Chapter 1
Holly
“Ouch, dang!” I hiss, rubbing at the spot she elbowed relatively hard.
“Oops! Sorry! That was harder than expected.” Brynleigh titters. “Doctor Sexy was soooo checking you out.”
“You call him that in your head too? I’m gonna have to be careful that I don’t say that out loud.”
“Well, that’s one I didn’t expect to hear this early in the morning. Won’t say I’m not flattered.”
Fuck!
Dr. Reyes is typing information in Jane’s chart, I’m assuming.
Brynleigh and I both stop dead in our tracks, looking at one another before bursting into snickers.
It’s either that or combust on the spot.
He doesn’t look embarrassed that it was obvious that he eyed me with curiosity.
I haven’t decided yet if his calm confidence is just his demeanor or if it’s cockiness.
Most doctors seem to have a smidge of that anyway.
“We’re, uh, just going to go grab a snack down the hall in vending while those two catch up.”
“Great idea. I haven’t had breakfast yet this morning. I’m starving.”
Bryn smiles at me like this is the best development to an already great day, hooking her arm through mine as we take off down the hall. Dr. Sexy strides behind us as he types, stopping only to set his tablet down at the nurses station.
“Linz, I’m taking a quick snack break. Page if you need me. I’ve checked in with all the mommas on the floor already.”
“Sure thing, Dr. Reyes,” I hear her coo as we continue our trek, not stopping for him.
“Oh my gosh!” Brynleigh whisper-shouts to me as we’re walking.
“Shh…”
“So, what is it you both do?”
Brynleigh’s phone chooses that moment to ring. She holds it up to show me Trystan’s face.
“Gotta take this. I’ll catch up in a few. Get me something good.” She eyes me sheepishly, not sorry one bit about leaving me alone with this man. I’m going to punch Trystan in the arm later for his damn timing.
“Suuure,” I draw out, noticing Dr. Sexy still has his eyes on me.
“What were you asking me again, Dr. Reyes?”
His smile spreads wider. Fuck, he has dimples.
“Jaxon. You can call me Jaxon, unless you’d prefer Dr. Sexy.”
I drop my debit card, cursing myself for being so flustered by this beautiful man. Come on now!? I’ve been around plenty of them. But when was the last time one was single or inside you? We both crouch at the same time to grab it, butting heads in the process.
“Ouch! Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.”
“Are you okay?” he blurts out at the same time. We both chuckle as we stand back up. “I’m so sorry.” He looks at my forehead, the doctor in him automatically seeking out any injury.
“I’m okay.”
An orderly rushes around the corner with an empty gurney, giving us a whole two seconds of warning. Shit! I’m going to be pancaked by a gurney. Can this day get any more embarrassing? Suddenly, I’m pushed into a dark linen closet, crowded closely by a wall of pure pink muscle.
“Damn, that was close. My heart is pounding.”
“Um,” I answer, a little breathless.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t squish you, did I?” He makes no attempt to pull away but reaches for my face, looking back up at my head like he thinks he actually hit me hard enough earlier to rattle my brain.
“I’m okay, I just um–” He’s so close, I can’t think straight. There’s a faint hint of cologne near that distracting notch where his collar bones meet. His eyes lower to mine, then my lips, then back up again.
“Just um–what?” His head tilts just a little lower. Oh, hot damn. I really can’t think. “Distracted.”
The corner of his mouth quirks, then the smile settles slowly back on his lips. My answer didn’t make sense, did it? Shit. What did I say?
“What’s got you so distracted?” He lowers another half inch, his eyes continuing to bounce back and forth between mine.
This man is lethal. We just met, and fuck, this is not like me!
I’ve always got a witty comeback. Something damn it!
Here I am, in a closet, pressed up against a hard wall of man that I just met literally a half hour ago tops, but damn it feels so good.
My eyes travel to his upturned lips, then dart up to his eyes.
“Fuck it,” he mutters, pulling me closer to him, obliterating the space between us and crushing his lips to mine.
Well, that took an unexpected turn.
???
Jaxon
What the heck am I doing? Hell, her lips are so soft, I don’t even care.
I let my mind go blank, pushing away all the thoughts telling me this isn’t like me–and just attempt to feel.
Call it sleep deprivation. It’s been so long since I’ve just done something without thinking, and I’m digging the dangerous electricity racing just below the surface of my skin.
Holly stiffens for a mere second before her lips melt back against mine, her breasts pressing oh-so-gently against my chest. My touch-starved body does an internal jig as a mix of our aroused moans fills the air.
Her mouth pulls back a mere millimeter, just enough for her to bite down on that juicy lip, but I’m not done, so I lean in, chasing it, pulling it back in between my own.
She lets out a soft groan, her lips becoming more pliant, parting more for my tongue to sweep in.
This is madness, and I’m here for it. Holly’s fingers cup my stubbled cheeks before raking through my hair.
I pull away with a gasp.
“I had the best of intentions of asking you on a date first,” I pant out raggedly as she dives back in to claim my lips. She’s reduced me to a puddle of testosterone. I pull her body closer, savoring the feeling of a warm woman pressed against me. “Mmmmm…”
She pulls away with a breathy gasp of her own.
“I’ll still expect that date.” She grins, the naughty tilt at the corner of her mouth enticing me further.
“You got it.” I don’t hold back, grabbing her face between both palms so I can explore every inch of her glorious, mmm, minty mouth.
My pager buzzes in between us, and I mutter a soft curse as I pull back my lips a fraction of a second.
It stops, and I suck her bottom lip back in my mouth for a tantalizing pull, cursing louder between my teeth and around that plump skin when I hear the overhead system call my name.
I release her lip with a pop, loving the dazed look in her eyes and the way her breasts heave and strain against her top.
With an absurd amount of reluctance, I pull the pager from the clip at my belt to look at the room number.
“Hold that thought. It might be baby time…” I smile with a promise of later shenanigans, pecking her lips once more before pulling away. “See you soon.” I wink at her as I run my fingers through my hair to tame it and slip out of the closet.
I notice the blonde that had been with Holly– Brynleigh I think–on the phone, chatting excitedly a few feet away from the nurse’s station.
She widens her smile toward me in acknowledgement before her eyes drift behind me and her brows pinch together in question.
I glance behind me and notice Holly sneaking out of the closet.
I smirk and turn my head back to see Brynleigh staring at me again.
Busted. An amused expression flitters across her face for only a second before she jumps animatedly back into her conversation with someone named Colin, if I heard correctly.
“Oh good! You’re here!” Annie, Jane’s nurse, grins from the doorway of Jane’s room. “It went fast! It’s about time.” I grin, knowing that within the hour I’ll get to help usher a new life into this crazy world.
Stepping into the room, I walk over to the sink to wash my hands, assessing everything my team has been doing to prepare for this moment.
Jane is doing amazing. It never ceases to amaze me what a woman’s body is capable of enduring.
I take in Jane in all her glory. She’s bracing against the bed on her hands and knees, blowing out her breaths through a hard contraction.
She may be sweating her butt off in nothing but a sports bra and a sheet, but she’s stunning.
She’s the epitome of strength, and you can see just how much her husband adores her in this moment.
She might be considering breaking his hand, but he’s staying strong for her, whispering how proud he is of her and that it’s almost time to meet their little girl.
Tears cloud Jane’s eyes as he kisses her forehead.
“I really hate and love you right now,” Jane cries, grits through her teeth, and laughs, all in a span of seconds as Garrett and Annie help get her into a pushing position I can help more with. I attempt to hold in my amusement.
“You’re beautiful.” Garrett chuckles against her forehead.
“Jane, that was actually pretty kind considering some of the things I’ve heard over the span of my deliveries.
Garrett, take it for the win,” I mention cheekily as I snap on my gloves and roll to the end of the bed.
Hey, I said I was attempting to hold in my amusement.
I failed. I’ll at least hold back that, by this point, obscenities and vows of castration are decently common.
“I need Holly in here!” Jane pleads before blowing through another contraction. I eye Annie, and she nods, running for the door. Seconds later, Holly’s peeking in.
“Get in here!” Jane pants when she notices her. “Garrett’s great–and all, but if he passes out, I know you’re solid!”
I openly snicker, watching an array of emotions pass over Garrett’s face.
“Point for me, Gare Bear,” Holly taunts with a wolfish smile as she comes in and sidles up next to her friend. “Don’t you dare pass out. She’ll never let you live it down, and now there are more witnesses.”
“No pressure,” Garrett shakes his head, teasing back with a smile while probably pep talking himself. I’ve seen a fair share of strong men drop like a bag of bricks.
“How you feeling about this, Momma?” I ask over the sheet, assessing Jane’s emotional state while connecting on a more personal level other than just being all up in her business. It’s time. I want her to know that she’s doing excellent and that both of them are safe with me.
“Nervous. Ready.”
“Jane, I’m gonna say it. You’re a badass.” I feel comfortable she won’t likely balk at my admission.
“I’m a badass.” She repeats the affirmation, sweat beading on her brow.
Jane pants as Holly swipes a cool rag against her skin. She peeks down at me and smiles.
“Well, at this point it doesn’t matter.” Jane blows out a breath before ripping her sheet off. Nope, it doesn’t matter one bit. I’m quite surprised she still had it on to be honest. Birthing naturally isn’t all neat and proper like they show in the movies. “Let’s do this.”
“Thatta girl,” Holly says, grinning at her bestie.