My Forbidden Doctor - Stephanie Brother Page 0,22

11

Melissa

Jogging down the path after Kimi, I wheezed painfully, and she just got farther and farther away.

"Stop that cat!" I winced as my rasp burned my throat. Kimi's shimmering, grey fur stood out in this wooded area, at least, and I paused my chasing to struggle to breathe. "Nothing is going my way today."

Aside from sleeping for over twenty-four hours straight, of course. I woke up to Kimi scratching me because her food bowl was empty. I almost broke my machine because I didn't realize it was still attached to me. I knocked my leg in the shower, and I got shampoo in my eyes. And now, my cat was running away.

My legs couldn't hold me, and I shuffled to the side of the path to sit on my butt and huff hoarsely. If I just sit here, Kimi will come back. Or someone will catch her, hopefully, and walk back down.

"Jeeze..." I picked myself back up as worry threaded my veins and gave me a boost of adrenaline. Kimi was an expensive, beautiful cat, and my best friend. I had gotten her as a kitten when I first moved here. I couldn't just trust someone to bring her back! "God— okay."

This time, I walked instead of jogged, and I rounded the bend to crane my neck for any flash of light grey. Relief eased the pressure on my heart when I saw Kimi up a tree, her leash stuck between a branch's fork. She meowed like crazy when she saw me, and I frowned up at her as I paused under the tree.

"You dumb cat! You ran away and now you need help getting down!" I wagged my finger at her, propping my fists on my hips as I debated how to get Kimi down. She kept yowling at me, balancing on the tree branch with her claws out and panic on her kitty face. "You better not jump off or you'll ring your own neck. You're lucky I love you, or you'd be stuck there forever!"

"You're in a good mood, aren't you, Mel?"

Jumping with a squeak of surprise, I whirled around to find Carl smiling happily at me. Pointing up at my cat, his smile grew as I struggled to get my heart back down from my throat.

"Want some help?"

"Can you reach?" Rather than answer me, Carl strode up to the tree to reach up, and my eyes widened when I realized he was shirtless again. The thick muscles of his back played tantalizingly, and flames licked up my neck. He couldn't quite reach, and I bit my bottom lip absently as he grabbed the branch. Hoisting himself up with a grunt, he carefully unhooked the leash, and Kimi instantly sailed over him to land on the concrete walkway.

"Dumb cat." Kneeling down to pet her and grab the leash, I smiled as she weaved between my legs, and I straightened as Carl dropped down. "Thank you. Again."

"You're welcome. Again. You look good, Mel." His eyes trailed down to scan my athletic wear, and my nipples tightened at the intense appreciation in his gaze. "Really."

"You're just saying that because of my cat." Blurting out the first thing that popped into my head.

My face flamed when Carl's eyebrows twitched suggestively. Swiping back his hair, he stepped a little closer and crouched to pet Kimi. His eyes scanned my front, and I crossed my arms under my breasts. Lightly, he licked his lips, almost unnoticeably when he quickly stood up.

"I— you know, I never properly thanked you for the last three times... you know— you helped me out. I think after the third time, I owe you... some tacos?"

"... I would like to, sure."

I smiled brightly, but Carl held up a hand quickly with a stern look.

"Only because you want to repay me for helping your cat, Mel. I'm your doctor. When you're having an asthmatic crisis, it's my duty to help you."

"Oh— yes. Obviously. Um, so, what's been going on with you? How'd your sister's visit go?"

I'm your doctor. Carl's gentle reminder that this was bordering on inappropriate zinged through my head, and I bit my lip in uncertainty. I knew that, but... I couldn't stop coincidentally bumping into him everywhere, dang it! How was I supposed to know which park he was running in?

"It went great. Actually, I have to disclose something to you, and I'm not sure how okay you'll be with it."

My brows knit together as discomfort roughened Carl's tone, and I tightened my grip on Kimi's