Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Eloise
I’m wearing a pair of blue boyshorts and a black T-shirt when I emerge from my bedroom.
I wasn’t sure if I’d find Gaines here still.
“I know you need to go,” I offer the way out that I sense he needs.
His gaze is glued to the screen of his phone. “The patient is stable and asleep. I’ll make my way back to the hospital shortly.”
I approach him with quick steps. “I think I bruised your lip. I may have bit it in the heat of the moment.”
His hand darts up to float over the corner of his bottom lip. “It’s a badge of honor, lamb.”
I laugh. “Someone will ask where it came from.”
“I’ll tell that someone it’s none of their fucking business.”
I have no doubt that he will. He’s direct when he needs to be, but I’ve seen the softer side of him at the hospital. I witnessed it firsthand when I fell on the sidewalk, and he brought me home.
Speaking of that…
“Did Castle let you into the building?”
A smirk slides over his lips. “Who the fuck is Castle?”
I can’t help but smile. “He manages Vinyl Crush.”
“The store was closed up tight when I got here.”
That doesn’t answer my question, so I press for more, adding a twist of humor to the question. “So, you broke into the building?”
He glances briefly at his phone before his eyes are back on mine. “I used the key code.”
Realization floods me. “You peeked over my shoulder last night when I was punching it in.”
“Yes,” he says in a soft tone.
With any other guy I’ve brought home, that would feel like a violation, but it doesn’t with him.
“Because you knew you’d be back,” I say, not framing it as a question.
“Over and over again.”
Tugging on the bottom hem of my T-shirt, I smile. “Good.”
His gaze rakes me as he pockets his phone. “I want to check your knee.”
Before I can tell him it’s feeling fine, he crouches in front of me. His fingers skim over my leg, above and below the scrape. He follows that with a soft kiss on my thigh.
My hand instinctively drops to his hair. I thread my fingers through it as he gazes up at me.
“I’ll need to come back tomorrow for a house call to recheck this.”
I shrug a shoulder. “I have dinner plans.”
That brings him back to his feet. “With who?”
There’s a faint tic in his jaw, and his brow has furrowed, so I go for a tease. “With a trauma surgeon named Dr. Sexy?”
His hands jump to circle my biceps. He holds me in place, his gaze searing into mine. “Stay away from him.”
I don’t feel threatened, only confused. “Why?”
He shakes his head, but it doesn’t chase away the intensity in his expression. “What happened between the two of you today? At the coffee shop? Tell me what you talked about.”
Surprised that this matters to him, I sigh. “Dr. Sexton was only able to introduce himself to us before Penny took over the conversation. She held onto it until he excused himself.”
The relief in his body is palpable. His grip on me lessens. “Good.”
“I sometimes talk to other men,” I try to keep my tone light. “It sort of comes with living in Manhattan.”
His eyes lock on mine. “Do you fuck other men, Eloise?”
The question sets me back a step. “In the past couple of days, no. You’ve kept me and my pussy busy, Doc.”
His gaze drops to my boyshorts. “I’d do the same now, but I do need to go.”
“Go be an awe-inspiring cardiologist.” I poke a finger into the middle of his chest. “Save a life or two tonight.”
He smiles. “This dinner date you have tomorrow night, who is it with?”
“Inquiring minds sure do want to know,” I quip.
“Tell me.” His gaze drops to his watch before it’s back on my face.
“I don’t want you to feel left out.”
He nods in understanding. “Stevie sent you an invite to dinner, too?”
I nod. “Dinner at six, and I’m responsible for dessert again.”
“Crusty bread is my assignment,” he goes on, “and buttercups for Stevie.”
“You’re good to her.”
“She’s good to me,” he counters. “I’ll see you there?”
“Gaines?” I step closer to him. “About that… do you think we should tell…”
“No,” he answers my question before I can finish it. “You know Berk and Astrid. They’ll take this and run, and Stevie will start planning our wedding. I can’t break that kid’s heart.”
I read between all those lines.
We shouldn’t mention whatever this is to any of them because it’s not going to end the way they’d want it to.
I nod. “It’s just between the two of us.”
“That’s best,” he agrees with a sharp nod of his chin.
“For everyone,” I whisper, not completely convinced that’s true.
His phone chimes. Almost immediately, a second chime fills the air. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Eloise.”
“You will.” I paste on a smile. “Thanks for the house call.”
“It was my pleasure.” He takes my mouth in a soft, lush kiss. “Literally, lamb. It was all pleasure.”