Playing Doctor

Chapter Twenty-Two

Another Book to Purchase:

Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction

As if thinking about him conjured him up, Gray walked into the video store the next day.

"I've been thinking," he started as he headed for me.

Groaning, I held my hand out. "Stop. I'm in enough trouble with my employer already. So unless you're going to rent a movie, get out."

He crossed his arms. "You don't want to know what I've been thinking?"

I tried not to notice how his shirt outlined his chest, or remember how that chest felt under my hands. Instead I focused on the lime green Hawaiian shirt he wore. "Don't you own any clothes that are normal?"

"Yeah, but they're boring." He took my hand. "Come to my place tonight for dinner."

Tugging my hand from his, I snorted. I snatched a DVD from the to-be-checked-in pile and scanned it in. "That's not a good idea."

"Why not?"

Because when I'm with you I'm who I used to be and not who I want to be now. Except sexually. Frowning, I tossed the movie aside and said, "You just want to see my underwear."

"There is that." He shrugged unrepentantly. "I'm a guy. I'll always be interested in seeing your underwear."

Kevin wasn't, and he was a guy. I lifted my chin and glared at Gray. "I'm wearing everyday, average cotton."

"Darling, I'd want you even if you wore burlap." He grabbed my hand again and followed it around to my side of the counter.

"You can't be on this side." I quickly scanned the store for Walter.

"But I want to be because you're here." He pinned me against the register, so close I could feel his heartbeat reverberate in my chest cavity.

"It's against store policy." Staring at his mouth, I swallowed audibly. "Walter will call the police."

"You'd like me handcuffed, wouldn't you?" He raised his hand and pulled out the pins securing my hair.

"I hate it when you do that," I said, trying not to notice how free I felt.

"We both know that's not true at all." His hand caressed my scalp as if daring me to contradict him. Then he leaned down and brushed his lips to the base of my neck.

Gasping, I struggled not to arch my neck to give him better access.

"Let me cook dinner for you again." He nibbled the little bit of collarbone my Play Me tee shirt revealed.

"No." I moaned.

He kissed up my neck to the corner of my mouth. "Go out to dinner with me."

Unable to answer verbally, I shook my head. I gripped his waist, waiting. I didn't want him to kiss me. I didn't. But even as I told myself that, I knew I was lying to myself.

"Just a simple dinner, the two of us." His lips pressed an angel's kiss to one corner of my mouth. "We'll be in public. How dangerous can that be?"

I would have laughed at that if I were able. As it was, it took all my willpower to say "We're in public now."

"Unfortunately, but I can work with it." He sucked my lower lip between his.

My body liquefied, and I felt the answering tug much lower and I gasped again.

He let my lip go with a wet pop. Digging his hand into my hair, his hold on me tightened. "Go out with me."

"No."

Gray lowered his head and kissed me, so thoroughly I couldn't breathe. He insinuated a leg between mine. Without losing contact with my mouth, he eased up just enough to say, "Dinner tonight."

I could feel him at the juncture of my legs. I couldn't help pressing into him to feel him pulse against me, but I shook my head. "No."

"You play hard ball." He grinned wickedly. "But I play harder."

I opened my mouth. I have no idea what I was going to say, but it didn't matter because he swooped in with a voracious kiss. I moaned into his mouth, certain I was going to burst into flames at any moment now.

He pulled away, panting as heavily as I was. "Tonight."

Dazed, I just nodded. Then I remembered Charles and I winced. "I already have a date."

His eyes narrowed but he kept a firm hold of me. "Cancel it."

Staring at Gray's mouth, I wanted to say yes to him more than anything. But I couldn't cancel the previous engagement in good conscience. "I can't."

"Daphne, what's going on here?" Walter demanded.

Mentally groaning, I shoved Gray away from me and tried to smile at my boss. "I was just checking on a movie for this customer."

Gray rolled his eyes. Then he grabbed me and smacked a quick, hard kiss on my lips. "We aren't done with this," he said and then strode out the store without regard for Walter.

Bemused, aroused, I stood there with my lips pouting for another kiss until Walter cleared his throat. I shook my head to clear it. "I need to go. To the restroom."

Before he could protest, I hurried to the back and locked myself in the small supply closet-slash-restroom. I ran cold water and made a compress for my neck. My temperature felt spiked. If I didn't know better, I'd believe I'd contracted scarlet fever.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. Still dazed, I answered it without thinking. "Hello?"

"I've had enough of this, Daphne," Kevin declared pompously. "I'm through being at your mercy."

"Uh-huh." I looked in the mirror and blinked at how puffy my lips looked.

"I know you're being difficult just to make my life difficult, but you have to consider the ramifications of your actions."

"Uh-huh." Almost as puffy that dark-haired actress whose name escaped me. I ran a finger over my lower lip and gasped at the residual bolt of electricity that shot through me.

"Because if I'm made a laughingstock, it'll discredit your data and it won't garner the attention it deserves. Not to mention that this conference receives more media exposure than most. It's the perfect arena to release our findings."

"Uh-huh." If I could bottle Gray, I would make a fortune on a collagen alternative. Not that I'd want him to kiss other women.

"You agree?" Kevin asked with surprise.

"What?" Was he still on the line? "No, I don't agree with anything. I have to go. Stop calling me."

I was about to end the call when he said "I'll see you in a couple days."

Sure I heard wrong, I put the phone back to my ear. "What did you say?"

"I'm flying up to finish this in person."

"You can't come here," I said, my voice rising.

"You leave me no choice," he answered calmly, satisfaction replete in his voice. "I need the data and you refuse to compromise, regardless of the consequences."

"You don't even know where I am."

He made a dismissive sound. "Please. I may not be as brilliant as you, but I can be resourceful."

"Kevin-"

Before I could continue he hung up.

I stared at the phone. He was probably gloating, too, that he was the first to hang up for a change. And Gray was no better, trying to force me to do his will.

Slapping another cold compress to my neck (this time because I was hot from being so angry), I reassured myself that Kevin wouldn't come here. It was an empty threat. He didn't know Mena's address.

At least that was one parasite I was safe from.