Chapter 37
Luke
October - Four Weeks Later
I’ve asked a million times already, but I ask once more. “You’re sure you want to do this?”
“I’m sure,” Jen confirms. “It’s time to make some changes and I’m ready to commit. All in.”
I smile, my heart on the verge of exploding. “All in.”
Sloan and I — and Jasper — are walking with Jen as she turns in her notice. He and I felt she shouldn’t go alone because who knows what her creep of a boss might do or say to get her to stay?
She knocks on Adam’s office door. We promised to wait outside and only make an appearance if she needed us. It was a bit of a bitch getting Sloan up here without causing a scene, but Jasper’s wearing his fuck around and find out face today.
“Hey Adam, could we chat a second?”
Sloan has to pull me back when Adam answers, “Is this the kind of chat we should close the door for?”
“Absolutely not. It’s the kind of chat where I’m putting in my notice and telling you to go fuck yourself.”
Sloan snickers out loud and it makes me snort a laugh. Even Jasper’s lips twitch…until Adam opens his dumb mouth again.
“At least I’d be getting some. You’ve been dumped by two men in the last three months and now they’d rather fuck each other instead of you.”
That’s the last straw. Sloan and I turn the corner into Douchebag Adam’s office and flank Jen.
“Actually, the three of us fuck each other, not that it’s any of your business,” Sloan says, as I take Jen’s face in my hands and kiss her.
“Holy shit. Sl…Sloan Alexander. Man, it’s nice to meet you,” Adam stammers standing up behind his desk.
I answer for Sloan since he now has his tongue down Jen’s throat. “Yeah, he doesn’t feel the same. And just so you know, we’ve reported you to the state nursing board. I’d start collecting boxes to pack your shit in if I were you.”
Due to the level of harassment Adam was giving Jen, we actually reported him two weeks ago when Jennifer went above his head to turn her notice in. Today was just payback and to make him sweat. She’s actually already worked her two-week notice.
Breaking away from Sloan, Jen rips her badge off and throws it on the desk between us and Adam before lacing her fingers with mine and Sloan’s. “Oh, and you can forget about those tickets to see Beautiful Deceit, and we’ll just consider this your meet and greet”
We walk out, leaving Adam standing with his mouth open in shock.
The following Monday, I smile down at my favorite brunette as I hold the door to the ER open for her.
We walk to the nurses’ station and a few of the staff greet me.
When one curvy blonde nurse in particular smiles seductively and “Good morning, Major Blackwell,” rolls off her tongue, Jennifer stops in her tracks and turns to face me.
I bump into her chest and look down to see her eyes closed and her jaw clenched.
“I’m not gonna be able to handle working with all these nurses eye fucking you in your scrubs.” Her admission sends my desire for her into overdrive.
Apparently, I’m not just gay. Nor do I really consider myself bisexual. I’m just attracted to and in love with Sloan Alexander and Jennifer Hayes. If I had to label it, I’d be whatever being in love with those two people makes me. And I’m okay with that.
Laughing, I grip her shoulders and lean down, not close enough to be deemed inappropriate for work, but closer than I’d get to any of these other ladies. “Every day, I’m coming home to you and Sloan, baby. They can eye fuck me all they want, but the only pussy I want calling my name is yours.”
Jen has managed to stay under the radar. With the media focused on Sloan and I, she enjoys being able to live her life without the press up her ass.
Her shoulders relax under my hands and after she collects herself, I turn her back around to face the nurses’ station.
“Ladies, this is Jennifer Hayes. She’s the newest member to the ER team here at Alexander. I trust you’ll treat her well and show her the ropes?”
“Yes, sir,” they respond. Jennifer’s eyes darken and I chuckle, leaning forward again.
“Relax, angel. They have to call me that because I outrank them.”
“Oh, right.”
I leave her to the nurses and head to my office to catch up before making rounds when my cell phone goes off, making me smile. The guitar solo tells me exactly who’s texting me.
Sloan 7:53am
Is our girl all settled in?
Luke 7:53am
Just dropped her off.
Sloan 7:53am
Thank you for getting that job for her.
Luke 7:54am
She got the job. I just opened a door.
Sloan 7:56am
Well, I plan to thank you for it later anyway.
Luke 7:56am
I’d ask what you have planned, but I can’t hide an erection in scrubs.
Sloan 7:57am
You’ll have to wait and see then.
Luke 7:58am
I’m looking forward to it already.
I work eight hour shifts and Jen works twelve so Sloan and I have four hours to ourselves most weekdays that he’s home.
But to be fair, Jen works three days on and then has four days off, giving her alone time with Sloan as well.
She and I sneak several intimate moments at work and we get date nights out and about when work keeps Sloan busy.
The media mostly leaves me alone these days unless Sloan is with me, so Jen and I can dine and go to the movies in peace.
The schedule couldn’t be more perfect because by the time we’re all home together, we crave the excitement and love of the group after having other opportunities to pair off and grow as separate couples.
We’ve been going back and forth between Sloan’s place and mine to share the driving, but now that Jen works in Alexandria, VA with me, they’ve been spending more time up here.
These cool November nights have quickly become my favorite and every day I can’t wait to get home to both of them, turn the gas logs on, and settle in with my two favorite people in the world.
Which is exactly where I want to be tonight as early-season snowflakes pelt my windshield on the drive home at five. I send Jen a voice text telling her to be safe on her way home, knowing she won’t be leaving for another few hours.
When I let myself into my condo, the fire is already going and Sloan is sitting on the couch in black athletic pants with his guitar, working on something I haven’t heard before. He hears me come in and sets his guitar on the couch next to him.
“Please don’t stop on my account,” I tell him, lust filling every syllable.
“I have a sudden urge to switch activities.” He smiles against my lips.
I set my work bag on the table in the small foyer and let him pull me into the living room. Looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows, we watch the ground below us become dotted with snow, giving us a peaceful, quiet moment.
Turning to face me, Sloan fingers the chain around my neck, looking contemplative.
“Hey, you okay?” His soulful eyes meet mine and just like all those years ago, a whole conversation passes between us. I brush his hair out of his eyes and kiss him softly. “I love you, you know.” I’ll never tire of telling him this and am so grateful for the second chance we’ve been given.
“I know,” he confirms. “Which is why I think it’s time I put this away.”
Before I can ask put what away, he reaches behind him and undoes the chain around his own neck.
“Your dog tag? There’s no need to take that off, Sloan.” I try to still his hands, not wanting him to feel like he has to erase part of his past. Our past. Even if it’s ugly.
“Not mine.”
He slides one of the two pendants off the chain and replaces the single tag around his neck.
In his palm lies Grant Tomlin’s military dog tag.
“I know just what to do with that.” I walk to the wall where my purple heart hangs and pull the frame down.
Then I go in my room and grab one of the pictures Sloan let me have of he and I that Grant took.
Back in the living room, I place the photo in the frame first and hook Grant’s dog tag on the pin securing my medal.
When I replace the frame on the wall, Sloan’s bottom lip is quivering.
I curl his fingers into a fist and kiss his knuckles.
“May he rest in peace.”