Take Me There

by M. C. Decker

  “Carson?” I said.

  “Hmmmm?” he responded, sleepily.

  “Will you stay here with me tonight?” I requested, knowing I’d never asked another man to stay in my bed overnight.

  “Of course,” he responded, pulling me as close as possible into him.

  Ashlynn

  WAKING UP JUST before my alarm, I was surprised to find myself alone in bed. Realizing that Carson may have had early morning rounds at the hospital, I decided to head to the kitchen in search of coffee and a note like the one he’d left the first night he’d brought me dinner.

  Throwing on a pair of panties along with Carson’s button-down shirt that he’d left on the floor, I went down the hallway, the aroma of freshly fried bacon wafting through the kitchen. I was pleasantly surprised to see Carson already making breakfast wearing only his pants. I stood for a moment taking in the sight before me and drooling as I gazed at his back and shoulder muscles as he precisely flipped pancakes into the air.

  “That’s pretty impressive, Dr. Foster. If the whole medical thing doesn’t work out for you, it looks like you could have a career as a chef at Franny’s,” I laughed, as he flipped one last pancake.

  “I didn’t see you sneak up on me. I hope you enjoyed the show,” he said, stalking toward me.

  “Mmmhmmm, very much so,” I moaned as he pulled me in for a gentle kiss. “Please tell me you brewed some coffee to go with all this food.”

  “I did. Let me pour you a cup,” he said, handing me a warm mug.

  “I think I may have actually stumbled upon the perfect man,” I said, taking a sip of coffee. “I still don’t know how you were able to stay single all these years.”

  “Just waiting for you–the perfect woman,” he offered, winking.

  “OK, I take it back. Now I know why you were single,” I chuckled, playfully.

  “You sleep OK?” he asked.

  “Mmmhmmm, very well. Maybe the best I’ve slept in years, actually,” I replied. It was true. I didn’t think I’d ever slept as well as I had wrapped in the safety of Carson’s arms. After our conversation the day before and what was to follow, I finally felt as though the world had been lifted from my shoulders. No more pretending. No more faking. No more lies.

  “That’s good. I thought maybe I’d been too rough with you,” he said, flirtatiously.

  “No, it was perfect. You were perfect,” I promised, smiling up at him. “I hope you don’t mind, but I borrowed your shirt. I thought you’d left it behind, and I didn’t feel like digging for something else to wear.”

  “It’s perfectly fine. And, if I must say so myself, you look hot as fuck in my shirt and those super sexy panties of yours,” he growled. “I think we might have to both play hooky today, so I can take you back to the bedroom.”

  “I wish I could, but I have a massive workload on my schedule,” I sighed, already dreading the day ahead.

  “Well in that case, you better eat up,” he said, interrupting me from my thoughts.

  “Actually, I thought I’d just grab a doughnut on my way to work,” I said, hoping I wouldn’t offend Carson by turning down his cooking.

  “A doughnut? Seriously, Ash, sit down. Let me pour you a glass of OJ. It’s freshly squeezed.”

  Looks like I had one more embarrassing secret to share with Carson after all. “Fine, but you need to add some chocolate chips to those pancakes. I think there are some in the cupboard to your right,” I explained, remembering I’d ordered some in my last grocery delivery.

  Raising his brow, “OK, but why?”

  Burying my face in my palms, “Because I’ll only eat breakfast if it’s in the form of a dessert,” I giggled.

  “I’m confused. I’ve seen you eat breakfast plenty of times.”

  “Yeah? And what did I eat?”

  “Doughnuts, waffles a la mode, a scone,” he responded.

  “Mmmmhmmm. All desserts.”

  “Wait. I saw you eating toast in the cafeteria the other morning!” he yelled as if catching me red-handed.

  “That’s true, but what you failed to see was that it was smothered in cinnamon sugar,” I added.

  “You’re adorable,” he laughed, kissing my forehead. “Why just desserts?”

  “Why not just desserts?” I asked, shrugging my shoulders. “It’s something I’ve been doing since I was a kid. What other meal can you get away with eating just desserts? Seems pretty ingenious to me.”

  “Freakin’ Einstein,” he laughed. “Now let’s find those chocolate chips!”

  As Carson foraged through the cabinets in search of the chocolatey morsels, I picked a piece of crispy bacon off the griddle.

  “I thought it was just desserts,” he laughed.

  “You have so much yet to learn, young grasshopper,” I joked. “Bacon is so much more than dessert. Bacon is life. Heaven even.”

  “Of course, it is, but I bet chocolate-covered bacon is even better,” Carson suggested, tossing the bag of chocolate chips in my direction.

  “You really are a quick learner,” I giggled.

  “What about whipped cream? Is that allowed at the breakfast table?” he asked with a wink.

  “Depends on what you have in mind.”

  “Why don’t you come closer and find out,” he teased.

  Giving the can a quick shake, he tipped it over, outlining the crease of my neck in the sugary confection.

  “I’m going to get so sticky,” I snickered.

  “That’s the plan,” he chuckled, adding a dollop to the tip of my nose.

  “Something tells me the whipped-cream bikini was sexier about twenty years ago.”

  “Mmmm, I think this is pretty damn sexy,” he said, licking the whipped cream off my neck. “But I do like where your mind is at with the bikini,” he added, unbuttoning my shirt, exposing my bare chest.

  Shaking the can once again, he tipped it over to squirt a dollop onto each nipple before picking me up and setting me on the kitchen island. “Lie back and lift your hips,” he instructed, as he pulled off my panties. Upending the can once more, he outlined the lips of my pussy. Trembling with anticipation, I lifted my head to watch him momentarily pause to enjoy his handiwork.

  “You were wrong, Gorgeous. The whipped-cream bikini is still fuckin’ sexy,” he growled, dropping his head to my pussy where he began skillfully tracing my outer lips with his tongue.

  “Well that brings a whole new meaning to dessert at breakfast,” I moaned, smiling lazily.

  Delving his tongue into my center, he slowly sucked on my pulsating clit. After just a few moments, my body tensed, and heat radiated across my chest. I couldn’t hold back any longer. Gone were the days of holding back, as my hips bucked, and I screamed out in pleasure. Carson continued his assault on my pussy until I began coming down from my orgasmic high.

  Sitting up, I smiled as Carson’s eyes were still fixated on the melting whipped cream on my chest. “Can I have a taste,” I asked, pulling his lips toward mine. The taste of the whipped cream mixed with my wetness was intoxicating. I knew I needed more of Carson, and I needed him now. Work responsibilities be damned. Kissing his lips, I worked to unfasten his belt.

  “I think it’s time to take this back to the bedroom,” I breathed through impassioned kisses.

  “Not that I’m arguing, but I thought you said something about a massive workload,” he mumbled.

  “We can go into work late. I have a feeling the boss will approve it,” I said, wrapping my legs around his torso. “Now please take me back to the bedroom!”

  “You don’t need to ask me twice,” he groaned, assaulting my swollen lips once more.

  Making it into the office shortly after noon, I met with a few clients before heading to the staff lounge to refill my coffee.

  “Sorry to burst your bubble, but the lounge is closed. There was a note on the door this morning about a burst pipe, or something. I guess we all have to use the lounge on the sixth floor,” Brad said, stopping me in the hallway. “Had
you actually been around this morning, you might have already known that though.”

  “I had an appointment this morning. I only worked a half day,” I explained, hoping he wouldn’t ask any more questions. “Sure, whatever you say, Ash. You haven’t seen Carson around, have you? Evidently, he was out of the office this morning too.”

  “Oh, I’m not sure. Maybe he’s still out of town,” I suggested, hoping he bought it.

  “Nah, his assistant said she’s spoken to him, and he’s definitely back in town.” Sighing, I decided to come clean with Brad, after all, he was my best friend.

  “Fine. I didn’t want to say anything because I know you have a big mouth and I didn’t really want the entire floor–let alone the entire hospital–knowing my business, but Carson and I spent the night and this morning together,” I whispered.

  “I knew it! You definitely have the glow of a woman who’s been freshly fucked,” he nearly shrieked.

  “Shhhhhhhh! I don’t want everyone knowing my business especially since Carson is technically my boss. We wouldn’t want people getting the wrong impression,” I scolded.

  “OK, fine, but I still need the details. Please tell me Doctor Sexy is good in the sack,” he said.

  “Stop being ridiculous. I’m not discussing my boyfriend with you!”

  “Ashlynn Jayne Sommers, did you just call Carson your boyfriend?” Brad squealed.

  “I did,” I said, grinning.

  “Oh my god! It’s about damn time you got your head out of your ass! I’m so happy for you!” he gushed. “Oh, and, thank you.”

  “Thank you? For what?” I asked, confusedly.

  “Looks like I won the office pool,” he bragged, checking the calendar on his phone. “Yep, sure did.”

  “Office pool? What are you talking about? You’re not making any sense.”

  “Oh, you don’t need to worry about everyone knowing about you and Carson. Everyone pretty much already knew something was going on. We had a pool going on guessing when you two would finally hook up. I had the last date picked so I automatically won. Thanks for being so stubborn, Bestie,” he said, waltzing toward the nurses’ station.

  “Lunch tomorrow is on you,” I yelled after him.

  Turning the corner toward the sixth-floor lounge, I was surprised when I saw Carson standing there pouring a cup of coffee.

  “That late night we had, catching up to you too?” I asked, rubbing against his ass as I walked behind him.

  “My brother must be one lucky man if he had a late night with you,” Camden said, turning to face me.

  “Excuse me?” I said, my cheeks flushing from embarrassment.

  “I’m sorry that was unprofessional of me. I’m Doctor Camden Foster, but I presume you already knew that,” he said, extending his hand to me.

  “That’s funny, I think that’s exactly the same way your brother introduced himself,” I laughed, their similarities so uncanny.

  Camden was as good-looking as his brother, but as he faced me, I noticed subtle differences: Carson’s lips twitched when he smiled and the blue flecks in his eyes danced when he was excited about something.

  “You must be Ashlynn?” he questioned.

  “Yes, how did you know?”

  “Carson has told me so much about you. I’m sorry for giving you the wrong impression at the skating rink all those weeks ago. I heard I almost got my brother in big trouble. We haven’t been down that road now for several years,” he chuckled.

  “It’s OK. I’m glad to finally meet you. Now I know that Carson wasn’t just telling me a story. He really does have a twin brother. But, I don’t understand, why are you here at St. Therese? Oh god, I’ve been rambling this entire time. Is Carson OK?”

  “Yes, don’t worry, Carson’s fine. I actually accepted a position in the pediatric department. Today is my first day. Just like my brother, not to mention it.”

  “Well we hadn’t spoken for a few weeks until last night, and then we had a lot of ground to cover,” I explained.

  “Things are good now though between the two of you?”

  “Yeah, they couldn’t be better,” I said with a smile.

  “That’s great. I’m happy to hear it. I was planning on heading down to see him in a bit. I’ll have to tell him that his new lady tried flirting with me. That’s sure to torture him,” he chuckled.

  “Oh god, I’m so embarrassed. I’m really sorry about that,” I said, burying my face in my hands.

  “Relax, Ashlynn, no problem. I’m just wanting to have a little fun with my brother, that’s all.”

  “If you insist,” I said, pouring out the rest of the coffee. “Anyway, it was nice to meet you, Camden. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around,” I added, stepping back into the hallway.

  Carson

  STARING AT THE contract that was sitting on my desk when I arrived in the afternoon, I laughed at the irony of the situation. Since the accident, I’d been trying to get Marissa into a state-of-the-art, long-term care facility that specialized in traumatic brain injuries. Not only had one finally accepted her as a patient, but the nearby hospital was offering me a position in its psychiatric ward which meant I could move with her and oversee her care as I’d been doing for the last decade.

  For over ten years, I’d been putting her needs before my own. Her parents had helped when they could, but they didn’t have the means to care for her as I could. I’d made a promise to Marissa all those years ago, and until recently I thought I’d always keep that promise.

  After the accident, I didn’t put myself out there. I didn’t want to date. I’d focused all my time and energy on Marissa’s health and my career. I thought she was the love of my life and I wasn’t interested in finding another–not until Ashlynn came into my life so unexpectedly.

  Crumpling the sheet of paper that spelled out the terms of the position, I threw it across the room, landing at my brother’s feet.

  “What’d that piece of paper do to you?” he joked.

  “You forget how to knock?” I asked, glaring at my brother.

  “Nope. Just never have. Didn’t see any reason to start now,” he said, shrugging.

  “What brings you by? I’m assuming by the scrubs that you decided to take the position in peeds?”

  “Yeah, I started today. I think I’ll like it here. It’ll be nice working with you,” he said, sitting on the edge of my desk. “Really though, what has you so bent-out-of-shape? After meeting a certain brunette upstairs, I thought I’d find you in a much better mood.”

  “Oh, you met Ashlynn, then?” I barked.

  “Yeah, that’s what I just said. She seems to think the two of you are back on track. Is that not the case?”

  “No, we’re good. She finally confided in me. We spent last night together actually,” I confessed, exhaling sharply.

  “That’s great. I’m happy for you. You truly deserve it, Bro.”

  “Thanks, but that’s the fucked-up part in all of this. You know the facility in Minneapolis finally accepted Marissa? I got a job there too. It’s what I’ve wanted for fifteen fucking years–until now. I love Ashlynn, Cam.” I said, admitting for the first time that I was in love with her.

  “Whoa. Have you told her?” he questioned.

  “No, I didn’t even quite realize it until I just told you.”

  “Maybe it’s time to finally let Marissa go. She’ll be in good hands there,” he said.

  “But, I made her a promise. What kind of man would I be if I broke that promise?” I asked.

  “Well, I think you should probably tell Ashlynn then! Lay it all out on the table, once and for all. Maybe she’ll go to Minnesota with you.”

  “I can’t ask her to uproot her entire life for me. That’s not being fair of me to ask–especially under the circumstances.”

  “Life isn’t fair, Brother. You of all people should realize that,” he said with a sad smile.

  “Yeah, it fucking blows, but you’re right. I can’t keep hiding this all from her.
”

  “Just talk to her. I bet you’re worrying for nothing.”

  “Yeah, I will soon,” I said, rubbing my hands over my face.

  When do they want you to start?”

  “I’m supposed to be out there the first week in December, but I haven’t signed the contract yet. They even wanted me to come out this weekend, but other obligations got in the way. They faxed the contract over earlier today.”

  Reaching into his pocket, Camden pulled out a pager. “Oh, I’m needed upstairs. Let me know if I can do anything to help. Love ya, Man,” he said, turning to leave.

  “Love ya, too. And, thanks, Cam,” I said.

  “Anytime,” he said, shutting the door behind him.

  Picking up my cell, I typed out a text to Ashlynn.

  Carson: Hey Gorgeous, are you free tonight? I thought maybe I could take you out on a proper date?

  Ashlynn: Yeah, I should be done with my last appointment around 5:30 p.m. Do you want me to meet you in your office when I’m done?

  Carson: Sounds perfect. See you there.

  Ashlynn: Looking forward to it.

  Carson: Oh, and, Ash. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you and last night all day. ; )

  Ashlynn: Me neither. It was pretty great.

  “Are you finally taking me on a genuine date?” Ashlynn asked, as we pulled out of the hospital’s parking ramp and into heavy, five o’clock traffic.

  “I was thinking we could try the new Italian restaurant downtown, if you’re up for it.”

  “Sounds good to me. I’m starving. Someone kept me too busy for breakfast and lunch today,” she said, grinning mischievously.

  “Are you complaining?” I asked, turning to face her.

  “Definitely not. I’d skip eating every day if we could have a repeat performance of this morning,” she laughed.

  “I’m sure that could be arranged, but first I think we need some nourishment. We need our energy for what I have in mind later,” I teased.

  “Mmmmm, I think I like the sound of that,” she moaned in a lustful undertone.