I check my phone as I walk out of a patient’s room. The night has been slow, and I haven’t heard from Ash since earlier today before the game.
For the past week, we’ve been texting and hanging out when we can. His schedule is hectic, and they’ve been on the road more than home, so the hanging out has been limited.
But tonight he should be on his way back and the next two games are here. I never thought I’d be following a sport’s team’s schedule so closely. It’s all so fun right now and I want to soak up all the giddy and happy feelings.
I’m hoping he’ll text when the jet lands. I’ll be glad for him to be in the same state again, even if I’m stuck at work for the next seven hours. Maybe I can swing by and see him tomorrow after classes.
Sliding my phone back into my scrub pants pocket, I walk through the quiet hall and come up short when the man occupying my thoughts stands at the nurses’ station. He leans casually against the desk, one ankle crossed over the other as he talks to Hannah.
My heart skips a beat and the emotions bubbling to the surface play out on my face in a way that there’s no playing it cool.
“What are you doing here?” I ask as I close the distance between us. I want to throw my arms around him and kiss the crap out of him.
He’s wearing black athletic pants and a long coat over a Wildcat T-shirt. He pulls off athleisure so well it’s scary.
“We just got back and I thought I’d stop by and see if you’ve taken your break yet.”
“She has not,” Hannah says giving me a pointed stare. I’m going to have a lot of explaining to do later. Maybe I should have told her, but since it’s casual, I didn’t want to oversell what’s happening. Plus, it’s not something I want to get out with Gabe working for the Wildcats.
My coworker tips her head toward the elevators. “Go. I’ll cover you.”
“Thank you.”
She watches with a knowing smile as Ash threads his fingers through mine and pulls me away.
He bypasses the elevator and drags me to the first empty room on the VIP wing. I’m laughing when he brings his mouth down onto mine.
No one should come down here tonight, but I guide us back out in the hallway and across to the on-call room just in case. It’s small and almost never used. The hospital added on much nicer ones downstairs in the surgery center, but this one has a bed and that’s all I need.
“I was going to bring you lunch, but I got sidetracked trying to get here as fast as I could.” He mumbles the words against my lips and then kisses me again.
“It’s okay. I usually just grab a protein bar or something.”
“I’ll bring food next time.”
Next time. The promise makes my heart flutter. I press my mouth harder against his to block out the war of emotions. It feels like too much, too fast, but I can’t seem to make myself slow down.
“I missed you.”
I grab a fistful of his T-shirt and guide us toward the bed. He chuckles in my ear as I sit on the creaky mattress and try to pull him down with me. “I take it you missed me too.”
I don’t know why I hold on to the words so closely. It’s obvious to him I did, but instead of saying the words, I slide his coat off.
His playful smile darkens when I reach for his pants.
“Fuck, really?”
I nod.
He grabs a condom from his wallet while I take him out of his pants. I still can’t get over how big he is.
He covers himself and then pulls the ties on my scrub pants. “Turn over.”
As I flip onto my stomach, Ash tugs my pants and panties down to my knees. “Your ass in these scrubs will be the death of me.”
One large hand settles on my lower back as he teases my entrance with the head of his cock. He doesn’t need to worry about me being ready for him. I was soaked the second he kissed me. But he still works me over until I’m desperate for him.
I push back against him, taking him deeper.
“Oh, fuck, baby. I’m not going to be able to last long. Been dreaming about this pussy for three days.” His words make a shiver roll down my spine.
I cry out as he fills me completely. Ash stills and lets out a groan before he moves again. Every thrust is torture and bliss. My orgasm is on a hair trigger, released when he whispers my name against my neck.
“Ash,” I call out in reply, hoping that he understands in that one word all the things I’m not saying. I missed him. I really like him. This thing between us feels so good.
He follows me after another slow, languorous thrust. The air is filled with our ragged breathing. Ash presses a kiss against my shoulder before he pulls out.
“Well, that was unexpected,” he says after disposing of the condom.
I pull up my panties and re-tie my scrubs, then giggle when I look around. “No kidding. I think my brain short-circuited when I saw you. I can’t believe you’re here. Aren’t you exhausted?”
“Not anymore.” He tugs me to him and brushes his lips over mine. “How long do you have for break?”
“Thirty minutes minus however long that took.”
“So twenty-eight or twenty-nine more minutes.” He grins impishly. “Not my best work.”
“No complaints here.”
He takes my lower lip between his teeth and then kisses me again. “Can I see you tomorrow?”
“I have classes and then I need to sleep for a few hours and study. I don’t work tomorrow night though.”
“I have a team community service thing in the evening.”
“Oh.” My disappointment is palpable.
“Come over after class. You can sleep and study at my place. I can’t go another day without seeing you.”
“Okay,” I say, lacing my hands around the back of his neck. I really love Ash’s bed. Mostly because it’s his.
He must have expected me to say no because his eyes widen with delight. “Really?”
“Yeah. I can’t go another day without seeing you either.”
The next afternoon after a glorious nap in Ash’s giant king-sized bed followed by an hour of naked time with him giving me multiple orgasms, we set up in his living room. I’m studying on the couch and he’s in a big arm chair watching game film.
I look up and find him watching me. A playful smile teases his lips, and he drops his gaze back to the iPad.
When it happens a second time, I laugh. “What?”
“Nothing. You just look damn good wearing my clothes and sitting on my couch.”
I stole a thin, faded college T-shirt from him and sweats that I had to roll at the waist to keep from falling to my ankles. They even smell faintly like him. “I may never give this shirt back.”
“Looks better on you anyway.” He sits forward and drops the tablet on the coffee table. “I have an interview in a few minutes. I’m gonna go in the office so I don’t bother you with the noise.”
“Okay.” I nod as he stands. He drops a kiss on my lips before going upstairs. I still haven’t been up there, but he told me there’s three guest rooms and an office.
I try to study, I really do, but after thirty minutes without remembering a single thing I’ve read, I give up and quietly head upstairs.
Ash is easy to find. I follow his voice to a room at the end of the hall. The door is open an inch and Ash is sitting in a tall, office chair in front of a desk. He has in headphones so I can’t hear the person on the other line.
He smiles as he speaks, talking about the team with enthusiasm that’s contagious. I don’t move, but he must sense me because he glances back and spots me.
I lift a hand in a wave and start to retreat, but he waves me in. Quietly, I enter. His phone is on the desk, face up. No video, check.
Ash pulls me down onto his lap, never faltering while he talks.
I straddle him, appreciating his broad, naked chest. He places a kiss on my lips and whispers, “Hi.”
I get lost listening to his voice and soaking up his presence. When the interview is done, he ends the call and tosses his headphones on the desk.
“I got lonely downstairs by myself.”
“Sorry it took so long. Done studying?”
“No, but I need a break.”
“And how would you like to spend this break?” He waggles his brows. “I have a few ideas.”
“I bet you do.” My stomach flips. I can’t seem to get enough of him. I trace the outline of one of his tattoos with my finger. “Why a butterfly?”
The blue of its wings matches his eyes.
“My sisters wanted us all to get something. It was a butterfly or a flower.”
“That’s sweet,” I say with a small laugh, then move my attention over to the words over his chest. “And this one?”
“It’s something my grandfather always said. I guess it stuck with me.”
“I like it.”
“I like you.” His arms circle my waist, and he pulls me farther onto his lap. “What are you going to do tonight?”
“Lane is having a party at his place. I think Everly wants to go for a while. I probably won’t stay long, but the three of us haven’t been out since Ev’s birthday.” My pulse speeds up for reasons I don’t understand until Ash smiles.
“Sounds fun,” he says.
Just like that. No comment on me going out without him or trying to talk me out of it. I know Ash isn’t Gabe, but I guess I haven’t completely stopped expecting him to react like Gabe would have. Then again, Ash and I aren’t in a relationship. We’re casual. Both of us are free to do what we want. Somehow, I don’t think that matters. Ash doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy that wavers on his affection because of a label. He’s in this. And so am I.
“What about you?”
“I’m gonna crash early. Game tomorrow. But if you want to send me some sexy, drunk texts later I won’t be mad about it.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
