One Beautiful Promise

by Layla Hagen

  I’d willingly worked extra hours since starting at the hospital, so my colleagues glanced curiously at me when I announced that I was not lingering today after my eight-hour shift.

  I’d dreamed about being a doctor since I was a little girl. In first grade, our teacher asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. I’d said with all the confidence in the world that I wanted to be a doctor. That answer had never changed. I’d never doubted my choice—not even in med school, when I’d first realized how difficult it all was.

  But on bad days, I did wonder if I really was suited for this profession. A bad day at the hospital meant I couldn’t save all my patients. It happened right at the end of my shift.

  I wasn’t just mourning the patient who passed, but also the loved ones he’d left behind. I wasn’t sure, but maybe losing Ryan had sensitized me to this. I always insisted on talking to the family too, saying a few kind words. I wasn’t sure if it helped, but I wanted to be there for them. Talking to this guy’s family was particularly difficult for some reason. His mom and sister were just stunned, a feeling I understood so well.

  I was breathing in and out, blinking rapidly. My eyes were burning, and my chest was tight. I just needed to get someplace where I was alone, and then I could let it all out.

  I walked at a brisk pace, focusing on every step, on staying strong. I couldn’t lose it in front of the patients. A crying doctor was a huge no-no. It would just make them doubt the competence of the hospital staff, and I didn’t want to make any patients or their relatives uneasy.

  I headed straight to the shower in the changing rooms. I turned the water on at maximum pressure, discarding my scrubs and underwear and stepping under the spray. Then I finally let a sob out, and all the tears I’d held back before.

  I spent twice as long as usual in the shower, right until my breath was back to a normal rhythm and my chest was no longer heavy. I was light-headed when I stepped out from spending so much time under the hot water.

  I dressed carefully before blow-drying my hair, which was when I noticed my appearance. Awww... I was a mess. Not only were my eyes red, but somehow my whole face was swollen. How was I supposed to meet Cole when I was in this state?

  I didn’t look date ready, and I didn’t feel like it either. What I needed was a cup of hot chocolate with extra whipped cream, some fuzzy socks, and a rom-com. I liked to lick my wounds alone.

  Laney: Hey! Had a difficult day at the hospital. Would you mind meeting on another day?

  Cole: What happened?

  Laney: Lost a patient :-(((((

  I felt like adding a million more sad emojis but held back.

  Cole: I am so sorry.

  Laney: I will just head home.

  Cole: Are you sure you don’t want me to come? Just saying, but I’m excellent company. I believe I’ve proved that a few times already.

  The corners of my mouth lifted in a smile.

  Laney: Are you going to win me over with a foot massage again?

  Cole: Yeah. And my offer for a full-body massage still stands.

  I laughed, despite everything. I couldn’t believe he’d managed to make me laugh. Just the thought of seeing him made me feel lighter, and just like that, for the first time since starting my residency, I didn’t want to be alone after losing a patient. I wanted to be with Cole.

  Laney: I’m a bit mopey, though.

  Cole: All the more reason to meet—my excellent company will cheer you up.

  I was laughing in earnest now. Even though I wasn’t wearing my scrubs anymore and patients couldn’t tell I was a doctor, I kept my head down as I walked out of the hospital. There was no risk of me crying again, but my face gave me away, and I didn’t want my colleagues to see me like this.

  Once outside, I darted toward the intersection where I was meeting Cole. I chuckled as I passed two women discussing the newest fad in desserts—cheesecake with sprinkled Oreos. So many were out, just enjoying the sunny day. The energy of the city helped me get out of my headspace, but when I noticed Cole, my whole body felt lighter.

  I stopped right in front of him, taking in all that masculine charm of his. Without saying one word, he took my face in his hands. He pressed his fingers on my cheek.

  “You’ve been crying.”

  My cheeks heated up. I’d hoped he wouldn’t be able to tell.

  “A bit. It’s just so sad whenever we lose someone.”

  “Fuck, you’re so damn adorable.” He pulled me into a bear hug, and I just got lost in his arms right there on the sidewalk. He smelled so insanely delicious. I buried my nose in the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent. I felt, if possible, even lighter. My heartbeat slowed down, as if his proximity was all it took to calm me. I was secure right here against his chest, with his arms wrapped around me. Then my pulse raced up, and other instincts overpowered me.

  “What do you want to do?” he asked in my hair.

  “I’m not really in the mood for being out and about. But I don’t feel like going home either.”

  He nodded, pulling back, taking my hand and putting it on his chest. “I have a solution. Let’s go to my place.”

  “Okay.”

  Cole lived in a gorgeous loft in Manhattan. I twirled around, taking it all in. White was the predominant color, with shades of blue and black.

  “It’s beautiful. Did you hire a professional designer?”

  “I did, actually, but the end result felt like a hotel: elegant, but cold and impersonal. I mentioned it to my family, and at the housewarming party, they all showed up with trinkets and decorative objects that instantly transformed it into a home.”

  “I can actually see that happening. It’s so fancy. You have a concierge. And marble floors. And huge windows with so much light. Wow. Nothing like my tiny shoebox.”

  “Why don’t you move?”

  “I plan to once I finish my residency and earn more. Besides, I don’t have time to look for another place. A fellow resident had just vacated my apartment when I signed the contract at the hospital, and I took it because it was convenient.”

  “You’re welcome here anytime you want.”

  “Wow. Really?”

  “You lit up just now. You should live in a place that makes you happy.” He touched my face, resting his thumb at a corner of my mouth.

  “Wow. Every time I think you can’t be even more of a charmer, you prove me wrong.”

  His smile changed from playful to seductive, revealing a dimple. “And I’m not done yet.”

  I shuddered as he moved his thumb up the bow of my lip slowly. His gaze was locked on my mouth. When he pulled back, guiding me further inside the living room, I immediately missed his presence and his touch—I liked having him close.

  “You know, I’d planned to go home, watch a movie, and eat things that are bad for me. But this is so much better.”

  Cole laughed. “It’s about to get even better.”

  “Oh? What’s the plan?”

  “Don’t have one. We’re spontaneous today.”

  I sat on the couch, wiggling my toes.

  “Well, I’m ready for anything.” I sighed, moving my fingers in random patterns on the soft couch.

  “That’s a dangerous statement.”

  “Uhh... you’re devious.”

  “You haven’t seen devious yet, Laney.” He said the words almost in my ear. My whole body hummed. Cupping my face, he skimmed his lips over mine, licking my lower lip once. I was on fire. When he pulled back, I pouted. “All in due time.”

  “When exactly is that?”

  “We’ll see.” He grinned, straightening up. I looked around, sighing. “I’m so happy I didn’t go home alone. Your loft is just so much warmer and welcoming. I already feel more relaxed.”

  “My loft...? So I’m not a contributing factor?”

  I shrugged one shoulder playfully. “The jury is still out about that.”

  Cole sat on the armrest, looking at me.

  “Do you want to talk about today? Does
that help?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never really had anyone to talk to.”

  “It’s your call.”

  “When doctors say it’s part of the job... they don’t really mean it. I suspect it’s just a way to stop people from asking more questions. At least, that’s what I usually say when people ask about it. It affects me, but I’ve learned to live with it. I try to remember how many people walk out healthy, and... I don’t know. It gets to me every time. I don’t always cry. I’ve never actually seen other colleagues in tears, except the occasional intern who is just starting out. It’s the only time I question if I’m cut out for this.”

  “You’re a sensitive person, Laney. And you’ve been through a lot. It doesn’t mean you’re not strong. You feel everything intensely.” His voice was soft, and so were his eyes.

  “Thanks for saying that.”

  “I mean it. I like that about you. You’re not afraid to feel things.”

  Swallowing hard, I whispered, “I am afraid of some feelings.”

  “That’s understandable.”

  I nodded, smiling. His words were just what I needed to hear. The confirmation I craved that being upset didn’t mean I wasn’t cut out for the job. I was allowed to feel down, even as a doctor. Being afraid didn’t mean I was a coward.

  I trailed my fingers up his thigh, then up his chest, drawing my middle finger in small circles around every button. When I looked up, I simmered at the unabashed heat in his eyes.

  “Why don’t you sit next to me?” I asked.

  “The lady needs a different angle to fondle me?”

  I batted my eyelashes. “Exactly. Dirty minds think alike. In fact, why don’t you lie down? Your couch is wide enough for me to lie next to you. Unless that doesn’t fit your spontaneous nonplans?”

  “I’m adaptable. I can endure this hardship. You can also climb on top of me. You’d have both hands free to grope me.”

  “Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse.”

  I laughed as Cole slid into a lying position. I was lying next to him, straddling him with one leg. My mouth was inches away from his. Lifting his head, he kissed me, deep and hot. I moved on top of him completely, needing more body contact.

  Holding the back of my head with one hand, he deepened the kiss until my toes were curling. He moved his other hand down my back, grabbing my ass, pushing me into him. I saw stars behind my eyelids, moaning in his mouth when I felt how hard he was. I drenched my panties that very second. When we paused to breathe, I realized that I was shaking for real.

  “The real reason you wanted me on top was so you had free range to grope me.” I’d meant to tease him, but my voice was shaky.

  “Fuck, yes.”

  His voice was even shakier than mine, and raw. It sent tendrils of heat right down my center. I initiated our next kiss, tugging at his lower lip, before focusing on the next one. Cole took over the next second. This kiss was even deeper than the one before, and infinitely hotter.

  Kissing him was like learning to breathe again. Touching him made me feel alive in a way I’d never experienced before. I needed more of everything. I wanted Cole—all of him.

  “Laney, baby. Wait. Pause.” He gripped the back of the sofa so tight that I wondered if he wasn’t tearing the fabric away. “We said we’ll take it slow.”

  “I know, but—”

  “I can just go take a cold shower.”

  “Cole, I want you. This.”

  “Are you sure? I can be patient. I can wait. You’ve had a rough day, and you’re vulnerable.”

  He was gripping the couch now with both hands. His chest was shaking with the effort of not touching me.

  “I know what I want. You.”

  The glint in his eyes turned feral, as if he’d just kept the passion inside him at bay until now and he was finally setting it free. He brought both hands to my face, pulling my mouth close to his.

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck, Laney. What am I going to do with you?”

  I clenched my thighs at the promise in his voice. When he kissed me again, pleasure shot through me. A moan escaped my lips. The next minutes were a blur. Cole moved from under me, kneeling on the floor, pulling me with him. I was on top of him, but not for long. He rolled us over until my back was flat against the soft carpet.

  “If you change your mind, just say so,” he said between kisses. “Okay?”

  I nodded, but deep down I knew I wouldn’t change my mind. He trailed kisses down my neck, then moved just over the top of my jeans, pushing up my shirt. I took if off impatiently. He smiled against my skin, getting rid of my jeans. Right there on the soft carpet on the floor, he spread my thighs wide.

  I needed his lips on me, and his tongue. I didn’t even have to ask for it, the greedy way I tugged at the carpet gave me away. Cole parted my legs, kissing down one inner thigh, blowing cold air against my drenched panties before moving to kiss my other thigh. I was shaking now as need shot through me.

  “Come on, I want in you in my bed, Laney.”

  ***

  Cole

  I wanted to give her every chance to change her mind. When we reached the bedroom, it took me longer than necessary to take off my suit jacket. I rolled down the white sun-block shade manually, even though I could also do it with a remote. I was about to blow in my pants, especially because Laney was just wearing a bra and panties and I couldn’t look away. Her curves were perfect. Her legs were lean and muscular, and her ass was deliciously round and perky. Her skin was lighter on her belly than the rest of her body, as if it wasn’t a part she usually exposed to the sun. Her breasts almost spilled out of her bra, and my mouth watered just imagining the moment when it would be out of the way.

  “Take off your bra.”

  It landed at her feet the next second. She was even more gorgeous than I’d imagined.

  “Now, lie on my bed. Spread your legs for me.”

  She drew in a sharp breath, following my commands.

  “Fuck, you’re beautiful.”

  I took off my shirt quickly, then my pants and boxers. I didn’t want anything in the way. I climbed over her on the bed, claiming her mouth. Everything about her was addictive: the taste of her lips, the soft skin under my fingers, the sounds she made every time I touched a sweet spot. I skimmed one hand from her neck over her breast, circling her nipple until it was a hard nub. Then I gave her my mouth, pressing the flat of my tongue against it. I felt her arch her back off the mattress into me. I smiled against her skin, continuing the exploration downward. I wanted to discover her. When my mouth reached her navel, she rolled her hips back and forth slowly, and it was all the encouragement I needed. I drew my fingers over her panties, right across her opening. I moved them slowly, watching her writhe and her breath becoming increasingly more labored.

  The damp spot on her panties grew, and then I pushed the fabric to one side, sliding my fingers across her bare skin.

  Damn, she was so wet. I slid my finger from her opening up to her clit, circling it very lightly.

  “Cole!” Her voice was shaky as she dug her heels in the mattress, as if this was too much already. And I planned to give her so much more. I leaned in to kiss her, twining our tongues, demanding everything she had to give. I moved my fingers and tongue in the same lazy rhythm, loving how her breath turned to gasps. She was becoming desperate, and so was I. I was so hard that I could barely stand it. When she clenched her thighs, trapping my hand, I stopped moving my fingers. I pushed her legs open again, lowering myself until my face was level with her center. Holding her panties aside with my fingers, I pressed my tongue flat against her clit.

  “Coooole!”

  I got rid of her panties before grabbing her ass with both hands, holding her higher, wanting better access. I worked her with my mouth until her legs shook and she climaxed.

  Then I moved my mouth up her body, drinking in the scent of her skin.

  “Cole, I need you,” she whispered. I kept kissing upward.

  “I need you
now,” she urged. My lips curled in a smile against her skin.

  That pleading, desperate tone. Damn. I pushed myself to my knees, taking a condom from the nightstand and sliding it on. Laney’s skin was flushed, and her breath was still coming out in short, rushed bursts. I liked that she was so greedy and desperate for me. I wanted to give her everything she needed.

  I placed one of her knees up my elbow before driving inside her. It took all my composure to do so slowly, to give her time to adjust. I gritted my teeth, looking straight at her, not wanting to miss any of her reactions. When I was all the way in, her inner muscles tightened.

  “Fuuuck.”

  Pleasure shot up my spine, spreading through my limbs. My muscles tightened. I moved my hips back and forth, keeping a slow, deliberate pace in the beginning. Looking at her face being overwhelmed by pleasure was the most beautiful thing I’d experienced. She surrendered her trust and pleasure to me, and I knew with one hundred percent certainty that I wouldn’t tire of this—of her. Never.

  I grew more desperate, needing to move faster. I increased the rhythm of my thrusts, glancing between us as I slid in and out, and Laney rolled her hips back and forth frantically.

  “Look between us, babe. Look.”

  She tilted her head, following my instruction, and then squeezed me so tight that I nearly came. I rolled us over, wanting Laney on top. She arched her back beautifully, thrusting her breasts forward. I gripped one of her hips as she rolled back and forth. Her hands were all over me, and then she leaned over completely, drawing her tongue around my nipple. My balls tightened. Oh, fuck.

  She straightened back up, gasping when her inner muscles clenched. I flicked my thumb around her clit, desperately needing her to come before I did. Not just before I did, but with enough lead time that I could focus on her pleasure completely before I orgasmed and lost my mind.

  She went over the edge crying out my name. Her back arched, and then she curled forward, bracing her palms on either side of my head. Her whole body was shaking. I gripped her hips to steady her, then held them up a few inches, pounding inside her from below, chasing my own orgasm.