Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
BLAKE
T he sun shines right in my face, making me too warm, so I kick off the blankets, then search for my woman so I can sink inside her and start the day right, but the bed is empty, and the sheets are cool where she should be.
I don’t fucking like that.
After pulling on some sweats and doing my business, I pad out to the kitchen, the smell of coffee leading the way. There’s a pot on the warmer, but no Harper.
A glance around the living room tells me she’s not in there, but then I glimpse her dark hair out on the patio and move to the window.
There are moments when seeing her is a punch in the gut. When all I can do is stare because she’s so fucking incredible, it steals the breath from my body, and I have no words to describe how absolutely phenomenal she is.
Harper’s lying against the cushions of the swing, a book in her hands and her mug of coffee resting on the table next to her.
She’s wearing an old blue med school T-shirt of mine that looks way better on her than it ever did on me and a pair of little denim shorts, leaving those long legs bare.
I want those legs over my shoulders or wrapped around my waist, and I want to lose myself in her perfect body.
It doesn’t look like she’s eaten anything, so I make us each a quick protein shake and walk out to join her, needing to be near her.
“Good morning,” she says with a smile, pulling her feet back so I can join her on the swing, her eyes dancing up and down my naked torso.
A blush works its way up her cheeks, making me grin and my cock stir in my pants.
“You were sleeping too peacefully for me to wake you up. Also, you’re damn hot when you’re shirtless, Blake. Jesus, warn a girl.”
I pass her a shake, sit down, and pull her feet into my lap. The boost to my ego that she likes what she sees doesn’t go unnoticed, but I want to hear all about her this morning. “How are you, baby?” I ask as I set the swing in motion and reach for her hand, linking our fingers.
“Never better.” She sips her shake, licks her lips, and her eyebrows climb. “That’s pretty good for being green.”
“Green is good for you.” I grin and gesture to her book. “What are you reading?”
She holds the book up, showing me the cover, which is what my sister Billie calls a hot guy cover .
“ The Knockout by Bella Matthews. I love this author.” She sighs and lays the book across her chest. “This is a good one. He’s a hockey player, and she’s a ballerina, and I’m really interested to hear what Skyla thinks of this one.
If she identifies with the heroine at all because, in the book, she has a foot injury, stress fractures in her foot, and can’t dance, and it’s horrible for her.
So it’ll be fun to hear what Skyla thinks. ”
“I’d also be interested to hear her thoughts on that,” I reply, rubbing Harper’s calf, up and down, and she sighs and melts into my touch.
Skyla moved here almost two years ago, leaving a ballet career in New York, along with an unhinged stalker, to settle here in Montana.
Her ankle was badly injured, ending her career, but she opened her dance studio, met my brother, and the rest is history.
She’s one of us now, and I love her like a sister.
“I’m almost finished,” she says with a happy sigh, sipping more of her smoothie. “There’s a surprise baby, and the tension is high.”
My eyebrows climb. “A surprise baby?”
“Yeah, she’s pregnant, not on purpose, and he doesn’t know yet, and oh, the drama.
” She grins and sips her smoothie. “I’m not usually a fan of the surprise baby trope myself.
Because I’m not so sure that a whoops pregnancy is particularly romantic, and definitely not sexy to me, but this book is great. ”
“Surprise babies.” I shake my head, but I don’t feel the dread or fear that would have come at the mention of an unplanned pregnancy before I met Harper. In fact, the idea of a home and children with this woman doesn’t frighten me at all.
I’m changing all my rules for her.
“I had no idea that was a thing in books,” I continue.
“It’s a thing in real life, Blake.”
I blink at her, and she giggles.
“No, not me.” She shudders at the thought. “Just fiction in my world. Anyway, book club is Thursday night, and I have to finish this bad boy before then, but I’m almost there. I have a busy few days off coming up.”
“What are your plans, sugar?” God, I love chatting with her in the morning. Just sitting here, sleepy, starting the day together.
The first of many.
This is what I pictured when I asked her to move in here.
“Well, you have to go back to the clinic tomorrow. Boo.” She squeezes my hand.
“I’m going to hike tomorrow if my legs aren’t too sore after riding today.
I also need to do some meal prep, and I want to make some cookies for Greg and Xander.
Ava and I are going to do some shopping on Thursday and grab dinner before book club. ”
“I have clinic and ER tomorrow,” I inform her, dragging my fingertips up and down the top of her bare foot. “So I won’t be home until well past midnight.”
“Snuggle up with me when you get here.”
I grin at her. “That’s a given. It’s one of the reasons I wanted you to move in here, baby, so I can crawl into bed and hold you every chance I get. ”
“You’re swoony, Dr. Blackwell.”
I lift her foot and bite the end of her big toe, making her squeal.
“Ew! No toe biting.”
“You have delectable little toes, sugar.”
“No.” She wiggles her feet, trying to get out of my grasp. “Toes aren’t clean, Blake.”
“You’re pretty clean, Harper.”
My phone pings in my pocket, and I pull it out to check it.
“My parents will be around this morning,” I inform her. “We can swing by anytime.”
“Greg said the same thing. Maybe we knock the parent stuff out first, then we can go for a ride.”
“I like that plan, but let’s sit here for a few more minutes. It’s nice.”
She smiles and sits up so she can kiss me, skimming her fingertips down my jaw. “It’s better than nice.”
One full day together wasn’t enough, but at least she was there this morning, and I was able to start my day with my face between her thighs and my cum in her pussy before I had to come into the clinic for the day.
Christ, I’m addicted to her.
And I’m perfectly okay with that.
I’ve seen two ear infections and had three annual exams before I walk into the next room. I come up short when I see the name on the computer.
Greg Hendrix.
I glance up and frown at the man sitting before me.
“I just saw you yesterday,” I say conversationally as I sit on the rolling stool and check his vital signs.
Everything looks fine.
“I’m just here for a follow-up,” he replies. “I promised my kids that I wouldn’t slack when it comes to this shit, and I keep my word. Had labs drawn yesterday.”
I nod, looking over the results, then smile at him. “You’re doing great, Mr. Hendrix. Your numbers are excellent. I can tell that you’re being smart with your diet and the medication. How are you feeling?”
“Better,” he says, taking a deep breath. “It feels like it’s been a shit show, but I think we’re on the other side of it. I have too much to live for to dick around.”
I sit back and let him talk. I enjoyed our time with him yesterday. It’s evident that Greg adores Harper.
“My babies might not be babies anymore, but they still need their old man.”
“Absolutely.”
“And I want to spend time with my grandkids. I want to spoil them, teach them how to ride a horse. And I have a lady friend.”
I lift an eyebrow, and Greg grins.
“Does Harper know?” I ask him.
“Of course. The kids might have been scandalized, but what are they going to do about it? Besides, if I can deal with the fact that you’re shacking up with my girl, she can handle me going on a few dates here and there.”
Smiling back at him, I close the computer. “I love your daughter, Greg.”
“I know. It was written all over you yesterday. If you didn’t look at her like she hung the goddamn moon, I’d have put up a fight. Because the asshole before you? He did some damage, and none of us knew it was happening until it was too fucking late.”
I take a breath, nodding.
“I know. I’ve seen the damage. It fucking pisses me off, if I’m being honest.”
“Good. It should.” Greg taps his finger on his knee. “My girl deserves the best of everything life has to offer. I’m so proud of her, of the shit she’s pulled herself through. If you’re what’s best, then I’m all for it. She seems happy.”
“My one goal in life is to keep her that way,” I assure him. “She’s amazing.”
“That she is. I’d love to take credit for it, but that’s all her. Now, do I get an A on this report card?”
“You do. Well done.”
Greg nods and pushes to his feet.
“Don’t hesitate to call if you have questions. Call my personal cell,” I tell him. “Keep doing what you’re doing.”
“Thanks, Doc,” he says with a wink, and then he’s off.
It’s been four hours since I was home, and I already miss her.
I’ve turned into a fucking sap.
But I pull out my phone and text my girl.
Me: How are you, sugar?
The message sits on read while I update Greg’s chart, and then I see movement out of the corner of my eye. Dark hair. Perfect legs.
And when I glance over, there she is, smiling at me, holding a bag.
“I’m fine, how are you?”
Without a word, I take her hand and pull her into my office. I close the door behind us.
“I was missing you,” I murmur before I brush my lips over hers.
“I hiked for a bit, then I grabbed lunch from Juliet’s place and brought you some,” she says, gesturing to the bag. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“Thanks, baby.” I set the bag aside. “How was the hike?”
“Meh.” She wrinkles her nose, and I turn to her, giving her my full attention. I don’t like her tone or the fact she looks exhausted. “I’m not feeling all that great today, so I didn’t go far.”
“What do you mean, you don’t feel great? What are your symptoms?”
I immediately press my fingers to her pulse point and my lips to her forehead. I don’t feel a fever, and her pulse feels okay.
“I’m fine , Dr. Blackwell.” She presses her hands to my chest but doesn’t push me away, which is good because I’m not going anywhere.
“I’m just not myself today. Maybe that twenty-mile bike ride in the sunshine did me in yesterday.
I got myself some lunch, too, and I’m going to go home and chill. Read a book.”
Examining her eyes and feeling okay with what I find, I tug her against me and hug her close. “Are you sure? Do you need me to run a blood test, check your CBC, or something?”
“Blake. I’m tired. I have a bit of the icks today. That’s it.” She kisses my chest, right in the middle of my sternum.
“Take a nap.” I lift her chin and tug her lip out of her teeth. “Drink lots of water.”
“Yes, sir.”
Her lips twitch, and my cock stirs.
“You’re being sassy, so that’s a good sign.”
“I’m really not sick,” she assures me. “I just need a lazy day.”
“Okay. I’ll check on you later.” Leaning down, I brush my lips over hers again. “Take care of my girl.”
“She’s in good hands.” She does a little curtsey, making me grin. “I’m a nurse. I know what to do. Don’t worry about me.”
“Impossible. You’re mine. That means I worry.”
“You’re quite mushy. You know that, right?”
Shaking my head, I press my lips to her forehead. “Get used to it, sugar. Go feel better. Let me know if you need anything.”
“I will. Have a good day, dear.” She blows me a kiss, and then she’s gone, and before the door can close, my nurse pokes her head in.
“We have a chest pain patient who just came in through urgent care.”
“I’m right behind you.”