Alpha Billionaire Series

MARK

Brooke didn't have her usual smile when I stopped at her desk. Between my patients and her not feeling well, it had been a week since I had a chance to be alone with her. Her sadness made my chest tighten with empathy.

Istopped at her desk and checked over my shoulder. We were alone for a moment.

“Can I see you tonight?”

She thought about it, her brows quirked together, and she twisted her mouth to the side. That expression was adorable on her. She shrugged and shook her head.

“I don't know Mark. I still feel so tired."

I didn’t like the sound of that. She had been tired and sick last week, and she was still run down. She didn’t have the flu, but something was getting to her. I tapped my hand on her desk, thinking. I had to know someone I could refer her to. I'd have tg follow up on finding her a good doctor when I was in my office.

“I have five patients all due next week. And I'm on call for a colleague. I'm not going to have a chance to see you again befor the weekend. And we're going to have to pretend we don't know each other the entire time we are up at your parents’ lake house”

Peyton and Karen were having a few friends up for the weekend. Karen loved to entertain and show off her lake house. I liked the food and the company, even when I spent my time dodging all the potential dates Karen brought along for me. Brooke hadn't been up to the lake house for one of these weekends for years, since she had been away at college.

“I might not go, I promised Angela, I would help her with her essays for grad school. She's thinking about getting a master’s in business”

“That's somehow worse. Not seeing you at all. I'm a grown man, you don’t want me to have to beg, do you?” I had never missed her not being there before. But I also hadn't been secretly involved with her before.

She smiled and I felt warmth spread through my chest. She was rapidly becoming important to my well-being. I needed her there, even if it meant we had to pretend we weren't sleeping together.

“Look, we don't have to do anything. I miss you. We can do what we planned last week."

“We didn’t have anything planned,” she pointed out.

“Exactly. We can watch TV or a movie. And order pizza. And when you're tired you can go home. No pressure.”

“You say that now, but what happens when you're done doing nothing and want to do something else?”

“I do know how to control myself around you. I mean look at me right now, I'm not over there bending you over this desk lik I have fantasized. I'm standing here acting like a reasonable man."

She blushed and giggled.

“You're horrible. I reasonable man wouldn't have mentioned his depraved sexual fantasies. I could report you for sexual harassment.”

“But you won't," I said.

“Of course not, because I'd be..." she paused as a patient approached the desk.

“Can you help me? I forgot what floor my doctor is on.”

“Of course, who is it?”

“I'm here to see Dr. White!"

“Dr. White is on the third floor. The elevators are just over there past that big potted fern

The patient thanked her. I didn't say anything until they were out of earshot.

“You were saying?”

She blushed and looked flustered. “I'd be a hypocrite because I think about shoving you under this desk and spreading my legs all the time."

“Miss DeBoise, I am impressed. We can negotiate further activities tomorrow. I need to get to work, and I should let you do your job."

“I'll see you later” She waved as I left.

I don't think she realized I could see her from the elevators. As soon as I left her entire demeanor changed. Her posture dropped and so did the smile on her face. She was tired, and she was working hard to hide it from me.

I'texted her after I knew she was headed home. “Come over, don't worry, no pressure. I miss you."

“I miss you too. I like pineapple on my pizza.’

I ordered the pizza as I left the office, and texted Brooke I was headed home. I was home only a few minutes when the doorbell rang. There was an even chance it was Brooke or the pizza.

I hadn't expected both at the same time.

She was paying the pizza delivery guy as I opened the door.

“You got here at the same time?”

“Yeah,” she said as she stepped in.

The delivery guy headed in the opposite direction.

“You paid?’

“I can afford to pay for pizza, Mark."

“Did you tip him?"

“Of course, I tipped him." She slid the pizza boxes onto the kitchen counter. She took her purse off her shoulder and hung her hooded sweatshirt over the back of a chair. “Do you want plates and silverware, or are your fingers and some napkins enough?”

Istarted to pull a couple of beers from the fridge. I put them back and grabbed Cokes instead. If she was tired, the last thing she needed was a couple of beers in her system before she had to drive back home.

“Plates, yes, and grab a roll of paper towels," I said.

With drinks in hand, I picked up the pizza boxes and headed to my TV room.

Brooke followed with plates, and she grabbed a bag of chips.

I put the boxes and drinks on the low table in front of the couch. “What do you want to watch? Movie, or our show?”

Our show was a couple of years old, but neither of us had managed to watch it when it was new and the hot thing everyone watched. It was full of battles and court intrigue. Siblings stabbing each other in the back, literally and figuratively. The characters were horrible people. But people loved the show, I understood why. It was like sports, which teams did you cheer on, which teams lost. The actors were all gorgeous and we saw a lot of skin.

“Show." She yawned. “I have about enough energy for two episodes, after that, they'll have worn me out.”Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

She sat on the couch and pulled the boxes of pizza toward her. “What kind did you get?”

“Canadian bacon and pineapple with peppers, and one with everything."

“Yum. These smell good.”

She slid a piece from the top box onto a plate and settled into the couch. Before the end of the first episode, and after we had eaten, she was tucked up under my arm next to me.

This was nice. I had my girl by my side, a full stomach, and my feet up. It was the perfect way to end a busy week.

She stretched and yawned when the episode ended.

“I'l be right back” she said as she got up for a bathroom break. I had another piece of pizza and contemplated the finer aspects of not seducing her for the night. I had promised I wouldn't, and I wasn't going to. I enjoyed the way she snuggled into my side. It was nice to simply be without any expectations.

She came back and I started the next episode. She was asleep before it was halfway over. I decided to let her sleep. She needed the rest, and a little post-dinner snooze wasn't going to do her any harm. I had another piece of pizza and finished the episode.

“Brooke.” I said gently. “You fell asleep sweetheart."

She mumbled something before she dug into my ribs as if she were burrowing into my side.

I worked my way out from under her. I tried to get her upright. She was out cold. There was no getting her up. She didn’t need to be out driving if she was this tired. I tucked the blanket that covered her legs over her body and cleared away our mess from dinner.

She was still not waking up when I tried a little later.

“Okay, beautiful. Time for bed."

Islid my arms around her and lifted her from the couch. She leaned heavily against me. I guided her to the bedroom and go her in bed. I pulled her jeans off and tucked her in. I wasn't about to slap her awake and make her drive home.

I watched the news and thought about her sleeping in my bed. I had only ever had her spend the night once before. She hac been warm and wonderful to wake up next to. I turned the television off and headed for bed.

When I climbed into bed next to Brooke, she snuggled in against me. She sought me out even in her sleep. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. This felt too right, too perfect. This is where she belonged when she was too tired to do anything. She needed to be in my arms where I could protect her.

with the right words, and the right actions this could be how we end up. Only I didn’t know what that magic combination was. Not while she still lived at home. Not until I could tell my friend I was dating his daughter.