“How many times have you told me this environment is killing you, Mari? You love your patients, but you don’t want to be working 24/7.”
“I don’t work 24/7.” Though some days it felt like she did.
“How many times have you said you wanted a nice office in a quiet medical building where you could work nine to five, five days a week, like a normal person?”
“I haven’t paid my dues. That happens for doctors once they’ve done their time.” She twisted her lips when she realized that made it sound like she was doing a life sentence. She blew out a frustrated breath. “You know what I mean.”
“Financial considerations are the only thing preventing you from—”
“Have you forgotten I have student loans? I’ll be forty-five before I get those paid off, if I’m lucky.”
“But with a guy like Dec, you wouldn’t even have to think about money. Do you know how much he’s worth? How much he made last year from his contracts and endorsement deals?”
“No!” She patted the baby’s bottom when he fussed. “I don’t want to know anything about his finances. That has nothing to do with me. I couldn’t care less whether he—”
“I know you’re not after his money,” Lorna said, raising her hand. “But you can’t ignore the fact the guy has a boatload of it. It only stands to reason he’s going to want to spend some of it on his girlfriend.”
Marika wanted to argue that she wasn’t his girlfriend, but they spent every night together. He’d met her family and now she was going to meet his. It was probably safe to call him her boyfriend. “I don’t want to talk about this. We’re getting way ahead of ourselves. We just started seeing each other.”
“You spend every minute you can with him. It’s not like you go out on a date with the guy a couple of times a week and call it a night. A few nights with him is like three months for you with anyone else.”
Lorna was right. Marika had never made the men in her life a priority. Until Dec. Suddenly he was all she could think about. “I see your point, but that doesn’t mean we’re ready to rush into anything. He’s here for a couple more months, then we’ll see where it goes.”
“Just promise me one thing?”
“If I can.”
“Promise me that you’ll keep an open mind.”
Easier said than done when it felt as if everything was hanging in the balance.
***
Dec was working on his third beer of the night and he already missed Marika. How pathetic was that?
“So what brings you back this way?” his former teammate, Jackson, asked before tipping back his beer bottle. “I didn’t think we’d see your ugly mug back here ‘til we kicked your ass next season.”
“Not on your best day, asshole.” Dec shook his head, smirking. “I’m here, uh, hanging out with a woman.”
“Must be pretty hot for you to drag your ass this far north,” his other former teammate, Kote, said, grinning.
“She is hot.” But that didn’t begin to describe it. He wasn’t even sure he could describe to his old friends what Marika meant to him.
“You got a pic?” Kote asked.
“Uh, yeah.” He’d asked to take a picture of her in the green dress he’d bought for her, claiming he needed a new screensaver. He flashed his phone quickly, but Jackson snagged it.
“What the…?” Jackson looked at Dec, wide-eyed. “You’re not serious. What the hell is a knock-out like that doing with a loser like you?”
Dec had to laugh. “Shut the fu—”
“Let me see,” Kote said, grabbing the phone. He moved his fingers, expanding the image so he could get a better look at Marika’s face. “Hey, I know her, don’t I?”
Kote had been at the fund-raiser with him four years ago when he took Marika home. “Yeah, you tried to pick her up and struck out.”
Jackson laughed. “Hey, man, sounds a lot like your at-bats the last half of the season.”
“You’re an idiot,” Kote said, rolling his eyes. “She’s a doctor, right?”
“Yeah, a pediatrician.” Dec pocketed his phone before they could check out the photos of his woman modeling the new lingerie he’d bought for her. Those were definitely for his eyes only.
“What the hell do you have in common with a woman like that?” Jackson asked, smacking his palm against his forehead. “I mean, seriously, dude, I’ve seen most of the chicks you date. Pretty, but not much up here.” He tapped his finger against his temple. “Don’t you think the sexy little doctor is way out of your league?”
That thought crossed Dec’s mind every damn day, but he sure as hell didn’t need his friends to remind him that Marika was too good for him. “With friends like you guys, who the hell needs enemies?”
He motioned for the waitress to bring them another round. He had the limo again and had picked the guys up on the way to the bar. It was a sports bar, of all the stupid choices, and they’d been accosted all night by fans asking for autographs and selfies.
“Come on, buddy,” Kote said, gripping his shoulder, “you know we love you like a brother, but we’re just trying to keep it real with you.”
“Yeah,” Jackson said, grinning. “It’s not like either of us would get anywhere with her either. Women like that end up with other doctors or lawyers or dentists, some shit like that.”
Dec thought about Marika’s comment about doctors marrying other doctors. Was that what she wanted, to marry someone in her league?
The drinks continued to flow along with the trash talk, and by the time Dec staggered out to the limo, he had one goal in mind—to remind Marika she needed a real man who could satisfy her, not some buttoned-up pussy who’d crash in front of the TV every night while his woman pleasured herself in the bedroom down the hall.
Chapter Eight
Marika woke up at two in the morning to the sound of a key in the lock. Dec had planned to spend the night at the hotel, since he expected to get in late and didn’t want to disturb her, but he was the only person with a key to her apartment. She’d given it to him so he could lock up after she went to work.
She jumped up as soon as she heard a crash, followed by shattered glass and a curse. “Dec?” Entering the living room, she turned on the light. “What are you doing here?” She looked at the glass littering the hardwood floor. “What happened?”
“Knocked the damn vase over. Sorry ‘bout that, babe.”
She didn’t care about the worthless vase, but she did care about him cutting himself on the broken shards. Or herself, she thought, looking at her bare feet.
“Shit, you’re gonna cut yourself.” He ran a hand over his head, looking frustrated and a little bleary-eyed. “Go back to bed. I’ll clean this up.”
Judging by the way he was slurring his words and swaying, she couldn’t trust him to get the job done. “No, I’ll just put some shoes on.” She reached into the closet for a pair of flip-flops. “You head into the bedroom. I’ll be right there.”
He walked toward her, looking a lot steadier than he had a few seconds ago as he backed her up against the wall. “Tell me you were thinking about me tonight.”
Of course she’d thought of him. He was always on her mind these days, but something in his hooded gaze told her he needed to hear her say it. “I was.”
“When you fell asleep,” he said, gliding his hand up her bare thigh, “was I on your mind?”
She suddenly felt vulnerable, wearing only a short white nightshirt with thin straps, and she didn’t know why. She’d been more exposed with Dec than any man she’d ever known and he’d never given her reason to fear him. She knew he’d never hurt her, but there was a dangerous glint in his eye and she couldn’t figure out why he had this edge tonight. As though he had something to prove or a score to settle.
“Yes,” she whispered and licked her lips as she braced her hands on his shoulders. She didn’t intend to push him away or even know whether she could if she had to. He was a huge man and he seemed determined.
H
e slipped his hand between her legs, his voice gruff as he pushed his fingers inside her without warning. “You sure you were thinking about me? ‘Cause it’s pretty obvious you were thinking about somebody.”
Who the hell would she be thinking about, if not him? “Look, we should probably get some sleep. I have an early morning and you need to sleep this off.” She was trying to ignore the effect he was having on her, but it wasn’t easy. One touch, a matter of seconds, and he already had her skirting the edge.
“You ever date another doctor, baby?”
“What?” She couldn’t think straight, not with his thumb rubbing slow circles while his fingers pumped in and out of her.
“You heard me,” he said, his voice raspy. “You ever been with another doctor?”
“Um…” She bit her lip, knowing he expected an answer. “Yeah, sure. A couple of times.” She didn’t understand why this mattered so much to him, but it clearly did.
His hand stilled, making her whimper as she dug her nails into his shoulders. “You ever sleep with a doctor?”
God, why was he asking her these questions when the only thing she wanted for him to do was finish what he started? “Medical student. Intern.”
He glared at her as if she’d somehow committed an unforgivable offense. “And?”
“And what?” She pushed her hair off her face when it fell forward. “Why are we even talking about this? It’s not like I question you about the women you’ve slept with.” If she did, they’d probably be there all night.
“Yeah, you don’t care because you know they couldn’t compare to you.”
She didn’t know about that. She’d seen images of him online with some beautiful women. Not that she cared. Much. He was with her now, and that was the only thing that mattered. “I don’t know what you’re getting at—”
“They may have been hot, but they didn’t have your heart. Your brains. Your determination. They didn’t have those goddamn initials behind their names.”
She was stunned as she pushed his hand away. Her blood ran cold as she realized he resented her career. “You have a problem with me being a doctor?”
He swore before pushing away and pacing the small hallway connecting her living room, bedroom, and bathroom. “No, I don’t have a problem with it. It’s just…” His hands were clenched into fists and she could feel the tension radiating off his body. “It makes me feel so goddamn inadequate!”
She hadn’t expected his sudden burst of temper, but he certainly wasn’t the first man in her life to be intimidated by her career. She’d met a few nice guys over the years—a car salesman, a bartender, and a photographer—who hadn’t asked her out on a second date after she told them what she did for a living. But she hadn’t expected this reaction from Dec. He seemed so confident, so sure of himself, as though he knew what he brought to the table in every relationship.
“That’s crazy,” she said, speaking to his comment about being inadequate. “You’re one of the best at what you do. You’re paid millions of dollars a year. You’ve won a championship and—”
“I play baseball,” he snarled. “Let’s put it in perspective. I don’t save lives like you do.”
Her job was pretty routine most days, but a few times she had recognized symptoms that could have been fatal and gotten her patients the help they needed. But that was her job. And since when did he have a problem with that?
“Dec, I can’t be with a man who has a problem with my career. It’s not just what I do. It’s who I am.” She glanced at the door, taking in the shattered glass littering the small foyer. “So if that’s what you’re saying, maybe you should just leave now.”
He stopped dead in his tracks, glaring at her. “And you’d be okay with that? With me just walking out of here? Never seeing me again?”
She got a knot in her stomach just thinking about it, but if they were going to continue this relationship, he had to accept her as she was. She didn’t want to spend her life apologizing or feeling guilty for something she’d worked her butt off to achieve just because deep down it made him uncomfortable.
“That’s not what I want,” she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “But I can’t change who I am for you any more than you can change who you are for me. And I wouldn’t want you to.” She tugged on the hem of her nightshirt when his gaze traveled over her body. “Being a doctor is who I am. Did I spend a lot of years in school? Of course. But that doesn’t make me smarter than anyone else.”
“Like hell it doesn’t.”
She’d always loved school and landed on the Dean’s list year after year, but not because she felt she had something to prove. She just loved learning. And she hated men who couldn’t deal with her intelligence.
“What do you want from me?” Her nostrils flared as she tried to keep her anger in check. “You want me to apologize for being smart? For working my ass off to get that medical degree? Well, I won’t! So if you can’t deal with it, just get the hell out!”
The color drained from his face before he pushed past her, slamming the door hard enough to wake the neighbors.
Damn, she thought, sinking down the wall to her haunches. Didn’t see that coming.
***
Dec woke up hating himself for his outburst last night. Sure, he was insecure, he could admit that, but to question Marika about the men she’d slept with and call her out about her job and her intelligence? That was a bonehead move. He loved that she was a doctor and enjoyed helping people. And he thought her intelligence was one of the sexiest things about her. But how could he convince her of that now that he’d planted the seed of doubt in her mind?
Grabbing his phone, he called someone who’d be willing to listen but wouldn’t have all the answers. “Loran. You got a minute?”
“Yeah, sure.” His voice sounded husky, still laced with sleep. But Dec heard a female voice in the background, asking him who was on the phone.
“Hey, is that Bella?” Dec hoped his good friend was having better luck with his lady than he was at the moment.
“I wish.”
Another meaningless one-night stand to try to get over the girl he couldn’t seem to forget was the last thing Loran needed, but it wasn’t Dec’s place to remind him of that. Loran would figure that out on his own, just like he had. “If it’s not a good time—”
“No, it’s a good time. Your timing is perfect, actually. Keep talking, I’m just gonna get up and make a coffee.” He groaned. “Kind of tied one on last night.”
“Yeah, you’re not the only one.” If he hadn’t had too much to drink, he wouldn’t have been stupid enough to show Marika his insecurities. “Tell me, why do we keep doing stupid shit?”
Loran chuckled. “Wish I knew, buddy.”
“You alone now?”
“Yeah, left her in the bedroom.” He sighed. “Would you think I was an even bigger asshole if I told you I can’t even remember her name?”
“Hey, no judgment here. You know I’ve been there.” And he never wanted to go back. That’s why he had to figure out how to make things right with Marika… before it was too late.
“So why’re you calling me so early?”
“I need advice.”
“Then you came to the wrong place. In case you haven’t noticed, my life’s pretty messed up right now. Talk to Shaw or Miller. They seem to have it all figured out.”
Dec couldn’t talk to them. They’d just think he was pathetic for letting this shit happen in the first place. “So I’ve been seeing this doctor—”
“Hey, man, you sick?”
“No, not like that.” He stared at the ceiling as Marika’s face came back to haunt him. He’d been half in the bag when he left her last night, but he couldn’t forget the look of disgust and disappointment on her beautiful face. That would stay with him until he could erase the memory with one of ecstasy. “We’ve been dating.”
“Is that what you’ve been doing? When you told me you were going back to Toronto to catch up with som
e old friends, I figured you had an angle.”
“Yeah. You, uh, remember that pregnancy scare I told you about a while back? The girl who got pregnant with my baby and miscarried?”
“Yeah, sure. You said it’s been dogging you a long time.”
“It has. So, uh, we kind of reconnected lately. She’s from Toronto and—”
“She’s the reason you went back?” He laughed. “I should have known it had nothing to do with your old teammates.”
“Well, I did reconnect with them. Last night, in fact.”
“That’s who you got loaded with?”
“Yeah. And I wish to hell I hadn’t.” Dec knew if he’d stayed in and watched some action flick in his hotel room, he wouldn’t be dealing with this shit now. He would have been smart enough to keep his insecurities to himself.
“Why’s that? You guys get into it or what?”
“No, but I did get into it with Marika.”
“Marika’s the doctor? The one you knocked up?”
“Do you have to be so goddamn vulgar?” Dec snapped. He didn’t like anyone disrespecting Marika, yet that was exactly what he’d done last night.
“Sorry. What crawled up your ass?”
“Just shut up and listen.” Dec figured Loran owed him. He’d heard enough about Bella to feel as though he knew her personally. “The guys were giving me a hard time about Marika being too good for me. You know, because she’s a doctor and she’s gorgeous, brilliant, classy—”
“So what the hell’s she doing with you then?”
“Why’d I even bother calling you?” The last thing Dec needed was for someone else to tell him Marika was too good for him.
“Sorry, man.” He took a deep breath. “Just stepped out on my balcony. Cold as hell, but anything to get away from her, ya know?”
Dec didn’t want to know why Loran hadn’t just kicked the chick out if he didn’t want her hanging around.
“You were saying…?” Loran asked.
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