Page 70 of Dr. Attending

Heading home.

If you’re still in my office when I get back, there are going to be consequences.

When I picked Caroline up from her apartment almost a week ago, I did it for two reasons.

Obviously, I wanted to see her again since she left pretty early the morning after we hooked up. But I was also worried that was pushing herself too hard.

Sometimes, as high achievers, we have a tendency to think that it’s unnecessary to have anyone in our corner because we’re capable of succeeding on our own. But just because you can do something yourself, doesn’t mean you should have to.

And I want Caroline to know that.

I’ve been keeping her company every chance I’ve had this week, making sure she takes breaks while she studies in my home office. Given the way she moans and groans each time I interrupt, I expect to find an empty house each time I come back from the hospital.

But I haven’t.

And that tells me everything I need to know about what’s happening between us—it’s real for her too, even if she won’t admit it.

My phone pings as I’m closing my car door, and I can’t help the way I grin when I read her response.

Consequences sound hot.

It doesn’t surprise me that she took our conversation somewhere sexual. I’ve tried more than once this week to bring up the topic of our relationship—what we are, where this is going—but every time I do, she shuts me down and changes the subject. It’s almost like physical touch is her safety net, the place she retreats to when words feel too heavy or vulnerable.

And I get it.

I spent the majority of my life playing the part of the happy-go-lucky golden retriever who was just around to have a good time without any strings attached. I buried my emotions under layers of charm, sex, and meaningless flings because it was easier than confronting how I was genuinely feeling—alone.

But Caroline isn’t alone. She has me . . . in whatever capacity she wants me.

I might have had initial hesitations about going down this road with her, but after this week, I feel nothing but confident in my decision to pursue her. Despite our age difference, she understands my life in a way that most people don't—my family dynamics, my career, my past. And I understand hers.

Every day that I have to leave for the hospital, I feel this ache in my chest. Like it’s uncomfortable to have to leave the person who has very quickly formed a chokehold on my thoughts, hopes, and fears. The person who has somehow become an extension of me.

I’ve been telling myself that I’m content with only her company for the time being. The last thing I want to do rightnow is add more stress to her plate when she’s carrying so much already. But deep down, I can’t deny that I’m ready for more—that I’m ready for her to be mine.

I type out a response to her message before turning on the ignition and pulling out of my assigned parking spot.

Bratting doesn’t look good on you, princess.

It’s a filthy lie because bratty Caroline makes all of the blood in my body rush to my groin, and, apparently, she remembers that because a text bounces back when I’m sitting at the stop light outside of the hospital.

That’s not what your kink quiz said.

What are you?

25% brat tamer?

I laugh as I send her a quick reply.

If you aren’t careful, you’ll get the 10% of me that’s a sadist.

I’m not surprised that Caroline remembers the specific results of the kink quiz we took together last night.

The website that Worth built is different from most of the other quizzes available online. Instead of broad generalizations, it analyzes your responses to over a hundred unique scenarios and provides your final report as a pie chart. In a way, it reminds me of those genetic kits which test your DNA, only instead of receiving your ancestry breakdown, it gives your kink breakdown.

It was interesting that fifty-five percent of me was a pleasure dominant. But once I remembered how turned on I got from doing the things that Caroline clearly enjoyed, like being rough and commanding, it made a ton of sense—giving her pleasure gives me pleasure. Which is exactly what I intend to explore with her tonight.

My mind starts churning through ideas when a text comes through that almost sends me into cardiac arrest.

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