Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 37733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
“Let go of my hand!”
Todd grins salaciously. “Don’t be like that, baby.”
“She told you to let go of her hand.”
Dr. Collier, as if appearing out of nowhere, is suddenly standing beside our table. I’ve been so preoccupied with the situation, I didn’t even hear the bells over the door jingling. Todd lets go of my hand and leans back in his chair, casually throwing his arm over the back of it, and stares at the doctor with a crooked smirk on his face. Todd is doing his best to seem unaffected, but I can see just how much Dr. Collier intimidates him. I can’t really blame him either.
The doctor’s eyes are narrow, his jaw is clenched, and he looms menacingly over Todd and Hank. There’s a dark, stony expression on the doctor’s face that would strike fear into any sane person’s heart. This is a completely different side to the man than I met at Mam’s house just the other day. Even though he’s a doctor—a healer—he looks like a man who can put a serious ass whooping on a punk like Todd despite being twenty years his senior.
As I watch him square off with Todd and see this other side of him, I’m growing impossibly wet. I’m embarrassed and ashamed to be having such a perverse, sexual reaction to this situation. It’s wrong on so many levels. I know it is. But seeing this gruff, tough side of Dr. Collier is sexy as hell, and it soaks my panties completely through.
“This ain’t your business, pops,” Todd says.
“I’m making it my business.”
“She’s an old friend of mine. We were just catching up,” Todd explains.
“The way you were holding her wrist and not letting her go when she asked makes me think she’s not really a friend of yours.”
“We were just playin’, pops.”
Collier turns to me, his eyes flinty, his expression hard. “Are you all right?”
“I just told you she’s fine,” Todd snaps. “Now move along. I’m trying to catch up with a very old, very dear friend. So, how about you leave us to it?”
“That true, Elodie? Are you catching up with an old friend? Or is this man bothering you?” Collier asks, his tone as stony as his expression.
Todd gets to his feet and stands in front of Dr. Collier. He’s not a small man, but standing there in front of the doctor, Todd looks like a child. The dining room around us grows silent, and there’s a faint crackle of anticipation in the air as people gawk, wondering if they’re going to see a fight and bloodshed since there’s nothing people love more than a little drama with their meals. Fucking ghouls. Intimidated or not, Todd knows if he backs down, he’ll lose face. And if there’s one thing he hates more than me turning him down, it’s being made to seem weak.
“Why don’t you fuck off? This ain’t your concern,” Todd says.
“I’m not the type to stand by and watch a lady be assaulted. So, you have two choices,” Dr. Collier growls. “One, you and your friend either turn around and get the fuck out of here.”
“And two?” Todd sneers.
“Two, I knock you both the fuck out. Your choice. But you’ve got until I count to three to decide. Ready?”
“Fuck off, old man.”
“One.”
Todd’s eyes flit around the dining room, no doubt counting the people and wondering how badly his reputation is going to be damaged if he walks away as he decides what to do.
“Two.”
Todd trembles, an expression of fear bordering on panic flashing through his eyes. He’s a bully. He targets people smaller and weaker than he is. He’s not used to people standing up to him, let alone somebody as physically imposing as Dr. Collier.
“Three—”
Todd breaks into a toothy smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. Like everything else about the man, it’s all for show. He pats Dr. Collier on the shoulder and winks at him.
“I’m just messin’ with you, pops. Just havin’ a little fun at your expense,” he says. “Settle down, man. Jesus. No need to take things so seriously.”
Dr. Collier stares at him blankly, his face looking like it was carved from stone. He’s completely unmoved by Todd’s attempt at lightening the mood. Doing his best to convey just how relaxed and unintimidated he is, Todd clears his throat and then turns to Hank.
“Let’s bounce,” he says.
Hank gets up and they both glower at me and Dr. Collier as they walk out of the diner. I hear a little grumbling around us, people disappointed they didn’t get the show to go along with their lunch. I glance at the doctor, my panties uncomfortably wet and sticking to me. My heart is still racing, and for the first time in my life, I actually find myself wanting to have sex with somebody. It’s a horrible thought, but watching him step in like that has me so hot, I wouldn’t say no if Dr. Collier bent me over this table and had his way with me.