Page 26 of Dr. Lillian Harrington
And then, just like that, Rebecca stepped back, her cool demeanor snapping back into place. She didn’t kiss her. Didn’t offer any more words or explanations. She simply straightened her dress, gave Lillian one last smoldering glance, and walked out of the bathroom, leaving Lillian perched on the edge of the sink, trembling, breathless, and still aching with need.
The door clicked shut behind her, the sound echoing in the small bathroom, and for a long moment, Lillian just sat there, her mind reeling. Her body still thrummed with the desire Rebecca had so expertly stirred, and yet...she had been left hanging, teetering on the brink of something more, something she wasn’t allowed to have. And now, Rebecca had taken away not just the release Lillian so desperately needed, but also her panties and her power.
Lillian swallowed hard, her heart racing as she slid off the sink, her legs shaky beneath her. The bathroom was quiet, save for the sound of her own rapid breathing as she tried to compose herself. She looked at her reflection in the mirror—cheeks flushed, lips slightly parted, her body still humming with the aftereffects of Rebecca’s touch.
She reached down, smoothing out her dress, the pale blue fabric feeling suddenly much thinner, more revealing than it had been before. With no panties beneath, and the feeling of beingvery wet and turned on with no release, every step she took would remind her of what had just happened, Rebecca’s teasing smirk, and the way she’d walked away so effortlessly.
The thought sent another rush of heat through her. Lillian gripped the edge of the sink, closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths. She needed to pull herself together. She couldn’t walk out of here looking like she had just...well, exactly what had just happened. She had to compose herself, return to the party, sit next to Benji, and pretend that everything was fine—that she wasn’t completely undone, aching for more, and walking around without her panties.
Think of me, Rebecca had said. As if Lillian could think of anything else now.
After a few moments of steadying herself, Lillian stood straight, adjusting the bodice of her gown and smoothing her hair. Her heart was still pounding, her body still buzzing, but she had to face the party again. Had to face Benji.
With one last look in the mirror, Lillian forced a calm expression onto her face and stepped out of the bathroom.
10
REBECCA
Rebecca sat in her apartment the night after the gala, staring out of her large, glass windows at the darkened cityscape. Her hands were wrapped around a glass of whiskey, the sharp burn of it doing little to dull the fire that had been simmering inside her since she left the gala. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Lillian—how beautiful she looked, how she’d felt under her hands, and, most of all, how much she hadwantedher.
The way Lillian had looked in that pale blue gown had taken Rebecca completely by surprise. She had known Lillian was attractive, had felt the pull between them for months, but seeing her like that, outside of the hospital, in a setting where they weren’t confined by their professional roles—just like that first time in the hotel- it had been different. There was something so powerful about seeing Lillian look so radiant, so confident, in front of all those people, none of whom knew what she really was to Rebecca.
And then there had been Benji. Lillian had been on his arm all night, smiling and laughing with him, and it had sparked something dark and ugly in Rebecca: jealousy. Shehad no claim to Lillian. She had never wanted to make things emotional between them. But the sight of Lillian with someone else, someone who didn’t know the way her body responded to Rebecca’s touch, had made her stomach twist.
She took a slow sip of her drink, feeling the familiar burn slide down her throat as she replayed the scene from the bathroom in her head. The way Lillian had looked at her—wide-eyed, breathless,wanting—and the way Rebecca had left her hanging, teased her, made her wait. She’d known it would have an effect on Lillian, walking around the gala with no panties, thinking about what had just happened in that small, dimly lit bathroom.
Think of me.
The words had slipped out of her mouth without her even thinking about them, but they had felt right. She wanted Lillian to think about her, to be consumed by thoughts of her just as much as Rebecca had been consumed by thoughts of Lillian all night.
But now, as she sat in her quiet apartment, the silence pressing in on her, Rebecca felt the weight of something deeper. Something she had been trying to suppress for weeks now.
She wanted more.
Not just the late-night rendezvous, not just the physical connection that kept pulling them together. She wanted to know Lillian outside of the hospital, outside of their stolen moments. She wanted to see her laugh, hear her thoughts, and, terrifyingly enough, she wanted to let her in. But Rebecca wasn’t ready for that. She wasn’t sure she’deverbe ready for that.
Her phone buzzed on the coffee table, pulling her from her thoughts. She glanced at the screen, her heart giving a quick, involuntary lurch when she saw Lillian’s name. She had half-expected Lillian to text her after the gala, but she hadn’t. Not until now.
The message was simple, but it sent a wave of heat coursing through her.
I can’t stop thinking about you.
Rebecca stared at the words for a long moment, her thumb hovering over the screen as she debated how to respond. She could feel the tension rising in her again, the same tension that had simmered between them at the gala. She had told herself she would keep this purely physical, keep Lillian at a distance, but every time they were together, that distance closed bit by bit.
She typed out a reply, then deleted it. Then another, and deleted that too. She was losing control of this—of herself—and it terrified her.
Before she could respond, her phone buzzed again, this time with a message from Jackson, her assistant at the hospital. Work. Rebecca welcomed the distraction. She opened the message and quickly skimmed the details of the next day’s surgeries.
"Dr. Lang," Jackson’s text began, formal as always, "I’ve confirmed all your appointments for tomorrow. Two back-to-back surgeries in the morning, and the afternoon is reserved for a consult with Dr. Catherine Harrington’s team."
Rebecca let out a small sigh. Of course, the Harringtons. Lillian would probably be there. She could already feel the tension tightening in her chest at the thought of seeing her in the hospital, acting as if nothing had happened, as if they weren’t tangled in this complicated web of desire.
She fired off a quick reply to Jackson, thanking him for the updates and mentally preparing herself for the next day. Maybe work would help her refocus. Maybe.
The next morning, Rebecca was back in her element. She had scrubbed in for two complex surgeries, both of which required every ounce of her attention and skill. The OR was her sanctuary, the one place where everything else melted away. Her hands moved with precision, her mind sharp and clear, and for a few blissful hours, she could forget about everything outside of these walls.
But the moment the surgeries were over and she stepped out of the OR, reality came crashing back. She had a consult scheduled with Dr. Catherine Harrington’s team, and Lillian would be there. She knew it.
