by Elle Keating
Kendra rolled her eyes. Rolled her fucking eyes! “Well, your office has my cell number. Call me if he, well, you know...doesn’t make it.” Kendra stormed out of the exam room without even giving her very ill puppy a second glance.
***
It was pushing eight-thirty when Allison came to relieve her. As much as Morgan didn’t want to leave Duke, she was exhausted and starved for food and Jake. She retrieved her cell from her pocket and dialed Jake. He answered on the second ring.
“Sorry I’m running late. I couldn’t leave until Allison showed up. One of my patients is pretty sick.”
“No problem. Practice ran late too. I picked up dinner from Mennio’s on the way home. I ordered you eggplant parm. Is that okay?”
Is that okay?
It was more than okay. Jake and the relationship they had been rebuilding over the past month were absolutely perfect. Their work schedules were definitely a challenge, but they were making it work. When he was on the road with the team, he always found the time to call her, to send her naughty texts and even filthier voicemails.
“Eggplant parm sounds perfect. How about I stop by The Franklin Fountain and pick up a gallon of ice cream… or two?”
Jake chuckled. “Already did, sweetheart. Just come home.”
Home.
Morgan felt her breath leave her. The ease in his voice, the way that word just rolled off his tongue, made her heart flutter. Neither of them had uttered the L word yet. But she felt it. She saw it in his gaze every time he entered her, every morning when he rolled over and kissed her. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was refraining from telling her in words how he felt until he learned what she was keeping from him, not as a punishment, but maybe as a defense mechanism.
She wrestled with that thought for a moment before she tucked it away and focused on the wonderful man on the other end of the phone. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Morgan
“And then he dropped down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I felt like a… like a… ”
“Queen?” Morgan asked.
“Yes! There we were in this beautiful castle. The tour guide had just finished giving us the history of the family that had graced its walls and had moved our group into the next room. But Ken took my hand and led me in the opposite direction. He stopped in front of this enormous fireplace and that’s where he did it! I can’t believe it!”
Morgan fought back tears as her mom’s joy poured through the phone. Her mom sounded like a teenager in love. “He’s wonderful, Mom. And, may I add, a class act. That man called me before you left for Europe and asked for my blessing.”
“He did not!”
“Yep. He sounded as giddy as you do right now. I’m so happy for both of you. When are you due back from your trip?”
“We should be back late Friday night.” Her mom chuckled and said, “I can’t wait to tell everyone we’re engaged. Your Aunt Lu and Pop are going to be so excited. They love Ken!”
“And so do I, Mom.” Morgan smiled into the phone. Morgan was dying to tell her mom that she and Jake were together, but she decided to wait. But only for a few more days. This weekend everyone would know. Jake and Morgan would finally be able to tell their parents in person that they were a couple. “Would you be up for going out to lunch this Saturday? I could invite Aunt Lu and Pop. You can tell us all about your trip and show off your ring.”
Her mom giggled. Actually giggled, which was so damn cute.
“I would love that. I would also love to know what I’ve missed while I was gone,” her mom said with a suspicious tone. It didn’t matter that her mom was thousands of miles away. She knew something was up.
“I’ll catch you up this weekend. Now go enjoy the rest of your vacation,” Morgan said, shaking her head.
“I will. I love you, baby.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
Morgan ended the call and entered the clinic. Despite her mom’s cheerful news and the twenty-four ounce coffee she just inhaled, Morgan was exhausted. Duke was on the road to recovery but it wasn’t without consequence. Morgan had put in some long hours over the past week, tending to Duke’s and her other patients’ needs. But it had been worth it. Duke no longer needed his IV and he was making an attempt to explore his kennel. He was gradually morphing back into the rowdy little guy Morgan remembered from his first visit.
“How you doing, boy?” Morgan knelt down and petted Duke between the bars of his kennel. “I bet you can’t wait to get out of here. Pretty soon, buddy. Hang in there.”
“He’s doing great, isn’t he?” Reagan asked from the doorway.
Morgan stood and said, “He’s a fighter, that’s for sure.”
“Think he’s ready for discharge?” Reagan asked.
He was ready. With proper supervision Duke could go home. As long as his owner watched him like a hawk for any signs of trouble. “Yeah. I’ll give Kendra Shepard a call.”
“Ugh, that woman. People like her should not be allowed to adopt pets. I saw her storm out of here, all dolled up in her expensive suit, muttering to herself how Duke is nothing but a pain in her ass. Get me drunk enough and I’ll give her a real pain in her ass.” Morgan wanted to tell Reagan to stand in line, that she already had thought of all the ways she would like to inflict pain on Kendra. Not that she would ever do it, but it was fun letting her imagination go wild.
Morgan chuckled and then made her way to her office. She called Kendra and waited for the heartless bitch to answer. She picked up on the fourth ring. “Hi Kendra, this is Dr. Kelley. I have great news. Duke should be ready to go home tomorrow.” She tried to sound excited but it was useless. Morgan felt like she was handing Duke over to some evil stepmother.
Not that she wished for an animal to be a victim of abuse, but if Duke had come into her office with visible signs of trauma, broken bones or malnutrition, she could have reported Kendra to the authorities for abuse or neglect. But Duke had accidentally ingested a toxin and his owner had promptly brought him to the vet for care. Which meant Morgan had nothing.
“You know what? I don’t need him anymore. My boyfriend broke up with me when he found out about Duke getting sick from antifreeze.”
Morgan’s jaw dropped. “Excuse me?” she asked.
“My boyfriend told me he wasn’t putting a ring on my finger until I proved that I was mommy material. So I adopted Duke to show him… ”
“That you’re not?” Morgan interjected. She knew what she said was completely unprofessional, but she couldn’t help it.
“What did you say to me?” Kendra spat.
“It doesn’t really matter now, does it?” Morgan spoke quickly. “Well, if you’re choosing to surrender Duke to our practice, I can have the paperwork ready for you within the hour.”
“Fine,” Kendra huffed. “Let’s just get this over with. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” The second Kendra hung up, Morgan rushed to find the paperwork that would make Duke officially hers.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jake
“Hey, beautiful. On your way home yet?”
“Already home.” She sighed into the phone, which for some reason made his cock twitch in his jeans.
Fuck, she was sexy.
“Mind if we stay in tonight? All I want to do is shut the world out and have you all to myself,” he said, adjusting himself. Jake pulled up in front of her townhome.
“That sounds perfect, but there is another guy who will need my attention as well. Can you share?”
Jake didn’t know what she was getting at, but he loved her playful tone. This was the side of Morgan he wanted to see more of, not the woman who had cried uncontrollably in his arms the night of their first date and later the following morning. She hadn’t lost it like that since and he was determined to keep her happy. “Hmm… not sure what you have in mind there, sweetheart.”
She giggled, which was hot as fuck and said, “Well, it’s kind of a surprise
. A very cute and very handsome surprise.”
“Are you trying to make me jealous, Morgan?” Jake climbed her front steps and entered her home. He was immediately greeted with the scent of onions and garlic sautéing in butter. His stomach rumbled. Jake put his phone on the foyer table and quietly made his way to the kitchen.
She was standing over the stove with her phone wedged between her ear and her shoulder and her back to him when she said, “And if I was?”
“You have no idea how jealous… or demanding I can get.” Morgan whipped around at the sound of his voice. The phone went flying and she scrambled to catch it before it hit her granite countertop. At the last second she caught her phone between two fingers. He ran over and kissed that naughty little mouth of hers. He was just seconds away from lifting her up onto the island and taking her right there when he heard something whimper from below.
“I would love for you to show me… after Duke falls asleep, that is,” Morgan said, staring at the dog at his feet.
Jake leaned in and gave Morgan a kiss that told her that he was sorry he had to wait to strip her down. She moaned against his mouth as she nipped at his tongue. Reluctantly, he broke away from her and said to Duke, “So, you’re my competition right now?”
Duke let out another whimper while his tail wagged a mile a minute. Jake got down on the floor with Morgan’s patient and let the furry guy climb into his lap and lick his face.
“Duke here is that mischievous puppy I told you about.” Morgan squatted next to them. “You know, the one who likes to lick antifreeze,” she whispered.
Morgan had kept him updated on Duke’s progress, but he was still surprised over how energetic the puppy Morgan had described as ‘critical’ was. Jake scratched Duke between the ears and before he knew it he was even baby-talking the mutt. “Well, he looks great. Are we babysitting tonight?”
“Um...not quite. He’s...well...mine?” she said, squinting. “His owner didn’t want him anymore, so...yeah.”
Duke fell off Jake’s lap and rolled over onto his back. “Your mommy is going to spoil you rotten,” he said giving his belly a scratch. “I always wanted to get a dog, but with my football schedule I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to give it the attention it deserved.” Duke rolled onto his side as if to ensure that every inch of him was well scratched. “He’s insatiable.”
“I know another handsome man who I would describe as insatiable.” She leaned in, bringing her intoxicating scent with her.
***
Morgan
“I can’t decide which flavor I like the best. The Franklin Fountain has the best ice cream on this planet.” Morgan finished the last bite of her dessert, savoring the taste. She looked over at Duke and smiled. He was sleeping peacefully in the dog bed she had purchased for him this afternoon on the way home from the clinic. Although his recovery was progressing better than she had expected, the little guy was beat. Duke had expended a lot of energy when Jake had come home and showered him with attention. The way Jake had dropped to the floor and allowed Duke to show his affection the only way he knew how was unbelievably cute… and sexy.
Morgan reached for the remote and turned off the television. She shifted to her side and propped herself up on her elbow. Jake’s hands were behind his head, his beautiful, chiseled body outstretched in her bed. “I was hoping you wouldn’t mind that I went ahead and adopted Duke. He and I are kind of a package deal. Because when I sleep over at your townhome from now on, I’ll have a sidekick.”
“Just you and Duke? Kind of thought we could tag team this. I think he needs two parents to keep his ass out of trouble. He did just have at a puddle of antifreeze.”
A child and a puppy were two totally different things. But hell if her head didn’t go to places it shouldn’t. She looked up and saw the smile on Jake’s face, how happy he was at the prospect of being a daddy to a puppy she had just brought home. She glanced down at her belly. It would never swell with his child. She would never have a piece of him growing inside her...at least not again.
He tilted her chin with his fingers and forced her to look at him. “Hey, are you alright?”
She didn’t want to think about the child they’d lost or the possibility that she could lose him if he discovered that she had lied to him all those years ago. She needed a distraction. “I could be better.” She trailed her fingers down his torso and slipped her hand beneath his boxers. “I could be flat on my back.”
His eyes darkened. His stubbled jaw clenched. Jake grabbed her hand and flipped her onto her backside. He removed his boxer briefs, her silk undies and t-shirt and braced his body above hers. He gathered both her wrists and pinned them above her head with one hand. His other hand gently brushed past her breasts and settled on her mound. His fingers didn’t caress, they didn’t explore. His touch was firm and beautifully possessive. She forgot her worries and bucked into his hand to create the friction her aching clit begged for. He chuckled at her blatant attempt and said, “So eager.” A finger slipped between her folds and entered her. She shivered beneath him as he glided in and out of her. “I would much rather take my time, watch you unravel slowly,” he whispered. He leaned in and kissed her. Her breathing didn’t match his. She was panting and writhing as she rode his hand. Jake kissed her leisurely, swallowing each of her whimpers and stuttered gasps. “Even if it takes the rest of our lives.”
Jake had said many things to her over the past several weeks that would make any woman melt. He had told her that she belonged to him… that he had waited eight years to have her again. But the words he’d just used took her breath away and her body stilled. Although she was on the verge of an orgasm, his finger deep inside her, she discontinued her pursuit of climax and looked at him. His expression went from naughty and playful to serious and determined.
He released her wrists and took her face in his hands. She felt his cock slide between her thighs and rest at her entrance. “You heard me correctly. But do you need me to say it again… to make you believe that there is nothing, including what you’re hiding from me, that will make me stop loving you?”
He never stopped. He had loved her all this time, every second, every minute they had been apart. That boy next door, the other half of her soul, still loved her.
A trembling moan slipped past her lips as she encircled his neck with her arms and kissed him with newfound passion. She nipped and sucked, bit and licked, but she couldn’t get close enough. She spread her legs, inviting him in, demanding that he take whatever he wanted. But his hips didn’t budge, except to pin her firmly to the mattress. His hot kiss rippled through her sex and she fought like hell not to take him into her hand and force his hard cock inside her. “Please… Jake.”
His eyelids were heavy with pleasure and love as he watched her thrash restlessly… helplessly beneath him. He never looked away, he never took his eyes off hers, even when he pushed the tip of his cock into her. “Love me, Jake… like that night… under the stars.”
She didn’t care how she sounded or looked. Desperate. Needy. Completely and utterly claimed. She just wanted him inside her, invading her body, her heart, the soul he had sewn himself to years ago. His hips surged forward and she drenched his cock. She felt her muscles contract around him, sucking him into her heat. He rocked into her, slowly, deliberately. The pace was agonizing and she felt the first ripples of her mounting orgasm.
“You own me, Jake. Can’t you see that?” she asked. She raised her hips and met him thrust for thrust. His cock thickened, grew hotter inside her. “Can’t you feel how much I love you?”
His eyes shot open and that last shard of ice, the remains of that icy, protective gaze he had clung to since they had first seen each other again at the wedding reception melted away and he officially became hers. “I love you, Jake.” She looked past his eyes and into his soul, to the boy she had been in love with since she was five years old.
He exhaled and she felt his body quake above her. “Say that again.” His voice was gruff and
so fucking demanding… and sexy as hell.
“I love you,” she said, her voice trembling.
A groan rumbled deep within his chest and he kissed her, not leisurely this time, but with reckless abandon. He ravished her mouth. Their tongues waged war. Each suck, nip and bite to her lips shot right to her core and she ground against him. “Promise me,” he said. His pants grew erratic, his breathing escalating as he chased his own climax.
“Anything,” she said, gripping his ass and forcing him deeper.
“Promise me… I can keep you this time.” He drove into her. His erection throbbed and expanded. He was close and so was she. “Promise me, Morgan.”
Morgan encircled his neck with her arms and lowered his face so that they were nose to nose. His heart hammered against hers as they locked eyes. This was what she had been hoping and praying for since they had found their way back to each other. The moment Jake truly let go of the hurt, the pain she had caused, and chose to live and love in the here and now. “I promise you… I’m yours… now… and always.”
Her promise barely left her lips when he withdrew his cock and slammed into her. He filled her to the absolute limit and she cried out. He threw his head back and shouted her name. He was making love to her, fucking her, possessing her all at once. “Together, Morgan. We come together… this time.” He struggled to get the words out. He was hanging on by a thread.
His cock brushed past that sweet spot deep inside and she clamped down. “I need to come. Jake… please.”
“Come, baby… I’m with you,” he said, thrusting into her one last time. That familiar hot rush flooded her, triggering an orgasm that made her see stars.