On a more serious note, yes. I think something might become of this down the line. I see you two dating for years, eventually.

ALSO—Since you mentioned Manhattan Medical, I’m attaching an internal memo that went out earlier this week. I know you’re enjoying Park Avenue Wellness, but if you’re the slightest bit tempted, read this. (If not, delete it.)

—Shan-Shan

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: ‘Dirty Doctor’ sent me flowers today.

I won’t need to read it, but thank you for sending it to me anyway. :-)

I’ll call you on my lunch break.

—Natalie

THE RESIDENT

New York, New York

Natalie

So much for that...

I hate that I ever started to really, truly like this man ...

It took all of a few weeks for Dr. Ashton to ruin all my memories of what he’d done to me in the exam room, along with all the random sweet things he’d done for me. The scenes of him giving me back to back orgasms with nothing more than his tongue were now erased by the way he’d come into work for the past couple days this week.

He was back to being an unhinged, psycho-boss and treating me terribly for no reason at all.

The office partition had reappeared between our spaces, the bookshelves were next to me once more — brimming with files, and when I asked him why he was doing this again, he simply blew up on me.

As he talked on the phone to what sounded like an angry patient, I pulled up Manhattan Medical’s website and logged into their employee portal.

I’d finally opened that internal memo Shannon emailed me and realized it was probably fate trying to send me a message. It was a Human Resources message that revealed that two residents had been fired last month for recklessness, and the hospital was looking to quickly replace them without much fanfare or attention.

I opened my drawer and pulled out my resume, hoping for a miracle that I would be accepted again. And if I didn’t get accepted, I was going to apply to other places and hope for transfer options with the new semester.

Falling in love with Park Avenue Wellness — hectic days aside, wasn’t enough for me to constantly put up with Dr. Ashton’s hot and cold behavior. Amazing tongue or not.

“Dr. Madison?” He called my name once he hung up the phone. “Dr. Madison?”

I pulled out my phone and sent him an email.

Subject: Yes?

What can I help you with today, Dr. Jekyll/Hyde?

—Dr. Madison

He sighed and stood up from his desk, walking over to mine. “We’re not going through that email-only shit again.”

“Aren’t we?” I typed in University of Maryland into the education section. “I told you before that you can’t treat me any type of way and you did it again, for no reason.”

“There is a reason.” His voice was tight. “A very good reason.”

“Then what is it?” I stopped typing and looked up at him. “What could possibly make you think that you could have me screaming your name in that exam room one day and then completely beneath you like trash the next?”

“I’ve told you before, I would never technically have you beneath me,” he said, walking behind my desk. “And to be honest, the reasoning is —” He glanced at my screen, sucking in a harsh breath as the words, “Thank you for filling out part one of the Manhattan Medical Residency application” popped onto my screen in bold.

“You’re applying for other residencies while you’re here?” He sounded angry, but there was a hint of hurt in his voice. “How long have you been doing this behind my back?”

“Just today, when you started being a condescending asshole again.” I gritted my teeth.

“Are you sure it’s just today?”

I didn’t get a chance to answer him before a new email popped onto my screen from Shannon, and I knew there was nothing I could do to prevent him from seeing it.

Subject: Emergency! (Is it now? LOL)

Am I supposed to call your office right now so you can tell Dirty Doctor there’s an emergency you have to tend to or is it in an hour? I can’t remember ...

Let me know ...

—Shan-Shan

“So, you’re a liar as well?” Dr. Ashton clenched his jaw.

“Better than being a psycho who doesn’t know how to treat the smartest resident he’s ever had.”

“You’re also the sexiest resident I’ve ever had, Natalie.” He closed the gap between us. “And that’s the fucking problem.”

“My looks make you treat me bad?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re a therapist and you actually allowed those words to come out of your mouth? Seriously?”

“Natalie —”

“No.” My blood was boiling. “Your reasoning is absolute bullshit. It sounds more like, I like you, Natalie, but I’m just an alpha-asshole who’s too scared to be a gentleman, so I’ll just treat you badly as my way of showing ‘I like you’ whenever it hits me.”

“That’s not it.”

“It’s not?” I tried to step back, but he snaked an arm around my waist and pulled me against his chest. “That doesn’t sound the least bit plausible to you?”

“Not in the slightest.”

“Then why have you consistently brought me, and only me, breakfast and coffee to work every day? Every. Single. Day?”

“We share an office. It’d be rude not to do so.”

“Why have there been random, nightly flower and wine deliveries to my house, then?”

“Maybe I feel bad for breaking the fraternization rules and want to make it up to you.”

“And the handwritten invitation in the mail from you to me?”

“To Per Se?” His expression softened, but it didn’t stay long.

“Yes, to fucking Per Se for four weeks from now because you said you ‘really, really wanted’ a make-up date.” My chest was heaving up and down, and I was on the verge of screaming. “What’s your excuse for that one?”

“I’ve never been stood up a day in my life. I need you to correct it.”

“You know what?” I jerked away from him and headed toward the door, hating that I was beyond wet, that I could clearly see the imprint of his hardened cock through his pants. “Fuck you, Dr. Ashton. Fuck. You.”