Innocent Devil’s Harem Ch. 23 (Patreon)

December 13, 2020

DISCLAIMER: All characters engaging in sexual conduct are 18 years or older, and legally permitted to engage in such activities, irrespective of pet names used for each other.

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- CHAPTER 23: Expectations -

Meeting Michelle’s somber gaze was all it took to know that I wouldn’t be capable of being a hardass with her, like I initially thought. Partially, because she didn’t strike me as being someone who was going to be disobedient to my simple requests, but also because she really did feel like a mom, even if she looked so young, making it difficult for me to treat her like I initially did Avery.

Due to how I was raised, I couldn’t help but feel as if I should respect this woman, and ‘know my place’ around her, just like how I’d feel around my own mom.

She looked normal now, disheveled blonde hair and blue eyes, instead of whatever color she’d been when she woke up, still dressed in the hospital gown without a bra. Although, she actually looked healthier than when I first saw her back at the bank.

Not that she’d seemed unhealthy before – far from it – but there was definitely something different now. Was her pale smooth skin more supple? Or maybe it was just because I’d only recently noticed her freckles running across her nose and upper cheeks, which kind of gave her an even more youthful appearance.

When she didn’t say anything, I decided to speak up. “You wanted to see me?” I said quietly.

She nodded hesitantly, glancing at Serenity. “Could we speak alone a moment, sweetie?” she wondered.

Serenity nodded in the corner of my eye. “Sure, I’ll close the curtain and wait outside the door.”

I gave my lifelong friend another quick side hug, and then moved over to the chair more toward the foot of Michelle’s bed, sitting down and taking a deep breath as I focused on her knees. I waited until I heard the door close before speaking.

“How are you feeling?” I whispered, uncertain of how this situation was going to turn out and feeling a little anxious about it.

Michelle took a deep breath and turned her head away, seeming to really think about her response. “You know, my daughter has talked about you almost every day for the past two years.”

I looked up at her in surprise, wondering why she was bringing that up.

She met my gaze then, her expression still sad. “As horrible as this day has been, I wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up viewing it as the best day of her life.”

I frowned, feeling uncertain about her point. “Why do you think that?” I prompted after a few seconds, even though I knew Avery had already said as much previously, prior to me giving her my blood.

She gave me a weak smile. “Because she’s finally a part of your world now, isn’t she? Although, I doubt she had any idea what being a part of your world might look like. I certainly never would have imagined.”

I nodded slowly, realizing she must fully grasp the situation she’d found herself in. She must truly remember what I told her while unconscious, and understood that I was supernatural, and that I’d similarly made both her and her daughter supernatural.

But that also meant she was aware I had some level of control over her, and knew that I could outright control her completely if I really wanted.

I sighed. “And how are you going to view this day?” I wondered. “The worst?”

She grimaced at that and looked away. “I don’t know,” she finally admitted after a second. “I suppose it depends on what you’ll expect of me.”

I sighed heavily and leaned back more in my seat, garnering her attention from the motion, with me assuming that my potential control was her underlying concern.

“Honestly? Not much. I just need you to keep all this to yourself, and probably the biggest way that’ll impact you is your relationship with your husband.” When she grimaced again, I quickly continued. “Not that I’m saying you can’t do normal married stuff. But…” I paused and lowered my voice. “There are certain situations where you’ll end up looking different, and that’ll mean your husband will end up knowing.”

Michelle sighed then. “Sweetie, you can just say sex. I know I’m Avery’s mother, and it probably seems awkward to talk about that subject with me, but I’ve been around a while. It’s not as if I’m going to faint in shock that a young man such as yourself is well versed in the subject.”

Stunned by her brazenness, I had to look away from her, a weird combination of surprise and embarrassment hitting me all at once. However, she must have noticed the gray creeping up my neck a little, because she quickly shifted gears.

“Oh honey, I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t realize you might be avoiding the subject for your own sake. Please forgive me, dear.”

I took a deep breath, trying to shake the feeling off as I felt my skin shifting back to normal. I was too stressed right now by the situation, and really needed to chill out.

“Umm, it’s fine,” I said after a moment. I then cleared my throat, deciding to be blunt. “Anyway, I’m just trying to say that I don’t plan on making you do anything you don’t want to do, and that we just might need to get creative about ensuring your husband stays silent about it too.”

She nodded with a frown. “I appreciate what you’re saying, dear. But it won’t be necessary. Avery’s father and I haven’t been intimate in quite some time, and I certainly have no intentions on being intimate with him ever again.”

My eyes widened in surprise.

Holy fuck, was she serious?

Did that mean Serenity guessed right? Was that why he wasn’t around?

Yet, at the same time, I couldn’t imagine him not at least coming to see his daughter!

What kind of bastard abandons his family like that?

“W-Why is that?” I wondered hesitantly, glancing away, unable to meet her gaze now.

She sighed. “He’s found someone else, and has decided that his new hussy is more important than his wife and daughter.” She scoffed. “Not too surprising, considering the child of a woman is barely older than you are.” She unexpectedly gave me an apologetic expression. “Not that I’m calling you a child, honey. But she really is barely older than my daughter.”

“I-I see,” I replied, feeling awkward to be hearing about their family drama.

She sighed. “But anyway, yes. I understand what you’re saying. We aren’t divorced yet, but if I do get involved with someone, then this new aspect of my life is something to consider.” She paused, her volume dropping. “Or, would you prefer I not…” Her voice trailed off.

But I knew what she was implying – would I prefer she not get in another relationship. And I didn’t really know how to answer her.

I did my best to try to respond anyway. “I mean, I feel like I can’t exactly ask you not to, but this really does need to stay a secret.” I sighed then, meeting her gaze. “I wasn’t going to do it at first,” I admitted. “Change you, that is. But I also couldn’t let Avery go through what Serenity and I went through.” I then sighed. “I know I’ve mostly ignored her for the last two years, but I guess I do kind of care about her.”

Michelle nodded somberly. “I do appreciate it, honey. Even if you did it for her, I’m glad I get to see another day.”

I frowned at that, uncertain if I should try clarifying, instead of letting her assume that was entirely the case.

However, she picked up on the undertones of my expression. “Or is that wrong?” she wondered hesitantly.

“I don’t know,” I replied honestly. “I mean, not wanting her to go through losing you was what prompted me to make the decision, but ultimately I tried so hard for you. Like, maybe it’s because you remind me of my mom, or something,” I hedged, not about to admit my actual perverted thoughts. “But I ended up deciding that I really didn’t want you to die.”

She nodded, her voice sounding a little strained. “Well, either way, I sincerely appreciate it. And while it seems I might not be able to refuse your directions, even if I wanted to, I can promise you that I’ll do my best to do as you wish.”

I gave her a confused look, due to her tone, wondering if she was referring to the fact that she remembered what I told her while she was in the medical coma. Because it kind of sounded like she was implying something else entirely, as if she knew she couldn’t refuse my instructions because she’d already had a related experience.

She responded to my look with a grimace. “I, umm, seem to be very thirsty at the moment,” she admitted quietly.

Oh fuck.

Why hadn’t I thought of that?

I supposed because she seemed fine.

Except that she’d obviously suffered internal damage, including broken ribs, that must have healed, putting a strain on her body.

My tone was urgent now. “You’re saying that my demand earlier is helping you stay under control?” I hissed in a rush. “Does that mean you feel like you might lose control?” I added.

She cleared her throat, appearing ashamed now. “Yes and no, dear. I’m alright at the moment. But my mind felt foggy when I first woke up, and I remember it initially feeling as if the only thing that existed in the world was a really strong smell that was making me so thirsty that it made my body hurt.” She slowly reached up and wrapped her arms around herself at the memory, only having the one IV in her upper arm, which was no longer hooked up to anything. “But I found myself quickly seeing your beautiful gold eyes, remembering your words, and it helped me deny the sensation as I woke up. All of it kind of feels like a dream almost, but I know it’s not.”

I nodded, thankful that speaking to her when she was unconscious actually worked and prevented her from attacking anyone, like Gabriella initially did when she first woke up after receiving my blood. But now that meant we needed to get her out of the hospital as fast as possible, so I could take her hunting.

When I didn’t respond right away, she continued in a whisper. “Honey, if you don’t mind me asking, Serenity still seems to be normal, right? She doesn’t smell the same as you.”

“Umm, yeah. She’s normal right now, but not for long,” I admitted, surprised she could already notice a difference in smell. Michelle’s bright blue eyes widened at my response, prompting me to elaborate. “I only found out recently that I can change people,” I explained. “It was an accident with Gabriella, and Serenity would probably just now be waking up herself, if all this stuff hadn’t happened.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, honey,” she said sincerely.

“Why are you sorry?” I wondered in surprise.

She sighed, holding my gaze. “Well, I’d imagine that making Serenity like you is very important, isn’t it?”

I nodded, realizing she must be apologizing for inconveniencing me. “Umm, yeah, but it’s alright. However, I do want to make that a priority now. Like, after we leave, we’ll likely stop at my house so I can take care of that, and then Gabriella and Avery can watch over her while I get you something to eat.” I paused when she grimaced. “Animals will help the craving you have, if you’re okay with that. And the only reason why you even want it is because you were injured.”

Michelle looked at me in surprise. “You mean, you don’t normally drink…” Her voice trailed off.

I shook my head. “I haven’t my entire life, and the reason why I have recently is because I’ve gotten severely injured a couple of times.” I paused. “But I can explain more about that later, if you want. Probably shouldn’t talk about it here, even if no one can hear us.”

She nodded in agreement, both of us falling silent for a few seconds as I began wondering how we might best get her out of here. I supposed I could try compelling the doctor, since she was female, but I had no way of knowing if my compulsion was permanent – meaning, if it wore off, then the woman might be able to tell people about me, assuming that I transformed to do it.

Alternatively, I might be able to try charming her while I still looked normal, which would be less potent, but also less risky long-term.

Michelle cleared her throat to get my attention. “Umm, sweetie, if you don’t mind me asking…” She hesitated. “And don’t answer this, if now is a bad time to ask. But I’m just wondering what your plans are for my daughter.” When I frowned, she continued quietly. “It’s just, she really likes you, and while I’ve only met your girlfriend once briefly, I sort of got the impression she would be alright with you dating two girls.”

I tried not to gawk at her bluntness, feeling a little confused for a number of reasons.

Granted, it was obvious Michelle realized at this point that I could probably be with them at the same time, and have them both be alright with it due to my influence, but it was almost as if she was giving me the benefit of the doubt and assuming I wouldn’t do that – assuming that I wouldn’t make them.

She was correct, of course, but it was also strange to have her sound as if she was almost hoping that I would be with her daughter too.

Was it because Avery was so obsessed with me and Michelle just wanted her to be happy?

I also wondered if Gabriella was sincerely lusting after Avery at the bank earlier, to the point that it was obvious enough for Michelle to notice. I mean, this woman wasn’t stupid, and that was basically what she was saying, but it was strange that I hadn’t noticed it myself. Then again, I’d been more focused on trying to ignore them, as well as keeping my attention on the nicely dressed guy that showed up shortly after they all began talking.

The asshole who was visually undressing them the whole time.

Taking a deep breath, I realized that I should probably just tell Michelle how it was, which included letting her know about Serenity as well. However, while I knew the mature woman might not be thrilled to discover that I was involved with more women than she even realized, I wasn’t going to apologize for it.

“Yeah, you’re correct,” I admitted bluntly, regarding Gabriella being interested. “Assuming Avery is okay with it, I’ll probably start a relationship with her as well. However, she won’t be the second person I’m with, she’ll be the third.”

Michelle’s eyes widened in sincere surprise, her gaze darting toward the door, which was currently hidden by the pulled curtain.

“Yeah, I’m with her too,” I said simply, assuming she’d figured it out. “We’ve been around each other basically all our lives,” I added. “And I’ve tried to deny the feelings I have for her, but I love her more than anything.”

Michelle shifted her weight slightly in the bed, seeming as if she was trying to compose herself. “I see,” she finally said after a few seconds. “Well, then I’m especially sorry that you had to delay making her like you.”

“It’s alright,” I repeated, wondering if she was truly handling that news as well as she seemed. “But I hope you won’t think badly of us for our relationship. I know that our situation is a bit untraditional, especially since there are already three of us involved, but I really do care about Gabriella and Serenity both, and I’ll be good to Avery too, assuming that’s what she wants.”

Michelle nodded, seeming uncomfortable now, her tone hesitant as she continued. “A-And where do I fit into all this?” she whispered.

I looked at her in surprise, realizing she must really be nervous about me potentially taking advantage of the situation. After all, from her perspective, she’d found herself indebted to a young guy who already had multiple women he intended on being with, and who could clearly make her do anything he wanted.

Fuck, I wondered if this was more stressful for her than she was letting on.

I cleared my throat, glancing away. “Oh, umm, nowhere you don’t want to fit,” I hedged.

She nodded, glancing away as well, her bright blue eyes tight.

I sighed, being well aware that, despite what I secretly wanted, it would be highly unrealistic to expect Avery and her mom to be alright with sharing me. And while I could certainly make them be okay with it, I was afraid I’d feel guilty about it later, especially if the influence I had was irreversible. Which meant, I needed to reassure her that I wasn’t like that.

“I really mean that, Mrs. Copeland. I just want you to keep my secret. And yeah, if you want to get involved with someone else after you divorce your husband, then we’ll probably have to figure out how that’s going to work.” I grimaced, feeling torn between what I wanted and what I felt like was ethical, based on how I’d been raised. “Like, you probably won’t be able to do stuff with a guy unless you’re really serious, and I’ll probably need a way to blackmail him into keeping it a secret, but…” My voice trailed off, growing more and more depressed by the idea of having to deal with that.

Fuck, I really wanted her for myself.

Michelle’s tone was gentle. “We’ll figure it out, honey,” she said reassuringly. “And Michelle is fine. No need to call me Mrs. Copeland. Unfortunately, my last name just reminds me of my husband’s betrayal at this point.” She grimaced. “Nearly twenty years we’ve been together, and now it’s like it meant nothing to him.”

I grimaced as well, giving her an apologetic look, sincerely feeling bad for her. “Sorry. I can’t imagine what he was thinking. I mean, even if he likes younger women, you look much younger than you are, and in many ways you’re even more attractive than Avery.”

Michelle didn’t react at all to my compliment, her expression pained. “Yes, well, you know there’s a saying regarding this subject. Something like, show me the most beautiful woman in the world, and I’ll show you the man who is tired of being with her.” She sighed. “The original phrase is a bit more vulgar than that, but you get the idea.”

I frowned, knowing it was more like, ‘and I’ll show you the man who is tired of fucking her.’

She continued with another sigh. “Of course, not all relationships are like that, and such a saying is only more true for relationships that are primarily based on physical appearance. There are plenty of married couples who grow to love each other even more as time progresses.” Her expression pained again. “Unfortunately, it seems my husband was more interested in my appearance than me.”

“I’m sorry,” I repeated, kind of feeling bad about my compliment now, regarding her being more attractive than her daughter in certain ways. No wonder she wasn’t flattered by it. If anything, being called ‘pretty’ was a sore spot for her right now.

She gave me a confused look. “Why are you sorry, dear?”

I shrugged. “It just sucks,” I replied, only to pause. “And I’m not like that,” I added. “In case you were worried about Avery. The only reason why I’m in this situation is because they are all okay with it.”

Michelle nodded, seeming shocked. “Of course, dear. I wasn’t trying to say anything about you. And honestly, if my husband had approached things differently, then I might have been open to sharing him as well.”

Fuck, was she serious?

She quickly continued. “Of course, I’d never consider such a thing now,” she clarified. “It would be one thing if he only wanted the younger woman in addition to me, but he made his choice.”

I honestly didn’t know what to say to that, sincerely surprised she was suddenly sharing this information with me. But then again, I supposed I’d been the one to bring the subject up.

“Does that surprise you?” she wondered, seeming almost curious now.

I cleared my throat, trying not to think about it too deeply. “Umm, yeah, a little.”

“Mothers and fathers are still people,” she said, sounding amused. “I know we often do as much as we can to shield our children from the things that go on in the world, but just because a couple is married, and has kids, doesn’t mean they don’t necessarily have deviant lifestyles that they conceal.”

No joke about that.

While I was sure it wasn’t as common as she was making it sound like, it seemed as both Gabriella and Avery’s parents either led deviant lifestyles or were at least open to it. Or maybe I was wrong. Maybe it was more common than I thought.

“Anyway,” I said, knowing we should probably change the subject before it became obvious this conversation was affecting my skin. “I guess I’ll try to talk to the doctor and charm her into letting you go.”

“Charm?” Michelle repeated in confusion. “Is that what you call it?”

I cleared my throat. “Umm, well I’d have to look different if I wanted to make herdo it. Whereas, when I look normal my influence isn’t as strong, so charming seems like the more appropriate word.”

She frowned then, nodding once.

“It’s an intentional thing,” I added to reassure her. “Like, I’ve really only done it three or four times in my entire life, and a couple of those times were me just practicing with Serenity.”

Michelle looked shocked. “W-What did you have her do?” she wondered hesitantly.

“Oh, just pushups. We only wanted to see how strong my influence was when I was trying, since I needed to make sure I could guarantee your silence before I saved your life.”

She nodded somberly, not responding.

“Sorry,” I repeated. “It’s not that you’re untrustworthy, but I just didn’t know you well enough to be confident you would keep it to yourself. And this is something that needs to stay a secret. Like, I don’t plan on doing this ever again, for anyone else. So the secret has to stop with you and Avery.”

She looked surprised at that, before shaking her head. “No, it’s alright, dear. I understand. Let’s just focus on getting me out of the hospital, and we can worry about the rest later.”

“Oh.” I paused, realizing she was right – I was wasting too much time. “Yeah, of course,” I agreed, standing up to see if the doctor was around.

Unfortunately, I didn’t hear her, and when I reached the door and asked Serenity, she hadn’t seen the woman either, indicating she might have gone to a different floor.

Going up to the nurse, who was sitting at her desk again behind a raised counter, I decided to practice my charming ability in preparation for the doctor, thankful that I had the cue of her eyes dilating slightly when she met my gaze. And even more so relieved when she just stared up at me, seemingly speechless, as if I was suddenly the hottest guy she’d ever seen.

I mean, I was objectively handsome, but she was looking at me like I was a famous actor she never thought she’d get to meet in person.

“Have you seen the doctor around?” I wondered, leaning forward on the raised counter, trying not to smile when she leaned incrementally forward too, as if she was ready to push herself up to meet my lips if I asked for it.

Her breathing was shallow as she responded, seeming to absentmindedly brush a strand of her dark brown hair off her cheek. “Umm, I think she’s on the second floor below us,” she replied, her lips parting slightly as she held my gaze for what might be considered an awkward amount of time before continuing. “W-Why?” she finally wondered.

“Well, I spoke with Mrs. Copeland and I think she’s about to walk out of here, even if you guys aren’t ready.”

Tracey’s dark blue eyes widened in shock and alarm, but she didn’t avert her gaze. “S-She can’t do that. We need to take the central line out, and the doctor isn’t ready to discharge her.”

“Do you think you could take the central line out?” I wondered curiously.

“Umm, I…I could, I suppose, but…” Her voice trailed off.

“And maybe could you ask the doctor to come up here? I’d like to talk to her, if possible.”

“Yes, I can do that,” Tracey replied adamantly, making it clear she was reluctant to do my first request.

“Would you get in trouble if you took the central line out?” I asked quietly.

She grimaced. “Both the doctor and charge nurse wouldn’t be very happy about it,” she admitted.

I nodded, not wanting to get her in trouble over something like this. “Okay, then please get the doctor up here, and then I assume you can do it if she decides to discharge Mrs. Copeland, correct?”

Tracey nodded adamantly again, seeming much happier with that plan. “Yes.” She paused, reaching over to grab the phone with her left hand, only to meet my gaze again. “I’ll call her right now.” She hesitated again. “Is there…anything else I can do for you?” she asked, sounding hopeful.

“We’ll start with that,” I replied, only to focus on her hand holding the phone – specifically at the engagement ring on it. “Wait, are you engaged?” I wondered out loud, without thinking.

Her eyes abruptly widened, before she quickly switched the phone over to her right hand and hid her left underneath the desk, seeming to forget she’d need her other hand to dial the number for the doctor. “Oh, umm, yes. Sort of.”

Fuck, was my charming ability that powerful?!

Fuck!

I knew some guys might be thrilled with this kind of power, but it made me really uncomfortable, because it reminded me that I was only half-incubus, and the power that a full-blooded incubus wielded might be unimaginably more potent.

Fuck.

I sure as hell hoped karma truly wasn’t a real thing, not that I planned on tempting the bitch anyway.

I was about to respond, only to immediately remember how Serenity reacted to feeling like she’d disappointed me, already seeing a similar fearful look in Tracey’s eyes. I quickly cleared my throat. “Well, that’s good,” I said reassuringly. “I’m very happy for you.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, umm, me too,” she replied uncertainly.

“And I’ll also be very happy when I can speak to Mrs. Copeland’s doctor, if you wouldn’t mind going ahead and calling her.”

The hopefulness in Tracey’s eyes reappeared. “Yes,” she said confidently, bringing her left hand back into sight to dial the number. “I’ll call her now.”

I nodded, giving her a small smile when I heard it begin ringing, the expression prompting Tracey to look like a deer in headlights for a couple of seconds, even after the doctor answered.

“Hello?” the woman said for the third time, causing Tracey to finally clear her throat and focus.

“Oh, umm, this is Tracey. Would you mind coming back up here? It’s about our patient in 309.”

The woman sighed. “Is she trying to leave? If so, then just tell her I’ll be up in a few minutes to discharge her properly. I can then just say I got caught with another patient, or something. Anything to delay her leaving. No doubt she’ll start seizing again soon, and then this nonsense of her leaving will be over.”

Tracey grimaced, looking up at me apologetically. “Umm, actually, someone else needs to talk to you…” She paused, searching my face for any signs of approval as she continued cautiously. “Umm, it might be family,” she lied. “They haven’t said, but maybe you can get them to help you talk some sense into Mrs. Copeland.”

“Oh,” the woman said in surprise. “Okay, I’ll be right up then. Is it a man or woman? Maybe her husband?”

“Man, and maybe,” Tracey replied, looking up at me uncertainly, since obviously she was making up a fictitious person just to get the doctor up here. “Not sure. I’ll try to ask in just a minute. I’m actually with another patient right now.”

“That’s weird,” the doctor replied. “I could have sworn the number was from the landline up there, not your hospital phone.” She then sighed. “Clearly, it’s been a long day already. Anyway, I’ll be right up.”

“Thank you. Bye,” Tracey said, only to hang up and take a deep breath. “Was that okay?” she asked me hesitantly. “I can just tell her the person I was talking about disappeared somewhere. Or that the guy had the wrong room number, or was just on the wrong floor.”

“That was perfect,” I said sincerely. “You got her to come up here, and that was exactly what I needed.”

Tracey sighed in relief, only to smile warmly at me. “Can I do anything else for you?” she asked hopefully. “Anything at all?”

“You’ve done everything I need for now,” I replied, trying to remember to be gentle with how I declined. “But I hope you’ll continue to take care of Mrs. Copeland while she’s your patient, and that you’ll be open to helping again if I need it.”

“Yes, of course,” Tracey agreed adamantly, only to glance to the side. “And the doctor should be coming from that direction,” she added. “She usually uses the stairs.”

“Thank you,” I replied sincerely. “I think I’ll go wait for her.”

Tracey’s expression dropped.

“If that’s alright with you?” I added, shocked by the abrupt change in her demeaner.

“Umm, yes, of course. That’s alright,” she said with an unconvincing smile.

Fuck, this wasn’t good. She looked like she was lovesick now, and I couldn’t help but fear it was permanent. Had I just ruined her for other guys? Had I just ruined her for her fiancé? Would she ever be able to love him the same again?

Fuck.

Tracey was pretty, but not to the extent that I’d want her like I wanted Gabriella and Serenity…or Avery and her mom, for that matter.

And I really didn’t want to ruin things for some random dude, which would just bring more unwanted attention into my life. But then, that meant I had to fix this, in case it was permanent. And if it wasn’t permanent, then it would wear off either way.

But if it was…

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Serenity watching me, but doubted she could hear our conversation with how quiet we were talking. Giving her a small smile, I then faced Tracey again and abruptly leaned more forward, causing the nurse’s eyes to widen as she stared at me like she was desperately hoping for a kiss – a kiss right in public, where random people walking around the corner might see. A kiss that even one of her colleagues might see.

“Hey,” I said gently, giving her a warm smile. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

She nodded, her eyes still wide. “Of course. Anything.”

“It’s regarding you and your fiancé. Have you two already slept together?”

She gulped, looking nervous again. “W-Would that bother you?”

I shook my head. “No, not at all,” I said reassuringly. “I just know that some couples wait until they’re married, though I know it’s kind of rare nowadays.”

She nodded. “Umm, yes. We have, and we do,” she clarified.

I gave her another reassuring smile. “Then I’d like for you to do something for me,” I said, hoping this would really fix the problem. “I want you to fantasize about him for the rest of your shift, though not to the point that it distracts you from your work. And then, when you go home, after you’ve taken a shower and whatever else you usually do, I want you to have passionate sex with him.”

It was bold to say such a thing so bluntly, but she didn’t even blink, only seeming a little shocked that I actually wanted what I’d just requested.

Tracey stared at me in disbelief. “T-That would make you happy?” she asked incredulously.

“That would make me very happy,” I agreed. “Do you think you could do that for me? And not just tonight. I want you to do that from now on.”

She gulped. “O-Okay. Yeah, I can do that,” she agreed.

“Good,” I said warmly, hoping this would really solve the problem of her being permanently charmed by me.

However, just as I stood up straighter, I grimaced when I really considered what it would mean for this to truly be permanent, and what it might mean if this guy broke up with her eventually.

Fuck.

“Oh,” I quickly added. “And if for any reason you two break up, then I’d like you to take your time getting to know the next guy, and if you decide you want to marry someone else, then I want you to treat him the same. Okay?”

She hesitated, before nodding slowly, seeming uncertain.

Fuck, this was more difficult than I imagined, because relationships were too complicated, and I could tell from her hesitation that she wasn’t entirely confident she knew how to fully obey my wishes. I mean, best case and this charming thing would wear off in a few days, maybe a few weeks, but worst case…

I sighed. “Do you have your personal phone on you?” I wondered.

Her eyes widened again, before she nodded. “Yes, it’s right here,” she said, eagerly pulling it out.

“Let me give you my number just in case, but please don’t call me unless you’re having problems doing as I just asked.”

Fuck, someone would probably think I’d just given her the best gift of her life.

“Okay,” she said cheerfully, turning on the screen and getting ready.

I sighed again, quietly rattling off my number under my breath. She then showed it to me, to verify she’d put it in right, and had a big grin on her face as she saved the number.

I cleared my throat. “Only call if you’re sincerely confused about meeting my expectations, okay?” I said seriously. “I won’t be very thrilled if it’s for another reason that isn’t as serious.”

She frowned at that, her grin vanishing as she nodded somberly. “I understand,” she whispered. “And I’ll do as you ask. I’ll have passionate sex with my man for you.” She paused. “But if you ever need anything else, please let me know. Anything at all. Here, I’ll send you a message, so you have my number too.”

I frowned at that, feeling my phone vibrate in my pocket as she sent the shortest message possible – literally, a single letter, before I could decline the offer – and then looked back up at me with a hopeful expression.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I replied gently. “And thank you. I’m going to go wait for the doctor now.”

“Okay,” she whispered, seeming a little down again.

“And don’t forget to think about your fiancé,” I added quietly.

She frowned at that, only to nod, leaning back in her chair and turning her focus on her computer, staring blankly at it, as if all she really wanted to do was think about me.

Fuck.

And to make it worse, she hadn’t been acting lovesick like this earlier. It wasn’t until I intentionally tried to charm her that her behavior went from professional to ‘please take me home with you, even though I’m engaged.’

Sighing, I tried to ignore the realization that I could literally take Tracey to a bathroom, closet, or somewhere else obscure, and fuck her to my heart’s content if I wanted, knowing that would be a bad idea for numerous reasons, even if it felt amazing in the moment.

Instead, I made my way over in the direction she’d previously indicated, pushing my perverted thoughts aside when the female doctor came speed walking around a corner in her white coat like she was on a mission. This woman had blonde hair like Michelle, but she definitely looked more her age, appearing like someone in her mid-forties, maybe even approaching fifty.

“Oh hey,” I said cheerfully to catch her attention, hoping this worked again, while also sincerely worried about what I was doing to these unfortunate strangers. “Can I ask you a question?” I added, as the distance between us narrowed, both relieved and concerned when her brownish-hazel pupils visibly dilated.

Her entire demeanor changed then, slowing down as if whatever pressing issue she was attending to just didn’t matter so much anymore. “Oh, hey,” she replied with wide eyes. “You’re the young man from earlier, aren’t you? I’m afraid I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you yet.”

“Yep,” I affirmed. “And I wanted to thank you for taking such good care of Mrs. Copeland. She’s like a second mom to me.”

The woman blushed at my compliment, seeming to struggle to respond. “Oh, w-well, thank you. Just doing my job.” She paused. “I care about all my patients.”

I took the opportunity to step a little closer, probably too close under normal circumstances, shocked that I enjoyed it when she visibly gulped, not making any motion to take a step back.

If anything, she leaned forward slightly, giving me the urge to wrap my arms around her.

I continued. “And I’m very glad you care so much about them. However, I think Mrs. Copeland is going to be alright, so I was wondering if it would be too much trouble to discharge her appropriately? Otherwise, she might just walk out of here and cause a big scene.”

“Umm, well, it’s just that…” She seemed to struggle for words again.

“I know you’re worried about her,” I said gently. “And I’ll be sure to bring her right back to the hospital if she starts showing signs of needing medical attention again, but I’m afraid she’s really going to walk out, and wouldn’t her leaving in that manner do more harm than good?”

The doctor pursed her lips, seeming pensive as she stared up at me from much too close. “Y-Yes,” she finally agreed after a moment. “I think you’re right. If she’s determined to leave, then it’s best we do it appropriately.” She then sighed, glancing away. “I’m just worried about her, but I suppose it might be best if…” Her voice trailed off.

“Thank you,” I said warmly, garnering her attention again, her eyes widening. “How soon can you get her out of here?”

The woman didn’t answer right away, just staring up at me as if she was a deer in headlights, before taking a shaky breath. “Umm, I’ll make it a priority and have her out of here in the next ten minutes.” She paused, grimacing now. “Is that alright?” she wondered hesitantly.

“That’s perfect,” I whispered, almost wanting to reward her with a kiss. My brow then furrowed, with me being sincerely shocked by my own thoughts, before I refocused on the situation. “Umm, please do as you said, and I’ll be forever grateful.”

“O-Okay,” she whispered in response, not budging at all.

When she didn’t move, I took a step back and motioned a little with my hand to encourage her to proceed as we’d discussed. She immediately gave me an apologetic look and hurried on down the hallway, glancing over her shoulder to see if I was following, seeming relieved when she saw I was.

Fuck.

Deciding it might be best if I just disappeared now before I made the situation any worse for these poor souls, I whispered to Serenity that I’d wait for the two of them on the ground floor by the elevator, prompting a confused look from her, before she nodded in acknowledgement and I did just that.

True to the woman’s word, the doctor must have made the discharge a sincere priority, because Serenity and Michelle were stepping off the elevator barely fifteen minutes later, with Michelle wearing light blue hospital scrubs, since apparently the clothes she’d been wearing previously had been cut off…

Including her bra.

Fuck, Michelle’s huge nipples were visible through her scrubs, the material tight across her busty chest, even despite the lack of support. Really, it was just that the size shirt she was wearing seemed a bit too small for her huge tits, even if the top was a bit too big for her waist.

But either way, the V-shaped collar definitely went way too low to be worn by itself, showing off way too much of her cleavage.

And then there were the scrub pants, which were too tight on her plump ass and upper thighs, seeming like a really loose fit from her knee down. The only thing she had on from earlier was her black flats she’d been wearing at the bank. That, and one of the EMT’s apparently had salvaged her purse, so she had that too – a simple black leather bag, similar in appearance to Serenity’s.

But damn, she kind of looked like a porn star dressed as a doctor in order to make a sex video, with her only missing the white coat to complete the outfit. And I was also able to finally pinpoint one of the things that made her seem much older than Avery, even though she looked so young.

It was her bone structure, with her shoulders and hips both being a tad bit wider and more mature looking, whereas Avery still very much had the thin body of a teenager. That, and Michelle was still slightly taller than her daughter, all of it just giving her more of a motherly appearance.

Yet, at the same time, the line of freckles along her nose and cheeks made it almost seem as if she could be a toddler’s hot mom, or someone’s sexy older friend like people often assumed – not the mother of an eighteen-year-old.

Trying not to focus too heavily on Michelle’s attire, or at the random strangers pausing to gawk like what I’d experienced with Gabriella at the mall, I led the way through the lobby and to the parking garage.

Serenity and Michelle were both quiet the whole way, neither of them speaking up until we were climbing into our blue car.

Serenity handed me the keys to let me drive, and then encouraged Avery’s mom to sit up front, not giving her the chance to oppose for long, since she slid into the backseat. Once Michelle joined me in the passenger’s seat, and I started backing out, we all sighed heavily in relief.

The hard part was over.

Now, I just needed to get home without staring at Michelle’s chest, the seatbelt between her plump tits not helping the cause.

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

Chapter 24 >>

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