Darling Little LeeLee (Doctor Darling’s Clinic #2)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Everleigh

After a long, busy day at work, I wanted to be anywhere other than where I currently was. My tub sang to me from all the way across town. I wanted nothing more than to sink into blissful relaxation with fragrant bubbles, dim lighting and soft music.

Instead, I was stuck in an emergency office meeting at the clinic, seated in one of our many lounges with a handful of staff, including several doctors, nurses and our office manager.

Dr. Ronnie Darling, the owner of the clinic, sat at the head of the table. At the other end sat our nemesis, Ms. Higgleforth. Calling her our nemesis was, admittedly, a little dramatic, but she had yet to smile and didn’t appear cordial in any fashion. Her gray hair was pulled into a tight bun and her clothing was rumpled and oversized. And she was questioning every single aspect of our clinic.

The doctors and office manager spoke the most. They explained shift times, extracurricular activities that were not billed, and extended hours on holidays and weekends. I had been asked about the events we held once a week to welcome new patients. Otherwise I didn’t say much. We also had a different craft or event each weekend, but I didn’t go into the nitty-gritty details. Ms. ‘Wigglesherbottom’ wouldn’t understand the community we built. She couldn’t unless she got to know us and saw what we did firsthand. Dr. Darling—or Ronnie as I often called him—attempted to satisfy her intrusive inquiries by mentioning what he likely thought she wanted to hear. He batted every retort back like they were playing tennis.

All I wanted was for him to call ‘game, set, match’ so we could all go home.

Ms. ‘Sqigglebackwards’—I was amusing myself by coming up with new names for her—accusing us of insurance fraud and refusing to tell Ronnie what the actual purpose for her visit was. I kept giving her ridiculous names in my head to pass the time. It wasn’t nice, but she was rude.

Ronnie leaned forward, steepling his fingers. “For the last time, we are a non-profit. We bill the same amount of money whether a patient is paying through an insurance company or out of pocket.”

“Preposterous!” Ms. Higgleforth sputtered, adjusting her spectacles on her pointy nose for the fourteenth time in the past hour. I knew it was the fourteenth time because I’d been making a tally mark in my notebook every time she did.

“Madame–”

She interrupted Ronnie before he could get any further. “As I stated before, I was sent by a third-party company to conduct an internal audit. I intend to do my job.”

“Do you know what internal means to a bunch of physicians?” I deadpanned. Though it was a serious conversation, the smirk I’d been fighting twitched as I spoke. Higgleforth regarded me with an icy stare, her gray eyes formidable as she glanced in my direction.

“It means these physicians will comply. Otherwise, we will shut this entire operation down.”

She said the word physicians as if someone had poisoned her.

Gulping, I shot Ronnie an apologetic grimace. I hadn’t meant to be a smartass. It was well past the time I usually left for the night which meant exhaustion and hunger were seeping into my brain and stomach. I also didn’t love the way she emphasized the word physician . Did she think we were offering bogus medical advice? Sure, we catered to some very specific needs, but nothing foul was occurring inside these walls. We ensured every guest was medically and mentally sound, sometimes in unorthodox ways. All of our procedures were real. We had our own lab send out tests along with diagnostic equipment onsite. Occasionally, we had to refer our guests for highly specialized procedures or tests.

It was true we didn’t function exactly like a standard doctor’s office, but I’d argue that we ran it better. Ronnie personally invited every staff member. The hiring process was in accordance with strict professional guidelines. There were some additional clinic guidelines and specific rules. We all also took very basic BDSM courses—to understand the dynamic, not to discuss kinky scenes. It was important for us to be able to counsel a guest if needed. Our staff was filled with compassionate and professional physicians, specialists, dieticians, nurses, and mental health professionals.

The clinic was my home away from home. I refused to sit idly by and allow this terrible woman to destroy what had been so lovingly built. My great-aunt had been one of the first nurses employed by the first Dr. Darling back in the nineteen fifties. When she was alive, she’d spoken about the environment and care being a top priority. That all of us were here after hours discussing things most people were not privy to gave me pause. Glancing around the table, I realized the others surrounding me had likely been hand-picked by Ronnie. It was almost a board of directors without any fancy titles. We’d all been with the clinic for varying amounts of time. If you added the total combined years of experience, it equaled three decades or more.

The clinic was the only place I’d ever felt truly comfortable.

“Give me a list of the documents you need.” Ronnie returned the focus to him. “You’ll have my reply by the end of the business week. If there is anything unsavory or questionable, I will be contacting a lawyer.”

“There is nothing unsavory other than your business practices.”

His jaw clenched and released. “Kindly show yourself out, Ms. Higgleforth.”

“It doesn’t appear that you are taking this matter seriously, Dr. Shepard.”

I raised both of my eyebrows. No one called Ronnie by his real last name. I glanced around the table and saw a few shocked faces. Being referred to as ‘Dr. Darling’ was a right of passage when you became the owner of the clinic.

Something with this whole thing wasn’t sitting right with me, and I had the distinct impression Ronnie felt the same. Was there something bigger being thrown at us? Something more than just an audit? I had no doubt Ronnie had checked her credentials before agreeing to a sit-down with her, but something about this whole thing just rubbed me the wrong way. I didn’t like her demeanor any more than I approved of her tone.

Ronnie leveled her with a sharp glare. “Inside this building, I am and will only be referred to as Dr. Darling. I’ve allowed you access to my clinic, gathered my most trusted employees, and given you the gift of my time. If your concerns are billing and nothing more, then send me your requests and I’ll get back to you.”

Ms. Higgleforth lifted her glasses off, slipping them into a case before tucking them into a large briefcase. Standing to her full height, she huffed. “There have been numerous complaints from the community in my town.”

“Our town,” Ronnie corrected.

“My company is obligated to get to the bottom of the matter. I suggest you get your affairs in order sooner rather than later. Investigations of this size can be costly.”

Pushing his chair out, Ronnie buttoned his suit jacket as he stood. “Are you threatening me, madam? This is the first time you mentioned an investigation. Kindly elaborate.”

She hugged her briefcase to her chest. “I will send you the list and expect those reports to be faxed to me posthaste, Dr. Shepard.”

“I’ll escort you out myself,” Dr. Leo Callahan, Ronnie’s best friend and a brilliant doctor, offered in a rich, provocative tone.

It could be argued everything he said within earshot sounded provocative to me. Polished. Well-dressed. Devastatingly handsome. Dr. Callahan was the youngest doctor on our staff. Not that his age mattered since his skills were unmatched. Leo had the uncanny ability to easily diagnose diseases—ones that frequently took years of expensive and extensive testing—right out of the gate. His passion for medicine and his brilliant mind made him one of the most highly sought-after physicians at our practice. Despite the serious situation, my gaze was drawn to him the second he spoke, and I found myself staring. We were friends but I’d been harboring a secret crush for a while.

Everything he wore fit like it was tailor-made for him. From his black dress slacks to the crisp white dress shirt and lavender tie, he looked like a model.

It wasn’t the time or even the place, but looking at him now had me drawing up old familiar fantasies. I thought about him bending me over the table and added time with my battery-operated boyfriend to my list of needs.

Chewing on my thumbnail, I stared at him, but he caught me. A flirty smirk played on his lips. Leo raised an eyebrow as he got to his feet.

Pull yourself together.

My brain didn’t listen. Leo starred in all of my nighttime fantasies. I was crushing so hard. Maybe it wasn’t as much of a secret as I thought since my cheeks were likely pink.

“I’ll go with you,” I offered.

I slid my chair away from the table and followed him to the door with Ms. Higgleforth waddling behind us. She looked like she needed a good pair of orthopedic shoes. I bet her feet hurt from carrying around the weight of the world all day. She was likely not a bad person and probably not out to get us.

Or, maybe she was.

Leo chatted politely as he led her to the exit. Her icy exterior softened a little. I wasn’t surprised though. All of the doctors I worked with had a generous amount of charm up their sleeves. Charisma helped when you were dealing with stubborn guests and Leo trumped everyone in that department—except for maybe Ronnie. The two of them were equally matched there.

Closing the door behind the formidable Ms. Higgleforth, Leo turned around. I didn’t move fast enough and he bumped straight into me. He stood at six-foot-one, only half a foot taller than me, but today I felt even smaller.

I rubbed my hands across his muscled abs and tried not to ogle. It was an accident but now I longed to peek underneath his shirt, appropriate or not! Others constantly crowded my personal space, but this was something else. His look of concern made me want to throw my arms around him. Then I’d beg him to tell me that everything was going to work out. That our clinic would be fine.

“Are you okay, Everleigh?”

His honeyed tone skated along my skin as if he’d touched me. I was a tough-as-nails nurse who’d been taking care of others my whole life. That awful woman wasn’t in front of us any longer. But it didn’t matter. None of it mattered. I’d allowed cracks to break through my strong exterior for the past few months. I wasn’t sleeping well or taking care of myself lately. Swallowing hard, I finally shook my head.

“I need hot cocoa, and a bath, and a spanking.”

Oh no ! I didn’t say that last part out loud, did I?

Yes, yes I did. Mortified, I forced a step backward and then beelined for the door.

“You don’t have your things.”

Leo grabbed my hand but I twisted it out of his reach, like a toddler manipulating their body when they didn’t want to put their coat on to go outside.

Pushing my weight against the door with my hip, I opened it easily. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”

“Everleigh.”

Hurrying outside into the cool air, I sprinted across the parking lot. Leo called across the distance but I ignored him and focused on unlocking my car with the extra key I kept in my pocket in case of emergency. This qualified. I needed to get away from the handsome doctor more than I needed my things.

My stomach sank as I realized he would probably tell Ronnie what happened. I was spiraling.

He works in a Little clinic, Leelee !

I knew that. I knew Leo wouldn’t judge me. However, Leo was so easy to talk to and if I started babbling to him about personal things, I’d never stop.

Getting into my car, I let out a breath and started the engine. My last relationship had ended over a year ago. Jett had been a wonderful partner to me, my Dominant and a pretty good Daddy until he stopped caring about everything. Unfortunately, as it turned out, the only thing Jett loved was his addictions. Women. Gambling. Alcohol. He’d masked a lot of the issues but his demons eventually reared their ugly heads. It caused our relationship to crumble and we broke up. I hadn’t been ready to jump right into a new relationship and maybe I still wasn’t. But Leo certainly made me wish I was.

Leo

Flabbergasted by Everleigh’s outburst, I stood in the doorway for a moment. It was no secret that our clinic catered to a different clientele. Though I didn’t know if she was Little or at least submissive, Everleigh seemed to be interested in the lifestyle. Most of the people who worked at the clinic were, even if we didn’t typically discuss it. Strolling past several of my coworkers who’d stayed late for the impromptu meeting, I waved politely. Returning to the lounge, I saw Ronnie leaning against the table. Frustration and anger laced his features. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, but I’m irritated by this whole mess. I don’t like surprises.” He glanced at the spot where Everleigh had been sitting; her water bottle was still there. “Where’s our favorite nurse?”

“She ran out of the clinic like her shoes were on fire.”

Ronnie rubbed his chin, deep in thought. “She’s been all out of sorts.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose and racked my brain. “The meeting didn’t help her current state of mind. At least I’m guessing it didn’t, but I don’t know her like you do.”

“Yes, you do. You’re always on your lunch breaks together.”

“Well, we don’t get overly personal.”

“You’ve been friends since you started here. I think she likes you more than that.”

“What?”

Chuckling, he shook his head. “You’re not oblivious, Leo.”

No, I wasn’t. I’d certainly noticed the way her cheeks flushed whenever she said hello to me, and we often spent lunchtime together. We made a point of talking every day, and sometimes we spent hours in the parking lot after the office shut down.

Despite my inkling, it wasn’t appropriate for me to approach her personally. At least not according to the clinic’s employee policy handbook.

“We work together. You don’t mix the two.” I stated the obvious. “Besides, I didn’t have anything to do with her reaction.”

“You’re friends,” Ronnie repeated. “What did Everleigh say before she left?”

If she had some sort of crush on me, then I very well could be the reason Everleigh ran off.

Scratch that.

I’d been fairly certain she had been wanting a relationship with me, but I couldn’t do anything unless she brought it up first. Everleigh wouldn’t get embarrassed just by sharing. It wasn’t like she wanted me to do those things for her.

Or did she?

I joined him at the table. “Everleigh said she needed a hot bath, hot cocoa, and a spanking.”

“Sounds like a pretty fantastic plan to me. You could bring her personal belongings to her house. What happens after that is between the two of you.” Ronnie waggled his eyebrows.

He had to know more than he was hinting at. Dating could be a recipe for disaster.

“Uh-huh. Perfectly reasonable.” I rolled my eyes.

Ronnie shoved my upper arm in retaliation. He was stronger than me but I’d taken different types of mixed martial arts through the years. We used to spar at the gym after work to relieve stress when we worked at the hospital together. Ronnie and I had been through thick and thin. No matter what, he always had my back. I used to get a lot of flak at the hospital—somehow my looks trumped my knowledge. People always assumed I was nothing but a pretty-boy doctor who had his head in the clouds. When I’d been selected to be included in the hospital’s ad campaigns the ribbing became worse. My colleagues there barely respected me, other than a few who actually took the time to get to know me. Ronnie fought for me more than once.

“Her purse is in her locker. You should bring it back since her wallet is in there. It’s a bad idea to drive without a license,” he said matter-of-factly. “She’s done it once already.”

He had a good point, but still… “If this goes sideways, you owe me.”

He nodded, then listed off all the things he’d already done for me. “Inviting you to work here, getting you a fantastic real estate agent who in turn found a great deal on your house, pointing you in Everleigh’s direction. Such a terrible friend I am.”

He had done all of those things, and more. I’d been ready to quit the hospital before he showed up. Quite possibly ready to leave medicine altogether. Ronnie had given me a fantastic opportunity when he invited me to come work for him at the clinic.

The truth was I was the one who owed him.

No one in my life ever went to bat for me. I shoved him back, but he was laughing. I swore he was the older brother I’d always wished for. “Shut up.”

“I’m spitting facts.”

“Fine, fine. I owe you one.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I mean it, Ronnie. Thank you for everything. I don’t say it often enough.”

“Don’t you dare get sentimental on me.”

We straightened and he grabbed his laptop case from the table. He looked as stressed out as Everleigh had before she raced out into the parking lot.

“I have a feeling we have a fight coming to us, Ronnie. I can’t put my finger on it, but I don’t like the way the meeting ended.”

“I think you’re right,” he agreed. “Ms. Higgleforth can’t possibly have a leg to stand on. We’ve kept impeccable records. I know there aren’t complaints about us since we have been a cornerstone of this community since the fifties. At least not enough to warrant an investigation. But, I can’t shake it.”

“Everyone says you’ve brought more heart to the clinic than anyone else. You genuinely care about your staff as much as our guests. One fight isn’t going to end what we’ve all worked so hard for.”

“You’re going to make me get all mushy.” His voice caught in his throat. “I won’t waver in my resolve to fix this issue, no matter what happens. Still, hearing how you feel means a lot to me.”

“I appreciate you.”

“Quit it. I’ve had an exceptionally long day and if you make me cry, I’ll be furious.”

Razzing on Ronnie was one of my favorite pastimes but seeing him touched emotionally was the icing on the cake. “I won this round.”

“Just this one.”

The silence stretched between us and I needed to bring it back around to the original topic of conversation. I took a deep breath. “I’d never do anything inappropriate with Everleigh.”

“If I didn’t think you and Everleigh could become something special, I wouldn’t advocate for it. I care about the both of you too much to encourage something between you if I don’t think it has long-term potential. As long as it’s consensual and she’s the one to initiate it then you have my blessing.”

I slapped his shoulder—harder than just a pat. He returned the motion, nearly knocking me sideways.

“You win that one, but I’ll get you back someday.”

“Whatever, man. I could twirl you over my head with one hand.”

“I might enjoy that, Ronnie,” I teased back as I grabbed Everleigh’s water bottle. “I’ve got all sorts of knots in my lower back.”

“Oh yeah? I know a certain blonde-haired nurse who’s amazing at giving massages.”

“If what you’re hinting at is true, Everleigh would rather avoid me than have anyone thinking she’s crushing on me.”’

“Huh. You are smart.”

“Whatever, man. Have a good night.”

“You too.”

I waved to him before striding into the hallway and to the women’s locker room. I was pretty sure everyone else had gone home for the day, but just in case, I knocked once before entering. I found Everleigh’s locker decorated with butterflies, dragonflies, fairies, and sparkly hearts. Leelee was spelled out in big, scripted letters. I couldn’t recall anyone saying her nickname out loud at work. It could be the name she used when she was in a Little mindset.

No, I wouldn’t jump to that assumption without more to go on. Gathering her purse, I looked inside only to make sure her wallet was there.

Tucking her things under my arm, I second-guessed myself once more before heading out.

Hopefully, Everleigh wouldn’t find my visit intrusive. I planned on helping her relax and nothing more. Well, I hoped she might let me check off some of the things on her list of ways to unwind, but being able to do that wasn’t a given. Somehow, I needed to show my interest while allowing her to make the first move, if she wanted to. It was against my nature to let someone else take the lead. I pursued my relationships, not the other way around. However, I had to cave to the rulebook I’d signed and agreed to when I joined the clinic. Securing a job was easy. Convincing a stubborn little nurse who was overworked and emotional that I could be her Daddy? Not so easy. But I was up for the challenge.