Aiden
I woke with a heavy arm across my waist and a dreamlike memory of Knight pleasuring me in the dark. My whole body tingled. Damn, the man was too good.
I rolled over to face him, taking in his dark stubble and hard-edged features. From one angle, Knight looked damn intimidating. From another, sweeter and softer. I could see the little boy he’d once been, though it was well-hidden until he grinned.
I ran my fingers over his beard growth, enjoying this opportunity to really look at him. I dragged the sheet down to study some of his ink. The serpents linked like a chain round his arm were basic, maybe even a little crude. The K on his pec, which looked a bit like a family crest on a shield, was more artistic. I slipped the sheet lower, taking in the skull with wings on his lower navel, which was a damn work of art. It had caught my eye more than once, and I couldn’t resist bending down to trace the lines of ink with my tongue.
“Enjoying yourself?” he murmured.
I jerked up, startled to see his dark eyes open and clear. How long had he let me stare at him like a fool?
My cheeks flamed. “I was just looking at your ink…”
He smirked. “Well, don’t let me stop you. Especially if you’re going to be looking with your tongue.”
I hesitated, torn between embarrassment and desire. He combed his fingers through my hair and gently pushed my head back down.
I gave in, sinking down to taste the salt of his skin once more. He let out an unsteady breath as my exploration took me down to the stylized Harley on his thigh. His cock rose next to my face, rigid and dark red, practically begging.
I wrapped my fingers around his shaft, but continued to trace his ink toward his inner thigh.
“Fuck,” he rasped, and it was the sexiest sound in the world.
I circled my thumb over the top of his cock, catching the pearl of precum there and spreading it. I nipped his inner thigh, and his cock twitched in my hand.
Knight grabbed my arms and tugged me up over his body. His mouth caught mine in a hot, demanding kiss.
“Can’t handle a little teasing?” I asked, breathless.
He rolled me beneath him. “Not when it’s you, Angel. You make me wild.”
I spread my legs, making a cradle for his body, and bit my lower lip. “You should know something, Knight.”
“What?”
“I don’t let men fuck me.”
He tilted his head, looking a little confused. “What are we doing, then?”
“I mean penetration. I don’t, um—”
“Oh. Got it. Well, that’s okay. I wasn’t expecting it.”
I raised my eyebrows, heart skipping. “Really? Because you’re kind of…”
“What?”
“Toppy.”
He smirked. “Maybe I like to top from the bottom. Or the side. Hell, anywhere near you is good with me.”
I could see that he meant it, and in a way, it wasn’t that surprising. Knight seemed like the kind of guy who could roll with anything. Who’d happily please his partner. But would it please him?
“Do you enjoy it, though, or are you offering that to make me happy?”
“All of the above, Angel.”
I bit my lower lip, thinking about how amazing it would feel to sink into a tight ass. It had been a long time since I’d done it. I reserved that level of intimacy for boyfriends—not club hookups—and my most recent ex was months ago, not counting our misguided attempt to reconcile.
But maybe getting even more intimate with Knight wasn’t a great idea. The deeper we went, the harder it’d be to remember this could go nowhere. I had to focus on work.
Knight cupped my face. “Hey, where did you go?”
“Nowhere. Just… it’s getting late. I’ve got a shift at the clinic, so…”
“We don’t have to fuck.”
“It’s not that,” I said quickly.
“Well, it would be okay if it was.” He lowered his head to kiss me softly. “This is supposed to be fun, not stressful.”
“You’re right.” I pulled his head down, kissing him more thoroughly. Until thoughts of my ex flitted away. Until worry over intimacy drowned beneath the lust rising in my body.
I found the lube and Knight got his big hand around our shafts, pressing and stroking them together.
I let the pleasure wash through me.
But never overtake me.
I had to remain in control, even as my body broke apart. Had to remember what this was, what it had to be, because I couldn’t afford to fall for Knight. There were too many expectations I had to fulfill. If I added another one, I’d surely break.
“Fuck, Angel, you feel so good against me,” he murmured, mouthing at my throat.
I rolled my hips up, thrusting into his fist, the hardness of his dick squeezed close to mine. “So close,” I panted.
“Yes, baby, come all over my cock.”
The dirty words worked their magic. My balls drew tight, and I cried out as my cock released shot after shot inside his fist.
“Fuck, yeah,” Knight said, working his cock faster and harder. “You naughty Angel, getting me all slick and messy.”
I shuddered as his cock slid against mine, overly sensitive now that I’d come. Before I could get too uncomfortable, he went rigid, the veins in his throat standing out as he grit his teeth. His whole body strained with the hot wash of his orgasm.
Then he collapsed against me, heart thumping so hard I could feel it where our chests met.
We lay there, catching our breath together. Knight flopped to the side of me, but he didn’t take his arms away. He nuzzled the back of my neck as he held me.
“I could get used to this,” he murmured.
My heart faltered. I could too. That’s what scared me.
“I should really get up and get ready now.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, a shower is in order. We could share?”
“Better not.” I tossed him a grin. “I’ll never made it to work at that rate.”
He smirked. “We do seem to have a little trouble resisting each other.”
“Understatement,” I said, as I threw back the blankets and rolled out of bed.
Despite my worries, my body hummed with satisfaction. Fucking around with Knight was no hardship. It was too easy, in fact. Too good.
But I had to remember it was temporary. My future lay elsewhere, and getting attached to Knight would only hurt me.
I couldn’t spin out like I had last year, when Tyler came back into my life full of resentment and false promises. He’d fucked with my head when I’d needed to remain focused.
Made me think I needed him, only to show me that it was better to need no one.
I showered and dressed, then shared a coffee with Knight so he wouldn’t think I was running away from him again. Part of me wanted to—out of self-preservation—but I was too addicted to him for that.
I got to work a few minutes early and reviewed the list of appointments for the day. Next up was a two-year-old named Ruby Wood. Parent listed as Carrie Anderson. Wait. Wasn’t Ruby the name of Hollywood’s daughter?
“Hey, early bird,” Liliana said as she came in, lugging a tote bag over one shoulder.
“What have you got in there? You smuggling drugs now?”
“You caught me,” she said with a wink.
She opened the bag, displaying dozens of medication samples.
“Holy shit. You didn’t rob the pharmacy, did you?”
She grinned. “Nah, I just flirted a little with Dr. Frost. He donated his supply to the clinic.”
“Isn’t he like seventy?”
“So? Are you suggesting he’s too old to be taken in by my feminine wiles? I’m offended, Aiden! Some men, not you, but some, find me quite appealing.”
I snorted. “I have no doubt.”
Liliana was gorgeous inside and out. Straight men would probably run into traffic for a chance with her. But she’d never flirt her way into a supply of medication. She just liked to yank my chain.
She unloaded her stash of meds, then came to read over my shoulder. “I’ll get Ruby into Exam 1. Dr. Meadows will be reviewing your charts remotely today.”
“He’s not coming in?”
“It’s just you and me, babe.”
Nerves coiled in my stomach. “Okay. I’ll try not to make any mistakes.”
“No one expects you to be perfect. That’s why he’ll still review the charts. You’ve already pulled a few shifts. You’ve got this.”
I nodded. Right. Perfectionism was one of my weaknesses. I needed to excel. Not just excel, but exceed expectations. I was pretty sure it started when my dad turned his harsh words and hard fists on me for the smallest of infractions. It’d been a survival instinct. The more perfect I could be, the less he’d hurt me. In theory, anyway. I’d never really been able to please him, no matter how hard I’d tried.
It’d only gotten worse when Flynn went off to the prison. He’d sacrificed his freedom for me. Now, I had to be worth it.
To reassure myself, I reviewed the charts I’d filed on my last shift, along with any changes Dr. Meadows had recommended. They were all minor suggestions. I’d made all the proper diagnoses, but he’d suggested an extra strep test on one patient. On another, he’d pointed out an alternative medication that would work just as well with fewer side effects. I made mental notes so I wouldn’t make those mistakes again.
I couldn’t do the exam until Liliana finished her intake, and I found my thoughts drifting back to this morning with Knight. He’d taken it well when I blurted out I didn’t want him to fuck me. How very not smooth of me.
Knight seemed to roll with anything I threw at him. He was the most easygoing guy I’d ever met. Except for the night he’d confronted me about avoiding him, anyway. And I could hardly complain about that since it’d led to so many pleasurable things.
“You’re in a good mood!” Liliana singsonged, jolting me from my thoughts. “Who’s the guy?”
“What?”
“Nobody grins at charts like that, Aiden. Fess up.”
I rolled my eyes as I slid off the stool. “Exam 1 ready for me?”
She sighed. “Fine, go be responsible. But I’ll get the truth out of you!”
I slipped down the hall, sure that she would.
A mother and toddler waited in the exam room.
“Hi, Ruby,” I said to the little girl seated on the exam table, who had an adorably chubby face and little copper-colored pigtails. “Are we feeling icky today?”
She looked at me with big blue eyes, then turned to look at her mother. Carrie Anderson was a pretty woman, with auburn hair cut in stylish layers and a sprinkling of freckles over a pale complexion.
“She’s had an upset stomach,” Carrie said. “She has diarrhea that just won’t quit.”
“Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound fun. How long has this been going on?”
Carrie gave me a rundown of her daughter’s illness while I reviewed Liliana’s notes. I asked a few follow-up questions about the foods she’d been eating, whether they’d traveled recently—to rule out parasites—and concluded she had a stomach virus that would pass on its own.
I did an exam, just to be sure there were no underlying problems Mom hadn’t noticed.
“Okay, she’s a little dehydrated,” I said. “So my prescription is simple. Give her Pedialyte to replenish those lost liquids. Avoid sugary juices. Those can make the diarrhea worse. And bland foods only. Think banana, bread, rice, pudding. Nothing too challenging for her digestive system.”
Carrie stood close to the table, keeping a hand on Ruby’s back. “She loves bananas, so that should work.”
I smiled at Ruby. “Well, who doesn’t love a good nana, huh?”
She giggled and repeated, “Nana!”
Carrie chuckled. “Her favorite word after Mama.”
I smiled. “If it doesn’t improve in the next twenty-four hours, please come back, but there’s a stomach bug going around. It should work itself out.”
“That’s it?” Carrie said. “No antibiotics or anything?”
“They wouldn’t help in this case. Antibiotics treat bacteria, not viruses. This is more like the common cold. You have to ride it out.”
Carrie frowned. “Okay. I just hate to see her in pain.”
“Of course you do. You can get some over-the-counter medication like PeptoKids that will soothe her tummy. Just make sure whatever you get is recommended for children her age.”
“Okay, thanks. Are we done, then?”
“Yes.” My curiosity got the best of me. “Is Ruby any relation to Hendrix Wood? He mentioned having a little girl, and I’ve recently gotten to know him—”
Her polite smile of interest dropped away. “Please don’t bring up that man in front of my daughter.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She picked up Ruby. “We’re none of his business! I don’t care what he’s saying. He has no right to be in our lives.”
My heart plummeted. It was like hearing Tyler tell me my brother was a murderer who didn’t deserve my sympathy all over again.
I didn’t know what Hollywood did—or if her anger was justified. I only knew that everyone made mistakes. Some might be truly terrible. But without compassion, we were all lost.
“I’m sorry,” I said as she pulled open the door. “Please come back if Ruby isn’t feeling better soon.”
She gave me a tight smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “If you’re smart, you’ll stay away from Hendrix, too. He’s a thief and a fool.”
She walked out, and I sank back against the exam bed. Well, that could have gone better. I’d thought only to make a connection, maybe share with her that Hendrix was trying to work a program and be a better man.
I’d struck a nerve and probably made the situation worse. Hollywood wouldn’t thank me for that. Neither would Dr. Meadows, I was sure. I’d let my curiosity get the better of me when I should have maintained professional distance.
I slunk back to the office to finish the chart before moving on to the next patient.
“You okay?” Liliana asked. “Mom and babe rushed out of here in a hurry.”
“I screwed up,” I said. “Asked her something personal that upset her.”
Liliana observed me with a frown. “Well, don’t be too hard on yourself. I’m sure you had a good reason.”
I shook my head. “Not really. Should have kept it to myself. I just…thought I might know the child’s father.”
“Uh-oh,” Liliana said.
I grimaced. “Yeah. He’s an ex-con, and she’s not ready to forgive him for his past.”
Liliana squeezed my shoulder. “Like your brother, huh?”
I slanted her a look. Flynn had come by the hospital for lunch one day and met Liliana. Ever since, she’d been full of questions. But she’d proven her character enough for me to share the truth with her. Unlike Tyler, she was full of empathy.
“You know me too well,” I said. “I don’t know how you do it, but you make me talk too much.”
“It’s one of my superpowers,” she said with an impish grin. “How else can I be the best friend you’ve ever had?”
“Aw, don’t make me cry, you sap.”
I was kidding, but it was a little too true. Liliana’s words hit deep, because she really had become such a good friend in a short time. I wasn’t sure I’d ever met someone so easy to talk to.
And like Knight and the Forrester family, I’d have to leave her at the end of the year.