by Krista Lakes
I couldn't blame her. Newborns had a way of growing on you. They were usually slimy and slippery, but there was something about their little hands that I loved. The way their tiny mouths cried out for someone to care for them always broke my heart. Every time I heard a newborn cry, my maternal instincts seemed to kick in hard.
This time I heard the whirl of the helicopter taking off from the empty field behind us. I'd wondered why it wasn't planted with corn, and now I knew the reason why. It was for helicopters. That made me wonder just how many we called a year.
It wasn't long before the ambulance arrived and we bundled the new little family into the back of the truck. Emily smiled and waved, shouting her thanks to Dr. Matthews, Donna, and me. We stood in front of the office and saw them off.
When the ambulance was safely around the corner, the three of us went back inside the quiet office. I was so incredibly glad that we didn't have more patients. Now that the whole thing was over, I was exhausted and wired at the same time.
“I'll bet that's not what you expected to walk into this morning, huh?” Dr. Matthews asked with a playful smirk as we walked in.
“Not at all,” I admitted. “Look, my hands are shaking.”
I held my hands up, watching them tremble.
“It's the adrenaline,” he said. “Mine are, too.”
Indeed, his hands were quivering just like mine, but with a little less intensity. He took my hands in his and gave them a gentle squeeze. His touch sent electricity up my arms and my core heated.
As if sensing the effect he had on me, he pulled back, his eyes not meeting mine.
“I think we've earned lunch,” he said to Donna and I. “My treat. Donna, do we have any more patients scheduled for the day?”
“It's actually ten minutes past closing,” Donna informed him. She picked up her purse from under the reception desk. “It's way past lunch.”
Dr. Matthews frowned and looked down at his watch. I did the same to see that Donna was right. Time had completely flown by during the delivery. It felt like only seconds.
“Thanks for staying late then, Donna,” Dr. Matthews said.
“And miss seeing that baby?” Donna grinned. “I love babies. My babies won't be having their own babies for at least ten more years, so I have to get my baby fix somehow.”
I chuckled and waved goodbye to her before going to my office to grab my own purse. It was then that I realized my scrub pants had birth goop on them. When I worked on the Labor and Delivery floor at the hospital, we'd had stacks of backup scrubs in the locker room for just this reason. Births were messy.
Luckily, I always kept a change of clothes in my office. It wasn't anything fancy, just a pair of jeans, sports bra, and a white cotton t-shirt, but it was better than the dirty stuff I had on. After grabbing the clothes, I headed to the office shower.
There was a small shower in the break room near Dr. Matthews' office. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was always nice to have in case we had days like today or needed to rinse a patient off. I grabbed one of the last clean towels from our supply and headed in.
I stripped as I waited for the water to heat, still shaking and grinning with adrenaline. I piled my hair up into a bun to keep it dry. I didn't want to get it wet without shampoo and conditioner.
Everything had gone well. There was a new life in the world and I'd helped get it here. I felt like I could take on the world. There was nothing I couldn't do today.
I sang as I showered, letting myself enjoy the good feelings. Dr. Matthews and I had been an amazing team. I didn't feel hungry or tired anymore. I was pumped. I felt like I could go run a marathon and win. I knew it was all just the excitement and adrenaline from the experience, but I still liked the feeling.
Once clean, I got out and quickly dried off. As soon as I got dressed, I put my hair back into a ponytail and stepped into the hallway. I nearly opened the door right into Dr. Matthews. He jumped back and laughed.
“We've really got to stop doing that,” he said. “One of these days, you're going to knock me out with a door.”
“Sorry,” I said with a smile. “Bad timing, I guess.”
My hair was frizzy and I had no makeup on, but Dr. Matthews gave me a slow and obvious once over anyway. It made me feel surprisingly beautiful. When his gaze came back up toward my face, I noticed he stopped for a second too long on my chest. I glanced down, realizing that my nipples had grown hard from the change in temperature and were now poking through my shirt, creating obvious little bumps underneath the cotton. The sports bra was not padded and I hadn't thought it would be a problem.
He cleared his throat and looked into my eyes. “I'm going to take a quick shower, too. Why don't you order some food from the Bakery and have them deliver it here? I'll pay for everything. Get whatever you want. Dessert, drinks, whatever. We earned it.”
“Okay, I'll do that,” I said, moving out of his way so that he could head into the bathroom. “Meet you in the break room.”
Chapter 12
Everything moved slowly in my town. People moved at their own pace here. The bakery said it would be at least an hour before they could have dinner delivered to the office. It wasn't that big of a deal. I was willing to wait for a free meal, and it was still better than a can of soup back at my place. I wasn't ready to go home yet.
There was a soft and comfy couch against the wall in the break room, but I found myself still too pumped up to sit. It was like my body couldn't relax with all the adrenaline that filled it. I paced around for a bit and only stopped when Dr. Matthews stepped into the room.
He'd changed into a casual, lime green polo shirt and gray slacks. His hair was still damp from his shower. He wasn't wearing an undershirt and it was once again apparent how good of shape he was in. The outline of his muscular chest was obvious.
“I needed that,” he said, closing the door behind him.
“Me too,” I said. “I wanted to tell you that you did great today. Thanks for being awesome. I'm glad you were here.”
He took a step toward me, his eyes locking with mine. “Hannah, if it wasn't for you, I couldn't have done any of that.”
“I don't know about that.” My ponytail swung like a pendulum across my back as I shook my head. “You did all of the hard work.”
“Don't sell yourself short,” he said assertively, taking another step toward me and closing the gap between us. “I couldn't have done this without you. We were a team. Not to sound too cheesy, but where would Batman be without Robin?”
I laughed. “I think Batman would have been just fine.”
“No way,” he said. “While Batman was out there taking all the glory, Robin was handling the little things. He was making sure everything went smoothly. You're my Robin.”
It was a strange metaphor for our working relationship, but I actually found it endearing and cute. We stood there for a moment, just the two of us, in the privacy of the break room. It was silent except for our breathing and the faint sound of the air conditioner.
Something happened in that moment. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but there was suddenly a magnetic pull that drew me toward Dr. Matthews. It was powerful. So much so, that it felt like even if I had tried to resist it, it wouldn't have made any difference.
He took another small step toward me, bringing the toe of his shoes so that they touched mine. He reached forward and took my hands in his, never taking his eyes off of me for a second.
My heart jumped out of my chest and a burst of energy flowed through me. Dr. Matthews had obviously felt the same pull of attraction that I had. It was electric and so thick in the air that I could practically taste it.
“Hannah,” he said softly. “I don't know what I'd do without you.”
He lifted one of his hands and brought it to my cheek. His touch caused me to take a quick inward breath. He cradled my chin, lifting it so that our eyes were in direct line of sight. Everything inside of me froze and heated at the same time.
Dr. Matthews
leaned in and brought his lips toward mine. He paused right before our lips touched. Just for a moment, though. It was as if he were making sure that I wanted this. The universe held its breath as we both held our breath. I noticed everything from the way his aftershave lingered in the air to the water droplets in his hair. After a second that felt like eternity, he leaned in the rest of the way, firmly pressing his lips against mine.
Our fate was sealed.
A soft moan made its way up my throat as I relaxed into his kiss. I closed my eyes and let my hands drift up toward his face. His beard stubble tickled my fingertips as I dragged them over his cheeks.
It must have been the adrenaline we'd both experienced that morning. Or maybe it was that the emergency had bonded us closer than ever before. I didn't know what had gotten into either of us, but I suppose it didn't need explaining. It felt good and right and that's all I really cared about. I needed a release that only he could give me.
Jacob slowly broke our kiss and dropped his hands to the top of my hips. Then he leaned in again, passionately pressing his lips to mine. My heart began to do flip flops behind my rib cage. Within a few seconds, I felt Jacob open his mouth and gently dart his tongue out, teasing it into my mouth.
A tingling sensation coursed through my body as our tongues lightly wrestled with each others, twisting around in a sensual dance. I reveled in the sensations: his taste, his smell, the way he held his body against mine. This wasn't a dream. This was actually happening.
Jacob broke the kiss and took a step back. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes dark.
“I'm sorry. That was unprofessional.”
My heart hammered in my chest and my lips ached for more of his kisses.
“I don't care,” I told him. “I don't want to stop.”
He looked up, his eyes bright as they met mine. Desire that matched my own shone in them and my body heated. I took the step forward to bring us back together. Slowly, I brought my hand up and wrapped it around the back of his neck.
“Are you sure you're okay with this?” he asked, his hands already coming to my hips.
“Just shut up and kiss me,” I said, still smiling.
He kissed me again, only this time it was more passionate, more aggressive. He pulled me close. The warmth of his body radiated against my front, but it was nothing compared to the heat that was building between my legs. Another moan escaped my throat. Our hands drifted up and down each others body and the lust between us soared to an unimaginable height.
We should try to get emergency calls here more often, I thought.
It was so amazing that both of us were able to drop our walls and just let go. The way he kissed me showed me that this was something he'd wanted to do for a long time. I guess it just took something drastic for him to realize that the right time is always now.
I took a step back as a concern flashed into my mind. Donna always seemed to forget something and come back to the office most nights. The last thing either of us needed was to be caught making out in there. Something like that would most definitely be the news of the day in a town like ours.
“We should lock the door,” I said.
He nodded in agreement and quickly spun around. He turned the lock on the handle and then strolled toward me again. Just like in my dreams, his pupils were dilated as he gave me a once over. There was eagerness in his steps as he closed the gap between us once again.
This time, he didn't stop when his toes met mine. He wrapped his hands around my waist and took a few more steps forward, causing me to back up against the nearby wall. He kept me pressed there, his eyes drifting down toward my chest and then back up. He was breathing harder now. The dam had broken and it was obvious that anything he had held back over the years was finally about to be released.
Something about being backed up against that wall turned me on more than I'd ever been before. I knew that Jacob was powerful, both in work and how he dealt with people. Having that assertiveness focused on me, though, was exhilarating.
As we kissed, I lifted the bottom of his shirt up and placed my hands onto his bare stomach. I could feel his abdominal muscles flex with each of his breaths and I let my fingers trace their way lower, meandering downward toward the top of his slacks.
His hands drifted on my body as well. They started at my hips and then moved their way around. He gently touched the top of my ass and then slid his fingers up my sides, pulling my shirt up along with them. It was now bunched up just below my breasts.
Jacob broke the kiss. I noticed his shoulders moving up and down with his breathing. His eyes had dilated further. It looked like he was a hungry animal about to pounce its prey. I was more than happy to be that prey.
His fingers grabbed the fabric of my shirt and lifted. He dropped the shirt to the floor and stared at me for a moment. I looked up at him as I pulled the sports bra off and over my head. His eyes dilated.
“Oh, my God,” he growled, his voice deep and husky. “You're perfect.”
I bit my bottom lip flirtatiously, watching as Jacob admired my body. He seemed so focused on me and only me. It was the same kind of intense focus he had during work. It was like nothing else in the universe existed except me. It made me feel like a princess or a goddess. Something worth worshiping.
He leaned in and brought his mouth over one of my nipples. I drew in a quick breath through my teeth, creating a soft hissing sound. Pleasure washed over me as Jacob flicked the sensitive nub with his tongue, gently lapping at it. Up and down he moved.
He looked up at me without taking his lips away from my breast. He was so damn sexy, just staring up at me with my nipple firmly between his lips. A hint of a smile crossed his face before he focused his attention back on the nipple in his mouth.
Jacob let out a sexual growl and then moved his face to my other breast, giving it equal attention. I closed my eyes and gently pressed the back of my head against the wall. The movement caused my back to arch and my chest to push firmly against his face.
Ecstasy washed over me. I lifted my hands above my head, submitting to him. I wished for him to take me however he wanted. I didn't want to rush anything, though. This was a moment I'd been waiting years for. A moment that I honestly never though would come. Now that it was here, I decided I'd take my time and savor every ounce of it that I could.
I didn't know if I'd ever have this opportunity again. This was spur of the moment. We weren't thinking, we were just feeling. This was the release we both needed. This was biological, not logical. My body overruled my brain, taking control and letting me have what I really wanted.
His hands slid up my sides, to my arms and then to my wrists, pressing my wrists against the wall. Then he broke our kiss once I was pinned.
He leaned forward, his presence overwhelming my senses. His heat pressed against me and all ability to think scattered. He smelled so damn good, like clean soap and fresh air with just a hint of leather.
“I just want to make sure,” he said softly, his breath caressing my skin. I shivered with need. There was no way I could say no to him, not with him right there. I'd had a massive crush on him since high school. This was the stuff of dreams.
“Yes,” I whispered, my voice full of deep need and years of desire.
I arched my back and kissed him, pressing my hips into his. I could feel him hardening against me, Heat surged between my legs and all I wanted was to have him inside of me. I needed him inside of me.
He released my hands, allowing them to drop by my sides. I then went straight back to undoing the top button of his pants. He stepped back and shrugged out of his shirt, dropping it to the side. I got my first real look at him without clothes on and my imagination wasn't far off.
He was sex on a stick.
“Wow.” I didn't even realize I said anything until he smirked. He knew he looked good. With a careless grace, he slid his pants off, kicking them to the side.
I learned then that he was a boxers man. I liked that.
I bit my
lip and grinned at him, before pointedly looking at the boxers. “Don't leave a girl wanting more.”
“That's the last thing you're going to want,” he replied, hooking his fingers around the waistband and tugging the boxers down slowly. He made sure that I was watching as he inched them down, teasing me with every sexy line of his body. He had the most delicious V that pointed downward to what I really wanted.
He paused with barely a centimeter left before I could see his goods. He stopped and raised his eyebrows, this time giving me the pointed look at my pants. “This isn't a race I'm going to win,” he informed me.
I quickly undid the top button of my jeans and shimmied out of them, kicking them to the side where his pants were.
I loved that his breath caught a little at the sight of my lacy panties. They weren't anything special, and so the fact that he reacted that way made me feel sexy as hell. If I had know this was going to happen, I would have worn better ones, but Jacob didn't seem to mind.
Our eyes met and together we removed our underwear at the same time. He was glorious naked. Like an Olympic swimmer mixed with a porn star. All my high school fantasies paled to the reality that was Jacob.
“Wow.” This time he was the one who said it. He stared at me like I was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He shook his head in wonder. “Way better than I imagined in high school.”
I grinned as he stepped forward and pressed his body against mine, pinning me back against the wall yet again. His skin was hot and I wanted all of it to touch mine. I moaned softly as he kissed my neck, his hands cradling my breasts and his hips rocking in anticipation.
Logic and thought left my head. All that was left was need. I needed to have him inside of me. I needed to feel him more than I needed to breathe. All of the adrenaline from earlier was back, only now it was directed at Jacob.
My legs spread on their own accord. I wrapped one leg around his waist, opening myself up to him. We both froze for a second as he found my entrance. Our eyes met, and I nodded. He rocked his hip, filling me to the hilt.