Paging Dr Scott Read online

  Contents

  About The e-Book You Have Purchased:

  Note from the Publisher

  Dedication

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  About the Author

  Also by Rosina Scott:

  About The e-Book You Have Purchased:

  Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy per device for your own personal reading on your own personal computers or devices. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the South African Copyright Law. Distribution of this ebook, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.”

  Cover Artist: Reese Dante, Photo credit: D.W.S. Photography

  Editor: Liz Bichmann

  Paging Dr Scott © 2012 Rosina Scott

  ISBN # 9781614953920

  Attention Readers: This book uses UK English.

  All rights reserved.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. The Licensed Art Material is being used for illustrative purposes only; any person depicted in the Licensed Art Material, is a model.

  Note from the Publisher

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for your purchase of this title. The authors and staff of Silver Publishing hope you enjoy this read and that we will have a long and happy association together.

  Please remember that the only money authors make from writing comes from the sales of their books. If you like their work, spread the word and tell others about the books, but please refrain from sharing this book in any form.

  Authors depend on sales and sales only to support their families.

  If you see “free shares” offered or cut-rate sales of this title on pirate sites, you can report the offending entry to [email protected].

  Thank you for not pirating our titles.

  Lodewyk Deysel

  Publisher

  Silver Publishing

  http://www.spsilverpublishing.com

  Dedication

  For Kim

  Without whom this book would have never come about.

  She always believed in Darcy and Sheridan's story.

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Le Gavroche: Le Gavroche Limited

  Men's Health: Rodale Inc.

  Narnia: CS Lewis Ltd

  Top Gear: BBC Worldwide Ltd

  Chapter One

  Darcy Reed really hated the nights before his annual medical examinations. They were a requirement of working for the police, and his family history of diabetes meant he had to go for regular blood tests. He never got any sleep and going out for a drink was about the only thing that settled his nerves. Just a couple of drinks were all he needed and maybe he might meet someone in the local pub.

  It had been so long since he had actually been out and enjoyed himself, let alone let his guard down enough to let someone into his life, that he feared he was out of practice.

  Would anyone really want him now? Hell, he didn't even know what was popular in the charts these days and to say that his tastes went a bit left field would be an understatement. It's not that he didn't like the rock and pop music; he just preferred musical theatre tracks and people who could actually sing to someone who was going to shout at him in order to get his message across.

  He wasn't over the hill or anything as he was only in his early thirties. He was going to be thirty-three in a couple of months to be exact, but he was out of practise with all this stuff. He'd not been on a date or gone out to get laid since he was twenty-five. That was the last time he remembered being in a real relationship and even that hadn't gone beyond a few quick fumbles in the bathroom at uni and in the cramped bedroom of his parents' house. His one long-term boyfriend, Grant, had left when it became apparent that he really wasn't ready for the next step. It had broken Darcy's heart which is why it had taken him so long to get up the courage to go out to try to meet someone new.

  He really didn't want to be hurt again and putting himself out there was leaving himself open and vulnerable.

  Darcy stood in front of the floor-length mirror wearing nothing but his tight white boxer briefs, biting his lower lip nervously as he considered his reflection. Am I really ready for this? He repositioned himself, feeling his cock throb in his palm. He looked away from the mirror as he reached for a red shirt that would compliment his brown eyes. The deep shade of the silk brought out the honeyed tone of his skin and the red pigments in his hair.

  He knew he was far from unattractive but at the same time men just didn't go for him and they usually didn't hit on him when he was out. Always going for the more striking people in the bars and clubs, they called him cute or geeky, and while that had its own merits, it didn't get him any closer to getting laid.

  Yeah, all the girls wanted to be with him but he just wasn't interested in them. It was the guys he went for; they were the ones that turned him on in the films he had hidden beneath his mattress so his mother wouldn't find them when she came over to clean for him while he was out at work.

  He suspected she knew his tastes went more towards guys, what with all the time he and Grant had spent in his room when he was in his early twenties. However, he had yet to officially come out to his parents, and he would only do that when he was truly ready and had found that special someone.

  He slipped the shirt on and buttoned it slowly, feeling the nervous excitement build in his stomach. He reached for a pair of skinny jeans which would highlight his assets. Maybe they should be a little looser, but at the same time he liked to feel the snug fit. He felt the blush rising up his cheeks when he saw that the jeans left nothing to the imagination. His erection showed through the thin denim.

  Moving away he went to the nightstand to find his aftershave; he really hoped he didn't smell like someone's dad as he didn't have anyone to ask about these things. He knew he liked the way it smelled but whether potential partners would like his choice he wasn't sure.

  He heard the intercom buzz and smiled to himself as he went to answer it. “Hello?”

  “Your taxi is here, Mr Reed.”

  “Thanks. I'll be down in a minute,” he said. After hanging up he returned to the nightstand and grabbed his keys, phone, and his wallet, flicking it open to check if he had a condom with him, just in case. He didn't want to get caught out. He was relieved to see that there was one; he knew it would still be in date, as he checked regularl
y. He probably threw out more than he actually used. The girl at the chemist probably thought he was getting plenty of action; if only that were the case. But he could never be too prepared and he was always conscious of his personal safety.

  He grabbed his black military-style jacket off the coat rack before making his way out of the small flat. After locking the door behind him, he swung the jacket on while slipping into the lift and then punched the button for the ground floor.

  The street was practically deserted apart from the few parked cars which belonged to his neighbours. Darcy didn't have any trouble spotting his taxi at the front of the building as he came out into the night, shivering slightly as the cool air hit him after he left the warmth of the lobby.

  Darcy quickly got into the waiting car and shut the door behind him. “Xplicit please.” The driver knew the club well as he drove Darcy there several times a month so he didn't need to say any more.

  Darcy sat quietly in the back of the taxi and watched the late-night revellers as they made their way into the various clubs and bars en-route to his final destination.

  He shook his head in disbelief as the cab pulled up at a stoplight and he saw the scantily clad girls standing in line waiting to get into one of the clubs more popular with the younger generation.

  With the way they were dressed he wasn't surprised that a lot of these young girls ended up pregnant or worse.

  He also knew from his own past that a lot of these kids wouldn't even be legal, but fake IDs had come on a long way since he was trying to get into bars before being of age.

  The taxi pulled away and passed through the late night traffic; it was several more minutes of silence before they pulled up beside the club, stopping at the designated taxi park. Paying the driver, Darcy thanked him before climbing out onto the sidewalk. He was instantly hit by the chilly air and was glad that he had decided to put his military jacket on; he knew that he'd need it even more when he came out later. The temperature was sure to drop and he didn't plan on getting drunk so the alcohol he consumed while inside would do little to keep him warm later.

  He joined the queue of people waiting to be let into the club, but he knew it wouldn't be too long before he'd be inside. His ID was in his back pocket and he knew the guys on the door as he came here regularly for the atmosphere, although he didn't usually go during the week. Unless he was going for his medical.

  He'd tried a lot of the gay bars and clubs around town but he always found himself coming back to Xplicit, because he could just be himself here and he didn't have to worry too much about someone trying to grope him in the bar. The club had designated areas for intimate encounters and outside of those nothing beyond flirting usually happened without an invitation.

  Darcy had never felt the desire to go into the more private areas, but then again he had never found anyone whom he had wanted to get to know more. Yeah, he always got hit on by the older patrons of the bar, but right now he didn't think he was ready for the next step. When Grant left him, he'd shaken Darcy's confidence. His lover had wanted him to be something he wasn't. He didn't know if the failing of their relationship was due to his own insecurities and his wanting to make sure he was truly ready before he took the plunge and lost his virginity. Or if it was down to Grant's desire to hide who he truly was behind the notions of getting Darcy to dress up as a girl so he could feel comfortable about being with him and at ease with his sexuality.

  Moving up the queue Darcy shivered as he watched the young men and women who were ahead of him, all buzzing with excitement. Some were clearly already under the influence but that wasn't any of his business. Right now he wasn't working and besides it wasn't up to him to police the youth of today, not while he wasn't on duty anyways.

  Although if he saw anything that was going to cause major problems, he would make a note of it, but in all his years coming here, he had never seen anything to report.

  “Hey, Darcy, how are you doing? It's been a while,” the larger of the two doormen said as Darcy reached the front of the queue.

  “Not too bad. Thanks, Mike. You?” he said with a smile as he regarded the blue-eyed blond guy he'd gotten to know over the years. “How are the kids doing?”

  “They're good, thanks. Living with their mother at the moment but I get to see them every weekend. Celina's not making it too difficult anymore. I think she's finally come to terms with the fact that Nick's a part of my life and the kids need their dad. I also don't have to have the social worker watch me while I'm with the kids anymore because they're happy I'm not doing anything that's gonna corrupt or endanger them.” Mike watched the queue behind Darcy, making sure no one was going to cause a fuss because he wasn't letting them in quickly enough.

  “That's good to hear. I'm glad she's finally seen sense. You're looking less stressed now things are beginning to work out for you.” Darcy noticed his friend really did look better than he had the last time he had seen him.

  “Yeah, me too. I'll speak to you later, Darcy. The crowd's beginning to get restless,” Mike said, grinning.

  “You take care of yourself and have a nice night. We'll have to get together some time. I know Nick would love to see you again. Maybe come over for dinner or something to catch up.”

  “Thanks. I'd like that. I'll call you to arrange it when I'm free,” Darcy said as he made his way into the dimly lit bar. He blinked when the smoky atmosphere hit him and made his eyes water. The nervous excitement that had started to build in the taxi was back and it was getting more intense. He could feel the looks on him as he crossed to the bar.

  He wasn't unused to all the attention; he got looks when he was on the street all the time. But in here everyone was looking for a good time, be it just for the evening or on a more permanent basis. He wasn't certain about their intentions, but he'd never know which it was if he didn't give them a chance. He moved to the bar, sat down at one of the unoccupied stools, and waited patiently for the bartender to come across to take his order.

  Darcy must have sat at the bar for about ten minutes before the dark-haired man came over to him. He stopped in front of Darcy and gave him the once-over, grinning as he could most likely see the nervous energy coming off Darcy in waves. “So, what can I get you?”

  “Red wine, please,” Darcy said, feeling slightly uncomfortable as the bartender's gaze lingered that little bit too long. He knew that it was in the staff's nature to flirt and try to make the patrons feel at ease but he wasn't comfortable with this much attention. He was so out of practice and his job really didn't allow him to get out much either. He mostly liaised via telephone and usually just with members of his own team or various organisations to get the information for his cases.

  It was only a few minutes later when his drink appeared in front of him. He really would take it easy tonight. The last time he'd come here before his physical he had woken with the hangover from hell and a taste in his mouth that wouldn't have been out of place had something crawled in and died while he was sleeping.

  Darcy sipped his wine; his eyes roamed the dance floor as he tried to relax. He couldn't help but smile as he watched some of the patrons dancing to the music that he really didn't get, but he knew was the in thing at the moment. He felt so old and out of place as one dance tune blended into another with a mix of synthesized vocals over a heavy drumbeat.

  “Oh, what I would give to have a fraction of their energy,” a sandy-haired man said in a rich and silky voice as he moved to sit on the stool beside him.

  Darcy looked up and smiled softly as he regarded the other man while taking another sip.

  “I don't know where they get the stamina; some of them have been at it for hours.” The man looked wistful.

  “I don't think I've ever been into this as much as some of them. I certainly don't feel I could compete and it's not that long since I was their age,” Darcy said, feeling he had to comment on the man's observations.

  “What's it been, three, maybe four years at the max since you were their age?” the
man asked with a smile as he turned to look at Darcy more intently.

  “Oh, if only. It's more like twelve years plus assuming they're all legal,” Darcy replied and felt himself blush at the compliment.

  “There's no way you're over thirty. I had you pegged for twenty-four, maybe twenty-five.”

  “It's been a while since I was that age. I'll be thirty-three in a couple of months.” Darcy noticed his wine glass was empty and he caught the eye of the bartender. He really needed another drink. God, why am I telling this guy this? I don't know him from Adam.

  “Same again, thanks.”

  “Here, let me buy you a drink. My name's Sheridan,” the older man said, reaching out as Darcy was about to pay for another glass of wine. “Can I get an orange juice as well, please?”

  “Thanks, but you really don't have to do that,” Darcy said, noticing that Sheridan's fingers brushed against his hand lightly where it rested against the bar. He felt the spark of something as their fingers made contact.

  “I don't have to, I know, but I want to. I'd really like to get to know you a little better if you'll let me,” Sheridan told him as he removed his hand.

  Sheridan probably didn't want to overstep his bounds so soon. After all, he didn't even know for certain whether Darcy was gay or not. Most of the clientele of Xplicit were, but you did get the odd one or two people who came just to investigate what it was like in the more flamboyant clubs. “I don't normally do this,” Darcy whispered as he nodded his head subtly, the move causing his bangs to fall into his face, the long, dark strands obscuring his right eye.

  “If it's any consolation, I don't usually hit on people in the main bar. I normally hang around in the back rooms, but the patrons here recently seem to be getting more and more into the dancing than anything else. Not that I advocate sex with random strangers in a less than private location, but you know how it can be. Everyone wants a little spice every now and then,” Sheridan said, leaning in and brushing the bangs away from Darcy's eyes to tuck the silky strands behind his ear.