Page 32 of The Potter

And like the idiot he is, Duke takes a step forward, the humor gone from his voice. “I’ll be in the OR with you.” He puts his hand on my shoulder. “I won’t let anything happen to her. I’ll watch the monitors.”

I shake my head. “Even if I could get past the shaking,” I admit, “she wantsyounow.”

He laughs, patting me like that’s good news. “She’ll come around. Trust me. Just be your charming self, and she’ll be naked before you know it.” He steps back and looks me in the eye. “Now, off I go to find myself a little afternoon snack. All this drama has me craving a sweet, submissive pussy.”

I sigh but don’t stop him as he leaves. He knows better than to let that snack be an employee. He’s crazy but not stupid.

When he’s disappeared down the hall, I close the door and drop back behind my desk, pulling up my calendar and finding room between all the consults for Ms. Aggravating and squeeze her in between two patients and add a note to the automated message.

I can either carry you in or you can come willingly. Either way, I’ll see you at 2:00 pm.

Dr. Potter.

Then I hit send. Ms. Belle is my patient, whether we like it or not.

The clock ticks, the soothing rhythm settling my nerves.

“Serena.” I buzz my assistant.

“Yes, Dr. Potter?”

“Is my two o’clock ready?”

When Serena hesitates, I stand. I was serious about dragging Ms. Belle in for this consult. “Never mind, Serena. I’ll take care of it.”

“Yes, sir.”

At least someone does as they’re told in this office.

Wrenching open my office door, I pound through the hallway, pausing briefly when Serena points to the file room where I turn, slamming the door behind me. “I charge a thousand dollars an hour for my time,” I say to Halle’s back.

She pauses briefly before sliding the file in her hand between the others. “I bet your mama is really proud.”

This woman incites a flaming rage to my temper. “Get your ass into room five,” I grit, all but growling.

Her voice is saccharine sweet when she returns, “No, thank you.”

“Fine,” I tell her, knowing good and damn well I’m breaking all the rules I lecture Duke on. Never force or pressure patients. It’s their body, their decision.

But this is what Ms. Belle wanted, was it not? The whole reason she came to Texas and got a job in my office. What did she tell me that day? So she could get a discount and possibly put her surgery on layaway?

The absurdity of her thought process still confuses me.

“Ms. Belle, we discussed this. I will carry you—”

At my words, she flips around angrily, pointing her finger at me just as I did to her yesterday. “No, you will not carry me, Dr. Potter. You want to know why?”

I don’t answer because anything I say right now will only upset her more. The fact is she has harassed me daily about this fucking surgery, even enlisting my brother to do it when I refused. She’s getting a real consult this time, and nothing she’s about to say will change that fact.

She sucks in a breath and moves forward but not close enough where I can grab her. “You won’t carry me because I no longer want the surgery.”

I rear back. “You don’t?”

Her arms fold across her chest. “No, I don’t. I’ve decided I can live with the scars.” A quiver starts in her voice before I notice it taking root in her chin.

The crazy urge to go to her hits me square in the chest, but I tamp it down. I’ve broken enough rules for today. “Okay, if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.” She tips her chin up defiantly. It’d be cute if she wasn’t about to cry.

---