“Call me Kate—please.” Returning his smile, she contemplated the handsome young man casually dressed in jeans and a white polo shirt, his ethnicity an amalgam of Singapore’s multicultural Chinese, Malay, and Indian population. “And I apologize. Dominic shouldn’t have called you out so late at night.”
Another moment of shock. Dominic chastised by a woman? Surely a first.
“I told her it wasn’t a problem. Tell her it isn’t, Yash”—Dominic grinned—“or I’ll have to listen to her bitch at me.”
Yash had never seen Dominic acquiesce to a woman. “It’s not a problem,” he replied politely. “Dominic and I have known each other for years.” Often in circumstances that could only be characterized as licentious.
“We met in London.” Dominic turned to his friend. “Probably—what… four, five years ago? Yash was celebrating his medical degree from Cambridge and I was trying to drink the club dry.”
“A memorable night as I recall.” At Dominic’s warning glance, Yash quickly said, “Now how may I help?”
Dominic pointed at the leather bag on Yash’s shoulder. “You brought the shot?”
He nodded. “I have a few routine questions first. Just protocol. There can be side effects with some women.” A short time later, after Kate had answered no to all his queries, Yash explained how the drug worked immediately within the perimeters of a woman’s period, its safety and effectiveness, the duration of its coverage, possible side effects. “Any questions?”
“What does immediate mean?” Kate raised her brows. “Realistically.”
“There’s no rush,” Dominic interposed. “It doesn’t matter.”
Another spike of her brows. “Speak for yourself.”
“Apparently there’s a rush,” Dominic said blandly, turning to Yash. “What kind of time frame are we talking about—hours, minutes?”
“The literature uses the words immediately or right away, and while the drug function is clear, every woman’s reaction varies. In fact, studies show three out of a hundred women get pregnant even while on the drug.”
Those were good percentages. Dominic smiled at Kate. “Your call, babe.”
“Three out of a hundred. Uh-uh, that’s your call.”
He shrugged. “Not a problem.”
“Sure?” A teasing light illuminated the brilliant green of her eyes. “Last chance to escape.”
Christ, Yash thought. He’d seen everything now if Dominic was seriously considering possible fatherhood with this young woman.
Dominic’s smile lit up the room. “Why would I want to escape?”
Yash choked down a gasp.
“Okay then. I’m sure too… I think.” Kate paused, glancing up at Dominic, who was watching her with an indulgent smile. “Yes—yes… let’s do it.” She turned to Yash with a faint grimace. “Is everyone so uncertain?”
With Dominic’s casual reply still bouncing around in his brain, it took him a fraction of a second to answer. And another fraction of a second to figure out how to answer, since Dominic funded his research lab. He didn’t actually have patients.
“Tell her everyone is uncertain, Yash, or she’ll keep quizzing you. Don’t give me that look, babe; you know you overanalyze every goddamn thing.”
Kate’s brows rose. “Yash can answer for himself, Dominic.”
“It’s a big decision.” Yash replied, tamping down his surprise at this situation. “You’re not alone in wanting to be sure.”
“There. See?” Dominic turned to Yash and gave him a nod of thanks. “So now what, Doctor?”
Yash directed his attention to Kate. “If you’d like to roll up your sleeve, I’ll get the syringe.”
“Let me do that for you, baby.” Dominic quickly closed the small distance to the bed. “Hold out your arm.”
“Dominic, for heaven’s sake. I can roll up my own sleeve.”
“I didn’t say you couldn’t. Let me help though, okay? Shots can be a bitch. Speaking of which,” he added, turning back to the doctor as he shoved the blue silk sleeve aside and held it out of the way. “Will Katherine’s arm be sore?”
“It’s hard to say.” Yash held the syringe up. “Shots affect people differently.”
Dominic frowned. “Maybe you should stay till morning. Just in case.”
“If you like—certainly.”
“Really, Dominic, don’t make him waste his night. It’s only a shot. I’ll be fine.”
“Why take a chance? Yash doesn’t mind.” Dominic gave the doctor a significant look not open to interpretation. “Tan will take care of you. Have that single malt you like for a nightcap. Now shut your eyes, baby. Here we go.”
Afterward, Dominic walked with Yash out into the hall.
“I may need you stateside for a week or so,” Dominic said. “Will your schedule allow?”
“Sure. Although if you’re worried about the lady’s reaction to the shot, you needn’t be.”
“Good. It’s not that though.” Dominic took Yash’s arm and moved him away from the door. “Leo and Danny are coming in from Hong Kong. They should be here in a couple hours. There’s a possibility the Balkan mafia are in town looking for Katherine.”
Another moment of shock. Dominic chastised by a woman? Surely a first.
“I told her it wasn’t a problem. Tell her it isn’t, Yash”—Dominic grinned—“or I’ll have to listen to her bitch at me.”
Yash had never seen Dominic acquiesce to a woman. “It’s not a problem,” he replied politely. “Dominic and I have known each other for years.” Often in circumstances that could only be characterized as licentious.
“We met in London.” Dominic turned to his friend. “Probably—what… four, five years ago? Yash was celebrating his medical degree from Cambridge and I was trying to drink the club dry.”
“A memorable night as I recall.” At Dominic’s warning glance, Yash quickly said, “Now how may I help?”
Dominic pointed at the leather bag on Yash’s shoulder. “You brought the shot?”
He nodded. “I have a few routine questions first. Just protocol. There can be side effects with some women.” A short time later, after Kate had answered no to all his queries, Yash explained how the drug worked immediately within the perimeters of a woman’s period, its safety and effectiveness, the duration of its coverage, possible side effects. “Any questions?”
“What does immediate mean?” Kate raised her brows. “Realistically.”
“There’s no rush,” Dominic interposed. “It doesn’t matter.”
Another spike of her brows. “Speak for yourself.”
“Apparently there’s a rush,” Dominic said blandly, turning to Yash. “What kind of time frame are we talking about—hours, minutes?”
“The literature uses the words immediately or right away, and while the drug function is clear, every woman’s reaction varies. In fact, studies show three out of a hundred women get pregnant even while on the drug.”
Those were good percentages. Dominic smiled at Kate. “Your call, babe.”
“Three out of a hundred. Uh-uh, that’s your call.”
He shrugged. “Not a problem.”
“Sure?” A teasing light illuminated the brilliant green of her eyes. “Last chance to escape.”
Christ, Yash thought. He’d seen everything now if Dominic was seriously considering possible fatherhood with this young woman.
Dominic’s smile lit up the room. “Why would I want to escape?”
Yash choked down a gasp.
“Okay then. I’m sure too… I think.” Kate paused, glancing up at Dominic, who was watching her with an indulgent smile. “Yes—yes… let’s do it.” She turned to Yash with a faint grimace. “Is everyone so uncertain?”
With Dominic’s casual reply still bouncing around in his brain, it took him a fraction of a second to answer. And another fraction of a second to figure out how to answer, since Dominic funded his research lab. He didn’t actually have patients.
“Tell her everyone is uncertain, Yash, or she’ll keep quizzing you. Don’t give me that look, babe; you know you overanalyze every goddamn thing.”
Kate’s brows rose. “Yash can answer for himself, Dominic.”
“It’s a big decision.” Yash replied, tamping down his surprise at this situation. “You’re not alone in wanting to be sure.”
“There. See?” Dominic turned to Yash and gave him a nod of thanks. “So now what, Doctor?”
Yash directed his attention to Kate. “If you’d like to roll up your sleeve, I’ll get the syringe.”
“Let me do that for you, baby.” Dominic quickly closed the small distance to the bed. “Hold out your arm.”
“Dominic, for heaven’s sake. I can roll up my own sleeve.”
“I didn’t say you couldn’t. Let me help though, okay? Shots can be a bitch. Speaking of which,” he added, turning back to the doctor as he shoved the blue silk sleeve aside and held it out of the way. “Will Katherine’s arm be sore?”
“It’s hard to say.” Yash held the syringe up. “Shots affect people differently.”
Dominic frowned. “Maybe you should stay till morning. Just in case.”
“If you like—certainly.”
“Really, Dominic, don’t make him waste his night. It’s only a shot. I’ll be fine.”
“Why take a chance? Yash doesn’t mind.” Dominic gave the doctor a significant look not open to interpretation. “Tan will take care of you. Have that single malt you like for a nightcap. Now shut your eyes, baby. Here we go.”
Afterward, Dominic walked with Yash out into the hall.
“I may need you stateside for a week or so,” Dominic said. “Will your schedule allow?”
“Sure. Although if you’re worried about the lady’s reaction to the shot, you needn’t be.”
“Good. It’s not that though.” Dominic took Yash’s arm and moved him away from the door. “Leo and Danny are coming in from Hong Kong. They should be here in a couple hours. There’s a possibility the Balkan mafia are in town looking for Katherine.”
