"We can stay," she says softly after kissing me. "I'm fine with staying."
"He's stabilized." I look over at where Dr. Tate is speaking to my mother. "They're going to monitor him tonight and decisions will be made tomorrow. He's weak, Ad."
"He needs a double bypass." She looks into my eyes. "It's risky because of his prior myocardial infarction."
"You want this, don't you?"
The sudden subject change takes her surprise. She's silent for a moment as she digests what I just said. "You mean do I want to be a doctor?"
I nod. "I see the dream."
The corner of her mouth curves into a smile. "You do?"
"This is why you kept putting off going back to school to be a vet, isn't it?"
She rubs the edge of the badge around her neck. "Yes. I always felt a pull toward taking care of animals, but then John came over to help Sydney move in. We talked for hours about his work. I was so excited by that."
"I think it's the perfect fit for you." I reach for her hands. "You know I'm on board to help in any way I can."
Her gaze drops to the tiled floor. "It's going to eat up my entire life for the next decade. Well, forever if I'm honest. But I feel a passion for this I never felt when I thought about being a vet. I know this is right for me, I just have to see if I can make it my reality."
"You can do anything, Ad," I say the words with all the assurance I feel. "You're the most determined person I've ever met. You're going to ace this and one day, you'll be the doctor people will call when they want the best of the best."
She squeezes my hands tightly. "Say that again when I start doubting myself."
"Crew?" My sister walks up beside us. "I'm going to take off. I want to go home to see Ryker and Benton."
Benton Moore. My nephew. A little boy named after our family. That was a gift from Lark. She's been a gift to me. I couldn't ask for a better sister.
"You know, Adley, right?" I wrap my arm around Adley's waist.
"We met at Matiz when she came to see you one day." She smiles at Ad. "She kept me in one piece earlier. She may be the calmest person in this waiting room."
Adley laughs. "It's all smoke and mirrors."
No, it's inner strength and a strong spirit.
I want to tell her about my adoption and the hell I've been through, but tonight is for her. I won't tarnish her dream with my nightmare. At least, not tonight.
"We're heading out too." I look back at where my mom is now sitting with my brothers in a row of chairs near a vending machine. "I'll go give mom a goodnight kiss and then I'll take my two favorite women home."
Chapter 40
Adley
I feel the cool air rise from the floor when he opens the shower door. I left him in my bedroom after we got back from the hospital.
He called Bill, who came to get us and after we dropped off Lark, we sat in the back of the car holding hands in silence. I know it has to be hard for him. His father is hanging by a thread. Before we left the hospital, I asked him twice if he wanted to stay, but he was insistent that he needed to be with me. I didn't argue.
"I need you so much," he whispers those words against the shell of my ear. "I want to be close to you, inside of you. I want to feel you all around me."
I turn quickly to face him. He's already wet. The water is running over his handsome face, down his chiseled body, and trailing along his heavy, thick cock.
I want to give him pleasure more than I've wanted to before. I can see the pain in his eyes. I can feel it in his touch. He's holding himself together even though inside, I know that pieces of him are broken beyond repair.
I lower myself to my knees, slowly. "I've wanted to do this for a long time."
He groans his approval as his legs inch apart.
I wrap my hand around the base, the pad of my thumb rubbing the underside. I inhale his scent. Masculine, musky, mine.
I lick the crown softly, twirling my tongue around it, savoring my first taste of this glorious man.
"I'll come from this." His voice is husky as he runs his fingers through my hair. "If I fuck your mouth, I'll come."
I respond with another lash of my tongue before I slide my mouth over him.
"Yes," he hisses as his hips circle. "Just like that."
I moan around him, lost in the feeling that I'm giving him exactly what he gave to me. I suck him harder, taking him deeper down my throat as I drop one hand to rub my clit.
"Jesus, Ad." He growls. "Touch it for me."
I pull him out of my mouth and lick his shaft with soft fluttering lashes of my tongue while I work to get myself off.
"I want in on that." He hauls me up by my arms and slams my back against the shower wall.
He kisses me, hard. Hard enough to bruise my mouth as his hand brushes mine away from my core so he can take over.
He slides two fingers into me, as his thumb works on my clit.
I reach down to touch him, to stroke him and as the water beats down on us, we take each other to the edge before he turns me around, pushes my body against the wall and licks my pussy, pulling his teeth over my clit until I scream when I find my release.
***
"Crew," I pant as I say his name. "Oh, God."
He looks at me. His eyes are darkened with the desperate need to come. "More, Ad. Give me one more."
I can't. I've already come twice. Once in the shower and again, here against the wall in my bedroom.
My legs are wrapped around him. His hands are cupping my ass, and with each slam of his cock into me, the wall shakes behind us.
"Slow," I manage to get the word out. "Slower."
He kisses me softly, his tongue tracing a delicious path over my lower lip. "Slow."
I moan from the change in tempo. Until now it was desperate hard fucks, our bodies slapping together in a concert of desire, a rush to feel as much as we could.
Now, it's gentle, easy and his cock is stretching me in the most painfully delicious ways.
"You want it like this?" He licks my neck. "Just like this?"
I nod because my voice is lost in the need to come again. I'm close, so fucking close.
"You are everything," he whispers into the flesh of my neck.
He is. He's everything.
Hope, promise, love and every tomorrow.
"Look at me, Ad." He moves so his face is almost touching mine. "Let me see your face when you come."
I don’t try and hide it. I stare into his beautiful green eyes.
I grind against him, taking in the way he wants me to; uninhibited, unafraid, and unashamed.
"Crew," I say his name as my core clenches when the ripples of my orgasm wash over me. He's captivated, his eyes never leaving my face.
My hands grip his strong shoulders tightly as I fall from the high.
"Fuck, that was beautiful." He trails kisses over my neck. "My turn."
He lowers me to my feet, turns me around and fucks me hard to his own release.
Chapter 41
Adley
"I need to go to work." I push on his shoulder. "Crew? Wake up. I need to go."
He lazily opens his eyes before kicking back the blanket. "Since when do you go to work before five a.m?"
"It's almost nine." I stare at his nude body. I fell asleep in his arms after we made love. I listened to his steady breathing for more than an hour before I finally drifted off too.
"What?" He sits upright, raking both hands through his hair. "What the hell? I never sleep past five a.m."
"Never say never, Benton," I quip. "There's coffee in the kitchen. Sydney will probably offer you half of her breakfast, and she'll be wearing nothing but lingerie. I suggest you don't take up either of those offers."
He wiggles his brows. "I'm only hungry for one thing."
"I can't be late." I tap my shoe on the floor. "I called Kade an hour ago. He said your dad is stable. They'll run some tests this morning, and then Dr. Tate will advise them about whether surgery is a viable option at this time."
>
"Thanks for the update, Dr. York."
I smile broadly. "I'm going to do it. I want it."
"You'll do it." He pulls his arms over his head in a stretch. Sweet Jesus, those biceps make me want to crawl back in bed. "Why were you so secretive about it? You could have just told me that you're going to be a doctor."
I risk being five minutes late and sit on the edge of the bed. "I needed to believe I could do it before I told anyone."
He leans back against the wooden headboard. I know he's waiting for me to explain more.
"When I first entertained the idea, it felt like it was too much to hope for." I smooth my palms over the thighs of my scrubs. "I could see this mountain in front of me and it seemed insurmountable. I knew if I told you or Ellie, you'd tell me to chase the dream, but what good would that be if I didn't believe in myself?"
"You believe in yourself now." He searches my gaze. "I saw it at the hospital last night. You were standing there talking to John like you belonged there. You looked at home there."
"I felt that." I reach for his forearm. "John has been taking me on small tours of the cardiology department. He had a mentor who did the same for him before he went to medical school. It convinced him that he was doing the right thing by investing so much of his life in his passion. I feel that too."
"Whatever you need from me to make this a reality, you have it."
I know that. I knew it before he offered. I've looked into student loans and I've been saving like mad so I can get myself through school. "I have most everything covered but I'm going to need your emotional support. I need you in my corner telling me that all the long hours and sacrifices are worth it."
"You can count on me." He leans forward to kiss me softly. "I'm here today and when you graduate as Dr. York, I'll be there beside you."
I want that. I want him to take this journey with me, not as a friend, but as more.
"I need to get to work." I kiss him again, deeper this time, my tongue tracing a path over his lips. "Will I see you tonight?"
"You better believe it." He reaches to cup my face. "I'm so fucking crazy about you, Adley. You know that, don't you? You feel it."
I feel love. It's nothing like what I felt for Leo. This is different. It's consuming and comforting. It's where I belong.
"I feel all of it."
"I'll come back here at seven. Does that work for you?"
"I'll meet you at the hospital at seven," I counter.
Last night it felt like he was struggling over what's going on with his dad. We left the hospital quickly and he's made no effort to check in with Kade or anyone in his family since.
"Seven at the hospital it is."
"I'll meet you at the nurses' desk on the seventh floor."
"Seventh floor at seven." He taps his forehead. "Got it."
I move to stand but his hand grabs my wrist.
"Kiss me one last time, Ad."
I do. I kiss him slowly and when I pull back, I see forever in his eyes.
***
"You're Hale's babe, aren't you?"
I look over at the man standing next to the exam table holding the leash of a Boston Terrier. He can't be much older than I am. "I'm not."
"Yes, you are," he insists with a grin. "I follow those posts religiously and I know she works here. You're her."
This isn't the first or even the second, time this has happened since I stopped seeing Trey. Unfortunately, he hasn't started dating again, so those posts are still the first that pop up whenever anyone searches for the halesbabe hashtag.
I'm not going to stand here and argue the point. It's useless. "I was seeing Trey, but it's over now."
"So you're available?" He shoves a hand through his short blond hair.
"No," I answer quickly. "I'm not."
"You're sure?" He leans forward and his hot breath skirts over my cheek. I step back, wishing I would have broken clinic policy and left the door to the exam room open.
"I'm positive." I cast my gaze down to the tablet in my shaking hands. "I'm going to go see what's keeping Dr. Hunt."
He steps in front of me as I walk toward the door. "Don’t rush off, Adley."
I hate that I was tagged in any of those photographs. I never wanted my face out there. I like to live my life in private, quietly. "Please move aside."
He doesn't move. "I'm still a member. I remember the first time I ever saw you there."
Panic creeps down my spine. This can't be happening again. Please, not again.
"I don't know what you're talking about." My voice is as unsteady as my hands. "If you'll move aside, I can get the doctor."
"I'm talking about Club Skyn, Social Room A. You laid out like a feast for anyone who wanted…"
The door flies open and Dr. Hunt marches in with a smile on his face and his usual greeting. "Good morning, who do we have here?"
He stops as soon as his eyes lock on mine."Adley? What's wrong?"
I shake my head as I try and speak. "I need to take a minute."
Dr. Hunt brushes next to the man to reach for my hand. "Go to the lunchroom. Sit. I'll be in to check on you as soon as I'm done here."
I nod and as I start to walk away, I hear the bastard's voice trailing behind me. "It was good to see you again, Adley. You know where to find me."
Chapter 42
Crew
Some people will tell you that money can't buy happiness. They may be right, but today it bought me peace of mind, two-fold.
My lawyer worked out a deal with Lucia. I wouldn’t accept the lowball offers she was volleying my way, so I countered with an offer of my own to take over her shares of the club.
She sent me a few video text messages I ignored, then she called and left a voicemail message telling me how much she missed riding me reverse cowgirl while staring out at the strip through the windows of my hotel suite. I deleted that and her number from my phone.
Finally, she relented and took my deal.
It was a steep price to pay for a missed fuck, but the lesson was invaluable and learned too late. Never mix business with pleasure.
I followed the rule religiously until I met Lucia.
Since Ad is going to be a doctor and I can't stand the sight of blood, I'll never have to worry about the business/pleasure mix again.
"Ms. Costa is here to see you," Nancy announces from the doorway of my office like any good assistant would. The eye roll she gifts me with is the cherry on the sundae.
"Sit, Damaris."
I don't rise from my chair because respect isn't part of the dynamic of my relationship with this woman.
"You're tense, Crew. You need a good fuck."
Nancy tiptoes backward out of the doorway when she hears those words coming out of the mouth of my ex-fiancée.
"Leave the door open," I call after her. "The witch has to catch a broom out of town at three. She won't be staying long."
I hear Nancy's muffled laugh as Damaris takes a seat in front of my desk.
"You heard about my promotion?" She edges her finger over the corner of her lip.
I arranged the fucking thing and I would call it more a banishing than a promotion. It was my last official duty as a shareholder at Benton Holdings. Lark is taking over my shares tomorrow, even though Eli is still clinging to the last edges of his life with desperation.
"You're going to Italy." I tap my hand on the top of my desk. "Look whose dream is coming true."
She tilts her chin up. "I've always wanted to live in Rome. Now, I get to run the entire division of Benton's sales offices there."
It's one office that employs one person. That individual will be relocated back to Belgium. It's a move they've been desperately wanting for months.
"Will you miss me?" She smiles tightly.
"I didn't miss you before I saw you in the Hamptons, Damaris. Why the fuck would I miss you now?"
"There was a time when I thought we would make it."
If I ever felt that it was fleeting. The highs of the
sex and the lows of the pain I was in made it impossible to see a day ahead of me. I clung to Damaris because she was a warm body who kept me afloat.
"We weren't good for one another." I take a deep breath. "We would have destroyed each other."
"It would have been a hell of a way to go." She laughs. "I think back on what we did. It's hard to believe that was me."
Or me.
Drugs, unprotected sex, blackouts. It was all part of our daily fare.
I took chances with my safety and hers because I couldn't see through the anguish I was in. She trusted me to take care of her and when I couldn't anymore, the dynamic shifted. I needed her to take the wheel, but she couldn't handle it. She didn't have the strength.
"I want to the hospital to see your dad," she begins before she corrects herself. "Eli. I went to see Eli."
She knows. Damaris was by my side when I set out on the search to find my birth mother. She was there when I did. "I don't give a shit how that went."
She clasps her hands together on her lap. "I know, Crew. He told me he hopes all of his kids miss him when he's gone."
Of course he does. He wants the reassurance that we'll be in pain because of his death. I lie to myself that I won't, but grief is born in honesty. There will be a void. It won't be because he's not there anymore, but the chance; the might have been, will be gone.
"He remembered you?" I ask to avoid addressing what she just said. "It's been almost five years."
Her face softens. "He told me that he thought I was wrong for you. Not that I was too good, mind you, but wrong. He said you need a woman who can tame you. I told him she doesn't exist."
She does and I'm in love with her.
"He's lived the life he wanted to live." I deflect. "We've made our peace."
She moves to stand, I don't follow. "Do you ever miss us, Crew?"
"No," I respond without any hesitation. I won't ask her the same question because I can see the answer in her eyes.
"I'll keep in touch with Kade. He'll know how I'm doing if you're ever interested."
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