All that being said… there was something about Holden I couldn’t shake. He’d been gruff, abrasive, crass, and blunt. So why had I been so attracted to him? He wasn’t my type, honestly. I was after some beefy, hot doctor who would give me a big-ass house we could hold parties in while I worked part-time for Aunt Nora and went to the spa for facials on my off time.
Yes, I had an overactive imagination, but dammit, when I wanted something, I usually went for it. Unfortunately, I hadn’t met Dr. McDreamy yet—not any doctor I’d even remotely consider touching, let alone marrying, anyway. I was still waiting for my Surgeon in Shining Scrubs to come for me. I was sure I’d meet him some day. Seemed those types liked the big-breasted blonde Barbie doll-looking chicks. Not a redhead covered in freckles from head to toe with too much attitude and not enough boob to fill out a D-cup.
Holden didn’t know I had caught him checking me out, but I had. The glass doors leading into the back rooms of this clinic were extremely reflective—especially at night—and his gaze glued to my ass hadn’t gone unnoticed by me. Unfortunately, at the time, I had been too pissed off at his abrasive attitude to let his appreciation of my backside I worked very hard for help boost my ego a bit. By the time I had treated Ray and he was ready for release, I think we had both cooled off a bit. But I hadn’t cooled enough to offer him my number. I wasn’t one to chase guys, anyway. If he wanted my number, he’d have to ask for it. And this point, I wasn’t sure I wanted him to have it. He was the polar opposite of what I was looking for as far as a future went, and getting involved with a guy who was clearly in a gang, and maybe did some electrical work on the side as probably some kind of cover, was definitely not my jam. What could a guy like him offer me, anyhow?
Strong arms, a sexy voice, a big, thick…
Yeah, I’d meat-gazed on him once or twice when he wasn’t looking. His jeans had been tight enough, and I could tell he was definitely packing something worth further exploration.
Maybe I could just play with him a little? No, he probably would want more, but he seemed like he’d be rough, dominating, and absolute fun in the bedroom… and there was nothing wrong with a little…
“Emory!”
The receptionist’s voice broke me out of my lusty musing as she thrust a chart toward me. I was grateful, too. I had work to do. Daydreaming about the hot body of a very sinful biker was not on the agenda for the day.
I blew out a breath, which caused a red curl to fly up off my face, and smiled at the little boy looking up at me. “Right this way”—I glanced down at the chart—“Sheldon.”
I was so exhausted by the end of the day I could barely get the key in the door to my apartment. It was after 7 p.m., and I had worked way longer than I had planned. The clinic was open until seven, but I was supposed to have been off at four. There were nurse trainees who were going to cover the last three hours, but that hadn’t turned out the way it was supposed to. Did I have any regrets? Absolutely not. I wasn’t exactly saving lives, but I was helping people, and just because the clock had struck 4 p.m. didn’t mean I was just going to leave in the middle of helping a patient.
After peeling off my scrubs, I took a quick, hot shower. It had significantly relaxed me, and I threw on some yoga pants and a tank top after twisting my unruly hair into a top-knot. Then, I wandered into the kitchen to grab something to eat. The only thing I’d managed to choke down today was a power bar and my daily continuous intake of water through my Hydro Flask. I honestly didn’t know how I’d survive these crazy shifts without that thing.
As I opened the fridge, I frowned. A bunch of condiments, a quart of milk I was sure was expired, and a questionable box of leftover Chinese food that definitely needed to be trashed.
The freezer was even less promising. A box of fish sticks, some ground beef I had no energy to thaw and cook something with, and two bags of frozen veggies.
The pantry was an even sadder state, not even a cup of ramen noodles or box of mac-n-cheese I could make. With a dramatic sigh, I closed the pantry, slid my feet into some flip-flops, grabbed my purse, and went back out to my car to begrudgingly hit the grocery store.
I peered down into my shopping cart: A quart of milk, two boxes of relatively healthy cereal, granola, protein bars, orange juice, multivitamins, frozen dinners, a loaf of bread, a dozen eggs, lunchmeat, a bottle of Pinot, and, of course, ice cream.
There was nothing I hated more than grocery shopping. Okay, online dating was up there, but grocery shopping was a close second. In my fantasy, my hot doctor loved to grocery shop. He even unloaded them and put them away, all the cans and boxes facing neatly front in the pantry. Oh, and he cooks too… yeah, keep dreaming.
With a shake of my head, I made my way toward the checkout. My phone chimed in the pocket of my yoga pants—don’t judge me! I’d splurged and bought the cool ones with the built-in thigh pocket. I pulled it out and peered at the screen.
Aunt Nora: Thank you for staying late and
