“I’m not sure how to take that.”
“I don’t need a title to be committed only to you, but if you wanted to convince me there are perks to a title, I’d be more than happy to agree to one.” He’s smirking at me now, all pretenses of him being serious about this so-called persuasion disappearing with every passing second.
“You know, I don’t respond well to extortion or blackmail. Especially not if it involves using sex to reach a desirable outcome.” I let the comforter fall from my shoulders, contradicting my every word. Playing right alongside him.
“No? Does that mean I need to agree without your persuasion? Maybe work for some forgiveness about my crass, stupid attempt to get sex from you?”
I stretch out on the bed beside him, kicking the rest of the blankets away and smile over at him. “You definitely need to apologize. But that doesn’t get us any further in determining what exactly we are. Does it?”
He reaches across me and hooks his hand over my waist, tugging me closer to him so we are lying face-to-face with very little room between us. “How did you manage to turn this on me, Gorgeous?” His eyes twinkle with delight and he shakes his head.
“I’m just that good.” I throw his words back at him and give him my very own proud and arrogant grin.
“That. You. Are… Girlfriend.”
He doesn’t give me any time to respond, or even digest the title he just threw on us, before he has me on my back with his body hovering over mine, and his lips caressing mine in a gentle, all-consuming kiss.
His touch is featherlight over my skin, moving without a discernible path or intent in mind. He’s showing me a different side of him, reinforcing his words and intent with actions. It feels different, but no less incredible than every other time we’ve had sex, and we haven’t done more than kiss yet.
****
Nate
I hold my body over hers, kissing her again as she reaches out for the protection resting on the nightstand. Her lips seek mine, and I’m all too happy to oblige, kissing her desperately, as though her mouth is the last drop of water in the desert, and I need it to survive.
It’s intense, full of meaning and unspoken words, and perfect. Our bodies have already grown accustomed to each other’s needs, and now we fit and move together like we were made for each other. Her body cushions mine, mine forms around hers, our breaths fall into the same cadence, and we move as one.
She swallows my groan when she reaches between us, starting at my swollen head and slipping the barrier all the way to my base. It does nothing to ease the warmth of her touch, or the perfect amount of pressure she uses when she squeezes and directs me to her body.
Our eyes meet as she guides me into her, controlling the slow pace I fill her with, until there’s no room left between us for her hand.
“Slow?” I kiss her lips and sink in the rest of the way, not rushing, letting her body accept me and clutch around me.
“Mhmm…” She wraps her arms around my shoulders, digging her nails into my back as I bottom out, then start to withdraw again.
“You’re beautiful,” I whisper, kissing along her jaw, finding a new spot with each slow, deliberate thrust back into her. “And strong.” I nuzzle into her neck, kissing certain spots carefully so I don’t leave a mark she can’t easily hide. “And mine.” I raise my head as I slip out of her to the tip, finding her eyes, then repeating myself, “Mine, Dee. My girlfriend.”
Withdrawing one hand from my back, she brings it to my face and cradles my jaw, nodding her head, pulling me back to her. “Your girlfriend.” Our lips are drawn back together like magnets, and our bodies are propelled into a need-filled rhythm.
As the kiss grows deeper, our urgency grows stronger. All thoughts of ownership, gossip, and uncertainty are obliterated by passion and hunger.
I rock into her and she arches up to me. Her pussy starts to contract and release with greater force, and her body starts to flush beneath me.
She’s close.
So am I.
Her knee bends along my hip, opening her up and welcoming me deeper, allowing my pelvis to rub over her heated skin, providing just enough friction to push her the last bit of the way toward the edge and off.
Her head drops back and her chest arches off the bed, neck fully extended before me, an open invitation to plant kisses all across it as she moans out my name.
Watching her come apart beneath me, seeing her unabashedly overtaken by pleasure is so fucking hot. Feeling her response around me, the scent of sex in the air, the sounds of her panting and purring at my hands, and knowing she is mine now, to touch, hold, irritate, and please any time I want has my body tensing and my balls tightening, preparing for the release of a lifetime as I pound into her and draw it out.
“Fuccck, Deeeeee!” Stars, explosions, volcanoes erupting with the hottest most destructive force on the planet hold nothing against my orgasm. It’s a power unlike anything ever seen or felt in the world, and goes on for an eternity as jets of warm ownership expel with the sole purpose of filling her, claiming her as mine.
When my body is spent and empty, I drop down to the bed, sweat soaked and exhausted beside her, pulling her into me so we’re both lying on our sides, facing each other, still connected. “Wow.”
“You can say that again.” Her eyes flutter closed and she rests her head forward on my lips. “What happens now, boyfriend?”
A smile tugs at my lips, and I kiss her forehead. “Now I get myself cleaned up and things disposed of. Then we get a little shut-eye before I show you my shower and make you even dirtier in there so I can very thoroughly clean you after.”
A soft chuckle reverberates against my throat. “But first we sleep.”
“Yes.” I kiss her forehead again, waiting to move until her breathing evens out, and whisper, “Sleep well, Gorgeous.”
Twenty-Seven
Dee
Who knew time could fly by even quicker now than it did before? It’s been three and a half weeks since Nate and I agreed to be more while we were wrapped around each other during a night of mind-blowing sex.
It’s also been three weeks since I’ve had to start walking on pins and needles around the hospital, worried we might confirm any possible suspicion April may have planted in anyone else here. So far, she hasn’t said anything, at least not that we can tell. But I’m not holding my breath she has forgotten or isn’t planning to.
She has been frigid as the Arctic toward me, and she constantly checks over my shoulder and pops in to make sure the work I’m doing with patients is acceptable. She hasn’t undermined me in front of patients since the first day we met, though. I think she got the message loud and clear from Nate, such behavior wouldn’t fly. It hasn’t stopped her from waiting for me outside of patients’ rooms to question and critique though.
I try not to put any stock into her remarks. I know I’m doing right by everyone I see, but it doesn’t help when she does it in earshot of Miranda, or any of our other supervisors. She’s smart though, I know she plans those little attacks out to match with who is on the floor and where they’re at.
As far as Nate has said, she’s been great to work with. She’s been professional, she compliments me when she can, and he thinks I’ve underestimated her ability to be professional and understanding. She even convinced him our secret was safe with her.
It’s caused mild strain and arguments in our blossoming relationship, but I usually drop it, because I have nothing to base my worries on.
Even Bridget seems to think April is actually over things. She does admit, though, April’s actions and words at the restaurant are concerning. She said it could’ve just been shock and a feeling of hurt that made April behave in such a manner. Apparently, April’s crush on Nate wasn’t a very well-kept secret. Everyone knows she liked him, more than just thinking he’s hot.
I’m not sure about it all though.
I am sure, however, I can make it through these next two weeks and complete my probationary p
eriod so any threats she may dole out won’t scare me as much. I’m careful. I’m intentional with my programs. And I have Miranda double and triple-check everything for me.
There’s no way I can slip up while I’m covering my own back. None. I won’t let it happen.
I’m especially careful when I work with Micah and Emily though. Micah is special to Nate, and his brothers. He has a chance to do what Erin couldn’t, too. He has a chance to ring the bell and say he beat cancer. I want to see him do that, and also still have full use of his joints and bones the chemo has started to affect.
He’s my special case. Technically, he could do therapy and work with someone outside the hospital, but since he is still actively here for treatment every couple weeks, he is working in our PT room. I have designed a low impact, age appropriate protocol for him even his doctors were astonished by. I have done a lot of research, and there are a few tremendous range of motion exercises I’ve started doing with him, as well as E-Stim, to try to reduce the pain and advancement of his avascular necrosis–AVN—in order to prolong the amount of time he can go without surgery as a cure.
So far, it seems to be working. And it’s making his mom so happy; it’s giving her hope.
We are working on something special for him, too, as his treatment end date draws nearer and nearer. I’m grateful she asked me to help her, what she has planned is so special, and it will be so much fun for Micah.
Emily is still here. The poor girl has been put through the wringer. Not long after her accident, she sustained an acute, severe infection. She had multiple procedures and surgeries done after the accident on not only on her wrist, but also her abdomen to repair a laceration; the infection could’ve stemmed from a few different things. And to top it all off, more work was needed on her wrist, so another surgery was performed there, too.
She should be getting sprung from here within the next few days, I hope, but she’s been in a dark place and her rehab has not been progressing quite as well, or as quickly, as we would like to see.
I try not to focus on it too much, not when I’m with other patients or at home, at least. I can only do so much to help her; it’s up to her body to do the rest.
In the meantime, all any of us can do is encourage her and try to keep her hopes up. In fact, helping lift her spirits is exactly what I want to do, and why I suggested Bridget and Simon meet me and Nate for after work dinner. Bridget treated Emily early on, Nate is her surgeon now, so we know her, and I saw in her file her nineteenth birthday is coming up. I’d love to do something to make it a good day for her.
“You said Simon and Bridget would both be eating with us?” Nate asks as we climb out of my Civic. It’s definitely not his favorite ride, but I drove us into work this morning, after he ended up staying at my place last night, because he needed sleep before a heavy surgery load today more than he needed to go home and change clothes so nobody at the hospital questioned anything.
“Yep. They might have their oldest son with them, but the twins have a sitter.” We meet at the front of my car and I lace my fingers through his. “I hope that’s okay?” It’s probably a little late to ask now, but it was a last-minute text from Bridget too.
“That’s fine with me. He seems like a good kid, and you know I don’t mind kids anyway.” He lifts my hand up and kisses over my knuckles. “Did you have a good day at work?”
“It wasn’t bad. I swear a few nurses were eyeing me suspiciously though.” I let go of his hand so he can open the restaurant door for us, glancing at him as I step by and inside first.
“Don’t buy trouble, Gorgeous. I’m sure it was nothing more than doctors talking about you and appreciating your work. You’ve been doing great.”
We step inside and look around for Simon and Bridget, or a hostess. I spot them out on the deck and point. “Over there, they’re here already, and Brendan isn’t with them it doesn’t look like.”
“I see them.” He takes my hand again and leads me through the restaurant and toward the deck opening. “You didn’t comment on the rest though, are you buying trouble?”
“I’m trying not to, I just want to be prepared for damage control. I want to know what to expect before it blindsides me.”
“What’s going to blindside you?” Bridget asks, as she stands to give me a hug. Our guys each shake hands and then Nate pulls my seat out and waits for me to sit before he joins the rest of us.
“She’s worried the nurses know we are together.” Nate cuts to the chase, smiling and sliding his arm around the back of my chair. “Don’t you?”
“They do,” Bridget responds, before I can even open my mouth. “I’m not sure who found out, or how it spread, but all the nurses down in the ER knew today. You being off the market and with the new therapist was all the rage.” She looks at me with a frown. “I was hoping I could tell you before anyone tipped you off. I caught wind of it right before I left.”
“Shit.” It’s all I can think right now.
“If it makes you feel any better,” Bridget starts again, “most of the nurses I heard talking about it were more in the good for her, and wow, he’s not gay mind set.”
Simon laughs at that and shakes his head. “You had the hospital believing you were gay, mate? That’s rough.”
“I let them believe it,” Nate says, smirking. “Women don’t throw themselves at you quite as much when they think you’d rather be their best friend than someone who could rock their world.”
“Oh my God! Nathan!” I can’t believe he just said that, but Bridget and Simon find it beyond amusing. When Nate starts to laugh with them, people from other tables glance our way, and all I can do is bury my face in my hands to try to hide my own amusement.
“What, you know it’s true. I’ve proven it countless times already.” He’s in an exceptionally good, arrogant mood tonight, and I think he’s trying to push my buttons. I’ve found he likes to do that so when we reach our ultimate point of pent-up frustration, the sex is even more explosive and amazing.
Bridget and Simon are watching us with knowing looks, and he seems all too pleased with himself beside me. But two can play at this game. “Have you? Or have I been faking it and letting you believe you’re rocking my world?”
“Oh my God,” Bridget gasps, then starts to laugh.
“Bloody hell, you have your hands full, don’t you?” Simon adds, chuckling.
I manage to keep my face straight, even when Nate’s contorts into silent irritation and shock. I knew I’d get him with that one, and I know it’s a small victory now I’ll have incredible consequences for later.
“I’ll prove my point tonight,” he finally responds, brows raised in challenge, “until then, maybe we should stop discussing our sex life.” He winks at me then picks up the beer Simon and Bridget ordered for him before we got here, raising it high in the air. “To frustrating, gorgeous women who love to challenge us.”
Simon lifts his glass to Nate’s while Bridget and I raise our own glasses to each other, smiling proudly at our accomplishments.
“Cheers,” we all say in unison.
Dinner progresses much like our first few minutes together. The guys joke and talk work, sports, and how they have their hands full with us. Bridget and I defend ourselves, and each other, while teaming up and getting them both riled up.
And we discuss Emily’s birthday. Bridget informs me the nurses usually do something special and they’ll make sure if she’s still in the hospital, the day doesn’t go by without it being celebrated.
I love hearing that.
This is exactly the kind of thing I’ve always wanted: a solid relationship where we have other couple friends who we can double with and enjoy. It’s a plus we all work in the hospital, too. I love I have friends here who like Nate. Tate and Cody would hang out with Mitch and me, but they did it for me, not because they particularly liked his company. Cody especially didn’t.
They would both like Nate, though. I’ve talked enough about him during our weekly vi
deo calls and texts, neither one of them can wait to meet him now. Cody said he can’t give his full approval until he looks Nate in the eye, but he swears it sounds like I have nothing to worry about.
Everything is going great. It’s going better than great, yet I have a sinking feeling in my stomach something is coming, and the other shoe that’s precariously balanced is about to drop.
Twenty-Eight
Dee
“Are you sure you want to do this?” We spent the entire weekend planning this morning, and how we might get ahead of the rumors Bridget informed us have started Friday night. He swore he was sure and it was the right thing to do over and over, but now that we are getting out of his car in the staff parking level, and he’s taking my hand to walk in together, I’m not certain.
His privacy is everything to him. My probationary period ending without me getting in trouble is everything to me. A united front and facing everything head-on sounded great yesterday; now that we’re here, I’m second-guessing.
My heart is racing in my chest, my palms are sweaty, and I want to hide.
“I’m positive, Gorgeous. Calm down. Nothing is going to happen, and this way we can control how much or little everyone knows. It will keep our private life more private if we disseminate our own information, rather than letting them make it up themselves, or even worse, encourages them to start snooping.” He squeezes my hand and winks down at me when we pass through the hospital doors. “Let’s do this.”
We walk in hand in hand, and heads immediately start to turn. Just as we agreed on, we don’t say a thing while we walk through the hospital toward the locker room.
Doctor Desirable: A Hero Club Novel Page 21
