Saving Forever - Part 7: Medical Romance (hot doctors)

by Lexy Timms

  Julie got up and took a quick shower before transforming herself from the sad, depressed wife to a strong, capable doctor. She pulled her favorite scrubs from her drawer and dressed quickly, applied a little bit of makeup and pulled her hair into the type of messy bun she knew he adored.

  If he wanted to jack with her emotions, she was going to return the favor. The mourning was over.

  "How can I help you, Doc?" The handsome young guy at the coffee shop smiled shyly as he watched her.

  "Double shot of espresso with a touch of coconut milk." She reached in her purse to pull out a card as Simon's voice lifted beside her.

  "Make it two and I'm buying." He extended the card to the guy, who looked at her as if to make sure she was good with it.

  "I'll get a muffin too. Make it two actually." She shrugged and turned to look at her soon-to-be ex. "Is there some reason my house smells like you dumped vats of your cologne in the living room and kitchen?"

  He signed the form the barista handed him and stood back up. "I know you're pissed. I can explain."

  She smiled at the cashier and walked toward a small table, taking a seat and watching Simon intently. His scrubs stretched across the swell of his chest, accentuating the sexy muscles beneath his clothing. "Julie, it's not as easy as you think. I can't just walk through the fucking home we've been building for ten years and take stuff out. It doesn't work like that for me." He reached for her hands and she pulled them back, tucking them under the table.

  "Yes, it’s that easy. You fucked a plastic receptionist at the hospital where we work. We're done and you have two more days to get your stuff out of the house. If it's not gone by Sunday when I have another day off... I'm throwing it in the yard and starting a bonfire. Do you hear me?" Her voice had risen, but he didn't seem to care.

  "Then burn it. I'm not taking my stuff out of the house. I'm not giving up on us and I'm not letting you move on. I made a huge mistake. I realize that, but I'm willing to do anything to get you back." He leaned forward, the challenge in his eyes causing her stomach to tighten. She had seen that look only a few times, but each one left her wanting to encounter it again.

  He was so far beyond sexy, his masculine features contorted in a grimace of dominance, his shoulders stiff as the muscles bunched up in his shirt.

  "Two double shots with coconut milk?" a female barista called and Simon got up, letting out a soft growl of displeasure as he walked to the bar and picked them up. He thanked the girl and returned to the table, popping the top on hers and taking a sip before handing it to her.

  "You need a sugar. You're not going to like that." He sat down and licked at his perfect mouth.

  "Don't tell me what I like. You don't know anything about me anymore," Julie barked at him and got up, walking to get a sugar and ignoring the satisfied look on his face. "I'm not kidding about your stuff, Simon. Come get it and take it to your whore's house."

  He popped the top on his drink and picked it up, shaking his head. "I'm not with anyone, Jules."

  "It's Julie. Don't call me Jules. That part of our lives is over."

  "Pam isn't the woman I want. I made a huge ballistic mistake because you and I hadn't touched in two months." He leaned forward. "I'm not validating my actions, but you cannot begin to tell me you didn't realize we were growing apart."

  "We're surgeons at a crazy-busy hospital." She slapped the table between them and glared at him. "Of course we're growing apart. When’s the last time you took me to dinner? Got me flowers? Ran a hot bath for us to share? I'm the one that should have found someone to treat me like a woman deserves to be treated." The vision of the two of them in the bath warmed her in a way she didn’t want to be heated. Tears filled her eyes and she put the top back on her drink and stood. "I'm done with this conversation. We both made mistakes that led to this point, but you... you put the nails in the coffin. You've taken everything I planned for us and burned it in front of me."

  "Julie." He stood too and moved around the table, pulling her close as everyone seemed to look their way. "I love you so fucking much. Please just hear my apology and give me a chance to win you back. Please. I'm not going to give up. I can't."

  "Have a good day, Dr. Paulk. Thanks for breakfast." She pulled from him and forced her emotions back down inside of her. The buzz of her phone caused her to pause as she pulled it from her purse.

  Simon's phone buzzed too and sickness rolled through her stomach. She was needed at the hospital, Stat. Brain trauma from a three-car pileup and a ten-year-old boy was slipping fast. "Shit. I have to go."

  "Me too. Let me drive us so we get there fast. Wilson boy?"

  "Yes." She grabbed her stuff and ignored her desire to slap him and tell him to back the hell up. A child's life was at stake and nothing mattered besides getting to the hospital and helping him.

  They half jogged out the front door and made their way to Simon's Lexus. Julie got in the front seat and buckled up before tearing her muffin in half and offering one of the chunks to the good-looking asshole in the seat next to her.

  "Thanks," he mumbled and shoved the whole thing in his mouth before pulling out into the early morning traffic. They were a couple of blocks from the hospital, but traffic was heinous as per usual.

  Simon started to choke and reached for his drink, taking a long swig as Julie's words left her before she could stop them.

  "You shouldn't put so much in your mouth. You were liable to choke." She ignored the desire to hear his usual reply, praying like hell he wouldn't say it.

  I know something I’d love to choke on... you.

  "Thanks," he mumbled and adverted his gaze from her.

  Sadness flooded her at the loss of all they had created, but she forced herself not to go there. She worked on quietly eating her muffin and praying they wouldn't be too late to help the kid. Going into surgery would be good for her, and working next to Simon wouldn't be a big deal at all. They had learned a long time ago how to separate themselves from being anything other than life-savers in the midst of tragedy.

  They wouldn't be going into the OR broken or on the brink of divorce, but as two independent, strong and capable surgeons on a mission.

  He parked the car at the front of the ER and jumped out, tossing his keys to Julie.

  "Get someone to park it for us and I'll meet you up there. I'll work the saw today."

  She nodded and stopped by the front desk, giving the keys to one of the attendants and nodding toward the car. "Park it for us. We've been called in for an emergency."

  "Of course, Dr. Paulk. Good to see you back."

  "Thanks." Julie jogged toward the OR and walked in as Simon was leaving the wash room and walking into the large operating room. The kid on the bed was jerking back and forth, which broke her heart. She washed up quickly and released all concern or thought for anything but the baby on the table.

  "Time to work a miracle." She said a small prayer and walked in, taking her place across from Simon and moving to the commands he barked out.

  Chapter 8

  Seeing her standing across the table from him left his heart aching with desire. How badly he wanted to wrap up the surgery and take her to his office for a long afternoon of showing her just how sorry he was about everything. There couldn't be another woman made so perfectly for him.

  He moved back and let her take the lead about a third of the way through the surgery. She moved with precision, her voice strong and commanding as she forced the staff into action alongside her. She stopped the boy’s bleeding from their various cuts and glanced up at him.

  He winked and nodded, wanting her to know just how impressive she was. "I think you've got this. I'm scrubbing out."

  "Go. I'm good." She glanced up once more and then adverted her attention back to the boy.

  He wanted to stay in the room and watch her move, but it wasn't his place to do so. He washed up quickly and moved to the observation deck, sitting down and letting his eyes move over the long line of her back, the curve of her as
s, the beautiful structure of her legs under her pants. He had seen it all a million times and yet he would sell his soul for just one more time. "God I miss you," he whispered and leaned forward, pressing his forearms to his thighs.

  "There you are." Elijah walked in and took a seat next to him. "Why aren't you in surgery? I had them call you and Julie."

  "I was." Simon nodded toward the room. "I did my part and got out of her way. I don't want to be a distraction. She's so good at what she does."

  "Yes, she'll soon give you a run for your money." Elijah tapped his thigh. "I got a call from your professor friend from Harvard. Congrats on being their nominee for the new scholarship. High compliment if you ask me."

  "Yeah. Nice to have some part of my life working for me." Simon let out a soft growl and sat back, running his hand through his dark locks, but never letting Julie out of his sight. "I would sell my soul to take everything back. Worst decision of my life."

  "I can't fathom not having Charity. Where I'm still pissed at you and quite disgusted with you myself, my heart breaks thinking about where you must be." Elijah patted Simon's back. "You want to come over for dinner tonight? Julie just left after a few days, so I think Charity would be good with seeing you."

  "No, but thanks."

  "Just no?" Elijah chuckled and stood up.

  "Yep. I'm not ready to talk about anything to anyone but Julie. I need her back and spending my emotional energy trying to win Charity back over isn't worth my time. Jules is in this place where I've seen her before. It's going to take something mighty convincing to get her to even remotely budge."

  "And you don't think her best friend might be a key to helping pry that door back open?"

  Simon stood up as Julie walked from the room to the wash room. "I don't know, but I'm too beat to figure it out. Thanks for the offer. Maybe another time."

  "Okay." Elijah left and Simon waited a few minutes before walking down to the OR to wait for Julie. She walked out with a smile on her pretty face.

  "He's going to be okay. We'll do a follow-up procedure tomorrow, but for today... he's good."

  "Excellent. You want to come with me and we'll tell the boy's mother?" Simon started to reach out and pull her into a side hug as they walked to the waiting room, but he stopped himself. No need to turn her back into the angry woman from the coffee bar just yet.

  "Yeah. I'd like that." She reached up and pulled her hair down before redoing it. The smell of her shampoo rolled over him and he groaned softly, unable to help himself. She glanced over at him questioningly and he decided the truth was the best answer.

  "I love the way you smell. Turns me on. Sorry." He shrugged and ignored the widening of her eyes as they pushed the door that led to the waiting room.

  A middle-aged woman with wild hair and puffy red eyes got up and moved toward him. "Is he okay? Please tell me my baby's okay?"

  Simon nodded and looked to Julie. "Dr. Paulk?"

  "He’s stable. He's still in the danger zone, but he's going to pull through from what I can tell. We got to him just in time. It's going to be a week or more here in the hospital with us, but he’ll progressively get better. After tomorrow we should be able to ascertain what the full extent of damage to his brain is."

  "Can I see him?" Tears dripped down her weary face.

  "Maybe for a quick moment, but he needs to rest. He's in a medically induced coma, but the minute he's awake, I'll come get you." Julie reached out and squeezed the woman's hand reassuringly.

  "Thank you. Thank you both so much."

  "Of course." Julie turned and wrapped her arms around herself tightly as Simon watched her.

  He followed his instincts and wrapped his arm around her shoulder tightly as well, pulling her into the warmth he had to offer. "You okay?"

  "Yeah." Her voice was soft and heavy with emotion. "Just a little too much, but I need it. I need to get my mind off myself and onto the people that matter."

  He stopped and pulled her toward him, taking her shoulders in his hands and rubbing softly. "I get it. I need to do the same. I have something I want to show you, as a colleague. Come with me for a few minutes and I promise I'll get out of your way for the rest of the day."

  "All right, but I need a break from us soon and this conversation about your stuff being in the house isn't over." She pulled from him in a way that felt natural and not angry.

  He nodded and walked in silence with her to his office. Opening the door, he moved in and turned, nodding toward it. "Close the door. Private info coming your way."

  She closed the door and took a seat in the empty chair in front of his desk. Her dark hazel-colored eyes scanned his face and he couldn't help but smile.

  "What?" The defensiveness was seeping back into her voice.

  "You're beautiful, that's what. Don't fault me for noticing." He shrugged and pulled out a large file before handing it to her. "You know I've been working to cross-train in different surgical disciplines."

  "Yeah," she mumbled and put the folder on the desk before opening it and digging through the contents.

  "Well, there is a strain of flu that's been recently discovered that might have the key to helping heal ocular scar tissue before it forms. It's the latest breaking news, but I've been invited to assist the government in testing the theory out."

  Julie glanced up as her eyes widened. "Wow. That's big."

  "Hell yeah it is. I get to bring one colleague with me on the project. I want it to be you." He crossed one arm around his midsection and pressed his fingers from his other hand to his lips. "Please. Just consider it."

  "Why me?" She closed the file and leaned back. "I'm not in the mood to have you try and win me back, Simon. You deceived me. This has far more to do with my lack of trust in you than my scorned pride at not being enough woman to keep you happy."

  He narrowed his eyes on her, wanting to reassure her ten thousand times that her being enough woman was never the issue, but he stopped himself. Keep it professional. "Because you're close to taking my position as lead surgeon in our area. You and I both know it. The minute I move to another discipline, neurosurgery is yours. The changes and regeneration of the eye are all within brain function. You would benefit from this as much as I would. This is no ploy. It's an opportunity that’ll advance your, and my, career. If you or I leave this hospital, it wouldn't matter. The project is being held across the nation with a team of superstars. Come take your place next to me and put a few more stars on your resume."

  She stood and nodded. "I'll think about it. I'm leaning toward yes, but I want a list of the other doctors involved, the timing of deliverables and the dates for meetings, as well as location."

  "Absolutely. I'll have one of the RN's that's helping me get it to you today." He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and watched her as she hesitated for a minute.

  "About your stuff..."

  "I'll come get it tomorrow. I'm sorry for not doing as you asked. It just feels like giving up and I can't seem to resign myself to that just yet. I'm not willing to consider a life without you." He shrugged and stood in stony silence as she walked to the door.

  "It's fine. Leave it there until you realize that what's happened between us isn't able to be mended. You'll figure it out soon enough. Then come get it." She walked out of the door, leaving him struggling to breathe.

  He walked around the desk and picked up the folder, tapping it a few times on his desk and trying to think through how he could prove to her that he wasn't ever going to resign himself to the fact that things were truly over between them.

  The only thing that could force him to accept that, was if she fell in love with someone else. A growl lifted from his chest and echoed in the room around him.

  "No fucking way some punk is stepping in on my woman." He moved to his file cabinet and locked the file up before getting out his gym bag. He needed to let off some steam in the gym before he blew a gasket in his head.

  Walking down the hall, he ignored the stares he got from everyon
e he passed. They had always stared, but now the looks were demeaning instead of uplifting. It didn't matter. Everyone could have an opinion of him and he could give two shits. All he needed was for Julie to see the sorrow in his heart, the willingness in his intent. He fucked up, but just as he had worked his ass off to win her the first time more than a decade ago, he was going to pull out all the stops to do it again.

  He pulled out his phone and paused outside of the gym, texting his favorite florist and ordering Julie a big bouquet of yellow lilies – her favorite flower. He had them add in a short note that told her what a great surgeon she was and how proud he was to call her partner in the OR.

  It was cheesy, but she loved that sort of thing and it had been years since he'd done it.

  Time to up the ante.

  Chapter 9

  "So, how are things between you and Simon?" Leah, another surgeon in the neurology department held up her hand and smiled. "If you don't want to talk about it, just say so and I'll change the topic faster than we change table dressings around here."

  Julie chuckled and shook her head as she absently stirred her soup. "No, it's okay. I really don't know how things are going to be honest. I told him to come get his shit or I’d burn it. We've really not talked about it, but there isn't anything to say. I want a divorce, and yet a huge part of me wants to try again. I love him, unfortunately."

  "You know, my Bill cheated on me years ago and we worked it out." Leah shrugged her shoulders, the older woman one of Julie's favorite companions to have lunch with.

  "Oh yeah? How did you get past the loss of trust?"

  "You never really do, I don't think, but my concern over where he is or what he's up to has dissipated over the years as he's worked to prove his loyalty to me. If I find out one day that he was still cheating, I'll kill him, but honestly... it's been a really great eight years since the incident." Leah took a bite of her sandwich.