She stirs. Her chest rises and falls with each breath, the peaks of her nipples taunting me through the thin cotton covers.
When I’m with her, it’s so easy to forget the shit going on in my life—the waiting, the wondering, the wanting. Yet, at the same time, if the shit hits the fan and goes against my favor, it would be that much easier because of her.
Christ.
She’s a chick. Just a woman. One I’ve known for fewer than two weeks, so why am I thinking shit like that? Why am I wondering what will happen when life gets in the way and endless shifts call again?
“Good morning.” Her sleep-drugged voice breaks through my thoughts.
That’s why I’m wondering. That right here. Those green eyes fluttering open. That sleepy smile dragging across her lips. The urge to pull her close to me and just hold on.
“Morning.”
“Please tell me you weren’t watching me sleep.”
“Of course not. You’re a horrid sight to behold. Drooling and snoring and half-open eyes.” I mock shiver. “And you’re still absolutely gorgeous.”
The flush of her cheeks from the simple comment validates all those thoughts I was just refuting.
I reach out and put a hand on her knee, which is bent up by my hip, and run my thumb back and forth over the cool fabric of the sheet.
Silence falls once again, sleep beginning to pull me back into its clutches when she speaks.
“You talked about fear yesterday.” She clears her throat, and I open my eyes to meet hers, curious where she’s going with this. I give a subtle nod for her to go on. “Before this trip . . . before you, really, I was petrified of losing my job.”
“Understandable, but besides the obvious, may I ask why?” I squeeze her hip to reassure her. “You have a ton of experience. Any other company would be lucky to have you. You even said other companies have tried to recruit you before . . . so, why the fear?”
Her sigh is heavy. “Because as much as Paul and I separating was for the best, it still messed me up. He was part of my identity, and with him gone, I think maybe I was lost. My job was the one part of me that I knew without question. I don’t have to fumble around to find Glam Blakely like I’ve been trying to find the new Blakely. My work is the me I understand, and so . . .” She averts her eyes, suddenly lost in that vulnerability I felt yesterday.
“It makes sense,” I murmur.
And it does. It even brings to light her sudden insecurity when it comes to Heather. A woman about the same age as the woman her husband replaced her with. Both women are threatened by her in different ways, but only one of them can possibly take the one thing she wants—her promotion.
“Thank you,” she says, her eyes finding mine again.
“For?”
“For being honest with me yesterday. It may not have been what I wanted to hear, but it’s what I needed to hear. I mean, I’ve been so fixated on certain things that I kind of lost my way.” She reaches out and runs a hand over my jawline. I turn my face into it and press a kiss to her palm.
“I meant what I said about what I see when I look at you, Blakely. You have a quiet strength you deny and a confidence you downplay. If you only realized how stunning you are . . . watch out world.”
Her smile is soft, shy, and I slide my arm around her waist and pull her closer. I can’t resist. Her cheek is against my chest, and my chin is on top of her head as we lie with our legs intertwined and assurances unspoken.
Our bodies fit perfectly together. It’s weird how that happens.
“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for your first set of meetings?”
“Yeah,” she says, the heat of her breath hitting my chest, “but I think I’m going to shake some things up today.”
“You are, are you?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“A rebel now?” I press a kiss to the top of her head.
“What can I say? You inspire me.”
Slade
“Dr. Schultz. It’s good to hear from you.”
Breathe, Slade. Fucking, breathe.
“Thank you for coming in on Monday to answer our questions. The hospital review board needed to hear your voice and put a face to it.”
“Agreed.” I walk from one side of the shoreline to the other, my phone in hand as I wait for whatever it is that was so important he needed to call me, my goddamn future riding on his next few words.
“It doesn’t change the outcome—that we still need to wait for her to wake up—but I think they needed to understand that you acted out of concern rather than because you had a God complex.”
“Thank you for the opportunity, sir.”
He clears his throat. “I know you’ve been prohibited from checking in on Ivy so I thought you might like an updated status on her condition.”
His words take me back. “Yes, sir. Of course.”
“She hasn’t regained consciousness yet, but she is showing signs of improvement. Her vitals are stronger, and she’s reacting to stimuli more so than before. Her doctor is optimistic. She’s a fighter.”
“That’s good to know. Thank you for updating me.” I run a hand through my hair and just stare out at the water.
“As the hospital advisor and program director, I must outwardly condemn what you did. In the same breath, I want you to know that your actions showed how human you are while the rest of us marvel at your extraordinary talents as a doctor.”
“Thank you, sir. I’m not sure what else to say, but thank you.”
I’m standing in the warm sunlight but chills blanket my skin.
“And if you tell anyone I said that, I’ll deny it.” He chuckles.
An awkward silence weighs on the line. I feel like he has more to say but isn’t saying it, and I sure as
