Chapter 18
noah
“Here’s your card back.” Aris handed me the gold card with a sly smile on his face.
“What’s the damage?” I slid it back into my wallet.
“Five hundred.” He plopped down on the bed beside me as I set my wallet on the nightstand next to my phone.
“Damn…” I whistled.
“Worth every penny.” He made the chef’s kiss gesture and grinned.
I couldn’t help but smirk. “You’re awfully giddy tonight.”
“Well, I like spending time with Danielle,” he admitted.
I leaned in closer to him and ran my finger down his bare chest. His firm pecs were begging to be kissed and licked. I hadn’t been particularly horny since I found out about the lawsuit, but after sharing my woes with my polycule, my burden had lifted somewhat—at least enough to get the blood flowing to my cock again.
I wrapped one arm around his torso and brought my mouth to his chest, pressing kisses around his nipple. I breathed in deep, inhaling his familiar scent and something else…coconut and jasmine, if I wasn’t mistaken. “You smell like her…”
“I should.” He ran his fingers down my back. “I railed her pretty damn good in the dressing room.”
My head popped up. “You what?”
“Fucked her in the dressing room.” He grinned proudly.
I reached down and cupped his cock and balls through his thin pajama pants. “And you’re getting hard just thinking about it.”
“Well, you’re also touching me and kissing my nipples, so…”
“You really like fucking her, huh?” I gently rubbed his lengthening shaft through the fabric.
“Is it that obvious?”
“I didn’t know you were missing pussy so much.” I didn’t feel exactly jealous. It was more like…inadequate. Did he want me to bottom more often? Did he miss being in control? Being the one to penetrate? What was it he liked about?—
“It’s not just the pussy,” he answered all my silent questions. “I like her, Noah.” He sat up. “I like her a lot.”
“Like like?” I asked. “Or like…love?”
He breathed in deeply, his chest rising and falling as his head pressed back against the padded headboard. “I mean…I know we just met. It would be weird to say I’m in love with her, right?”
I considered it for a moment. “Well, you’ve been taking care of her after her injury. And I do think you may be experiencing a bit of a white knight situation.”
“White knight situation?” He smirked. “Is that so, Dr. Evans? And can you elaborate on this condition please?”
I sat up next to him, sliding my hand back to my side of the bed and away from his softening erection. Well, I was hoping this conversation was going to lead to sex, but…it seemed like it was leading to a discussion about feelings and other things I wasn’t usually keen to discuss.
I started it though. So…the blame fell squarely on my shoulders.
“White Knight Syndrome,” I explained, “you know, when someone falls in love with a partner they see as vulnerable because they get off on taking care of people.”
“Well, I’m a nurse. Of course I like taking care of people!” he snapped back at me.
“And you also caused her injury, so that might play into it…”
His lips pursed. “So you don’t think my feelings are real?”
“I didn’t say that at all, Aris. Don’t put words in my mouth. I’m only asking you to be careful and a little guarded. I know how easily you get attached. And I don’t know what her MO is. Do you?”
His face scrunched up. Because he knows I’m right.
“All I know is that I enjoy her company. She’s so…layered is the best word I can think of for her. She comes across as this confident diva, and almost a little standoffish, to be honest. But it’s all to cover up her insecurity and her adorable squishy insides,” he explained, unable to keep the smile from growing wider on his face the longer he described her.
He was smitten for sure. Maybe not real love. Whatever the case, I just didn’t want him to get hurt.
“You’re okay with me taking her to the ball?” It was a repeat question, but I wanted to make sure he hadn’t changed his mind.
“Of course I am! I think it’s amazing she even suggested it. You two are going to make such a striking couple, I’m sure everyone’s going to want to know when the wedding is. So you better make sure to come up with specifics for all that. Or it won’t seem believable.” He suddenly smacked his hand to his forehead. “And a ring! You need a ring.”
As soon as he said the words, I felt heat surge up from deep within me. A ring.
“What’s wrong?” Aris’s voice went from light and airy to worried in a heartbeat. He could feel the unease that just washed over me.
“I…” I shook my head, trying to get the dizzy feeling I’d just experienced to dissipate. “I actually have a ring.”
His eyebrows flew up. “You do? Why would you have an engagement ring?”
I didn’t bring a ton of stuff when we moved in here at Cynda and Jason’s. I wasn’t a materialistic person, nor a sentimental one. Maybe losing my parents and growing up in foster care meant I knew better than to get attached to people, places, or things. But I did keep a small box that had gone with me everywhere from the time I was ten years old—when I lost my parents.
I stood up, went to our closet, and pulled it off the top shelf. It was just an old metal cashbox. I wasn’t even one hundred percent sure where I got it, but someone gave it to me somewhere along the line. I had never shown this to Aris before.
I laid it on the bed as Aris’s eyes grew wider and wider. He laid a hand on top of mine and drew my gaze.
“Are you okay? You don’t have to share anything with me unless you want to…” his voice was like a soft caress.
“I want to show you,” was all I said as I spread out some old photos on the comforter, along with some other memorabilia. A medal my father got in the Army. My hospital bracelet from when I was born. And a small black velvet ring box.
“You’ve never really talked about your parents,” Aris finally broke the silence. “And I never wanted to pry?—”
I took a deep breath and opened the ring box. There, nestled in white satin was a gold ring with a half-carat round diamond.
Aris gasped. “This was your mom’s?”
I nodded. “Someone decided I should have it instead of her being buried with it. I always thought she should have worn it to the grave, but…they were cremated. I guess someone thought that would be a waste of a perfectly good ring.”
He just looked at me, blinking.
“Sorry, I know I’m being morbid. I don’t mean to be, it’s just…I’m used to it. I’ve had twenty-five years to process this.” Damn—had it really been that long? Yeah. I was thirty-five, and they died in the car accident when I was ten. I bit my lip to push down the emotions that tried to come surging up.
What the hell was wrong with me? I had been more emotional this week than at any time since I was a gangly, snot-nosed kid. I blew out a breath, willing the feelings away. I didn’t have time to deal with that right now. I had enough on my plate.
“The ring is beautiful,” Aris said. “Do you think it will fit her though?”
I glanced at the ring. “My mom was actually about Danielle’s size, maybe a little shorter. I think it will.”
He smiled. “I know it will be beautiful on her finger. And when you see that dress…well…you may just fall in love with her too.”
I highly doubted that. But I was looking forward to the look on Alexandra’s face when Danielle walked in on my arm. I talked to my partner, Jessica, today about taking over Danielle’s care, just in case there were any issues. I didn’t want Alexandra coming back to say that I was fucking my patients now.
I didn’t know if any of this was going to help my case, but at this point, I would settle for making her squirm. The paper hadn’t published anything on the case yet. The reporter was still waiting to get my side of the story. Tomorrow was Friday, and I had my assistant make the appointment for the interview on Monday morning.
This weekend could change a lot for me as far as the case went. Maybe she would even drop it. Discussing it with my polycule turned out to be the right decision. They convinced me I shouldn’t sweep it under the rug and take it lying down. I did nothing wrong, and I should go on the offensive.
I had nothing to hide.
I returned everything to the metal box except the ring box, which I set on the dresser. “I’ll make sure it fits her tomorrow. If not, we can get a fake ring, or maybe Cynda has one she can borrow.”
Aris nodded. “That sounds like a good plan.” He opened his arms wide as he lay back down on the bed. “Are you tired? Wanna cuddle before we fall asleep?”
Aris loved cuddling. Cuddling was not my first choice of things to do in bed, but I did like making him feel good. I turned off the lights and climbed in next to him. He turned over, facing the wall, and I lined myself up behind him as the big spoon. He backed his ass up, grinding against me and letting out a contented sigh.
“This feels so nice, baby.” His voice was soft in the dark.
I wrapped my arm around his waist and pulled him even closer so I could nuzzle his neck. His long hair tickled my cheek as I pressed kisses behind his ear and then peppered them down to his shoulder.
He groaned, pressing his ass back even farther. “If you keep that up?—”
“Is that a threat or a promise?” I pushed my hard cock against his firm ass cheeks.
“Always a promise for you, my love…”