Curing Doctor Vincent (The Good Doctor Trilogy Book 1) by Renea Mason Page A

she was controlling and determined. She put her career above
everything. And she used it to validate her sexual explorations. I have no
proof that she was anything but a devoted wife who made a unique relationship
work around her husband’s limitations. And with her death we will never know.”
    “But you suspect
something else?”
    He nodded, “And
Miriam suspected, too. One night at a party she had a little too much to drink
and told me that she abhorred what Lydia was doing to X. She hasn’t spoken of
it since, but she saw it too. Speaking of Miriam, you didn’t get to meet
Charles, Miriam’s father. He was shady as fuck. There is something strange
about all that old French money—Lydia’s family and Miriam’s. Too many
secrets.”
    Was it possible she
never tried to help him? If so, how could he not see it? Was it the age
difference and her expertise that made me suspicious? If there was one thing I’d
learned from my father, it’s that if something feels wrong, it usually is.
    ****
    When we returned to
the house, a long shower was in order. My muscles hurt from the afternoon’s
activities and freshening was necessary. I wondered where the two of us might
end up. I would do my best to see if I could persuade them to visit the Louvre.
    The steam from the
shower billowed through the doorway. I tied the belt to my luxurious robe and left
my oasis, while trying not to think too much on what I had done. Two men. The doctor.
I was pulled from my reverie by a knock at the door.
    Surely, Marco could
give me this moment before running me ragged all over Paris. I strode to the
door with a complaint on my lips, only to have it slip away along with my
breath. It wasn’t Marco.
    Xavier stood, head
bowed, hands braced on the doorframe in a full tuxedo. It was easy to forget
just how powerful he was, but seeing him like this left no doubt. The world
sought his attention. The vision in my doorway was that of the most revered man
in the world. After gathering my wits, and clearing my parched throat, I managed
to squeak out. “Yes, Doctor. Is there something you need?”
    “No.” He continued to
look at the floor.
    “I’m sorry?”
    He looked up. “It’s
not something I need. It’s something I want.”
    I swallowed hard. All
the visions of the afternoon rushed back. His lips. His taste. His trust. They
quickly morphed into a fantasy of him untying my robe and throwing me on the
bed.
    “I want you…” He
inhaled and held his breath.
    My heart thudded in
my chest.
    He continued, “To
accompany me to my speaking engagement.”
    The invitation held
promise but killed my fantasy. I did my best to hide my disappointment.
    “Tonight?”
    He righted himself
and reached over and repositioned my robe over my nearly exposed breast. “Yes.”
    I would have given
anything to read his mind. His responses were slow, deliberate.
    “Sure. When should I
be ready?”
    He pulled back his
sleeve and glanced at his watch. “In about an hour. Is that OK?”
    “Sure, but Marco is
going to be disappointed. He was looking forward to a night on the town.”
    “I’ll break the news
to him. I want you with me tonight.” The intense stare returned.
    “OK. “
    “Oh and Elaine… The
place will be crawling with media personnel. There will be a lot of questions,
have no doubt. I’ll do the talking, if you don’t mind.”
    I hoped the
reluctance in my voice didn’t give the wrong impression. I was thrilled and
terrified in equal measure. “Sure. Is this about my father?”
    His eyes widened. “Oh…no.
That’s not the issue. It’s just the last time I appeared in public with
someone, things got out of hand.”
    “Oh, OK.” The relief
was hard to hide. I didn’t want my father causing yet another problem for me.
    He closed his eyes
and took a deep cleansing breath. “I just want to make certain you understand
what I’m asking. Until now…this moment…it can all disappear. No one will ever
know that you were at my house. And