Chapter 4
CHAPTER
FOUR
WITH A DRAMATIC sigh, Georgia collapsed on the couch, still wearing her scrubs. Two weeks into being a primary care doctor, and she loved every exhausting minute of it. The staff was great, the hours were manageable, and the opportunity to practice medicine was everything she had dreamed of.
The only thing missing from her life was getting rid of something pretty annoying at this point.
Her virginity.
It wasn’t like she was a prude, but her life was always going a million miles a minute with all things academic, and she never veered off track.
She was on scholarship, so school and residency were top priorities and didn’t leave much time to meet someone.
But now, she was ready to find someone and just lose the damn thing already.
It wasn’t like she was waiting for marriage.
She groaned at the last time she met a man where the possibility of giving up her v-card was on the table.
Elijah Barnett.
She should have been embarrassed by how much she thought of him when she was alone in her bed. He would never find out, especially since she had firsthand knowledge of what a prick he was. But those intense navy-blue eyes did something for her.
An alert on her phone blared, the signal she needed to get ready to go out and stop daydreaming about the devil himself.
Touching herself to the vision of Elijah was no reason to blow off her bestie when it was her turn to celebrate.
This was the official start of spring break, so Sophie was off from work for ten days.
In pure Sophie fashion, she planned to start her time off from teaching with a bang.
Both figuratively and literally.
And that had to start in a bar.
Within an hour, Georgia showered, did her hair and makeup, and was ready to meet her friend at Lighthouse. She grabbed her phone from the charger and was about to order an Uber when her phone rang. It was her brother.
“Hey Nashy,” she answered. “Can I call you back in five? I was about to order a ride.”
“Lucky for you, I’m off shift for two more days, so I can be your ride. Where are you going?”
This was not ideal. Yes, she loved spending time with him, but another night of Nash and Sophie fighting was not ideal. It was the new definition of a buzzkill.
“Lighthouse with Sophie.”
There was the pause she expected.
She leaned to smell the flowers sitting on the counter. “You don’t have to drive or anything.”
“No way am I letting you and that wild animal out for the night without a goddamn chaperone.” He sounded disgusted, but he seriously needed to let his animosity toward Sophie go.
It was getting old. “Whenever she is around, you get into trouble. I swear, she needs a fucking leash when she goes out. If you don’t want a ride, fine. But you’ll see me at Lighthouse.”
Putting the essentials like her wallet and ChapStick into her clutch, she ignored his threats. “Nash, obnoxious older brother of mine, I’d love to see you but not under the pretense Sophie or I need a handler. We’re both adults.”
He grunted, real mature of him. “The last time it was just the two of you out, I had to pick you both up at a concert because she couldn’t remember where she parked.
When I got there, the two of you were being serenaded by a group of assholes.
And then, as if me showing up was magic, Sophie remembered you two had a hotel and didn’t need me. ”
Fair point, but in her defense, it was Sophie who called him, not her.
“Then she refused—”
“Love you, bye!” She cut off his argument and ordered an Uber.
She was even more determined now to have fun, just to spite her brother.
LIGHTHOUSE WASN’T CROWDED, which was how Elijah preferred the bar.
He was with Benny, having a drink, after forty-eight hours on shift.
Sometimes after working two days straight, he got home and immediately fell asleep.
Other times, he got a second wind and was up all night.
Benny always had a rough time trying to sleep after shift, so that was how they ended up at the bar.
“Fuck, I need to meet the blonde with Sophie.” Benny almost broke his neck trying to catch sight of someone.
The hair on the back of his neck stood up. Blonde. With Sophie. Fuck, he cursed to himself, praying that when he turned around, it wasn’t Georgia who Benny was drooling over.
“I have my back facing whoever you are checking out,” he mumbled. Maybe if he didn’t acknowledge her, she’d go away.
“She is a damn smoke show.”
He sipped his whiskey, ignoring the desire to see her, and refused to turn around. “I’m sure she is.”
Benny smacked Elijah’s arm. “Fuck, they’re coming over here. Act cool.”
Unbothered, Elijah responded. “Perhaps you should take your own advice. You look like you’re about to jizz in your pants.”
“Fuck off.”
“Hey, boys,” Sophie’s sugary sweet voice greeted them. “Want to buy us our first round of drinks?”
Benny was like a puppy eager to impress the women by gesturing to the two empty chairs at their high-top table. Elijah was sure if Sophie or Georgia gave Benny one more smile, he was going to hump their legs.
“Want shots?” Benny asked as they sat down. And of course, Georgia slid into the seat next to him, and Sophie sat next to Benny.
Sophie was all smiles and batting eyelashes, and Elijah was positive Benny was about to offer to buy her a pony at this point. It was almost distracting him from Georgia.
But it was pointless. He could smell her vanilla-citrus perfume, and he felt her knee brush against his. It was a twisted hell not to look at her.
“I’d love a shot,” Sophie basically purred. “Maybe Sex on the Beach?”
That was the exact moment Nash showed up, smacking Benny on the back of the head and demanding that he get up.
“I’ll go order the shots at the bar,” Benny nervously looked at Nash.
Nash crossed his arms. “None for me. I’m driving.”
Benny darted off to get drinks.
“Shouldn’t you not scare the people you work with?” Sophie glared at Nash.
“Ugh! He works at the station too? Why are all the hot ones firefighters?” Georgia complained next to him. The mention of her being attracted to Benny was the tipping point for him.
Nash didn’t bother with his sister. He was too caught up debating with Sophie.
But Elijah couldn’t take it anymore. He faced Georgia, and holy shit, she was beautiful. Her dark-green eyes were hypnotic, gazing up at him with challenge.
“First it was Roman and now Benny. I need to meet a man who isn’t a firefighter. Is that too much to ask?” Georgia goaded him, and damn it, it worked.
“I think you also forgot to mention another firefighter you met who you were interested in.”
She licked her lips, and fuck, if it didn’t make his dick hard.
“You’re right,” the little seductress smiled. “I also met Sam. What a hottie.”
“He’s too old for you,” Elijah growled. He was annoyed she was listing off people from the station, completely ignoring him and their attraction. “He’s a captain and almost fifty.”
“Maybe I want an older, experienced man?” she said above a sultry whisper.
Fuck the repercussions. Elijah was going to drag her out of the bar and show her how he was the older, experienced man she needed. Before he had a chance to take any action, Benny returned with the shots.
“You’re not the boss of me!” Sophie shouted, grabbed her shot, and swallowed it within a second before slamming the glass on the table. She looked at Georgia. “Let’s go to another bar that’s far away from your brother so we can have fun.”
Nash glared at her. “You aren’t going anywhere.”
Benny’s eyes bounced from Nash to Elijah before he took a step back. “It just hit me. I’m exhausted, and I’m going to head home.”
“You only had one beer, right?” Elijah asked, always protective of his team.
He nodded. “Yeah, one of you can have my shot. Will you be good getting home?”
Benny was his ride, but it didn’t matter. Between Uber and Nash, he’d get home.
“I’m good.” Elijah waved goodbye to his friend. Sophie shoved two of the shots toward him and Georgia.
“Let’s cheers to having a wild night out and an even wilder night in bed!” Sophie raised her shot glass.
Georgia giggled, blushing at the toast, but still lifting her glass. She looked at Elijah. “You joining me?”
Wasn’t that a double entendre of an invitation?
Without responding, he picked up the pink shot and clanked his glass against theirs before swallowing the drink. Sophie grabbed Nash’s shot and swallowed it quickly.
“I’m getting the next round. What does everyone want?” Sophie asked. Apparently, she came to terms with the fact that they weren’t leaving.
“Whiskey,” Elijah told her.
Georgia grinned at him. “Me too.”
“I’ll go with you,” Nash told Sophie.
They both went to the bar, and Elijah was grateful to be alone with Georgia.
To clear some things up.
“Why do you want an older, experienced man?”
SHE TURNED TOWARD him and hated how being near him made her heart race. What was it about shaggy dark hair, a five o’clock shadow, and hauntingly dark eyes that did it for her?
“Why do you care? I live in Landmere, remember?”
Elijah and his ridiculous hookup rule.
“You’re also my best friend’s little sister,” he reminded her with a glare.
“Exactly.” Georgia wasn’t letting the reminder ruin her night. “So what I do with another man shouldn’t faze you.”
His sharp stare intensified. “You will not hook up with someone at the fire station.”
“Who’s going to stop me?” she dared him.
She had no desire to mess around with anyone who worked with her brother. And if she did, unfortunately the only man who would have the chance was the firefighter sitting next to her.
“Drinks and lemon drop shots!” Sophie giddily announced as she swayed back to the table. She handed Georgia and Elijah each their glass of whiskey, and a shot of something white.
Elijah gave Nash a look she wished she understood.
“We got to the bar, where she informed me how they pregamed before the bar like they were back in college or something.” While Nash groaned on about how Sophie had some drinks earlier, Elijah glared at her.
“Then some dick bought her another shot, which she took before I could stop her,” Nash told them.
Sophie took a gulp of her drink. “Your brother’s a pooper party. No, a party poop. A panther party. No, a party panda.”
Nash bit his lip, probably not to laugh at her party pooper attempt. “I’m taking her home. George, you good with Elijah?”
“You’re not taking me anywhere!” Sophie tried to fight it, but when she slipped off the stool and Nash scooped her up, there was no more arguing.
Now Georgia had a night out with just Elijah.
This was either going to be epically fun or epically bad.