Against Doctor's Orders Read online

  Presley laughed. “I couldn’t care less as long as you’re in there with me.”

  “I might never get out.”

  Presley grabbed Harper’s hand and tumbled into the bed. They landed in a tangle of arms and legs, Harper on top. Presley moaned and wrapped her arms around Harper’s shoulders. Her mouth was close to Harper’s ear. “Inside me. Right now. I’ve been thinking about you there all night.”

  Harper pushed up on one arm and slid the other between Presley’s legs, gliding into her in a long, smooth stroke. Presley cried out. Harper’s breath stopped. She thrust, slow and deep. Presley tightened around her, hot and slick. Harper’s heart thundered in her ears, the rush of blood through every cell as primal as the sea crashing to shore. The world condensed to the depths of Presley’s eyes as she filled her, again and again.

  “God,” Presley gasped. Her neck arched and the tendons stood out on her neck. “I can’t…Harper!”

  Deep inside, Harper roared in triumph.

  Presley’s nails bit into her back. The sound of Presley’s pleasure stripped Harper bare and she crashed with her. She groaned, muscles locked as every nerve ignited. She buried her face in the curve of Presley’s shoulder and shuddered as the world disappeared.

  “I thought I’d implode before I got here,” Presley murmured lazily a few minutes later. She stroked Harper’s hair, brushed her fingers over the sweat-dampened skin between her shoulder blades. “I love the way you make me come.”

  Harper feared she wouldn’t be able to make words. She was fried, demolished. “Not…done.”

  “That’s good.” Presley kissed Harper’s throat. “Harper?”

  “Hmm?” Harper raised her head with Herculean effort. Presley was so beautiful she almost got lost in her again. The vulnerable look in Presley’s eyes drew her in. “What, baby?”

  “I love you.”

  Harper stilled. She’d heard the words before, but never like this. Never from the one woman she’d wanted to hear them from with all her heart. “I love you too. Totally out-of-my-mind in love with you.”

  “I want you so much,” Presley whispered, “even though I know it’s a crazy idea.”

  Harper tried to gather her wits. This was important. She needed to do this right. She pushed up on her elbows, kissed Presley, and gently framed her face. “Nothing crazy about us loving each other. It’s the most absolute right thing in the world.”

  “I don’t fit, you know that.”

  “My mother didn’t fit here either when she married my father, but she’s as much a part of this place, and this place of her, as anyone whose family has been here a hundred years. Do you love me enough for a lifetime?”

  “What?” Presley asked faintly. Harper’s eyes burned into hers. Her hands were hot against her face, her body a furnace.

  “Do you love me enough for forever?”

  “Yes,” Presley answered instantly. “God, yes, I do.”

  Harper smiled and the sun burst in her eyes. “Then you fit.”

  “Don’t you want to know about the Rivers?”

  Harper kissed her again. “Yes, but not now, not here. This is ours. Business can wait.”

  “You might feel different—”

  “No.” Harper brushed a thumb over her mouth. “I won’t. I told you that already. I know what you do and why. I understand.”

  “Your father, your family—”

  “I love them, more than almost anything. But you, you’re mine now, and I’m yours. Say yes.”

  Presley caught her breath. “Say yes to what?”

  “Say you’re mine.”

  “I’m yours.” Presley knew it through every inch of her being. Tears trembled on her lashes. She’d never imagined the beauty of belonging like this and knew she would never want for anything as long as she had Harper. “Yes, I’m yours. I love you.”

  “Then say you’ll marry me.”

  “I…” Presley kissed Harper, as demanding and possessive as Harper had been just moments before. “Yes, I will. Of course I will.”

  Harper threw back her head and laughed. “Yes. You will!”

  Laughing too, Presley rolled her over and kissed her throat. Harper stilled as she kept kissing her, down the center of her chest and belly until she lay between her legs. She looked up and watched Harper watching her. “I’ve been thinking about this all night too.”

  “Take your time,” Harper said, her voice husky.

  “Oh, don’t worry, I plan to.” Presley kissed lightly between Harper’s legs, a satisfied purr rising from her throat as Harper twitched. “I’m going to enjoy taking what’s mine.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Harper called the big house a little after six. Her mother answered. “Mama, we need a family meeting.”

  “What time?” Ida said.

  “Breakfast?”

  “Your father’s about to leave for the hospital. Flann is probably on her way there too. Is it important?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then I’ll get them here. Half an hour.”

  “Thanks, Mama.”

  “Are you all right, Harper?”

  “Yes, Mama. I’m perfect.”

  Silence sounded for a few seconds, and Ida said, “Will we need another chair at the table?”

  “Yes.”

  “All right then. Don’t be late.”

  Harper set her cell aside. Presley leaned against the counter in nothing but a half-buttoned, faded blue cotton shirt she’d taken from Harper’s closet. She was drinking a cup of coffee, her hair a loose tangle that looked as if it had been finger-combed a dozen times, her face relaxed and her eyes ever so slightly hazy. Harper chuckled, a swell of contentment so potent overtaking her, her hands shook.

  A crease formed between Presley’s brows. “What’s funny?”

  “You look like you’ve just been fu—”

  “Oh, aren’t you smug.”

  “Uh-huh. I am feeling pretty pleased with myself.”

  Presley set the cup down, unbuttoned Harper’s shirt, and let it drop on the floor. Harper suddenly couldn’t move her lips, her mouth was so dry.

  “Think about that today.” Presley turned and walked toward the back door.

  Harper lunged after her. “Jesus, Presley. You can’t walk out there like that.”

  Presley grinned back over her shoulder. “Who’s going to see me out here?”

  “How about the farmer who’s plowing the field next door?”

  Presley jerked to a stop. “Where?”

  “Just saying there might be someone—”

  “I think I liked you better when you were all broody and quiet.”

  Harper grinned. “Where’s your suitcase?”

  “Backseat.”

  “I’ll get it for you. In a minute.” She grabbed Presley and kissed her. She took her time, tasting her, imprinting the shape of her mouth, the softness of her lips, the playful stroke of her tongue. She absorbed the fullness of her breasts, the hard points of her nipples, the soft curve of her belly and firm length of her thighs. She caressed Presley’s ass, and Presley’s head fell back with a soft moan. Harper’s belly twisted. “I want you again right now.”

  “I want you to take me right now,” Presley gasped. “Do we have time?”

  “Ten minutes.”

  Presley pushed Harper’s hand between her thighs. “Plenty of time.”

  *

  Harper pulled in behind Flannery’s Jeep, turned off the engine, and took Presley’s hand. “How are you doing?”

  Presley shook her head slowly. “I’ve gone into boardrooms where I knew every single person was gunning for me without the slightest hesitation, without the least bit of nerves. The idea of walking into that kitchen fills me with terror.”

  Harper laughed and leaned over to kiss her. “You can handle them.”

  “Seriously, Harper.” Presley rubbed the tops of Harper’s fingers with her thumb. “This matters more to me than any merger, any acquisition, anything I’ve ever accompl
ished. This isn’t just about the Rivers. This is about us.”

  “No, it isn’t,” Harper said. “We’re solid, no matter what you say in there.”

  “I know what your family means to you.” Presley took in the homestead with its stately manor house, the lush green fields, and the wide river beyond the trees. This place was Harper’s touchstone, but the family gathered inside, waiting for them, was the heart from which she drew her strength. “I would never want to come between you and them.”

  “You won’t. I promise.” Harper squeezed her hand. “It would never come to this, but if I had to, I would choose you. Here, anywhere we needed to go to be together. I would choose you.”

  “I’ve gotten rather fond of the country, and of course, there’s Rooster to be considered,” Presley said around the love burning in her chest. The tears pushed forward again.

  “Can’t leave him,” Harper said, brushing the droplets from Presley’s lashes with a thumb.

  “So we’ll be staying.”

  Harper kissed her. “We’ll be staying.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to hear what I have to say about the Rivers first?”

  “It affects the family, we should hear it together.”

  “I love you.” Presley drew a deep breath. “All right, let’s go inside.”

  Harper jumped down and hurried around the front of the truck to take Presley’s arm as she climbed out. She slid her fingers through Presley’s as they walked around to the kitchen. Everyone was there, Edward at the head of the table, Flannery to his left, Carson to his right, Margie next to Carson, Ida at the far end of the table. Two empty chairs remained—one on either side of Ida.

  “I love you,” Harper murmured, let go of her hand, and took the empty chair on her mother’s right next to Flann. Presley glanced at the single remaining chair next to Ida. Every eye was on her.

  “Have you had coffee?” Ida said.

  “I’m fine for now,” Presley said.

  “Then you should sit down.” Ida smiled and the invitation reached her eyes.

  “Thank you.” Presley sat and folded her hands in front of her on the big hickory table. She thought she’d known what she was going to say—she had all the facts and figures lined up, had reviewed all the logic, analyzed the conclusions, formulated everything in terms a layperson could understand. Sitting here at this table, none of those things seemed to matter. She met each expectant gaze and focused on Harper. “I grew up believing success equaled happiness. In my family, success meant winning at business, mostly, but when I was younger it was anything…everything—sports, academics, social distinction. My brother and I competed fiercely.”

  Flannery said, “Sounds like me and Harper.”

  Presley smiled fleetingly. “No, nothing like you and Harper. We weren’t competing to bring out the best in each other, but to gain our parents’ approval. And it seemed that only one of us could ever have that at any given time.”

  No one said anything, but the calm, steady look in Harper’s eyes gave her all the strength she needed.

  “When I first came here, I thought I understood the situation at the Rivers. The hospital is a losing proposition and has been for quite some time. The patient base is geographically scattered, poor, and underinsured. Closing the institution makes fiscal sense.”

  Flann grumbled and Harper elbowed her. Presley kept going—this was her ground, and she ruled it without hesitation.

  “The sooner I was done here, the sooner I could get back to Phoenix and concentrate on my next battle with my brother.” She cleared her throat. “My father is retiring and gave us plenty of notice so we would be able to fight each other for his place. We’ve been doing that for the better part of the last year.” She smiled at Harper and hoped Harper could see how much she loved her. “That’s the only thing I ever wanted—I knew if I could prove that I was worthy, capable of taking his place, I’d have the respect and love I’ve been trying to get my whole life.” She reached across the table and Harper took her hand. “I was wrong, and it took falling in love for me to understand that.”

  After a second, she released Harper’s hand and faced Edward at the head of the table. Edward was watching her, his deep brown eyes calm and appraising. “I’ve reviewed Harper’s proposal, and I assume you and Flannery and Carson have looked it over also. The idea is a good one, but not financially feasible as things stand.”

  A muscle in Edward’s cheek twitched, but he said nothing. He was an observer, like Harper—slow to make a decision until he had all the facts.

  Flann swore.

  “Flannery,” Ida said in a warning tone.

  “Sorry, Mama.”

  “However,” Presley said, still gazing at Edward, “if the Rivers acquired a fairly large infusion of capital to underwrite Harper’s plan and set it in motion to take advantage of the coming fall semester and next round of residents, I think we could arrange for a federal subsidy to help bolster the hospital almost immediately. That would ease the burden going forward.”

  Flann said, “I think we’ve already determined there’s nowhere to get the money.”

  “Flann,” Harper snapped, “do you think you could shut up and let her finish?”

  “Do you think you could make me?”

  “Enough,” Ida said quietly, “the both of you.”

  “Sorry, Mama,” they said in unison.

  Presley said, “SunView plans to sell the emergency room to a group of private investors. The proceeds will support the establishment of Harper’s community medicine program. With the federal training subsidy and some hardball with the insurance carriers, I predict we will bring our bottom line into an acceptable range within five years.”

  “Sell the emergency room,” Flann said. “How can you even do that?”

  “Actually, it’s fairly common. St. Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan, for example, just reopened the emergency room as a private facility, as have a number of medical centers elsewhere. Private-sector investors are eager to put their money into acute-care facilities where reimbursement is high and patient turnover rapid. Because the Rivers is physically associated with the emergency room, our direct admissions will benefit. As part of building the acute-care network, SunView will be purchasing a number of urgent care facilities, essentially creating a wide net from which to refer patients.”

  Flann frowned. “That’s a big investment on SunView’s part. How exactly did you sell this?”

  “The plan will make money.”

  Carson said quietly, “If it all works, but there is considerable risk.”

  “Yes, but with risk comes the possibility of considerable profit.”

  Harper leaned forward. “How did you do it?”

  Presley shrugged. “I told Preston he could have my father’s seat with my support if he voted with me on this proposal.”

  “No,” Harper said. “There must be another way.”

  “Harper,” Presley said gently. “You’re a wonderful doctor, but you don’t know anything about business.”

  “I might not know anything about business, but I know what it means to give up a dream.”

  “It wasn’t a dream, it was an illusion.” Presley smiled. “Besides, as part of the package, Preston has guaranteed my autonomy—in writing. I’m going to control all of SunView’s interests on the Eastern Seaboard. I’ll have plenty to do to keep me busy.”

  Edward said, “How will we staff the emergency room?”

  “The new corporation will hire the necessary physicians. We will need an independent chief of emergency medicine.” She glanced at Flannery. “I understand that the emergency room is now part of the department of surgery, but that will have to change.”

  “Do I get a say in who you hire?”

  “I’ll certainly take your opinion under advisement.”

  “Good enough, then.” Flann paused. “What about Carrie?”

  “I’ll need her if she wants to stay.” She glanced at Harper. “We’ll also need some of t
he local physicians to staff the urgent care centers. That will make the transition easier for their patients and help them into the system. We’ll be bringing in other physicians as well.”

  Edward said, “This gives us a chance to keep the hospital and take care of the patients. We don’t have a choice, but it’s a good solution. We’ll do our part.”

  “I’m sure of it.” Presley leaned back, the tightness between her shoulder blades signaling just how nervous she’d been. “That’s all I have. Does anyone have any questions?”

  “Are you and Harper an item?” Margie asked.

  Harper groaned. “Margie, for crying out loud.”

  Presley gave Margie’s shoulders a quick squeeze. “We most certainly are.”

  Ida rose. “Everyone has work to do. I expect you all back here for dinner so we can celebrate properly.”

  Edward, Flannery, and Carson headed for the door. Harper slid her arm around Presley’s waist and kissed her. “You’re sure?”

  “Totally,” Presley murmured. “I have you. And I’ll have plenty of work to do.”

  “I love you,” Harper said.

  Ida folded her arms across her middle. “I take it you two have finally sorted yourselves out?”

  “We have,” Harper said. “And we’ll be getting married sometime soon.”

  “When were you planning on telling us that?” Ida said.

  Harper laughed. “Dinner?”

  “I suppose that’s soon enough.” Ida filled a coffee mug, handed it to Presley, and kissed her on the cheek. “Welcome to the family.”

  “Thank you.” Presley took the mug and leaned her head on Harper’s shoulder. “There’s no place else I’d rather be.”

  About the Author

  Radclyffe has written over forty-five romance and romantic intrigue novels, dozens of short stories, and, writing as L.L. Raand, has authored a paranormal romance series, The Midnight Hunters.

  She is an eight-time Lambda Literary Award finalist in romance, mystery, and erotica—winning in both romance (Distant Shores, Silent Thunder) and erotica (Erotic Interludes 2: Stolen Moments edited with Stacia Seaman and In Deep Waters 2: Cruising the Strip written with Karin Kallmaker). A member of the Saints and Sinners Literary Hall of Fame, she is also an RWA/FF&P Prism Award winner for Secrets in the Stone, an RWA FTHRW Lories and RWA HODRW winner for Firestorm, an RWA Bean Pot winner for Crossroads, and an RWA Laurel Wreath winner for Blood Hunt. In 2014 she was awarded the Dr. James Duggins Outstanding Mid-Career Novelist Award by the Lambda Literary Foundation.