by Lexy Timms
"Make the cut? You're at the top of it, standing alone by a mile or two." He reached out and ran his finger down the various cuts made in the left side of the skull she had on display for them. He rattled off the names of the incisions and the various instruments that one might use to make them.
She stood. "Impressive."
"I do try and keep up my end of the bargain, Julie." He moved to stand in front of her as she turned. "Have that steak dinner with me. The lack of a wedding ring and hostile attitude tells me that you’re available, or soon to be. I want a shot."
She laughed and pushed passed him as she tucked the folder under her arm. "I'll meet you in room twenty-five for the operation. Fifteen minutes. Don't be late and don't talk to me like we're anything other than instructor and student in front of my staff. I'll give you the pleasure of commonality when we're alone, but no other time. Got it?"
He crossed his arms over his thick chest and nodded, the look on his face sensual and full of welcomed challenge. "Absolutely. Dinner... me and you."
"No. See you shortly." She walked out and sucked her bottom lip into her mouth as her heart raced.
The image of going to dinner with the handsome intern rolled across her vision and she let it push past dinner into a night of dancing.
She could almost feel his strong hands on her hips, her dress being thin so she could feel every touch, experience every sensation.
He pressed against her, his lips dragging by her neck, leaving her breathless and needy for his attention.
"I want you." His tongue ran from the base of her throat up to her ear. "Now. Take off your dress for me."
"Yeah," she whispered and moved back, the dance floor having turned into an elaborate bedroom.
He reached for her as the dress slipped from her fingers. He growled softly and turned them, pressed her back on the bed as he crawled on top of her and settled himself between her thighs.
A low moan left her at the thick press of his cock against her need. She lifted her hips and rubbed against him before pulling him down and kissing him long and hard. The soft press of his tongue deep into her mouth sent chill bumps racing across her skin. She broke the kiss and looked up, her heart stopping in her chest as fire burst through her.
Simon.
Chapter 16
Two Days Later
Avoiding Julie was easier said than done, but he worked hard at it and managed to get through the rest of the weekend with only a few short conversations. By Monday morning he was mentally and emotionally beat. He brushed his teeth in the bathroom adjoined to his office and ran his hands through his hair.
Julie had Monday morning off, thank goodness. Unfortunately, that meant he was in charge of the perky new intern who seemed to be sweet on his wife. The poor kid probably had no clue he was in the middle of a battle between the two of them, but Simon was going to give him a quick lesson in hopes that he would do the right thing and back the fuck off.
After working to smooth the dark blue scrubs as best he could, he turned and walked out into the hallway and down to the nurse’s station for the OR. The pretty redhead he'd run into on Friday glanced up and smiled.
"Hi, Dr. Paulk. How’re you today?"
"Good. Any clue where my wife's intern is?" He glanced around, not paying any attention to the seductive smile that played on the younger woman's mouth.
"Cade?"
"Is that his name?" Simon snorted and glanced down at the girl.
"Yeah. Sounds like something you'd name a horse. Wonder if he's hung like a..." She giggled.
Simon tried not to roll his eyes. "Anyways... where’s the kid?"
"If by kid, you're referring to me... I'm right here." Cade walked up and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you. You're the guy from the gym, right? You work in this department?"
"He runs it, honey," Lyndsay, the pretty nurse butted in.
"Oh. Shit! Sorry. I was expecting us to meet last week. My mentor said you were a busy man." He smiled and shook Simon's hand.
Busy man? Was there more behind the poke than the fact that work kept him running full speed? Did the kid know that he and Julie were married and that he'd been dumb enough to cheat on her?
"Yeah. Simon. Let's go." He turned and walked toward the two double doors that opened into the OR. "We're going to work on a repeat client this morning. We opened the skull last week due to a traumatic car accident. Time to assess and make a judgment call as to how much longer we'll have to keep the man in the coma he's in."
"Oh, cool." The guy moved up beside Simon and smiled.
"Not cool at all, actually." Simon glanced over at the kid and grimaced. "Don't speak unless you're spoken to in here and do not do anything without my instruction. Got it?"
"Absolutely." Cade pulled out his phone and smiled. "Julie will be here at two. Am I working with you or shifting back over to her?"
Simon glanced at Cade's phone as his stomach clenched tight. His wife was texting the intern?
Chill the fuck out. It's her intern. There's nothing going on. You're making shit up. Releasing the tight lock he had his jaw in, he took a deep breath and glanced over at Cade. "I'm not sure yet, and her name is Dr. Paulk to you. Remember that."
"Right. Sorry, Sir." Cade moved in and began to scrub up beside him. The nurses got a little giggly as they walked into the OR, but Simon pinned them with a stare and turned to see if Cade was making eyes or acting like the immature ass he expected him to be.
He wasn't. The younger man was waiting for Simon's instructions, his jaw set and determination in his eyes.
Great. He's perfect for this, which can’t have been lost on Julie.
They worked side by side for the next three hours, Simon berating the intern every chance he got, which wasn't often. The kid knew his stuff and offered to assist with parts of the procedure that Simon needed a second set of hands on. Julie should have been there with him, but Elijah had relieved her for the morning. What was she up to?
He wasn't too terribly concerned seeing that Mr. Hot Stuff was in the OR with him. The nurses began to behave, but Simon couldn't help but notice the way they watched the boy with interest. He was almost a perfect replica of himself ten years back. The thought of him being alone with Jules and giving her the intensity of his desire left him aching for a long night of getting wasted and forgetting his fucked-up life.
He would fight for her, but if she didn't allow him to fight, he couldn't push her. She would back up and slam the door in his face. She hadn't mentioned the flowers and they weren't in her office anymore, which was a horrible sign.
Glancing up, he caught Cade's eye and nodded. "Let's finish this up and scrub out."
"Sounds good. Tell me where to spot you and I'm there."
Simon instructed the intern where to go and what to do. He was beyond impressed with the guy’s skill and his professional demeanor. If it weren't for the fact that the guy had the hots for his wife, he would have asked for him to understudy with him.
Hell, that's a much better idea than having him spend long hours beside my wife, who feels like she's unworthy of anyone because of me.
They scrubbed out and Simon nodded at Cade. "I'm going to my office. Take an hour break and I'll see you there when you're done. It's the large office at the end of the floor."
"Sounds good. Thanks for the instruction today. You were incredible." He smiled and reached for the paper towels the nurse offered.
"You did good." Simon threw the wet paper towel in the trashcan and walked out, letting out a long breath. Treating the kid like shit came natural when he wasn't aware of what Cade could do, or how appropriate he could act, but now... Shit.
He walked into his office and stopped short as Julie turned from her seated position. Her chestnut locks splayed across her narrow back and her hazel eyes were tired and a little swollen. She'd been crying again. Why? It was somehow his fault. Of that he was assured. He noticed her tired eyes, no one else would. Her face was too beautiful for most to even catch it.
"Julie. How’re you?" He walked in and moved to take a seat, leaning back and taking her in as his eyes moved across her beautiful face, the sensual slope of her neck and over the swell of her breasts.
"Tired. I'm not sleeping too well, but other than that, I'm good." She handed him a folder. "Here are some of my preliminary notes on the optical project you want me to join you on."
He leaned forward and took it. "Does this mean you're going to partner with me on it?"
"For now, yes. I'm not quite sure what the future holds, but all other things remaining consistent, I'm on board." She forced a smile and he sat in stony silence.
"I brought Cade in on the Johnson follow-up this morning." Simon paused, waiting for some reaction from her and getting none. "And he did quite well. I'm actually impressed."
"He’s very impressive. I thought he’d be a silly rich pain in the ass, but I've been surprised. He studies hard and knows his stuff. He's ballsy." She clasped her fingers just under her breasts and shrugged. "It's been fun, I guess. Not sure I could work with an intern long-term, but for now it's making Elijah happy."
"Yeah, I'm aware." Simon let some of the sarcasm slip into his voice. "Always nice to yolk my wife, who's divorcing me, to a better version of me with ten years of life taken off his shoulders."
"So take a look at the file and we can talk about it if you want. You never sent me the meetings, so do that too." She sat up and moved to the edge of her chair as she glanced down at his desk.
"Every day at two in the afternoon. If one of us is off, obviously no need to come in, but if we're both here and not in surgery, we need to meet." He stood up and moved around the desk, waiting for her to stand, which she did.
"Okay. I appreciate the opportunity." She smiled and started to move, but he couldn't let her go.
He took her by the shoulders softly and gazed down at her. "Did you get the flowers I sent you?"
"I did. They were beautiful. My favorite."
"Jules."
"Please. Don’t."
“Julie.”
A knock resounded at the door and Julie tugged away from him and turned as Cade walked in.
"There you are!" The smile on his face caused Simon's stomach to turn sour.
"I'm early, so I have no clue what you're talking about." Her smile rose to her eyes and Simon stepped back and leaned against the desk, pressing his rear to it for support.
"Am I interrupting something?" Cade smiled.
"Yes." Simon barked as Julie said, “No.”
"Okay." Cade glanced back and then turned to Simon. "I thought you said this was your office, but Dr. Paulk’s name is on the door. Are you guys cousins or something?"
"No. We're married." Simon pinned the kid with a hard stare as the color drained from his face.
"We were married, we're separated now, working through the divorce," Julie added and turned her attention to Simon. "Speaking of... my lawyer said the papers will be drafted later this week."
"Great," Simon bit out as the world shifted in front of him. That fast? "Then I guess we’re finished here. Go do whatever it is you need to do. I need to finish up a few things before I finish my shift.”
"Thanks again for this morning." Cade moved to the door and opened it wide.
"I'll talk to you later. Check those notes?" Julie looked over her shoulder. The sadness at the edge of her eyes didn't faze him, seeing that he was struggling to breathe. She had slipped a knife in the center of him and twisted as hard as she could. Whether she knew it or not...
"Yep. I'll get right on that." He crossed his arms over his chest as Cade slid his hand on her lower back, the bastard’s fingers skimming over the top of Julie's perfect ass. They walked out as she laughed softly at something he said.
Simon moved from his desk and closed the door before letting out a silent scream. This could not be happening. He was losing her because of Elijah's choice of who to assign to the brilliant and good-looking new intern. Did Julie really think the kid was interested in her? He was a kid for fuck's sake.
Sinking down on his couch, he let out a long breath. The door opened and he steeled himself, acting as if nothing were wrong.
Julie stuck her head back into the room. "There's nothing going on between us. I know what you're thinking."
"Nope. You have no clue of what I'm thinking or how I feel right now. Remember that night a few weeks ago when I called you and confessed to what I had done with Pam?"
She paled visibly. "How could I forget?"
"Double that. I let someone use my dick but never... never in a million years would I have fallen for her. Never would my heart have gotten involved. It belonged then, and it belongs now, only to you." He let out a shaky breath. "Get out. Get out and don't come back."
She nodded her head slowly as if trying to understand his request. "Right. Because love never starts with sex, right? Your cock never gives way to a development in your heart. That’s what happened with us in med school. It was happening again the other day. But I'm good now. I see the lie in the truth. I'm not with Cade... and I'm not with you anymore either."
She turned and closed the door as everything he wanted walked out of his office, out of his life.
Chapter 17
Four Days Later
The week had to have been one of the longest in her career. Six emergency surgeries, which put her elbow to elbow with Simon, and left her feeling more like crap than she ever had. He was right about some of the things he'd accused her of, but she had to tuck it all away. She couldn't battle the voices in her head and him at the same time.
Cade continued to apply pressure in the form of compliments and impressing the hell out of her at every turn. There was no way she was moving into a relationship with him, especially not until the divorce was final. There was a large part of her heart that didn't want to go through with it, but after her discussion with Simon on Monday, it was only fair.
They were simply tearing each other apart bit by bit at that point. Whether anything became of her and anyone wasn't something she wanted to contemplate at all. She was more concerned with focusing on her career and pushing herself to be better and more diligent at the hospital.
The nights in the house were lonely and filled with tears, which she figured would soon dry up, but they never seemed to. She finished working through the last of the sutures she needed for the surgery she and Simon were working on and looked up to catch him watching her intently.
The longing in his gaze almost broke her in half, but she simply nodded to signal that she was done. "Anything else, Dr. Paulk?"
"No. Beautiful job. Impressive as always. Thank you. Scrub out, Doctor." He turned his attention back to the patient, his movements mechanical and all of the beautiful personality that belonged to him alone was seemingly gone.
An ache tugged at her as she walked into the wash room, and she fought back the need to scream. One of the nurses moved up beside her and touched her shoulder. Cheryl.
"Hey... it's going to get better between you guys. You're killing us in there. This job is too damn hard to have the two of you going through the motions with no feeling, with no light left in you." She reached up and touched the side of Julie's face. "Something’s got to give."
"I know. I'm sorry." The tears arrived just in time and Julie sniffled as she lifted her hands to get Cheryl to pull her bloody gloves from her hands. "The divorce will be finalized soon and everything’ll get better."
"I sure wish I believed that, Julie. I think you're making a mistake."
"How so?" Julie moved to turn the water on and leaned toward her shoulder, pressing her nearest eye to it to help capture a few of the tears that leaked out.
"Someone who was ready for divorce wouldn't look so broken. It would be the beginning of something new, but I know love and you both still love each other. Why are you forcing this? Is it pride?"
"No. I can't live with someone I don't trust."
"And you honestly don't trust him after these weeks of him being i
n your face and working to bring you into a good place with him?"
"Why are you defending him? I'm the one that got a call that destroyed my world." Julie's voice lifted as anger burned down the center of her chest. Cheryl was hitting too close to the truth. She looked to her left as Simon turned toward her and mouthed, “Everything okay?”
She nodded and walked to grab a few towels. "Sorry, Cheryl. I'm just tired. Please leave this alone. I'm already hurting enough."
"All right." The older woman ducked her head and moved back into the OR, leaving Julie feeling like crap.
She walked out into the hallway and let out a long sigh before walking quickly to her office. She was close to losing it again and didn't need anyone to witness it. Elijah was wrong for keeping her there for the next year. She needed out, and if quitting was the only way to find peace of mind, then so be it.
There was an hour until her next surgery. She had time to write her resignation letter, perform the procedure and get out of there before anyone stopped her to discuss it.
She walked into her office as the first sob slipped from her lips. Cade turned from the large bouquet of red roses on her desk and moved quickly to her as she shut the door.
"Julie, what's wrong?" He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly against him.
"Please. Just go. I didn't know you were in here. I need a minute to just let off some steam." She pushed at him softly, not wanting to be released from his hold, but knowing how damning the moment was to her self-worth.
"No. I'm not going anywhere. I wanted to surprise you with flowers. I know it's been a long week. I can feel the tension with you and Simon. It's horrible." He pulled her up and tightened his hold as she pressed her face into his chest and let out another painful sob. "It's okay, sweetie. Let it out. I'm right here. I'm not letting go."
"I can't do this. I can't stay in this place. I have to leave." She tucked her arms against her chest and pressed against him, tucking her face into the side of his neck as he cupped the back of her head.
