finger at her. “You will keep yourself hidden at the ranch and that’s final.”
“But your job—”
“Even if my captain suspects I’m keeping you here, he won’t say anything. And if keeping you safe results in me losing my job, then so be it.” He raised up a hand to shush her protests. “Enough. This discussion is over.”
She sighed and stared at her feet. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you, Trevor.”
He finished refilling his coffee and sat it on the counter. Stepping forward, he opened his arms wide and smiled. “Come here, sweetheart. Give me a good-bye hug.”
The adoration he’d longed to see was shining in her eyes when she glanced up, meeting his gaze. Joy bounced around in his heart to see her looking at him like that, and when she moved around the table and fell into his arms, all was right in Trevor’s world. He kissed the top of her head, inhaling the floral scent of her shampoo. Running his fingers through her hair, he stroked her head and pressed her to his chest, relishing the love he felt blossoming between them at long last. Daniel stood by, smiling at them, and as he nodded at Trevor before leaving the room, a silent message passed between them: Emily belonged to them.
* * *
“Wow, this place is great.” Emily bounded through the hallways of Trentsville Family Practice, excitement rolling through her. After days of begging, Daniel had finally agreed to show her where he worked. After-hours, of course. Even though he was on vacation, he still needed to make sure the bills were paid and he’d forgotten a few of them on his desk. Not wanting to bother his new partner with the task, he’d invited Emily to accompany him for a quick trip to the office.
“It’s always busy here,” Daniel said. “We’re the only practice in town. People around here used to have to drive an hour for a doctor.”
“Well, I think it’s wonderful. My aunt worked in a doctor’s office like this.”
Daniel flipped on the rest of the overhead lights, and she stood awestruck for a moment, staring at the closed doors of the patient rooms. There were over a dozen. This place was huge and Daniel had obviously built it with hopes of expanding to a larger practice with several doctors one day. She felt a pang of regret, wondering what could’ve become of her if she’d stayed out of trouble and gone to college straight out of high school. Perhaps she could’ve gotten a job in a place like this, or been close to it anyway, instead of working closing shifts in a crummy bar. Maybe one day , she thought, trying to cheer herself up. All the money she’d saved was still in her bank account. After the mess with George blew over, hopefully she could still follow through with her education plans.
She trailed Daniel through the hallways until they reached his office. He flicked on the light to reveal a massive desk similar to the one in his study at the ranch house.
“I just need a minute,” he said, striding to a filing cabinet behind his desk.
Emily plopped down in one of the chairs facing his desk and folded her hands in her lap, her feet swinging beneath her. She watched as he extracted several manila folders and stacked them on his desk. He ran his hand through his hair and glanced around his office.
“That’s all I came for. We can go home now.” He reached for the folders, then paused as his gaze collided with hers. His eyes darkened with a feral gleam that made her stomach swarm with butterflies, and she squirmed in her seat and wondered if he had any idea how excited she grew when he stared at her so intensely.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, barely a whisper.
He abandoned the folders and rounded the desk, towering over her with his arms crossed over his broad chest. “Do you remember when I inspected your bottom the other night, Emily?”
She flushed, bowing her head as heat seared her face. “Y-yes.”
“Well, I’d like to do a better job of it. Be a good girl and
“But your job—”
“Even if my captain suspects I’m keeping you here, he won’t say anything. And if keeping you safe results in me losing my job, then so be it.” He raised up a hand to shush her protests. “Enough. This discussion is over.”
She sighed and stared at her feet. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you, Trevor.”
He finished refilling his coffee and sat it on the counter. Stepping forward, he opened his arms wide and smiled. “Come here, sweetheart. Give me a good-bye hug.”
The adoration he’d longed to see was shining in her eyes when she glanced up, meeting his gaze. Joy bounced around in his heart to see her looking at him like that, and when she moved around the table and fell into his arms, all was right in Trevor’s world. He kissed the top of her head, inhaling the floral scent of her shampoo. Running his fingers through her hair, he stroked her head and pressed her to his chest, relishing the love he felt blossoming between them at long last. Daniel stood by, smiling at them, and as he nodded at Trevor before leaving the room, a silent message passed between them: Emily belonged to them.
* * *
“Wow, this place is great.” Emily bounded through the hallways of Trentsville Family Practice, excitement rolling through her. After days of begging, Daniel had finally agreed to show her where he worked. After-hours, of course. Even though he was on vacation, he still needed to make sure the bills were paid and he’d forgotten a few of them on his desk. Not wanting to bother his new partner with the task, he’d invited Emily to accompany him for a quick trip to the office.
“It’s always busy here,” Daniel said. “We’re the only practice in town. People around here used to have to drive an hour for a doctor.”
“Well, I think it’s wonderful. My aunt worked in a doctor’s office like this.”
Daniel flipped on the rest of the overhead lights, and she stood awestruck for a moment, staring at the closed doors of the patient rooms. There were over a dozen. This place was huge and Daniel had obviously built it with hopes of expanding to a larger practice with several doctors one day. She felt a pang of regret, wondering what could’ve become of her if she’d stayed out of trouble and gone to college straight out of high school. Perhaps she could’ve gotten a job in a place like this, or been close to it anyway, instead of working closing shifts in a crummy bar. Maybe one day , she thought, trying to cheer herself up. All the money she’d saved was still in her bank account. After the mess with George blew over, hopefully she could still follow through with her education plans.
She trailed Daniel through the hallways until they reached his office. He flicked on the light to reveal a massive desk similar to the one in his study at the ranch house.
“I just need a minute,” he said, striding to a filing cabinet behind his desk.
Emily plopped down in one of the chairs facing his desk and folded her hands in her lap, her feet swinging beneath her. She watched as he extracted several manila folders and stacked them on his desk. He ran his hand through his hair and glanced around his office.
“That’s all I came for. We can go home now.” He reached for the folders, then paused as his gaze collided with hers. His eyes darkened with a feral gleam that made her stomach swarm with butterflies, and she squirmed in her seat and wondered if he had any idea how excited she grew when he stared at her so intensely.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, barely a whisper.
He abandoned the folders and rounded the desk, towering over her with his arms crossed over his broad chest. “Do you remember when I inspected your bottom the other night, Emily?”
She flushed, bowing her head as heat seared her face. “Y-yes.”
“Well, I’d like to do a better job of it. Be a good girl and
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