by MJ Carnal
“Technically, I suppose. But you’re nobody’s rebound. Not if I can help it.”
“I wouldn’t mind rebounding that.” Lily smiled as they walked out of the office.
~~~
“Dr. Turner to the nurses’ station, please. Dr. Turner to the nurses’ station.” The intercom interrupted Jena’s thoughts.
She walked down the well lit hallway toward the faces that had quickly become friends. She smiled when she saw the long box sitting atop the counter. “Another clue?” The nurses laughed, remembering the look on Jena’s face when she had received the pineapple. The card made her giggle so she read it aloud. “J Dog, I would tell you to wear this and nothing else, but I suppose the wedding might not happen then. See you soon, Mark.”
Jena pulled the top off the box and smiled. A lei made of yellow hibiscus was cushioned in orange tissue paper. It smelled amazing. “It’s beautiful.”
“I would guess it is no longer much of a surprise.” Dr. Wade smiled as he studied a patient’s chart. “Dr. Turner.” He nodded and winked as he walked away.
“What the hell was that?” Rebecca, an intern that had become her best friend in Seattle, rolled her eyes.
Jena shuffled through the papers on the fax machine. “Nothing. He’s asked me out a few times. Wanted me to go to dinner tonight.”
“Are you going?” She raised her eyebrow.
“No. I’m heading to Los Angeles tonight. I was going to meet them at the wedding. But I need to go.” Jena froze waiting for the reply.
“What?” Rebecca grabbed her arms. “Are you going back to get the stud? Was it the email?”
“Becs, this distance has been so good for me. I have healed more in these past few weeks than I had in years. I think losing him was a huge eye opener. He’s what I want. I’m ready to fight for him.”
“It’s about damn time. I’ll help you pack.” Rebecca hugged her. “I will miss the shit out of you.”
~~~
“What’s up stretch?” Caleb sat next to Lily on the couch. Game night at Moretti’s was less torture when it was on television and not a board game. He laughed when she shoved his arm. She had been in town just a few days but Caleb adored her. She and Andi had become close and she was staying in their guest room so the girls could stay up late and do whatever it was girls did. She had become like a second little sister.
“How’s your head, slick?” Lily smiled as he groaned. Last night had been full of alcohol and not only had Caleb spent the night enjoying beer pong with his crazy group of friends, he had spent the morning lying in bed regretting every second of it. Dry heaves were seriously bullshit.
“Thank you for reminding me. You ready to hit the beach running tomorrow? Can’t wait to see your sweet ass in a bikini.” Caleb smacked her ass as she got up to grab the remote.
She laughed as she wiggled her way to the TV. “The feeling is mutual.”
Kevin cleared his throat. “It’s a nice ass. And it woke up next to me this morning. I will piss on it to mark my territory if I need to.”
Caleb laughed and grabbed his chest. “You wound me, stretch.”
“We asked your sister to join us but she turned us down.” Kevin chuckled when Caleb’s smile dropped.
“If there is a hell on earth, I am in it. I really don’t know what I did to deserve this. I really don’t.” Andi shook her head without looking up from her magazine.
“Stop denying it, doll. It won’t be long until you are screaming for more.” Kevin dodged Caleb’s sucker punch, laughing harder than before. In his best female voice, he acted out the scene. “Oh God Kevin. Harder. Harder. Oh yes! Right there.”
“I’d make you my bitch.” Andi rolled her eyes and kept reading.
“Maybe. But we won’t know that until you finally give it up.”
“Jesus, Merck. That’s my baby sister. Off limits. I mean it.”
Lily pulled Caleb back onto the couch. “Time to face the music, slick. She’s not a baby anymore.”
When Andi finally laughed, Caleb groaned. “I hate every single one of you.”
Chapter 17
“Dr. Turner, this is a surprise.” Dr. McCall looked up from his desk as Jena walked in his office.
“Thank you for seeing me tonight.” Jena settled in the chair across from him and smiled. “I needed to share a few things with you.”
He smiled back. “Anytime you need me, I’m here. You know that. How is Seattle?”
“Rainy. But I have enjoyed myself. The hospital is fantastic. There are so many amazing things happening there.” She shifted in her seat, nerves making their way into her stomach. “I have really enjoyed our phone sessions. I just felt I needed a face to face encounter before I leave for Hawaii tomorrow.”
Dr. McCall folded his hands in his lap. “I’m all ears.”
Jena pulled the folded paper from her purse. She had read it so many times, she had it memorized. “I received this last week. It’s a goodbye.” She took a deep breath when she noticed her hands were shaking. “I have spent the last five weeks working on me. I feel very strongly that I have done some significant healing. I have been able to talk about things not only with you, but with a few friends in Seattle. Breaking my silence has been the gateway to my future. I understand now that Kevin was only trying to help me.”
“And how do you feel now?”
“I feel like I am worthy of love. I haven’t been fair to Caleb and I am aware that the damage could be irreversible. But if I had denied my past and not worked through it, we would not have had a future.” She held the letter up. “I wanted to share this with you. Do you mind if I read it?”
Dr. McCall smiled. “Not at all. I would be honored if you read it.”
My Dearest Jena,
I have been lost without you the last four weeks. I have prayed this time apart was simply a bad dream. But every morning I wake up, I am faced with the bitter reality that you are gone. You haven’t answered my calls, my emails or my texts. Writing a Dear John letter is not what I envision when I think about saying a proper goodbye to the only woman I have ever truly loved, heart and soul. But what choice do I have?
I have cried over my decision more than I care to admit. I promised myself that if you didn’t answer my call today, I would have no other option but to let you go. My heart is shattered even though I understand the reasons you left. What you fail to understand is what an amazing woman you are. You bring joy to every person you come in contact with. You have greatly enriched the lives of my family and my friends and what you have done for me will be something I can never repay you for. I was a broken man before you, quite literally, stepped through the door to my heart. I had faced a future of uncertainty, unaware that there was someone out there who completed every part of me.
You gave me the gift of love. And although our time together was limited, the emotions you awakened in me were nothing short of a miracle. I love you with everything that I am. You accepted my life with no questions asked. You stole the hearts of my friends and mentored my sister. If one day I am lucky enough to love someone half the woman you are, I will be lucky indeed.
Goodbyes are never easy. I will love you until my dying breath. I hope at some point you can let someone into your life. Your past will never define you. I hope someday you find you believe that. Today, I am closing the book of us. It was the best book I ever read. If I could rewrite any page, it would never be the one that made you leave me that night with fear in your eyes. It would be the one that I wrote myself, when I let you board that plane and didn’t come after you.
I loved you the first second I saw you. And I have loved you every second since.
Fondly,
Caleb
Jena folded the letter and tucked it back into her purse. She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at Dr. McCall. “You have been an amazing therapist. I plan on keeping you on speed dial.” She smiled at the keys to her rental car. “I am ready to fight for me. He is part of me. It’s time.”
&nb
sp; ~~~
Music blared from the Moretti house. Jena smiled hearing the familiar laughter. No one had heard her knock so she let herself in. Her hand covered her mouth and happy tears fell from her eyes when she saw all the people she loved gathered in the living room. Steve noticed her first, tipping his beer in her direction and smiling. Mark and Sophie were hugging in the corner, Ryan was rubbing Layla’s belly as they watched the rest of their friends on the dance floor. Andi was slapping at Kevin’s hands as he reached for her hips, attempting to pull her closer. Her heart skidded to a halt when she saw Caleb, dipping a tiny blond and laughing. He was still everything she remembered, but now even more handsome.
Mark interrupted Kevin’s advances, taking Andi by the hand and spinning her. Kevin looked up. His eyes widened as he walked to Jena. He had not talked to her since he had forced the truth from her. He extended his hand and waited. Jena jumped into him, wrapping her arms and legs around him in a tight embrace. He laughed as he spun her. “You are a site for sore eyes, J. I’m so sorry. Do you forgive me?” When she nodded, he spun her onto the makeshift dance floor in the living room.
“J Dog!” Mark yelled over the music. “Welcome home.”
Caleb froze. He knew he would see her on the trip but he hadn’t prepared himself to see her tonight. She was gorgeous. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, her eyes more clear than he had ever seen them, and her smile was relaxed and genuine. Lily nudged him and he looked down.
“Is that her?” Lily locked eyes with Jena and smiled. “She’s gorgeous.” She shoved Caleb toward her. “Don’t just stand here. Go say hi.”
“I don’t know if I can.” He shook his head at Lily. “I just convinced myself to say goodbye.”
Jena made eye contact with Caleb and smiled. His heart melted. She walked toward him with sure steps, her eyes never leaving his. “Mr. Allen.”
“Dr. Turner.” His voice unsure.
“Is it ok if I hug you?” Jena blushed as she waited for the answer. He simply nodded. His heart lodged in his throat. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. His response was instant. He sighed as she squeezed him tighter. “Thank you.”
“For?” He cocked one brow and looked at her. Before she could answer, the girls had pulled her away, all talking at once as they left the living room. In a single moment, the walls he had worked so hard to build over the past weeks came tumbling down.
~~~
“Here we are again, although the circumstances have changed slightly.” Caleb winked as Sophie sat next to him on the plane. “No book this trip?”
Sophie laughed. “I won’t torture you this time.”
“I’m not complaining, but why aren’t you sitting by Mark?”
“I have the rest of my life to sit by him. I miss my friend. Are you ok?” She put her head on his shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent.
“I will be. I hope.” Caleb glanced over his seat at Jena, who had been seated next to Andi. “She looks good.”
“She does look good.” Sophie smiled at him. “Mark said she seems different. Lighter I think he said. Whatever that means.”
“She seems happy.” Caleb’s eyes widened as Jena looked down at them.
“Sophie, thank you for keeping my seat warm.” Caleb looked between Jena and Sophie. They both smiled at him. As Sophie got up to head to her seat, Jena squeezed her hand and mouthed the words “thank you.”
“Hi.”
Caleb smiled his crooked smile, his dimple deepening in his cheek and sending her heart into a tail spin. “Hi.” His voice was quiet, timid.
Pointing at the manuscript in his lap, Jena continued. “I know you have work to do. I will leave you to it. I’m exhausted. I think a nap may be in order. I just needed to be near you.”
Caleb patted his shoulder. “Feel free to use me as your pillow.”
As the plane reached its cruising altitude, Caleb tried to concentrate on the work he needed to complete before enjoying the vacation. Jena’s light breathing affected him even when she was asleep. He was so turned on and uncomfortable by the time the seat belt sign went off, he wanted to pull her into the bathroom and join the mile high club. But their relationship was over and despite wanting to rip her clothes off, he needed to control himself.
The first class cabin was full of the wedding party. There was laughter and joy all around him but he could only concentrate on the woman next to him. He pulled his eyes from her body and focused on her face. Her eyes were open and watching him. “You should be reading.”
“You should be sleeping.” He couldn’t help but smile.
She moved the arm rest and unbuckled her seat belt. “I can’t get comfortable.” She shifted a few times in her seat and looked at him. “Can I lie in your lap?”
“Probably not the best idea right this second.” He turned his focus to his editing.
She pulled the blanket over her and laid down over him. Her face rested on his thigh. She moaned when she felt his erection. “Then again,” her voice was breathy, “maybe it’s the best idea right this second.” Her hand ran up his thigh and cupped him. His eyes snapped shut. She rubbed his length through his shorts and he hissed.
“J, what are you doing?” He whispered as he looked at the row next to them. Layla was sound asleep in Ryan’s arms. His eyes were shut as he rubbed his wife’s belly. Sensing the stare, Ryan looked. Caleb’s eyes went wide and Ryan glanced at Jena. He chuckled and shook his head before closing his eyes and resuming the belly rub. “Jena, I think you should stop.”
Jena unbuttoned his shorts, pulling his shirt out to hide what she was doing. Her fingers brushed the top of his erection, spreading the bead of moisture around the head of his penis. She tugged on his Apa and he pushed his head back against the headrest, biting his lip and furrowing his brow. She stroked him quietly and his breath hitched. “Relax. No one is looking.”
Caleb looked down and watched as she stroked him with her hand. “Who are you and what have you done with Dr. Turner?” He shivered with pleasure as she kept up the torture.
She smiled at him through her lashes. “Maybe this is the real Dr. Turner. She’s learned a lot. She wants to try out the wild side. I’ll stop if you really want me to.” She licked his shaft before returning her head to his thigh and her hand to his erection.
“Jesus, no.” Caleb glanced around the cabin once more. No one was paying any attention. He tangled his hands in her hair. “Suck me.”
She pulled the blanket over her head and shifted just enough to take him into her mouth. She nibbled at his piercing, making him even harder. She rubbed her legs together searching for relief. Jena sucked hard, drawing him into the back of her throat. His hand tightened in her hair. She knew it wouldn’t take long. She drew him in two more times and squeezed his balls. That was it. He exploded in her mouth and she took everything he gave. She swallowed every drop before his hand released her. Before he could get his breathing back under control, she tucked him back into his shorts and zipped him up.
Pulling the blanket from her head, Caleb stared down at her. Sweat covered his forehead and his hands shook. She smiled at him innocently and closed her eyes. He couldn’t help but notice her smile as she brushed against him several more times over the next few hours and when he stiffened again, she repeated the slow torture with her hand. He could care less if the world knew what she was doing. It felt so good to be touched. He vowed to make her squirm in the least private place he could think of. As his head tipped back giving into slumber, he dreamed of making her scream in pleasure over and over again.
Chapter 18
Kevin stretched out on the raft, sighing as he took in the Hawaiian sun. The rays soaked into his toned body, turning his skin golden. He watched Andi lying in the lounge chair, her bikini top untied to avoid tan lines. The woman drove him nuts. She was crazy and mouthy and more of a challenge than he was willing to take. But somehow, his brain and his body weren’t quite on the same page.
“Dude, I know you s
aid your sister was off limits, but she is fucking hot.” He laid his head back down on the raft.
“Stop looking at her. I was serious. Off limits.” Caleb flipped the raft, sending Kevin sputtering into the water.
Kevin emerged from the water laughing. There was something calming about torturing Caleb. “Speaking of looking. Check out Jena in that purple bikini. I see a cold shower in my future.”
Caleb smacked him in the chest. Jena was getting in the pool, her barely there bikini covering about three inches of her body. Caleb huffed out a breath. “Shit.”
“I’ll be up sitting with your sister.” Kevin laughed when Caleb didn’t respond. “Talking her out of her bikini.” Still nothing. He grabbed Jena and laughed as Caleb growled. “You look great, J. Go easy on him.”
“Dr. Turner.” Caleb gave her his crooked smile.
“Mr. Allen.” Jena touched his chest. “Heard you were a little tired after the plane ride yesterday. Are you feeling better?”
“I’m not sure. I may need a checkup. You wouldn’t happen to know someone in the medical field that could do that for me, do you?” Caleb put his hand on top of hers, pinning it to his chest. He waited for a response but she didn’t flinch.
She wrapped her other arm around his waist and hugged him. He sighed and put his chin on the top of her head. “I miss you.” She whispered as he let go of her hand.
His body was slick with water. His muscled chest rippled as he pulled her closer. She wanted to wrap her legs around his waist and show him just how much she had missed him. But she would wait. Anticipation was half the fun. She dipped her hand under the waistband of his swim trunks and tugged on his Apa. He bit her shoulder. “Jesus, Jena. You’re killing me.”
“I have to go. The girls have pedicures. Painted toes are an essential part of the wedding.” She blew him a kiss over her shoulder. “I’ll see you at dinner tonight. Save me a seat.”
Caleb lunged at her, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her back into his hard chest. She moaned when she felt his erection. “Do you feel what you do to me? Go get your toes painted. But your ass is mine tonight.”