Healing the Doctor (BWWM Interracial Romance) by Sherice Cook

had been about to say good night, and the next he had kissed her.
    The thought of his wife made him ache, and then he forcefully pushed the thought aside, like he had practiced for years now. He couldn’t think about her, it was confusing and painful. He had to let go of his past and move on, or he was going to go insane. Swiftly, he picked up his phone and called Hailey.
    “Hello?” Hailey asked almost happily.
    “Hey. I was wondering if you’re free for lunch tomorrow?”
    Hailey bit back a smile at her end of the line. “I actually have a job interview at around one p.m.,” she said.
    “Okay, I’ll pick you up after. Where is the interview?”
    Hailey laughed softly. “It’s at Baster and Company,” she said.
    “Okay. I’ll be outside at 1:30. Take your time inside, I’ll be waiting.”
    Hailey smiled broadly when she hung up. She was finally going on her first date with Dr. Gregory Walt.
    The next day, Greg waited impatiently for the sight of the dark-haired girl whose thoughts had kept him awake half the night. He was hoping to take her out to lunch, just so he could watch her face light up while she spoke.
    Hailey hurried out, her high heels clicking discreetly on the tiled floor outside the gigantic building of her father’s company. Her gray suit was pristine, and her white starched shirt shone against her ebony skin.
    Greg couldn’t smother his appreciative smile when he saw her. She waved and hurried over, opening the car door and sliding into the seat next to him. He couldn’t help but notice her bare knees, and the skirt of her suit slid up slightly to give him an extra view of her thigh.
    Her skin was smooth and begged for man’s touch, and he was already flaming with the need to slide his hand over her leg and feel her skin against his palm.
    “How’d it go?” Greg asked when Hailey beamed at him.
    She laughed, her perfect smile lighting up the car. “My father will be livid.”
    Greg’s smile froze. “Baster is your father’s company?”
    “Yes,” she said.
    “Oh. You didn’t mention that earlier.”
    “It didn’t come up.”
    “So, are you getting the job or what?”
    “Um, I can’t be sure, but that doesn’t really matter. Let my file cross my dad’s desk and I’ll be happy.”
    Greg chuckled. “You don’t get along with your dad, I gather?” he said as he parked outside a posh little bistro. He loved to eat there even though he was always alone. It would be wonderful to have Hailey as company for a change.
    Hailey talked animatedly, and Greg’s mind was full of hope. He knew he was acting like a lovesick teenager.
    “Where do your parents live?” he asked between mouthfuls of a turkey sandwich.
    “Misty Heights.”
    “Oh! I used to live near there…with Deb,” he said, suddenly avoiding her eye.
    All the happiness and joy at the small, cozy table disappeared. Hailey waited for Greg to glance back up at her again, but he was toying with his sandwich, his jaw hardened.
    Hailey didn’t know what to say. The knowledge that Greg’s mood was destroyed proved that she could completely see their future being clouded with the ghosts of his past.
    “Are you alright?” she asked kindly, reaching for his hand. Greg clasped her hand tightly in his, and forced himself to smile.
    “I’m sorry, Hailey. I really am. I don’t know what to say. I just feel like a part of me is dead, and whenever I think of the past, I can’t help but feel this dread run through me. It’s so hard to get rid of.”
    Hailey paused, and liked the fact that he was at least talking about it with her. “It’s okay, Greg. It’ll get better,” she said, hoping fervently that it was true.
    “Hailey?” Greg said when she didn’t make eye contact. He clasped her hand even tighter, and Hailey smiled at him.
    “I like you, Hailey. I really like you. I haven’t been with anyone else in five years. I’ve never felt the urge to be with anyone. And now, it’s like I’m depending on you. You