Doctor's Delight (21 page)

“If you don’t
want me here…”

Refusing to
rise to the bait, Rick raised one brow.

“I can always
go to Mum’s.” She scowled at his grin. “You’re as big a jerk as
David.”

“High praise
from a lady who has been married for ten years to the same
jerk.”

Donna flipped
him the middle finger and he laughed.

The doorbell
rang and he straightened, placing the coffee cup on the bench.

“Is that your
new girlfriend?” Donna queried.

“It is. Be nice
to her.”

“When am I
not?” She leered. “Lover boy.”

“Cherry is more
than just my girlfriend, Donna. I mean it. Be nice to her.”

“You’re
engaged? Boy, is Mum going to be pissed at you for not telling her.
She—”

“No, I’m not
engaged.” The doorbell rang again and he pointed at her. “And we’ll
talk about this later, not now. Cherry gets a bit freaked. So keep
your mouth closed and be nice.”

“Kinda hard to
keep my mouth closed and be nice!” His irrepressible sister yelled
out after him as he strode down the hallway.

Opening the
door, he grinned down at Cherry. “Hello, love.” Sweeping her into
his arms, he yanked her close and kissed her long and deep.

Oh yeah, he
could kiss her all day long. She tasted like Cherry, all fresh and
sweet. She smelled like Cherry, all fresh and sweet. She felt like
Cherry, soft and curvy. Her arms crept around his neck and she
kissed him back, and he delighted in her response. Oh yeah, he
could hold her and kiss her and make love to her all day long.

Damn shame his
sister had decided to sulk at his house this weekend instead of
their parent’s. He’d have to think of something, anything. He
wanted to be alone with Cherry. Alone and naked. Hoo boy, the image
that thought brought to mind.

Lifting his
head, he gazed down into Cherry’s smiling face. Those adorable
apple cheeks were pink, and those big blue eyes were sparkling.
“Glad you got the weekend off, love.”

“I usually get
two off a month.” She shrugged, and his libido perked up as those
big breasts pushed against his chest with her movement. “And you
got the weekend off, too.”

“I share the
on-call.”

“Really? I
wouldn’t have guessed.” Her eyes twinkled.

“Cheeky chit.”
He swatted her generous bottom then decided it wasn’t enough and
grabbed a handful. “Mmmm, better.”

“Going to
introduce me to your guest?” Donna said from behind him. “Or are
you just going to keep her on the veranda and grope her in full
view of the neighbours?”

Blushing,
Cherry shoved against Rick’s chest. “You’ve got visitors! Let
go.”

He sighed.
Slipping his arm around her waist, he turned to face his sister.
“Cherry, this inconsiderate brat is my sister, Donna. Inconsiderate
brat, this is Cherry.”

Donna stepped
forward and held out her hand, her gaze sweeping across Cherry.
“Hi.”

“Hello.” Cherry
shook her hand. “It’s good to meet you.”

“Mmmm. Polite,
too. How did Rick manage to catch you?”

“I...um…I was
lucky, I guess,” Cherry stammered uncertainly.

“I was the
lucky one,” he immediately corrected her. “Cherry is a nurse at the
hospital.”

“She knows
you’re a doctor? Hells bells, Cherry, what on earth possessed you
to date a doctor?” Grabbing Cherry’s arm, Donna drew her away from
Rick and towards the kitchen. “You of all people know how demanding
doctors can be.”

Uncertain,
Cherry glanced at Rick over her shoulder.

Grinning, he
shrugged, closed the door, and followed them down the passage. In
the kitchen he watched as Donna deposited Cherry in a chair and
crossed to the ‘fridge. Glancing in, she began, “Do you want a cold
drink? We have – oh. Now I understand the load of Diet Coke on the
bottom shelf.”

Puzzled, Cherry
looked at him. “But you don’t drink it.”

“You like it,”
he replied simply.

“You didn’t
have to buy some especially for me,” she protested, but he could
see the little light in her eyes, the pleasure in her tone.

As usual, her
pleasure touched him. Crossing to her chair, he leaned down and
kissed her upturned mouth. “When you’re happy, I’m happy.”

She didn’t pull
away but smiled up at him. It was the first time she’d simply
accepted what he’d done, and he felt that victory clear down to his
toes. He’d have pushed his luck further –such as making love to her
in board daylight – but his damned sister was present in the
kitchen, so he could only give Cherry another kiss and straighten
up to lay his hands on her shoulders, kneading gently and enjoying
her closeness. Her scent wafted up to him and he inhaled.

“So.” Donna
placed an open can of Diet Coke in front of Cherry and studied her
shrewdly. “You’re a nurse.”

Cherry’s
attention returned to Donna and Rick could feel the slight tension
in her body at the knowledge that someone else had seen them
kissing. He really was going to have to work on making her less
self-conscious. But it was cute, especially in this day and
age.

“Yes,” Cherry
replied. “You?”

“I’m married.”
Donna pulled a face. “Maybe divorced in the near future.”

“Oh. I’m so
sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude on something private.”

“Ignore her,”
Rick said. “She’s not getting divorced.”

“You think?”
Donna retorted.

“David wouldn’t
let you go, and you know it.”

“If that was
the case, why hasn’t he rung yet? Take a tip from me, Cherry. Men
are after only one thing, and once they get it, they expect you to
come at a snap of their fingers, they—”

Rick jokingly
laid his hands over Cherry’s ears. “I don’t think my girlfriend
needs to hear your advice, Don.”

He felt Cherry
stiffen slightly and glanced down, half expecting her to pull away.
Instead, she relaxed back against him and when she glanced up, he
saw the warmth in her eyes. That warmth filled him, especially when
it meant she was finally accepting it, their closeness, their being
a couple in front of others. But he was wise enough not to push it
too far.

Rick smiled and
rubbed her cheeks briefly with his thumbs before transferring his
hands back to her shoulders and his attention to his sister.
“You’re just miffed because David hasn’t come tearing after you
like he normally does.”

Donna scowled.
“He’s an arse. Like all men.”

“Like all men
what?” a new voice queried.

“Hey, Tim.”
Donna smiled, her eyes sparkling as Tim walked in, hooked a chair
out with his foot, and sprawled into it. “Just ripping holes in the
male of the species, who, I might add, deserve it.”

“Cripes, Donna
in man-ripping mode. I am so surprised. David must be in the shit
again.” Tim’s gaze went to Cherry. “You must be Cherry.”

“Hello,” she
replied.

Rick squeezed
her shoulders lightly. “This is Tim. I told you about him.”

“Oh, nothing
but good things, I hope,” Tim said. “Not that there’s anything but
good things to say about me.”

“I came all the
way here to worship at your altar.” Donna saluted him with her
cereal spoon.

“But you
brought no gifts.” Tim winked at Cherry. “Cheap worship, Don.”

“You are
cheap.”

“That
hurts.”

“Cheaply, I
might add.”

“So, David get
fed up with the nail raking you’re often giving him and finally
kicked you out?”

“You freakin’
wish. You just want me for yourself.”

“Not when you
don’t bring gifts.”

Cherry
laughed.

Tim looked at
the empty space on the table in front of him. “I thought a woman’s
place was to get a man a drink. You’re failing, Don.”

She flipped him
the middle finger.

“Eloquent as
usual.” Tim got up and went to the ‘fridge, coming back up with a
tin of Diet Coke in his hand. “What the hell?”

Donna smirked
at Rick.

He arched one
brow lazily. “I know how to keep my woman happy.”

Tim looked from
the Diet Coke to Cherry and back again, then shrugged. “Okay.” He
stuck the can back in the ‘fridge and did a quick search, coming up
this time with a carton of iced chocolate. “Yum.”

“Also to keep
my woman happy,” Rick informed him.

Tim looked at
Cherry and waggled the carton questioningly.

“Help
yourself.” The embarrassment was clear in her voice.

Ah yes, his
little love hadn’t expected him to do anything for her. Boy, did
she have a lot of surprises in store for her in the future, and he
was going to enjoy springing them on her.

Sliding onto
the chair beside her, Rick caught her hand under the table and
rested their combined clasp on his thigh. Her fingers tugged
momentarily, but then relaxed in his hold.

Another
victory.

Tim poured a
glass full of iced chocolate and would have left the carton on the
bench except that Donna berated him rudely for it. Laughing, he
stuck it back in the ‘fridge and returned to the table with his
full glass and Rick’s half cold cup of coffee, which he placed
before Rick.

Sprawling once
more in the chair, he looked at Donna. “So, going to tell us what
you did to poor David?”

“Poor David?”
She bristled immediately.

Rick placed his
mouth close to Cherry’s ear. “Don’t fret. These two have been
fighting since primary school. Just sit back and enjoy it.”

Turning her
head to answer, she found herself so close to Rick’s face that her
luscious lips were only inches from his.

Rick was fully
prepared to swoop in for a quick kiss, but she blushed and turned
away before he could do so. Bugger. With an inward sigh, he rested
his arm along the back of Cherry’s chair and leaned towards her
comfortably, switching his attention to Donna and Tim. As usual,
Donna was giving Tim an earful of sardonic remarks about the male
of the species, while Tim was doing his very best to confirm her
low opinion. In-between, Tim would throw remarks to Cherry or Rick,
as did Donna, but neither really waited for an answer before
lighting into each other again.

More than used
to their squabbling, Rick idly twirled a lock of Cherry’s brown
hair around his finger. “Got plans for the day?”

“Not really. I
came this morning because you asked me to.”

“It’s a
standing invitation, love. My home is your home, anytime, anywhere,
and for whatever reason.”

“Oh.
Thanks.”

“You sound
delighted.”

“No, I
sincerely meant thank you. You just surprised me.” Those apple
cheeks were pink again.

God, he loved
how she blushed so easily. It made him feel protective. And hot.
Definitely hot. Her sweet shyness and uncertainty just brought out
the predator in him. Oh yeah, hot and predatory. He could eat her
right up.

Cherry stared
at him, her cheeks going even redder. “Rick.” His name was
whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Stop looking
at me like that.”

“Like what?
Like I could eat you right up? Funny, I was just thinking
that.”

There was an
answering spark in her eyes – thank you, God! – but then she bit
her lip and glanced across the table to where Tim was mercilessly
baiting Donna, while she threatened to de-man him. “Not now.”

“Later?” When
she didn’t answer, he placed his mouth against her ear and breathed
both seductively and teasingly, “Later, Cherry?”

“You’re like a
kid with candy.”

“I like to suck
my candy.”

Cherry nearly
tipped the tin of Diet Coke she was holding in her other hand.

Rick chuckled.
When there was no reply or response from her, he sobered, kicking
himself mentally for maybe pushing her too far in company. He was
about to apologize when she turned her head, her gaze meeting
his.

Holy cow, her
gaze was bright and held heat, even if she was trying to hide it.
At least, he thought she was trying to hide it, but then she
beckoned him closer and when he quite willingly laid his cheek
against her softer one so that she could whisper in his ear, he
half expected to be chastised.

“I like to suck
my candy, too.” Her breath was warm in his ear.

Well hell, that
just about paralysed him. ick blinked.

Cherry slowly
retreated, but she turned her head at the last second so that those
luscious lips brushed moistly against his cheek, then shockingly,
heatedly, there was a brief, so very, agonizingly, brief suck on
the corner of his mouth, then she pulled away and turned back to
the table, leaving him staring at her in astonishment.

She liked to
suck her candy, too.
Did she truly mean…but then, she’d never
had oral sex.Had she? Had she meant oral sex?
Heat broiled low
in his groin.
Jesus.
Oral sex with Cherry was something he
planned, but he hadn’t been sure how she’d accept it, not with her
weight issues, but it sure as hell had seemed like… Oh boy.

For the first
time since he’d met her, Rick didn’t know what to say. He knew what
he wanted to do, all right, and that was to lay her across the
table and bury his head between her voluptuous thighs, but hell,
not with his sister and his friend there. He had to get rid of
them. Now. Somehow.

He didn’t know
how, not without mortifying Cherry. Shit.

His attention
was partially diverted by Donna’s mobile phone ringing, but only
partially, because his head was still swimming with images of
Cherry and oral sex, and the tingling sensation of that little suck
on the corner of his mouth.

Picking up the
phone, Donna studied the number. “Mum.” Flicking it open, she put
it to her ear. “Hi, Mum. Have you heard from that arse, David? He’s
such a jerk.”

Tim grinned and
drained the ice chocolate from his glass. His gaze lit on Cherry
and a thoughtful expression crossed his face. His gaze slid to
Rick, and Rick’s face obviously wasn’t as bland as he’d hoped,
because Tim’s grin widened knowingly and he winked.