Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 48187 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48187 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
I tickle her foot again. “And what questions would you ask?”
My words interest her because she meets my stare and toys with my tie, a beautiful smile on her face. “I’d ask you what’s your favorite part of being a doctor.”
“Helping people.”
“Generic. Give me something juicy and good.”
“I like fixing people in their most traumatic times and giving them hope when they may not have had any coming in.”
“Right, so this is going to be harder than I thought. My blog followers like the nitty gritty. Your hero answers aren’t working.” But despite her words, she likes my answer based on her cute smile. “Okay, so what do you eat when you’re slammed busy at the ER?”
“Usually I grab a Mountain Dew and a package of those little vanilla cookies. The sugar keeps me going.”
“And how do you keep those abs of steel with that kind of diet, Dr. Dan?”
“I’m a gym nut. So sue me.”
“Oh, definitely not punishing you for that one.” She grins wickedly at me. “Maybe I should take a picture of those abs. My blog would definitely like that.”
“Next question.” I playfully grumble but wink at her.
“Hmm, so how come you’re not married?”
Maybe Mom will subscribe to this blog. It’s her favorite question.
“I haven’t found the one,” I mutter. “I don’t date much.”
“Why not?”
“Women don’t like men who are married to their careers.”
Her brows furrow. “But you love your job.”
“Women want to be loved more.”
“You can love both.”
“I know I could, but try telling that to the women I’ve dated over the years.”
Her lips purse together. “Those women are bitches.”
I laugh because she has a point.
Lauren
I’d been mad. Infuriated even. Two weeks ago, Daniel dragged me to the ER with good intentions, but then he fell into obsessed doctor mode, hunting for answers. The connection I’d felt to him—especially after our kiss—was severed as I lay in that bed stewing over my ailments. When Dad showed up, I was more than ready to bail. And with a little urging, I was able to get Dad to make that happen.
All Daniel’s texts and calls were easy to ignore. I felt great with the antibiotics and was getting over my kidney infection. I’d even felt good enough to do a long overdue blog post.
And then he showed up.
Our connection hadn’t been cut. If anything, it was stronger. He tugged on the invisible cord as soon as we made eye contact. I willingly fell into his presence. Now, as he strokes my leg as though it’s the most natural thing for him to do, I realize how wrong I was.
We like each other.
It’s clear as day in the way we banter and our proximity.
The urge to kiss him again is strong. I’ve never dated an older man. He’s older than Dad by six years. I know this because I looked Daniel Venable up on social media. We may have not spoken for two weeks, but I’ve spent my lonely, depressed times checking in on him.
Oranges and pinks in the sky have faded to dusty purples and now dark blues. The sun is gone and I can hear the crickets chirping as the evening rolls in.
“I missed you,” Daniel mutters, his palm lingering above my knee on my inner thigh. “I thought about you more than what was probably necessary.”
He seems embarrassed by his words.
“Lauren…”
“Hmmm?”
“This thing going on between us…it’s more than a doctor caring about his patient. Tell me it’s not one-sided. I haven’t dated much, so I feel out of the loop on reading people like I should. I’ll feel like a fucking bastard if I’m pursuing you and you don’t want it.” Shame coats his words as he starts to pull his hand away from my thigh.
I grip his wrist and shake my head. “Don’t you dare pull your hand away, Dr. Dan. I quite like your obsessive tendencies when it comes to my well-being.”
He snorts. “You’re a brat.”
“Your brat,” I amend, smiling.
“Mine, huh?”
“If you want me.” My voice is meant to come out sassy, but even I can hear the vulnerability in it. With Dad working all the time and Landon always gone, I’m alone far too much for my liking. With Daniel, I feel alive, on fire, and tethered to the moment.
“Of course I want you,” he murmurs, squeezing my thigh. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
I sit up and boldly straddle his lap on the swing. Sweat trickles down my spine as I worry he might push me away. His face is stony and serious. He clenches his jaw as I try to calm my erratic heartbeat. Sitting on his thighs with my hands on his shoulders feels natural. When I lick my lips in a nervous way, he finally slides his palms to my ass, gently squeezing. Emboldened by his touch, I lean forward and press my lips to his. The kiss is sweet and simple until we both part our lips. He meets the urgency of my tongue with his own. His hands grip my ass tighter this time, urging me closer. As soon as I rub against his dick through his slacks, I let out a breathy moan.