“Drew,” she says my name and I snap back to the present moment.
“Yeah?” I ask, bringing my forehead to rest against hers.
“Make love to me,” she instructs.
No words are needed as I pull out and then thrust back in, quickly finding a punishing pace that we can both enjoy. I’m always careful not to be too rough. I’d never want to hurt her, and she assures me I never have, at least not in a bad way.
I kiss her deep, pouring everything I have into her, hoping that I can express with my body what I’m feeling. What I’m still not ready to express with my words. I feel the telltale sign that my orgasm is on the edge. My balls tighten up, so I adjust slightly, giving me room to reach between us and strum her clit, getting her to that edge with me. I can feel the moment that her body crests over the edge as she pulls mine right with her.
“Megan!” I growl as my orgasm takes me over and I collapse on the bed, my head resting against the pillow just above her shoulder. I make sure to not crush her, and slip from her. I roll quickly and take care of the condom before returning to the bed. I pull her back into my arms, kissing the top of her head as I continue to work on slowing my breathing down back to normal.
“Welcome home,” she says a few moments later, once we’ve both caught our breaths again.
“If that’s the kind of welcome I’ll get, I’ll leave more often,” I say, chuckling into the top of her head.
“Smart ass,” she says, laughing as she smacks my cheek with her palm before she pulls away and slides out of bed and into her chair. The light of the bathroom flips on a few seconds later as she makes her way through the door, shutting it behind her so she can have some privacy.
“HOW WAS YOUR TRIP? Tell me everything!” Lucy exclaims when I enter our grandmother’s house for Sunday lunch.
“It was great, only thing I would have changed was having Megan with me,” I tell her, squeezing Megan’s hand as we both come to a stop in the living room, where Lucy and my grandmother are sitting.
“Glad you had a good time,” my grandmother says, smiling up at me as I drop down to give her a hug and kiss her cheek. “Nice to see you again, Megan.”
“Nice to see you again, Alice. Thank you for having me,” Megan says to her. She insisted Megan call her by her first name after they met at the gala, and I still can’t get over it. Knowing that my grandmother wants her so comfortable around her is very telling and makes me know that she very much approves of our relationship.
“So, no shark attacks or other crazy stories from your trip?” Lucy asks, pulling the topic back to my trip once all greeting is over.
“Nothing crazy. I hiked a lot, spent some time on the beach and in the water, bummed it around the island. It was nice to just unplug for the most part and enjoy the fresh air and time away.”
“Sounds like a good week then.”
“It was, exactly what I needed to come back refreshed and focused on what’s ahead of me.” After getting home late and our little escapade in the middle of the night, we both slept in late this morning, leaving little time for Megan and me to talk once we did get up, before heading this way.
“What’s ahead for you?” Grandmother asks.
“Mostly work-related things, but all will work out how it’s supposed to,” I tell her vaguely. “Once I know more, I’ll gladly share with all of you, but until then, I’ve got to keep some things close to the chest, so to speak,” I tell her and flash Megan a reassuring smile that I hope she can read as ‘we’ll talk later’.
The afternoon passes in a blur between the conversations and all the food that is set out for lunch. Megan and I finally are able to cut out around three and head back to my place so I can get started on some laundry before having to return to work tomorrow morning.
“So, what did you mean by your comment this afternoon with having some work-related things in the works?” Megan asks once we’re settled on the couch for the evening.
“That’s something I wanted to talk to you about. I don’t have full details yet, but I was contacted by Doctors Without Borders. They’re trying to plan a trip in the springtime, probably March, to Rwanda. They’re specifically looking to add a pediatric cardiologist with surgery credentials to their roster. I’d reached out to them a few years ago, wanting to work with their organization, but it’s never worked out with my schedule. That is, until now. I think that I can pull this one off. I’d be gone probably six, maybe seven weeks and would be out of contact for much of that time.”
“Wow, that’s amazing, and scary… and amazing,” she says.
“It is. But I’d need to know that you’d be okay with it, with me being gone for that long and not just a phone call or FaceTime away. I’d, at most, have email access occasionally and that’s still not guaranteed. From the information they gave me in the email, the areas they want to send the team are very remote and have little to no outside communications available.”
“While it would suck to not be able to talk to you, or know that you’re safe on a daily basis, I think that it’s an amazing opportunity and you should jump on it if it’s something that you’ve always wanted to do. Think of all the people that you could help in that amount of time. All the people who have never even seen a doctor, but probably need one badly.”
“You’d still be here when I get back?” I ask, the worry evident in my voice.
“Drew, if you really think that I’d leave you because you’re going to go away for six weeks to donate your time and talents, I’d really like to know the kind of women you’ve dated in the past, because for you to be worried that this would break us up is a little concerning.”
“Women that were only interested in my bank balance, last name, and what kind of clout that could earn them.”
“And have I ever once cared about any of those things?” she asks.
“Nope, if anything, you’ve been the exact opposite.”
“Exactly. If you haven’t noticed, I’m not into the socialite scene. Hell, I wouldn’t even know where to go to be in that scene. I don’t care if you have two dollars or twenty-million dollars in your bank account. As long as you’re a standup guy—which, the last time I checked, you were and you help those in need, which is the entire point of a trip like this—then I think you’re living life the best way you can. Does that make you perfect? No, but no one is perfect.” She pauses for a few moments, letting her words sink in. “When will you find out more information on the trip?”
“I haven’t replied to the first email yet, they asked for a reply by Wednesday. I wanted to think it over, talk to you. I’ve got to talk to the hospital and my department to make sure the coverage would be available.”
“If you reply that you’re interested, that doesn’t one hundred percent commit you, does it?”
“No, but before I get too far into the process, I want to make sure that I can make it work. No sense getting anyone’s hopes up if it won’t work out with the hospital.”
“I get that, but I can’t imagine they’d say no to this kind of a trip, could they?”
“I’m sure the PR department will have a heyday with it. Anything charitable is always good PR. And if they really pressed me, I’d be willing to take the time off unpaid. It’s not like I can’t afford to do so.”
“I think you should do it,” Megan tells me, reassuring me about it.
“I’ll definitely be looking into it more. I’ve always wanted to participate in one of their trips and this would be a big one.”
“You have my complete support,” she says, and I kiss her hard.
“Thank you, I can’t tell you how much that means to me,” I say against her lips.
“HELLO,” I greet Simon as he takes the seat across from me at the restaurant we decided to meet at tonight for dinner.
“Good to see you, mate,” he greets as he accepts the menu from the hostess before she walks away from the table. “How was the trip?”
“Good, just what I needed,” I tell him, the
n go into detail about my hikes and time on the island until our waitress approaches the table and takes our order.
“So, you mentioned needing to chat about some things, what’s going on?” he asks, taking a drink of his beer that was just delivered.
“Everything. I’m at a real impasse in my life and need some guidance. I know your situation with Bridget was different than mine, but how’d you know she was the one? That it was time to settle down?” I ask, diving right in to the heart of matters that have been plaguing me.
“Ah,” he says. “Someone’s in love and doesn’t know what to do with those feelings,” he muses.
Love, is that what this was? I knew that I missed Megan when I was away from her, and my mind now goes directly to thinking about what she’d think about something, but did that mean that this was love? It makes me think back to how I felt when I got home the other night to find her there waiting for me. How I felt when I sunk inside her body. Home. I felt like I was at home.
“Making you think, am I?” he questions when I still haven’t answered him.
“Yes. I don’t know what it is. I had some second thoughts a while back that almost had me ending things, but we talked through them back then and now, while those thoughts of doubt still sneak up occasionally, now my issues seem to have changed. I don’t want to be apart. I worry about things like, is my house suitable for her to move in with me or do I need to sell it and have one built with her wheelchair and future needs in mind,” I tell him as I run my fingers through my hair, pulling lightly at the ends. “Add in that I finally have a potential of a DWB trip on the horizon that I need to either commit to or back out of completely.”
“Tell me about that opportunity,” he says. I give him the quick overview of things I already know. I talked to the hospital this morning about the opportunity, and they’re one hundred percent behind me on accepting the spot on the team. No questions asked and fully will back the trip.
“Sounds like a fantastic opportunity not only for you professionally but personally. Trips like that can provide some much-needed personal growth that you might not have realized you needed. Make you appreciate what you have in life and cherish what’s important to you. And there’s something to say about being thousands of miles away from the person you love to make you realize just how important they are to you and how much you can’t live without them. It took me going back home for an interview to realize that I couldn’t live without Bridget and Brendan in my life and look where that got me. I now have the most wonderful woman in my life, a son who’s shown me more in the short time he’s been in my life than I ever knew I wanted, and two little girls that will drive me batty, I’m sure, when they reach their teen years, but I know that I’ll make it through all of that because I’ve got Bridget by my side and we’re a team.”
“No regrets, then, going all in on the family thing?” I ask, curious if Simon misses his bachelorhood at all.
“Bloody hell no,” he states matter-of-factly. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I thought I’d be a bachelor for the rest of my life, and then Bridget crashed into my world, first as a patient in my ER and then a few months later when Calliope set me up to rent her guest suite. That was one shocking day when we realized that we’d met previously. And for all the heartache we went through over those months, it was worth it in the end.”
“That’s my other concern. Megan and I haven’t known each other for all that long. She only moved here in August. It’s only November. That isn’t that long to get to know someone.”
“Sometimes, when you find your person, things just click. You connect on such a level that little things like time don’t matter. When you find your soul mate, sometimes you just have to believe and take the leap of faith that everything will work out how it’s supposed to.”
I take in all his advice, thinking about what I want in life, and all I see is Megan in my future. I can see us one, five, hell, ten and twenty years down the road. Happy, a family surrounding us, much like I have now with my extended family. I guess now I’ve got to man up and make sure she’s got the same visions that I do, and make them happen.
“So, they still referring to you as Dr. Sexy Pants now that you’re a dad?” I ask, laughing at memories of all the nicknames the nurses used to have for Simon.
“Bloody hell,” he says, shaking his head at my question. “I don’t think they’ll ever stop. Dr. Sexy Pants, Dr. Hottie, and Dr. Dreamy seem to still be around, most days. I don’t think I’ll ever live out my reputation. Even once I come back married, I don’t think they’ll ever stop,” he tells me.
“When is the wedding again?” I ask.
“June 15th, you should come, bring Megan with you,” he suggests.
“Maybe,” I say, thinking about it. “It’s back in England, correct?”
“Yes, we’re headed there as soon as Brendan is done with school in June, and will be staying for a little over a month total. I’m looking forward to showing them around where I grew up.”
“Sounds like a good time will be had. Think the girls will do okay on the long flight?”
“Hopefully.” He chuckles. “We’ll fly out of Boston on a non-stop, so at least we only have to deal with one takeoff and landing each way. Bridget mentioned booking a nighttime flight so they’ll be tired and hopefully sleep most of the way.”
“I’ll make sure to book a different flight than you,” I tease.
“Bastard,” he barks out with a laugh. “You could come with us and be an extra set of hands.”
“Nah, I’ll just wait and hear all about it later. That, and aren’t you guys going a few weeks before the wedding? If I take this Rwanda trip, I won’t be able to go for much more than a week. Megan won’t, for sure, be able to be gone much longer than that,” I remind him.
“We should plan to get together, the four of us, soon so that I can meet this woman who has you so wrapped up and ready to settle down. I’m sure Bridget would enjoy getting to know her, as well.”
“You can bring the kids over, maybe this weekend for dinner.”
“Or, we can get a babysitter and have dinner without little grabby hands in the way,” he says, a dopey smile on his face as he references his daughters. I know he loves them more than anything, but I can only imagine what it must be like to have not one but two babies needing your constant attention.
“I’ll text you later in the week to figure out details,” I tell him as I sign the check the waiter dropped at the table.
“You didn’t have to buy me dinner,” Simon tries to argue with me.
“Don’t mention it. You were my sounding board and gave some good advice tonight. Paying the bill is the least that I can do,” I tell him as we both push back our chairs and stand to leave.
“Well, thanks, mate. I’ll talk to you later,” he says as we part ways in the parking lot.
My talk with Simon gave me the clarity that I needed. Some things to look forward to and things where I just need to be patient and let them unfold in due time.
18
MEGAN
APRIL
I SIT NERVOUSLY on the couch in Drew’s house, constantly looking at my watch as the minutes slowly tick by. I swear, each minute feels like an hour. I’ve looked at my watch no less than thirty times in the past twenty minutes. I got the text from him about a half hour ago that he was leaving the airport and on his way home. The past six weeks that he’s been away being the amazing doctor that he is has been hard, I’m not going to lie. Not knowing if he was safe and okay. But I had to keep my spirits up, knowing that he was doing so much good for the people that they were helping, and that he’d be home to me soon. I cried when he called once, back in an area that his cell worked once again. It was so good to hear his voice. I’m almost ashamed to admit how many times I called his cell, just to listen to his voice mail recording so I could hear his voice, or re-listen to the few voicemail messages I’ve saved that he’s left me. Anything to hear his voice while he was gone and
not reachable. Twice, while he was gone, he was able to send me email updates, but those came at week two and four of his trip.
I hear a door shut and perk up. His parents picked him up at the airport since he wasn’t sure if his luggage would fit in my car. He’d taken medical equipment with him and it was large. That, and he returned with empty suitcases from all the medical supplies the hospital sent with him as donations to the program.
The time it takes from the moment I hear the door shut outside to the front door to open feels like another lifetime. I can’t believe I’m so anxious to see him.
“Honey, I’m home,” Drew calls out as he enters the living room. The huge smile on his face as he sees me settles every nerve in my body, and tears spring to my eyes. The emotions of missing him and knowing that he’s home. He’s safe. I don’t have to worry about him making it back and in one piece and that is a huge weight being lifted off of me that I didn’t even realize was sitting on my chest. I can breathe lighter.
“Drew,” I sigh his name, just as he sinks down on his haunches in front of me. He cups my face and rests his forehead against mine before his lips capture mine in a searing kiss.
“I fucking missed you,” he says a moment later when he breaks our connection. His parents come through the door just then, ending our private moment.
“I missed you, too. I can’t believe you’re finally home,” I tell him, rubbing my hands all over his face, arms and chest, as if I’m feeling to make sure that he’s actually in one piece in front of me.
He drops another chaste kiss against my lips before standing up to his full height. “I can get the rest of my things,” he says to his parents, who each set down two bags.
“It’s okay, we’ve got it, enjoy your moment,” Carol tells him as she follows Andrew Sr. back out the door.
“How long until we’re alone?” I ask boldly once his parents are well outside and out of ear shot.
Cocky Doc: A Hero Club Novel Page 15