“Last time you were here, you were eye-fucking my girl hard, Miller. Brenda told me all about it,” Drew told Neil, a belligerent challenge in his tone. If he kept going on like that, he was going to irreparably blow the situation up.
“The two of you are both nuts. I want nothing to do with your bitch in heat. In fact, maybe tell her not to rub up on my cock next time,” Neil snarled back with a malevolent sneer. John, without loosening his hold on Neil, tried to coax him into backing down. I had no idea who this Brenda was, but the simple fact that they were fighting over a woman bothered me.Thinking about Neil being with other women in any way bothered me, in fact. And, from what I could tell, this girl had tried to come on to him.
“Drew, Greg, I said go to the music room, now! Both of you!” John thundered, out of patience. The guys stared at the severe tone of his voice and did as he’d said without further objections. Though Drew didn’t leave before tossing one last furious glance over his shoulder at Neil. After John had assured himself there was no more danger, he let Neil go with a deep sigh.
“Dick,” Neil growled at the other guy, venting the remains of his anger. He straightened his leather jacket and turned to me. My first instinct was to look down because whenever he got dictatorial like that, it always made me feel embarrassed. When I heard the sound of his footsteps heading toward me down the hallway, I forced myself to keep silent until he was right in front of me. He cleared his throat to get my attention, and I lifted my head to look at him.
His magnetic eyes locked on me for a moment, icy cold.
They were heavily lidded and icy cold, so I couldn’t figure out what he was trying to say to me.
All I knew was that I felt guilty about what had just happened and ridiculous for almost provoking a fight.
Who knows what would have happened if John hadn’t been there?
“Put your coat back on. This is not the place to show off how…” He leaned in close and whispered into my ear, “niceyou look.”
I shivered at his hot breath passing over the curve of my neck, and the low tone of his voice turned deliberately velvety. He stepped back and took a long look at my body, simultaneously appreciating and despising my outfit. Still embarrassed, I did as he’d suggested—if, indeed, it could really be called a “suggestion”—and put my coat back on to avoid attracting more unwanted attention.
I was there to learn more about Neil because it finally seemed like he was willing to let me do that, not to catch anyone else’s eye.
“Come on, let’s go,” John urged us to follow him, trying to defuse the tension that had sprung up between us.
A few minutes later, we made our way to the café, which was just as elegant and sophisticated as the rest of the clinic.
The decor was classy, with vibrant colors interspersed with white and silver. The lighting was soft, and the tables and chairs blended in perfectly with the rest of the atmosphere. John leaned an elbow on the counter and said hello to the uniformed woman there. She gave him a friendly smile in return.
“Hi, Dr. Keller,” she answered with a curious glance at Neil and me. Though I was still a bit shook up from what had just happened, I did my best to look relaxed. I examined the array of fresh-baked pastries: croissants, brioche, and muffins. I hadn’t eaten anything for breakfast, and my stomach had growled several times in the car on the way over. I wondered if my Disaster had noticed… I hoped not.
“Just my usual passionflower tea. What would you like?” John said.
“Coffee for me,” Neil interjected before immediately shifting his gaze back to me. He was waiting for me to put in an order as well, but I just shook my head. He sighed impatiently and turned back to the woman. “And cut me a nice big slice of that cherry tart as well.” He indicated the dessert, and I gave him a sideways look.
“What are you doing?” I asked him under my breath.
“That’s your usual breakfast, right? The tart won’t be exactly like your mom’s cherry pie, but it has the flavor that you like,” he said easily, coaxing a smile from me.
“So you do listen to me?” I asked him, flattered.
“Yeah. I do it often so I’ll understand you, even if I don’t always respond,” he explained cryptically. “Plus, you burned a lot of energy last night, Tinkerbell. You need to refill the tank,” he murmured impishly, making me blush. I shot an embarrassed look at John, who was watching us and looking amused.
“I’m studying a lot right now, and I’ve been a bit stressed…” I told the doctor, trying to sound remotely believable. “…so, I need to keep up my strength for that.” I gave him a strained smile, and he looked thoughtfully at me. I was probably making a terrible first impression. Dr. Keller obviously wasn’t the kind of guy to be easily fooled.
“Oh, of course. I’m sure studying really wipes you out.” He winked at me before taking a sip of the tea the woman had just brought over for him.Then, Neil took a drink of his coffee, and I stared at the glass of orange juice accompanied by a small plate completely eclipsed by an enormous slice of tart.
Was I supposed to eat all of that myself?
Neil moved the plate until it was right under my nose and gave me a challenging look, daring me to refuse it. So I gave a little huff, and using a napkin, picked the slice up in both hands and took my first bite. I let out a groan as the sweetness hit my tongue. It wasn’t as good as Grandma’s or even my mother’s cherry pie, but it was still delicious.
“It’s incredible,” I said thickly, through a mouthful of pie, which made both men laugh. I drained the juice in a few gulps and devoured the rest of the tart just as fast.
Neil watched me, luminous eyes filled with unusual tenderness, and smiled.
“But you weren’t hungry…were you, Babygirl?” he teased me as I cleaned off my hands.
I knew I must be completely pink, but he just brushed his thumb across my lower lip to wipe away some crumbs. His touch was so gentle and so kind that my heart did not do one, not two, butthreeflips in my chest. In those incredibly rare moments, I felt like I must have mattered to him, at least a little bit.
“What school do you go to Selene?” John looked inquisitively at me, cup of tea still in his hand. Neil stood up next to me after finishing his coffee in just a few gulps.
