by Melody Anne
She moaned against his mouth and then grumbled when he broke the connection. Soon that grumble faded, though, as his lips trailed down her collar bone and he sucked on the peaks of her nipples, his teeth nipping them, making her groans turn into pleasurable cries.
Before he could move lower, she grabbed his head and pulled him back up to her mouth, kissing him hard as she pushed him over onto his back.
“I was on a mission there,” he said when she released his mouth.
“My turn,” she purred as she undid his robe and moved down his strong neck, kissing and sucking on his salty skin.
“Mmm. I’m liking your turn,” he rumbled as his fingers twisted in her hair, tugging slightly, making her moan against his skin.
She kissed her way down his hard abs, reveling in his strength and taste. She was aiming for his magnificent thickness, but she wanted to take her time getting there, building up the anticipation.
His groans of pleasure encouraged her as she reached his strong pelvic bone and then her fingers wrapped around his thickness, her thumb brushing across the tip where his pleasure leaked out, making her body accelerate to boiler levels.
She had to taste him.
“Come here,” he groaned as she moved down a little farther, her mouth inches from his tastiness.
She didn’t say anything, just bent forward and ran her tongue along his tip, his tangy essence superb, making her want more. Without further hesitation, she wrapped her mouth around him and pushed down as far as she could take him.
Her spit and his excitement lubed the way, making it easy for her to slide up and down his solid rod of steel. She groaned around him as she devoured every drop of his juices, his groans making her speed up as she pleasured him.
Suddenly, Maverick’s hands tugged at her, making her mouth pop off his tasty arousal. He pulled her up his body so that she was straddling him.
She could feel his wet, stiff thickness below her, begging for entrance as she sat atop him, his eyes glowing with heat and desire.
“I want to come inside your sweet center, not your mouth,” he growled.
She’d never had sex on top before. It was exposing and she was nervous about it—that was, until he lifted her and pulled her body back down over his erect rod. He pushed upward, sinking fully inside her.
Then there was no thought of embarrassment. A cry of pleasure escaped her as he buried himself so deeply. She truly felt they were one person. His face was a mask of pure ecstasy, which made her want to satisfy him even more.
Her body knew exactly what to do. She gripped his shoulder as she began moving her hips up and down, his thickness sliding in and out of her.
He reached up to grip her breasts, his fingers tweaking her nipples as she continued to ride him. Their panting escaped into the night, floating up to the stars as they consumed one another.
“Yes, baby, just like that,” he groaned, and she moved even faster, enjoying every single inch of his manhood as it touched her inner walls.
“Yes, Mav, yes.”
Moving one hand down to her sweet spot, he flicked his fingers across her swollen bud and she went soaring into the sky. She clamped around him, her body clenching as tremors ran through her, the pleasure too much to handle.
He grabbed her, pulling her head down to consume her mouth. She felt him pumping inside her, his pleasure heating her up.
When both of them stopped trembling, she laid against his chest, listening to his heartbeat pounding steadily in her ear, the most reassuring sound she had ever heard.
“I don’t ever want to stop this,” Mav said.
That made her own heart pump even faster. That was something she couldn’t even begin to think about right now. It was too much for her overloaded brain.
“You might just break me if we keep having this magnificent sex,” she told him, trying to make a joke, but he was in a serious mood.
“I would never break you, sug.”
His hands ran up and down her back as he whispered the sweet words. She realized he meant them. He wouldn’t ever hurt her on purpose. It just wasn’t the kind of man he was.
But he could hurt her. He could hurt her so much more than that man had today at work, and so much more than the man who had attacked her. He could break her heart in two, break her soul.
It was up to her to not let that happen. She feared, though, that it might be too late for her to stop it. The only thing she could do at this point was to love him as much as she was capable, appreciate that he wanted to take care of her now, and live in the moment.
“I wanted to stay out here until morning, so we could watch the sunrise together, but it’s getting a bit colder than I was expecting,” he said as he continued to rub her back.
“I guess it is a little cold,” she said as a shiver rushed through her.
He clicked off the fire, threw the blankets back on the bed in a heap, and lifted her into his arms. She sighed against his neck. She was perfectly capable of walking back up the path, but at this moment there was no place she’d rather be than against his chest with his solid arms around her.
He carried her to his room and laid her down. He made love to her again before he opened the door and let both dogs in to come up in the bed with them.
And that’s when she realized she had fallen in love with the man.
She was going to enjoy every minute she had left with him. And when it was time to go, she would take only good memories with her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
What is it that people always said? That when you’re having a great time, it passes far too quickly, but when you’re in misery, it drags on? Lindsey was sure the saying was more than true.
The past couple of weeks had passed by in a blur for her. She was . . . happy. Maybe she was too happy. She and Maverick had been working nonstop on the fund-raiser by day and then spending nearly every night locked in each other’s arms. It made her think that maybe, just maybe, he didn’t want their time together to end. That’s how she felt.
It was foolish of her to want to continue the relationship, but when a person was thinking with her heart, she didn’t always make the best decisions. She had a feeling she was going to learn that the extremely hard way.
Even though Maverick wasn’t talking about the two of them ending whatever it was they had going on, the reality was that all good stories eventually ended. There was a small nagging bit of her brain that told her some things worked out. Look at Cooper and Stormy. They were in love and so happy it was almost difficult to be around them sometimes.
They were the exception to the rule, though, and she was more than aware of that fact. But if she dwelled on the negative, then she would be letting the positive slip right through her fingertips. That wasn’t what she wanted either.
Her coworker, Katie, walked up to her, looking incredibly excited. She waited for Lindsey to finish making notes on a patient’s chart and then spoke.
“I am so excited for the fund-raiser you’re throwing, Lins. There’s been so much buzz in the papers lately.”
“Yes, it’s been a lot of work, but I’ve really enjoyed doing it.”
“What are you wearing to it?” Katie asked.
“I’m not sure I’m even going,” she told Katie. Just because she was chairing the event didn’t mean she had to be there. It was a lot of fancy people that she really didn’t feel she fit in with. She was one of the workers, not one of the elite.
Sure, her brothers were millionaires, but that didn’t mean she was riding along on their coattails. She didn’t want to take advantage of anyone else’s rainbow. She wanted to make her own.
“You have to come. It’s going to be so much fun,” the very young nurse said in her usual singsong voice. “Of course, you know that, since you’ve been in on every little detail.”
“It’s a bit over the top, actually,” Lindsey said with a laugh.
“No way. It’s like a real-life ball. How romantic is that?” the girl sighed.
“Are you hoping one of the doctors will ride in on a white horse and slip a glass shoe on your foot?” Lindsey asked her with a smile.
“Only if it’s Dr. Stine. That man can slip anything he wants on any body part of me,” the girl told her with a giggle.
“Yes, Dr. Stine is a good-looking man,” Lindsey admitted.
The new doctor had all the staff drooling, even those who were married or in committed relationships. Lindsey wasn’t in either category. So why wasn’t she attracted to the successful surgeon?
Maybe because Maverick had broken her. Or maybe it was because she was happy—for now. Either way, she wasn’t interested in the new surgeon who seemed to have a minor in flirting.
“Did I hear my name?”
Even though she hadn’t been gossiping about the man—not really—Lindsey still felt her cheeks heat the slightest bit as the man of the hour walked into the break room. His killer smile was in place and he sidled right up to the girls.
Katie, of course, giggled nervously and began shifting from foot to foot.
“Yes, we were just talking about what a blessing it has been to have you at our hospital. The patients really respect you,” Lindsey said.
“Ah, I thought it might have been about something else.” He was gazing right at her, the look of interest clear in his eyes. That was something she needed to nip in the bud immediately.
“Nope. Sorry.” She turned to leave, but he gently grabbed her arm. She stopped dead in her tracks, having to control her breathing. Though she knew it wasn’t logical, she still didn’t like strangers touching her.
“Are you going to the ball, Lindsey?” The intensity of the question shocked her.
“I’m not sure yet,” she told him as she tugged firmly on her arm. Thankfully he let it go.
“I hope so. Save me a dance.”
She was so shocked by his request she didn’t have time to respond. She just nodded her head and quickly fled. She wondered if poor Katie was able to survive in there on her own with the good-looking doc. Guess Lindsey would know if the girl didn’t show up soon.
Moving to the reception desk, she sat down and decided to finish her charts. That part of her job she could easily do without. It was boring and took forever. Without the horrific caffeine the hospital provided, free of charge, she would most likely pass out from paperwork.
“I can’t believe you left me in there with Dr. Dreamy. Ugh. I went all red-faced and ended up sputtering something unintelligible before I ran out the door,” Katie said as she came and perched herself on a corner of the desk.
“You’re a nurse, Katie. I would think you would have a bit more control over yourself,” Lindsey said with a laugh.
“Well, I know one thing—he sure as heck was flirting with you. It’s really not fair, you know. You have that sexy pilot guy who comes in here all the time, and now you have the dreamy doctor drooling over you too. Please share your secrets,” the girl whined.
“I don’t have any secrets,” Lindsey told the girl with a laugh. “Don’t you have work to do?” she finished pointedly.
“Ugh. Nothing. My patients are good. It’s just been so dang quiet in here today.”
Two other staff members were walking up as the young nurse said this, and all three of them shot a look of horror her way. It was such the wrong thing to say in the ER. Completely taboo. And they all knew it.
As if on cue, the emergency room doors flew open as two guys carrying another came limping inside, blood pouring from all three of them.
“You had to say the Q word,” Lindsey snapped as all four medical professionals rushed forward to catch the men before they toppled to the floor.
There was no more time to sit around. They got to work sewing wounds, administering antibiotics and painkillers, and setting a broken wrist. The guys were lucky. They’d been performing some Jackass-style stunts that had gone severely wrong—or maybe right. Wasn’t the point of those movies to humiliate oneself while causing the most damage possible? Why would people find that entertaining? Okay, she had to admit, she might have watched it once or twice. But still, it was a terrible pastime.
No sooner did they get their young victims treated than an older couple walked in. Both of them looked one knock away from heaven’s door. Each of them complained of chest pains.
“Both of you?” Lindsey asked, surprised. Neither had any color, and their breathing was almost nonexistent.
“Yes, dear,” the woman replied, still polite even in her pain.
“What happened?” Lindsey asked as they began running tests on them.
The old man wasn’t as polite in his pain-induced state. “We aren’t that old, you know. I’m not even seventy yet,” he spluttered, completely off topic. What did their age have to do with anything?
“I wasn’t trying to call you old, sir,” Lindsey quickly said, helping him lie back in the bed.
“Darling, you’ll be seventy in two days,” the woman pointed out. “I was giving him his birthday present a little early, you see—” Her cheeks turned pink as she looked at Lindsey in horror.
Lindsey had no idea what was going on. “What was the present? Did it frighten you both?” she asked.
Right after she asked the question, Dr. Stine’s soft laughter could be heard behind her, and she turned to give him a glare. She didn’t find this situation in the least funny.
“I think they were having sex, Nurse Helm,” he said before winking at her.
Now it was Lindsey’s turn to sport red cheeks. She whipped back around to the elderly couple, who were both looking at the floor. Their tests confirmed they were indeed having heart attacks.
There wasn’t time to dwell on the fact that they’d been doing the nasty. It was an image she would never get out of her mind again, not even if she drank bleach. But then again, when was it too old to be having sex? The thought of ever having to give it up in her lifetime wasn’t appealing.
“Good for you, Mr. Bardon. Happy birthday,” Dr. Stine said after they stabilized the husband and wife. The old man grinned.
Lindsey was free to go at the end of her shift, but the afternoon wouldn’t slow down. Nope. All because Katie had uttered the Q word. Lindsey tried not to even think of the Q word while in the hospital.
She left the Bardons and then was pulled into another exam room where a little girl had a bone sticking out of her leg. That was an easy call. She was rushed to surgery. And still more patients came through the front doors.
They had to move through the patients quickly and call in their on-call staff to cover the deluge of people. They saw everything from minor scrapes to fractures and other serious injuries.
But by the time the day was over, Lindsey sagged against the wall as she sipped on an ice-cold Pepsi and smiled.
“How can you smile after the hell we’ve been through?” Katie asked, her hair sticking out in all sorts of new places, her mascara smeared, and her scrubs filthy.
“Because we didn’t lose a single patient. I call that a good day,” Lindsey told the girl.
“I will never say that Q word again,” Katie said as she looked around.
“That might be wise,” Lindsey told her.
“You ladies doing okay?” Dr. Stine asked as he came through the hall door.
“Great, Dr. Stine, thanks for asking,” Katie said as she straightened up and attempted to brush back her hair. Lindsey wanted to tell her it was no use. There would be no helping that hair, not ever again.
“How did the little girl’s surgery go?” Lindsey asked, finally pushing away from the wall and moving toward the lounge where she could take a rinse-off shower, change her clothes, and get out of the hospital. She would take a lot longer shower after she made it home. There had been too much grime on her this afternoon.
“It went great. She’s not even going to have a limp when she heals,” he said, obviously pleased.
The man might be slightly obnoxious and a bit too full of himself, but he was an incredible surgeon. She
could appreciate that.
“Glad you were here, then,” she said before moving toward the lounge door. He grabbed her arm again, an act she didn’t like. She would really need to speak to him about boundaries.
“Want to go get a drink and celebrate?” he asked.
She was so shocked her mouth must have hung open. She turned back around to look at him, but didn’t quite know what to say. Finally, her brain caught up to her vocal cords.
“I’m sort of seeing someone right now, but thanks for the offer,” she finally managed. “Plus, I don’t date doctors. It’s too complicated.”
He didn’t seem in the least bit fazed. He just smiled at her and then finally let go of her arm. He took a step away before turning back and giving her the full force of his cocky grin.
“I like complicated. See you at the ball.”
And just like that, he disappeared again. Lindsey retreated to the employee lounge and then got out of the hospital as quickly as she could. Her day had been messy. It was time to go home.
Hopefully her personal life would never be quite as complicated as her professional life was. It might not be if it weren’t for Maverick. Like she said a couple of months ago, Maverick created complications.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Sitting in the den of Cooper’s house, Maverick leaned back in the chair as he threw back another whiskey and cola. His brothers had called a meeting, but he wasn’t in the mood for one. He finished his drink, got up, made a refill, and then sat back down.
He’d come to the hospital to take Lindsey out after work and had witnessed the interaction between her and the good doctor. His first instinct had been to smash his fist through the doctor’s face. But something had stopped him.
Maverick knew his relationship with Lindsey wasn’t going to last, but he didn’t want to leave her devastated when it was over. That feeling of not wanting her to be alone and frightened had stopped him from killing the doctor, but just barely. Then he’d found himself backing away without alerting her to his presence.
He’d been pissed off ever since.
All he wanted to do was rush over to her place and stake his claim. He’d been doing that a lot lately, making love to her, holding her tight, even sleeping all night with her. He knew he needed to back off, but he couldn’t quite make himself let go yet.