Chapter Nineteen
DOC NOTICED JULIE was caught between gratitude and anger over his intervention. However, if he hadn’t stepped in, she might have lost her job—a job that she cherished.
He also suspected it was linked to his not returning the previous evening. After returning home late, he hadn’t wanted to wake her, knowing she needed to be refreshed for her hearing. He had tried to discuss Marla all morning, but she wouldn’t engage. So, he had to surprise her, which he knew wouldn’t be well received.
That was fine. He had plans for their evening that involved a lot of groveling. He knew that throughout their lives, there would be many times he’d upset her and would need to make amends, so he might as well practice now.
Julie turned to him as they stepped out of the SUV in front of his house. “Thank you.” Then, she turned and walked into the building, not waiting for his reply. When he went inside, she was already climbing the stairs.
“What are you going to do?” Pup asked as he pulled out lunch meat and condiments from the refrigerator. The agent took bread from the shelf and opened a bag of chips. They didn’t know how long the meeting would last, so they planned for a cold lunch, which none of the men objected to. Doc hoped Julie would feel the same way.
Doc wasn’t sure what he would do that afternoon, but he figured he’d come up with something. “What do you mean?”
Casper snorted. “Yeah, as if you don’t already know.”
He couldn’t be coy with his teammates, but who cared what they thought? Doc shrugged. “I’ll come up with something.”
“It’s too bad you can’t enjoy a picnic in the park,” Grits said before taking a bite of his sandwich.
That sparked his idea. He remembered getting a collapsible picnic basket once, but he never used it. Now, where could he have hidden it?
Doc left the men behind and searched the top of the pantry, where he spotted the blue basket. Now, he needed a blanket, and they’d be all set.
He returned to the men. “Get out.”
They paused with food in hand. “Out of the kitchen or out of the house?”
“The house.”
Grits shook his head. “One of us needs to stay inside, Doc. You know that.”
He did. “Okay, one stays inside.” That scrapped the plans for the picnic in the living room. He would have to improvise. Both bedrooms had floor space, but which one should he choose?
The men shrugged, and Casper smiled. “Let us help you pack this up. I thought I saw some fruit in the refrigerator. Women like to take that on a picnic.”
The men went to town, filled the basket for him, and surprised Doc with their generosity. He knew they cared for Julie, but this was beyond what he expected.
Other than Pup and Casey, the men headed out to patrol while Doc climbed the stairs carrying a basket of goodies.
He hoped this would regain her favor.
Choosing his room for the impromptu picnic, Doc spread a blanket on the floor and tossed down some pillows. He positioned the basket in the center, deciding not to open it yet. He would save that for Julie.
Once ready, he walked down the hall to Julie’s door and knocked. “Julie?”
She opened the door slightly. “Yes?”
Doc let out a sigh. He had a lot of groveling to do. “It’s lunchtime.”
“I’m not hungry,” she said, trying to shut the door, but he blocked it just in time.
“Let me take another shot at that. I’ve prepared lunch for us.”
She looked down at his hands. “Where?”
He pointed to his bedroom. “In there.”
Her eyes widened as if remembering last night when he had promised to return but left without a word, too eager to pursue the Marla lead that would clear her name.
“It’s fine. I’ll keep my hands to myself. It’s just a picnic.” He wouldn’t say, “I promise,” because he couldn’t assure that he wouldn’t touch her. But that would only happen if she wanted him to.
She nodded and opened the door wide enough to slip through. With his bedroom door left open, she followed him into the room.
“Oh, Rodney, this looks like fun.”
He didn’t think sitting on the hard floor would be enjoyable, but he’d make the best of it since she was with him. “I must admit,” he said sheepishly, “the guys packed the basket. I’m not even sure what exactly is in it.”
They both sat on the cushions.
Julie laughed, and his heart soared at the sound. “I hope they aren’t trying to play matchmaker.”
That hurt, but he wouldn’t let it stop him. “I really believe they are.”
When she started to speak, he raised his hand. “None of that. This is just lunch between friends. I owe you an apology, and I wanted to enjoy lunch while I groveled.”
She opened the picnic basket and looked inside. “Grovel, huh?”
“Over sandwiches.” He leaned back, watching her as she carefully selected items from the basket, arranging them just right. Her beauty captivated him, and he marveled at his good fortune. However, he also sensed the cloud of sadness that lingered over her.
Perhaps once he apologized, and they moved past his interruption during her meeting and his absence the night before, they could find their way back to being in each other’s arms.
He knew she struggled with her attraction to him due to ethical concerns. Yet, he often reminded her that he had ended her role as his doctor long before they began—what, dating? No, they hadn’t dated unless you consider this a date. They had enjoyed moments of foreplay over the past few days and then fell into each other’s arms, but they had skipped a lot. Maybe that’s also what was holding her back.
“Sandwiches, chips, strawberries, grapes, and chocolate donuts.”
Doc smiled. “The donuts were Pup’s idea. He said that all women like chocolate, and that's all I had.”
Julie chuckled. “There might be hope for that boy after all.” She offered two sandwiches. “Ham or turkey?”
He knew she preferred turkey, so he chose ham.
As they unwrapped the sandwiches, he looked at her with intent. “So, have I been forgiven?”
She arched an eyebrow. “Is that what you call groveling? Choosing my least favorite sandwich?”
Doc shrugged, feeling small despite his size. “Well, yeah.”
“Oh, Rodney,” she said, then took a sip of water from a bottle. “You might want to look up ‘groveling’ online.”
Well, hell. He’d actually have to apologize. After swallowing a bite of his sandwich, he said, “I’m sorry. Really sorry, Julie.”
“For what, exactly?”
This was more difficult than he had anticipated. He disliked admitting his flaws, even to Julie. “I apologize for interrupting your meeting today, but I’m not sorry because you wouldn’t allow me to share about Marla before we arrived.”
“Wow. That’s the saddest apology I’ve ever heard.” She popped a strawberry into her mouth, and he regretted not feeding it to her.
They had to get past this play on words to reach the makeup sex part. Or the “finally sex” part since they’d been interrupted the first time. Just thinking about it made his blood rush south, and his jeans tightened.
“All right, I’m sorry.” He took a large bite of the sandwich to avoid arguing about why he shouldn’t feel sorry and ruining the entire lunch.
“That’s an improvement. So, what about the other one?”
He tilted his head, nearly forgetting that he still owed her another apology. “Julie, I’m sorry for not coming to your room when I got home. It was so late, and I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“You should have. You said you’d return to my bed but left me wanting.”
Wanting, huh? That was a good sign. “If I could go back, I’d wake you up and ravage your body.”
Julie laughed. “Now, that’s an apology that’s worth accepting.”
“Does this mean I’m forgiven?”
She tapped her finger playfully on her chin. “I’m considering it.” Then, she laughed and popped a grape into her mouth. Again, he wished he’d fed it to her. It was erotic watching her eat the fruit, even though he knew she wasn’t trying to be sexy. She just…was.
Smiling, he beckoned with a crooked finger, inviting. “Come here.”
“What about lunch? We haven’t even gotten to the donuts yet,” she teased.
“To hell with the donuts. Come here.” He knew he could easily bridge the gap, but he wanted her to take the lead in completing what they had started the night before.
“Now that you put it that way, I’m coming.” She pushed the food aside and slowly crawled toward him on her hands and knees, smiling the whole time.
What a seductive picture she created. He didn’t conceal his gaze on her breasts as her shirt opened during the crawl. His mouth watered. He longed to taste her again.
“Before we start, you should know we won’t be interrupted this time.”
She halted a few feet away from him. “That’s good to know.”
His finger tenderly traced the line of her cheekbone and jaw. This woman held his heart, and he didn’t know how to tell her without her thinking it was too soon. Did she believe in love at first sight? He hadn’t until he met her. Even while injured and worried about his friend, he had fallen in love.
Thinking about Simon slightly shaded his meal, but he stayed resolute. This was about him and Julie.
His thumb grazed her lips, and she moaned. Oh yeah, he was taking her right now. He stood up suddenly. “Get up.”
She jumped up with a questioning expression. “What? What happened?”
“Your room,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her there.
“What about the food? Shouldn’t we put it away?”
“We can get it later.” Much later, if he had any say in it.
She giggled and closed the door behind them as they stepped into her room. “So, big guy. What’s this all about?”
“This.” He pushed her against the door, pulling her arms above her head, and took her mouth hungrily. She didn’t fight him. Instead, she rubbed herself against him, driving him mad with desire. Now that he had her, a nervous pulse skittered through him, making him wonder if she could feel his slight tremble.
Now, it’s time for make-up sex.