Table Of Contents
Other Books by KD Williamson
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Epilogue
About KD Williamson
Other Books from Ylva Publishing
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Other Books by
KD Williamson
Pink
Cops and Docs
Blurred Lines
Crossing Lines
Between the Lines
Dedication
To my wife, Michelle. Thirteen years hasn’t been long enough. You’re my best friend and an all around badass of a woman. Thank you for doing the things that I can’t and the things I won’t…like manual labor.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Amy and Anne who helped pull the words out of me, and to Lee Winter who helped me refine and shape the characters inside.
To Astrid, that Facebook DM changed my life.
Chapter 1
Dani’s eyes fluttered open. It took her a minute to adjust to the darkness of her bedroom. God, she loved those blackout curtains. Best invention ever. She yawned noisily and stretched, lifting her arms toward the ceiling and pointing her toes toward the far wall. Dani was still tired, but there was no fog weighing her down. The term well rested didn’t apply to her, but she had learned to savor the days when she got to be in her own bed and sleep for more than a few hours.
Something brushed against her. She gasped and recoiled. A soft hand, a woman’s hand, snaked its way up Dani’s torso.
“Well, last night must not have been all that memorable. You forgot I was here?”
Dani chuckled. “Yeah, sorry.” It should have been hard to forget that a woman like Sandra was in her bed. She was all pouty lips, bedroom eyes, and blatant innuendo. Had it really been that long? “If it’s any consolation, I slept like a rock.”
“Mmm. What time is it? I picked up an extra shift. The regular charge nurse had to go to a wedding. Have to be at the hospital by eight thirty.” Sandra pressed against her from behind, bringing a sudden combination of hot skin, curves, and hard nipples with her.
Dani shivered and gasped for a whole different reason. She squinted at the clock on her nightstand. 6:03, maybe? She couldn’t be sure without her glasses. She patted around the area near the clock until her fingers hit pay dirt and slid her glasses on. It was 7:13 a.m. She’d been way off. “It’s a little after seven.”
“Damn it.” Sandra sighed. “But maybe it’s enough time to leave a lasting impression.” She slipped an open palm over Dani’s breast, dragging it across her nipple. Dani sucked in a breath and arched into the touch. Sandra’s fingertips plucked at aroused flesh as her teeth sank into Dani’s shoulder. Her body drank it all in as if she’d been close to dehydration. It really had been way too long.
Less than an hour later, Dani was laughing and pushing Sandra out of her bedroom. “You’re gonna be late.”
“Well, it’ll be your fault. All you have to do is answer me.” Sandra grinned. There was a glint in her eyes making them bluer than usual.
Dani crossed her arms over her chest. “Fine. Yes, maybe we can do this again, but I don’t know when. I’m always—”
“Busy. I know. You’re in residency, but don’t be surprised if I drag you into one of the on-call rooms sometime soon.”
“Ahem.”
Sandra turned.
Dani blinked at her roommate and best friend. His hairy, deeply bronzed chest and legs were on full display. The rest of him was tucked into a grey pair of Jockey boxer briefs. The stool he sat on, in front of the built-in breakfast nook, creaked as he leaned forward and lifted the bowl in his lap higher. He brought the spoon to his mouth and chewed the contents quietly.
“Oh, hey, Rick.”
Rick tilted his head and smiled slowly. “Mornin’, Sandra.” He practically sang the words.
Dani glared at his obvious teasing.
In return, Rick’s brows rose, making his forehead wrinkle.
Sandra pressed a quick kiss to Dani’s lips and was out the door.
Dani didn’t say a word as she slid on the stool beside Rick. He turned toward her slightly and continued to eat his breakfast.
“Is that my Raisin Nut Bran?” she asked finally.
Rick scowled but it changed to a grin. “Damn right, it is. I could eat a whole bowl of those raisins by themselves.”
She reached for the bowl. “The box was almost empty.”
He snatched it away. “Well, it’s completely empty now.”
Dani was a step away from being hangry. Rick’s life could very well be in danger. “You could at least share.”
He sighed. “Fine, but go get your own spoon. I know where your mouth has been.”
Dani groaned. “You just couldn’t let it go, could you?”
“No, I could not. I’m just glad somebody knocked the dust off it.”
Her face heated and there was no way to hide it. Sometimes she hated being so pale. Despite his encouragement to get her own utensil, Dani took his spoon and the bowl back and dug in. “Shut up,” she mumbled around a mouthful of cereal.
“I bet bats flew out when you spread your legs. Did they squeak?”
Dani bumped him with her shoulder, hard.
Rick laughed. It was deep, warm, and hard to resist. Dani leaned against him and joined in.
A few minutes later, she finished off the bowl of cereal and glanced up to find Rick staring at her. He pressed his lips together and rubbed a hand over his bald head.
“What?”
“Uh, maybe I should let you digest your food a little first.”
“Oh my God, what?” Dani set the bowl on the counter. “Just spit it out.”
Rick huffed. “Okay, just promise me it won’t keep you from doin’ your thing.”
“My thing?”
“With Sandra, if it’s goin’ there. You know? A little ass when you need it.” Rick held up his thumb and forefinger. They were barely a centimeter apart.
“Whatever. I don’t do the flavor-of-the-week club. I don’t have the time or the interest.”
“You don’t do any kind of club…short or long term. I’m just glad you settled for somewhere in the middle.” Rick’s eyes were soft as he looked at her.
Dani shrugged. “No matter how many times or ways we have this conversation, I’m not capable of giving someone that much focus and attention, not with the hours I work. At least I’ve learned to take care of myself better.”
“If you say so.”
“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” Dani glared.
“You really want me to answer that?”
No, she really didn’t. Instead, Dani changed
the subject. “Anyway, I don’t know where you get the energy to chase women.”
“Me neither sometimes, but that’s so not the point.”
“What is then?” Dani put her elbows on the counter.
“I know you don’t have anythin’ against it, but you know Sandra’s bi, right?”
“Yeah, so? What does that have—” Realization crept up the back of her throat and left a weird taste there. “No… You didn’t. Here? In our apartment?”
Rick threw his hands up. “I did. It’s been a couple months. We kinda had a regular thing until it fizzled out. Every once in a while here, but mostly at the hospital.”
So, Sandra had a thing for on-call rooms. “Oh, ew. Was her mouth all on your…” Dani looked down at his crotch.
So did Rick. He smiled.
Dani cringed. “God, it’s like I gave you a blow job by proxy.” They’d stumbled into a similar situation before, but Rebecca stood out as a special case for them both. She pushed thoughts of Rebecca away with only a small amount of difficulty and met Rick’s gaze, giving him her full attention.
“That’s way too incest-y.” Rick scrunched his nose.
“I know, right?”
“I just wanted you to hear it from me in case she brought it up. Now, I wish—”
“Not another word.” Dani pointed at him.
“Yeah, for real.”
“Wait. One more thing. Did you guys use protection?” Dani had to ask.
Rick’s eyes widened. “I get tested regularly. I don’t have anythin’, but hell yes! Did you?”
“Definitely.”
He stood. “Good. Now, I’ve gotta go.”
“Where are you going? It’s early. We hardly ever have the same day off anymore, and it’s Saturday too.”
Rick turned and met her gaze. He smiled. “Aww, you miss me.”
“I do. Besides a few nurses, you’re the only one I—”
“Uh-huh, and whose fault is that?”
Hers. It was all hers, but Dani was doing what she thought she had to in order to get through her last year of residency, even though she had an additional three years ahead for her fellowship in pediatric oncology. “Yes, well.”
“The other residents really aren’t all that bad long as you don’t get sucked into drama.”
Dani shrugged. “I don’t have—”
“You don’t have it in you for socializin’. I mighta heard that a few times even moreso in the past couple minutes,” Rick finished for her. “May not seem like it, but you’re still liked despite the cold shoulder you give almost everybody. They remember how you used to be.”
She shrugged, not caring either way.
“With everythin’ that happened, sometimes I really think it would have been better for you to transfer to another residency program and start fresh.”
Leaving was never an option. She only had a few more months left in her residency, and it was way too late to apply for a fellowship somewhere else. Besides, her demons would probably follow. This conversation was taking her to a somber place, and she didn’t want to be there. Humor was the better way to go. “You say that now, but what would you do without me?”
“Sandra, again?” Taking the bait, Rick wiggled his eyebrows, showcasing his ability to be funny and douchey at the same time.
“Oh, God. Stop.” Dani covered her face. This was going to be hard to live down. She had no business dipping into the company ink anyway. Driven by her career goals, Dani was still human, and all the flirting Sandra had been shooting her way had finally hit its mark. She didn’t think of giving in as weakness. It was more of a biological imperative and a matter of convenience after a long dry spell.
Rick pulled her hands away. “You’ll get over it.”
“So, where’re you going?” Her voice lilted upward at the end as curiosity took hold.
“Meetin’ a friend. I should only be a few of hours.”
“Who?”
Rick looked away. “No one you’d know.”
Interesting. “Maybe I can come too?”
“It’s a funeral.”
“Oh.” She was pretty sure it would be rude to crash a funeral.
“Yeah, I’m the moral support, so I might be a while. But I’m all yours when I get back. Promise. Maybe I’ll cook and we can put a dent in the DVR. It was at ninety-five percent capacity last time I checked.”
“Wait. You’re choosing me over your afternoon pick-up game with the guys?”
Rick shrugged. “They’ll do fine without me. I’m sure.”
“Well, your team might actually win anyway.” Dani couldn’t resist teasing him. “I know you at least turn heads running around shirtless, so that has to be a bonus.”
“Whatever.” He huffed and waved her comment away. “The rest of the guys aren’t that good either.
“True. So, will you make that chicken dish, then?”
“Which one?” Rick asked.
“The one with those little green salty things?”
“Capers?”
“If you say so.”
“Okay, you’ll go get what I need if I leave you a list?”
Dani sagged in her chair and groaned, “You’re already gonna be out.”
“Well, shit. You want me to clean your room too? I got just about everythin’ else covered.”
“No, we’re good.” She smiled.
Rick gave her a hard stare and turned away, walking toward his bedroom.
Damn. Well, she could always read for a few hours to pass the time. Maybe something not medicine related. At this point in her career, her head was full to bursting, but regardless, she had to find room to learn even more. She’d get back on that train tomorrow. Even she had to come up for air every once in a while.
“Hey?”
Dani looked up as Rick poked his head out of the bedroom door.
“How does that thing Sandra does with her tongue translate to girl parts?” Rick smiled so hard his eyes crinkled.
“Shut up!”
He threw his head back and laughed.
Dani looked around for something to toss at him.
Chapter 2
The wind, blustery and loud, blew through the collection of skeleton-like trees that filled the graveyard. Empty branches groaned and clacked against each other, nearly drowning out the sound of the preacher’s voice. Rebecca could have focused more, but she didn’t want to. She’d already said her good-byes three days prior. While expected, Aunt Felicia’s death still had to have been a welcome relief for her after so much suffering.
The funeral itself was a technicality at this point. It didn’t seem like much, but it was all Rebecca could afford even with the money her great aunt had saved. She could have gone with cremation, but the thought of Aunt Felicia being forever on her mantle or the coffee table didn’t sit well. A graveside service was a thousand dollars less than the pomp and circumstance of a church. Her aunt had never been religious: Rebecca didn’t remember dressing up for church on Sundays. Christmas, for some reason, was a different story. So, the preacher was a stranger and part of the funeral home’s package.
Only a smattering of people gathered around the plain pine casket, hovering over the opening of its freshly dug, permanent home. Rebecca was very familiar with three of them, including the live-in home-health nurse who’d been taking care of Aunt Felicia since her diagnosis the year prior, but the others not so much. They were family friends who’d come out of the woodwork. Thankfully, no relatives had bothered. They hadn’t had anything to do with her years ago, and there was no point now.
Rebecca stood away from everyone, near the knee-high mound of dirt, blanketed with a green tarp. She wasn’t sure what the point of that covering was. Hiding it didn’t shatter the finality of the situation.
She scanned the faces of everyone around her.
None of them were crying, and Rebecca remained stoic as well.
Aunt Felicia would’ve wanted it that way.
One sniffle and she’d probably rise up out of that satin-lined box and yell at them all.
Rebecca almost smiled. Instead, the wind took her away again. She glanced up at the sky. The sun made a valiant attempt to burst through a section of clouds, making them brighter, almost white compared to the grayish tinge of the rest of the sky. It didn’t matter if the sun broke through completely. Nothing would change. Mid-September was shaping up to be unseasonably cool. Even though it was in the high forties, it was still too cold for her taste.
Her eyes started to burn as grief seeped in. Aunt Felicia had been a hard woman, never affectionate or overly kind. Rebecca was grateful, even though growing up with her hadn’t been easy. At times, it was downright barren. Her aunt was strict and believed in being blunt with the truth as she saw it, which included her view on Rebecca’s sexuality. They’d only spoken about it once when she was in high school and got caught grinding on her girlfriend. Though “speaking” implied a conversation was had. There’d been more yelling than anything else. After that, Rebecca knew exactly where she stood, and she did all her grinding away from her aunt’s. She refused to stop living her life.
The sun lost its battle and disappeared. Rebecca adjusted the collar of her leather jacket to cover her neck. She should have worn something thicker, but the black mid-length coat went better with her pantsuit and the corresponding situation. She shoved her hands in her pockets and scolded herself for not wearing gloves as well.
Someone eased up beside her. Instinctively, Rebecca stepped to the side. The person’s hand pressed against the small of her back, bringing with it a familiar warmth and distinctive cologne. She turned slightly and looked up at Rick. His eyes were dark, his expression gentle. Rebecca relaxed against him. She hadn’t really expected him to come. Grateful that he had, she hooked her arm around his and squeezed.
“Sorry, got caught up behind a wreck,” he whispered, and kissed the top of her head.
Rebecca nodded and sank into him even more.
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