Baby in His Arms

by Elizabeth Otto

  “I know you are. I’ll let you know when I decide.”

  She moved as if she were going to come to him but stayed put. “You’re cold today, aren’t you?”

  Cold? Maybe. Dispassionate. Uninterested. Yes. Edgy with want for something he couldn’t have? Definitely.

  She smiled sweetly. “I’ll overlook it as long as you take me to lunch today.”

  “I’ll be unavailable all day. I’m sorry.”

  “Are you going to invite me over, so we can fuck? It’s been over a week.”

  There was a time when the very sight of her sleek body set his lust into overdrive. Now all he could think of was a pair of voluptuous breasts, soft hips and platinum hair.

  “I’ll let you know.”

  She snatched her magazine off his desk and tossed back her hair. Turning, she walked to the door before making a half-turn and pointing the folded magazine at him.

  “Don’t fuck this up, Noah. The clinic in Bali is our dream come true. Besides, when that social media bitch ruins you, you’re going to need somewhere to hide. Don’t forget that.”

  Her heels pounded furiously down the hall, each clomp stabbing straight through him until the sound finally faded away. He grabbed his scrub cap and set it on his head, taking way too long to tie the damn string behind his hair.

  In the past three months, he’d had the ever-growing desire to end things with Rashida. Why he’d hung on was a mystery. Loneliness, probably. The desire to make that one, powerful connection with someone, also a probability. Even though he’d known it wasn’t there with Rashi, it didn’t stop him from hoping it might grow.

  She was wrong for him.

  Deena G had been wrong for him.

  His ex-wife had abandoned him and their toddler son.

  He had no problem with enjoying a woman’s body, but the real connection, the one that completed you, satiated you, was forever out of his reach.

  He wasn’t a believer in love at first sight, never had been. He imagined, instead, a comfortable, passionate attraction that pulled two people together and kept them that way. He craved the initial spark that threw him on his ass and grabbed him by the balls and the heart. The closest he’d come...

  The closest he’d come to that was Cabo Girl.

  Clipping on his name badge and grabbing his pager and stethoscope, Noah headed from his office to the ER. The place was packed, the noise level already epic. It took exactly two seconds to spot Afton’s blonde head. She wore standard royal blue scrubs that clashed beautifully with her pale coloring. She was immersed in what she was doing, a determined set to her features.

  She worked hard. She was smart, quick. Nursing came naturally to her, and though she was new, he had no doubt she’d catch on and run her own show very soon. He admired her tenacity. He walked past her, gave a subtle glance her way. She was reading her tablet, her teeth lightly working her lower lip.

  Noah moved closer, pulling out his own tablet and firing it up. The catch of her breath was enough sign that she was aware of his presence. Remembering something she’d told him on the beach that day, he sided up to her.

  “Did you ever figure out the perfect murder?” He grinned, hoping she’d hear him despite his low tone.

  “What?”

  “The murder mystery you were writing.”

  She huffed a laugh and shook her head. Flipping through the contents on her tablet, she shifted away from him. He riveted himself to his spot, holding himself back from taking her in his arms.

  “No time to finish it.”

  He kept his eyes, and his hands, to himself. “That’s a shame. Will you try again someday?”

  “Possibly. I don’t know.”

  “You should.”

  She took a shuffled step closer to him, still tapping on her tablet. “I should do a lot of things.”

  “Like what?”

  In a breath, she was there, nearly bumping into him. Gooseflesh rose on his arms, her sweet lavender and mint scent washing over him.

  “I should stop thinking about you. Why the hell can’t I get you out of my head?”

  His skin went cold and hot at the same time. “Maybe I’m meant to be there.”

  She slipped her tablet into her pocket and turned her back, her ponytail giving a jaunty bounce. “I couldn’t sleep last night. I couldn’t stop thinking about—”

  Noah drew a measured breath, his voice low. So, so low. “How I felt inside you? How my hands felt on your skin?”

  The muscles in her back moved as if her chest had gone tight. Fuck, if he didn’t walk right now, he’d do something they’d both regret. She saved him the trouble by going into an exam room. The woman was like fresh air in the smoke of his life. He was accustomed used to focusing on work, with little time for personal connections. Sex was one thing. He chose women who had no problems going home afterward. But that actual connection had always eluded him.

  She was twenty-four, just starting her life and her career. He wouldn’t ruin that for her. One kiss in front of the wrong eyes could end her time here, delay her plans, and he didn’t want to be the reason for her ruin. Not to mention the harm it could do him.

  He grabbed a clipboard with a last look at Afton. Her hair fell over her shoulder in a long braid as she started an intravenous line in the arm of an elderly patient. She moved with deft skill, a ready smile for her patient on her lips. Desire stirred, making him edgy. The taste of her mouth was still full and ripe on his lips, a delicious treat he could recall on demand.

  Damn it, he was a fool. And he wanted her pussy wrapped around his cock to help him forget the tumult of emotions knocking around inside him, especially the warm, fuzzy ones that weren’t supposed to be there.

  Noah tapped his fingers on the back of the clipboard and moved to the nurses’ station counter. Afton passed by a moment later, carrying a plastic tote that held IV supplies. She went down the hall and it only took him a second to realize she was headed to the supply room.

  She’d just opened the supply room door and went inside when he caught up with her. Noah stepped in behind her, softly calling her name as he shut the door behind them. She set the tote on a metal rack and spun to face him.

  “What are you doing?”

  Whatever he’d meant to say dissipated at the sight of her flushed cheeks and parted lips. He couldn’t think of anything around her, except for this damn need. He ran a hand over his head. She reduced him to nothing. Jesus.

  “I want you.”

  Their eyes clashed, fought for release but neither looked away. Her body trembled; she was fighting it so hard. But then she broke and held a hand out to him.

  “Come here.”

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, spinning them both so she was against the wall. Making a half turn behind him, Noah wedged door jamb beneath the door before taking her face in his hands. Her mouth met his as a needy pant welled from her throat. He answered with one of his own, devouring her lips as his hands began to wander her body. It was desperate, this rush of need. It wouldn’t wait.

  Afton leaned her head against the wall, baring her neck to him. He cruised the silken length with his lips and tongue, his hands running along the sides of her breasts. The firm mounds pushed into his hands as she arched her back and offered herself up. He lifted the hem of her shirt over her chest and pulled down the bra cup, baring her ripe nipple and creamy flesh.

  His cock jerked, his body a tornado of longing. Dipping his head to her breast, Noah kissed the soft mound.

  “I thought about you all night, Afton.” Pulling her taught nipple into his mouth, Noah relished the sweet feel of it on his tongue. “You tortured me, made it impossible for me to sleep. I think you deserve a rough fucking as punishment.”

  “Oh, God.” She tugged absently on his hair.

  He pulled the other bra cup down and teased her breasts, nipping the tender skin, suckling her until quiet, urgent sounds panted from her lips. His fingers skimmed the delicate architecture of her ribs, trailing b
etween the spaces and raising goose bumps on her skin. He was reminded with perfect clarity that his memory of her taste would never be unlearned. She’d be ingrained in him for the rest of his life.

  He ran his hand over her soft belly, making a small swirl around her belly button before trailing to the waist of her scrubs. With a pull on the string, the waist loosened and fell. She kicked off her slip-on shoes and wiggled clear of the pants as his lips found her throat. Afton reached for the drawstring at his waist, tugging hard until his pants met the same fate as hers. A quick pull dropped his briefs.

  Noah hitched her up with her back pressed to the wall and her legs around his hips.

  “Relax, kitten.” He kissed her softly, urging her lips apart so his tongue could explore her mouth. She softened in his arms, resting against the wall and bringing her hips slightly forward. The spread of her legs created a perfect space for his hand as he caressed the apex of her thighs. Through the thin layer of her panties, her intimate heat washed over his fingers, the fabric damp with her arousal. Noah sucked in a breath and held it, savoring the exquisite softness of her pussy. Afton muttered his name as she pressed against his hand.

  Dipping his fingers beneath the inner curve of her panties, he delved between her folds. Her wetness, slick and hot, met his touch, drenching him. Kissing beneath her ear, he stroked a finger over her clit. She bucked, her mouth dropping open with in silent ecstasy. The veins on the side of her neck pulsed, straining as she struggled to keep quiet.

  Noah trembled with pent up energy. Watching and feeling her pleasure unfold beneath his hands was the most erotic thing he’d experienced.

  “How easily will you come for me?”

  Pulling his hair with one hand and gripping his shoulder with the other, Afton demanded with her body, her hushed cries driving him to make it even better for her.

  “Don’t make me wait, baby. I want to feel you come.” He shifted her hips so his cock pressed against her slit. The shock of contact rent through them both. Afton jerked, her hips thrusting against his fingers, each movement allowing the head of his dick to press more deeply, until a cradle of fabric stopped him from going any further.

  Reaching behind him, he fumbled for the container of condoms on the rack. The entire box fell, crashing to the floor. He snagged a package mid-air before the entire box scattered. Quickly he rolled the condom on.

  He moved the panties aside, his tip seeking the pleasure between her folds. Working her clit faster, Noah shifted, so he was lined up completely. Afton strained against him, her head going side to side.

  “God, Noah, please!”

  He dove deep, her soft channel enveloping him with a tight, slick grip that caused a dark haze behind his eyes. He fought not to lose himself in the pleasure—not yet—as she leaned into him and buried her face against his neck.

  Her entire body shuddered. “Fuck, Noah, I’m going to come.” The words became tangled in her shout of release, her mouth wet and warm against his skin as she cried out. Empowered, he began to thrust, slow and measured at first, re-learning the feel of her, savoring it, as her channel welcomed him with a tight embrace. Afton gripped his shoulders as she moved her hips in time with him.

  “Don’t hold back,” she whispered.

  He kissed her hard and looked down as he slammed into her, watching as he slid in and out. Her inner muscles clenched him, teased him into letting go when he would have hung on. It was too good, too sensual, to fight it. Grabbing her hips hard enough to bruise, he pounded into her as the crest of release built fast. With a torturous control, Noah eased out of her. Afton’s eyes flew open, her mouth parting in protest.

  He grinned and pushed back into her, creating a rhythm, pulling out each time before he slid back inside... slow and teasing.

  “You are a fucking tease.” Afton moaned.

  “That’s right. You’ll take it, whatever I give you. Won’t you, Afton?” Bringing her hips forward, he slammed into her, hard, punishing.

  “Yes, anything.” Her head rolled to the side as he thrust again, each thrust harder than the last. Her nails dug into his ass, the pinch sending him to the top and over, down into a spiral. Noah pulsed violently into her, his mind racing as it fought to become clear.

  Soaked in an orgasmic fog, Noah leaned against Afton, supporting himself with one hand on the wall while the other wrapped around her. He dipped his forehead into her shoulder as aftershocks rocked them both.

  He’d just had an out-of-body experience. Christ. Slowly, he pulled back, helping Afton to the ground, making sure she was steady. Her hair was a tangled mess, her lips swollen, face deeply flushed. How were they going to hide this from anyone? Worse—he didn’t really care.

  Afton’s arms looped around his neck in a fast, surprising hug that pulled at his heart. He wrapped his arms around her, the contact comforting. Right. The sensation was unfamiliar and disorienting. He had so much ahead of him, a trip to Germany. A new condo in Florida to enjoy. There wasn’t space to feel odd things with a woman who didn’t fit into his lifestyle.

  The realization was sobering.

  Yeah, he was tired of coming home to an empty house. His body was still completely rocked by the sex they’d just had. But it didn’t mean he wanted or needed more.

  Afton tucked her hair behind her ears and slowly dressed. It was hard in the cramped space to not bump into each other and cause a bunch of noise. Noah discarded the condom deep in the bottom of the trash bin, put himself together.

  “I’ll go out first. Give me something to carry back to the department?”

  She thrust a handful of gowns at him.

  “I’ll wait about five minutes after you go.”

  So, that was it then. Sex and done. Back to normal. Back to pretending they hadn’t just had a fuck in the storage closet, or once in a hot night in Cabo.

  Cracking the door, he gave a quick look before darting out into the hall. The door shut behind him, a barrier between them.

  Noah didn’t like it one bit.

  Chapter Seven

  Holy shit, what had she just done?

  Afton triple checked her uniform in the restroom mirror. She smoothed her hair back into a ponytail; took it out and smoothed it again. It didn’t matter if she put herself back together perfectly. Her eyes told on her. They held the satisfied gloss of a woman well-fucked, that shine that only a hard orgasm could bring.

  It was futile to waste time asking herself why she’d done that. Regret had no place in her to-do list, never had and she wasn’t going to stop now. She’d wanted Noah with a fierceness that overrode common sense. It had been that way in Cabo, and apparently history was repeating herself. She had an attraction to him that simply would not take no for an answer.

  This was going to be trouble.

  After applying some lip gloss and double checking every inch of exposed skin for marks Noah may have left behind, Afton headed back to the unit. Her stomach growled, reminding her she’d spend her lunch break fucking instead of eating.

  Delicious. Straight up.

  She heard her name, looked up to see Maddie waving her over to the ambulance bay.

  “Gun shot victims coming in. Debby’s been looking for you.”

  “Sorry, I got laid up.”

  She froze. Why the hell did she just say that? “Waylaid. I mean I got waylaid.”

  “Whatever, come on.”

  The ambulance came in and everything unfolded in a flurry that had Afton both stepping back and diving in. This was her first trauma of this extent. He victim covered in blood, not breathing, his friend on the other stretcher sporting three bullet holes and screaming in pain.

  Unsure which patient to follow, Afton took an uncertain step back when someone snagged her sleeve.

  “Stay with me.”

  Noah tugged her closer to the cot. She grabbed the side rail and helped pull the cot into the trauma room. The trauma team came in, flooding the room with bodies, yet the only one speaking was Noah as he examined the victim and g
ave orders. Within seconds, Noah was feeding a breathing tube down the man’s throat while a nurse performed chest compressions. Afton started an intravenous line, her body ever aware of Noah’s presence, even amid the stress and the chaos.

  He worked so confidently, it was impossible not to want to emulate it. Stomping down nerves, Afton finished her work, then went on to the next task until the patient was stabilized. Before she could catch her breath, she was called into the next trauma room.

  “Hold this.” Maddie thrust a wrapped tray into Afton’s arms as she searched for something in the cart.

  “What happened to these guys?” In the melee, Afton hadn’t gotten any intel on what had gone down to result in two gunshot victims.

  Maddie fumbled with something, dropped it, picked it up again.

  “Drug war or something three blocks down. I’m not completely sure. Something to do with a narcotic bust.” She glanced over her shoulder, startled and spun back around.

  Afton followed her gaze, spotting a fully armored police officer standing just outside the clear trauma room doors. His thumbs hooked onto his belt, his arms settling wide over his tactical vest. His dark hair was cut short on the sides in military style, but the top was longer and slicked back. It worked with his strong jaw covered in a blanket of stubble, straight nose and firm mouth. Intimidating. Sexy. Something about him had her co-worker awfully flustered.

  “Maddie, you okay?”

  “Yes.” The answer was clipped, harsh. “Ah, found it.”

  She turned away from Afton and hurried to the other side of the bed. Afton peeked at the officer again, but he’d moved out of sight.

  Debby came through the doors and honed in on Afton. “You’re done here. I’m going to have you give some meds in room 4.”

  Her world went from trauma to a family of five with severe vomiting, all crammed into the same exam room because the ER was full. Debby handed Afton a tablet with medication orders displayed.