by Laura Lee
“The other parts aren’t half bad either.”
He laughs. “Maybe I’ll have to remind you how sexy you think the rest of me is when I get home. Several times.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” I smile. “How was your weekend? I miss you so much.”
“It’s been great,” he replies. “You know how much I love being home.”
“When does your flight come in? I want to pick you up at the airport.”
“Aren’t you back on day shifts starting this week?”
“I am.”
“Damn, Rainey. I’d love to see you the second I land but I’m coming in around eleven in the morning. I’m still on nights but I’ll head to the hospital early, so I don’t miss you. I can nap in the on-call room if you’d like to come check on me during your lunch break.”
Yeah, yeah, I know what you’re thinking: a doctor and nurse hooking up in an on-call room? How very Grey’s Anatomy of us. In our defense, when you work long hours, and sometimes opposite shifts, you take what you can get. Adam’s staked out a room on the third floor that no one seems to use so it works for us.
“Okay, I’ll come see you then. It will probably be around one.”
“I can’t wait, baby. I love you.”
“I love you too, Adam.”
It’s not until after we hang up that I realize he never asked me about my weekend or wished me a happy birthday.
Chapter Sixteen
1.5 Years Ago
RAINEY
“How the hell did you miss that?” Drew yells at the TV. “You have one job, cocksucker! One job! How hard is it to kick a damn ball through the goal post?”
I’m at Devyn’s house for our regular Sunday Funday. If I’m not on shift at the hospital, I’m here, enjoying a day filled with three of my favorite things: football, beer, and pizza.
Devyn’s smiling from ear to ear, jumping up and down. “Yes! Oh, I’m sooooo sorry your team can’t keep up. You owe me twenty bucks, Andrew!” Her face morphs into stern mom mode. “And put a dollar in the jar.”
Sunday hangouts are always fun at the Summers siblings’ abode, but especially when the Seahawks are playing their rival, the Forty-Niners. Devyn and her brother are staunch supporters of opposite teams. The Niners just won in overtime and needless to say, Drew is not happy about it.
Drew mutters something that sounds suspiciously like, “Fucking Niners” as he walks over to the kitchen to deposit a dollar into the big jar on top of the fridge.
“I heard that!” Devyn calls. “Two bucks!”
I’m pretty sure that jar gets more action than my showerhead during a dry spell. Drew and his friends have trouble filtering their four-letter-words around the little three-year-old parrot known as Nathan. When Nate repeated his first bad word, Devyn implemented the swear jar. Everyone who steps into their condo is subjected to it. You curse, you put a dollar in the jar. Devyn must empty that thing out every other week. She says that Uncle Drew is going to single-handedly pay for Nate’s college education. From what I’ve seen, that’s entirely possible.
“Baby, can we please go now?” the woman sitting on Brody’s lap whines.
Okay, let me amend my previous statement. Sundays are usually Fundays...unless Brody brings his flavor of the month around. It doesn’t happen often—almost never, actually—but this one seems to be a Stage 5 clinger.
Brody slides off the chair and gets up to grab another beer out of the fridge. “Veronica, when I told you I was coming here today, you said you were fine with hanging out for all three games.”
“I didn’t know each game lasted three hours!” she says and sulks as she joins him in the kitchen. “This is going to take all day!”
Drew resumes his seat next to me on the couch and leans over to whisper in my ear. “Where does he find these women? She’s fucking hot and all, but annoying as hell.”
I smirk. “You’re one to talk, Andrew. You’re not exactly known for dating women with substance.”
“But I never bring them around on game day, Lorraine. I don’t know what he was thinking.”
I watch as Brody and his date engage in a whispered argument. She’s all red-faced and flailing arms and the vein on his forehead is bulging so much that I think it may actually burst.
“Am I the only one that’s noticed how much Rainey and Veronica look alike?” Drew asks.
Brody obviously hears him because his eyes quickly flicker over to us before Miss Priss demands his attention again.
“She does not,” I argue.
Devyn gasps. “Oh my God, Lorraine! She totally does! You two could be sisters! How did I not notice that the second she walked through the door?”
I take inventory of the woman standing next to Brody. Sure, she’s short and busty like I am...and we have like complexions...and okay, she has red hair too, but hers is clearly from a bottle. That, though, is where the similarities end.
Drew starts laughing so hard his eyes are filling with tears. “There is no way in hell that’s a coincidence.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask him quietly.
Brody looks our way again—probably sensing that we’re talking about them—and glares at Drew before shifting his eyes over to me. I hold his stare while Veronica continues her rant that he’s clearly ignoring.
Drew throws his heavy arm around my shoulders, earning another glare from Brody. “Oh, c’mon, Rainey, are you really going to make me say it?”
“Say what?” I ask.
“That guy has it b—” he starts to say.
“Hey, guys, we’re gonna take off,” Brody interrupts.
Drew gets up from the couch and gives Brody one of those back-slapping hugs they’re so fond of. “Totally lame, dude. I hope you’re at least getting laid for cutting out early.”
Veronica huffs. “Brody! Let’s go.”
Brody looks at her out of the corner of his eye. “We’re going. Jesus, Veronica, calm down.”
Okay, this is starting to get really uncomfortable.
Devyn stands up. “I think I just heard Nate wake up from his nap. I’d better go check on him.”
I gawk at her. Nathan did not make a peep—she totally used that as an excuse to leave the room, so she didn’t have to witness this train wreck.
I stand as well, deciding to follow her lead. “Yeah, um...I have to pee. I’ll see you later, Brody.”
The man is obviously pissed, but his expression softens slightly when he acknowledges me with a nod and says, “Later.”
I hurry down the hall as fast as I can, saying a little prayer that they’ll be gone by the time I come back.
Chapter Seventeen
BRODY
Okay, I’ll admit; that was a little embarrassing back at Drew’s house. Sundays at Drew’s are usually date-free zones, but Veronica caught me at a weak moment. I may or may not have been balls deep inside of her when she asked if she could come along.
Oh, don’t look at me like that. It’s not like I’m the first person to make a bad decision chasing the O.
Speaking of...
Veronica drops to her knees the second we’re inside my apartment. I agreed to leave because I didn’t want her to embarrass me any further in front of my friends, but I certainly wasn’t about to turn down the blowjob she was offering as an incentive.
I lean against my front door as she enthusiastically unzips my jeans, reaches in and pulls my dick out.
“You want this, baby?” she coos, trying to sound sexy, but failing miserably. “You can’t wait to have my lips wrapped around your giant cock, can you?”
I grab a fistful of her red hair and gently push her toward the target. “Shh...less talking. More sucking.”
She offers me a wicked smile before swallowing me whole.
“Holy fuck!” I close my eyes as she starts hoovering and I slam my head back into the door. Veronica may be obnoxious sometimes, but the girl can deep throat like a motherfucking pro.
She swallows every time I
hit the back of her throat, sucking me in just a little bit further. I swear to God the girl has no gag reflex. She’s working me over so well, I’m at the brink of exploding in a matter of minutes.
My balls tighten. “Shit, Rainey, just like that. Baby, I’m going to come so hard.”
I whimper when she violently ejects my dick from her warm, wet mouth.
“What did you say?!” Veronica shrieks.
Huh? I look down and see her glaring at me like she’s about to punch me in the dick. I instinctively cover myself and step to the side. Fuck, what did I say that pissed her off so badly? I think about it for a few seconds but I’m coming up empty.
Veronica gets to her feet and grabs her purse off the hook. “You don’t even realize what you did. Do you?”
“Uh...”
“You called me Rainey, you asshole!” she screams.
“What? No, I didn’t.”
Did I? I replay the events in my head one more time. Oh fuck.
I tuck myself back into my pants and go into damage control mode. “I said, Ronnie baby, not Rainey. Ronnie is short for Veronica. People call you that, right?”
“NO ONE calls me that!” She throws her hands up. “This is bullshit, Brody. I can’t believe you were thinking about that slut while your dick was in my mouth! What the hell is so special about that bitch anyway?”
Oh, hell no. Now I’m pissed. There’s no way she’s getting away with calling Rainey names.
And fuck you very much, Veronica. Everything is special about Rainey.
I open the front door. “Get out of my house.”
“What?!” she asks, incredulous. “You’re kicking me out? You have no right to be the angry one in this situation!”
I open the door wider. “Get the hell out of my house and do not ever call me again. I’m done.”
A slap reverberates across my cheek. Should’ve seen that one coming.
“You’re an asshole, Brody. I’m the one who’s done. You can fucking have Rainey all you want now.”
Yeah, if only I could convince her of that.
Chapter Eighteen
RAINEY
Traffic was really light, so I got to the hospital a little faster than usual. Since I had a few minutes to spare, I decided to pop in the ER to see if Adam could sneak away for a quick kiss. When I got there, the Head Nurse said he was on his lunch break so now I’m making my way down to the cafeteria. I text him.
Me: Hey baby. I have about fifteen minutes to spare before I clock in. Can you sneak away for a few minutes with your fiancée?
I’m watching my screen as I ride the elevator, but he hasn’t responded. I peruse the cafeteria, but I don’t see him sitting at any of the tables. I walk through the grill area one more time before heading to the third floor to see if he’s taking a nap. That would explain his lack of response.
I reach for the knob to our on-call room but the door swings open before I have the chance to grab it. Adam startles when he sees me but recovers quickly with a smile, closing the door behind him.
“Hey, gorgeous. What are you doing here?”
I look around to make sure the hall is empty before reaching up to give him a quick kiss.
“I didn’t want to start my shift without getting that first.”
He smiles while he’s smoothing his bed head down. “Well, I’m happy to oblige.”
I nod toward the door. “We should duck inside so I can give you a better one.”
Adam shakes his head. “Sorry, baby. Another physician is in there sleeping.”
“Really?” I say with a pout.
He takes me by the elbow and leads me down the hall. “Yeah, it looks like our rendezvous point has officially been compromised.”
“Damn.”
He winks. “We’ll just have to find another one. It’s a big hospital; I’m sure we’ll manage.”
We make our way to the elevator bay. Adam hits the down button while I press the up.
“I hate these opposite shifts,” I say.
The doors to his elevator open first and it’s filled with people so we’re back to being discreet. “Me too,” he says. “I’ll see you later, Rainey.”
I give him a finger wave. “Bye, Dr. Walker.”
Chapter Nineteen
BRODY
I’m heading to dinner when I see her through the window and freeze. Rainey is standing alone at a pub table, sipping on a glass of wine. She’s usually dressed in casual clothes or scrubs, but not tonight. She’s always beautiful, but right now, she’s fucking magnificent. Her red hair is curled over her shoulders. She’s wearing a dark-colored dress that accentuates her curves perfectly and a pair of stilettos that are making me imagine all sorts of dirty things. I swallow hard as her tongue peeks out, licking leftover wine from her pouty lips. Her eyes widen when she spots me through the glass—probably because I look like a major creeper right now—so I step inside the swanky bar and make my way over to her table.
Unabashedly, my eyes run the length of her petite body. “Fancy meeting you here, princess.”
“What do you want, Brody?” she snaps.
I flinch, taken aback by the hostility in her tone. As often as we bicker, it’s always in good fun. She’s never used that tone with me before.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, genuinely concerned.
She takes a long gulp, emptying every last drop in her glass. “I’ve been stood up.”
I frown. “I’m not following.”
She sighs. “I was supposed to meet Adam here for pre-dinner drinks. As soon as I ordered a Merlot, he called to say that he wasn’t going to make it. He wasn’t even on-call tonight, but he went into work anyway to catch up on some stuff. Apparently, that was more important than seeing me, even though we haven’t seen each other outside of the hospital in a week.”
What an ass.
I gently tug on her elbow. “Come to dinner with me.”
“What?”
I grab the folder off the edge of the table and set a few bills inside to cover the tab. “My sister is a chef at the little Italian place a few blocks away. I eat there at least once a week—I was just on my way. You need to eat, and I’d love it if you came with me.”
Nope, I didn’t miss the double entendre there, but I’m quite fond of my nuts so I’m choosing not to point it out.
She grabs a small purse off the table. “Brody, I appreciate the offer, but I’m not in the best mood, in case you haven’t noticed. I wouldn’t be very good company.”
“Honey, you’re always good company,” I say with a wink.
Rainey rolls her eyes. “Fine. But only because I love Italian and I’m fucking starving.”
I smile in victory. I don’t care why she’s coming with me—the fact that I get to spend time alone with this woman is good enough for me. The awesome food is just a bonus. I lead her in the right direction and make my best effort to brighten her mood.
“Have you ever been to Pistorio’s?”
“No, but I’ve heard really great things about it.”
“You’re in for a treat, then. Charlee’s Italian Sausage Penne is almost better than sex.”
“Wow, that must be some really impressive sausage.”
“I’ll show you a really impressive sausage.” I waggle my eyebrows.
Okay, so my inner thirteen-year-old couldn’t resist that one.
Rainey laughs. “I walked right into that, didn’t I?”
I bump her shoulder with a smile. “Perfect setup.”
I hold the door open when we reach our destination. “Ladies first.”
I place my hand on her lower back and guide her to the hostess station. I do a little victory dance in my head when she doesn’t remove it.
Maddie, the hostess, smiles when she sees me. “Hey, Brody. Table for two tonight, huh? That’s new.”
“Well, this lovely lady has never eaten here before and I couldn’t possibly let her go another day without experiencing the finest Italian in the state.” Out of the
corner of my eye, I see Rainey smirking.
“Head on back,” Maddie says. “Charlotte held your regular table for you. I’ll have one of the guys bring over some vino and another place setting in just a few.”
I grab a menu from behind the stand and begin leading Rainey through the restaurant. Pistorio’s is small—only twenty tables or so—and they’re always packed so Charlee holds one for me whenever I tell her to expect me. It’s right next to the kitchen, which is normally the least desired location in the joint, but I prefer it because it’s easier for my big sis to pop her head out and talk to me.
“So, they just let you make yourself at home here, huh?”
“They do,” I reply. “Charlotte is an extension of the Pistorio family; therefore, I’m awarded that honor through her. I hope the owner, Mama P, is here tonight. You’d love her.”
“Charlotte’s your sister, I presume? Younger or older?”
“Charlee’s only three years older, although she’d like to tell you there’s a much wider gap if you’re measuring my maturity.”
Rainey chuckles. “I think I’m going to like your sister.”
“I think you w—”
I lose my train of thought when I see a familiar face sitting at a romantic table for two. Someone who shouldn’t be here according to the woman on my left. Someone who’s clearly on a date.
Fuck.
“Um, Rainey...”
A crease forms between her eyebrows. “What’s wrong?”
I don’t even have to answer because half a second later, she follows my gaze. A loud gasp leaves her lips as she takes in the scene. Dr. Douchebag, Rainey’s fiancé, is sitting across from a much younger, surgically enhanced blonde, gazing lovingly into her eyes as he places a kiss on her knuckles.
“Adam?!” Rainey manages to choke out.
Adam looks away from his date at the sound of her voice and visibly tenses when he sees Rainey. My fists clench when obvious guilt mixed with an oh fuck flashes across his face.
“R-Rainey,” he stutters, dropping the woman’s hand like a hot coal. “What are you doing here?”