It’s Friday, and I’ve survived seven whole days back in LA. Things still don’t quite feel settled, but Zoe’s safe, sound asleep in her crib, and the house is quiet except for the whooshing of her little sound machine.
I’m finally off the heavy pain meds, so I’m contemplating actually having a drink for the first time since Denver when the doorbell rings. I open the door to find Callie standing outside, still in blue scrubs, and it hits me what I’m missing. It isn’t booze—it’s her.
“You are a sight for sore eyes, gorgeous,” I say, pulling her in for a kiss. She sinks against me, practically collapsing with an exhausted moan, and I laugh against her mouth, holding her up.
“Shit,” she says, standing on her own with a start. “You shouldn’t be stressing your back that much.”
“Honey, I’m fine. If I can’t hold you up when you’re beat from a hard day’s work, what kind of man would I be?”
“The kind who needs to let himself heal.”
“A little exertion won’t hurt. Dr. Yao came by and checked me out yesterday. He said things are healing well.”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Wow, he made a house-call? Aren’t you special.”
I usher her in and she settles on one of the barstools at the kitchen counter, dropping her bag to the floor while I pull out the bottle of wine I know she likes and pour her a glass. “Have you eaten?”
“Yeah, but I don’t remember what it was. This is good.” She takes a swallow of the wine and hums in pleasure. I lean against the counter, watching intently as some of the tension in her body begins to ease. She still looks harried and a little wired, the cut and bruise on her cheek making her look more battered than she probably feels. She’s earned some TLC, and I have an idea that makes my cock stiffen a little in my jeans.
Visiting the hospital on the first day resulted in her getting sucked back into her regular routine, and it was impossible to get her to shift back into vacation mode. So she went back to work the next day, and I’ve only seen her during my daily visits to see Mom. Zoe’s a heavy sleeper, and it’s been a week since Callie and I have had a moment alone. We’re long overdue for a talk too, but first things first.
“Come with me,” I say, rounding the counter and reaching out a hand to her.
“I can’t stay. I have an early day, and driving across town in the morning is not my idea of a good way to start the day. I just wanted to see you.” She sounds exhausted, but a little desperate, and gives me a once-over filled with longing and a few other emotions that only make me more sure of what I’m doing.
“Okay, now you’ve seen me, sweetness. You can keep your eyes closed for what I have in mind, but I’m not letting you leave until I’m done with you,” I tell her, pitching my voice a little lower. That gets the desired response. One eyebrow twitches, and she slips off the barstool and picks up her bag.
“Oh yeah? Well, I guess we’d better get started then.”
I lead her into my bedroom and shut the door behind us. The only sounds are the canned ocean noises coming through the baby monitor on my dresser. I turn off the overhead light, then toss a flannel shirt over my bedside lamp to dim the illumination to a warm glow. Callie stands at the foot of the bed, watching me. When I return to her, she smiles and kicks off the clunky, comfortable shoes she wears to work.
She’s a beautiful mess, her blonde hair slipping out of the braid that trails down her back, her scrubs rumpled from a long day of work. She hasn’t even bothered with makeup over her bruise, and I don’t want to think about what kinds of conclusions her coworkers have come to about me after she showed up with it. She claims she doesn’t care what they think, and I believe her. What matters most to her is saving lives. There’s a strong chance she was poking around inside someone’s skull today, and for some crazy reason that makes her even sexier, and I haven’t even taken off her clothes yet.
“I warn you, I may not exactly be fresh,” she says.
“You want a bath? I can make that happen.” I close the distance between us and she stops me with a hand to my chest, glancing at the baby monitor with a frown.
“I’d better at least shower. No telling what kinds of germs hitched a ride on me from work.”
“I’m already contaminated.” I rest my hands on her hips and dip my head, brushing my mouth along her neck. She shudders against me and clutches my shirt in both fists.
“It’s not you I’m worried about, and you know it. I know she’s had her vaccines, but you can’t be too careful.”
“All right,” I say, stepping back and pulling my shirt over my head. “Let’s clean up together then.”
She looks toward the bathroom, but her eyes slip back to me and her gaze drifts over my chest and down my belly. My cock stiffens when she licks her lower lip. I love how raw her expression is when she’s tired. How her defenses seem nonexistent, but the exhaustion is plain in the circles under her eyes. It’s as if she’s been making up for being gone an extra week.
“Here, let me.” I move to pull her blue top over her head, taking over even though she hasn’t made a move to undress herself yet. She’s still a little mesmerized by my half-naked body, which is cute as hell.
“Sorry,” she sighs, lifting her arms and letting me undress her. “Did
