Chapter 20
Adrian
“Hey, Dr. Pierce.”
Sitting at the nurses’ station, I hear Dr. Lowell approach. I look away from the patient’s chart to find him standing next to me. He’s about my age, with dark hair and sharp eyes that rarely miss anything.
“Hey,” I reply, adjusting the tablet in my hands.
“How’s it going today?” His tone is casual, but the fact that he’s even asking surprises me. Most of the staff here are polite enough, but there’s still certain people who are not quite sure what to make of me yet. But Lowell’squestion feels genuine, like he wants to know.
“Good,” I answer, keeping my expression neutral. “Just catching up on patient notes. You?”
“Same.” His gaze flicks over my notes before meeting mine again. “How are you settling in?”
“It’s been good,” I admit, tapping the edge of the tablet with my thumb.
“The work’s decent. I’m enjoying it.” I hesitate for a minute before adding, “Had a tough case this week. A teenager came in with a severe asthma attack that spiraled into respiratory failure. We weren’t sure she’d pull through, but this afternoon…
” I sigh heavily. “She opened her eyes, breathing on her own. We finally turned a corner. It’s been a win. ”
“Nice work.” He nods in approval as he grabs a stethoscope from the desk and loops it around his neck.
I shift in the chair. “You just started your shift?”
“Yeah, nights this week.” He rolls his shoulders, like he’s shaking off the last bit of his day before settling in.
“I’ve had all shifts,” I say before I can stop myself.
“You’re still the new guy. So they throw you into the deep end.” He chuckles.
I nod, tucking that thought away. There’s something reassuring about the way he says it, like being the new kid is only temporary, and I’ll earn my place here eventually. It’s not something I expected to matter to me, but it does. “I’m used to it. Did nights all the time in the city.”
“Right, city life,” he says, watching me like he wants to say more but doesn’t.
It’s silent between us before he straightens. “I’d better get moving. Got rounds to do. You probably have things you’re trying to tie up before heading out.”
“Yeah, alright.”
“See you around, Pierce.”
“See you.”
As soon as he walks off, I return to my notes, but I can still feel a stare on me.
“Well, that was interesting,” a voice mutters.
I glance to my side. Dr. Patel, one of the ER docs, leans against the desk, arms crossed, a knowing look in his eyes.
“What was?” I ask.
He nudges his chin to the now vacant area beside me. “Lowell doesn’t usually talk to anyone like that.”
“He spoke just fine.”
“Yeah.” Patel smirks. “To you. He tends to be a short individual, not saying much to the majority of people. I think the most that’s gotten out of him are acknowledgements that he’s heard you.”
I refocus on my notes, but my mind continues thinking about the interaction longer than it should.
The way Lowell looked at me when I talked about the patient, like he understood exactly what that victory meant.
And the casual way he called me Pierce, like we’d been working together for months instead of just crossing paths.
There was something different about the whole exchange, something that felt less like colleague small talk and more like something else entirely.
A few hours later, I throw my bag into my locker, stretching out the tension in my shoulders. Keith’s out tonight, catching up with Adam and someone from out of town, so the house is mine.
I pull out my phone and stare at the blank message screen. We’ve only kissed, so are we at the point where I can just invite her over? What if she already has plans? What if this is moving too fast? I type out a message before I can second-guess myself any further.
Me: Guess who’s got the house to himself tonight?
This feels like something a teenager would do, sneaking around when the parents aren’t home. But I hit send anyway.
Amelia’s reply comes almost immediately.
Amelia: Is this you asking me to come over? ;)
I chuckle to myself at her fast response.
Me: Need time to shower and wash off the hospital. Come over after 8?
Amelia: Done.
Another text comes through before I can set the phone down.
Amelia: Also, did you see the article went live? Let me know what you think.
Me: Haven’t seen it yet. I’m at the hospital. Will read it.
Amelia: No pressure. Just wanted you to know it’s out there.
I stare at her message for a moment. Out there. My story. My truth. Now the whole town can read it. And the anticipation settles in my chest, making me finish my notes faster.
By the time I walk into my house, I’m already peeling off my scrubs, triple-checking that Keith isn’t home. The moment the hot water hits my skin, I close my eyes, letting the day wash away.
Because tonight, I’m not thinking about work.
I’m thinking about Amelia. About what it’ll be like to have her here, in my space, without having to worry about who might see us. About whether she’ll be as nervous as I am, and if this will feel as intense behind closed doors as it does everywhere else.
I’m getting dressed when I hear the car pull into the driveway, followed by the knock.
When I open the door, Amelia moves toward me with a bright smile lighting up her face. The glow from the porch light catches in her brown and blonde highlighted hair, and there’s something effortless about the way she moves towards me… like she belongs here, like she’s always belonged here.
“I read it,” I say, before she can even speak. “The article.”
Her eyes fill with cautious hope. “And?”
“It’s perfect.” My voice catches. “You… you got it right. All of it. Even the parts I didn’t know how to explain properly.”
She smiles as she takes the first step up. “I’m glad. I wanted to do your story justice.”
“You did more than that,” I say, and kiss her.
My hands find her waist, pulling her flush against me, and I feel the soft gasp she breathes against my lips.
I don’t let her go, walking her backward into the house without breaking contact, my foot kicking the door shut behind us.
Then I remember Keith. What if his plans change and he comes home early?
The last thing we need is him walking in on us.
My hand fumbles for the lock, twisting it into place.
It won’t keep him out if he really wants in, but at least it’ll give us a warning.
I pin her against the door without breaking the kiss.
She makes sexy, breathy sounds that go straight to my dick.
I swallow every one of them, loving the way they vibrate against my lips.
When I finally pull back for air, I rest my forehead against hers, my chest rising and falling with each breath.
“God, I fucking missed you,” I murmur.
“I missed you too,” she says, a little breathless. “I didn’t think I’d be able to get this for days.”
“What are you doing to me? I’ve never needed someone like I need you.” The admission feels dangerous, like I’m giving her something I can’t take back. I’ve never been the guy who gets attached this fast. But with her, all my usual walls seem pointless.
A hint of color spreads across her cheeks, and fuck, she’s so beautiful when she blushes. I can’t stop myself from brushing my thumb over her cheek, from soaking in the heat beneath her skin.
She lets out a shaky breath.
“Do you want a drink or something?” I ask, remembering my manners.
She shakes her head as her teeth graze her bottom lip. “No. I want you.”
The words hit me hard. She’s not holding back, and that does something to me. Something reckless.
I kiss her again, drinking in every bit of her need, her want, her urgency. She fits against me so perfectly that when I lift her, her legs naturally wrap around my waist.
I carry her to the bedroom, barely aware of anything but the way her fingers curl into my hair, the way her breath catches.
By the time I lower her onto the bed, I’m desperate to feel her, to see her. My hands slip under her sweater, tracing the softness of her stomach.
Her hands are already at the hem of my shirt, fingers dragging across my skin like she can’t get enough. The way she’s looking at me—her eyes darkened, breath uneven, hands needy—has my chest tightening.
I yank my shirt off, tossing it aside.
“You’re beautiful,” she whispers.
I huff out a laugh. “Isn’t that my line?”
“Guys can be beautiful too.”
The way she says it—so sure, so sincere—makes my heart fucking swell.
“Thanks,” I murmur before capturing her lips again, my hands pushing up her sweater.
I need to see her, all of her. She lifts her arms, letting me pull it over her head, and then her hands are already at the button of my jeans, undoing them with ease.
There’s no question about what’s happening between us.
The certainty of it, the way she wants this as much as I do, sends a rush of heat through me that’s almost overwhelming.
I let her strip me down, just like I did to her, peeling away everything until there’s only skin, and the sound of our breathing.
She’s in a baby blue set. Lace that hugs her body just right. My fingers brush along the edge of her bra, my gaze dragging over every inch of her. She’s so fucking beautiful, and for a second, I can’t quite believe she’s here, that she’s mine, even if it’s just for tonight.
“Chose it for you,” she admits, almost shyly.
Fuck, I love when she’s shy. She’s being vulnerable with me, and I know that she doesn’t share that with anyone else. She usually only shows her strong side.
I tip her chin up with a finger. “Why do I fucking love that?”
That gets her snapping back, her lips on mine again, all hesitation gone.
“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” I tell her.
Her breath hitches when my fingers glide over the lace of her bra, tracing the delicate fabric where it meets her skin. I watch the way her chest rises and falls, the way her lips part just slightly, like she’s waiting, like she’s daring me to do more.
I take my time, kissing my way down her throat, along her collarbone, tasting the warm, soft skin beneath my lips. She tilts her head back, giving me more, her hands fisting in my hair like she needs something to hold on to.
“Adrian,” she breathes.
My name on her lips is my undoing.
I flick open the clasp of her bra, letting the straps slide down her shoulders before I ease it away. My palms skim over bare skin, soaking in her heat, the way her body responds to my touch. Her nails drag down my back, leaving a sting in their wake, and I groan against her throat.
I want her so badly.
“You’re driving me crazy,” I murmur, my lips brushing her ear.
She lets out a breathless laugh. “Good.”
I press a teasing kiss to the corner of her mouth before heading lower, my hands smoothing over her hips as I push down her blue lacey thong.
She shifts beneath me, helping me, and soon, there’s nothing left.
Just us completely bare to each other. The way she’s looking at me, like she wants me just as badly, makes me feral.
I drop my gaze over her, memorizing every sexy curve. Her fingers graze along my shoulders like she’s doing the same.
“I need you. Please don’t make me wait anymore,” she whispers, her voice raw.
A rush of heat floods my chest, and my pulse quickens.
I press my forehead against hers, steadying myself, soaking in the moment because I know this isn’t just need. It’s so much more.
Kissing her slowly, I pour everything into it. She matches me, fingers gripping my face, her body arching into mine like she was made for this. Fuck, made for me.
“I’ve got you,” I promise against her lips.
And then, I ease her back down onto the bed. Her fingers hold on to me like I’m something she can’t bear to let go of, and I don’t want her to.
Not now.
Not ever.