He winced and gave her an apologetic look. “Yeah, that doesn’t sound good at all.”
She shrugged. “It’s part of the job, but sometimes it can be overwhelming. So, how was your day? Hopefully, better than mine,” she said with a laugh.
Leaning back against the wall, Ethan said, “Uh, not as bad as yours, but not much better, either. I was just thinking how I could go for a beer or a strong pot of coffee. Would you like to join me? We could drink away our bad day together.”
It seemed like she made him wait forever for her answer, but with a lift of one shoulder, she finally nodded. “Sure, that sounds nice.”
“Great, how’s Little Italy? They have great coffee and a nice selection of wine or beer if that’s your thing. Plus, food, if you’re hungry.”
“Wine is my thing, and okay, I’ll meet you there at eight?” she asked.
“You don’t want me to pick you up?” he questioned. He didn’t think he’d ever gone on a date and just met the girl there.
Shaking her head, she said, “No, that’s okay, I have some errands to run later, so it’ll just be easier for me to meet you there.”
“Well, I’ll just see you there, then.”
“See ya,” she said, giving him a small wave as she turned and headed down the hall.
Ethan walked back to his office, suddenly wanting more than ever for this day to be over. He shut his door behind him so he would have fewer distractions and dived into his paperwork. Once he studied everything in front of him, he realized there wasn’t as much to do as he’d originally thought. He ended up finishing everything in forty-five minutes, and at seven he was flipping off the lights to his office and heading to his car. He had just enough time to run home, shower, and change before meeting Brooke at eight.
On the way home, he called and reserved them a nice table at the restaurant, it wasn’t a requirement, but he wanted to make sure they would have a better seat than if they were to just show up. And ten minutes later, as he stood in front of the mirror trying to decide if the shirt he’d chosen looked okay, he found he was nervous. This feeling was odd, and he didn’t know what to make of it because he was never nervous around women. He wasn’t sure why he was so worried about a little date. He had gone on countless dates in his life and could never remember a time he was nervous. The only other time had been with Olivia. He quickly shoved those thoughts away. That was one way to ruin the date before it even started.
He ran a hand down his shirt and decided it looked fine. Normally, he would just grab whatever and head out, but he found he actually wanted to impress her. There was something intriguing about her that made him want to go above and beyond what he normally did. So, he made sure his shirt wasn’t wrinkled, there was no hair out of place, and he sniffed every bottle of cologne until he found the perfect scent. Which happened to be a light woodsy one, with a hint of some kind of spice he couldn’t make out.
And then he was out the door.
Chapter 2
BROOKE
The nervous jitters were becoming unbearable as Brooke opened up the car door of her Dodge Charger and stepped out onto the sidewalk. It had been forever since she’d done something like this, and she didn’t know if she even knew how to act anymore. The cool night air felt good against her flushed skin, and she nervously readjusted the long braid across her shoulder before running her shaky hands across her black mini skirt. Inhaling a deep breath, she began walking towards Little Italy.
“Calm down, Brooke, it’s just drinks... with an incredibly hot doctor. Shit,” she mumbled to herself. The thought of turning around and heading home quickly crossed her mind, but she marched onward, her red high heeled shoes clicking loudly against the concrete sidewalk as she told herself to just have a good time.
Pushing through a small crowd gathering outside the restaurant, her bracelets clanged together as she reached up and pulled the door open and headed inside the cozy, little restaurant.
“Hi, ma’am, do you have reservations?”
Brooke’s eyes flitted around the restaurant before landing on the short, stocky guy standing in front of her. She didn’t know if Ethan had made a reservation or not. What was supposed to have been just a drink after work was looking more like a date. “Um, I don’t know if he did or not, but it would be under Harris,” she quickly said.
“Ah, Doctor Harris is already at his table waiting for you,” the guy replied, as he ushered her forward.
His table? She thought to herself. He’s new to town and already has a regular table?
She followed behind the guy, her hands sweating nervously. She was never nervous. This wasn’t like her at all. But, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been out on a date. Just be your fun-loving, crazy self, Brooke, and everything will be fine. She was hoping this pep talk would work. She was never anyone other than herself, though, and that was why Dr. Harris asking her out was absurd. She was not his type. At all.
“Here you are, ma’am. Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Uh, a glass of red wine would be nice, please,” she answered politely.
The guy nodded, and as he stepped away, Ethan came into view. He quickly stood, his tall frame hovering several inches above her head, and his smile ignited every nerve in her body that had been dormant for years now. She didn’t even know these parts of her were still alive.
“I’m glad you came,” he said, coming around to her chair and pulling it out.
What the hell? She stared dumbly at him for a moment, the foreign gesture catching her off guard, but she quickly rebounded and took a seat.
“Thank you,” she said, and she could feel the uncomfortable blush spread across her tan cheeks.
Once they were situated in their seats, their waiter came back with their drinks. They ordered their food, and after the waiter left, Brooke quickly took a drink of her wine, feeling uneasy at being alone with Ethan. He was new to Anderson Hospital where they both now worked together, and she barely knew him, but all the nurses, including her, talked about how good looking he was. She’d had a huge crush on him ever since he showed up in town, but never thought she’d be having dinner with him.
And suddenly, he burst out laughing.
Startled, she narrowed her eyes and looked around, trying to figure out what he found so funny. She saw nothing unusual and her gaze landed back to him, his green eyes dancing wildly with laughter as he looked straight at her.
“What is so funny?” she questioned, looking down to see if she had spilled wine down her shirt.
He rolled the sleeves of his light blue dress shirt up to his elbows and pulled open the first button of his shirt, acting as if he needed air. “I’m sorry,” he started, “But your shirt just struck me funny.”
She looked down at her blouse, wondering if the loud, blue roses that stood out against the black background were too much, but she had picked it out because it accentuated her dirty blonde hair. Then she noticed how it blended in with the tablecloth and she frowned, not believing the one shirt she finally settled on after two hours of searching through her closet, matched the damned tablecloth perfectly. “Well, shit,” she blurted out in frustration, before covering a hand over her mouth and laughing. “Fair warning, there’s never a dull moment with me around,” she said. She looked around at the Italian restaurant and added with a shrug, “When in Rome.”
His deep laughter made her smile widen.
“You wear it way better, so don’t worry.” He paused for a moment, and then added, “You look gorgeous tonight, by the way,” he pointed out, his voice turning serious.
Her eyes flew up at his compliment. “Thank you,” she replied. “So, how do you like Sweet Haven so far?” she asked. Nervous or not, she could always keep a conversation going.
“So far, it’s really nice. I love the landscape and the small-town feel of the place, but the mountain view is my favori
te. Did you grow up here?” he asked.
Pulling herself out of the intensity of his piercing green eyes, she took a sip of wine and then said, “Yes, I was born and raised here. Is Anderson Hospital being good to you so far?”
“Everyone has been really nice,” he said, and dimples peeked out from beneath the light dusting of scruff as he smiled.
Her breath hitched at that smile and she wanted to say that she knew why everyone was being so nice. Besides being a polite, caring doctor; he was also a handsome, single, eligible doctor. A perfect package, from a single woman’s standpoint. She didn’t do well with perfect, though, because she was far from it.
“I bet they have,” she added. “Well, a word of advice, stay on Dr. Butcher’s good side. She can be evil if she doesn’t like you. Believe me, I know,” Brooke grumbled with an eye roll.
Raising an eyebrow in question, Ethan said, “How could anyone not like you?”
“I had you nailed as a charmer,” she teased. “But, let’s just say that my loud, out-there personality doesn’t always hit everyone the right way.”
“Hmm, I don’t see how, because you definitely hit me the right way the moment I saw you.”
Her eyes widened at his comment and the seductive, half smile that slowly crept across his face was indisputable. Shit, what was she thinking, coming here? It had been ages since she’d been with a man, and she wasn’t even sure what she, or Ethan, was even expecting out of this. A nice date? A one-night stand? Or a relationship down the road? She didn’t have a clue. But she was never one to give too much thought to anything. To her, over-thinking always killed the spontaneity of life.
Saved by the waiter, their dinner was placed in front of them, and she tucked the abrasive comment she’d had for a later day. While the waiter set all their plates out in front of them, Brooke looked up to see Ethan staring at her, his green eyes filled with a hunger that she knew food couldn’t satisfy. But she wasn’t sure if she was up to satisfying it, either.
They ate, had small talk, and as she sipped the last bit of her wine, her words tumbled out before she realized what she was saying. “Do you want to come over to my place for a few? We could have another drink before we call it a night?” She turned her head, cursing under her breath. The wine was taking control and this wasn’t good. Three years of celibacy was taking over right now.
“I’d love to.”
His words pulled her attention back and she met his gaze, apprehension evident in her voice when she said, “Okay.”
An hour later a moan burst from her mouth as Ethan yanked her black pencil skirt down to her ankles, shoved her white laced panties to the side, and thrust his fingers deep inside her. Her head involuntarily jerked back, hitting the wall of her living room, and Ethan’s full lips pressed against the soft skin of her neck. She blindly groped for the button to his slacks, and began frantically pulling his pants down.
“My bedroom... Oh Ethan,” she breathed, as his mouth found her breast.
“What was that?”
His question came out in a breathy whisper, each word tickling her hot skin. His mouth clamped down ever so gently on her nipple, and any rational thinking melted away.
“Where is your bedroom?” he asked through each pant. “Never mind,” he breathed as he vaguely caught sight of the couch a few feet behind her.
She fell back onto the couch with Ethan hovering above her. Desperately, she leaned forward and struggled to remove the last bit of barrier that prevented the skin to skin contact she had been craving since the first day she had seen him walk down the hall of the hospital. The wine caused her fingers to fumble, but she finally got the last button of his dress shirt apart, and her hands ventured across the hard muscles of his abdomen before drifting downward. As she gripped the hard length of him, his head tilted back and a moan reverberated deep within his chest. In one urgent motion, he pushed her back as he towered over her, his hand running up her thigh as he beckoned her legs to spread apart and let him in. She willingly succumbed, letting her legs fall open as she begged him to take her, while her arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer.
“Are you positive you want this?” he asked, as his index finger traced the outline of her nipple in a slow tease.
“Ethan, you’d better take me right now,” she hissed, gripping his hips and pulling him closer.
She could see the devilish smirk appear on his face even in her dimly lit living room, and the sight of that smile made her even wetter than she already was. Dammit, she was in for it.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, planting his lips against hers as he pushed inside her.
A rush of ecstasy filled her and each thrust ignited more pleasure in her already aching body. “Oh, my, Ethan,” she moaned, digging her nails into the small of his back.
She rotated her hips, urging him to go harder. Sweat dripped down the small of her back and she felt herself on the verge of coming. She ran her hand through his dark hair as his tongue slid into her parted mouth. Their moans echoed in the silent room. Her breathing intensified, and her heart sped up as she began to come. She clutched his shoulder blades as the explosion coursed throughout her body. “Damn, that feels good.” Her words were laced with a sultry twang and she felt his grip on her hips tighten as his climax got closer.
He leaned down and kissed her, his tongue swirling around her mouth as each thrust became stronger. A moan sounded in his throat, vibrating against her skin, and she gently bit his lip and pulled. “Brooke, I’m, um.” He couldn’t get the words out before he was pulling her to him as his body tensed with its release.
She clutched him tightly, and closed her eyes as he kissed the length of her neck and then planted soft kisses on her lips. “Wow, I wasn’t expecting that,” he whispered, his lips moving against hers.
She smiled. “It was a nice way to end the night, though.”
Sliding in next to her, he pulled her close and said, “Yes, it was.”
They barely fit on the couch together, and she was sure he was halfway falling off the side, but she smiled at the feel of the warmth of his body pressed up against her back.
She was surprised there was no awkwardness afterward. It was just them lying together in the stillness of the night. Until it became awkward.
“I, uh, better get going. I have an early morning,” he said after a few minutes.
She didn’t let herself feel anything from his words, because she knew it was absurd to have anything more from a one-night stand with a man she barely knew. But still, his need to leave right after, stung. She quickly got up and said, “Of course. I have an early morning, too.” She quickly grabbed her clothes off the floor and hastily put them on, hoping he didn’t notice that her hands were shaking.
“Brooke, I’m not trying to be an asshole,” Ethan started, as he began pulling his shirt over his head.
“No worries,” she said, as she held a hand up to brush him off. “You don’t need to explain anything to me, Ethan.”
He stood awkwardly in front of her and she gave him a huge smile to let him know she was indeed completely fine. He considered her for a moment before turning to grab his pants off the floor.
She had never dressed so fast in her life, but she was ready to put this night behind her. Regrets were building inside her, and despite how amazing the sex had been, she was ready to forget about it.
She opened the door for him and said, “I’m sure I’ll see you around Anderson Hospital. Thanks for dinner, Ethan.”
He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I had a good time tonight, Brooke,” he said.
“Me, too. I’ll see ya,” she said, gesturing towards the open door.
As soon as he left, she closed the door behind her and leaned her head against it. God, she hoped she didn’t see him tomorrow.
She locked the door, and as she headed down the hall towards her bedro
om she noticed a picture lying on the floor. She picked it up and flipped it over, seeing the smiling faces of her and her sister, Casey, staring back at her. She rarely looked at this picture and seeing it stung, almost as much as seeing her empty apartment. She hung the picture back up, the absence of her sister in her life was strong, hovering around her in a blanket of resentment.
And now Ethan had just bolted.
Chapter 3
Ethan
Ethan didn’t expect last night to end the way it had, but he wasn’t complaining, either. He wasn’t sure what had come over him last night, but there was something about her that was different than the other girls he’d dated. She was beautifully eccentric, yet suited his picky taste exquisitely. Her laugh was loud and had people giving her strange looks, but her laughter was like music to his ears. Her words could be blunt, but he had found himself hanging on her every word last night. In truth, she was everything he wanted in a woman, which was why he couldn’t have her. She deserved everything, and he just couldn’t give anyone that right now.
He tossed his bag over his shoulder and pushed the elevator button a little more fiercely than he’d intended, causing the woman next to him to give him an odd look. He nodded at her and ran a hand through his hair in frustration, contemplating what he’d say to Brooke when he ran into her at work today. He was the doctor for her floor, so there was no way of avoiding her, if he was that kind of an asshole. He wasn’t and knew he’d just have to explain to her that he wasn’t ready for a relationship. He cringed at that line because it had always been his go-to line for the morning after when he was young and hitting the bars and sleeping with countless girls. No, that wouldn’t work, either, even though it rang more true now than it ever did back then. He truly wasn’t ready for a relationship now, but that line just felt all wrong to use at thirty years old.
The harsh chemicals and beeping of machines from inside the hospital woke him from his wandering thoughts as the door opened, and he sighed. He turned right and headed towards his office on the third floor. He nodded and said good morning to the few nurses that he passed, and when he got to his office, the turmoil that was building in his thoughts caused him to sink into his chair in a pile of despair. He was at a loss of what to do about Brooke, and it was weighing heavily on him. The horrible feeling was wrapping its arms around him and slowly sucking the life out of him. He’d have to face her at some point, so he knew he just needed to be a man about it.
When Love Ignites Page 2
