New York City Docs. Tina Beckett

with Dr. Powers, who’s collecting fellowship applications until she retires.”

      Every ounce of color leached from her face. “How did he find out about my appointment?”

      “She thought you were applying for a fellowship as well and mentioned it. If Brian Perry knows, others probably do, as well.” He leaned forward a bit. “What’s going on, Tessa?”

      “Nothing.” Her voice shook the tiniest bit, belying the word.

      His brief moment of suspicion flared back up, finding new fuel and licking at it for all it was worth.

      “Does this have anything to do with the other night?” He gripped the edge of his desk with both hands. “We still have capoeira practice to contend with, so we’re going to have to work to get past this.”

      “I know. It’s just awkward. I don’t think either of us expected what happened.”

      “I certainly didn’t expect to hear about you running down to Obstetrics within days of our encounter.”

      “What do you mean?”

      He studied her for a moment or two then decided to be blunt. “You said you were on the Pill. You are, right? Your visit to Faye Powers had nothing to do with our time together.”

      “Clay, I…” He thought she was going to say something else, but she simply shook her head.

      An eerie premonition began to march up his spine. Lizza had gotten pregnant with Molly unexpectedly, and he’d asked her to marry him to make things right. But Tessa hadn’t wanted to be married to him back when they’d been dating, and he didn’t expect her to want it now. Not that they’d need to.

       She’s not pregnant.

      Time to get that thought out in the open and verify it for his own peace of mind. “Did you take your Pill the night we were together?”

      Her hands twisted in front of her. “I—I’d been so busy over the past week and had several night shifts. By the time I got off… I was exhausted. I should carry them in my purse, but I haven’t been involved with…” She shook her head. “The short answer is no, I missed a few days without realizing it. I didn’t do it on purpose, Clay, I swear it.”

      A field of white danced in front of his eyes. He had no doubt she was telling the truth. He could see it in her face. Hear the anguish in her voice.

      She might become pregnant. Hell, she might already be. And she’d said nothing.

      “That was what your appointment with Faye was about?”

      “Yes.”

      She wanted to know what her options were. They ran through his head. Start back on the Pill and hope for the best. Morning-after pill. Abortion. Adoption.

      Each of those made his gut churn and his throat tighten. But it wasn’t up to him. Although he damn well would have liked some kind of say in the matter. “What did Faye say?”

      “She said since I missed several doses at this point…”

      Her words trailed away.

      A few tense muscles relaxed. Did that mean she hadn’t gone back on the Pill?

      “What about Plan B?”

      Her brows came together. “I’m right at the limit for time. I need to do it now, if I’m going to.”

      Something made him lean forward. “Don’t take it, Tess.” In that moment a crash of realization had him off the desk and reaching for her, hauling her out of the seat and into his arms. He loved her. Had never really stopped loving her.

      She wrapped her arms around his neck, unaware of the thoughts veering around inside his head. “I don’t know what to do. Please, believe me, Clay. I never meant this to happen. Any of it. Not that it has.”

      “I know.” He pulled her tight against him, memories of the other night chasing him down a fast-moving stream. One he couldn’t seem to get out of. Tipping her head back, he kissed her. And just like that, things exploded between them. Mouths sealing together, hands traveling over each other’s bodies in a mixture of anguish and desperation.

      Clay turned with her still in his arms and pressed her against the desk, not even attempting to hide what she did to him. He pulled his mouth free. “Say yes.”

      He had no idea what he was asking for. Say yes to having sex with him in his office? Say yes to having his baby? He didn’t care. He just wanted to hear the word.

      Her hands went to the back of his head. “Yes,” she whispered, just before she hauled him back to her.

      Holding her against him with one hand, he swept papers and a pencil cup onto the floor and lifted her onto the desk. She leaned back, her light blue scrubs the only thing stopping him from finishing the job. He would soon remedy that. But first no more misunderstandings. “Stay right there.”

      He grabbed his wallet out of one of the desk drawers and removed a condom. If she wasn’t already pregnant, he sure as hell wasn’t going to purposely try to make it come true. No matter what his heart was saying.

      He pushed down the front of his own navy scrubs, sure there had to be some kind of rule against attendings having sex with residents, but he and Tessa weren’t just any mismatched pair. They had history. One that had repeated itself a few days ago.

      Ripping open the condom, he frowned when Tessa sat up.

      Rather than leaping off his desk and hightailing it out of his office, she simply took the packet from his hand and set it on the desk. “I know we have to hurry, but give me a second.”

      She palmed him, her eyes closing as she gently squeezed then trailed her fingertips down the underside and slowly back up to encircle him again.

      His breath hissed in his lungs. Yes. This felt so right. So good.

      Before he could move to stop her, Tessa slid off the desk and knelt in front of him, her lips sliding down the side of his erection in a slow, languorous journey. Then she came back the way she’d gone, opening her mouth and taking him inside. Yellow lights flashed in his head at the bevy of sensations that crawled over every part of him, threatening him with imminent meltdown.

      Pushing his fingers deep into her hair and closing around the silky strands, he allowed himself the luxury of closing his eyes and pumping into her heat, once, twice, before slowly pulling free. He sucked down a couple of breaths then reached to bring her back to her feet. It had to be now or he wouldn’t find the strength to stop.

      Setting her back on the desk once again, he eased her back in an act of reverence this time rather than a rush toward completion. Her arms curled above her head, eyes on his as he reached for the condom and rolled it down himself. He wrapped his hands around the backs of her knees and tugged her toward the edge of the desk, her hair fanning behind her. Rather than wait for him to pull the bottoms of her scrubs off, she rolled over until she was on her stomach then pushed the garment down her hips, baring her luscious bottom to his view. A much more practical—and quick—solution than getting undressed all the way.

      “You sure?” he gritted.

      She wiggled her ass. “Does it look like I’m sure?”

      Leaning down to nip her neck and trail his lips up to her ear, capturing it between his teeth, he muttered, “Tell me you want me, then.”

      “I want you.”

      With that he found her, amazed that she was already moist and ready against his tip. With a hard push he entered her, going deep and holding himself there while he absorbed the tightness of the fit—the heat he could feel even through the protective barrier.

      Her muttered “Meu Deus” in her native tongue said the feeling was mutual.

      Gripping her wrists, he moved them above her head and held them there with one hand as he began to thrust inside