greeted her with a smile that made her heart skip a beat. “Go wait in my office, please.”
“Isn’t there a surgery scheduled?”
“There is, but you were late for the briefing. I’ve replaced you.”
Tessa’s jaw dropped. “But… I… it’s not…”
“Go wait in my office,” he repeated, his tone becoming more curt and clipped. She realized with a sinking heart that he was actually quite annoyed with her.
Blinking back tears, Tessa went to his office and sat there for three hours while the surgery she should have been assisting Kirk in was conducted. She had plenty of time to think while she was sitting there, to decide whether she should just tell Kirk why she was late. She decided against it. Better to take Kirk’s wrath than to have him discover how much of a mess her life really was.
She was dozing in his office chair when he finally appeared, dressed in his usual clean-cut suit.
“Kirk!” She jumped out of the chair. “I’m really sorry… I…”
He held up his hand. “I don’t want to hear any excuses, Tessa,” he said. “I’m sure you have some kind of reason, but I expect you to deal with your personal life in such a manner that you’re able to manage your professional obligations, understand?”
Tessa clamped her mouth shut. She hadn’t been intending on telling him everything anyway. Now she wasn’t even going to bother trying.
“Yes,” she said softly. “I understand.”
“It’s a pity you missed the surgery today,” he said. “It was quite interesting, the patient had several irregularities that would have been instructive for you to observe.”
Tessa’s heart sank. She felt absolutely awful. She’d let Kirk down, thrown his attention and care in his face really. He was probably completely sick of her by now.
“Would you like to remove me from your team?”
“No,” he said. “What I’m going to do is perform a full physical. I’ve yet to examine you medically, pet. Now is as good a time as any.”
Tessa let out a little whine. She was certain that Kirk’s physical was not going to simply involve a blood pressure check. He had a particularly stern, determined expression, which made her certain that she was going to have trouble sitting once he was done with her.
“I’ve booked a room so we won’t be disturbed,” he informed her, further confirming her suspicions.
The room he had booked for her inspection was one of the private hospital rooms, designed to be fairly sound resistant and very much private. Usually private rooms were well appointed, but the one Kirk took her to was sparse. The pristine white bed got Tessa’s attention first. The head of the bed was raised and there were stirrups at the ready, another ominous sign that this was not going to be a simple medical once-over.
“You spent time organizing this,” she accused.
“Of course, my pet,” he said, swatting her bottom. “I didn’t expect your disciplinary issues to resolve after one or two evenings at my place.”
“This wasn’t really a disciplinary issue,” she tried to argue. “I got held up…”
“Clothes off, and up on the bed, please.”
He wasn’t interested in her reasons or excuses. Tessa glanced at the door to the room. If she just ran out it, maybe she could avoid what she was sure was going to be a very intimately punitive experience.
“Tessa.” He reached out and took her chin between thumb and forefinger. She found herself looking into his eyes, which contained more than disciplinary ardor. They contained care, and warmth, and more besides. She found herself melting against his body with a small sob.
“It wasn’t my fault,” she whimpered against his chest.
“Pet, you are chronically late,” Kirk said, rubbing his hand comfortingly over her back. “That’s something I’m not going to tolerate.” His hands settled on the hem of her top and drew it off over her head in one smooth motion. She stood there as he undressed her, his fingers adept at
“Isn’t there a surgery scheduled?”
“There is, but you were late for the briefing. I’ve replaced you.”
Tessa’s jaw dropped. “But… I… it’s not…”
“Go wait in my office,” he repeated, his tone becoming more curt and clipped. She realized with a sinking heart that he was actually quite annoyed with her.
Blinking back tears, Tessa went to his office and sat there for three hours while the surgery she should have been assisting Kirk in was conducted. She had plenty of time to think while she was sitting there, to decide whether she should just tell Kirk why she was late. She decided against it. Better to take Kirk’s wrath than to have him discover how much of a mess her life really was.
She was dozing in his office chair when he finally appeared, dressed in his usual clean-cut suit.
“Kirk!” She jumped out of the chair. “I’m really sorry… I…”
He held up his hand. “I don’t want to hear any excuses, Tessa,” he said. “I’m sure you have some kind of reason, but I expect you to deal with your personal life in such a manner that you’re able to manage your professional obligations, understand?”
Tessa clamped her mouth shut. She hadn’t been intending on telling him everything anyway. Now she wasn’t even going to bother trying.
“Yes,” she said softly. “I understand.”
“It’s a pity you missed the surgery today,” he said. “It was quite interesting, the patient had several irregularities that would have been instructive for you to observe.”
Tessa’s heart sank. She felt absolutely awful. She’d let Kirk down, thrown his attention and care in his face really. He was probably completely sick of her by now.
“Would you like to remove me from your team?”
“No,” he said. “What I’m going to do is perform a full physical. I’ve yet to examine you medically, pet. Now is as good a time as any.”
Tessa let out a little whine. She was certain that Kirk’s physical was not going to simply involve a blood pressure check. He had a particularly stern, determined expression, which made her certain that she was going to have trouble sitting once he was done with her.
“I’ve booked a room so we won’t be disturbed,” he informed her, further confirming her suspicions.
The room he had booked for her inspection was one of the private hospital rooms, designed to be fairly sound resistant and very much private. Usually private rooms were well appointed, but the one Kirk took her to was sparse. The pristine white bed got Tessa’s attention first. The head of the bed was raised and there were stirrups at the ready, another ominous sign that this was not going to be a simple medical once-over.
“You spent time organizing this,” she accused.
“Of course, my pet,” he said, swatting her bottom. “I didn’t expect your disciplinary issues to resolve after one or two evenings at my place.”
“This wasn’t really a disciplinary issue,” she tried to argue. “I got held up…”
“Clothes off, and up on the bed, please.”
He wasn’t interested in her reasons or excuses. Tessa glanced at the door to the room. If she just ran out it, maybe she could avoid what she was sure was going to be a very intimately punitive experience.
“Tessa.” He reached out and took her chin between thumb and forefinger. She found herself looking into his eyes, which contained more than disciplinary ardor. They contained care, and warmth, and more besides. She found herself melting against his body with a small sob.
“It wasn’t my fault,” she whimpered against his chest.
“Pet, you are chronically late,” Kirk said, rubbing his hand comfortingly over her back. “That’s something I’m not going to tolerate.” His hands settled on the hem of her top and drew it off over her head in one smooth motion. She stood there as he undressed her, his fingers adept at
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