along his nape, sliding under his shirt, caressing his shoulders.

Wherever she touched him his skin was ablaze, and he wanted to feel her more, to touch her more. He rested his hands on her thighs, and the feeling of her bare skin made him groan into her mouth as Hailey kissed him harder, her own whimper evident of her feelings. She slid her hips farther up his legs.

The instant her warm, panty-covered pussy touched his engorged shaft Greg lurched back to reality. He went cold, and pulled her off of him.

Hailey sat back, shocked. She watched his face change completely, becoming detached and forlorn. Deb had entered his mind again.

***

Tears burned the back of her eyes, but she felt for Greg too. She could understand his fear.

“I’m sorry, Hailey,” he said with such pain in his eyes. He knew in his heart that Hailey would be pissed, and might never forgive him for this.

Instead, he wasn’t prepared for what she did. As she had done at the dingy hotel room in Tenaco, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, caressing the back of his head.

There was something almost maternal about her hug, and Greg felt calmness, relaxation coursing through him. He didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve this lovely, sensitive, compassionate girl, yet God had given her to him in his hour of need. They were meant to be.

The thought made him clutch her back tightly, savoring the heat of her body against his cheek. The scent of her perfume was soft and feminine just like her, and soon, he felt better. Calmer.

After a few minutes, Hailey unwrapped her arms from around his neck, and pushed his hair off his face. His eyes were full of remorse and embarrassment, and Hailey smiled as she forced his face up, urging him to look her in the eye.

“Hey?” she said, and Greg looked up, feeling like a happy, carefree kid. “Don’t get all mopey on me, okay?” she said hopefully and Greg kissed her chin softly, holding her face in both palms.

Hailey inhaled sharply as arousal washed over her again at the light kiss. “Are you on call?” she asked breathlessly.

Greg shook his head no, his eyes refusing to stop feasting on her face again. “I have to go back in the evening,” he said, holding her waist tightly.

He was still seated while she stood, and her breasts were inches away from his face. He craved her nearness, and was aware of the fact that for the first time in years, he had been able to shrug off the depression and anxiety overtaking him at the reminder of Deb.

Hailey understood him and was making so much of an effort to keep him levelheaded. He felt indebted to her somehow, and was more madly crazy about her.

Hailey toyed with Greg’s hair, and it was obvious that she wanted to say something, but was scared of putting it into words.

Greg’s heart constricted painfully at the realization that she was trying so hard not to hurt him or to make him uncomfortable. She didn’t deserve to have to be so reserved around him.

“What are you thinking?” he urged, sliding his fingertips over her back softly.

“Nothing,” Hailey said with a smile, and Greg pulled her down next to him on the couch, holding her chin between his fingers.

“Come on, Hailey. You can tell me anything. I promise I won’t go all sad on you again,” he said, leaning closer, dying to feel her lips on his again.

She slid her hand up to his shoulders, clutching at handfuls of his shirt sweetly. “I want you so much, Greg. But I’m not sure if you’re ready for it,” she said meaningfully.

Greg knew what she meant. She wanted to go to bed with him, and she was terrified of making a move. He didn’t trust himself enough to go there, he didn’t want to stop halfway through sex and hurt her feelings beyond salvaging. He couldn’t take the risk.

Hailey knew what his silence meant but she wasn’t expecting him to jump into bed with her either. He had more morals than that. He cared about her, that she could tell, and she was desperate to make him trust her so much that he would never have to feel uncomfortable or tongue-tied around her again. She wanted him to herself completely.

“Greg?” she said, and then leaned closer to kiss him softly on the lips. “Do you think we could lie in bed together? And not have sex?” she said with a smile.

Greg laughed at her ingenious way of trying to make him feel at ease, and she giggled as he easily lifted her in his arms and carried her to her bedroom.

The way he placed her on the bed made her feel cherished and cared for, and it didn’t matter that he wasn’t ready for the intimacy of sex yet. She enjoyed every second of this. To her complete surprise, he slid off his shoes, and socks, and sat beside her before sliding his hand up her leg. He lay beside her, and lifted her head onto his shoulder, turning onto his side so they faced one another.

Her white shirt contrasted nicely against her ebony skin, and through the couple of buttons undone at her color, her cleavage was too lush to ignore. Greg knew he was moments away from losing control and taking her, but he didn’t want to risk it. His moments of dread crept up on him on the most unfortunate of times.

They talked for half an hour, discussing her interview and some of his recent patients. Finally, Greg couldn’t ignore the tempting buffet lying next to him and he bent down to kiss her softly.

What he didn’t remember was that there was no way to kiss Hailey softly. She was passionate and brazen, and she kissed him back with such longing that they were soon gasping and panting for air.

Hailey slid her legs closer to Greg’s and pushed her thigh on top of his. Greg lifted his knee softly, and pressed his jeans-covered leg to her crotch. The warmth radiated through her panties and the denim to scorch his skin, and his hand slid down between her legs.

Hailey whimpered into his mouth as Greg’s fingers explored her panty-covered pussy, and was well aware of the wetness that soaked the fabric through. She wanted him. She was soaked with need, while his cock was bursting through his pants to be satisfied.

Greg didn’t try to have sex with her. When it happened he wanted to be everything she needed and deserved. He wasn’t ready, not yet. He had to take this slow. It needed to be right for both of them.