by E. L. Todd
The Man
Doctor #2
E. L. Todd
Hartwick Publishing
The Man
Copyright © 2019 by E. L. Todd
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
1
Pepper
I left my apartment with the bag on my arm. It was full of paper plates and plastic utensils, a necessity Finn and Colton would need now that they’d just moved in to their new place. They had furniture and the TV, but they were still missing the basic necessities. Just when I locked the door and turned away, I spotted a man outside Colton’s old door.
Tall, muscular, and blond, he was dressed in workout shorts and a t-shirt. The sweat stains indicated he’d just been to the gym. He had nice calves and thick arms, the kind where the veins were noticeable across the skin. He had his keys in his hand, but instead of unlocking the door right away, he looked at me.
Whoa, I didn’t realize my new neighbor was so hot.
I was bummed when Colton left because his presence gave me so much comfort, but this didn’t feel so bad. And maybe he was straight. He stared at me like he was straight. But he was also too good-looking to be true. “So, you’re the new guy?” I came closer to him, keeping up my confidence even though the jitters were in my body.
“Damon.” He extended his hand to shake mine. “Sorry, I’m a little sweaty…”
I took his hand. “Who isn’t?”
His eyes fell slightly at the comment.
Wow, that was a weird thing to say. “So, uh, let me know if you need anything. Are you new to Seattle?”
“No. Newly divorced.”
“Ooh…I’m so sorry.” I meant it from the bottom of my heart because divorce was brutal. I never thought I would get through it. It’d been nine months since I signed the papers, but the memories still haunted me. “I’m divorced too. It sucks.”
He chuckled. “That’s an understatement. I’m sorry, by the way.”
“It’s okay. It’s been about nine months, so I’m in a good place. But getting there…took forever. What about you?”
“Just divorced,” he said. “We signed the papers last week.”
“I’m sorry…” He was in the worst phase. “But I can promise you, it gets easier. It doesn’t seem like it now, but it will.”
“Thanks. You’re my favorite neighbor.”
“Have you met the others?”
“No.” He smiled. “But I don’t think I need to.”
I walked to the front door and rang the doorbell. His beautiful home on Escala looked even more glorious with the lights shining in the window. It was so quiet, the occasional sound of a boat horn sounding in the distance.
Footsteps sounded before Finn opened the door, shirtless and covered in ink. It was only fifty degrees that evening, but the temperature never dissuaded him. At six-three, he stood over me, the shadow on his jawline adding a darker element of color to his face. He looked at me with those glorious blue eyes, crafting a silent conversation between us no one else could hear. He didn’t greet me with a word as he opened the door wider and allowed me inside.
“Colton invited me over. Is that okay?” I came inside and wiped my boots on the rug.
“You’re welcome here anytime.”
“Be careful what you say…I might show up every night around dinnertime.”
“Fine with me.” He walked through the foyer, past the staircase, and into the open floor plan that showed the kitchen and living room in the same space. The TV was on, showing a football game. “You want a beer?”
“Sure.” I set the bag on the counter and pulled out the contents. “I got you a little gift.”
“Yeah?” He twisted off the cap then set the beer beside me on the counter.
I pulled out the plates and utensils. “It’s not much, but I know you don’t have any dishes yet. This should get you by until you do.”
A slight smile cracked his lips. “Colton is picking up dinner, so this is perfect.”
I turned around and examined his black leather sofa and the large TV mounted on the wall. A gray rug was on the hardwood floor and the fireplace had flames burning, bringing heat into the space. “It looks nice.”
“Of course it does. You picked everything out.”
“I think it suits your personality.”
“And what kind of personality do I have?”
I turned back around and looked at him, doing my best not to let my eyes drift down over his perfectly sculpted body. Black ink covered most of his skin but didn’t diminish his muscularity. My fingertips would always remember how hard he was, how his muscles felt like rocks rather than living tissue. The military dog tags hung around his neck where they always rested, shiny pieces of metal showing his identity. He’d been out of the military for several months now, but he still didn’t remove them. “Quiet, masculine, earthy…”
“Good. I thought you were gonna say asshole.”
I slapped his arm playfully. “Never.” The backs of my fingers brushed against his bicep, and the short interaction was enough for me to feel the warmth, to feel the strong structure of his body. Like any other time we touched, I felt the fire ignite. When I met his look again, the desire was there, my own reflected in his beautiful eyes. I turned away and cleared my throat. “What is Colton getting?”
“Pizza.”
“They don’t deliver?”
He shook his head. “Not this place. And he says it’s the best.”
“Must be Coopers,” I said. “And he’s right, they are the best.”
He continued to stand close to me, the smell of his body soap fragrant in the air. He never wore cologne. His natural smell was hypnotic enough. “I’m not working on Thursday. You want to help me pick out everything for the kitchen?”
Any extra time I spent with this man felt wrong, when my thoughts were always dictated by the obvious heat between us. We managed to remain platonic when we were alone together, so hopefully, it would stay that way. Finn seemed to have strong discipline when it came to all things, so I probably didn’t need to worry about anything happening. As long as I didn’t make a move, everything would be fine. “Sure.”
“Thanks. Otherwise, I’ll just pick out the first thing I see.”
“And if that’s a flower pattern, it would clash with this house.”
He shrugged. “They could be pink with kittens, and I probably wouldn’t care.”
Because this man was so brutishly masculine that it didn’t matter how feminine his dishes were. He could wear all pink and still pick up any woman he wanted. He was secure in his masculinity to the point where nothing could challenge the testosterone he constantly pumped into the air. “Have your parents come around yet?” I took a drink of the ice-cold beer he gave me.
He shook his head.
“Have you talked to them?”
“My mom calls me every day. She doesn’t mention Colt at all.”
I raised an eyebrow. “That’s pretty impressive, considering he’s your brother and your roommate.”
He shrugged. “She just needs some time.”
“Does she normally call you every day?”
“When I was in the military, it wasn’t possible. But she would write me a letter every single day. I served ten years in the military…that’s a lot of letters. I’m not a big talker, but I’ll let her have her way for a while.”
I smiled. “That’s sweet.”
“She’s my mom.” He grabbed a bottle of scotch and poured a glass. “I kinda owe her for everything.”
He chuckled. “I doubt it. But that would be nice.”
“Well, when you get married, she’s going to have to.”
He took a drink, the muscles of his jaw and throat working to get the liquor down. “I’ll never get married, so that won’t be a problem. And even if I did, I’m not interested in being with a woman who doesn’t understand the importance of family.”
I smiled again. “You’re just a big ol’ sweetheart, aren’t you?”
“No. I just understand respect better than most people.” He finished his glass then poured another.
“Do you think you could talk to your mom on Colton’s behalf? Maybe calm her down?”
“Eventually. I’m gonna give her the chance to do the right thing first. I would never take that away from her.”
“But do you think she’ll do the right thing?”
He held the glass near his stomach and regarded me for nearly a full minute. “Every letter she ever wrote me talked about Colton. I know she loves him as much as she loves me. I’m not the favorite—despite what Colton thinks. If anything, he’s the favorite. That’s why she’s taking this so hard. She had high expectations for him.”
“But he didn’t hurt those expectations by being gay.”
“That’s not what bothers her.” He held my look for a long time. “Losing you is what bothers her. And I don’t blame her.”
After we demolished the pizza in the boxes on the couches, Colton turned to me. “Why didn’t you invite Jax over? Doesn’t he live up the street?”
Finn sat on the other couch with both of his arms across the back of the couch. He took up every inch possible like a wild bear. His eyes had been glued to the TV, but they flicked to us at the mention of Jax.
I hadn’t told Colton the truth since he’d had such a hard week. “We kinda broke up…”
“What?” Colton asked, dumbfounded. He was about to take a drink of his beer but returned it to the coaster instead, because this was clearly more important than his need for alcohol. “When did this happen?”
“Last week.”
“Ooh…are you okay?” Colton gave me that look of sympathy he’d been showing since the day we met. He really cared about how I felt, really cared if I was hurting. He would take all my pain if he could.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I was sad in the beginning because it was a shame to lose a man over Colton, but as time went by, I realized I should be with someone who understood my situation. I needed him to be close with Colton just as I was, to understand he wasn’t a threat in the least. I did miss getting laid, though. Jax was good in the sack. “It wasn’t meant to be. Ever since the beginning, that relationship always turned in a direction I didn’t want it to go.”
“True,” Colton said in agreement.
“Relationships shouldn’t be hard.” Finn spoke as he looked at the TV. “If you’re with the right person, it should be the easiest thing in the world.”
“And how would you know?” Colton countered. “Your longest relationship is four hours.”
Finn shifted his gaze to him. “A romantic relationship shouldn’t be any different from a platonic one. You never fight with your best friend, so why should you fight with your lover? Attraction gets in the way of that, makes people not think clearly. Which is why a man and a woman should just be able to fuck and go their separate ways.”
Colton listened to him then slowly turned to me. “You know, that actually makes sense.”
“Of course it does.” He grabbed his scotch and took a drink. “That’s all Pepper wanted, a physical relationship. But the asshole tried to make it complicated when he shouldn’t have. This is entirely his fault.”
Colton nodded. “I agree with that.”
“He’s not an asshole,” I corrected. “He just…wanted more than I could give.”
“Because he’s selfish.” Finn looked at me, his blue eyes staring me down with their usual intensity. He was sweet just minutes ago, but whenever Jax was mentioned, he turned into a colder version of himself. “Men shouldn’t be selfish—and especially not in bed.”
“So he broke up with you?” Colton asked.
I nodded.
“Why?”
I shrugged, trying to find an answer that wasn’t too much of a lie. “He wanted something more serious, and I didn’t. That’s pretty much the story…in a nutshell.” I couldn’t tell Colton the truth because he would feel so guilty. None of this would have happened if he hadn’t slept over that one night. It was better that he didn’t know the truth.
“It sounds like he was a bit obsessed with you,” Colton said. “I guess that’s a good problem to have.”
No, that wasn’t the problem at all. “Maybe…”
Colton patted my thigh. “Let me know if you need anything. I’d set you up with someone if I knew anyone…”
Finn stared at him.
“That’s okay,” I said. “I’m not anxious to get back in the dating world again. I was just looking for something simple, and I got the most complicated relationship there is.”
“You’ll find the right guy eventually. It’ll take some time, but it’ll happen.” He grabbed his beer off the table and took a drink.
“How’s the job hunt going?”
“I applied to a few places in downtown Seattle. Haven’t heard back yet. But honestly, not being employed is pretty nice.”
Finn leaned forward on his knees, his gaze focused on the game. “You mean, being a freeloader is nice.”
“Hey, you were a freeloader at my place,” Colton replied.
“Was I?” Finn challenged. “I did all the laundry, the dishes, and the cooking. What did you do?”
“I put a roof over your head.” Colton argued with his brother all the time, but they were undeniably close. There was a sense of camaraderie between them that you could feel.
Finn shook his head slightly. “I’ve put a nicer roof over your head.”
“Whoa, that was a nice apartment.” Now Colton wasn’t watching the game at all and only looked at his brother. “It had a big living room and a decent kitchen. I loved that apartment… I miss that apartment.”
“Someone already moved in,” I said. “A young guy who just got divorced.”
“Really?” Colton asked. “Gay or straight?”
He’d seemed straight to me. “Straight.”
“Damn.” Colton stared at his beer. “But on the other hand, he could be perfect for you. You’re both newly divorced and not looking for anything serious.”
“With the guy who lives across the hall from me?” I asked incredulously. “That wouldn’t get weird…”
“Is he hot?” Colton asked bluntly.
I was aware of Finn in the room, of his eyes on my side profile. The guilt made me mask my true thoughts. I had no reason to feel guilty for being attracted to a man. Finn and I would never be together, so it didn’t matter. Come to think of it, I’d never heard him compliment a woman before. Even when the sexy cheerleaders danced on TV, he never made a comment. “He’s not bad to look at…”
“Maybe something will happen there,” Colton said.
I looked at the time and realized I should get home. I had a long day at work tomorrow, especially since I had to count all the inventory. It was the thing I hated most about my job. “It’s getting late, so I should get going.”
“I would say the same thing, but I don’t have to work tomorrow.” Colton grinned.
I gave him a playful smack on the arm before I rose to my feet. “Jerk.” I grabbed my phone and prepared to request an Uber.
Finn got off the couch. “I’ll drive you.”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll just do an Uber.” The game was on, and it was getting late. I didn’t wa
nt Finn to do anything more for me than he already had.
He grabbed a sweater off the back of the chair and zipped it up. “I said I’ll drive you.”
“You should finish the game.”
He turned back to me, his dark blue sweater fitting his muscular shoulders perfectly. “I said I’ll drive you.” The warning in his tone told me not to question him again.
Colton leaned back in the couch. “He can be a little much, huh?”
Finn ignored his brother then walked into the garage where his truck was waiting. It was a large vehicle for a man who just drove to work at the hospital. He opened the garage then unlocked the doors with the press of a button.
We climbed in and drove away.
It was dark outside, especially since the roads were dimly lit. As we drove closer to the city, the roads were illuminated better. The signs from the shops and businesses came into focus. Light sprinkles of rain started to hit the front window.
It seemed like it rained every day.
I looked out the passenger window and tried to ignore the rising heat between us. Any time we were alone together when there was no chance of anyone seeing us together, I always sensed this adrenaline in my veins. My neck felt hot, and my lips felt anxious. My new neighbor was handsome, but he didn’t send chills down my spine the way Finn did. “I appreciate you driving me home, but you really didn’t have to do that.”
He drove with one hand on the wheel, his eyes on the road. “After everything you’ve done for me, it’s the least I can do.”
“What have I done for you?” I asked, being serious.
“You picked out all my furniture. You’re going shopping with me on Thursday.”
“That’s just what friends do.”
“So, that’s what I am to you?” he asked, his profile slightly visible from the lights of his dashboard. The shadow on his jaw made him sexier, made him darker. The ink from his tattoos peeked out from underneath the sleeves of his sweater. “A friend?”
“Yes. I would hope the same from you.”
He made a left turn, and his eyes shifted back and forth as he scanned the road ahead of him. He made it into the city then pulled up in front of the apartment building.