It had been two weeks since I’d last seen Jake in person. I felt horrible for the guy. He and his brother seemed to adorn the cover of every magazine or celebrity news outlet since the morning after he dropped me off.
Both men were drop-dead gorgeous, to put it mildly, and I was pretty sure that was why Jake’s passion for raising awareness for heart disease and the advances in science and transplants were being overshadowed. I ignored all of the stories about Jake and James being in this so-called Billionaires’ Club. I tried to at least. This superficial title that was given to Jake, his brother, and their friends by women they had pissed off was the lamest thing I’d ever heard of. I was blown away to see these women stand in front of cameras—extra botox on full display—stating that the billionaire-club boys would only keep to the wealthy women and not entertain sleeping with gold-diggers. This had absolutely nothing to do with Jake’s interview he was so passionate about. To see all these men have their personal lives dug into and put on display? I felt awful for all of them.
Having been working all week at the gallery, I wasn’t able to go with Dad to his appointments to see Jake, but today, I called in sick. I had to see him at least. These vague texts from him had me worried about how he was doing since he was an overnight celebrity in all the worst ways. I wouldn’t allow myself to believe I was falling for the man known in the headlines as Saving Hearts and Breaking Them: The Dark Side of Dr. Jacob Mitchell’s Fascination with Hearts—and that was just one of the many different goofy titles Jake was given. All I was doing today was making sure the man I’d enjoyed being with—both sexually and in fun conversation—hadn’t lost his mind.
I enjoyed learning more about the man I’d already deemed a player without all of these crazy headlines about him. He was one-hundred-percent dedicated to medical science and advancing it all. He enjoyed the ladies, yes, but he had tried to make it clear that time spent with me seemed to be changing that in him. I only smiled through his words. There was no way I was falling for that line. I was still convinced the man could drop me any second, but after watching some of these women talk—and wondering if they were right—I knew I would have been cast off either after our night in San Francisco or Malibu if they were right.
He was an extremely attractive man inside and out, and even if he wasn’t a player, he had zero time for a relationship. Whoever the lucky woman was that would finally tame Jacob Mitchell would have to deal with being second best to what he made clear to me was his first love: his patients and his hospital.
“Jesus, I’m judging him as bad as the rest of the world,” I muttered, smoothing the lip gloss over my lips.
“Are you ready, mija?” Carmen asked. “We need to go.”
“On my way.”
My eyes widened when we rounded the corner to the hospital. I saw groups standing at the edge of the parking lot to where Jake’s office was, and then another group by the front fountain in the garden by the side entrance of the main hospital building.
“This is crazy!” Carmen said with agitation. “Dr. Mitchell doesn’t deserve this.”
“He is a fine man,” my dad said, smirking at me and knowing I’d spent that entire weekend with him, but Carmen and I were good about concealing why these people were out here and the stories making headlines on the media from him. If Dad saw that, Jake would be replaced with a new doctor, and I would be lectured for sleeping with a selfish man who would break his little girl’s heart. “I just hope he doesn’t drop me as a patient after people from around the world are lining up and sitting on waiting lists for him to be their doctor.”
Carmen and I exchanged glances, knowing we kept dad to the docuseries and the media outlets that did talk about what Jake initially did that whole interview for. She smirked; the woman had some form of attraction toward Dad, and I loved it. Dad seemed to feel the same about her too. It was adorable watching the two interact as if they’d been married for years. The best part was when Carmen reached her limits with his stubborn personality and cussed him out in Spanish.
“Thank God those people are being held off,” I said, glancing back at the jumpy crowd at the far end of the parking lot.
“That’s because Jacob’s brother has lawyers and security enforced for the protection of the patients at St. Johns,” Carmen said in annoyance. “A shame it’s come to this.”
We sat in the waiting room watching some reality TV court show, and as I watched the famous, no-nonsense lady judge tear into the plaintiff for the fourth time, we were called back.
Why are my palms so freaking clammy? Am I that nervous to see him again?
The tall blonde nurse’s striking blue eyes and facial features matched her perfect body, and all of them were complemented by the light blue scrubs she wore, which was saying a lot, considering scrubs were the least flattering things to wear. I’d met Haley on one previous visit, and didn’t think much except that she was a crazy-hot nurse who worked for the man that I’d hoped had answers to helping dad.
Now, the stories haunted me, and I had to wonder if she was one of Jacob’s many women. Stop it! You’re acting like a jealous weirdo!
For someone vowing not to judge, I was doing a pretty shitty job of keeping it together. Dear God, I was as bad as the rest. The last thing I was here to do was get jealous over a nurse; hadn’t Jake been dealing with enough shit?
She went through all of the necessary questions and protocols, entering Dad’s info on her computer and chatting it up nicely with the three of us. Carmen and her giggles were contagious, and I couldn’t help but join in on the high-spirited atmosphere of the room. Haley had an awesome personality. I wanted to hate her for seeing Jake every day, but I couldn’t dislike the woman if I tried.
“So, with you both keeping Mr. Taylor in line,” she swiveled around on her chair, “I’m pretty sure Dr. Mitchell will be pleased, and your visit should be relatively short today.” She rose and smiled at us. “Everything looks great on my end. The doctor will be in shortly. You all have a wonderful day.”
We kept our voices low for the few minutes before there were three quick knocks to the door, and Jake’s voice accelerated my heart. Good thing Dad was the one hooked up to the heart and blood pressure screen because if it were me, I’d look like a total asshole.
I was sort of hidden, sitting in the chair by the curtain where Dad was front and center on the exam table. Carmen was at Dad’s side, still watching all of the monitors when Jake came into the room.
“Mr. Taylor.” He nodded, looking at the charts. “All looks well here.” He flipped the clipboard closed and turned toward the monitor and started typing while going into the familiar banter I remembered him and Dad doing at the hospital.
I crossed my leg and relaxed into the chair, watching Jake in fascination. His white smock covered his pristine suit and complemented his perfectly messed hair and his sexy ass from me. God, I did miss this man. Running my fingers through his dark hair, his rich cologne, his brilliant knowledge of the woman’s body, and how mine reacted to his every touch.
“And Ash,” he said my name, and I snapped out of visions of this man, making me crawl out of my skin two weeks ago. “She’s well, I’m sure?”
“Well, if it’s not Carmen, it’s Ash keeping my butt in line.” Dad laughed, and his eyes moved over to mine. “Why don’t you ask her yourself?”
Jake was typing stuff in at a computer at the desk that was along the wall across from me. His quick typing slowed, still not looking back. “Well, I would make time to say hi to her if I weren’t behind in patients,” he said as his typing picked up. “This circus outside has forced me to push out the times of my early patients. It’s been quite crazy,” he said. “All right, everything is great. What we’ll do,” he said, turning and clicking a pen closed and slipping it into his coat pocket, “is have the receptionist schedule you for four weeks from today.” He rose and smiled at dad. “Congratulations, Mr. Taylor. You’ve made it to the milestone where you don’t have to come in once a week anymore. In a month, I will reevaluate, and perhaps we continue moving forward with the device assisting your heart, and we won’t have to bring up the transplant conversation again.”
“I’ve been watching that documentary of you, Dr. Mitchell,” Dad said, and I could see Jake’s face grow solemn. “You’re doing remarkable work. Between Carmen and my daughter pushing me, I might be giving in on this transplant idea.”
Jake’s face lit up, and his sapphire blue eyes were brilliant. “That is something I truly needed to hear,” he said, almost breathless from shock. “Please think about this some more, and we’ll continue this conversation next month when I see you again.”
“You got it, Doc,” Dad said, and I could see him smiling with delight that he just contributed to what we all witnessed, probably the best thing Jake needed to hear coming from the documentary.
After Jake helped Dad up and went to leave, that’s when we made eye contact for the first time since he’d entered the room. He stopped, and his smile almost threw me off balance, making me sit back down in my chair.
“Haley,” he called, door open and eyes never leaving mine. “I’ll need a few minutes before I meet with my next patient.”
“Yes, Dr. Mitchell,” her voice rang out.
“Ash.” He smiled, and I swear it was that crazy feeling of having old souls reuniting again that was happening between us. “Mr. Taylor?” he questioned Dad.
Jake’s smile was wide and I could tell that Dad understood why his doctor seemed to have a change in his mood suddenly.
“Yes,” Dad said, now the one in control and not the doctor.
“Would you mind if I spoke with Ash while you were—”
“We’ll be out in the car. Don’t take too long, Ashley Jane.”
My mouth dropped open at Dad for using this moment to drop my middle name on me and act like the crazy man I knew him all-too-well to be. He could be so embarrassing sometimes.
“Ash.” Jake kept to the name I finally burned into his mind. “Can I speak with you in my office for a moment?”
“Yeah,” I said, eying my dad’s rascally grin and Carmen’s knowing smile.
I followed Jake down the hall to the double doors of his office. I walked in, remembering the beautiful views of this room, and after the door clicked, I was abruptly pulled into Jake’s arms.
“Holy shit,” he whispered, cradling my face in his hands. “How could I forget how beautiful you are? This certainly is the best day since last seeing you, Ashley Jane,” he said with playfulness.
“Glad my dad could give you something to tease me with.”
He exhaled, and his eyes were transfixed on mine. His lips were closed but pulled up into a smile. His eyes dazzled as his thumbs brushed over my cheeks. “If I don’t kiss you, I’m going to lose my mind.”
That’s when I pulled him into me. I imagined us reuniting in some aggressive kiss, his hands all over me as they’d been in the past, but this was different. He gently brought his lips to mine, and before I could open my lips to deepen our kiss, one of his hands cradled the back of my head while his other slid across my lower back. My body went limp against his strong body, and my head dropped back for his mouth to explore my neck. His soft groans were too much. I’d only wished he was not in this professional mindset. I wanted his hands moving up my dress.
“I’ve missed you too.” I chuckled, trying to calm myself down.
His lips came back to mine, and we were in a crushing and tasteful kiss. The expensive fragrance of his cologne reminded me of our naked bodies, tangled up in so many crazy positions that worked to send me over the edge and into the best orgasms I’d ever experienced.
We both pulled away at the same time, and he stepped back and smiled at me. “Part of me wants to call out and have the rest of my patients canceled for the day.” He arched his thick black eyebrow at me. “It’s taking everything that I am not to fuck you right here and now.”
“Easy, Dr. Mitchell,” I teased, placing my hand in his extended ones. “Now’s not the time.”
“My office, my rules,” he bantered back.
“Oh, really?”
He laughed. “I’ve contemplated this over and over because I need to see you, but I don’t want to share you with all the assholes I have to join this weekend on the yacht.”
My eyes widened. “What are you talking about?” I laughed as he walked me over to his desk, leaned against it and wrapped his arms around me.
He brought his lips back to my neck. “I have to be at some ridiculous party on the yacht this weekend. I was pissed that I forgot about it, but it’s going to be filled with dumb-asses that my brother and friends invited along. It’s probably another fundraiser, and I’ve tried multiple times to get out of this previous commitment I made over two months ago.”
“You’re willing to risk,” I sucked in a breath as his lips explored my collar bone, and his hand rubbed over my breast, “me barfing on the boat, sick in some room?”
“I thought I could last the weekend not seeing you, but after seeing you today, it’s confirmed that I can’t. I need this weekend with you.”
“Jake.” I stepped back and laughed. “You already said in your little artsy vision that those two people couldn’t enjoy,” I mouthed the word fucking, “on a yacht.”
“I believe I was wrong. They can.” He smiled. “There is medication you can take to ease nausea if you experience it. The yacht will remain in the bay and not the open sea.”
“Oh, God.” I sighed, nervous about this idea. “I can’t swim,” I lied.
“You swam quite well in my pool after I chased your naked little ass down, and well, let’s just say I haven’t stopped thinking about our moment in the pool since impulsively taking your body then and there.”
I glanced back at the door. “Shh.” I giggled. “The last thing you need is office gossip, I’m sure.”
“Don’t destroy the moment I’m having.” He smiled. “Come on the yacht with me. I’ll ensure you don’t get sick.”
“What about all of those cameras and everything these people are doing to put you on blast daily?”
“We’ve already worked our way around that. No one will know where the two idiots they deem as celebrities are.” He took my hand and kissed my palm. “Come with me?” he begged through his beautiful eyes.
“To save your next patient from waiting any longer, I’ll go.” He rose, but I pushed him back. “If I get sick on that damn boat and you ruin my love for the ocean…”
“I’ll take you back to the beach house and will let you regain your love for the ocean through numerous ways you seemed to appreciate while we were there.”
I walked forward and couldn’t believe I felt the need to run my hand over his hard cock. His forehead dropped against my chest while he groaned. “Fuck,” he said in a whisper. “I need you, Ash.”
“You’re working,” I reminded him. “Can you even handle this?” I asked, rubbing along his long, hard shaft.
“You know the answer to that.”
“Water?” I laughed unexpectedly at the fact he was so screwed.
I was dripping wet, but I was able to go home. He, on the other hand, couldn’t, and I didn’t think that water was going to do the trick.
“Jake,” I said, bringing his eyes to meet mine. “You’ve got to pull it together.”
He licked his lips, and the wild man from our weekend was in his face and eyes. Shit, I’m going to ruin his life if I don’t just leave.
“Baby,” he said, and my heart reacted to the one pet name I usually hated but loved when he used it.
“I’m taking off, or this will be the fourth time we’ve placed ourselves in a position of desperation to have sex without a condom. Unless, of course, you keep them in your desk.” I arched my eyebrow at him.
That was a low blow, especially for all the shit that had been on television and social media about him lately; however, it seemed to work.
He grew serious and took both of my hands into his, standing up. “If there’s one thing I can say is decent about myself with all the fuckery that’s been all over about my personal life, it’s that I have never had sex in my office or at that hospital,” he confirmed as if he were defending himself.
I reached for his cock and smiled. “And there you go, all fixed. Your next patient can see the famous Dr. Jacob Mitchell now—without a massive erection, that is.”
“You’re good,” he challenged me in response. “Allow me to make myself clear, though. You’ve just pulled in a fantasy that will happen between you and me.”
“Sex in your office?” I chuckled.
He licked his lips. “But first, fucking on that boat,” he said in a soft voice. “We’re having drivers bring us there. Look for my text, and I’ll be picking you up in some blacked-out SUV on Friday night around eight. I’ll have everything ready to ensure you’re not sick on the boat. Trust me, it’s my yacht, and the thing is large enough to where you hardly even know you’re on the water unless a typhoon comes in.”
“Text me,” I said, and turned to leave the room.
He pulled me back in. “No kiss goodbye?”
“I think we should stay away from that.” I turned to leave. “See you Friday night, and you better not ruin my passion for the ocean for me.”
“I’ll bet you a weekend in Cabo of fucking on my yacht that you will have more passion and love for the ocean after this weekend.”
I rolled my eyes. “A weekend in Cabo on a rowboat.” I laughed.
“Yeah, I’m not asking for a death sentence.” He smiled. “We are going if—for a split second—I hear you scream my name while forgetting you’re even on the yacht with me.”
“We’ll see,” I said. “Seriously, I have to go. I have to get out of here before my dad and Carmen jump both our asses for what they think we’re doing in here.”
“They wouldn’t be wrong as this entire time, and even now, I’m finding it hard to resist your sexy little ass, baby.”
“Quit using those names,” I said, reaching for the door. “See you later.”
I walked out, and this time, curious eyes from the supermodels who worked for Jake were all on me. I smiled, and they forced smiles back. Jake was going to have to deal with the fallout if he raised issues in his office. I would’ve fucked him in his office without hesitation, but I saw his professional and playful side battling each other, and there was no way I was going to add to stories that the press loved to write about the man.
Jake seemed like he controlled everything about that office, and when he pulled up the doctor side of him, I’d already seen him be a dick to people who were out of line. So, they could deal with that. I wasn’t going to.
I needed to leave, and now I needed to dig up every excuse I could find to get out of this yacht party.
