by Natalie Ann
“He’s always thought his shit didn’t stink,” Grey said. “We let him.”
“Don’t be jealous,” Colt said, coming over and sitting down. He should have figured his brothers would gang up and try to find out what was going on too. They thought Alexa was nosy, but it was nothing like when his brothers got together.
“No need to be jealous of him,” Grey said.
Jake snorted. “He’s trying to behave in front of his girl.”
Grey turned his head and looked at Sierra who was grinning. “I really like you guys. This lets me know I can bust on Grey, that he has a good sense of humor.”
Grey dropped his hand and put it on her thigh, running it up and down. She watched the motion, then laughed. “I can return the favor if you want.”
Oh man, he was going to be outmatched. “Grey doesn’t normally show any affection in front of people,” Jake said. “I’m not sure if you’re the real deal and we are going to scare you off with this conversation, or he paid a pretty penny for you for the night.”
She started to wheeze so hard her eyes watered and she almost spilled her plate. Colt reached out to grab the plate before it hit the floor. “Geez, Jake. Have some tact,” Colt said.
“What? You’re the one who mentioned it upstairs,” Jake said. “That you wouldn’t put it past Grey to try something like this to get everyone off his back. I’m just more straightforward than you.”
“I’m plenty straightforward,” Colt argued. “I just find the right time to say things and it’s not in front of the woman in question. Sorry, we don’t mean to insult you.”
“I’m not sure what I am, but I can assure you that I do work at the hospital in the Gastroenterology Department. Not only can I pronounce it but I can also spell it. I’m sure most women for hire can’t do either.”
Grey started to laugh. “Happy, boys? Would you like to call the office and ask to speak with her tomorrow to verify? Or Jake, maybe you could ask Jack when you come into the office next time since Sierra is friends with Cori.”
“I could pull my phone out and show you texts from Cori,” she offered.
“No,” Jake said. “We’re sorry. This was wrong of us. I’m glad we were wrong.”
“And I hope you don’t judge Grey too harshly on our behavior tonight. My guess is he won’t want to bring you around again and we wouldn’t blame him. I let Alexa get in my head when I don’t normally do that,” Colt said, standing up. “Come on, Jake, let them eat in peace now.”
Grey was thrilled when his brothers left but not so happy when his father made his way over.
“I’m Tom Baxter and it seems I’m the only one you haven’t met.”
“Not a problem,” she said. “I’m Sierra Stone. Yes, I work at Albany Med as a nurse and I’m not an escort.”
His father sighed and rolled his eyes. “I’m going to kill your siblings for you, Grey.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“Please excuse my other kids’ behavior tonight. You wouldn’t know it but we are a pretty tight family.”
“I believe it,” she said. “I might have done the same thing with my siblings. Well, not quite like this, but something similar if I was concerned or worried about them.”
“Good. I’m glad. I’ll let you two finish eating now. Grey, no one will think twice if you wanted to take off after this.”
He shook his head. “We’ll see. I wouldn’t blame Sierra if she wanted to go running out the door the minute the coast was clear.”
“I’m stronger than that,” she said.
But they did leave an hour later and the first words out of her mouth when they were in the car were, “Okay, you need to explain a few things to me because I feel like shit right now over this. Your family obviously is used to you showing up single and I don’t know why you just didn’t this time.”
He wasn’t so sure either. As it’d been pointed out, he could have blown it off like before yet he chose to ask Sierra to go with him.
Why? Because there was something about her that threw up walls in front of him. Maybe it was a challenge after she’d said she didn’t date doctors and he wanted to prove her wrong.
Or maybe he was just drawn to her personality and irked she was ready to not even give him a chance because of what he did for a living.
Talk about stupid. Wasn’t his career the reason he was single? Maybe he was sick of that being the case.
“Honestly, I’m as confused as you. I’m sick of it myself. Part of me wanted to shut them up, but I didn’t expect this night to go the way it had either.”
“I guess I can buy that to an extent. The bigger question is why they are that way? There has to be a reason.”
He wasn’t sure how much to tell her but knew she deserved some explanation.
“I’ve dated people. I’m not a complete loner.”
“Or loser,” she said. “You don’t like being set up, like me. I get that. So where did you meet women if you weren’t dating anyone at work?”
“I said I don’t make a habit of it,” he said. “I have in the past and when it doesn’t work out, which is often, it’s just uncomfortable. I’ve been introduced to friends of friends before and that never works either. Gotten numbers in bars and at parties. No dating apps. I wouldn’t stoop that low. What about you?”
“I suppose I meet people the same way as you have. I’ve been in a few relationships, but since I recently moved here, I haven’t really put any effort into much other than learning the area and my job.”
“You haven’t dated anyone while you’ve lived here?” he asked.
“I’ve gone out with the girls a few times and gotten some numbers and had a few dates, but nothing came of it. And you still haven’t said why your family is the way they are.”
He pulled in front of her apartment. “We’re here now.”
“We are and if you think I’m going to get out without having the answer you’re nuts. So come on in and I’ll make some coffee. Since you said you used to drink it by the gallon, my guess is you still enjoy it.”
There was no way out of this and he owed her some explanation since he started this whole ruse.
Once the cup was in front of him, he said, “I dated someone all through college. When she graduated she relocated here when I started at Albany College of Medicine. She wanted to get married and start a family. I told her I needed to finish school and get established first.”
“Makes sense,” she said. “So what happened? She didn’t want to wait?”
“Nope. She didn’t. She had a job and an apartment. I was living at home and staying with her now and again. I didn’t have enough money to live on my own as I was paying for med school. My parents paid for the first four years like they had with Colt and Alexa.”
“Wow. That was generous of them.”
“I should clarify, they gave us each a set amount and most of us got scholarships and it covered the difference. But after those first four years we were on our own.”
“It’s still nice. So back to you. You were a broke medical student and she wanted to get married and have kids. Why? You’d think she’d want to wait anyway.”
“You’d think she would, but she didn’t. One day she said she was done and gave me an ultimatum.”
“Oh boy. I bet you didn’t take too kindly to that.”
“No, I didn’t. The rest is history.”
“But I don’t think it is,” she said.
10
Step Off
First thing Tuesday morning, Sierra’s phone was going off before she even got out of the door for work. When she looked down she saw it was Cori saying they needed to talk and if they could meet for lunch.
Rather than try to blow off the one close friend she had here, she said that was fine even if she was dreading the meeting.
She and Grey went into this as a favor. Something he could do to get his family off his back and she could bust on Cori about it to get her off her back.
But after spending
a few hours with Grey she realized she liked him more than she thought she would.
His family was both funny and protective. She realized it was that rather than them ganging up on him and making him feel like crap. She’d even received multiple apologies from them before they’d left.
They accepted her even when they thought she was paid for the date.
And Grey’s explanation of it all made sense. When he told her about his college girlfriend, she’d felt an odd sense of sympathy for him.
He didn’t go into too many other details and she didn’t feel like asking. It sounded like the woman followed him back home with the hopes of getting that big ring on her finger and when she didn’t get it fast enough, she told him to step up or step off.
She wouldn’t have expected any differently from Grey to step off.
What she didn’t understand though was why it seemed to be affecting his life so many years later. That part made no sense to her.
And what made even less sense was the kiss before he left her house on Saturday night.
They’d finished their coffee. They didn’t talk about his past or hers. Matter of fact, he hadn’t asked much about her or why she moved though she kind of expected that to come up at some point. She’d have to figure out a way around it, or avoid it as much as possible.
Not that they saw much of each other since then. Or even talked. She hadn’t talked to him since he lowered his head and put his lips on hers before he left.
Lips that she’d been looking at all night long...wishing she could taste them.
Her wish came true and she wondered if he’d known it all along. If she was putting out signals she’d had no idea about.
And when she let out a little sigh, her mouth opening, his tongue swooped in and tangled with hers. All those little touches she was teasing him with for their audience made her wonder if it was for his family or her.
If she really had been waiting to get her hands on him.
He must have thought so and she wasn’t sorry he did what he had.
She was only sorry it ended as quickly as it started. Then he’d opened the door and left.
“Why didn’t you tell me you went on a date with Grey Baxter Saturday night?” Cori asked her the minute Sierra sat down at the table.
“Why aren’t you in scrubs?” she asked.
“I’m off today.”
“And you came here to have lunch with me? Why?”
“Because I wanted to,” Cori said back. “So why didn’t you tell me you were out with Grey? You were all about how you didn’t date doctors and here you went to a party with him. A family one.”
“How did you find out?” she asked, starting to eat her sandwich. Cori had a burger in front of her and was diving in between words.
Cori chewed and then talked around a mouthful. “Ryan Mathews was at that party with his wife, Kaitlin. Kaitlin is the sister-in-law of my best friend.”
“Yeah, but how would they know me or know that you and I knew each other?”
“Because Grey met Brooke and Lucas at the mixer a few weeks ago. And I happened to mention to Brooke how I was trying to set him up with you. There aren’t that many Greys and Sierras out there.”
She didn’t remember meeting these two people that Cori mentioned, but she wasn’t paying too much attention to anyone else other than Grey and his family. “I just don’t know how my name came up.”
“Maybe it’s because Grey’s family didn’t think you were really his date and it was kind of a joke and a few people overheard Colt getting lectured by his mother for putting his foot in his mouth.”
“Good lord,” she said. It was funny that night, but now she wasn’t so sure it was. It made her rethink the ruse with Cori, but she couldn’t.
“That was only our second date,” she said. “I’m not sure why his family acted that way.” She wasn’t going to say she knew. That’d be wrong.
“So you are considering the lunch when I introduced you as the first date?” Cori asked.
“It wasn’t a date. It’s how we met. Slip of the tongue. So that was really our first date.”
“He took you to meet his family on your first date?” Cori asked. “Come on. Give it to me. What is going on? You said you don’t date doctors.”
This was just the opening she was waiting for. “I don’t. It was a mutual thing.”
“What do you mean mutual?” Cori asked around another mouthful. “Like a friends with benefits thing?”
Holy cow Cori was falling right into it. “You’re the one that said I didn’t have enough fun. What’s wrong with it? We are two consenting adults. His family gets off his back and I get to go out now and again with a sexy guy.”
Cori squinted one eye at her. “He is pretty hot. Did you jump him? Jack and I didn’t even go on a date the first time I jumped him.”
Sierra rolled her eyes. “I don’t picture Jack that way.”
“I’m pretty persuasive. We’d been working together for a few weeks and the sparks were flying. We were both at a wedding and got to dancing and one thing led to another and here we are happily married years later.”
“That makes more sense. Anyway, I don’t kiss and tell.”
“Ah, but you kissed him,” Cori said. Sierra felt her face flame up brighter than the shirt Cori had on, but went right back to eating her lunch. “I’ll get details out of you.”
“No, you won’t.”
“Yes, I will. And friends with benefits normally leads to more. I guarantee you’ll be officially dating soon enough,” Cori said, bobbing her head up and down.
There was no winning with this. “I haven’t even talked to him since Saturday, so don’t get your hopes up.”
“What? That’s not right,” Cori said. “I’m going to have to fix that.”
“Stay out of it,” she said.
“Nope. Friends with benefits means you still have to be friends. You can’t go days without talking. Text him now or I’ll go up and talk to him and tell him how you said you can’t wait to spend more time with him alone. Time in Paradise.”
She should have figured Cori would know where Grey lived. She pulled her phone out and texted a quick message. Lunch with Cori. She knows.
“There,” she said. “Are you happy now?”
“It depends on what you said.”
“I told him you were aware of our date.”
“Good,” Cori said. “And when he texts back, ask him to dinner. You know, like a friend.”
“I don’t need advice from you.”
“Doesn’t mean you won’t get it though,” Cori said and went back to finishing up her lunch.
11
Full of Stress
Grey had been afraid to reach out to Sierra after that kiss.
No one said anything about making out in this situation, but after the night they’d had—the teasing and the touches—he couldn’t help himself and had to get his mouth on her before he left.
Big mistake.
Her lips. Soft and lush, making it hard for him to come up for air.
Her hands. They were roaming on his body and sending thoughts to his brain that had no business being there.
When he finally found the willpower to pull back, her eyes were glossy and sending signs his way that made him almost ask, “Want to show me to your room instead?”
He didn’t. He turned his back and walked out the door and hadn’t heard from her since.
Until now.
And what exactly did that text mean? So Cori knew they went to his brother’s house. Didn’t Sierra want to tell Cori anyway? Wasn’t that part of the plan, to tell Cori they were friends with benefits? Even if those benefits only seemed to extend in his mind.
He should reply back to her, but since she had no idea if he was with patients or in surgery, it wasn’t like he had to answer this minute. He’d need the time to think of a response anyway.
As the day went on, it’d completely slipped his mind and he was walking back to his offic
e after his last patient. There was Cori coming out of Jack’s office. Since she wasn’t dressed in scrubs and was holding hands with who he assumed was their daughter, he imagined she was off for the day.
“There you are,” Cori said. “Summer, go play in Daddy’s office for a minute, will you.”
“Daddy,” Summer yelled. “I’m coming back to you.”
“Hmmm, wonder who she takes after?” Grey said to Cori, knowing he was about to get an earful.
“She has my red hair and her father’s build. She’s almost taller than me at four years old.”
Grey laughed. “Not quite, but I’m sure she’ll pass you soon enough.”
“She can be loud when she wants, but she isn’t often. Usually when she’s excited. She’s always excited to spend time with her father who she doesn’t get to see as much. You know, those long hours and all, and she’s in bed early and he’s out of the house before she gets up half the time.”
All those things he worried about when he had a family someday.
Those were issues he’d brought up to Molly over and over again. That he wanted a family but he needed to get established. That he needed to figure out his career and where he was going and what he was doing before he could have kids.
She didn’t want to listen. She said she didn’t care. She wanted kids and lots of them and had to start young. That she planned on staying home with them for years anyway, so if he wasn’t around, it didn’t matter much.
The lots of kids kind of threw him back too. He knew he’d be paying his college loans for years, and he’d like to be able to do the same for his kids as his parents did for him. But if he had lots of kids, could he?
There were so many things they weren’t on the same page about, but she didn’t want to hear them. They’d graduated from college and in her mind it was time to get hitched and have kids while she played homemaker and he had four more years of schooling and then his residency, where he might end up with a job and so on.
There were way too many things up in the air for him and at twenty-two settling down was just too daunting.