Page 47 of Deeply Examined

That grin dries up when I counter with $30,000. I wipe my sweaty palms on the linen napkin in my lap.

The room is quiet, tension thick in the air, as the auctioneer counts down. “$30,000. Going once. Going twice.” He bangs his gavel on the metal stand that holds his papers, emitting a ringing sound. “Sold to the young lady for $30,000, a new record for this event.”

Everyone claps, they break into cheers and excited chatter. Around the table the doctors shake my hand and smile.

Parker congratulates me. “You did it!” he exclaims, but he’s distracted, with his attention held by something over my shoulder. I turn to follow his gaze and find that he’s looking at a statuesque brunette in a tight-fitting green dress.

“Do you know her?” I ask.

He straightens his tie, oozing confidence. “Not yet, but I will in a few minutes. Are you okay if I leave before West gets back or do you need me to stay?”

“I’m fine. Go get your prize, Tiger,” I say, laughing at the eager puppy-dog expression on his face as he bounds off in pursuit of the woman.

“It was nice meeting you, Jessica,” Parker calls over his shoulder.

“You too,” I yell back, really meaning it. I laugh at the saucy wink Parker shoots me just before he taps the lady on her shoulder.

Jessica

“I guess you own me now,” says a deep voice in my ear. The tiny hairs along the back of my neck raise at the sound. I don’t know how he always sneaks up on me like that.

“Did I do okay?” I turn and ask West. “Was it too much money?” I shrink back, nervous about his reaction.

He sits in the chair next to me, where I’ve kept a plate of food waiting for him with a napkin over it. “It’s fine. I would’ve donated that amount anyway.”

My breath whooshes out in relief. “It’s wonderful that you want to help kids at risk like that.”

Something flits across his face, gone before I can identify it. “Yeah. I suppose.”

I sniff dramatically, lifting my nose into the air. “Do you smell that?”

Confused, West glances around. “No. What is it? Food? Perfume?”

I send him a triumphant grin and declare, “Marshmallow. That’s what I’m smelling and it’s coming from you, Mister Softie.”

He pretends to be disgruntled, but I see how his lips twitch. “Hardy-har-har. You and Parker should go to Netflix, do a duo stand-up comedy routine.”

The thought of that makes me giggle. “You know, Parker really likes you. I can tell.”

West leans closer like he’s sharing a secret. “Don’teverrepeat this to that insufferable knucklehead, but I kind of like him too. The days when he’s in the OR are way more fun.”

I gasp, widening my eyes. “Why, Dr. West,” I tease. “Did you just admit that you can have fun?”

I expect him to laugh with me, but instead his expression heats. His eyes drop to my lips, and an electric tension grows between us. I scour my mind, wondering what I did to make him look at me like this.

Was it when I called him doctor?

A single finger unfurls and reaches out to trace my lower lip. My mouth parts automatically, and he slips in a little deeper. Right there in the crowded room, he drags my lip down with agonizing slowness. I resist the urge to take that single digit fully into my mouth, to suck on it like it’s his dick.

What would he taste like?

His eyes darken like he can read every dirty thought in my mind. He lowers his voice until it’s a sexy rasp. “Oh, I know how to have fun,” he whispers so low that I lean closer to hear. “It’s just that my idea of fun and yours might be radically different.” There’s a hint of warning in how he says it that should scare me off but instead has me clenching my thighs together beneath the table. This is a conversation I want to explore further, but not here. Not with all these people around.

I clear my throat, the sound loud. “Eat your dinner,” I say, slightly breathless. With a quick wave of my hand, I gesture to his plate, “before it gets cold.”

He picks up the napkin and sets it aside, then cuts into his steak with surgical precision.

Now that dinner and the auction are over, guests get up and wander, networking with each other. I look around for our waiter, but he’s nowhere to be found.

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