She laughs and I’m reminded that the sound is my new favorite thing. “You took me by surprise. It’s…nice.”
“I’ll take ‘nice’.”
She smiles up at me and I take in the twinkle in her eyes, the smile at her lips. The way her red hair lights up her whole face and how standing this close to her, I can see the hint of freckles she tries to hide under makeup. I wish she wouldn’t. I cup the side of her face in my hand and drag my thumb over them, trying to unmask their beauty.
“You shouldn’t cover these up,” I say out loud, not meaning to. She looks at me in confusion, “Your freckles. I love them.”
She makes a funny face displaying her apparent displeasure of them. I respond by kissing one that’s just above her lip, and then another on the tip of her nose, followed by another above her brow.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
“Saying hello to each one.”
She laughs, “That could take you a while. There are a lot.”
“Sounds like a new goal of mine,” I move my mouth and kiss one just below her eye. I pull back for a moment, then begin to move my mouth toward hers.
“So, does this one month of no sex thing mean no kissing? On the mouth?” she whispers, her eyes intently watching my lips.
“No.” I respond. “Definitely not. I’d lose my mind.”
“Does it mean no touching?”
“Clearly not,” I tell her keeping one hand cupping her face but wrapping my other around her waist.
“That’s a relief,” she responds and then startles me when she rises on her tiptoes and places her mouth on mine. My body, my mind, and my heart all remember her vividly because they respond accordingly. My body immediately catches on fire at her touch, my cock immediately stiffens in my pants, and my mind remembers the kisses we shared before in the bathroom. Remembers how I gave in and kissed a woman on the mouth for the first time in years. My heart beats hard at the contact. When her mouth opens, I taste her, and it’s fucking fantastic. We both moan simultaneously. She tastes like strawberries and vanilla and I kiss her hard and I kiss her long. I want her to feel that I desire her, to have no doubt that I’m attracted to her. But, after a moment, I pull away. I want her to know that I desire more than just this. More than just physical attraction. It’s almost impossible, but I manage to back off a little, biting her bottom lip playfully as I pull away.
Taking a deep breath, I don’t move anything other than my head. My body stays pressed to hers and I’m afraid it’s going to take a crowbar or willpower that I don’t have to move away from her, let alone walk away. A huge part of me wants to say fuck it and throw her over my shoulder and stomp into her apartment and throw her down on the bed and screw her brains out until she’s screaming her release. It would be hot as hell, but I’m not going to do that to her. She deserves to know she’s worth more. And when she smiles at me, it becomes easier to do it because even though she hasn’t said anything, I know exactly what she’s thinking right now. She’s thinking there’s no way we can make it to one month. I saw the doubt in her eyes when I suggested it.
With a big sigh, I step back from her and smile. Her smile falters a bit at the space between us, which makes me smile wider. “I have your number. I’ll text you tomorrow. And I’d like to see you again soon.”
“I’d like that too,” she says, her voice raspy sexiness.
“Good night,” I murmur before turning and walking away. I hear her say the same at my back.
Leaving her standing there, both of us wanting more, was so fucking hard – in more ways than one. I came home and beat off in the shower twice, imagining her there with me. Imagining a very different ending to our night. But, that’s okay, because it’s worth it – she’s worth it – I can feel it in my gut. Closing my eyes, I begin counting her freckles, as if they’re sheep, to lull me to sleep.
***
The hospital is insane when I walk through the sliding glass emergency room doors. I’m balancing a cup carrier of four coffees and a sack of sandwiches. I have no idea what kind of coffee Tessa likes, or if she prefers tea. I also don’t know how she would take either, so I have every possible option available with me. As well as a couple different sandwich choices. I may have had a small panic attack when I went to buy this, resulting in just getting all of it. The barista thought I was fucking nuts.
Hell, I don’t even know if she has a break coming up, this may be a complete waste of time, but I’m hoping it’s the thought that counts. Even if she’s too busy and I just have to drop them off and run, that’s fine. Hopefully I can at least get a kiss to go for my time.
Just as I’m walking up to the desk to wait in line so I can ask someone where I might find her, I can’t believe my luck as I happen to look down a long hallway and see her. There are a lot of people moving about in the hall, but as I get glimpses of her, I can see she’s dressed in green hospital scrubs and white tennis shoes. She’s got her hair pulled onto the top of her head, and I can see her holding her hand in front of her mouth to cover a huge yawn from here. Coffee was a good choice for sure.
People are in the way, but as I make my way toward her, I realize she’s talking to someone. When I see her throw her head back and laugh, it makes me smile and move toward her quicker. That’s when I get a good look at the person she’s talking to. A man. He’s tall and wearing scrubs identical to hers. When I see him hand her a coffee cup and place a hand on her shoulder as she takes a drink, a foreign feeling moves through me. Suddenly my veins feel like they’re pumping fire. I can feel my face begin to flush, and a boulder drops in my stomach.
Coming to a complete stand still, someone behind me knocks against me, no surprise considering my abrupt stop. While they may be justified, I still ignore their exasperated sigh and comment, keeping my eyes on the sight before me. Their body language is comfortable and it’s clear they know each other well – I don’t like it. In fact, I would like to physically remove his hand from her body personally. Or, removing it from his body all together may be a better, and more satisfying, option.
I consider turning around and walking away - I really do. This isn’t me. I’m Ryder fucking King. I can snap my fingers and have any nurse in this whole place pull me into an empty room, drop her scrubs and ride me to oblivion. Why am I even wasting my time with this? As if she can hear my internal thoughts, she does something that I don’t think I’ll ever forget, which is funny, because it’s a simple thing. The simplest. She turns her head and sees me, and when she does, her face registers surprise for a second, before she breaks out into a smile. That’s it. That’s all it takes to turn me into a man willing to do whatever the hell she wants. She just fucking smiles at me, and I’m ruined.
Out of nowhere, I can see things clearly - her and I. I don’t know why, and I don’t know how or when, but this girl…this girl that appears to be so much like me, is going to be mine forever. I don’t know how I know, but I do. The road may not be an easy one, but I swear to god I see the finish line. Maybe it’s a gift from a former life, maybe it’s two souls connecting across a crowded hospital hallway, I don’t know. But it hits me like a bulldozer right in the chest refusing to be ignored.
My body immediately starts moving toward hers again, and she moves to me too. I vaguely notice the man she was speaking with following her, but I don’t pay him any attention. When she reaches me, we stand toe to toe, “Ryder, hi,” she breathes. “What are you doing here?” She places her hand on my arm and my skin burns at her touch.
“Hey,” I say quietly back. “I wanted to see you.” Everything else around us seems to fade. The pleasure in her eyes at seeing me is clear. “I know I’m bothering you at work, and clearly it’s busy…”
“It’s not a bother. It’s a great surprise.”
“I brought you coffee and sandwiches,” I tell her showing her the bag like it’s a treasure, “but I see maybe I should have called and asked first.” I gesture to the coffee she’s holding in her hand.
If I didn’t alre
ady know she was mine, I do the second she looks around, finds a trashcan and throws the coffee in her hand away and turns to me instead. “I’d much rather have yours,” she laughs. “What have you got here?” She starts looking at all the drinks on my tray, but before I can explain, someone clears their throat next to us. My eyes move to the man and I am sure annoyance at being interrupted is all over my face.
“Hi,” he says. “You must be Ryder?”
I look at Tessa in confusion and she shrugs her shoulder, “Guilty. I’ve talked about you.”
A lazy smile covers my mouth at this little gem of information, “Is that right?”
She rolls her eyes, “Of course. I told Noah here all about Hector and your swollen balls.”
Now that, I was not expecting and it makes me bark out a laugh, “Oh yeah. I forgot about that.”
“Ryder, this is my friend, Noah. Noah, this is Ryder.” She pauses for a moment and clears her throat before she adds, “He’s the guy I’m seeing.”
Pleasure runs through my body at her introduction, knowing it’s not something that was easy for her to say. I know this is way outside of her comfort zone, but she’s trying. “Nice to meet you,” I lie nodding at Noah. I’m just being nice for Tessa’s sake because I could give a fuck about him. I just want to be with her and right now he’s in the way.
“It’s really nice to meet you too, pumpkin.”
Wait. What? I do a double take and look at him, “Excuse me?”
“My, my, no wonder why he’s got your attention, girl. He’s a fine piece of meat.” Did he just call me meat? Looking at Tessa, she grins at me and I realize if I had left in a jealous fit the joke would have been on me. “Why don’t you two love birds go out for break? I’ll cover for you, Tessa and watch over the brat squad,” he says gesturing a lot with his hands while he speaks.
She sighs happily, “Thanks, Noah. That would be great.”
“Thanks for letting me steal her away for a few.”
“No problem. And if things don’t work out with Tessa, feel free to look me up.” He winks at me and walks away. Turning to Tessa in surprise, she laughs. “He’s a good friend,” she says. “He keeps things entertaining around here.”
“I can see that.”
She puts her hand in the crook of my elbow. I don’t give the action a reaction because I figure casual is best. “How about we go to the cafeteria?” she suggests, “I’m starving.”
“Sure, that would be great.”
She leads me there and once seated she adds a few sugars and some half and half to the blonde roast coffee she chose from the selection I brought. I store what she likes to memory for future coffee purchases. “I wasn’t sure what kind of sandwich you like. I’ve got ham and chicken breast,” I tell her as I place them on the table along with a ton of condiment packets.
“Chicken is great,” she says and begins unwrapping it and adds some mayo before taking a bite. I unwrap the ham, add some mustard, and eat with her. “Mm,” she makes a humming sound while eating and it’s cute. “This is good. Thank you for thinking of me. It’s great to see you; having sandwiches only adds to the pleasure..”
“Nice to see me, huh?”
She swallows and nods, “Yeah. It is.” She looks down and seems shy over her words.
“For me too,” I tell her and then lean forward swiping a dollop of mayo from her lip with the tip of my finger and then licking it off. Her eyes track the movement, and she licks her lips involuntarily. “No,” I say making her blink in surprise, “none of that.”
“None of what?”
“That look you have going on there.”
“What look?”
“The one that says if I found an empty room around here and dragged you inside you wouldn’t be opposed. We agreed, remember?”
“I did?”
Narrowing my eyes at her I accuse, “Don’t even try it. You shook my hand.”
She laughs, “You are too fun to mess with.”
“Wow, way to be supportive of my efforts,” I tease.
“I’m not going to purposefully make it difficult, but you are the one that started it with that mayo licking thing.”
“Good point.”
“Thank you, I think so too.”
Laughing, I decide a change of subject is best, “So, how is your day going?”
“It’s been really busy. Non-stop almost from the moment I got here. There was a bus crash earlier and most of the patients were rushed here because we were the closest hospital. That’s why it’s so nuts out there right now. A lot of the families are still arriving and waiting for patients to be transferred to rooms or released, but all the major emergencies have been treated.”
“I can’t even imagine some of the things you must see in your profession. Is it tough?”
She finishes the bite she’s chewing and wipes her mouth before answering. “Yes. Definitely. But, I have an ability to shut my emotions off when I’m working. Instead of seeing a person lying there that has a family and is in pain, I push that into a box and lock it tight when I need to. In those moments they become a body. I know that sounds harsh, but it’s easier when I look at them scientifically and let my mind think about what I need to do to help that specific part function once more, instead of letting my emotions get in the way.”
“I would think that a lot of people in your profession must be able to do the same thing.”
“Perhaps,” she shrugs, “but who knows.”
“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever had to do?”
“I don’t think you’ve got the stomach for that.”
Pulling up my shirt, I display my stomach. Her eyes drop to my abs and are locked there following my movements, “Stomach made of steel, Nurse Hottie.”
The endearment pulls her eyes away from my stomach long enough for her to roll them at me. That’s progress. She didn’t want to hit me this time.
“Well you’re a fireman, I’m sure you’ve seen your share of burn victims.”
“Actually, no. I haven’t had to pull anyone from a fire that’s been burned like that, thank god.” I knock on the plastic table, wishing it were wood, but doing it anyway for good measure.
“Burn victims are the hardest for me. I had a patient with second and third degree burns over eighty percent of their body – starting with their face – and their nose and eyelids had totally melted from the fire. I had to clean the wounds, even the nasal and sinus passage, assist with early debridement and prepare them for transfer to a burn unit. It was pretty difficult.”
“What does ‘debridement’ mean?”
“Oh, sorry. It means I had to remove damaged tissue and foreign objects from the wound.”
“Wow. And they were still alive?”
“Oh yes, and in a lot of pain even though they were receiving high doses of morphine.”
“I’m not sure I could do that,” I admit.
“Well, I suppose that’s why you’re a fighter, and a fireman. You take them out of the fire, god forbid that happens, and I’ll treat them. But, I think you’d be surprised how much your gut instinct pops in at moments like that. You think you can’t handle something but you surprise yourself.”
“I’m sure you’re right.”
“Well, I’ve got to get back to work. Will you walk me back?”
“Of course.”
I dispose of our trash and walk with her side by side back to the emergency room. We enjoy a companionable silence and I’m mentally patting myself on the back for coming by.
When we turn a corner, she surprises me by putting her hand on my chest stopping me and opening a door. Checking inside, she pulls me in after her, then closes the door. Before I can ask her what’s going on, her lips are on mine. Her hands slide up my arms and wrap around my neck. My surprise quickly vanishes and I kiss her back with enthusiasm. Her kiss is aggressive, demanding, her tongue moving against mine as she makes the sweetest noises of want and need. Her body is fused with mine and my hands move down to
her ass and pull her against my body. They line up in just the right places, where firm muscle ends softness begins. I pull away from her for a moment and look at her. Her eyes don’t move from my lips and when she leans toward me to kiss once more, I lift her up under her ass. She immediately wraps her legs around my waist and I turn and press her against the door.
Our mouths move quickly as if we can’t get enough of each other, can’t stop tasting each other. She moans when I thrust my cock into her core. Even through our clothes, the feeling is incredible. I turn and sit her on the hospital bed in the room. She lies back and I follow her up, my body meeting hers. My only thoughts are how I want more, need more, have to take more. My hands start moving up under her top, and just as I feel lace, she pulls away from me with a jerk.
“Oh god, sorry,” I begin to apologize. “I got carried away.”
“No. It’s not that. I liked that. I just thought I heard something.”
We stay still for a moment, the only sound our heavy breathing. When we hear nothing, we move towards each other again.
“Nurse Jameson, please call extension nine-one-nine, Nurse Jameson, please call extension nine-one-nine.”
“Oh shit,” she says, “that’s me,” she states the obvious as she scrambles out from under me. “That’s the code telling me to call the emergency room triage desk for a message.” She grabs the phone from the room and calls the extension, “Hi, it’s Nurse Jameson. You paged me? Okay, I’ll be right there.”
Turning to me, she smiles with regret. “I’m sorry. I’m needed in emergency. Walk out with me?”
“It’s okay and of course.” After we close the door behind us she looks at me and smiles. “I guess we were saved by the bell per sè?”
I chuckle, “Uh yeah, I guess so. Sorry about that.”
She winks, “I’m not,” she says and I wish I had time to pull her back into that room and explore her body a little bit more. “Thanks again for coming to see me.”
“I’m glad I did.”
“Me too.”
“I’ll call you-” I don’t get more out of my mouth before her name is being called. When we look over, Tessa says, “Natalie? What’s up? I called the extension and they said they needed me.”
Fighting Lust: A Deadly Sins Novel Page 12
