Author: Parker, Ali
Date: 2019-08-22
Rights: Copyright 2019 Ali Parker. All rights reserved.

Rule Breaker By Accident

Ali Parker

BrixBaxter Publishing

Contents

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Description

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Epilogue

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Description

Don’t date clients.

One rule.

Easy enough, or so I thought.

Until this hot surgeon that I’ve been dating off and on becomes a client.

It was a casual fling, a fun summer love affair.

Until it wasn’t.

My heart wasn’t ready to fall so hard for this bad boy in scrubs.

The secrets he has hidden in his past stop me dead in my tracks.

But he isn’t giving up on us. Not for anything.

And I have to decide where I stand.

Break the rules or walk away from the best thing I’ve ever had.

Introduction

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Chapter 1

Rylen

The first time I set foot inside a real operating room, I was shocked by how little it looked like the ones on television. In reality, operating rooms were sterile and if you were lucky, you had some state-of-the-art equipment in them, but they certainly didn’t look the part of shiny modern marvels like the ones of those intricately designed sets for TV dramas did.

In the years since I popped my OR cherry, the surprise of what they really looked like had worn off, and the rooms—just the way they were—had become like a second home to me. I didn’t have much of a choice but to get comfortable in them, considering that I was now an honest-to-God heart surgeon. Surprise, surprise.

Even I wondered sometimes how that had happened. How I’d gone from the person I used to be to the guy everyone looked to in the OR. Thank God none of my patients knew my history, or they’d never let me hold the scalpel that was about to cut them open.

All they saw was a competent surgeon, one who moved seamlessly from patient to patient and operation to operation and still remembered everyone’s names. It had taken a lot for me to get to where I was. More than it did for most others, in my humble opinion.

Whatever my past, my present was a fucking great place to be. My ORs were my happy place. In many ways, I had become almost more comfortable in them than in my own house since I spent far more hours at the hospital than I did at home.

I knew every person in there with me by name, every sight I could expect to see, and every sound I routinely heard by heart. Which made me uniquely qualified to state uncategorically that the sights and sounds around me right now were not how things usually were.

Alarms were blaring and people were shouting. Machines were going mad and flashing lights I knew they could, but I didn’t see them in action very often. So in short, my surgery is going to hell in a handbasket.

The man on the table in front of me was in his mid-fifties and had come in for the most common type of heart surgery in adults, a coronary artery bypass. Many people still believed the mortality rate of this surgery was astronomically high.

It wasn’t anymore, though. Technology was a wonderful thing. It had made it a much safer, more efficient procedure with far fewer side effects than it had been at its inception.

Unless you were Mr. Murray, my current patient, who probably wouldn’t have two fucks to give about the mortality rate in general, because he was about to become a statistic in the something-went-horribly-wrong column.

Complete chaos had become of the calm order that had been my OR only moments ago, and I was the one everyone was waiting for to make the call. Everything had been going perfectly well just a minute ago, and now my patient was coding.

Fucking great. Time slowed down for me, allowing me to take a deep breath before I jumped into action.

Haste was one of a surgeon’s worst enemies. It was right up there with panic and jitters. I watched the mayhem around me and, as calmly as I could, tried to assess what was causing the incessant beeping of the machines that were signaling how close the circles Mr. Murray was making were to the drain.

I’d made the incision in the chest and temporarily stopped the patient’s heart. Cutting lengthwise through the sternum next, I’d spread it apart to expose the organ I needed to get to. After that, we’d inserted the tubes into the heart so that blood could be pumped through his body by a heart-lung bypass machine.

Everything had been going swimmingly until that point. Then all hell broke loose.

Studiously gazing down at Mr. Murray, I narrowed my eyes and searched for the cause of the code. For a second I didn’t see anything, but then my eyes snagged on a tiny stream of shiny fluid seeping into the space between the sac that encased the heart and the heart muscle. And there it is.

Cardiac Tamponade. Fuck, it had been a while since I’d last seen one of these. Knowing what I was dealing with now, though, I got to work.

“We’re going to have to drain that and repair the pericardium.” I turned to Edgar, my best friend and the best damn nurse we had. “Get me the needle. We need to do this fast.”

He nodded, his brown eyes dark and serious for once above his surgical mask. Edgar and I worked together like a well-oiled machine, at times not even needing words to communicate.

Anticipating my needs was one of Edgar’s superpowers, and they didn’t let him down today. People gave him shit about being a male nurse all the time. He had a good sense of humor about it, but he took his job very seriously. It wasn’t an accident that he became a nurse, and he didn’t see it as a stepping-stone to a higher position or anything.

Edgar’s mother had been a nurse and he’d grown up giving the noble profession the respect it deserved. When it came time to decide what he was going to do for the rest of his life, he chose nursing and never looked back. I thanked my lucky stars that he didn’t.

“He’s stable,” Edgar announced, standing beside me with his eyes darting between the monitors and Mr. Murray’s open chest cavity. “Okay, Superman. You’re good to go.”

I fought against the urge to roll my eyes at the nickname he’d given me about a year ago and wouldn’t stop using. “Thank you, Robin. Go give the family a quick update, would you? We’re out of the woods for now, but you need to get back here as fast as you can.”

“Robin was Batman’s sidekick, not Superman’s. How many times do I have to tell you this?” His dark eyes smiled, his lips hidden by his mask. “I’ll be back. Don’t kill anyone while I’m gone.”

“I’ll do my best,” I retorted, but I was already signaling for the scalpel I needed to be handed to me by another nurse.

Edgar was the only person other than myself who I trusted to speak to the families, and since I couldn’t exactly walk out during surgery, the others knew to step into the role on my right side whenever he had to leave. An update wasn’t strictly necessary at this time, but I knew Mr. Murray’s family would be watching the clock and anxious to know how it was going. I tried to be considerate to the families when I could, and this was one of those times.

The rest of the procedure went off without a hitch, and once Mr. Murray was being wheeled into recovery, I breathed out a quiet sigh of relief. “That was touch-and-go there for a minute.”

“You’re telling me,” Edgar agreed, walking behind me as we went to wash up. “Your record remains unblemished, though, so good job. Another day as the dude who’s never lost a patient.”

“Dumb luck.” I pushed through the door and started peeling off my surgical gown, discarding it with the remainder of the waste to be collected from the chamber beside the room. “Trust me, I’m nothing special.”

He barked out a laugh. “So you keep saying, but you’ve never told me why. I don’t even know how you got into this. I mean, it’s like it’s your calling. I just don’t know how you found it.”

“It called me,” I deadpanned, sticking my hands under the warm water to begin the rigorous cleaning-up procedure. Edgar did the same beside me, both of us now down to our scrubs again.

He shoved with his shoulder as he pumped antiseptic soap with his other elbow. “Fine, keep being coy and mysterious then. Just know that you don’t have to be that way with me to keep me interested. I don’t swing that way. If you want to tell me, you can. I’ll help you keep up the mysterious act with the ladies. They dig it.”

“I’m not being coy and mysterious,” I argued before mentally going over how many times he’d asked me those questions, which was when I realized that maybe it really did look that way. “It’s a not a state secret or anything, I just don’t like talking about my past. I had to change a lot of things about myself to get to where I am and to become the person I am today. I prefer focusing on the guy I am now.”

“Fair enough.” Edgar finished scrubbing his hands and rinsed them as I did the same. “We’ve all got periods of our lives we don’t like to look back on. Mine was my preteens. My mom cut a step in my hair and dressed me in these terrible denim overalls.”

My eyebrows pulled together as I laughed. “That was a mental picture I didn’t need. I’m never going to be able to look at you without seeing it now.”

He turned to face me, dragging a hand through his shaggy, dark hair before spreading his arms out to his sides and doing a ridiculous impression of a belly dancer. “What? How about now? Is this a better picture.”

I pressed the heels of my palms to my eyes and mimed scrubbing them as rigorously as we’d just scrubbed our hands. “It burns. I’d rather have had bleach poured into my eyes than to have seen that.”

Edgar laughed. I dropped my hands and jerked my head at the door. “I’m going to go track down the Murrays to let them know how it went and then grab a cup of coffee before rounds. Want one?”

He nodded solemnly. “One never passes on the offer of coffee.” Breaking out into a wide grin, he followed me into the hall. “As for the Murrays, they’ve gone to the waiting room between maternity and the cafeteria. Told me they’d only leave it to get food for the kids and then go right back.”

“Got it. Thanks. I’ll see you in few.”

Edgar and I split into different directions, him going to the nurse’s station on the second floor. He gave me a little two fingered salute and disappeared up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

Thankful that I had good news to share with the family, I walked to the waiting room at a clipped pace. Only when I got there, it wasn’t the Murrays filling the seats.

Instead the last person I’d ever expected to see holding a baby was sitting there with moisture in his eyes, talking to a few people who had to be his friends. Who the fuck handed Will Campton a baby?

Judging by the tears in his eyes and the way he was holding the child like it was his pride and joy, I realized that it may even be his baby. My eyes widened of their own accord. Will Campton as a father. Never thought I’d see the day.

Good luck, baby. Your daddy’s a good guy, but fuck if he’s going to have the first idea what to do with you.

Will and I had run together when we were younger. He was a part of that past I wished I could forget, but at the same time, I was nostalgic for sometimes. Unlike my feelings toward many of the others from back in the day, I genuinely liked Will and his foster brother Rayce.

We hadn’t spoken for a long time, though, and this hardly seemed like the time to catch up or reminisce. Besides, the last place I’d want to have a reunion was here at my place of employment. No way, Jose.

Instead of going over to my old friend and congratulating him, I merely gave him a small nod when he looked up as I walked past. Will did the same, relief clearly visible in his eyes and the way his shoulders, which had jerked up as soon as he saw me, relaxed.

As I zoomed out my focus on Will, my gaze caught on the girl sitting beside him. Maternity wasn’t my specialty, but I was pretty sure that she wasn’t his baby mama. She wasn’t moving in the right way to have just given birth and that baby was new newborn.

Satisfied that I wasn’t about to check out the woman who had just given Will a son—if the blue blanket was anything to go by—I let my pace slow down just a little bit, because holy fuck, there was no way I couldn’t check her out.

Long hair so dark it looked almost black fell past her shoulders in soft waves. Bright-blue eyes the color of the sky met mine, briefly, before dropping back down to the baby. In that moment that our eyes met, her full red lips parted and her tongue darted out between them.

There was nothing sexual about the move, but I’d be damned if my momentary focus on her lips and tongue hadn’t made parts of me rouse that shouldn’t rouse at work. She had a Snow White thing going on with the natural flush on her cheeks and smooth skin.

She wasn’t pale, but even her golden tan didn’t detract from the fact that she looked like a damn fairy-tale princess—and I didn’t even watch those kinds of movies. She was just that beautiful that it was the first thing that had sprung to mind.

“Dr. Page. How is he?” The sound of my name coming from down the hall drew my attention away from the gorgeous girl and back to reality, where Mr. Murray’s daughter was practically running in my direction.

Damn. Ah well, checking out the woman had been a fun distraction for a minute. But that wasn’t exactly what I got paid to do. “Anna. He’s out of surgery and he’s doing fine. Let me walk with you to the rest of your family and I’ll give you all the rundown on what happened during the surgery.”

Chapter 2

Holy smokes. If I’d known they built doctors to look like that, I would have stopped getting the flu shot so I could get sick more often. Might be totally worth the sniffles to get treated by that dude.

On the other hand, I hated being sick. The very thought of tissues, mucus, and a sore nose made me shudder. So maybe not.

Being sick meant needing to rest and not being as productive as you could be, which was a massive waste of time. And that was on top of feeling crummy and having a body that ached all over—in the bad way. Not that I knew much about bodies aching in good ways, thank you very much.

Although, if the guy responsible for making my body ache looked like Dr. Hottie, it might not be all that bad. Snap out of it, Olive.

A small nod of Will’s head had made me look up to see who he had acknowledged. I’d been expecting that perhaps it would be a doctor or a nurse who had helped with the delivery, but I hadn’t expected said doctor to look like a freaking model.

A couple of inches over six feet tall, he had a lean but powerful frame. There was a white coat hanging from broad shoulders, clueing me in to the fact that he was, in fact, a doctor. Underneath he wore green scrubs, which I’d learned earlier belonged to the surgeons.

The uniform couldn’t hide his figure entirely, though. Biceps that were of a decent enough size to bulge beneath the coat and stretch the material just a little bit tight, as well as the way the scrubs pulled across his chest, hinted at one very sexy body hidden beneath the layers.

His cheekbones were high and sculpted, a natural rosy blush coloring a sliver of space beneath them. Eyes, which seemed to swirl and change color even in the brief moment that I allowed myself to look into them, enchanted me. I’d never seen eyes quite like that. Valerie had hazel eyes, too, so I was very familiar with hazel, but this was different.

This pair also held blue, green, and gold, but I’d be able to spend hours looking into them to study where the one color faded into another. Across the short distance between us, I could make out that there was detail in his eyes, but I couldn’t quite see what it was.

Short, light-brown hair glinted with natural highlights in the fluorescent light of the hallway he was walking down, what I was willing to bet was a strong back disappearing toward a slightly frantic redheaded woman.

Seriously, doctors shouldn’t be that hot. They should be old, gray, and kind with soft, warm hands and gentle voices.

This guy was not old or gray, and while I didn’t know if he was kind or had a gentle voice, those hands didn’t look like the soft, warm kind I’d have imagined belonged to a doctor. Since I’d dropped my gaze from his so fast, I’d had time to notice his hands even though he hadn’t stopped to talk or anything.

They were large, with long fingers and dark veins. The kind of hands even I could picture running all over my body and making me weep with the things he could do with them, and I wasn’t even a fantasizer. But crap. A surgeon. You just know he can use his hands.

If it were Heidi or Valerie who had made the comment the voice in my head just made, I’d have rolled my eyes at them. I knew I would have, because I had done it many times over the years when one or both of them made remarks about men around us.

I was half tempted to roll my eyes at myself, since I was nothing if not consistent. I couldn’t quite bring myself to do it, though. Maybe it was hypocritical of me, but the guy was hot, and it wasn’t like I’d thought any of those things on purpose.

“Do you know that guy?” I asked Will once Dr. Hottie was out of eyesight.

He shrugged, his gaze firmly rooted on the cutest baby in the world. “Not anymore.”

I knew better by now not to question Will on anything about his past. His vague answer intrigued me, but it also made me realize that the guy was most likely related to one of the topics we didn’t talk about.

Will was an interesting guy. I really liked him. He got along great with Valerie and me, and he was really good to Heidi. Well, he was good to—and for her—now.

Back when they’d met, before the little miracle in his arms had been so much as a thought spared by either of them, I hadn’t been so sure about him. There was something about Will that had made me uncomfortable from the very start.

At the same time, I saw how happy he made my friend and all I ever wanted was for my two best friends to be the happiest they could ever be. It was one of the reasons why I was the way I was.

They teasingly called me the mother of the group, and while I wasn’t a fan of the nickname, I’d often wondered if they knew I worried so much about them so they could be free to be the way they were. Both of them had grown up significantly in the last couple of months, but I’d never wanted them to have to change who they were before they were ready to.

The result was that I picked up the reins on adulting so they wouldn’t have to, and that had earned my spot as the mom of the group. Ironic how the one who used to kick against the future and planning the most … was now the first real mother of the group.

Heidi had started changing the second she met Will, though I still didn’t know if she’d even realized it at the time. I had seen it clear as day, the way her life started changing when she met the love of it.

It had made me long to find someone to love myself, a feeling that had only intensified when Valerie met Fulton and made several drastic changes herself. I wondered what it felt like, to meet your other half and discover with—and in them—who you really were and what you were truly capable of.

I wasn’t stupid, I knew you didn’t need a man in your life to discover those things. It was just that I’d seen how having these men in their lives facilitated the process for my friends, and I was curious about it.

Unfortunately for me, there was no love on my horizon. I was out on my own, literally now that Valerie and Heidi had moved in with their respective significant others, and that was okay too. There was no point in trying to push or force the issue, and in the meantime, I was perfectly happy just being Olive.

Being Olive meant that I cared deeply about my friends, and Will was now one of those friends. I knew that my initial feelings about him were correct, because there had been something about him, but I didn’t know what it was. All I knew was that Heidi trusted him and had said they had put it all behind them.

As much as I wanted to push Will for information on how he knew Dr. Hottie after his non-answer, I respected him enough not to ask him questions that would leave him with no choice but to either lie to me or to reveal something about himself to me he didn’t want to.

Instead of leaving him with such shitty choices, I changed the topic. “Do you mind if I come along when you and Adam go back to Heidi? I just want to spend a few more minutes with her before I leave you guys to it.”

“Sure. I think the little guy needs a feeding, though, so we’d better get going back to Mama.” Will stood up and thanked Valerie and Fulton for being there on the day their baby was born before gesturing for me to follow him.

The nurses had finally left Heidi’s room and she beamed when we walked in. “Thank God you guys are back. They’re making such a fuss about me that you’d swear I was the first person to have ever given birth.”

Will gave her an indulgent smile before leaning over and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “They’re only taking care of you, baby. It’s a good thing.”

Heidi pursed her lips, then slid her eyes to mine. “Has Will let you hold Adam yet? To me, it looks like he’s hogging the baby.”

“I wasn’t hogging him,” Will protested. “Valerie held him for a few minutes.”

“I’m sure Olive wants a turn too. Give her the baby, baby.” The corners of her lips lifted as she patted a space on her bed. “Come sit down with me. I’m glad you waited. I was worried I wasn’t going to get to see you again today after the nurses chased you guys out.”

I went to sit in the space she offered, then nearly melted into a puddle when Will placed the baby into my arms. “Congratulations again, you guys. He’s so gorgeous.”

“Thank you,” Will said proudly, his chest puffing out as he lowered himself into an armchair by the window. “Is he making you as broody as he’s doing to Val? I thought she was going to drag Fulton into a storage closet and make him knock her up right there and then.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “I had the same thought, but no. Valerie’s got someone she can drag into a storage closet. I don’t. As far I know, I can’t spontaneously impregnate myself.”

“Florida has been good to me and Valerie. I’m sure you’ll meet your person to drag into the storage closet soon. Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m not worrying about it, but thanks.” I rolled my eyes exaggeratedly, prompting a giggle from Heidi. “It’s crazy how you guys made me come here to get away from life, now you guys all have your own. Florida’s been good to everyone except me.”

I didn’t mean to sound bitter, but even I didn’t miss the hint of it in my tone. Heidi’s eyes darkened with worry. “We’re right here if you ever need anything, Olive. You know that, right?”

“How about that hot doctor’s number?” I suggested, trying to lighten the mood. Today was a wonderful day for Heidi and Will. I didn’t want to bring them down because of my own insecurities. “Anyway, I just wanted to pop into to see you before I left. I’ll be back tomorrow, unless you’re already at home.”

Will had big plans for Heidi. I didn’t want to get in the way of that, even if I did want to hold Adam for several more hours.

“What hot doctor?” I heard Heidi ask Will as I walked out the door after handing baby Adam back to her. A part of me wished I could stay behind and listen to his answer, because she would get the real truth about him from Will, but I didn’t.

I took off down the hallway and followed the signs for the exit. The hospital was bright inside, but the sun outside was even brighter.

I dug my sunglasses out of my purse and slipped them on, instinctively slowing for Valerie and Heidi to catch up to me. They were always getting sidetracked and I’d gotten used to having to wait for them.

I didn’t have anyone to wait for any longer, though. Heidi and Will were inside and were probably getting engaged as I was walking to my car. Valerie and Fulton had gone off to God knows where and were probably doing things I didn’t even want to think about.

As for me? I was alone. What the hell was I going to do now?

Chapter 3

Rylen

“I’m telling you man, she was hot. Nearly blew my load the second she took her clothes off kind of hot.” Edgar was sitting across from me in the cafeteria two weeks after Mr. Murray’s operation, telling me in excruciating detail about the girl he’d slept with last night.

It was an unfortunate habit he had, believing that he had to share the experience with me or it wouldn’t have happened. Or something like that. “I really didn’t need to know, Eddie. Now that I do, though, I hope you got her off, too, and didn’t just leave her naked and hanging.”

“I said I nearly blew my load, not that I did blow it.” He flashed me his pearly whites in a salacious grin. “Is that really what you think of me? That I’d leave a lady hanging?”

“No offense, but nothing you’ve told me about her so far makes her seem like a lady.” Edgar had a definite type when it came to women. He hadn’t told me in so many words, but I was pretty sure ladylike wasn’t on his list of preferable qualities. “I really wish I didn’t know that you weren’t that type of guy, but thanks to your proclivity for sharing, I do now.”

“Sharing is caring, man.” His lips twitched into a smirk. “Anyway, spoiler alert: I did get her off. I’m getting to that part of the story, just wait for it.”

I shook my head and all but tuned him out until I saw him sitting back with a smug expression on his face. “See. What did I tell you? It’s hot, right? Bet you’re even a little horny right now, Doc.”

“Don’t bet on it. You’ll lose your money. Listening to your sexcapades doesn’t really do it for me.” I drained the last of my coffee, checking my watch to see that my break was almost over. Since he’d taken up our entire break regaling me with the tale of his early-morning adventure, I couldn’t resist getting in one little dig of my own. “Does she know you’re a nurse?”

Slowly lifting his hands, he pressed a kiss to the tips of both of his middle fingers and then waved them at me. “You’re a liar. I know my stories do it for you. It’s not like you’re getting any yourself. Also, of course she knows, asshole.”

I feigned injury, pressing my hand to my chest. “I’m the asshole? You just spent twenty minutes telling me all about your night last night.”

Edgar laughed. “I didn’t include any identifying details, so I haven’t broken any rules.”

“You sure do know how to bend them.” I couldn’t argue with him about not knowing who the girl was.

If he’d told me, I was sure she would have taken offense to the story being told and that would have made him an asshole. Since I had no clue who she was, I thought it was a bit of a moral gray area. I’d have to check up on that sometime, but not now.

“Time for us to get back to the grindstone. I’m going to go check on Mr. Murray.” I got up and twisted at the waist to toss my empty cup in the trash before turning back to Edgar. “Want to come with me?”

He nodded, but apparently he wasn’t quite ready to drop the subject. “Oh, I know how to bend them all right.”

“I was talking about rules, not women.”

“I know, I was talking about both.” He fell into step beside me, keeping his voice low to respect the hospital’s policy but loud enough that I could hear what he was saying. “The question is whether you still know how to bend either of them.”

“Fuck you. Of course I know. I just choose not to share the sordid details with you.” I shot him a shit-eating grin. “I’m comfortable enough in my sexual prowess that I don’t need validation from my friends after the fact.”

Edgar thumped me on the back, laughing so hard he got several dirty looks from our colleagues. “That was a good one, dude. Damn. I can still feel it burn.”

“Unfortunately for me, I also happen to know that you think there’s a good kind of burn. Jesus, we really need to stop having these conversations at work.”

“We wouldn’t have to if you’d come out with me.” He stopped walking, pulling me to a stop too. “How about it? There’s a beach party tonight that’s supposed to be off the hook. Wanna come? I’ll be your wingman.”

“Thanks for the offer. I have no doubt you’d be a great wingman, but I can’t go to an ‘off-the-hook’”—I made air quotes with my fingers—“beach party.” Then I started to walk again. Mr. Murray and his wife would be waiting for my update. I didn’t want them to get anxious about what I was going to say if I was late.

Edgar caught up to me, a frown furrowing his brow. “Why can’t you go to a beach party?”

I sighed, bringing up a hand to run through my hair. At twenty-seven, he was only four years younger than me. He was the best friend that I had, but the differences between us were huge. I wished I could be more like him sometimes.

He lived his life in this balls-to-the-wall, ride-or-die kind of way that I just couldn’t fathom anymore. Since the minute I’d realized I wanted to become a doctor, my life had become a regimented routine of discipline and hard work.

“I’m a doctor now, Ed. I’m held to a higher standard than beach parties.” Even as I said the words, I wondered if that were true. Sure, I hadn’t been able to go to beach parties while I was studying, and I never had time after that, too busy working my way into the very position I was in now.

Since I was in the position that I’d been working to achieve, did that mean I could afford to cut loose every once in a while? Or did it mean I’d ruin everything I’d worked for if I went to something like a beach party. Another conundrum to solve later. Focus on Mr. Murray for now.

We were almost to his room, so close that Edgar pursed his lips and shook his head at me but didn’t say anything. He pointed at the nurse’s station. “You go speak to the patient. I’ll be right out here when you change your mind about that thing we were talking about.”

Putting Edgar, the party, and everything else that was irrelevant out of my mind, I didn’t bother replying to him. I took a breath, mustered my best professional-and-reassuring smile, and opened the door.

Mr. Murray was lying in his metal-railed hospital bed, his wife sitting beside him. Tara had barely moved from that chair since her husband had been admitted to the hospital, steadfastly holding his hand and watching over him every step of the way.

“Marc.” I walked in and lifted the clipboard at the base of his bed before smiling at his wife. “Tara. How are we doing today?”

“Feeling good,” Marc said, tapping two fingers to his chest. “I think the old ticker’s healed. Can I get out of here yet?”

“I’m afraid we’re not quite there yet,” I said, my gaze dropping to his latest set of results from the lab. “Everything is looking like we were hoping it would, but we’re going to have to keep you with us for a little while longer.”

Worry filled Tara’s eyes and her grip on her husband’s hand tightened so much I saw her knuckles go white. “Is this about the newest results? Is there something the matter?”

“Nothing at all.” I set the clipboard down and made sure that I was looking into her eyes, alternating to those of her husband while I talked. “The labs are looking good, but you’ve had massive surgery. The risks of complications lower every day post-op, but we don’t want to take any chances sending you home too soon. We’d rather keep you here and monitor everything until all your levels are ready to face the outside world.”

Mr. Murray sighed, but he managed a small smile. “I guess I’ll have to keep enjoying your hospitality for another couple of days then.”

“Thank you for taking such good care of my Marc,” Tara said to me, but she was gazing adoringly at her husband. “You know, in the twenty-five years we’ve been married, I’ve never been this worried about him. It helps to know we’ve got a doctor like you who actually cares about more than just slicing people open.”

“You’re welcome.” I looked between the two of them, wondering how they still seemed so in love after more than two decades of putting up with each other. They were both nice people, but everyone got annoying eventually.

It never looked like they’d annoyed each other for a day in their lives, though. They were so clearly in love that I’d asked their daughter if the operation had scared them that they’d honestly thought Marc wouldn’t make it.

She’d told me no and said they’d always been that way. She also told me that I could tell them to knock it off if it got to be too much, but I couldn’t do it. I would never admit it to anyone, but I actually liked seeing it.

The way they loved each other was enviable, especially considering how long they’d been married. I felt strangely honored that they were letting me bear witness to their love, which was something only a pussy would say out loud. It was, however, how I felt.

“I’ll be back to check on you tomorrow,” I told them. “In the meantime, try to get some rest. The more you rest, the sooner you’ll be going home.”

“You hear that, my angel?” Marc said to Tara. “I’ll be going home.”

“Yeah, you are.” She smiled, stood up from the chair, and pulled the covers back. “Move over, you big oaf. You heard what the man said. You need to get some rest and so do I.”

They didn’t break eye contact with each other as I said my goodbyes. I hated to burst their bubble, but I was Marc’s doctor and I wasn’t stupid. I could see what was going to happen there when I left with the two of them looking at each other like that. “Remember, six to eight weeks.”

He released a long agonizing sigh but tossed me a thumbs-up. “I remember, Doc. Don’t worry. I fucking remember.”

Chuckling to myself, I closed their door behind me when I exited. Edgar was standing at the nurse’s station, checking over someone’s chart when I walked up to him. “Keep an eye on those two. I’ve got a feeling they’re tempted to break the rules.”

“So that means he’s still alive?” He smirked, lifting his head to look at me.

I rolled my eyes. “You knew he was. Will you keep an eye out?”

“Two weeks, huh?” Edgar rocked his head from side to side, then smiled wide. “You’ve got to give it to him. That’s a fucking quick turnaround time for a man his age who just had open heart surgery. I’m proud of him. I almost want him to break the rules.”

I shot Edgar a look that made him shake his head. “Relax. I was there. I saw how close he got to biting the dust. I’ll keep an eye on them. Just not tonight, because you know, I’ll be at the beach party where fancy-ass doctors can’t go.”

“Sorry, that made me sound like a bit of douche bag, didn’t it?”

He nodded. “I’ll forgive you if you say you’ll come with me.”

The envy I’d felt back in that room lodged like a knot in my chest. I wanted what Marc and Tara had. Going out with Edgar for one night wasn’t going to make me lose what I had achieved by becoming a surgeon, but it was an opportunity I would lose to meet my Tara.

Even if I didn’t, despite my snappy retort earlier, he was right that it had been awhile since I’d … bent any women or any rules. Getting laid wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, even if it wasn’t by the woman I would eventually make my wife.

“Okay, maybe going to the beach party wouldn’t be such a bad idea.”

Edgar smiled out of the side of his mouth, nodding as if he’d known I would change my mind. “Excellent. I’ll see you there.”

Chapter 4

Olive

“You’re doing such a great job here, Olive.” Jasmine managed the restaurant where I worked. Heidi and Valerie had both hated her with the passion equivalent to that which they had against spiders and worms, but I didn’t mind her.

She was a sweet enough woman, as long you worked hard and did your job well. Probably why she wasn’t such a fan of my friends.

I loved them both to bits, but the pair of them hadn’t been exemplary employees during their briefs stints as waitresses there. I tried my best, because I didn’t know how not to, but it would be lying if I pretended that I hadn’t been just a little bit jealous when they’d left.

“Thank you.” I smiled at Jasmine, genuinely appreciative of the compliment. I’d worked under a few managers before her, and I knew that they weren’t all complimentary. “I’m just happy to be on the team.”

When we’d gotten jobs at this restaurant, it had been like a dream come true. All of us had worked together, for however short a period of time it had lasted before Heidi quit, and we had earned enough money doing it to keep the roof over our heads.

Without the other two girls in the house, it was harder to keep up with the expenses, but I’d picked up a couple of extra shifts and so far, I was managing it much easier than I had originally expected.

Since the beach house I lived in used to belong to my mother, I didn’t have to pay rent or a mortgage, which I was insanely grateful for. Utilities were low with only me in the house and strangely, I found that I was enjoying living alone for once.

“We’re happy to have you on the team, but I should tell you that you have management potential.” She beamed at me. “Keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll be promoted before you know it.”

“Thanks, Jasmine, but that’s okay. I don’t plan on making this my career. There are better things out there for me than managing a restaurant.”

The words were true, but they had come out before I had time to realize that saying them would offend Jasmine. Her lips parted in a silent gasp and her cheeks turned red. Frozen fudge sticks. Now you’ve gone and done it.

“I, uh.” My eyes darted furiously around the restaurant and thankfully rested on a customer who had her hand up trying to get my attention. “I’ve got to go. Customer needs help. I’ll keep that in mind, to keep doing what I’m doing. Thanks, Jasmine.”

Walking away from her after saying what I had was awkward as hell, but I couldn’t exactly stay there. Nothing I could say would make her forget my response to what I was sure was supposed to have been a huge honor.

I sighed, grabbing a menu and plastering on my best customer service smile. The girl who was waiting for me was probably a few years older than me. A redhead who came in regularly, kept mostly to herself, and tipped well.

“Hi. Welcome back.” I flipped open my notebook and pulled my pencil out of my apron, tapping the lead against the paper. “What can I get for you today?”

“I’m Jenna.” She extended a hand, leaning to the side to peer around me. “I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but I overheard the conversation you just had with the manager.”

I cringed, my smile turning apologetic. “I’m sorry. We should have kept our voices down. That was terribly unprofessional.”

“No worries.” Her gaze dropped to her hand, which was still hanging between us. “What’s your name?”

“Oh.” I felt my cheeks grow hotter. “Now I’m being rude and unprofessional.”

I wiped my hand on my apron before taking hers. “I’m Olive. It’s nice to meet you.”

Jenna gave my hand a firm shake, green eyes sparkling with sudden approval. “I like that you stood up for yourself, Olive. Not many people would have had the balls to do that.”

“It wasn’t because I have balls.” I struggled to even say that word. Crap. I was such a goody two-shoes. “It was just the truth. I don’t want to manage the restaurant, even though I appreciate the job that they’ve given me.”

Jenna’s lips pursed and she arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow at me. “You don’t have to be so diplomatic with me. I like you. I think we’re going to be friends.”

“We are?” I couldn’t help the smile that spread on my lips. I hadn’t made a new friend in a very long time, but I sure could use one.

Jenna’s head bobbed in a firm nod. “Friends tell each other the truth, and the truth is that I agree with you. You are better than this place. There’s no life here. Once you’re promoted to manager, there’s nowhere further to grow.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.” I sucked my lower lip into my mouth, not quite knowing why I was so comfortable having this conversation with a perfect stranger. “I just don’t really know what else to do. I’ve been a waitress for so long that I don’t know how to get out of it.”

“There are plenty of other things out there you could do.” She pointed at her chest. “I’m a paralegal now, but I started out as a receptionist at a law office. Before that, I waited tables, tended bar, did some promotional stuff. You name it, I’ve done it.”

She placed her elbows on the table and leaned her head on her hand. “The question isn’t how to get out of it, it’s where you want to go when you’re out. Any ideas? What are Olive’s big dreams?”

“My big dreams?” I frowned. “No one has ever asked me that question before.”

Jenna wrinkled her nose. “Okay, but what’s the answer?”

“I don’t know.” I lifted my shoulders, letting them drop on a heavy sigh. “I can’t believe that this is actually true, but I really don’t know. I haven’t let myself dream in so long that I really can’t even remember what the plan was. I’ve been working so hard to make ends meet that I haven’t dreamed much.”

Jenna perked up. “I can work with that. As long as you have dreamed, we’ll get to the bottom of it. Come on, have a seat. Let’s do a quick-fire round. First answer that comes to mind.”

“I can’t sit down.” I shifted my weight, trying to be discreet about looking over my shoulder to search for the manager. She was nowhere to be seen.

“She left about a minute ago,” Jenna informed me. “If anyone else asks, we can tell them I insisted that you sit down. I am, by the way.”

I shot her a questioning look, in response to which she laughed softly. “Insisting that you sit down. Now come on, I love quick-fire rounds.”

I had a feeling she wasn’t lying. Her excitement was practically palpable, her eyes shining like gems in the sunlight. She had that magnetic kind of personality that made it difficult to say no to her, but I didn’t mind it. Heidi and Valerie were like that too.

The ultimate extroverts. The type of women who could walk into a room and turn heads with their presence as well as their looks. I was more introverted, but I flourished when I had a few close friends who were like them.

Jenna was bubbly and sweet, and I wanted her to be my friend. Casting one last look around to make sure Jasmine hadn’t returned, I sat down. “Okay. Just for a minute. Shoot.”

“How about marketing?”

“I couldn’t sell water in a drought.”

She grinned. “I was shit at it too. Okay, what about art or design.”

“I don’t have a creative bone in my body.” That was more Valerie’s thing now. “Next?”

Her eyes turned contemplative for a minute before the corners crinkled in a wide smile. “What about administrative work? So far, it sounds like we have lots in common. I kick ass at admin, and I love keeping things organized.”

I titled my head, narrowing my eyes in thought. “That could work, actually. I’ve never really thought about it, but I’m great at nitty-gritty details and creating order from chaos. Now if only I knew how to go about getting a job like that.”

She snapped her fingers. “I have the perfect idea. My friend is having a beach party tonight. You should come. It would be a good opportunity to network with people and you’d get to hang out with me. It’s a win-win situation.”

“I can’t.” I didn’t know why not. It was just my go-to response.

Jenna rolled her eyes, reminding me so much of Valerie in that moment that my heart hurt at the thought of her being so far away. “Nope, sorry. I’m not buying it. I’ll pick you up here at nine. Deal?”

I searched her eyes for a moment before nodding. “Okay, deal.”

“Awesome.” She grinned and picked up her menu. “Do you want to sit with me and have something to eat, or would that be pushing it?”

“Pushing it.” I stood up and smoothed out my apron. “Thanks for the offer, though. I’ll see you tonight.”

I didn’t expect that I would feel excitement over networking at some beach party, but as I walked away from Jenna’s table there was no denying that was exactly what the fluttering in my stomach was. I would not only have the opportunity to go to a party and network, but I would also spend time with a brand-new friend.

I needed a new friend, and I had a good feeling about Jenna. She seemed like she would be a good friend to have.

Chapter 5

Rylen

“Why are there so many people here?” I stopped walking when we hit the beach, staring at the crowd of people gathered around bonfires and randomly standing in groups on the sand.

Edgar stood beside me, turning his face to me so I could see him rolling his eyes. “Jesus, where have you been? This party’s been happening for years. It’s a big one for a lot of the locals.”

“Yeah, but why?” I couldn’t imagine this many people pitching up for a beach party that wasn’t being held for any specific purpose. “Do they just come here to hang out?”

“Yep,” Edgar replied cheerfully, grabbing my arm and pulling me along. “To hang out, to hook up, to drink. To each their own. The point is that whatever you want to do here, is what you do.”

“Interesting.” I followed Edgar to a plastic table that looked like it had been set up to be the bar. There were metal baths around it containing ice with the necks of beer bottles sticking out between the cubes.

The sand was still warm beneath my feet, even though the sun had already set. Fires were scattered at seemingly random intervals along the beach—which I sincerely hoped someone had gotten a permit for—bathing the white sand in an orangey glow that faded to dark in the patches between the bonfires.

People were laughing and talking, the atmosphere easy and relaxed. Edgar bent down and retrieved two beers, handing mine over without popping the top. “Interesting? Come on, man. How old are you? Because when you said that, you sounded about sixty-seven.”

Laughter rumbled in my chest. I twisted the top off the beer, careful to ensure it landed in the trash and not on the beach. “I’m thirty-fucking-one, not sixty-seven. I just haven’t been to one of these things since I left for school.”

“Things have changed.” Edgar shrugged, then tipped his head back to take a long sip of his beer.

“They most certainly have not,” I argued before taking a sip of the bitter liquid myself. The bubbles burned my throat on the way down. I smacked my lips, turning away from Edgar to survey the scene around me.

“Let’s go grab a seat at one of the bonfires,” he said. “I need to make the rounds first, though.”

Taking off down the beach, he motioned for me to follow him. A couple of people looked up as we passed, but I didn’t recognize any of them.

Edgar said hello to a few, exchanging handshakes with guys and hugs with some girls. It didn’t surprise me that he knew so many people here. He was popular at the hospital, too, one of those easygoing people who always seemed to be able to find something to talk with anyone about.

He introduced me as we went along but didn’t sit down with anyone. I didn’t know if he was looking for someone or simply wasn’t in the mood for the people he was greeting, but we kept walking after each quick, casual exchange.

It wasn’t until we were nearing the last bonfire that I locked eyes with someone I knew. He happened to look up from the sand just as I got close enough to recognize his features in the glow of the fire he was sitting beside.

My heart slowed, my fingertips momentarily going cold. I hadn’t been expecting to run into any of them here, but I should have known better. If there was a rager of a party going on for locals, it made perfect sense that at least one of the guys I used to run with would be present.

They used to be closer to me than my own family, these guys. We spent most our waking minutes together, causing shit and taking pride in it. There was a reason I’d walked away and hadn’t seen any of them since: I couldn’t afford to be associated with them if I wanted to be taken seriously as a doctor.

It wasn’t that they were bad guys. Most of them actually had really good hearts, but they just didn’t always make the best choices. Some of them had been driven to crime as a result of circumstance, others had fallen in with the crowd and simply never walked away.

Even so, it was strange seeing one of them again after all these years. To think that he had been a friend to me once, this guy who caused a physical reaction of shock in me now.

Drew’s lips split into a wide grin when he saw me and jumped up off the log he had been sitting on. “Rylen, my man. Long time no see.”

He crossed the sand to shake my hand, his already extended. I glanced toward Edgar, not looking forward to having to explain to him how I knew this guy. Fortunately, Edgar had found someone else to greet and was having a seat next to a blonde sitting on the beach near Drew’s fire.

Breathing a silent sigh of relief, I forced a smile to my lips and reached for Drew’s hand as he came to a stop. “This is a blast from the past. How are you doing, Drew?”

“I’m good.” He pumped my hand before releasing it, then lifted his Solo cup to his lips. I had no clue what was in it, but I could smell the fumes coming off him. Whatever it was, it was definitely something stronger than beer. “Where have you been? You fell off the face of the fucking earth, never to be seen or heard from again.”

I laughed, running my hand through my hair and gripping the base of my skull. “You’re seeing me again now, aren’t you?”

“Sure, sure.” He grinned, shaking his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you’re here. Haven’t seen you at one of these before.”

“I’ve been busy.” It was an understatement, but also the only thing I could really say to Drew without sounding like a total ass. If I told him that I’d had better things to do than attend beach parties for the last decade or so, he’d think I was judging him. “What about you? How are the rest of the guys? What’s everyone up to?”

He barked out a bitter laugh, arching an eyebrow. “You really have been out of the loop, haven’t you?”

“I have,” I agreed. “So fill me in. What’s going on with everyone?”

He glanced down into his cup, narrowing his eyes as though he could magic more alcohol into it to give him strength for this conversation. “Honestly, most of them are in prison.”

My eyebrows went up. I’d always known that would be the inevitable place some of them would go, but hearing it confirmed was almost surreal. “No shit?”

“No shit.” He called out for one of the guys sitting at the log, waving his glass at him. He got up immediately, setting his own drink down in the sand and coming over to us. I didn’t know the guy, but he looked much younger than we were. “Want another drink?”

I tipped my beer to the side, seeing that it was still about half full. “I’m good, thanks.”

Drew didn’t introduce the guy when he came to fetch his cup to get a refill. The guy barely looked at me, taking the cup and hustling to get it back to Drew. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what that meant.

This kid was on the lowest rung of the totem pole with whatever Drew was involved in these days, and he was trying to prove himself. Essentially he was their lackey, and he knew better than to make eye contact with someone his higher-up was speaking to without having permission to do so.

When he delivered the cup again, Drew took it and dismissed him with a flick of his wrist, turning his attention back to me. “I wasn’t kidding, man. Most of the guys you would remember are behind bars. They’re serving sentences for everything from petty crimes to some real serious shit. Last man to fall was Rayce Philips. He went down for armed robbery. His trial hasn’t started yet, but I’m sure you heard of the arrest when it happened.”

I let out a low whistle, my head shaking as I processed the news. “That was really him, huh? I heard about the robberies and then heard on the news that he had gotten arrested, but I was hoping I’d heard wrong. I thought maybe they’d arrested him because he has a record and was in the vicinity when it happened, but I was really hoping they were wrong.”

Rolling his shoulders back, he pursed his lips and gave his head a jerk to indicate the negative. “Nope, they were right. Rayce got into it big time, couldn’t walk away. Rumor has it he made off with millions before he was caught.”

“I thought all the money was returned to the last bank that was robbed?” I searched my memories, trying to remember what the timeline had been. “Yeah, that’s right. All the robberies happened and then after the arrests were made, the money was returned.”

Drew nodded. “Lord knows who did it or how, but Rayce was definitely involved in the robbery.”

I felt a little pang in my heart. I’d really hoped he was innocent somehow. Will and Rayce were both good guys. They were a pair I’d have tried to help if they’d ever come to me, and they knew it, but they’d never asked, and I’d distanced myself enough that I hadn’t thought about going back and offering.

“That’s too bad.” My lips formed a thin line as I pressed them together. “I honestly thought Rayce was going to get out eventually.”

Drew shrugged. “Those are the breaks. He’s not the only one who’s in for some serious time.”

He spent the next ten minutes filling me on all the other guys who used to be part of our motley crew of troublemakers. With each name mentioned, I was nearly overwhelmed by sadness.

I didn’t feel guilty or anything for getting out when they hadn’t, or for not going back for anyone. I’d fought tooth and nail to get to where I was and I’d done it all on my own, but that didn’t make it any less sad that so many of my former friends were now imprisoned.

Fuck. I raised my beer to my lips and drank until there was no more liquid left in the bottle before lowering it again. The drink was warm and less fizzy now, making it easier to drain what had been left in the bottle.

“What about you? What was it you said you were doing now?” Drew asked after taking several sips of his own toxic-smelling drink. His speech was getting more slurred with each sip, but I had a feeling his increasing intoxication wouldn’t change how awkward things were going to become between us when I answered his questions.

I cleared my throat, trying to think of a way to make it sound better, but there was really only one way to do it unless I lied to him. “I’m a heart surgeon.”

Drew’s brown eyes flew wide open in surprise, his pupils blown even in the dim light from the fires around us. “What?”

I nodded. “Yep.”

“You’re serious?” His eyebrows climbed up his forehead, his chin lowering. “Like, you’re not shitting me right now?”

“I’m not shitting you. I went to school for it and everything. Last couple of years, I’ve been working in a hospital in the city.”

“Wow.” Drew didn’t say anything else. He just stood there and stared at me with a weird twist on his lips.

Realizing that the conversation had gotten as awkward as I’d thought it might, I lifted my empty beer bottle. “I need to get another drink. Excuse me. I’ll see you around, Drew.”

He nodded absently, turning to go back to his seat without saying another word. I released a heavy sigh, looking around to see if there was another bar table set up nearer to this side of the beach.

I spotted one closer to the path leading onto this side of the beach and made my way over to it. After grabbing another beer, I was about to go back to find Edgar when my eyes caught on another familiar face. Unlike when I’d seen Drew earlier, there was no dread in seeing this particular face.

It was the girl from the hospital who had been sitting there with Will a couple of weeks ago. I hadn’t seen her since, but I hadn’t been able to forget her either.

She was walking onto the beach with a redheaded girl, their arms linked as they laughed and went to get a drink.

Well, this night is taking a turn for the better. I smiled, taking a sip of my beer and watching them pluck a bottle each out of the ice. This girl had been on my mind since I’d seen her that first time, and now here she was attending the same party that I was. I wasn’t a big believer in those kinds of things, but it felt a little like fate to me.

Pulling back my shoulders, I decided to go introduce myself. By nature, I wasn’t a shy guy, especially not when it came to girls. I’d figured out early on that I wasn’t the worst looking, and that I had a pretty decent sense of humor and at least half a brain.

The knowledge had always made it relatively easy for me to meet women, which was why it was weird that nerves suddenly slammed my heart rate into a higher gear and made my stomach feel queasy.

I tightened my grip on my beer and tried to push through, but in the end, I couldn’t do it. I didn’t know what the fuck was going on with me, but there was no way I was introducing myself to her in the state I was in.

Stopping midstride, I decided to go back to plan A. I had to find Edgar, and then I had to tell him I was going home.

Chapter 6

Olive

It was only after blinking twice, then looking down at the full beer in my hand to confirm that it was, in fact, still full, I realized my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me and I wasn’t tipsy. I wasn’t imagining the hot doctor only a couple of yards away. Unless I was very much mistaken, I also wasn’t wrong about the fact that it sure as hell looked like he was about to come up to us.

Butterflies started up in my stomach, fluttering their wings happily as they stretched them out for a first time in a long time. I wet my lips with the tip of my tongue, willing myself not to do or say anything too idiotic when I finally met him officially.

Watching his approach, I convinced myself that I was ready. I had reminded myself of my name—twice, just in case—and was in the process of lifting my lips into what I had been told was my prettiest smile when he suddenly stopped walking.

Just like that, he stopped and turned, marching away without so much as a backward glance. My attempt at a smile froze halfway through and the butterflies threw themselves at the side of my stomach lining … Kamikaze style.

For a fraction of a second, my heart sank to my knees and my tendency to doubt myself and put myself down reared its annoying head. It wasn’t the first time this had happened to me, but the last time it did, I had been flanked by Valerie and Heidi.

It hadn’t taken a single word exchanged between the two of them to realize what was happening and for their pep talk to start. Within a minute, they’d boosted my confidence and had been shoving me in the direction of the guy I wanted to talk to but hadn’t had the balls to approach.

The night hadn’t ended quite the way I’d wanted it to, but I had introduced myself to the guy and we’d even gone on a few dates after. If his voice hadn’t sounded like someone stepping on a squeaky toy and he hadn’t been a total dick, things might have gone somewhere with us.

I only knew that because I’d found the courage to go up to him. Otherwise I would always have been stuck with what-ifs. I would always have wondered what might have happened if I’d worked up the nerve to talk to him and my self-esteem would probably still have been suffering as a result.

The situation I was in with the hot doctor was very similar to the one I’d been in that night. Except of course for the fact that the guy from that night hadn’t been approaching me and seemed to have changed his mind. Also, Heidi and Valerie weren’t with me now.

Jenna was, but I didn’t think she’d seen him approach. She was talking animatedly to a girl who had come up to the table shortly after we had. It sounded like they were catching up, which suited me just fine because I had an introduction to make.

After so many years of having Heidi and Valerie by my side, I didn’t need them there physically in order to know what they would have been saying and doing if they had been there. I could practically hear their voices in my head, encouraging me to go after what I wanted.

Taking a deep breath, I mustered my prettiest smile again and went after him when he tried to walk away. Whether he heard or felt me behind him, he stopped again, and just as I was about to reach for his arm, he turned to face me.

Surprise crossed his features before his lips lifted into the sexiest, yet cutest little smile. “Hey.”

“Hi. Uh. I’m Olive.” I thrust my hand out between us, praying he wasn’t going to leave me hanging. “I recognized you from the hospital. I just wanted to say hi, so. Uh. Hi.”

Okay, so not the smoothest introduction. Hot Doctor didn’t mention my less-than-suave greeting, instead he took my hand in his and gave it a firm, but gentle squeeze.

My skin tingled where he touched it, sending sparks of awareness through my entire body. I’d heard of having instant, physical chemistry with someone, but I’d never experienced it for myself before.

His eyes darted down to our joined hands for a single glance so quick that if I hadn’t been borderline staring at him, I would have missed it. When he lifted them again, they were strangely warm on mine.

“Rylen. It’s nice to meet you. I recognized you, too, but it looked like you were busy with your friend.”

I looked at Jenna over my shoulder, seeing her still absorbed in conversation with the girl at the bar. “Nah, we’re good. She’s busy catching up with someone I don’t know. Actually, I don’t know anyone else here.”

Rylen laughed. It was a deep, easy sound that was music to my ears and brought a smile to my own lips. “I know a grand total of two other people here, so I’m not very far ahead of you.”

For some reason, that sentence made my smile so much wider. “Is one of those people your girlfriend?”

He cocked a brow, amusement suddenly glittering in his eyes. “Is that your way of asking if I have one?”

“No.” I felt heat rising to my cheeks. Damn it. Maybe I hadn’t been quite as ready for doing this without Heidi and Valerie by my side as I’d thought I was. “Sorry. I’m not usually in the habit of blurting out random, personal questions.”

His eyes softened and surprisingly, he didn’t become cocky or arrogant. There was no smirk or stupid comment, just a genuine smile and words spoken in an even tone. “I’m not usually in the habit of answering them, but since you’ve already broken your habit, I will too. I don’t have a girlfriend, so you don’t have to worry about anyone tackling you into the sand.”

I wiped imaginary sweat off my brow. “Whew. Thank heavens for that. I’d have hated to be tackled out of nowhere for simply introducing myself to someone.”

“Is that all you’re doing?” He pouted, but there was a glint in his eyes and a small crinkle around them that made me think he was faking it. “Damn, I was hoping you were planning on hitting on me.”

The sound of my laughter surprised me. I hadn’t been expecting that he would be funny or frankly, so direct. “Sorry to disappoint, but no. I remembered seeing you at the hospital and I wanted to say hi.”

“You remembered seeing one person in a hospital full of people?” He gave me a pointed look, lips climbing up at the corners.

I tilted my head, unable to keep a small smile from forming. “It was a big day for me. I remember pretty much every minute of it. Anyway, didn’t you say that you recognized me from there too?”

Rylen chuckled, snapping his fingers. “Crap. I forgot I’d already admitted that. I did, though. I totally recognized you too.”

I waited for the line about how he could never forget a face like mine or whatever other crap guys usually spewed, but it didn’t come. “Why was it such a big day for you that you remember everything?”

“My friend had a baby.” I felt a warm feeling in my heart when I mentioned Adam and thought back to the day that he joined us out in the world. “We’re really close, so it was almost as big of a day for me as it was for her. I’m one of his godmothers, even.”

“One of his godmothers?” A line between his eyebrows. “Doesn’t a child usually only have one godmother? Or are you, like, in a relationship with the other godmother? I was going to ask if you had a boyfriend, but perhaps I should ask you the same thing you asked me.”

“Would it be a problem for you if I were in a relationship with the other godmother?” I couldn’t resist the question, but when I saw Rylen shaking his head and looking like he was about to apologize for something, I remembered he hadn’t given me any shit earlier. “But no, we’re not in relationship. Not in a romantic relationship, anyway. The mother and the other godmother are my best friends.”

“I see. For the record, I wouldn’t have had a problem with it if you were in a romantic relationship with her. I’d just have had to find her to apologize for some of the thoughts I’ve had about her girlfriend.”

The tips of my ears and my neck heated. “Excuse me?”

Rylen shrugged, a sheepish grin playing on his lips. “What? I thought you were beautiful when I saw you, is all. I wouldn’t want people looking at my girl like that, so I’d have apologized.”

“You wouldn’t want people to think your girl is beautiful?” I asked, my tone light and teasing to detract from the shock I was really feeling inside.

The man was an Adonis, more gorgeous bathed in the pale moonlight and the glow from the fires than I remembered him being at the hospital. His light-brown hair shone with golden hues, hazel eyes smart and bright.

Back when I’d seen him the first time, I’d thought he was built pretty well but the coat had been hiding what his T-shirt and jeans weren’t, which was a leanly muscled man with bulges in all the right places and cut lines on his strong forearms.

He towered over me, but he didn’t intimidate me. Instead I found standing in his shadow to be strangely comforting, like my body recognized his as one that could protect me and keep me safe.

I was confident enough to know that I was a pretty girl. Girl-next-door kind of cute, even. He hadn’t called me pretty or cute, though. Rylen had called me beautiful, and he’d sounded sincere when he said it. In the past, I’d only heard that word and my name used in the same sentence when someone was leering, using tried-and-tested pickup lines.

For whatever reason, whether it was purely that a man who looked like him thought I was beautiful, or because of the tone he’d said it in, this felt different.

“Thank you.” I smiled, suddenly unsure what to do with my eyes. Maintaining eye contact seemed hard but looking away seemed impossible. I settled for focusing on a spot between his eyes, but where I could still see them from the corner of mine. “You don’t have to apologize to anyone, though. Just in case that was your way of asking whether I had either a girlfriend or a boyfriend.”

Rylen inclined his head. “Good to know. No girlfriend or boyfriend. How about a baby?”

“Are you offering or asking?” Damn it. What is wrong with my freaking mouth?

His jaw loosened and he blinked a few times, then he started laughing. Hard. “I was asking if you had one. Why? Are you looking for someone to offer to give you one?”

Cheeks turning bright red, I was suddenly grateful for the cover of relative darkness. Unfortunately, a condescending laugh came out of my mouth at the same time that my cheeks were doing their best impression of the nearby flames.

A baby? How could I have a baby? Sex was kind of a prerequisite for one of those, and I hadn’t even had that yet. Rylen, of course, didn’t know that. He also didn’t need to know. “Nope, I don’t have one and I’m not accepting any applications for a baby daddy at this time.”

“Excellent. I’m not applying to be a baby daddy at this time, so that works out well.” His eyes drifted back to the table where I’d left Jenna. “Okay, so you mentioned you had two best friends and that one just had a baby. I’m assuming, though I know that’s a dangerous thing to do, that the new mommy isn’t here. Is that the other best friend? The co-godmother?”

I shook my head. “No, she’s a new friend actually. The other two have sadly both abandoned me for their men. They dragged me all the way out here and then promptly fell in love and ditched me.”

Sighing dramatically, I winked to let him know I was only teasing. Rylen frowned, but I could see humor in his eyes. “I can’t tell if you’re being serious or if you’re yanking my chain. Did your two best friends really drag you here and leave you behind?”

“They didn’t really leave me behind, but they did leave the house we were all sharing. They fell in love and the rest, as they say, is history.”

“Dragged you here from where?” He was sipping his beer while we talked, casually learning my backstory before I’d learned anything about him other than his name.

“New York.” I decided to turn the table a bit. “How about you, where are you from?”

“Right here.” He stretched both of his arms open wide to indicate the beach before his brow wrinkled and his arms dropped. “Well maybe not right here. I wasn’t born on this beach, but I am from Tampa.”

“Okay, Rylen from Tampa, I told you about my friends leaving me for men. Tell me something about your friends.”

He twisted at his waist, turning enough to motion to a group near the water who were laughing so hard I could hear them all the way from here. Next to the bonfire they were sitting around, a dark-haired guy was holding court and making animated gestures with his hands.

“See that guy.” He pointed at the man standing next to the bonfire. “That’s Edgar. He’s the friend I came here with tonight. I hadn’t actually been to a beach party in forever, but he convinced me to come out.”

“Looks like a popular guy,” I commented, noticing how everybody around the fire was leaning in and hanging on to Edgar’s every word. “They seem intrigued by whatever he’s saying.”

Rylen dipped his head to the side, studying his friend’s audience. “I’m going to guess that he’s either telling jokes or regaling them with tales about the lighter side of working in a hospital.”

“There’s a lighter side to working in a hospital?” I supposed every job had serious moments and funny moments. I’d just never considered that there would be any funny moments in a hospital.

Rylen perked up, his hands coming together before one of them swept toward two empty logs nearby. “Oh, there’s a lighter side to it all right. We have to do something to stay sane. It’s a ton of stress working in the operating room, so to even it out, we also try to have a ton of fun. If you want to have a drink with me, I’ll tell you all about it.”

I glanced back at Jenna, who was now in a conversation with the girl from before and three other people. She looked over to me at the same time, catching my eye. I could barely make out her wink and the quick thumbs-up she gave me.

Evidently, it was okay with her that I was speaking to someone else. “Sure. One drink. It couldn’t hurt, right?”

For the next twenty minutes or so, Rylen had me in stitches detailing pranks they played on one another and questions they’d been asked. I was laughing so hard at one point that there were tears rolling down my cheeks.

When Rylen’s phone rang and interrupted his latest story, he took one look at who was calling before all traces of humor vanished from his expression. “I have to go. That was the hospital. They know I’m with Edgar and that it’s our night off, so if they’re calling, something must be up.”

He sighed heavily, shoving a hand into his pocket to pull out his wallet. Opening it, he extracted a black business card with white writing on it. “If you ever need someone to hang out with, I’m free every now and then. Have you got a pen?”

I reached into the small purse sitting beside me feet and handed my pen over. Rylen scribbled a number on the back of the card. “That’s my cell.”

“Okay, I also have a phone in my purse that I could have programmed your number in.”

He smiled, shrugging as he handed over the card and my pen. “This makes it more likely that you won’t forget. Who still carries around business cards, right?”

I took both items, immediately noticing that the card felt heavier than a normal one and that the writing was embossed on it. Nice.

Call me silly, but I do love proper stationery. It made Rylen ten times hotter somehow to know that he had it. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Chapter 7

Rylen

The call I got from the hospital, which pulled me away from Olive, turned out to be fucking nothing. Just a nurse looking for Edgar to ask about a dosage. She ended up finding it in the patient’s file before I even managed to pull him away from his adoring audience.

After we’d both ensured that the new nurse had administered the patient’s medication in the correct dose, I gave her a hard lecture about using the emergency line for something like that. Then Edgar promised retaliation in the form of initiation pranks now that he’d realized there was a newbie on staff.

It had taken a few minutes for both of our heartbeats to go back to normal, given that we’d immediately assumed that one of our patients was coding and we were being called back. Before I’d even reached Edgar, I’d already calculated how much time I would have to wait after my two beers to go into surgery.

By the time all that was done, I had tried to go back to Olive, but she was already gone. I’d kept my eyes open for her all night but hadn’t seen her again, so I left. It hadn’t kept me from thinking about her, though.

Our conversation might not have lasted for hours, but I’d gotten to know the beautiful stranger from the hospital and was a little surprised to find that I actually liked her. Not liked her, liked her, but liked her enough to want to spend some more time with her before I could ascertain whether I liked her, liked her.

Walking away from her before she’d come after me, I’d been debating with myself over whether I was being a pussy by not just going up to her. By the time I’d determined that I was and turned back to go to her, she was standing right there behind me, reaching out to me as if she’d just been about to grab my arm.

The time I’d spent with her at the party had been by far the most enjoyable part of the evening. It was safe to say that there was something about her that drew me to her. At first it had only been her looks, to be honest, but it was more than that now.

My thoughts about Olive were interrupted by a call from Edgar. “Please don’t tell me you’re calling about another party. I’m not going. I can’t. I only got home at one this fucking morning.”

“That’s where you went so early?” Edgar asked, disbelief ringing from his tone. “Dude, I thought you’d met someone and went home with her. Poor you, going home by yourself that early.”

“Early?” I scoffed, shaking my head even though he couldn’t see me. I was still lying in bed, one arm hooked behind my head as I stared out of my window and thought about Olive.

The ocean could be seen in the distance, but the morning light was still muted. “One isn’t early to go home on a night out, it’s the next day for fuck’s sake. Now, however, is early to be calling someone who was on call all week. I told you, I’m not going to another party.”

“Wasn’t going to ask you to one.” The loud sound of an engine revving on his end of the line had me pulling the phone away from my ear until I heard it fade out. “You hear that? I bought a new fishing boat and I want you to come on her maiden voyage with me.”

“Do you have experience skippering a boat on the sea?” I twisted onto my side, squinting my eyes in what I knew would be a futile attempt to see the ocean better. “It doesn’t look too tumultuous today, but that can change in a heartbeat.”

“It won’t.” Edgar revved the engine again. “Come on, come out with me. If you do, I’ll never mention it to anyone how early you ducked out of the party.”

I rolled my eyes. “Like I give a shit about what you tell anyone.”

“Fine, but just come. Please?”

Sighing, I closed my eyes and considered it for a second. “Okay, I’ll be there. Which dock do you want to meet at?”

He gave me all the details and then hung up, promising to pick me up in his boat in an hour. I showered, still not really sure why I’d agreed. When I’d told Olive that I had free time every once in a while, I hadn’t been kidding.

Being free this whole weekend was a rarity for me. I’d been planning on spending a lot of it at home, catching up on sleep and some reading I wanted to do surrounding a new technique. Instead, I had gone partying with Edgar and was now going boating for the day.

Give yourself a break, my mother’s voice whispered from the back of my mind. I exhaled slowly, nodding my agreement with the imaginary voice. I’d vowed that once I made it, I would start living my life a little again. That was all I was doing, trying to regain a bit of life outside of the hospital.

When I got to the dock to see an old-ass boat with Edgar grinning on its deck, his one leg up on the edge like a fucking pirate captain, I started rethinking my decision. “What the fuck is this?”

“It’s my fishing boat,” he announced proudly, sweeping his hand from bow to stern. “Isn’t she a beaut?”

“Sure,” I said, taking my first tentative step onto the deck. “You’re going to need to replace the cleats, though.”

“Cleats?” Edgar frowned, raising his hand to scratch his chin. “What is that?”

“It’s the metal fittings to which the rope can be fastened.” I lifted an eyebrow, cocking my head to the side and seriously wishing I had stayed in fucking bed. “Edgar, why did you buy a boat if you don’t even know the terminology?”

“I know how to steer it.” He grinned. “The old-timer I bought it from taught me. Who needs to know terms if you know how to handle it?”

“Everybody,” I muttered, but I didn’t want to burst his bubble. He seemed so happy and proud that I bit down the rest of my questions and focused on finding a seat instead.

A few minutes later, we were underway and headed out to sea. I sent up a silent prayer that wanting to have a life outside the hospital didn’t land me in one, and then turned my attention to Edgar.

“If one in the morning is so early to leave, what time did you get home?”

He smirked, lifting both eyebrows. “Who said I went home?”

“You’re wearing different clothes.” I pointed a finger and motioned to his outfit. “You definitely weren’t wearing that last night.”

Edgar was in a pair of navy shorts and a white shirt with bright red anchors printed on it. His socks were red, too, causing the combination between them and his white shoes to hurt my eyes.

He laughed, putting out his arms and turning in a slow circle. “I know. I look sexy, right? I bought the clothes this morning after picking up the boat.”

“You only picked up the boat this morning?”

Nodding, he grinned. “Not a bad morning for a guy who hasn’t slept.”

Ah, fuck. I’m totally landing up in the hospital as the patient and not the surgeon. “You could have told me that before I came out with you.”

“But you wouldn’t have come if I had.”

“Fair point.” I breathed out a steadying breath through my mouth before sucking in another through my nose. I wasn’t afraid. I actually knew a decent amount about boats since I worked briefly in a shipyard when I was younger, but I wasn’t in the mood to repair shit today. “You were telling me about your night?”

“Oh, yeah. You met Sasha, right? Total babe. I’m sure you remember her. Anyway, I went home with her.”

“Yeah, I remember her.” She was a nice enough girl, but she wasn’t a babe by any stretch of the imagination. “She’s not that pretty, dude. I’m about ninety percent sure that you just didn’t want to sleep alone.”

The more I thought about it, the more I was becoming convinced that Edgar chased a different girl most every night just so his bed wouldn’t be empty. It wasn’t something either of us had brought up yet, but I was planning on doing it sometime.

He didn’t even reply to my comment, which gave me the sneaky suspicion he agreed with me. “How was your night?”

“I also met a girl, but I didn’t go home with her.”

“Why not?” He frowned, as if not going home with someone you met was entirely inconceivable. “Didn’t you like her?”

“I did like her, which is why I wasn’t trying to get into her pants. I’m not sure anything is going to happen there, but there’s something different about her. It just didn’t seem like the right thing to do.”

Also, Olive wasn’t someone I just wanted to fuck. I didn’t know why, since I couldn’t remember ever being as attracted to someone physically as I was to her. I wanted her so damn much it was almost fucking painful, but I got the feeling if I tried anything with her right off the bat, she would run. I didn’t want that to happen.

“Dude.” Edgar rolled his eyes. “Getting into her pants is always the right thing to do.”

He shut off the engine, leaving us to drift in silence for a little while before we started readying our fishing rods. It actually ended up being a nice morning until it became time to leave.

Edgar tried to get the boat started, but the engine wouldn’t turn over. “Fuck.”

“Nice purchase, bro.” I tried to hold back my laughter, but I couldn’t. “When did you say you went to pick it up?”

“This morning,” he grumbled. He pulled out his phone and called the boat’s former owner. The other man did most of the talking while Edgar fiddled with some wires jutting out below the throttle.

A minute later, the engine spluttered back to life and Edgar hung up with the owner, grinning wide. “Got it.”

I laughed again, but my head was shaking the whole time. “Yeah, I’m proud of you. Get us back to shore before it dies again, will you?”

Chapter 8

Olive

The morning after the beach party, I headed over to Heidi and Will’s house. Being out with Jenna had been fun, but I needed to get in some time with at least half of my besties. Of course, I was also dying to see little Adam.

Wanting to give them some time to settle in with him at home, I hadn’t gone by their place after they brought him home from the hospital yet. Heidi, Valerie, and I spoke every day, but when Heidi told me that I really was welcome to pop in this weekend and that she didn’t understand why I was keeping my distance, I was beyond relieved that I’d get to see one of them in person.

It was overcast outside, the sun leaving dappled spots on the sidewalk as I walked. Looking up at the sky, I realized that I might be walking home in the rain later. I had been looking forward to the walk, though, so I didn’t go back for my car.

If it really started coming down, I was sure I would be able to convince Will to give me a ride home. Rain also wasn’t the end of the world. It was just a little water.

I’d donned my light jacket that I’d had on last night when I realized it was cool and overcast, having left it hanging on the hook in the entrance hall after getting home from the party. I slung it across my shoulders when I left the house, hugging it around my body as I made my way down the street.

Will grinned when he opened the door for me, little Adam wrapped in a sunshine-yellow blanket in his arms. “Come on in, Olive. Heidi hasn’t been able to stop talking about how you were coming by today. She’ll be right down.”

Heidi and Will lived in a nice house in the same area as the house I’d inherited from my mom. It was an expensive neighborhood, but I didn’t question how he had afforded buying the place on the salary he made as an electrician.

Everybody knew there were dodgy dealings in his past. Frankly, I didn’t want the details. I had come to love Will for who he was now, for how well he treated my friend, and from the sounds of things, how incredible he was with my godson.

“Hey, Will.” I gave him a sideways hug, careful not to wake the sleeping baby by crushing him with my body. “How’s fatherhood treating you?”

“So fucking well,” he raved, jumping into how he couldn’t believe how much he loved having a child. “It’s so much less intimidating than I thought it would be, you know? If everybody knew this, we’d be struggling with a way more overpopulated planet than we already are.”

I followed him into their living room, marveling once more at the modern, beautiful finishes and the gorgeous view of the backyard and pool from the wide windows in their kitchen. It was an open plan to the living area, showcasing a large dining room with a solid wood table off to the other side of it.

One day, I would find out how the hell Will had afforded this place. For today, however, I was only happy to be there to see my friends.

“Please excuse Will, babe.” Heidi’s voice carried from the top of the stairs a second before the girl herself appeared on them. “He’s been watching a lot of documentaries on humanitarian crises with me while we’ve been home, thus the comments regarding the overpopulated planet.”

Will gave her a deadpan look. “Who was crying about the fact that the damn planet is overpopulated in the first place?”

“It was the hormones.” Heidi shrugged, but winked at me. “My Olive! How are you?”

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she opened her arms and walked over to envelop me in a huge hug. Heidi smelled like baby powder, her flowery shampoo, and something else I didn’t recognize and wasn’t sure I wanted to, but somehow, she still smelled like her. And that was the closest I ever came to really smelling home. When I was with one of my girls.

I accepted her hug, lifting one hand to cup the back of her dark hair. “I’m good. God, it’s great to see you. How are you holding up?”

“We’re okay,” she said as she released me, her green eyes sparkling. “It’s good to see you too. Why haven’t you been here yet?”

She nudged me in the shoulder before pulling in for another hug. It was only when the hug was done that she led me to the couches to grab a seat. I asked Will for a water when he handed Adam over to me and offered to get us drinks, keeping my voice barely above a whisper when I finally answered her question.

“I told you, I wanted to give you guys some space to settle. I’m sure you haven’t wanted someone around all the time.”

Heidi rocked her head from side to side, but Will piped up from the kitchen. “Thanks, Olive. That was really considerate of you. Also, you don’t have to whisper just because Adam’s sleeping. Don’t yell, but we’re trying not to get him used to sleeping only in absolute silence.”

I looked down at the beautiful sloping eyelashes that were impossibly long to belong to a baby, but I guessed he had gotten them from his daddy. “But he’s so cute when he’s sleeping.” I glanced at my friend.

“He’s cute all the time.” Heidi smiled at the bundle in my arms, then looked back up at me. “Will’s right, though. We read an article about how you can mess up their sleeping patterns now if you only get them used to absolute silence. They also sleep better when there’s white noise, so we’ve been trying to incorporate that. We bought a machine and everything.”

“A white noise machine?” I frowned. “Is that really a thing? Wouldn’t the ocean or even a fan or the hum of air-conditioning be white noise?”

Heidi nodded. “It’s really a thing. Those things are white noise, but the machine has other options too. Crickets, you name it. It’s pretty cool.”

I noticed how she wasn’t moving gingerly anymore and was practically beaming. “You look like you’re all healed and aren’t at all sleep-deprived, how is that possible?”

“I healed really well, thank God. As for the sleep-deprivation, Adam sleeps really well for a newborn. I still have to wake up to feed him every couple of hours, but Will’s an angel about taking him when he’s at home so I can catch some sleep.”

“That’s great.” I was a little surprised about how well Heidi and Will were doing, actually. Falling pregnant with Adam hadn’t exactly been planned for either of them, but I was really happy it was going so well. “I’m so glad everything is going so well for you guys.”

Heidi smiled, then turned to blow a kiss at Will. “Having a baby is tough. I’m not going to lie to you. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.”

“No one ever said it was going to be easy.”

Heidi rolled her eyes at the old saying but completed it seamlessly. “No one said it was going to be this hard either. Anyway, enough about babies. I want to hear about what’s going on in the outside world and with you. Every time we talk, you only want to talk about us. What’s going on with you?”

“Not too much.” I hadn’t really wanted to talk about myself with her because there wasn’t so much to say. Heidi and Will had created and brought new life into the world, so whatever was happening in my life seemed to pale in comparison. “I was offered a managerial position at the restaurant, though.”

“That’s great.” Heidi sat up straighter, an excited smile spreading on her lips. “Are you going to take it? When do you start? I always knew you would become manager if you wanted it.”

I held up a hand to stop her. “That’s the thing. I don’t know if I want it. In fact, I’ve actually already turned it down. It’s just not something I want to do for a career. Doing this work has always been a stepping-stone for me.”

“Stepping to what?” Heidi’s head dipped to the side. “I always said when you mentioned it that waitressing was a stepping-stone to management.”

“I also used to think it was, but it isn’t. I don’t want to do this for the rest of my life.”

“Fair enough.” Heidi lifted herself up to kiss Will’s cheek when he brought our drinks, taking her tea from him. “What do you want to do with the rest of your life then?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, hating how uncertain I sounded. “I’ll figure it out, though. I just need time.”

“You will figure it out,” she said, her voice surprisingly serious. “If anyone can do anything they want, it’s you. Time is something you have. We’re still young. So if all you need is time, take it. Look at how well everything is going for Valerie. You never know when your passion is going to bite you in the ass and refuse to let you go.”

“Don’t you mean Fulton bit her in her ass and refused to let go?” I joked.

Heidi laughed, then rolled her eyes. “Well, whether it was him or the passion that bit her in the ass, she still found it. So will you.”

“Thanks, babe. I just wish I knew where to start looking.”

“I think I have an idea.” She tapped a finger to her temple. “Do you have a man in your life yet? Like you just said, Fulton had a lot to do with Valerie finally finding her passion. Maybe it will be the same for you.”

“Aw, are you saying Adam and I are the passion in your life?” Will asked, taking a seat next to Heidi and slinging his arm around her. He’d gone to get himself a beer after bringing our drinks but was settling in now.

Heidi shifted her head to give him a look, which quickly turned into the two of them exchanging their dopey glances and gazing adoringly into each other’s eyes. It was the damnedest thing.

I cleared my throat, reminding them of my presence. “Guys? I’ve given you two weeks alone to do that.”

“True.” Heidi planted a chaste kiss on Will’s lips before turning back to me. “Sorry, but it does kind of prove my point. I love these two guys more than I ever thought I’d be able to love anyone. My life turned all the way around and upside down when I met Will and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Even if you do look like a lovestruck teenager when you’re around him?” I asked.

She shook her head, a ghost of a smile coming to her lips when she glanced at Will again. “No, it’s because I look like a lovestruck teenager when I’m around him.”

My heart clenched and I blinked sudden tears away from my eyes. Heidi was so damn sweet sometimes. “No, no man yet. I’ll keep my eyes open, though.”

My visit with them lasted forty more minutes before it was time for Adam’s next feeding. Heidi told me I didn’t have to leave because of it, but I could see that she was getting tired. Will told me he wasn’t working for the rest of the afternoon, though, and considering that she’d told me she catches up on sleep when he was at home, I’d said my goodbyes.

It still hadn’t started raining yet when I left, but the clouds were thicker and looked heavier. The temperature had also dropped, so I put the jacket on this time instead of just keeping it around my shoulders, shoving my hands in my pockets.

As soon as the backs of my fingers hit the card in one of the pockets, I realized I’d never taken Rylen’s business card out after I had gotten home last night. Jenna and I had stayed at the beach party for another little while, but then we’d gone to get drinks with some of her friends at a bar nearby.

I toyed with the card between my fingers all the way home, pulling it out once the door was shut behind me. I hadn’t been sure last night whether I would call him or not, but I was thinking that maybe calling him wasn’t such a bad idea.

Chapter 9

Rylen

Edgar and I made it back to the dock before the clouds started gathering, and I thanked my lucky fucking stars for that. If we’d have been caught out at sea in the hulking load of scrap metal with an engine strapped to it that he called a fishing boat, we’d have been in trouble.

After getting back to the dock, I’d offered to help him fix it up a little sometime. It could be restored to its former glory, but it just wasn’t going to do it by itself. It needed some elbow grease, and frankly it needed some real grease too.

I’d given him a shopping list of some basics he was going to need and left him to it. He’d headed to the hardware store while I’d gone home. Since it was definitely looking like rain later, I decided to spend some time in the yard.

There were a couple of plants that needed trimming and some flower beds that could benefit from a bit of work before the rain came. I’d pulled off my shirt, stuffing it in my back pocket while I worked.

I had earbuds in, listening to classic rock. My head bopped to the music and I lost myself in the work for the early part of the afternoon. It was the vibrating of my phone against my leg that brought me out of my trance.

There was a number on the screen I didn’t know, and I was suddenly flooded with this optimistic surge and squeeze of energy in my chest that I instantly recognized as hope. It was intimately familiar with the feeling, considering what I did for a living.

Stopping my work in the yard, I pressed the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

No one responded. There wasn’t a single word spoken from the other end of the line. It wasn’t one of those weird calls with people breathing into the mouthpiece either. There was just … nothing.

Naturally, that meant that I had to press the phone harder against my ear. “Hello? This is Rylen. Can I help you? Who is this?”

Still nothing. The surge of hope faded. It had to be a prank call or something. “Listen up, kids. I used to be a prank caller myself, but I’m going to hang up now. I—”

“Hi, Rylen?” A soft, feminine voice suddenly spoke up. Olive.

“Sorry, this isn’t a prank call. I promise. Please don’t hang up. It’s Olive.” She paused. I heard the sound of a deep breath being sucked it. “Olive from the beach party last night and the hospital from a couple of weeks ago.”

“I remember who you are, Olive.” The hope came back to life with a vengeance, bringing with it a grin and the loosening of knots of tension in my stomach I hadn’t even realized were there. “I’m glad you called. How are you?”

“I’m okay.” Her voice was a little stronger now. “I went to see my friend. The one with the baby. They’re doing so well.”

It said a lot about her character that she was volunteering this information. The way she spoke about her friends was something else. She sounded so fiercely loyal to them that it was as if she was mentioning it because her friend was an extension of herself. If things were well with her friends, they were good with her too. I liked that.

“That’s good. Bringing a baby home can be challenging for some.”

She paused. “How do you know? Personal experience? You asked if I had a baby, but I never asked the same thing.”

“I don’t have any children as far as I know.”

Laughing, she gasped out her next sentence. “Not as far you know? You’re good, Rylen. A smooth one, that’s for sure.”

If only she knew how not smooth I’d felt last night at that party when I’d tried to approach her. I vowed there and then to never tell her. “How was the party? Did you stay late?”

I also wouldn’t mention that I’d been looking for her. “No. My friend and I ended up going for drinks with some other people. We left pretty soon after you got called back to work. How did that go, by the way?”

“It didn’t.” I sighed and felt the first drop from the rainstorm hit the back of my neck. “It turned out to just be someone who wanted to double-check information with us. Nothing serious.”

Olive and I spoke for a minute or so more, and I was struck by the fact that she didn’t ask me for anything. Most of the time when I met knew people and they found out what I did for a living, they asked me for stuff.

It was either for a free checkup for themselves or a family member, sometimes for a script, or to recommend a drug for whatever health problem they were struggling with. It was either that or free advice.

Olive wasn’t like that, though. She made polite conversation but seemed to stay a little nervous all through the conversation.

When she wasn’t saying anything or stumbled over her words, I filled the silences and tried to save her from her stumbling. I didn’t know if it was just with me, but I’d found it adorable last night and it was even more so today.

I could only imagine the way her cheeks, neck, or even her ears were flushing until they were bright red, or the way she bites her lip when she caught herself rambling or stuttering. I had only just been able to make out the heating on her skin after it happened in the dim light last night, but I was positive that the flush would look gorgeous in the light.

“I promised myself I’d ask you something if you decided to call,” I said finally, when it felt like the conversation was coming to a natural end. She hadn’t really told me why she’d called, but I figured it was probably just to call. “Will you go to dinner with me?”

“When?” She seemed confused and really surprised about the invitation.

“Tonight,” I suggested, holding thumbs mentally as the rain started coming down harder. I’d been enjoying the drops, but I was going to get soaked if I stayed out here much longer. Besides, hopefully I’d have a date to get ready for tonight. “If—”

“Yes,” she answered before I could finish my sentence.

I laughed, my chest instantly lighter and warmer. “I’ll pick you up at six. Text me your address.”

“Okay, I’ll do that.” She was trying to mask her excitement, but I heard it loud and clear. I didn’t blame her for it, I felt the same way. “I’ll see you at six.”

We hung up soon after. I went inside, planning on finding a towel to dry off before our date. When I walked into my bathroom and spotted my shower, however, I decided on taking a shower instead of just cleaning up. I’d been fishing earlier, after all.

At least that was what I told myself. Deep down inside, I knew I was doing it because I actually cared about what she thought about me. More than that, I found myself wanting to look good for her.

It got so bad that after my shower, when I was getting dressed, I couldn’t even find the right clothes. What the fuck is wrong with me?

I’d slept with enough women, but I hadn’t been on a date in forever. It had never gotten to me like this in the past, though, if I was being totally honest. I’d never really cared all that much before. There was no reason why it should be any different with Olive, but it just was.

Olive kept her promise, despite my worries that she wouldn’t really end up texting me her address and would dodge my calls when I tried to get hold of her. I arrived at her house right on time, having finally settled on a classic charcoal suit over a light-blue shirt. I’d skipped the tie, though. I hated those things. They were like nooses.

The house was huge and located on the street adjacent to the beach, meaning that she had the beach as a backyard. It was pretty fucking impressive. I had no idea how she could afford a place like this.

Smoothing out my shirt and hoping that some of the nerves got brushed off me in the process, I knocked on her door. I was hardly able to breathe while I waited for her to open it, and then nearly fucking fainted when she did.

Olive was a knockout despite what she was wearing, but she was breathtaking in a deep-blue dress that hugged her curves and fell to midthigh. The neckline was high enough to be perfectly respectable, but low enough that I could just make out her cleavage.

She had on heels that put her pink, glossy lips in easy reach of my mouth. All I would have to do was lower my head and my lips would be on hers.

Fuck.

I had a feeling I was going to be the one stumbling over my words now. “Wow. You look … I mean. Hi. You look incredible, Olive. I just … I mean…”

Chapter 10

Olive

Rylen did a double take when I answered the door, hazel eyes widening so far that I could finally see that the rings around them were this sea green color that was absolutely mesmerizing. Although, if I was being honest, everything about him mesmerized me.

There were some guys who couldn’t pull of suits. Rylen wasn’t one of them. The suit didn’t wear him, he wore it, and he did it well.

In an interesting twist of our roles thus far, he was now the one stumbling over words. It was too cute, and I was a little amazed that it was happening because of me, but I was also mindful of the fact that he’d saved me from my own embarrassing moments—both last night and when I’d called this afternoon.

It seemed only fair that I do the same for him, so I reached for his hand and flashed him a smile. “Thanks. You look great too. I’m ready to go if you are.”

“I’m ready.” He was quiet on the walk to the car, but he didn’t let go of my hand. By the time we reached his midnight blue Jaguar, he had regained his composure.

He opened the door for me, motioning me inside. “Your chariot awaits.”

I let out a soft laugh. “My chariot? Thank you, good sir. I don’t why I thought chivalry was dead.”

“It’s not dead, but some argue that it’s outdated.” He grinned, ducking his head into the car after I’d climbed inside. “Obviously, I’m not one of those people.”

After that, he closed my door and rounded the car to take his seat. We buckled up, and he checked the road before pulling onto the street. Once we were safely merged with the traffic, he glanced at me.

“I hope you like seafood. I got us a table at a place about twenty minutes up the coast. It’s small, but it’s got the best seafood in the state.”

Twenty minutes up the coast would be the farthest I’d have gone from Tampa since we’d arrived almost a year ago. “That sounds amazing. I love seafood. I never used to be the biggest fan, but I’ve converted since moving here.”

“Many people do. We ranked in the top twelve states for fresh seafood production.”

“How do you know that?” He was a doctor, so I knew he was smart, but you didn’t know facts like that off the top of your head. “Are you sure?”

“Search it.” He grinned, shoulders squaring. “I’m confident I’m right.”

I did as he asked, rummaging around my purse for my phone. When my fingers closed around the device, I ran a quick search and gaped at the results. “You’re right. Seriously, how did you know that?”

“I’m a heart surgeon. Certain kinds of seafood are good for my patients and some fish is actually good to eat once or twice a week to prevent heart attacks. It’s part of my job to know that.”

I’d known he was a surgeon, of course. I hadn’t quite realized how specialized he was. “I’m a waitress.”

As soon the words came blurting out of my mouth, I wished I could stuff them back in. I had no idea why I’d said that, but it felt like it was something he should know. Rylen didn’t react much to my statement. He only darted a quick glance at me before turning his attention back to the road.

“There’s nothing wrong with being in the service industry. If you thought you were going to get any judgment from me, you thought wrong.” A frown flickered across his forehead. “Hang on, and you can tell me to fuck off if it’s too personal, but how the hell do you live where you do on a waitressing salary?”

“I make great tips,” I joked.

Rylen shot me a look. “Contrary to what you might believe, I wasn’t born a heart surgeon. I’ve been a waiter, a busboy, and a whole host of other things. Your tips can’t be that good.”

“Maybe I’m just really good at my job.” The corners of my lips twitched, and I decided to give it up. “I inherited the house. It used to belong to my mom.”

“Used to?” His eyes were on the road, but I saw his hands tightening their grip on the steering wheel. “Again. You’re welcome to tell me if we’re getting into it too deep for a first date.”

I considered his offer, clasping my hands together in my lap before answering. “No, it’s okay. It’s not a big secret or anything. She passed away and left the house to me.”

“Just to you? No siblings?”

I shook my head even though I knew he wasn’t looking at me. “It’s just me. I’m an only child.”

“That’s why you’re so close to your friends?” He phrased it as a question, but the way he said it was more like something had clicked into place inside his head.

“Yeah. They’re like my sisters. We grew up together.”

“Your chosen family.” He nodded absently. “I get that. Having friends like that is a great thing if you can get it.”

“Do you have any? Chosen family, I mean.”

His lips twisted in a flash of what looked like pain. “Not anymore.”

I waited for him to elaborate, but when he didn’t, I decided to leave the topic alone. Clearly, he didn’t want to tell me what had happened to those friends of his.

When he was ready, if that time ever came for us, he would tell me. He’d been so respectful in his questions, so honest about telling me that I didn’t have to answer that it didn’t feel right to push him.

“Do you have any siblings?” I asked instead, shifting in my seat so I was half facing him.

“No, I’m an only child too.” He smiled. “I’d have loved to have a brother or a sister, though. I made peace with it a long time ago that I wouldn’t, but I had some friends growing up that came pretty close.”

“Guess you can’t miss something you’ve never had,” I agreed. “It’s the same for me.”

We kept talking about lighter topics until we reached the restaurant, asking questions that skimmed the surface of who were as people. He opened my door for me after we parked, grabbing my hand so we could run for cover together.

It wasn’t raining too hard, but it was enough to get just that little bit too wet to be comfortable if we didn’t make a run for it.

The table Rylen had booked for us was situated on a wooden deck that closed on the sides with glass and had a roof over it with lanterns hanging from it. I looked around, marveling at the comfortable interior and how we seemed to be hanging right over the ocean.

Moonlight reflected off its surface, rippled by the falling rain on the swells. “This is gorgeous.”

“I thought you might like it.”

He pulled out a chair for me, taking over from the waiter, who had been about to do it, with an easy grace. He wasn’t arrogant about it and he didn’t dismiss the waiter, he simply slid his hand into place before the waiter could touch the chair and gave the man a polite smile.

I took a seat, waiting until he was settled and our drinks were ordered before saying anything more. “You thought I might like it? How would you know? Or is that just a line you feed all the girls you bring here?”

“I’ve never brought a girl here, actually. I usually come here by myself.” He reached for his napkin, spreading it across his lap before his eyes met mine over the candlelit table. “I saw how you were looking at the ocean at the party. You’re still in love with the idea of living so close to it.”

“I am,” I admitted. “It’s different here than it is in New York. Everything seems to be centered around it here and not around the city itself or any of the landmarks.”

“We do have an appreciation for it, I guess.” He picked up his menu but didn’t lift it to cover his face. “Do you mind if I order for us?”

“Not at all.” The smells coming out of the kitchen were to die for. I was pretty sure everything they served would be great. “I’m not picky, but please don’t order any calamari.”

“No calamari, huh? Why not?” Amusement sparked in his eyes. “Anything else that’s off limits?”

“No, just the calamari. I don’t know why, but I just don’t like the texture of it in my mouth.” That was the first random fact I shared with him over dinner, but it was far from the last.

When we got back to my place hours later, I felt like I had a much better grip of who Rylen was. There was still a lot that I didn’t know about him, but what I did know was that I liked spending time with him, and I wanted to get to know more about him.

He walked me to my front door, holding my hand again. We’d been touching casually since I’d first grabbed his hand when we left. It was nice, the warmth of his strong hand in mine.

When he leaned in to kiss me, I lifted my face and allowed his lips to touch mine. It was like they were touching a live flipping wire for all the electricity that sped through my system. It was the kind of kiss I wanted to wrap myself up in and never come out. The kind of kiss that was so new and familiar all at once.

I moaned when he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer to him, my arms sliding around his neck and into the soft hair at the base of his skull. It was the low sound of pleasure that escaped from him when I did it that brought me back to my senses.

I have to put a stop to this. Now. Lowering my hands to his chest, I pushed him away gently. “I can’t sleep with you on our first date, Rylen. I’m sorry, but I just can’t.”

“I get it.” He really didn’t, but he did take a step away from me. “I agree. We should take this slow.”

“You’re okay with this?” I was surprised by how polite he was being about it. In my past experience, the little of it I had, guys didn’t like being stopped. I’d been called names, cursed at, and stomped away from.

Rylen didn’t do any of those things. “I’m more than okay with it. We should see each other again, though. Would that be okay with you?”

I felt my smile lifting my cheeks. “It would be more than okay with me.”

We said our goodbyes with one last soft, chaste kiss on the lips, and then Rylen was gone. When I closed my front door, I rested my back against it and let my head drop back, finally allowing myself to catch my breath.

Boy, was that ever a freaking kiss. I really hoped I would get to do it again.

Chapter 11

Rylen

“Dude, I am so hungover.” Edgar slumped against the wall in the break room, his sunglasses still on despite the fact that he was indoors. “I went out last night and it was half price on shots. Such a bad fucking idea.”

I lifted the coffee pot from the machine, pouring him a mug of the freshly brewed liquid. I handed it over without any sugar or milk. “Here, drink this. It will make you feel better.”

“I doubt it.” He took the cup from me, flopping into the closest armchair. Some of the scalding hot coffee dripped over the edge of the mug, causing him to curse when it hit his fingers. “Fuck. This day couldn’t get any worse.”

“It can.” I grabbed a plastic chair from the table and dragged it closer to him, turning it around so I was straddling it before sitting down. “We have to talk, buddy.”

Edgar’s face fell, his lips pursing as he nodded. “Just don’t yell too loudly at me, okay? I don’t think my head could take it.”

“I’m not going to yell.” I sucked in a deep breath, my nostrils flaring as I did. “You have to be more professional than this, Ed. I’m being serious. People’s lives are in our hands. You can’t fuck around with that. If you show up to work still half drunk and shaky, not only can the patients smell you, but it’s dangerous.”

He hung his head forward. “I know, and I will be. Today is only preop appointments, though. I know it will look bad if they smell me, but I’ve showered and stuff.”

Rising from the chair, I pointed at his coffee. “Finish that, then go wash your face. You’re too pale this morning. Don’t even think about coming near my patients if your eyes are bloodshot or if so much as one person has commented about the way you smell when you’re on your way over, okay?”

He lifted his hand to give me a two-fingered salute, but he didn’t say anything more. We had about an hour to kill before our first appointment, so I was hoping he could pull himself together in that time.

I got some paperwork done and read over the files of my first two appointments for the day. The first was Mr. McClennan. According to his admission papers, he was unmarried and hadn’t listed any next of kin.

When I got to his room, there was no one else in there but him. Often during these preop appointments, the patients brought friends and family with them. This man was totally alone.

I remembered the first time I’d examined him, but not so well as to recall whether he’d mentioned any friends. “Hi, Mr. McClennan. How are we doing today? Are you ready for your surgery?”

The man lifted his graying head from where he’d been staring at the stark white sheets, shrugging his broad shoulders. “If you’re asking if I did everything on that list of stuff you people gave me, I did. I haven’t been drinking, smoking, or eating junk.”

“That’s great news.” I grinned, but he didn’t return it. “Do you have any questions? Maybe about your recovery time or what’s going to happen during the surgery?”

“You ran me through the basics last time.” His gaze slid away from mine and out of the window next to his bed. “I don’t have any other questions. I don’t care about the surgery. It’s something I gotta do because of the heart attack, that’s it.”

I’d done a lot of these preop consultations, but not once had I met a man who was quite as far gone as this one. It was clear as day to see that he had nothing to live for, or at least he thought he didn’t.

I tried to get through to him for a few minutes. Edgar slipped into the room near the end of the appointment and he tried to quickly figure out what I was up to. There was no cheering him up, though.

When we walked out, Edgar’s voice was soft and sad. “Jeez. I hope I never end up like that. No life, no family, and apparently nothing to look forward to.”

I nodded my agreement. There was something profoundly sad about the man in that room. It had to be terrifying to be facing surgery like this with no one by your side. It also wasn’t exactly comforting for me as his surgeon to know he had nothing to fight for if anything went wrong.

The only good thing that had come out of the appointment was in that room, which had been nearly empty and with Edgar standing right next to me, I hadn’t caught so much of a whiff of alcohol coming off of him.

Our next appointment was the polar opposite of the first. The patient was a new father and his wife was sitting in the chair next to his bed, holding one of his hands while he cradled the baby in the other.

“Thank God you’re here, Doc. How’s it looking? What time am I going in tomorrow?” Mr. Ians asked, sharing a nervous look with his wife. “If it’s possible, could you fit me in early? I don’t want Gloria to have to wait it out for any longer than is necessary.”

He couldn’t have had a more different outlook on the surgery than Mr. McClennan did. “Your first on our list tomorrow morning, sir. We’ll take good care of you. I promise.”

I offered his wife a reassuring smile, but the one she returned was tight. “How long will it take, Doctor? I know you told us the last time we saw you, but I can’t seem to remember the details. They’re all a blur. I’m so sorry, it must be so annoying to have to repeat yourself.”

“It’s not a problem at all.” I went through all the details with them again, noting how the patient was trying to keep his wife calm all the way through. He kept patting her hand and muttering phrases like “You see, sweetie” and “I’ll be fine” and “You hear that? They’ll send someone out to give you updates whenever they can.”

Edgar stepped up to the spot beside the wife’s chair and held out his hand to her. “My name’s Edgar, ma’am. I’m the good doc’s right-hand man. Mine is the face to look for with the updates. I’ll be sure to come out to give them as often as I can, okay?”

“Okay.” She gave him a teary smile, nodding. “Thank you. We’re just so nervous. We can’t lose him. Maya and I need him. We love him so much.”

She buried her face in his side after that, her shoulders shaking on ragged sobs. Her husband bent his head down, whispering something to her.

“Everything will be fine,” I assured them. “I’ll make sure of it, okay?”

Technically, I couldn’t make promises like that. Looking at the grip Mr. Ians had on his baby and his wife’s hands with utter terror about his impending operation, I just couldn’t stop myself. Surgeons weren’t supposed to connect much with their patients.

We were called scalpel jockeys for a damn reason, but slice ’em and dice ’em just wasn’t my motto. “I promise you, Mrs. Ians. You and little Maya will have him back before you know it. We’re only going to need him for a couple of hours.”

Edgar and I stayed with them for a little while longer, answering questions and doing our best to comfort them. Mrs. Ians even gave me a small picture of their daughter to keep with me during the surgery “to give him something to hold on to if he needs to fight.”

When we walked out, Edgar released a heavy breath. “Did I say I didn’t want to end up like the first guy?”

I nodded, but Edgar shook his head. “I think I may have changed my mind. Having a wife and kids? Maybe the lonely life is the way to go. This surgery is absolutely brutal on those folks.”

“Yeah, it sure is.” Despite the fact that having a family wasn’t always sunshine and roses, that there was often bad to take with the good, I couldn’t agree with Edgar that I’d changed my mind. I still wanted what Mr. Ians had… Someday. Maybe. If I get really, really lucky.

Chapter 12

Olive

“I said I wanted one pickle and two slices of tomato on my hamburger. There is only one slice of tomato on it and it has two pickles.” The customer who was ranting at me lifted the top half of her bun off her burger and jabbed her finger at it while glaring at me. “This is pathetic service. Absolutely pathetic. Get your manager.”

She stuck her nose in the air and let out a huff before folding her arms, staring with deliberate intent out the window. My shoulders slumped. I’d given her order through to the kitchen exactly as she’d asked for the burger, but they must have mixed hers up with someone else’s.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am. Let me take that for you. I’ll have a fresh one for you in a flash.” I reached for the plate, but she swatted my hand away.

“Get your manager,” she barked, still refusing to make eye contact with me. “Now.”

Tears burned at the backs of my eyes. On days like today, I really hated my job. I put up with customers like these because I had to, but every once in a while, it really bugged me. It made me understand why both Valerie and Heidi had quit as soon as they could.

Right now, given the choice, I would have done exactly the same thing. Under ordinary circumstances, I was loyal and I worked hard. It made it difficult for me to quit, no matter what I was being put through at work.

Enough was enough now, though. It wasn’t that I couldn’t put up with a difficult customer or with a little criticism, I could. What was bothering me was that people like this woman wouldn’t even listen to me when I tried to apologize—even when I hadn’t done anything wrong—simply because of my job title.

She would sort it out with my manager, who would tell her exactly the same thing I had, and accept it coming from her purely because she wore a badge that said “manager” on it. A position I had turned down only a few weeks ago, not that this customer cared about that.

Still, the customer was always right, and for as long as I held this job, that was just the way things had to be. “Of course, ma’am. Let me get her for you.”

I pivoted on my heel and went to the back office, explaining the situation to the manager before making my way back out into the dining room. Jenna appeared in the doorway, looking like a supermodel with her fiery hair falling in waves to her shoulders and a fire-engine red dress.

She grinned when she saw me, waving her hands like a lunatic. “Olive. I’m so glad I found you here. Take your lunch and come with me?”

I lifted my wrist and glanced down at it before grimacing. “I can’t. I’m only due for my lunch break in another twenty-five minutes.”

“Oh, come on. You’ll be fine.” She darted to my side, not even teetering a little in her very high heels, and started undoing the bow at my back that was holding my apron in place. “Come with me, please?”

I hadn’t given her an answer yet, but I felt the bow give and then her hands were lifting the straps off my neck and over my head. “Fine. Let me just tell the manager.”

“Excellent.” Jenna held the apron in her hands, shaking her head when I tried to take it from her. “No, I’ll let you put it away before we leave. If I give it to you now, you’re only going to put it back on.”

Snapping my fingers, I couldn’t hold back a smile. “Damn. Busted. How do you know me so well already?”

“I’m a fantastic judge of character.” She winked and made a shooing motion with her hand. I sighed but went to wait for the manager at the door to her office.

When she was done dealing with my difficult customer, I intercepted her before she could enter. “I’m taking my lunch break a little early. If that’s okay.”

She gave me a sympathetic smile. “Of course. Don’t worry about that woman. Enjoy your lunch and hurry back, okay?”

“You got it. Thank you.”

When I got back to Jenna, she shot me a questioning look. I nodded in response. “Sure, but let me put my apron away first.”

She handed it over willingly this time, trailing behind me when I went to store it in the break room. Once that was done, I turned to face her. “Okay, what was so urgent that I needed to take my lunch break right this minute?”

“We’re going to eat.” She grabbed my arm, linked it through hers and chatted with me all the way to a restaurant closest to the pier. We were seated in a booth near the back and had ordered mocktails and nachos before she let me in on what she had wanted to discuss with me.

Jenna leaned forward in the seat, placing her forearms but not her elbows on the table between us. “Why are you still working at that restaurant? I thought we’d established you didn’t enjoy it there.”

“We did.” I mirrored her pose, sinking my teeth into my lower lip and averting my gaze. My pride had taken a knock earlier, and it was about to do it again. “I don’t have any other options right now, okay? I need another job before I can quit this one and even if I find one, I still need to put my two weeks’ notice in.”

She nodded while I was talking, but she kept fiddling with her silverware or bouncing lightly in her seat. It was obvious she was excited about something. I just didn’t know what yet.

“Have you ever worked with lawyers before?” she asked when I was done, her eyes shining and happy.

“No, never. Why?” I expected my admission would have diminished her excitement, but it didn’t.

Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she tucked a stray bit behind her ear. “Okay, so here’s the deal. My uncle is a lawyer and he’s looking for a good assistant. I put in a good word for you and he’s willing to hire you.”

“He is?” I frowned, but I couldn’t deny there was a frisson of excitement lighting me up from the inside out. “He doesn’t want an interview first or anything?”

She shook her head, undoing the lock she’d just tucked behind her ear. It seemed she was too excited now that she was talking to notice it again, though. “He trusts me. My uncle is going to love you and I told him so. He believed me.”

Shock numbed my senses a little, doing its magical work on even the excitement that had been threatening to take over. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

“So he’s willing to hire me without an interview just because he trusts you?” It definitely sounded too good to be true. “He doesn’t even want to meet me before he gives his final yes?”

“He’s in a bit of a bind,” she admitted finally, but she still had a joyful buzz going. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were bright. “His last assistant broke the rules and they had to let her go.”

“Okay, but why me?”

Jenna shrugged her narrow shoulders, but a wide grin spread on her red lips. “You’ve got a good work ethic. I can tell even if I haven’t known you all that long. I love my uncle and I want him to have the best. I believe that in this situation, it’s you.”

My back hit my chair hard. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It wasn’t this easy to get a new job. I’d been in the “seeking employment” bracket of the population a few times, and never before had it been this easy. This job was literally landing in my lap.

“What’s the catch?” I hated having to ask, but I was a realist. Good things came to those who waited, not to those who made a new friend.

She tilted her head, finally stopping the bouncing. “What do you mean?”

“There has to be a catch. Things like this don’t just happen.” They didn’t to people like me, anyway.

“Have you ever heard the saying ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’?” She waited for me to nod before continuing. “Well, now you know me. I told you I’m a paralegal now, right?”

I nodded again, and Jenna went on with her explanation. “Remember I said I started as a receptionist at a law firm? Well, it was at my uncle’s firm. They loved me there. I’m not only his favorite niece, but I was also an awesome receptionist. He trusts my judgment.”

I stared at her, wide-eyed, and then suddenly it hit me. “What’s the rule the previous assistant broke that got her fired?”

She scrunched up her nose as if she’d smelled something awful. “They have all the normal rules, but they also have an extra one that they take very seriously. You can’t sleep with the clients. It looks bad on the whole firm and it always causes problems.”

Rocking my head from side to side, I thought about her explanation of the random rule. I supposed it wasn’t really that random.

Valerie, Heidi, and I had gone through a bit of a legal drama phase. We binge-watched every show we could get our hands on. I knew most of what we’d seen on them was bullshit, but I also knew lawyers worked long hours and clients could always take their work away from them at a moment’s notice.

It made sense that assistants who worked closely with the lawyers would end up working closely with clients, too, and I guessed sometimes people fell into bed together. It could make things seriously weird for the client when they had to come back, especially if someone hadn’t been clear about what they wanted out of the … um, tryst.

Probably it was easier for the client to find a new lawyer—unless of course it was someone very specialized—than it was to have to deal with the fallout. I got that.

As for it looking bad on the whole firm, supposedly lawyers were consummate professionals. I could see how it would be the height of unprofessionalism for them to have their assistants sleeping with their clients.

Feeling a hopeful smile playing at the corners of my lips, I sat forward again and looked Jenna right in the eye. “That won’t be a problem for me. I won’t sleep with anyone.”

She arched an eyebrow, but there was a playful look in her eyes. “How can you be so sure it won’t be a problem for you? My uncle and his partners may be as ancient as dinosaurs, but they’re respected dinosaurs. Some of their clients are gorgeous. They even represent some athletes.”

“It won’t be a problem,” I said it slower this time, my voice firm and sure. “Trust me. They wouldn’t have to worry about that kind of thing with me.”

“What are you, a virgin? You couldn’t be that sure unless you are a vir—” She cut herself off, her eyes widening to the point where they made saucers look like amateurs. “Oh my God. You’re kidding. You’re a virgin? Wow. How?”

Her jaw looked like it was about to drop, and her voice had increased in volume. I shot her a look, lifting my fingers to my lips. “Shh. I wasn’t planning on telling the entire restaurant.”

She gave me a sheepish smile, this time leaning so far over the table she may as well have lay down on it. “Sorry, but seriously. How? Are you, like, asexual or something? It would be totally cool with me if you were, by the way.”

Heat crept up from my chest, inching its way up before finally settling on my neck and cheeks. “I’m not. I’m very much interested in having sex. It’s not that I don’t want to, I just haven’t found anyone to do it with yet.”

Well, maybe that’s not true anymore. I could suddenly think of one person I wouldn’t mind giving it up to, and just the realization had a different kind of heat spreading through my body.

Chapter 13

Rylen

“I’m so fucking relieved our surgeries today all went as well as they did,” I told Edgar as we pushed our way through the double doors at the hospital, heading out back to the staff parking lot.

We were done for the day, and my zero-mortality score was still in place. Mr. McClennan had given me a run for my money, but I pulled him through in the end. I was hoping that in our post-op care sessions, I could work with him a bit on his state of mind as well.

It was something that I often had to do, despite what people thought my job entailed. Heart surgery meant I took a scalpel to someone’s heart, but that same surgery could also really fuck with their heads. Mental preparation for the surgery was part of it, but so was helping out after.

If I found that a patient needed more than I could give them, I referred them to a professional. Mr. McClennan probably wouldn’t go for that option, so I would have to use the time he had to come to me to do whatever I could for him.

Edgar ripped me out of my impending melancholy about the patient with a loud, relieved laugh and a nudge to my shoulder. “Damn straight. I won’t lie to you. I wasn’t looking forward to today. One without anything to live for and one with everything to live for. Thank fuck they both made it.”

“Yeah.” I dragged a hand through my hair before adjusting the shoulder strap on my satchel. I had already finished my reports for the day, but there were some notes I wanted to make once I got home. “You did a good job today, you know. Mrs. Ians was fawning over your updates when I went out to talk to her after we were done. She kept saying she might have suffered a heart attack herself if you hadn’t been there.”

He barked out another laugh. “She nearly fucking tackled people out in the hallway to get me whenever I went outside. It was intense, but I’m happy I only had good news to deliver.”

Lifting his fist for me to bump, I indulged him before shoving him with my elbow. “I’m also really proud of you for not being hungover today.”

I flashed him a shit-eating grin, but he only gave me a look. “Fuck you very much, man. It doesn’t happen that often.”

About to reply, I spotted a familiar head of dark hair standing beside my car. Not wanting to let her out of my sight for fear she was a hallucination conjured up my overused-for-the-day brain, I thumped Edgar on the back without looking at him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, bud. Have a good one.”

Before he could reply, I was jogging to my car. I felt his puzzled look on my back, though. But I had bigger fish to fry.

Olive watched me approach with an unreadable expression on her face. She smiled tentatively when I was in earshot, giving me a little wave.

“Hey. I hope it’s okay that I’m here.”

I opened my arms, waiting until she stepped in for the hug I was offering before wrapping my arms around her. The vanilla-and-cherry scent of her hair drifted to my nostrils, and it was the first thing that had made me really relax all day.

“Of course it is.” I released her, ducking down so I was looking into her eyes. “I’m curious to know why you came, though. Is something wrong?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Her smile widened and she tucked a bit of loose hair behind her ear. “I needed to talk to you about something. Whenever you have time is fine. I didn’t mean to ambush you or anything.”

There was an underlying nervousness to her tone that I didn’t quite understand. I’d thought we were over the nerve-racking part of our—for lack of a better word—relationship. “You’re not ambushing me. I have time now. What’s up?”

I shoved my hands into the pockets of my slacks, searching her eyes for any hints of what she was about to say. They didn’t give anything away, though.

Olive shifted her weight to the other foot, her gaze suddenly darting around the parking lot but not falling on anything in particular. “If it’s okay with you, it’s something I’d rather discuss in private.”

My eyebrows pushed together, but a strange shiver ran down my spine. It was a mix between anticipation over what she could possibly have to discuss with me that had to be done in private, and trepidation for the same reason.

“Do you want to come over to my place for dinner?” Whatever she wanted to discuss, I was starving. “I’ll cook. All you would have to do is to keep me company and have some wine.”

Her eyes came back to mine, an unexpected hint of vulnerability in her bright-blue irises. “I can do that. Okay. What time?”

I looked up at the sky, which was turning a deep shade of orange. “Is now too soon? You can get a ride with me … or follow me there if you came in your own car.”

“I’ll follow you.” She lifted her hand and pointed a finger in the direction of the public parking lot across the street. “I’ll meet you on the corner.”

“I’ll be there,” I promised. “I’ll also text you my address in case we lose each other in the traffic.”

Her smile finally lost some of its tightness. “Good thinking. I’ll see you soon.”

She spun around and walked at a clipped pace toward the public lot. I stared after her, wondering what the hell was going on. Only when I couldn’t see her anymore did I climb into my car and fire off the text.

Traffic was light on the way to my place. It was easy to keep track of Olive’s little white car on the way, making sure that she stayed behind me. It was beat up, but it seemed to be running fine. A weird sense of pride surged through me about how well she kept it maintained and that she was safe about her mode of transportation.

My house was in a good neighborhood, albeit not as good as Olive’s. It honestly didn’t bother me, though. I lived in two-story, single family home with a double garage on one side and neat lawn spreading from the front door to the sidewalk. In front of the door were two large, round terra-cotta pots. It was a nice house, even if it wasn’t in the best area in the city.

The backyard was a source of pride for me with its kidney-shaped pool, barbecue area, and round fire pit. It had three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a nice, modern kitchen that had just been remodeled the year before I bought it.

It was nothing too fancy, but I owned it free and clear. I also happened to think it was a damn comfortable home. I was looking forward to showing Olive around.

Hitting the button for the garage door, I waited for it to lift before parking. I rolled down my window to wave Olive inside, waiting until she parked beside me before lowering the door down again.

We climbed out and I walked around the front of my car to reach her, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

“It’s not very humble.” Her gaze dropped to the tiled floor before taking in the meticulously organized space. My shelves were stacked with odds and ends, power tools and boxes of stuff I didn’t use inside.

Once upon a time, I’d gone through a woodworking stage. It was encouraged that we take up hobbies as an outlet for the stress at work, but woodworking hadn’t quite done it for me. My work bench was still set up near the door, several tools hanging from hooks above it. They were arranged based on size, with the most useful and frequently used tools within easy reach on my right.

“Those don’t look like they’ve ever been used,” Olive commented when she looked in the direction of the tools. “I don’t know much about that kind of thing, but those are really shiny.”

I shrugged, leading her into the house with me. “It was a phase. Obviously not one that worked out very well for me.”

She looked up at me as we walked through the side door and into the kitchen. “Shouldn’t you be good with your hands? You are a surgeon, after all.”

I very nearly choked on nothing, my mind going straight to the gutter once the first part of her sentence was out. Then I caught sight of her innocent expression and forced those thoughts right back out.

Clearing my throat, I stopped when we reached the island in the center of my kitchen. “I am, yeah. It wasn’t that I couldn’t make stuff, I just wasn’t getting into it. I wasn’t creating masterpieces or anything anyway. It was just supposed to be a stress reliever. Turns out I’m better in high-pressure environments than no pressure at all.”

Olive smiled. “Considering how you earn a living, that’s probably a good thing.”

“Agreed.” I pulled out a stool for her, motioning for to take a seat. “Here. Sit down and relax. I’ll get you something to drink and then I’ll start getting dinner out to cook.”

She sat down, perched right at the edge of the stool, and nodded. Reluctantly releasing her hand, I turned away from her and walked around the island to my refrigerator. Opening the door, I stuck my head in to see what I could offer her to drink and called to her over my shoulder. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

There was a half-empty bottle of wine resting on one of the shelves, as well as two bottles of beer. I wasn’t a big drinker, especially not at home. Unsure whether the wine would still be okay since I couldn’t remember when I’d opened it, I was about to take out the two beers instead when I felt rather than heard Olive behind me.

Her thin arms wrapped around my waist and pressed up against me, her body flush with mine. I could feel her soft breasts against my back. My breathing hitched. You’re taking it slow, remember?

Sucking in a breath, I put my hands gently over hers and held them as I turned to face her. “Olive?”

Blue eyes turned up to mine, a myriad of emotions shining in them. “I was speaking to a friend of mine yesterday and our conversation made me think of you.”

“Okay.” I brought my hands to her hips, moving us both to the side and a little backward until my butt hit the counter. Leaning against it, I flexed my hands and looked into her eyes. “What were you talking about?”

All the emotions gave way for a primary one, and seeing it there made a knot form in my stomach. What is she so afraid of?

“We, uh”—she paused and took a deep breath, the next words leaving her in a rush—“were talking about how I was still a virgin and why. I told her there was just never anyone I wanted to give it up to. Then I thought about you and how I would like to sleep with you. If you want to, of course. You don’t have to, I just—”

I stopped her rambling by lowering my mouth gently to hers. Her lips were soft, but her kiss was insistent, her hands traveling up to my shoulders. She pressed herself up against me, almost like she was planning on mounting me right there in the kitchen.

Ordinarily that wouldn’t be a problem for me, but I wasn’t fucking her for the first time in my kitchen. Especially not if it was her actual first time. Also, what the fuck?

She’d just dropped a massive bomb on me, and if she kept grinding against me and kissing me like her life depended on it, my dick was going to take over the thinking portion of the night’s entertainment from my brain and I couldn’t let that happen. Not yet, anyway.

Slowing the kiss until it came to a more natural end, I lifted my lips away from hers but kept my hands firmly on her hips. I didn’t want her to think I was rejecting her, but the hurt I saw reflected in her eyes told me that was exactly where her brain had gone.

“Hey, whoa. I’m not saying no. I want you, Olive.” I rocked my hips forward so she could feel how much I really did, releasing a low hiss at the contact.

Holy fuck. My eyes nearly rolled back in my head just from that. It was almost painful to pull back instead of jumping right in, but I had to. I wasn’t about to take her virginity without checking in with her.

The last time we’d only just kissed when she pushed me away and told me she couldn’t sleep with me. I needed to know what had precipitated her change of mind and whether she really wanted this to happen.

Fuck knows I do. “What’s going on here? I thought you wanted to take things slow.”

“I did.” She inhaled a stuttered breath, but her eyes were firm on mine. “I’ve just been thinking about it after talking to my friend and I want to do this. With you.”

I lifted my hands to frame her face, holding her tenderly. “Are you sure you’re ready? It’s okay if you’re not. I can wait. I—”

Olive put her finger to my lips, smiling as she pushed up on her toes and moved the finger away just before her lips met mine. Right, I guess she’s ready for this then.

Chapter 14

Olive

Jinkies! I did it, I really did it. Well, I hadn’t done it yet. What I had done so far was to successfully proposition a man for the first time. Rylen was kissing me like he meant it, his one hand in my hair and on my back and trailing up my side while the other formed a band of steel behind me, holding me to him.

I had felt him growing as soon as we were front to front, and now it felt like he had rocks stuck down his pants. It had to be damn uncomfortable, but it wasn’t like I could change the way male anatomy worked. Stop obsessing about weird things right now.

My own core had melted to molten, slick need and my entire body was alive with it. My nipples had grown into the hardest little peaks and my skin felt like it was on fire.

I’d been turned on before, of course. I was twenty-three for crying out loud. Around the time everyone else started getting horny, so had I. I simply hadn’t taken as many physical steps with another person to do anything about it as most other people had.

It had never felt like this before, though. I’d never felt like I might spontaneously combust, never had such an ache growing between my legs that I couldn’t stop myself from moving my hips. This wasn’t feeling horny, this was feeling like I was about to become an inferno of pure, raw need.

Out of habit, my hand started traveling down the length of my body. I needed to be touched and I needed it now. It was way too insistent, too painful of a need not to pay attention to it.

A loud moan tore from my lips. Rylen swallowed it, then broke the kiss abruptly when he felt my hand snaking in between us and reaching for myself.

In an instant his hand was on my wrist, stopping me. His eyes were smoldering, lids at half-mast. Like mine had to be, his lips were red and swollen from our kisses, and his chest was rising and falling faster than usual.

An actual whimper escaped me when he grabbed my wrist, my hips rocking forward desperately. “Rylen, I … I don’t even … please.”

I didn’t know what I was asking, nay begging for, but he seemed to. The hand not holding my wrist came to my cheek. “I know, baby. I know. I’ve got you, okay? Let me take care of you now. You don’t have to do anything by yourself, unless you want to.”

Nodding mutely, I took his hand when he stepped away and offered it me. He led me out of the kitchen into a living area and up a flight of stairs. My initial impression of his house was that it was tastefully decorated and comfortable, but I would have to explore it another time.

My mind was definitely not focused on the house as we made our way upstairs and into a large bedroom on the second floor. The light was faint in there, only the natural light of the fading sun shining in through the windows.

Rylen led me to his bed. It was large and covered in a charcoal gray comforter with white pillows. There was a headboard that looked like it was plush, the same color as the comforter, but I couldn’t really focus on it.

All I saw was the bed. All I was really thinking about was the molten liquid core between my legs and the throbbing there. Rylen stopped when we reached the bed and dropped a chaste kiss on my lips before leaving me alone for just a second. He walked around his bed to his nightstand and flicked on the lamp sitting on top of it.

Then he was back.

My body was trembling, but as soon as he wrapped his arms around me again and brought his lips back to mine, all my worries faded away. I lost myself in Rylen’s kiss, looping my arms around his neck.

My brain felt like it had been doused in lust, and my earlier need was only building. I writhed against his body, mewling into our kiss. I felt his hands at the hem of my dress. He paused until I mumbled my consent before continuing our kiss.

It was the same with every piece of clothing he removed. He would touch it, then wait for me to say or do something to indicate I was okay with it. I appreciated the gesture, but it was taking too damn long.

My hands went for his shirt, undressing him much more quickly but far less deftly. He grinned against my mouth. “In a rush, are we?”

I nodded, unbuttoning his pants and shoving both them and his underwear down. Thankfully, I’d read enough to know I couldn’t just shove, I had to lift the material off his erection, then shove.

He shuffled against me, kicking off his shoes. I toed off my own sandals, instantly aware that I was now—for the very first time—completely naked with a man. A flood of self-awareness washed over me at the realization, causing me to stiffen, the need urging me on temporarily forgotten.

Rylen had to be super in tune with even the smallest of movements I made, because he tightened his arms around me and held me against his warm skin. I was supremely aware of his cock doing its best imitation of concrete against my stomach, but he didn’t seem to notice it at all.

Bringing his hands to my shoulders, he massaged them gently and pulled his mouth away from mine. He didn’t pull back far enough to look at my body, only so far that he could look into my eyes.

“Lie down on the bed for me, okay? This only has to go as far as you want it to. You can tell me to stop at any time.”

I nodded, but then bit my lip and moved away. Walking backward until my knees hit the bed, I sat down before scooting up. I couldn’t quite bring myself to lie down.

My eyes were rooted to the floor until I heard Rylen’s voice. “Look at me, Olive. It’s okay.”

Slowly lifting my eyes, they nearly bulged out of my head when I saw him standing there in all his naked glory. In my moment of self-consciousness, I had forgotten he was naked too.

“Ohmigod,” the words left me in a rush. The man was even more gorgeous than I’d thought. Tall and lean, his muscles dipped and bulged in all the right places. They formed ridges and valleys, a broad plane on his chest and in the space between his hips.

His shoulders were wider than those hips, tapering down past abs, which had to have been carved by the gods themselves, and all the way to an erection bigger than I thought the things could get. I’d watched porn once, and Rylen’s was definitely bigger than that guy had been.

My eyes widened when I realized what I had asked him to do to me. “You want to put that where?”

He smirked, but his eyes were dark and hungry as he finished his own survey of my body. I’d been so enthralled by his that I had forgotten to feel embarrassed about mine. The way he was looking at me made me feel like maybe I had nothing to be embarrassed about anyway. He confirmed his thoughts to me a second later.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful, Olive. Fucking exquisite.” His voice was rough. “As for your question, I want to put it wherever you’ll let me, but again, I don’t have to put it anywhere. If you’d still like to do this, though, don’t worry. It will fit. I’ll make sure of it.”

“I want to do this,” I replied, my voice firmer than I’d have thought it would be. I was a little confused about what he had meant with the rest of his statement, though.

Before I could ask him what he meant about making sure it would fit, he was lying on the bed beside me. “Okay. You can still stop me at any time, though. If you say stop, I stop.”

“I’m not going to say stop. I want this Rylen, I want you.” God, if only he knew how much I wanted him. I supposed he was going to find out soon enough, though, since his hand was trailing up my thigh, leaving gooseflesh in its wake as it ascended. My thighs quivered, toes curling as he came closer to his target.

I nearly came off the bed when he finally touched me, dragging a finger through my slick seam and hitting my clit on the upstroke. I wasn’t proud of it, but I might have screamed. It felt totally different to have him touching me than it was to touch myself.

Rylen bent his head, kissing a path down my neck to my chest with his weight propped up on his free hand. His tongue teased my sensitive buds one at a time, working in sync with his fingers.

It took me no time at all to feel all the knots inside me come undone under his talented hands, crying out his name as I rode out waves of pleasure so intense they brought tears to my eyes. He waited until it had subsided completely before he stopped, bringing his lips to mine for a sweet kiss.

“How was that? Okay?” His eyes were searching, but dark and still smoldering. There were beads of sweat on his forehead and his shoulders were tight.

I nodded, feeling like I was a half-set glob of jelly. “So much more than okay.”

“You ready for more?”

I frowned, narrowing my eyes until I remembered what I had actually asked him to do. As if I hadn’t just had the best—and probably first real—orgasm of my life, I felt my clit go right back to throbbing. “Yes, please.”

I reached for him, but he shook his head. “After what I just witnessed, if you touch me now, we’re not getting around to anything else tonight.”

I flushed, though I wasn’t quite sure why. Still, I kept going until my hands wrapped around his length, so hard and soft all at the same time. “I want to touch you.”

Gritting his teeth, he nodded. “Okay. If that’s what you want. I’m warning you right now that I might not be able to take it for very long. If I stop you, that’s why. It won’t be because I don’t like what you’re doing.”

I nodded, holding him in my hand and tentatively starting to stroke. I marveled at the sounds he started making almost immediately, at the way the muscles in his stomach tightened and his legs trembled. I kept going, transfixed by the sights and sounds I was experiencing.

When his hips started bucking and he swelled in my hand, he grabbed my wrist again and pulled me away. A stab of rejection hit me square in the gut before I remembered what he had said and relaxed.

“That’s enough.” He spoke through clenched teeth. I could see his throat working. Obviously, he hadn’t been lying earlier. He’d definitely liked what I’d been doing.

Rylen closed his eyes, taking in several huge gulps of air. When he opened them again, his gaze was pure fire. “I’m going to taste you now, unless you tell me not to.”

I swallowed, but I didn’t say no. “Please.”

He teased me with his mouth longer than he had with his fingers, but he still sent me hurtling headfirst into my next orgasm a few minutes later. By the time I came to that time, he had grabbed a condom and was rolling it on.

If I’d thought his eyes were on fire before, it looked like he was burning up in anguish now. “Please tell me you still want to do this.”

I nodded, not able to locate my voice at first. When I finally did, it came out raspy and wanting. “Yes, I do still want to do this.”

Relief so palpable I felt it rolling off him crossed his features, then he was positioning himself between my knees. The tip of his cock felt impossibly broad to fit, even if I was wetter than I’d ever been before.

“Tell me if I’m hurting you, okay? You’re in control here, Olive. Remember that.” He waited for me to nod before continuing.

Rylen kept his eyes on mine and pushed in slowly, but I could see it was costing him not to move any faster. His jaw was clenched so tightly it looked like his teeth might crack, his eyebrows drawn together. His breathing was shallow and coming fast.

There was a sharp tug of pain that made me catch my breath, followed by an immense feeling of fullness. It would’ve been uncomfortable if it didn’t feel so good too. I could only thank my lucky stars that I’d chosen a guy who had worked so hard to get me ready properly first. I couldn’t imagine this feeling anywhere near as good if he hadn’t.

“Fuck, Olive.” He gasped, tugging his lip between his teeth and making a moaning sound at the back of his throat. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. You feel so damn good. Are you okay?”

“Yes, but so do you,” I whispered, winding my fingers into his hair and murmuring two last words before bringing his lips back to mine. “Now move.”

And he did. Oh God, did he. It was everything I ever hoped for, everything I ever dreamed it could be. It took me a little longer this time, but Rylen kept building me up until the most intense orgasm thundered through me, threatening to split me in half. I screamed all the way through, my fingers digging into his scalp. I was pretty sure I was riding him even though he was on top of me.

I felt his cock quiver and swell in the midst of my pleasure, triggering a second round of delicious whispers of pleasure licking through my core. He groaned and kissed me harder as he trembled against me, finally stilling around the same time I did.

Rylen kissed my forehead, my cheekbones, my jaw, and finally, my lips. Ducking his head into the crook of my neck, he nuzzled me there. All the while, he never let me go.

He was making me feel like I meant something to him, like what we’d just done meant something to him. I appreciated that, whether it was true or not.

While I might not have done it before, I’d heard plenty of stories. Even if you don’t want to hear, your ears pick up on things sometimes. I knew that it wasn’t always like this and that not all men—or women—stuck around after.

Deep down inside, I’d always wondered if my first time would be like that. I dreaded experiencing that level of intimacy with someone only to have them roll away from me after, jump up, get dressed, say thank you, and take off.

Valerie even used to have a rule about it. She’d told me once that as soon as they were done, she’d cuddle until her limbs weren’t jellylike anymore, which she’d told me only happened when the sex was really good, and then she’d be gone.

I’d never understood it, and I still didn’t. As jellylike as my limbs were, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to move again. At least I knew it was a sign that I’d chosen someone who was really good at sex to have my first time with. Evidently, he was good at the post-sex stuff too.

Rylen eventually lifted his head and pressed another kiss to my lips. “I’ll be right back. I’m just going into bathroom, okay?”

I nodded, licking my dry lips to urge some moisture to return to my throat. “Okay.”

My eyes grew wide at the sound of how breathy and cracked my voice was. Holy climax monster. Had I really screamed that loudly?

Rylen smiled as if he could tell what I was thinking. “It’s okay, Olive. Stop worrying. It was incredible. You were perfect.”

My heart warmed when I heard his words of reassurance. I hadn’t even realized I’d needed them until he said them. It meant a lot to know I hadn’t totally ruined the act for him with my clumsiness and inexperience. Or maybe’s he’s just saying it.

He gave me a look, kissed the tip of my nose, and slid out of me. “You’re overthinking it. Stop. I’m being honest, okay? Just wait a second, I’ll be back.”

Rolling over on the bed, he sat up and climbed off, striding into his bathroom still in the buff. It seemed my sense of propriety had left me when I entered his home, because I ogled that tight, naked ass unashamedly.

Somehow, despite what had just happened, I felt stirrings that were now familiar down below. I clamped my thighs together, wanting to bury my face in the pillow. I couldn’t want to do that again so soon, could I?

God, there is something wrong with me. If Rylen came back and found me wanting him again, he’d think I’d faked it. I hadn’t. I—

“You’re overthinking again.” Rylen walked his naked butt back into the room, carrying a damp washcloth. His lips pulled into that sexy smirk of his. “Let’s get you cleaned up, then we can talk, if you want.”

The cloth was warm, and he cleaned me gently, taking it back to the bathroom before climbing into bed with me. “You okay? You’re not too sore, are you?”

I shook my head, crawling into his arms when he opened them for me and resting my head on his chest. “No. It’s not as bad as I thought it would be.”

He kissed the top of my head. “Good. It might be tender tomorrow, though.”

“I’ll be okay.” I inhaled a breath, the faint spicy smell of his cologne coming off his skin. My eyelids were getting heavy, but I needed to ask before this moment of serenity and afterglow with him passed. “Was it really okay for you?”

“Okay?” Rylen scoffed, scooting down on the bed and lifting my chin with one hand. “I wasn’t lying earlier. It was spectacular. Is that what was bothering you?”

His hazel eyes were blazing with intensity, but they were also warm and serious. I bit my lip, suddenly very aware that with the way we were lying now, my leg draped over his, his thigh was really close to my, uh, thing. Vagina, damn it, Olive. You can think it. You just used the damn thing.

I groaned, hiding my face in his side. “No.”

The word came out muffled against his skin. Rylen wasn’t having it, though. He brought his fingers back to my face and gently made me look at him. “What was it, then?”

“Well, it was that.” His gaze held me captive, coaxed me to fess up. Looking into those eyes, I felt myself relax again. I’d literally just trusted this guy with taking my virginity. Surely I could talk to him about it. “But it wasn’t only that. I… When you walked away… I looked at you.”

A small crease appeared between his eyebrows, but he was maintaining eye contact with me. “Okay, so? You’ve seen all of me now, so what are you worried about?”

“I…” I whispered, “I looked at you, and I wanted you. Again. Already. I wasn’t faking, though. I promise. I—”

The frown disappeared and the smirk was back. His hand dropped from my face to take mine, guiding it down his body.

“Trust me, I know you weren’t faking. There’s nothing wrong with wanting me again, Olive. In fact”—he dragged my hand across his ripped abs, to the trail of hair between his hips, until finally … oh jeez—“I already want you again, too, and it’s a well-known fact that men usually require much more of a recovery period than women. That should sufficiently address both your concerns. That’s how good it was for me, and that’s how much I want you again.”

“Are we going to…?” My breathing was speeding up again, another ache starting to build between my legs.

When Rylen shook his head and pulled me close, I nearly began to cry. “No, not right now. It’ll be too painful. If not now, then tomorrow. Let’s get some sleep. We have all the time in the world to do it again, Olive. We’re definitely doing it again. Soon.”

His words soothed me, extinguishing the urgency burning within me and bringing back the sleepiness I’d felt earlier. Besides, now that I was calming again, I could feel how tender my flesh was. Doing it again immediately was not a good idea.

So instead of pushing him or arguing, I laid my head back on his chest and fell asleep. I really liked that I could do that, and that he hadn’t just slept with me and then made me leave.

Chapter 15

Rylen

When I woke up, Olive was still sleeping on my chest. Her long, soft hair was spread out down her back and over my arm. The dark strands were a sharp contrast to my lightly tanned skin. I didn’t get the opportunity to get out much, so I wasn’t as golden brown as most of the locals tended to be.

Looking like a creeper and staring at her while she was sleeping wasn’t really on my to-do list for the day, but for a few long minutes, I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her. She was fucking gorgeous, and someone somewhere would have to forgive me for saying it, but lying naked in my bed, she was the most beautiful, sexiest woman on the planet.

I had seen the self-doubt in her eyes last night, noticed the wavering of her confidence as soon as her clothes were off. She’d even fucking trembled, and not the good kind of trembling.

I didn’t know what was wrong with the men in New York, or even the other men she’d encountered here in Florida, but mankind had some serious explaining to do if that was the way the woman felt about herself.

Men should have been telling her how irresistibly fucking beautiful she was from the first time she had met one of us. Yet it didn’t seem like she’d ever been told or made to feel like she was.

If I had achieved anything last night, I hoped it would be that I’d changed that. That I’d made it crystal fucking clear how incredibly attractive I found her and how gorgeous I thought she was.

For the rest of however much time we ended up spending together, because there was definitely going to be at least one repeat performance of last night, I would make it my mission to prove it to her.

Christ. There had to be a repeat performance of last night. A few, if I got really lucky. I already had gotten lucky, of course, that she’d chosen me to be the one. Unbelievably fucking lucky, honored really.

Being a selfish bastard, though, I was hoping I would get even luckier. There was no way one time was enough, no way I’d ever be able to get over the way she felt sheathed around my cock without getting to feel it again.

I was no virgin, no doubt about it, but fuck … being inside her was something else entirely. Just thinking about it was getting me hard enough to cut glass, so I figured I’d better get a move on out of bed.

My shift started in a little under two hours and if I got started on her now, I was going to be late. There was also the fact that I was pretty sure she was going to be a little sensitive this morning, and the last thing I wanted to do was to hurt her.

Carefully snaking my arm away from her, I gently lifted her head onto a pillow and rolled soundlessly out of bed. Heading to the bathroom, I took a quick shower and wished every second that she would come and join me.

Thankfully for my immaculate clocking-in record at work, she didn’t. Although I would have sacrificed that record for her with a smile on my face if the whole hurting her thing wasn’t an issue.

Olive was still sleeping soundly when I came out of the shower and got dressed for work, the most adorable little smile on her lips. I wondered what she was dreaming about as I buttoned up my shirt and grabbed a pair of socks. An irrational, stupidly optimistic part of me hoped it was me.

Sighing internally, I reminded myself to stop being a sap and go downstairs to make the girl breakfast. We’d never gotten around to dinner, and I was feeling the effects of it myself. Couldn’t starve the girl after I was the one who fed on her instead of feeding her like I was supposed to have done.

Oh, for crying in a fucking bucket. I never should have thought about feeding on her either. Though I’d slept and brushed my teeth, I remembered how sweet she tasted so vividly that it was like her nectar was still on my tongue.

Making breakfast while constantly having to think a damn boner away was no easy feat, but I eventually managed a fruit salad with some seeded bread, yogurt, and pancakes. They were ready-made, though, and I only had to heat them up.

While I was setting everything out on the island, I heard a rustle at the entrance to the kitchen and looked up. Olive was standing there watching me, a shy smile on her lips and wearing, fuck me, the shirt I had worn the day before … and nothing else.

A low, rumbling growl came out of me before I could stop it. “Are you trying to kill me? I can see the headlines now: heart surgeon killed by heart attack because of his libido.”

She giggled, entering the kitchen to walk to me and put her hands on the side of my neck. “I’d rather have you alive, thanks, so just tell me what I can do about that libido to keep it from giving you a heart attack.”

Tipping my head to the side, I narrowed my eyes and pretended to think. At the same time, I grabbed her hips and hauled her against me, crushing my lips down on hers. It became a full-blown make out session in no time, with her hands pawing at my belt and mine exploring under my shirt she had on.

Just before it got out of hand, I let out a sound of frustration and pulled away. “I have to get to work after breakfast, but tell me we’re just hitting pause for now. That should save me the heart attack.”

“We’re just hitting pause for now.” She smirked. I hadn’t even realized her lips knew how to do that, but evidently, I was wrong. “If you’re serious about it only being pause and not being done with me yet, I’m going to ask that you not hit play with anyone else in the meantime.”

I slammed my hand into my chest, pretending to be mortally wounded. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Same goes for you.”

She nodded, sitting down and picking up one of the plates I’d set out. “This looks amazing, thank you. I’m famished.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t get around to feeding you last night.” The corners of my mouth twitched into a sheepish smile. “I hope this makes up for it.”

“It does.” She scooped some fruit into a bowl, lathered it in yogurt, and added some pancakes to her plate. “Besides, it wasn’t really your fault that we didn’t have dinner.”

“Even so, it feels like I should have fed you first.” I shrugged, winking before I went to the fridge to get some orange juice out. “Speaking of which, why did you want to do it so bad suddenly? I would have waited, so I hope that wasn’t it.”

“It wasn’t that.” She took a bite of her fruit, chewing as she narrowed her eyes in thought. “It felt like a step I had to take to becoming a new woman, which is what I’m trying to do. I got a new job this week, I’m living alone now, and my friends have moved on. It felt like I should get on with life too.”

“A new job?” I poured some juice into a glass, handing it over to her. I didn’t know what to say about having been part of plan “new woman,” but I certainly couldn’t complain about the part she’d chosen me for. “When do you start?”

Light sparked in her eyes as she sipped her juice, pulling the glass away from her lips so fast to answer my questions that a drop splashed out and landed on her chin. She swiped it away with the back of her hand, but she was already talking.

“I start on Monday.”

I grinned, but my forehead creased. “Wow, that’s soon. Have you had an interview and given your notice already?”

Shaking her head, she sighed. “I’ve spoken to my new boss on the phone, but he said he doesn’t need an interview. He’s Jenna’s uncle, and apparently, he trusts her judgment. As for my notice, I, um, I quit yesterday.”

This time my eyebrows climbed up all the way and I let out a whistle. “Wow, you really are a new woman.”

Olive’s shoulders rolled back, a proud smile beaming up at me. “I am. I never thought I would just quit, but I did.”

Slowly, as if she’d realized something unpleasant, the smile started to slip. “It’s only Wednesday. What am I supposed to do until I start on Monday?”

“Relax?” I suggested, but she pulled a face that told me she didn’t approve of that idea. “Okay, scratch that.”

Licking my lips, an idea formed in my brain. “I won’t be much help today, because I have a surgery to get to. I’m off this weekend, though, if you would like to spend some time with me?”

Olive went slack-jawed, her gaze questioning but surprised. “I would like that. Are you sure?”

I nodded, feeling the watch on my wrist vibrate with an alert. I glanced down and cursed under my breath. “Absolutely, but unfortunately, I have to go. Take your time finishing up. I’ll leave the key for you. There’s a lockbox for it outside that I use whenever I get cleaners or gardening services in if work gets too crazy. You can leave the keys in there.”

She frowned. “Seriously? You’re trusting me alone in your house?”

Shrugging, I walked over to drop a kiss on her lips and frame her face in my hands. “I am. If you decide to snoop, I should warn you that you’re probably going to be disappointed. I don’t have much to hide.”

Nothing she would find evidence of in my house, anyway. I would have to tell her about my deep, dark past eventually, I supposed, but we were far away from that point.

Olive smiled, snaking her hands into my hair and holding me there for a deeper kiss. I stepped between her legs, spreading them wider with my own. Our tongues stroked and danced, the kiss quickly becoming something much more. Again. Fuck.

Before it could get out of hand, I felt my wrist vibrate with my final alarm—the one that I had set to let me know the very last minute I could leave the house—and slowly ended the kiss, whispering against her lips, “As much as I hate to, and I really, really do, I have to get going. I’ll see you this weekend?”

She nodded, letting her forehead rest against mine for a second before pulling back. “Okay. Be a good surgeon today.”

I laughed, inclining my head. “Always.”

All the way to the hospital, I couldn’t get Olive out of my head. By the time I arrived, I had a stupid grin on my face that I couldn’t seem to wipe off, and Edgar noticed it almost immediately after I walked into preop.

“You’re in a good mood,” he commented, twisting at his waist to face me while still scrubbing his hands. “What gives? Did you get some last night or something?”

I didn’t say anything, studiously ignoring him and walking to the basin beside his. From the corner of my eye, I saw his widen. “Seriously? You did? With who?”

Lifting an eyebrow, I deliberately looked around the room. “This is neither the time nor the place to be talking about this.”

He huffed out a sigh but shrugged and got back to cleaning up. “Fine, but you’re telling me all about it later. I’m expecting full and lurid details, my man.”

“Your expectations are going to be dashed.” I turned my face to his and gave a pointed look over his shoulder at the nurse who had just walked in. “Get your head in the game, Ed. We’re here to operate, let’s talk about that, shall we?”

He nodded, firing off a series of standard questions that we’d have to go through again once we entered the OR, but he knew I liked going through the details with him before, anyway. The process dragged on and on through the day, though, feeling at least triple as long as it usually did.

I was there and ready, participating in the preop procedures and doing my part. In the back of my mind, though, I kept wondering how long it was going to take. I was hoping it would go fast, and that the rest of the day would go fast so I could see Olive again.

Fuck. Why am I thinking like this? My job came first, it had to. I repeated the advice I had given to Edgar earlier silently to myself. Get your head in the game, Rylen. This isn’t the time or the place to be thinking about this.

Chapter 16

Olive

Being alone at the house with nowhere to go and nothing to do was novel for me. It wasn’t a feeling I particularly liked. I had only five days to kill before I started my new job, but I felt like I was staring down the barrel of five days of nothing.

Sitting around being idle wasn’t my thing. I liked to be busy, to stay busy. I actually liked going to work and feeling like I was productive. I was one of those freaks who actually enjoyed Monday mornings and felt a little listless when my last shift for the week ended.

It was a beautiful day outside. The sky was as blue as a robin’s egg without a cloud in sight. There was no breeze, so it was bound to be a scorcher of a day. My fingers tightened around the wraparound railing on my balcony, my eyes closing as I inhaled a deep breath of fresh ocean air.

I felt like I was all dressed up with no place to go. It sucked.

The sound of my phone ringing from the couch behind me made me open my eyes. I’d vacated the couch only a minute ago to come stand against the railing. I turned and reached over to grab it, surprised to see Jenna’s name on the screen.

“Hey, girl,” she said in greeting once I’d answered. I could practically hear the smile in her voice. “I have the day off and I know you do too. I’m feeling some serious girl beach time, are you in?”

I pursed my lips, pulling them from side to side as I thought about it. “Sure, why not? I was actually just wondering what I was going to do with myself today.”

“Awesome.” She let out a loud whoop, making me wonder where she was. Although it probably didn’t matter. Jenna didn’t seem like the type to care about whooping anywhere. She probably even whooped in her office. “Do you have any beach preferences? I have a few, but since you’re the newbie, I’ll let you pick.”

My eyes narrowed as I thought. There was a perfectly good beach right here, my very own backyard. It would certainly be most convenient, since the house was here for refreshments and facilities.

There was no doubt it was the practical choice, but that was what the old Olive would have argued. New Olive wanted to get out there and explore a bit. Heidi and Valerie had both mentioned going to other beautiful beaches with their significant others. I hadn’t been to many, except this one and the one where I used to work.

“You know what, it was your suggestion. How about you pick? Just tell me where to meet you.”

After pausing for no more than five seconds, she had decided and told me she’d send me the location for her beach of choice. We agreed to meet in an hour, and I hung up the phone.

Jenna sent me the location just after we ended the call and I clicked on it, seeing that it would take me just over half an hour to get there from my house. That means I have to get packed up and ready to go. Yay for not having to sit around today!

I hurried inside and jogged up the stairs to my bedroom, changing into shorts and a T-shirt over my bikini. My backpack already had the essentials in it, but I added a fresh towel and filled my bottle with ice-cold water from the fridge.

After throwing my hair into a ponytail and making sure I still had a ball cap in my pack, I set off to my car. Jenna was already at the beach when I arrived, waving me over from where she was sitting on a monster-sized towel. She was lathering sunscreen onto her arms, grinning at me from behind a pair of silver-tinted sunglasses.

“I’m so glad you could come,” she said when I walked up, pointing to the spot on the sand beside her. “Spread out your towel. I’ll get your back if you do mine.”

“Thanks. I always miss a spot when I try to do it myself.”

She giggled, lifting her sunglasses to her forehead to wink at me before dropping them down again. “It is so much harder to find the spot by yourself, isn’t it? It’s just not the same.”

My eyes grew wide behind my own sunglasses and a peal of nervous laughter escaped. “That wasn’t what I meant.”

“It doesn’t make it any less true.” She wiggled her nose, her back straightening as if she’d remembered something. “Oh, wait. Right. I forgot. You haven’t, um, you’re a virgin. Although, I guess you could have done other stuff. You know what? Forget I said anything. It was just a joke anyway.”

“I know,” I said, trying to bite back the words that were on the tip of my tongue. Jenna and I were becoming good friends, and I wanted to tell her about last night. I wanted to talk to somebody about what had happened.

I didn’t want to gossip or share intimate details, I just wanted to talk. To tell someone that I had finally done it. “But actually, I’m not anymore. A—”

My teeth sank into my lip as I stopped myself from talking. This was a really big deal for me. Jenna didn’t know me that well and I didn’t even know if she would want to know about this.

I forced a smile, holding my hand out for her sunscreen. “Here, I’ll get your back.”

Jenna swatted my hand away, turning on her towel to face me and crossing her legs. “No, uh-uh. You’re not what, anymore? A virgin?”

A flush made its way to my cheeks, one that clearly had nothing to do with the heat of the day. She noticed immediately, letting out a little squeal that had a few people in the vicinity looking at us.

“What? When? Who? Tell me everything.”

She’d dropped the sunscreen on the sand when she swatted my hand away. I picked it up and reached into my backpack for a package of paper towels I kept in there, motioning for her to turn around. “You’re going to burn to a crisp. We need to get this on before that happens.”

Besides, I didn’t know about looking her right in the face during the conversation we were about to have. Jenna sighed, but did as I had asked. Once she wasn’t facing me any longer, I heard another question.

“You were about to tell me about it, why did you stop?”

Popping the top off the sunscreen, I squeezed some onto my palms and rubbed them together before putting my hands on her warm skin. “I stopped because it’s just weird to talk to someone about this stuff who isn’t either Valerie or Heidi. I used to have these kinds of talks with them. Now they’re gone, sort of, and I don’t know how to talk to anyone else about it.”

“I get that.” She sat still while I finished, then turned to face me again and took the sunscreen. It was my turn, so I gave her my back and held my ponytail up with one hand.

Jenna’s voice was gentle, as were her hands when she started rubbing the cream in. “It’s okay. I understand, really. I’d love to talk to you about it, if you want to, but I won’t make you tell me. It was your first time. That’s always going to be special.”

I sighed, my muscles relaxing under her hands. “Are you sure you don’t mind if I talk to you about it? I really do want to, I guess it’s just weird.”

“It’s not weird,” she insisted, giving me a pat on the back to let me know she was done. “We’re friends, right? So what if we didn’t grow up together? We’re friends now and I think we’re becoming good friends. You’re not betraying your old friends by talking to me about it. I just happen to be here, so I get to hear about it first.”

A smile came to my lips. “Okay, but remember, you asked for it.”

Jenna grinned at me, doing a victory jig with her arms pumping in the air. “Yeah, I did. So spill it. Who was it with? Was it any good? Did he hurt you? Did he take care of you? Ooooh, did he make you come like a fountain?”

I blinked a few times, trying to determine if I’d heard her right. My cheeks, chest, and neck had to have turned the color of an overripe tomato. “A fountain?”

She scrunched up her nose, but I could see the smile she was trying to hide. “Okay, maybe not a fountain. A geyser? A full tube of toothpaste that you left open and then step on, a—”

I held up my hand, afraid that it she kept going the blood vessels in my cheeks were going to pop. “Let me start with your first question. His name is Rylen.”

Skimming over some of the more personal details, I told her all about my first time. I answered all her questions, but when it came to the last one, my face heated again. “He did take care of me, he made me … um, you know, three times.”

Lifting up her palm for a high five, she waited until I clapped mine against hers before grinning. “Now that’s what I call a man. Too many of them don’t give a damn about a girl. Especially if it’s her first time. They just assume we’re not going to have an orgasm anyway, so they only focus on the getting it in part and then pumping away until they get there.”

“Really?” I frowned. That sounded terrible. “Rylen wasn’t like that at all.”

“Good man,” she said. “That wasn’t what I meant about taking care of you, though. That’s why it was a separate question. He didn’t dine and dash, did he?”

“Dine and dash?” I arched an eyebrow. “Seriously, people call it that?”

Jenna’s head rolled back as she laughed. “People call it so many things, but that’s one of the tamer ones. So did he?”

“No, I slept over at this house. He made me breakfast in the morning, and when he had to leave, he told me to stay as long as I wanted.”

Jenna’s sunglasses came off again, but this time they came all the way off, and she held them in her hand and gaped at me. “Really? You’re not kidding me with any of this?”

“No, it’s all true.”

She put her sunglasses on her head, pushing the arms into the sides in front of her messy bun, then started applauding. “Bravo. If there’s any guy to sleep with, it’s this Rylen person.”

My cheeks warmed again, but I dipped my head in acknowledgment. Jenna stopped clapping and narrowed her eyes, tilting her head. “Wait, Rylen. That’s not a very common name around here. I was so into hearing the story before that I wasn’t thinking about his name until I just said it myself.”

“Okay?”

“You’re not talking about Rylen Page, are you? Superhot heart surgeon extraordinaire?”

I bopped my head up and down, fingers of trepidation closing around my gut. “Yeah, that’s him. I mean, I don’t know about extraordinaire, but that’s his name and he is a heart surgeon.”

Her eyes filled with approval. “He’s definitely a catch for your first time. I mean, sure, he has a fucking rough past, but he turned himself around. He became something most people can only wish to become.”

The trepidation eased immediately. Rylen might not have given me details about his past, but he’d dropped enough hints that I had been expecting there was something of a story there. I could deal with a story and with baggage.

I felt like I made the right decision with him. I was more than ready to spend time with him. Whenever he chose to tell me about his past, I would listen. For now, I was content just getting to know him a little better, one day at a time.

Chapter 17

Rylen

“Why’d you want to meet me here?” Olive asked on Thursday morning, walking up to me on the pier at the boardwalk.

There was a light breeze that lifted the tendrils of hair that had escaped from her braid. She was wearing a pair of denim shorts that were way too long for my liking and a blue tank top that brought out the darker hues in her eyes.

Her smile was relaxed and happy, a worn denim backpack hanging by its strap off her shoulder. I reached out for the backpack, taking it and setting it down by our feet before giving her a tight hug.

“I haven’t been here in years, maybe even since I was a kid. I thought rediscovering its magic was a good place to start our day together.” I gave her another squeeze, relishing in the feel of her body pressed close to mine and reliving a barrage of memories that were going to make it hard to walk if I didn’t let her go, so I did. “Want to go for a walk?”

“Yeah, I’d like that.” She stepped back and bent down to grab her backpack, but I beat her to it. Shouldering it on my left, I took her hand in my right. Olive lifted her free hand and pointed at a row of restaurants down the beach from the boardwalk. “That’s where I used to work. Heidi and Will actually had their first date here.”

“They did?” I started walking in that direction, tugging on her hand. “I’d like to see where you worked, then maybe we can take it from there.”

Her gaze darted to the side, a longing look in her eyes as she glanced down the pier. “Do you mind if we walk along here first? I haven’t really had the chance to do it yet, especially not with company.”

“Your wish is my command.” I changed direction, walking toward the edge and staying near the water as we made our way slowly along.

Seagulls squalled overhead, lazily drifting above the pier and occasionally darting down to take a chance at someone’s snack. There weren’t many other people around, since it was a Thursday morning and all.

As it was, I’d had to rearrange some things to get the day off. I didn’t have surgeries booked until next week, which meant that I could afford a little break from the hospital. There was another surgeon on call in case of emergency and Edgar had promised to update me on my patients.

For once, things at the hospital were slow enough that I didn’t feel bad taking a couple of days before the weekend and then taking the weekend off too. It made me realize that Olive and I had that in common, not liking too much time off. It also made me realize that I’d better use the time we both now had to the fullest, since I didn’t know when it would happen again.

It was taking a bit of time to put things in place, but I was sure she was going to enjoy what I had planned for us. Today was a day to simply relax, though. Walking and spending time at the boardwalk seemed like a good, fun way to pass the time.

Plus, I had a few tricks up my sleeve for today too. I could hardly wait to see what Olive’s reaction was going to be when she found out what it was.

We walked along in comfortable silence for the first few minutes, both of us watching the swells of the ocean and seagulls dipping and taking flight. It was peaceful here, much more so than it usually was over the weekends.

At least it used to be crazy busy on the weekends back when I was growing up, but I wasn’t sure if it still was. The sheer number of restaurants, bars, closed food trucks, and excess parking off the back made me guess that the crowds still came in over weekends and on holidays.

I liked it the way it was now, though. Quiet enough to talk and to sit on the benches located every few feet. Olive and I didn’t sit. It was just nice to know that we could if we wanted to.

She seemed lost in thought, an absent frown tugging at her features while we walked. I squeezed her hand, pulling her in to my side. “Are you okay? You’re not too sore for walking, are you?”

“No, no.” She flushed but smiled up at me. “It’s not that. I’m just wondering about something that I heard, and I don’t know whether to bring it up or not.”

A knot formed in my stomach, but I forced myself to speak past the sandpaper that had suddenly wedged itself in my throat. “I’m assuming that what you heard is about me?”

She nodded, chewing on the inside of her cheek. “It’s worse saying what I just did than if I’d just told you what I’d heard, isn’t it?”

I rocked my head from side to side once. “A little, yeah. It’s okay, Olive. Whatever you heard, you can tell me about it.”

“It’s just that I heard you had a tough childhood.” Her eyes found the floor. “I don’t mean to pry and that’s all I know, I swear. I didn’t ask for details because I’d rather hear them from you if you ever want to tell me about it. I was just thinking about it earlier and wasn’t sure if I should even tell you.”

“I’m glad you told me what you heard.” Liar.

My stomach flipped itself over, but I took a deep breath to get over the sick feeling in the center of it. Tampa was a big city, but it had a tendency to become very small when it came to things you’d rather be kept secret.

Olive said she didn’t know the details, though. It had to stay that way for now. She would never want to keep getting to know me if she knew the whole truth, but once she did know me, she would know all that was in my past. It wasn’t me anymore. As soon as we got to that point where I could trust she knew who the person I was now, I’d tell her everything. If we ever get to that point.

“It wasn’t such a big deal,” I told her eventually, just before the pause became so long that she’d be able to tell that I was playing it off instead of giving her the full truth. “I had a few hiccups, but I turned my life around to help people.”

I promised myself right then and there that I would give her the entire story someday. “I’ve told you before that I didn’t have the greatest start, but that doesn’t matter to me anymore. All that matters to me is who I am now and what I’ve done to turn my life around.”

Olive listened without interrupting, something that I found myself liking about her. When I was done, she tightened her grip on my fingers. “You’ve done a really good job doing that, making something of yourself. You should be really proud.”

“I am.” We reached the end of the pier, leaning with our forearms on the railing but our hands still linked. “How about you?”

“What about me?” She peered at me from the corner of her eye, but she mostly kept watching the ocean.

“Your childhood. Was it good? You’ve said you grew up in New York, but you also mentioned that you inherited the house you’re currently living in from your mother.”

Olive sighed. “Oh, that.”

“Yeah, that.” I bumped her shoulder with my own. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it.”

She tore her gaze away from the water to look up at me for a fraction of a second, managing a soft smile. “No, that’s okay. All of this happened such a long time ago. It’s nothing to be sad about now.”

Her voice was barely more than a whisper on the breeze, but I heard her just fine. “I grew up in New York. My parents always had problems, but I didn’t realize how bad they were until they told me about the divorce.”

“You mean they were getting one?”

Her head shook once. “No, that they had already gotten it. My mom was a free spirit, a really loving soul. She said the city was caging her in and that she’d used her own inheritance from her parents as well as her settlement money to buy a house in Florida.”

“She left you behind?” The knot in my stomach twisted. I knew all too well what it felt like to be thrown away and forgotten about.

Olive didn’t seem bitter about it, though. Then again, I wasn’t anymore either. “She asked me if I could come, but she told me I’d need to get a job to help her put myself through school. She also said that Dad refused to contribute any money toward me if I moved with her, but that he’d see to everything for me if I stayed.”

“That’s not legal.”

She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. It was the deal she took.”

“So you stayed with him?”

“I spent most of my time with Valerie and Heidi and slept over at one of their houses most nights. Dad got wrapped up in his own world pretty soon after the divorce. He gave me some money, put me through school and everything, but he stopped paying a single cent the day after my eighteenth birthday.”

She swallowed past a lump in her throat, her eyes more watery than they had been a minute before. It was obvious that she was still having a hard time talking about this, despite what she had said when I’d asked.

“I’m so sorry, Olive.” I let go of her hand to drape my arm over her shoulder. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, it’s okay.” She folded her arm around my waist, resting her head on my chest. “Like I said, it was a long time ago, it just still stings a bit when I talk about it.”

“I understand.” I was still curious about her past, and I knew she was about mine, but both of us decided to leave it at that for the day. We stood there holding each other for what felt like seconds and hours at the same time, but only turned out to be about fifteen minutes.

Somewhere in the space of that time, my mind had drifted away from the tragic events of our pasts to land on where we were today. Having her tucked at my side, touching her hand casually when she lifted it to toy with my fingers hanging over her shoulder, all of it felt good.

It also felt like something I ought to tell her. Turning my face to hers, I squeezed her hand to get her attention. She looked up, also without moving. It put our faces so close together that it felt like we were in our own private, intimate bubble.

“I like spending time with you, Olive. I really enjoy your company and I’d like to spend some more time with you, if you’re up for it.”

“I feel the same way, so I am.” She pressed her lips against my neck and planted a soft kiss on the skin there. “What did you have in mind?”

Reluctantly stepping out of the embrace, I smirked down at her. It was time to set my plan into motion. Enough of this heavy stuff.

“How would you like to learn how to surf?”

Her smile dropped. “No.”

I grabbed her hand, holding on to it tightly as I started to walk back down the pier. “I say yes. It’s time for another thing a new woman would do, so we’re doing it. You’re going to love it. Promise.”

Chapter 18

Olive

“Surfing is hard.” I panted, trying to catch my breath after paddling out behind Rylen.

The man was a freaking natural, his hands slicing through the water like it was air. No current, jackass on any kind of board, or wave stopped him. He simply kept going.

I, on the other hand, was whatever the total opposite of a natural was. Every bit of current threatened to carry me all the way to Mexico, every wave nearly knocked me off my board, and to the other people in the water, I was a gnat that was always in the way.

At least I made it behind the breakers this time. I hadn’t been so lucky on my last few attempts, being washed back to shore to start all over again.

I’d made it through the waves now, actually managed to dive beneath one—board and all—and had gotten close enough to where Rylen was lying lazily on his board, watching me fight the good fight.

The first few times I’d tried, he’d stuck to my side. He’d instructed me back on the beach, made me hop around on the board like an idiot and then eventually deemed me water ready. I was pretty sure he’d regretted that statement almost the minute we’d hit the water.

To be fair to him, he really had tried—all the way up until I’d told him to show me what he had then, if he was such a superior surfer. Unfortunately for my pride, he was really good.

He’d shown me, and everyone else cheering him on, what he had. When he’d come back to where I was flailing around like a fish out of the water just to manage to stay on my floating lump of foam, I’d sent him away. I told him I’d get to him eventually, that he’d taught me all he could, and that it was time to fall on his sword on the matter of turning me into a pro.

Finally, I had managed to get here, though. I was damn proud of myself, even if I’d only managed to paddle. I was still on my board, so I was chalking it up as a win.

Rylen sat up on his board when he saw me coming closer, looking like a glistening god as he lifted his arms to slick his wet hair back. Freaking hell, is that really who I lost my virginity to?

The guy looked like he could have been filming a damn commercial. He grinned and I swore the sun glinted off his pearly white teeth like he really was in a commercial. “It’s not that bad, babe. You’ve just got to find your center.”

Babe, really? We’re going there? He’d called me baby the other night, but that had been in the heat of passion. I hadn’t been expecting him to follow through on it.

“I think my center is stuck somewhere between Mexico and Guatemala.” I finally reached him, nearly falling off my board again when I tried to turn around so I could also sit up and face the beach like the cool kids did.

Rylen laughed, shaking droplets of water out of his hair. My mouth dried up. He was too hot for his own good. Seriously, any second I was going to have to fight off a horde of wanting women.

“Trust me, you’re doing much better than a lot of other first-timers.” He grasped the front of his board with both hands, stretching out his back but turning his head so I could see his sly grin. “It seems you have a knack for that, doing things so much better than other first-timers.”

Smacking my palm on the water, I sent a spray of it his way while also trying not to fall off my board when I started to giggle. Giggling, Olive? Really? “You can’t say stuff like that.”

“Isn’t it a bit late to get shy with me now? Why can’t I say stuff like that?” He straightened up again, shrugging. “How did you manage that anyway? Staying a virgin until now?”

I rolled my lips into my mouth, chewing on both as I slicked my own hair back. Undoubtedly, I didn’t look like a commercial while doing it. Unless someone was making a commercial filled with wobbling, uncoordinated people. I could totally qualify for that one.

Once I’d regained my balance and was sitting a little more comfortably, trying not to imagine how much I might have looked like a sea turtle to any hungry sharks in the vicinity, I resigned myself to answering his question honestly. He was right, there was no point in getting shy now.

“I’ve always had the girls,” I said, staring off into distance at the people gathered on the beach. There weren’t so many of them, but they all looked so small regardless of the fact that we weren’t even in so deep. “They were enough for me, you know? I had companions in them, I never needed more, and I didn’t want to have to deal with any messy relationship issues.”

“And now they’re gone?” He looked right at me, jaw tighter than I would’ve thought it would be. “Is that why you were ready now? Just because your friends have moved on?”

Replaying my words in my head, I realized why he was suddenly suffering from masculine-tight-jaw syndrome. “No, I know that it must have sounded like that was what it was. It really wasn’t just because they’ve moved on that I randomly decided to start sleeping around or to screw someone just because I was bored. I swear, it’s not like that.”

I tipped my head back, feeling the warmth of the sun on my face. My eyes were closed, and I stayed sitting that way. “The sun feels different here than it does in New York. I know how strange that sounds, but it’s true.”

“Okay?” When I opened my eyes and faced him again, one of his eyebrows lifted as the other dipped down in confusion. “What does that have to do with this?”

“Well, things started changing the day we arrived here. It wasn’t only because Heidi met Will. It was more than that, bigger than just them. Moving here has given me a new outlook on life. I think it did for all of us.”

As the words came out, it was like my brain remembered them from having said them before. I hadn’t spoken any of it out loud before, though. They were just true, and that was the power of truth. It wanted to come out, but speaking it was both the easiest and hardest thing that one could do.

“I’m the only one left who doesn’t know what I’m going to do, but I don’t regret moving here. I’m not sad that my friends have figured it out and I haven’t. I will too, eventually. Obviously, I move way slower than they do. My time will come.”

“And in the meantime?” Rylen was still looking into my eyes, staring even. “What do you do in the meantime?”

I shrugged, wobbling a little on the board. I grabbed the sides, forcing myself to steady before I went crashing into the water and maybe taking him with me. “In the meantime, I’m not going to obsess about things the way I used to. I’m going to keep exploring what this new outlook means, having new experiences and really living my life.”

A slow grin spread on his lips, crinkling the corners of his eyes and making his irises shine. “I like that plan. Mind if I tag along with the really living your life thing?”

“No.” I felt my own lips pulling up at the corners. “In fact, I wanted to thank you for spending the day with me. I’m sorry my surfing skills are subpar.”

He laughed, the sound bouncing and rolling off the water. “It’s no problem, we’ll get you there.”

“About that.” I dropped my gaze from his, seeing a sticker that had one corner starting to peel. My fingers sought it out almost automatically, picking at the edge. “I know you said you had the weekend off and that we could spend it together, but if you don’t want to, you don’t have to feel obligated to just because we … well, you know.”

“What?” Rylen scoffed, reaching out to touch my hand and gently stopping it from fidgeting with the sticker. He had the balance of a fucking Olympic gymnast to be able to do that without falling off, but at this point, nothing about him surprised me anymore. “Actually, I’m going to take you somewhere tomorrow. I’ve already got the weekend planned, so don’t even think about backing out now.”

“Where are we going?”

“Just pack an overnight bag, will you? You’re going to need it. It’s not necessary to pack too many fancy clothes, and you are not going to need ten pairs of shoes.”

I stuck my tongue out at him playfully, giving an exasperated sigh. “Do you even know me? But fine, since you’ve asked, I’ll only bring eight.”

Chapter 19

Rylen

The smell of barbecue was in the air when I arrived at Olive’s house on Friday, a plume of smoke coming from the neighbor’s yard. My stomach growled, but I ignored it. Soon enough, we were going to be feasting to our hearts’ content. I wasn’t going to sweat one barbecue. No matter how fucking amazing it smelled.

Lifting my hand, I hammered on her door. The sooner we got out of here, the sooner we would get to my big surprise. I’d seesawed these last couple of days, wondering if it was a bit much for where we were in our relationship.

In the end, I booked it because it felt right. It was something I had been wanting to do ever since I could afford to do it, and there was no one I’d rather share the experience with than Olive.

This was the first time I had taken so many consecutive days off, and I knew it had been a long time for her as well. That deserved a proper celebration, so society’s idea of it being too much too soon could go fuck itself.

Olive opened the door wearing a strapless turquoise sundress and those strappy sandals that look really confusing to put on until you realized that they only had one zipper down the back of each heel. A pair of giant sunglasses sat perched in her thick hair.

She glanced down at a dainty, dated watch on her wrist. “Wow, you’re literally right on time.”

“Occupational hazard.” I grinned, giving her a long and obvious once-over. “You look amazing.”

“Thanks.” She stepped away from the door. “Want to come in?”

“Regretfully, I have to decline.” If I did, that dress was coming off and we were so going to end up losing my deposit. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, I think so.” She ducked behind the door, emerging a second later with her hand grasping a small wheeled suitcase. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.” I took the suitcase from her, lowered the handle to carry it to my car, then turned to face Olive just before I set off down the stairs. “Lock up, you won’t be back this weekend.”

She arched an eyebrow, narrowing her eyes in thought before doing as I asked. She caught up with me just as I stowed her case in the trunk. “Are you so sure you can’t tell me where we’re going? Why all the cloak-and-dagger stuff?”

“I would tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.” I opened the passenger door for her. “Or you know, probably not kill you. I took an oath saying I wouldn’t do that, and I take it pretty seriously, but maybe I’d have to drug you or something.”

She rolled her pretty blue eyes, climbing into the car. “I’m sure that goes against your oath too. Isn’t the whole thing ‘do no harm’?”

I shrugged. “It wouldn’t be permanent.”

She opened her mouth, but I shut the door and jogged around to my side of the car. After getting in and finally navigating us onto the road, I glanced at her. “Kidding, I wouldn’t drug you either. You’ll see soon enough where we’re going. It’s a surprise.”

“I know you wouldn’t drug me; otherwise, I wouldn’t be in this car with you right now,” she argued, buckling up her seat belt. “Don’t you drug people every day, though?”

“I prescribe drugs that they need if and when they need them. Technically, it’s the anesthesiologist who drugs them every day.”

Olive lifted her shoulders in a shrug, then settled back in her seat. After a moment of quiet contemplation, she finally asked the question she had been chewing over. “What’s it like, holding a person’s life in your hands?”

The question called for a certain gravitas, so I gave it due consideration. I’d been asked a variation of that question so many times, but never had it been put so directly.

“It’s not easy. In fact, it’s fucking daunting. It was so intimidating at first that I second-guessed my decision to become what I did, but it’s something I’ve had to get used to.”

I took a moment to gather my thoughts. Olive didn’t interrupt me, listening intently to my answer. “I do the best I can every day to pay the necessary respect to the responsibility I have. I’ve been fortunate enough not to have lost a patient, but I know it’s a matter of time.”

She released a heavy breath, her voice honest and sincere. “I don’t know how you could do that for a living. I know someone’s got to do it, but that’s a massive weight to carry on your shoulders.”

Inclining my head, I acknowledged her words. “I just wanted to help people. I know there are other ways to do that, but this felt right to me.”

I knew the next logical question coming was “why.” Thankfully, we pulled into the port before she could get it out.

Olive gaped at the cruise ship beside us. “What are we doing here?”

I followed the markers for long-term parking, grinning at her after checking there was no one about to slam on their breaks in front of us. “We’re going on a cruise, that’s what. I hope you don’t get seasick.”

“I wouldn’t know.” She breathed, her voice not even a whisper as she twisted in her seat to keep watching the ship even as we headed into the parking lot. “I’ve never been on a cruise.”

“There’s a first time for everything.” I very nearly winked, but I figured we’d had this discussion and more talk about her first time was unnecessary unless she brought it up. “Don’t worry about time either. We’ll be back on Sunday morning, plenty of time for you to get ready for your big day at your new job.”

Olive let out a sound between a shriek and a squeal, bouncing in her seat while I found a spot and parked. A porter came and got our luggage, giving me the tag. I barely pocketed it before her hand was in mine and she was running toward the ship.

Chapter 20

Olive

“This is amazing.” My eyes were wider than they had ever been before, my head swiveling from side to side as I tried to take in the magnificence of the ship. “I’ve seen pictures of cruise ships, but I never imagined the grandeur of them if you’re standing on one.”

Rylen chuckled, but his gaze was darting around as much as mine was. “It’s something, isn’t it?”

“I’d say.” I honestly couldn’t believe I was standing on a vessel that could move instead of being in the lobby of a luxury hotel.

The atrium was massive, boasting sweeping spiral staircases with copper banisters that led from level to level. The tiles had intricate designs that were accentuated by natural light streaming in through windows and skylights.

There were people everywhere, and yet the space didn’t feel cramped. Neon lights could be seen in the multitude of corridors leading off the atrium, advertising restaurants, shops, and entertainment.

Smartly dressed servers walked around, offering welcome drinks to the passengers. Rylen plucked two glass of champagne from a tray, handing one over to me as he politely thanked the waiter.

I sipped from the flute, loving the feel of the bubbles sliding down my throat. At least this meant that my mouth was now closed. I was pretty sure it had been hanging open since the moment I’d realized what Rylen had planned for the weekend.

“This is incredible,” I said once I had swallowed my champagne. “I can’t believe it. It’s just…”

“You like it?” He grinned, casually sipping his drink as he watched me marvel at my surroundings.

I jabbed his ribs with my elbow. “Are you kidding? I don’t like. I love it.”

A satisfied smile spread on his lips, his arm coming around my shoulders. “I’m glad. I know you’ve been in Florida for a little over a year now and I wanted to bring you to do something you hadn’t done before.”

“Thank you.” I transferred my glass to my other hand, wrapping my arm around his waist as I soaked it all in. Rylen and I walked around, weaving between people awkwardly but not letting the other go.

When I saw a sign indicating the direction to go in to get to the water park, I blinked and reread it. “There’s a water park on this thing?”

He nodded. “It comes complete with high-speed racing slides with clear loops, pools, and a watercoaster. Awesome, right? I can’t wait to hit it later.”

“Clear loops?” I swallowed, nervous just thinking about it. Heights weren’t my friend.

Rylen was oblivious to my discomfort, excitedly explaining how it worked. “The loops are part of the high-speed slides. They extend over the one side of the ship, so when you look down it’s like you’re flying over the ocean.”

“That sounds terrifying.” I didn’t want to sound like a spoilsport, though. “But it’s definitely something I haven’t done before.”

“We’ll add it to the ‘New Olive’ list of experiences.” He gave my shoulders a little shake. “I hope you packed a sturdy swimsuit. Bikini tops tend to go flying on those things, not that I would mind if yours went flying, but I wouldn’t like it if it went flying in front of so many other people.”

“Jealous?” I looked up at him, a small smirk playing on my lips. I’d never had anyone be jealous about me before. I think I like it.

Unfortunately, thinking about what he might get jealous about, I realized why I’d had the feeling I’d forgotten something while I was packing. “Crap. I didn’t pack a swimsuit, sturdy or otherwise.”

“That’s okay, we’ll buy you one in the mall on the ship.” He shrugged. “Or maybe we’ll just get you a tracksuit to swim in, because yes. I think I may be a little jealous.” He held his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart and winked. “You know, just a little.”

I felt a smile spreading on my lips along with heat creeping onto my cheeks. “If I have to swim in a tracksuit, so do you.”

The thought of other women ogling Rylen, which they would, didn’t sit well with me. He wasn’t mine or anything, but it kind of felt like he was. Just for now.

He pursed his lips as he considered my suggestion, eventually relenting. “Fine, come on. Let’s go get checked in and then we can go get you a suit.”

Surprisingly, the checking-in process ran smoothly and efficiently despite the amount of people trying to do the same thing. Once we had the key to our cabin, Rylen led me through the throngs of people, and we headed toward the shops.

Quite a few of them sold swimwear, but the prices were exorbitant. Lifting the tag of a gorgeous turquoise tankini, I gaped and hung the thing back on the rack as carefully as if it had been spun from gold. “Wow. This is expensive. Maybe I really should consider swimming in clothes.”

“Nope.” Rylen popped his lips on the last syllable, adding the tankini to the collection he already had growing in one hand. “We’re getting you one. It’s on me. Are you ready to try them on?”

I came to a stop beside him, arching an eyebrow. “It’s on you? I don’t know how I can accept something else from you when you’ve already paid for all this.”

“You can accept it. Trust me, I can afford it. I’ve been saving money for a long time and I haven’t had much to spend it on. Besides, at risk of sounding like a total cliché, buying one of these for you to wear is more a gift for me than it is for you.”

I laughed, thinking he was joking until I saw the heat that had suddenly crept into his eyes. Having him looking at me like that was doing funny things to me too. I clenched the muscles in my thighs, suddenly eager to see what his reaction would be if I tried them all on for him.

“Okay, let’s go find the changing room.” I made an attempt at a come- hither look, which I thought was going to fall flat, but it worked.

Rylen nodded, grabbing my hand and holding it tighter than before as he practically dragged me to the back of the shop. Since the cruise hadn’t actually started yet, most people were still getting checked in and getting to their cabins.

We were the only people in the shop, so I chose the changing room right at the back on the row and motioned Rylen to a stool in the empty stall across from mine. He handed over the five options he’d chosen and wordlessly went to take a seat.

The first one was a simple black one-piece, but its legs were cut high and the back low. I put it on, gave myself a quick pep talk and then squared my shoulders, prepared to model items for a man for the very first time.

It was a heady feeling that made feminine power surge through me, watching his reaction to each suit. By the time I was in the last one, his hand was in his lap and I was ninety percent sure I saw him press his palm into a bulge in his pants.

The low groan I heard as I closed the curtain behind me confirmed my suspicions, sending a thrill through me. And we have a whole weekend together to explore the sexual tension brewing between us.

I could hardly wait. Picking the turquoise number based purely on the fact that it had been the one that had brought a smoldering look into his eyes, I changed into my clothes and carried my choice out.

Rylen released a sound at the back of his throat when he saw which one I had chosen, but took it from me anyway. “Fuck. I thought it was a gift for me, but I think it’s going to prove to be a torture device.”

Heck, yeah. I couldn’t believe he was saying stuff like that to me, never mind that it looked like he really meant it. “Don’t worry, you’re going to be shirtless. We’ll be suffering together.”

My comment brought the sexiest little smirk to his lips as he tugged me into his side. “Or maybe we should just let the water park idea go and stay in our cabin all weekend.”

I shook my head firmly. “No such luck. You promised me racing slides and loops and who knows what else. I’m collecting on that.”

Rylen sighed, but I swore I saw a hint of pride in his eyes. “You’re right. It would be a waste not to do all that.”

The ship trembled beneath our feet, reminding me that we were on a movable vessel. “Come on, let’s go outside for the departure. I want to see everything.”

We paid quickly, then made our way to one of the decks to watch as we set sail. Finding a spot near the railing was hard, but we managed eventually.

As the port grew farther away, I put my arms around Rylen’s waist and rested my head on his chest. His arms folded around my shoulders, his head coming down to rest on mine as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

I liked it. I really, really liked it. This is going to be a great time.

Later on, when the port had grown small and the crowds had dispersed, Rylen and I set off to find our cabin. There was a man waiting for us outside it dressed in the same uniform as the one that the servers downstairs had worn.

“Mr. Page?” he asked when we approached, slowing near the door he was standing in front of.

Rylen nodded. “Guilty as charged. What can I do for you?”

“I’m Fred,” the man said. “I’ll be your butler this weekend. I wanted to introduce myself and to remind you that your dinner reservation is at seven.”

A butler? My eyes nearly bugged out of my head, but I’d have to table that. Rylen sneaked a peak at me when Fred mentioned dinner, making me wonder what was going on.

“What have you done, Rylen?”

He smiled. “I wanted you to have the best experience that you could this weekend, that’s all. You’ll have to wait and see what that entails.”

Chapter 21

Rylen

“Welcome to the upper deck. My name is Eileen and I’ll be your hostess this evening.” Eileen smiled and swept an arm out behind her. “Please, follow me. I’ll show you to your table.”

Olive’s eyes widened when we stepped into the private dining room on the very top deck of the ship. Two of the walls were made entirely of glass and offered a spectacular view of the setting sun.

There were few tables scattered around for the size of the restaurant, but coming here meant paying for the exclusivity of dining away from the thousands of people in the ordinary restaurants situated all over the ship.

The remainder of our meals for the duration of the cruise would be with everyone else, but I wanted to treat Olive for our first night on board. It had been an expensive booking to secure, but it was worth it to see the look on Olive’s face as we were led to our table.

“We offer an array of delicacies from all over the globe, but you can order pretty much any dinner you would like.” Eileen looked over her shoulder at us, a welcoming smile plastered on her face. “If there is something that isn’t on our menu but is offered by any restaurant on the ship, we can get that for you. You’re also welcome to make a special request of the chef. If we have the necessary ingredients, he can make whatever meal you want.”

“Really?” Olive let go of my hand to catch up to Eileen. I could hear them talking about the menu and everything that was available, but I didn’t increase my pace.

The carpet beneath my feet was plush and soft swing music played over invisible speakers. Unlike restaurants where you had to weave your way through other tables and disturb other diners, we had a clear path to the other side of the room.

Our table was situated behind an opaque screen with potted plants in front of it, offering the most private dining area that could be secured on board … that I knew of anyway. I had no doubt that there were VIP clubs and probably loyalty-card members who had access to much more, but I wasn’t part of any of those clubs.

“It smells divine in here,” Olive said to Eileen, turning briefly to face me. “Doesn’t it smell amazing?”

“It does.” I nodded, taking a deep whiff of the air. She was right. It did smell incredible, but the scent of the food being prepared wasn’t overwhelming. There were faint hints of garlic, steak being grilled, and something more perfumed in the air, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was.

Eileen smiled, then rounded the end of the screen to our table. “Here you go. I’ll be back with the menus and to introduce you to your server.”

“Thank you,” I said, reaching for one of the heavy chairs at a table set for two. I pulled it out, offering it to Olive. “There you go. Best view in the house.”

Eileen nodded, smiling politely at Olive. “It sure is.”

She looked back at me, inclining her head slightly. “Have a seat. I’ll be right back.”

Walking around the table to the place setting across from Olive’s, I slid into my seat. “Just so you know, we’re only eating here tonight. They don’t allow the same guests to book a table for more than one night on the weekend cruises.”

“This is amazing, Rylen. I never expected to be on a cruise, never mind in a restaurant like this. Thank you.”

She reached across the table for my hand and I placed it in hers. “You’re welcome. I wanted to do something special for both of us to commemorate the start of a great weekend.”

“If that was your mission, you’ve certainly succeeded.” She smiled and gave my hand a squeeze before releasing it when Eileen and another young woman wearing a smart suit approached the table.

“Here you go.” Eileen carried two leather-bound menus in the crook of one arm and placed one in front of each of us before she motioned to the woman. “Dominique will be your server for the evening. I do hope everything will be to your satisfaction. If you need anything, please let Dominique know. You’re also welcome to ask me.”

Olive sat up straighter, eyes shining as she looked up at Eileen. “You mentioned something earlier about gourmet popcorn as part of our dessert.”

“Ah, yes.” She nodded, a soft smile on her lips. “Dominique can certainly get you some. I would recommend the caramel and candy flavor. It’s my personal favorite.”

“Thank you,” Olive said, her eyes sliding to Dominique’s. “I’ll definitely have some of that.”

“As will I.” I picked up the menu and opened it at the back, looking over the list of drinks. “We’ll also have some water and a bottle of La Motte Sauvignon Blanc.”

Dominique nodded, but didn’t take anything down. She glanced at Olive, who nodded her confirmation of my choice, and headed off to fill our order. Eileen assured us she would check in with us during the course of the evening, then left us alone too.

Olive’s blue eyes were as bright as the sparkling ocean we were cruising on. “What wine was that you just ordered? I’ve never heard of it before.”

“It’s imported from South Africa. One of my colleagues brought a bottle to a work function once. I’ve been looking for it again ever since.”

“That sounds expensive.” She frowned. “You know, you really didn’t have to do all this. The cruise itself was way more than enough. I’d have been happy to spend the weekend on the beach at my house. I don’t need all these fancy things.”

“I know.” I smiled, reaching for her hand again. “That’s why I wanted to do them for you. Please stop worrying about how much it costs. I told you, I’ve been saving for a long time. It means something to be able to do this for us, to have someone with me on the cruise. It would have been depressing if I’d have had to bring Edgar with me.”

Her lips tilted into a reluctant but amused smile. “Why? You could have made a fun boys’ weekend of it.”

“Yeah.” I shrugged. “He wouldn’t have looked nearly as good in those swimsuits, though.”

Some of the reluctance left her as I saw her shoulders relax. “Never say never. You don’t know, maybe he would have pulled them off.”

I cringed, trying to force the unwanted imagery of Edgar in a bikini out of my mind. “No, nope. I don’t even want to think about it. Thanks, but no thanks. God, I wonder if they have any acid I can rinse my brain off with.”

“It’s not that bad.” Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she laughed. “To be fair, I don’t know him very well, but he seems rather well built.”

I shot her a look, arching an eyebrow. “I don’t know him very well in that sense, either, but I never want to know whether he’s got the right build for a bikini.”

Olive lifted her shoulders, smirking as a different look came into her eyes. “I wonder what you would look like in one. That turquoise one, maybe. I think it could be hot.”

Jeez, I really hadn’t needed a reminder of that damn swimsuit. Seeing her in all of the other options had already set me on edge, but that one had made me horny as fuck. The color, cut, everything about it on her just did it for me. “I think I’d rather see you in it again, but I’ll try it on, too, if you insist.”

“Oh, yes.” She took her hand out of mine to clap hers together once. “Yes, we’re totally doing that later.”

I groaned, feeling my pants getting tighter at the thought of her in it. “Fine, but can we stop talking about that fucking thing for now?”

“Why?” She blinked innocently, but I didn’t miss the heat suddenly flashing in her eyes. “I thought you said you liked it.”

“I do. I like it a little too much to be thinking about it now, though. Unless of course you want to go back to the cabin and get room service later.” Actually, that wasn’t a bad plan at all.

I desperately wanted to get her back to the privacy of our cabin and finally get the chance to take that turquoise material off her golden skin with my teeth, but Olive wasn’t having it.

She shook her head firmly, gesturing at our surroundings with both hands. “No, no deal. This is an incredible experience you’ve booked for us. We can always get room service tomorrow night or whenever, but we’re eating here tonight.”

I sighed, but I knew in my heart she was right. My dick, on the other hand, didn’t quite agree. But fuck it. I’d waited this long, I could wait another few hours.

“Okay, let’s stick to the plan and eat here, but I’m holding you to wearing it for me again later.”

She nodded, her pupils dilating as her tongue darted out to wet her lips. Damn it. Fuck. I’m so screwed.

I couldn’t remember ever having been so affected by a woman. Sure, I’d been attracted to lots of girls, but it wasn’t the same. What made this worse was that it wasn’t purely physical. It was physical need as well, of course, but as much as I wanted her, I would also be okay if she told me she just wanted to get to know me better this weekend.

It would be painful, yes, but I would deal with it for her. I wouldn’t even make a move if she gave me any indication whatsoever that she needed more time before we got physical again.

Considering the way she was looking at me now, though, just getting through dinner was going to be a very particular form of torture. Thankfully, the moment was interrupted by Dominique delivering our drinks and taking our order.

Olive took a sip of her wine, eyelids fluttering closed. “Wow, that’s good.”

“Glad you like it.” I held the stem of my glass between my fingers, deciding to put all thoughts about what might happen later out of my head for now. “Are you enjoying yourself so far? I was a little nervous when I booked the cruise that you might be prone to seasickness.”

She patted her stomach, shaking her head. “So far, so good. I wouldn’t have known if I was, anyway, since I’ve never been on a cruise. My mom always said we were going to take one, but we never got that far.”

Well, if that wasn’t a punch in the dick… The mention of her mother deflated my overeager libido like a balloon that had been popped, making it much easier to concentrate on the meal at hand. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it now, even if you never got to do it with her.”

“I love it,” she said, lifting her glass to her lips for another sip. “It’s honestly like a dream come true for me. I’ve heard these ships are like hotels, theme parks, and malls on the water, but I never imagined it would be true.”

“Yeah, neither did I,” I agreed, taking in the opulence of the dining room we were in. “I can’t wait for the water park tomorrow. We’re going to have a blast.”

After that, we settled into an easy conversation about what we were looking forward to doing on board, talking more about our families, and for my part, telling her more about my work. The food was as delicious as promised and Eileen’s gourmet popcorn suggestion was the cherry on top.

By the time we got back to our cabin, I was more relaxed than I had been probably since I started med school and Olive was all smiles. She held my hand all the way back, telling me about some of the more hilarious things that she had done with her friends.

Once we were in our cabin, though, the mood between us changed. It was like the air was charged and our entrance was the spark it needed to catch fire.

As soon as the door shut behind us, Olive slipped her hand out of mine and led me over to the bed. “I’ve been thinking, and I really should give you something for all of this.”

“You really don’t have to—” I shut up when her hands came to my shoulders, giving me a gentle shove that landed my ass on the mattress. Her eyes were on mine and that same look from the restaurant were back in them.

“I know I don’t have to, but I want to.” Nudging my legs farther apart with her knees, she came to stand between them and wound her fingers into my hair. “You might have to be patient with me, but there’s something I want to try.”

“Anything,” I managed to get out before her lips were on mine and her hands started tugging my shirt out of my pants. She climbed onto my lap, straddling me as she pulled the fabric free and started on the buttons.

Undoing them slowly, her fingers grazed my chest and my stomach as she slipped each one through its hole. Those fleeting touches, the lingering of her fingertips on my skin before she moved on to the next button, had me groaning into her kisses.

My hands slid up her sides, over her shoulders and arms, before they met at the back of her head. I held her there, kissing her deeply as she pushed me back onto the mattress and then finally, fucking finally, started undoing my pants.

Chapter 22

Olive

Blow jobs weren’t something I thought about very often. They were up there with all the other random sexual acts I knew existed but had never really paid much attention to.

It wasn’t that I hadn’t given one before. I had, once, back in high school. Or I had tried to, anyway. The experience had been less than pleasant and not at all satisfactory. It left me with a literal—and metaphorical—bitter taste in my mouth and not much enthusiasm to ever do it again.

With Rylen it was different, though. The first time we had been together he had made it all about me, which I appreciated but didn’t need a repeat of. I wasn’t a virgin anymore. I was an equal—albeit less experienced—participant.

When I’d seen him pressing his palm into his lap in that shop earlier, the thought of what I wanted to do with him popped into my head and it had refused to leave. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be bold enough to make it happen, but I had stepped out of my comfort zone and so far, was being well rewarded for it.

I was on top of Rylen, having the breath kissed out of me and doing it right back to him. I’d gotten him out of his shirt and was working on his pants. Lifting my hips once I had his button and zipper undone, I started shoving at the material.

Rylen lifted his gorgeous butt helpfully, allowing me to get his pants and his boxers off. Once my arms had no more reach, I raised my leg to kick the fabric off the rest of the way. I was still clothed, but my tiny scrap of lacy panties was soaked and my dress could come off in due time. Although…

Just like the thought about giving him a blow job, I suddenly couldn’t shake this one either. Sitting up, I put my hands on Rylen’s rapidly rising and falling chest and flashed him an apologetic smile. “I’ll be right back.”

His eyebrows went up, his hands falling to my hips to squeeze them. “Where could you possibly have to go right this second?”

“I made you a promise.” I ran my fingertips down his sculpted abdomen, feeling his erection twitch underneath me. His stomach muscles dipped and rippled, a low groan sounding in his throat.

“You’re killing me here.”

Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to his nipple. “It’ll be worth it. Promise. I’ll be back.”

He sighed but nodded and flexed his hands on my hips once more before letting me go. I climbed off him before I lost the motivation to do it. Once I was standing beside the bed, though, I couldn’t help but take a second to ogle him.

His arm had been flung over his face, his chest heaving and his lips red and parted. Trailing my gaze lower still, I took in the lean curve from his chest to his hips and the defined muscles expanding on his labored breaths.

Of course, once my eyes reached his hips, I sneaked a peak at what was jutting up to rest between them. His cock was curved up to below his belly button, veined, thick, and looking more than a little intimidating. It fit before, it will fit again.

The thought reassured me, making my shoulders roll back. My gaze was making its way back to his face when I caught sight of how shiny the tip of his dick was. There was definitely moisture there, and for some reason, the realization made my mouth water.

“I can feel you looking at me like that,” Rylen said, his voice muffled under his arm. “Do whatever it was you wanted to do and get back here; otherwise, I’m coming after you and you’re not going to get to do it until much, much later.”

A surprised giggle came out of me, then I grabbed the packet with my new swimsuit in it and hightailed it to the bathroom. I changed quickly, leaving my clothes right there on the floor like some kind of slob. It didn’t bother me as much as it usually would have, though.

Once I reached the door, I slowed down and sauntered, hopefully seductively, back into the room. Rylen had sat up while I was in the bathroom, his back resting against the white upholstered headboard behind our bed.

His eyes widened when he saw me, then nearly bugged out. “Well, if anything was worth stopping when you did, it’s that.”

“Thank you.” I struck a pose when I reached the end of the bed, turning slowly when he lifted a finger and motioned for me to do it. “Now, are you more comfortable like that or would you like to lie down?”

Eyes narrowing, he cocked his head. “More comfortable for what?”

“I want to taste you,” I said plainly, but the words still had the effect of making the space between my legs throb. “May I?”

“Fuck yes.” His voice came out as a harsh whisper crossed with a groan. It was sexy as hell.

Scooting down a little, he propped himself up on his elbows. His eyes followed me hungrily as I crawled onto the bed, taking him by the ankles to spread his legs farther apart for me. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“I know. You can stop telling me that.” Crap, why did that sound like a freaking purr? “All you need to say, for the next however long we’re doing this, is what you need from me.”

My head reached the tops of his thighs, so I drew my heels under my butt and licked the skin at the juncture of his leg and groin. He trembled slightly, his hands flying into my hair.

Gripping me tightly, but not so tightly that it hurt, he guided me so my lips were hovering over his raging hard-on. I thought it would have gone down a bit since I’d left him alone for a few minutes, but it hadn’t.

“Fine, right now I need you to put your mouth on me.” His tone was firm and commanding, but his touch was still gentle.

Parting my lips, I lowered my head and took him into my mouth just like he’d asked. His taste on my tongue was slightly salty, but nothing bitter like I remembered from my first time. In fact, none of what we were doing was anything like that had been.

Rylen’s hips started moving once I found a rhythm, his shaft a fascinating juxtaposition of steel and velvet between my lips. When my tongue flicked over a soft spot at the base of his head, he shuddered and let out a sound that told me I had to do it again.

“Fuck, Olive. Fuck-fuck-fuck.” His fingers dug into my scalp, but then they were on my shoulders and hauling me up. “That’s enough for now. Get a condom on me.”

“Yes, sir.” It was meant to be playful, but it didn’t come out that way. Instead I was nearly panting, already reaching for the fabric of my swimsuit top. “Does that mean I should get naked, too, then?”

He nodded, putting his hands over mine and making quick work at getting the tight-fitting suit off. Thankfully, the bottoms had little bows at the sides so once he had the top off, the bottoms followed easily.

Rylen groaned as he took me in, his eyes drinking me in like I was the best thing he had ever seen. Finally sitting up, he leaned over across the bed to rummage around for his wallet.

When he finally located it and extracted the foil package, he handed it over to me. “You know, I’m not usually into the ‘yes, sir’ stuff, but that was fucking hot. It feels like anything with you would be.”

A tingle traveled down my spine. “I’m so with you on that.”

Bringing the package to my mouth, I bit down on the corner and tore it open. A strange feeling of power rippled through me when I noticed Rylen was watching me closely, his eyes hooded.

He gripped the base of his cock in one hand, which was a sight I desperately wanted to see more of, then used his free hand to guide me with the condom. Once it was on, he just about growled at me. “Get on top of me. You’re running the show tonight, baby. Show me how much you want me.”

I whimpered quietly. Why was it so sexy when he spoke to me like that? Need throbbed in my core more intensely now. Moving as fast as I could to do what he had commanded me to, I placed a knee on either side of his legs and slowly lowered myself onto him.

The broad head of his cock nudged at my entrance, finally sliding into me as I came down farther. He stretched me out as far as I could take it and then a little more, but it felt so good that I was practically seeing stars by the time I’d worked him all the way into me.

Rylen’s jaw was tight, his body tense beneath me. “You feel too fucking good, Olive. It’s taking everything I have not to let go right now. Move, baby. Please.”

“Yes,” I whispered, lifting up on my knees before slamming back down onto him. I repeated the movement until it felt so good that my head fell back and my mouth opened on a silent scream.

At some point, Rylen took my hands and placed them on his shoulders. His hips thrust with mine, his hands firmly on my hips. The angle gave me everything I needed, dragging my clit over his pelvic bone while he hit every nerve ending inside of me.

Better knowing what to expect this time, I felt my orgasm building like a fireball about to shoot from a cannon. I bit my lip and opened my eyes to look at him just before pleasure dragged me into its embrace and reduced me to a trembling, quivering mess in his arms.

“Oh, God. Rylen, oh. I’m going to come.”

“Come for me, baby.” His reply was gritted out between his teeth, but I was only vaguely aware of it. Sensation ripped through me from my center all the way to my toes. They curled just as I screamed his name, not giving a damn that half the ship could probably hear me.

I heard him mutter something, but I was too far gone to make out what it was. I soon found out it was a warning that he was about to come too. His hands gripped my hips harder and his thrusts became more powerful. Fast and hard he drove into me until I felt his thighs shudder and his body tense as his cock pulsed deep inside of me.

We stayed like that for a few minutes after, me lying on top of him with him still inside me. My head rested in the crook of his neck, our bodies covered in a fine film of sweat.

I knew I had to get off him at some point, but my knees were weak and despite the fact that I was sated, I didn’t want to lose the feel of his body in and against mine yet. Releasing a quiet sigh, I cuddled deeper into his embrace and felt his arms tightening around me.

Neither of us said a word, but it felt like we were both trying to tell the other something with our bodies. Having never had casual sex before, I didn’t know if it was always like this, but it certainly didn’t feel that casual anymore.

Bringing me on this trip felt like it meant more. I didn’t know why he had done it, or why he was spoiling me so much. Curiosity had nearly had me asking him a hundred times since we’d gotten on board, but it felt like asking him might break whatever spell we were under and I didn’t want to ruin the trip.

It was my understanding that bringing stuff like that up to a guy was necessary, but also that you had to choose your moment. Heidi and Valerie had both told me more than once that having “the talk” was often something people feared, and if it was brought up at the wrong time, it could easily ruin things.

The trip was magical so far. I didn’t want to be the one to say anything that could make the rest of the weekend awkward, but I could be honest with myself, and if I was, then I had to admit that I was starting to have feelings for him.

Real feelings. Feelings that had nothing to do with becoming a new woman or making new friends. Feelings that had everything to do with how much I liked this guy and how badly I wanted to be with him. To be his and for him to be mine.

Chapter 23

Rylen

Olive rocked my fucking world last night, I thought as I slowly opened my eyes. Sunlight was streaming in through the sheer white curtains. With how we’d gone at each other after getting back from dinner, we’d never gotten around to rolling down the blackout blinds.

The ship rocked gently, not as much as I had expected it to before we came on board. It wasn’t nauseating or unpleasant at all, it was weirdly comforting instead. Although, it was very possible that the comfort I was feeling was coming from holding Olive in my arms.

It was only the second morning I was waking up with her like this, but it felt familiar. It felt like something I had been waiting to do all my life and was only now finally getting around to actually doing.

As our relationship had grown over the last couple of weeks, I had been starting to suspect that I was developing feelings for this woman in my arms. At first, I had convinced myself that it was only because she had given up her virginity to me, and of course, I had to feel something for a girl who trusted me so deeply with something so valuable.

It wasn’t that, though. As I lay there with her head on my chest and her arm around my waist, I realized it never had been that. Even before that had happened, I’d liked Olive as more than just a quick fuck.

Hell, approximately fifteen hours ago I’d been thinking that I didn’t even need to fuck her as long as I got to spend more time with her. No, having sex with Olive had never been just to scratch an itch or satiate lust I felt toward someone I was attracted to.

I cared about her. I’d started caring for her shortly after having met her, intrigued by her personality as much as I had been with her body. The more I got to know her, the more I wanted to know everything about her.

I’d been around the block enough times to know that a person didn’t feel that way about someone they only wanted to hook up with. Whatever this thing Olive and I had, it was becoming real for me.

The way I felt when I was with her, the ridiculous joy that was warming and squeezing my heart at the same time, those were things I hadn’t felt before. Things that I found I was enjoying feeling. It didn’t even scare me. That was how much I enjoyed it.

There was nothing scary about feeling this way. If anything, it felt oddly peaceful, natural. Serene, even.

Relaxing my neck, I settled my head back on my goose down pillow and held the girl I was developing these feelings for. Eager as I was for her to wake up, I also didn’t want to wake her. It felt too good to have her in my arms like this.

My thoughts wandered and before I knew it, Olive was stirring. She blinked sleepily a few times, a slow and lazy smile lifting the corners of her lips when she saw I was already awake.

“How long have you been up?”

I shrugged, giving my head a single shake. “I don’t know, but I didn’t want to wake you.”

“You should have.” She sat up, a hand going to her mouth as she yawned her way through a stretch. I didn’t think she realized it at first, but the sheet had fallen from her bare body and exposed herself to me. “We’re going to be late for breakfast.”

Following her gaze to the clock on my nightstand, I sat up just enough to wrap my arms around her waist and flip her onto her back. “But you’re so very naked. We’ve got time. I’ll make this quick.”

Two orgasms in bed for her and one in the shower for me later, we were on our way to a buffet breakfast. We had been assigned seats around the center of the cavernous breakfast hall at a table for four.

There was no one sitting at it when we went to find our spots and put our stuff down, but there were two half glasses of juice on the table and side plates filled with crumbs that indicated our tablemates had already had at least one course.

“Who do you think they are?” Olive asked as we walked to join the short line at our side of the buffet. “I hope they’re nice.”

“I’m sure they will be,” I said, taking a plate from a heating stand and handing it to her. “If they’re not, at least we’ve only got to spend mealtimes with them.”

She smiled. “True, I don’t really want to share you with anyone for the rest of the day anyway.”

A tiny part of my heart melted. Aw, fuck. I’m in trouble.

I was going to have to tell her how I was feeling at some point, but now didn’t feel like the right time. We were surrounded by people and about to dig into a mountain of a fruit salad, my touchy-feely confession was going to have to wait.

Olive and I carried a plate in each hand back to our table, making it the first time that morning we weren’t touching in some way or another. I didn’t like it. As soon as we were seated, I picked up my fork in one hand and put the other on her leg.

I felt better instantly, like a rubber band that had been stretched too far and was finally able to snap back to its original shape. My thumb stroked the exposed skin at the top of her knee, and I felt a little shiver traveling through her as she inched her chair closer to mine.

“Oh, how wonderful. Our tablemates have arrived,” a female voice with that distinctive rasp of age said from behind us.

Olive and I turned at the same time, both abandoning our breakfasts and what had been passing between us in order to greet them. The woman and her husband were both older, their faces lined and their hair as silver as the cutlery.

She was smiling, passing off a plate that was loaded with bacon to her husband so she could hold her hand out to Olive. “How are you, dear? The name is Ariel, like the mermaid.”

“Olive,” she said, then grinned and tipped her head to the side, her eyes friendly and shining. “Like the character in Popeye.”

“Well, aren’t we the pair?” Ariel giggled and took her plate from her husband, elbowing him in the ribs before extending her hand to me. “What’s your name, hon?”

“Rylen.” I smiled, shaking her hand before offering mine to her husband. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

“Ben,” the man mumbled. “Nice to meet you too.”

He greeted Olive as well, shooting Ariel a glance that made it look like he was asking if she was happy with his performance before he sat down and tucked into his breakfast. Ariel sat down beside him, but she seemed much more interested in us than her mound of bacon.

“We missed you last night. We were starting to wonder if our tablemates had canceled their trip when there was no one here last night or when we arrived this morning.”

Draping my arm over the back of Olive’s chair when we sat down again, I ran my fingers up and down the back of her shoulder. She glanced at me but smiled before turning her attention back to Ariel.

“Rylen treated me to a private dinner last night on the upper deck. It was lovely.” A dreamy look entered her eyes as she described the restaurant and the meal we’d had to them, then her cheeks flushed when she reached the end of the story. “As for this morning, we were a little late because I, um, overslept. Rylen didn’t want to wake me.”

Ben lifted a brow and made eye contact with me, but Ariel waved her hand and winked. “Oh yes, I’m sure after such a romantic dinner you must have had a late night.”

“Ariel,” Ben muttered, but his wife rolled her eyes in his direction and waved her hand again.

“Don’t worry about him, dears. We’re old, but we’re not cold yet. Besides, I remember what it was like to have fire in our loins. Don’t you, Ben? We certainly would have had a late night and an early morning if you’d taken me to a dinner like that.”

I groaned internally but kept a smile on my lips. Olive turned a deeper shade of red but nodded politely. “It was a wonderful dinner.”

Ariel laughed, finally pausing her interrogation to take a few bites of her breakfast. After washing it down with some juice, she was ready with more questions. “How long have you two been together, then? We’ve been married forty-two years next month. This is our anniversary cruise.”

“Wow, congratulations.” I reached for my glass and lifted it in the air, prompting Olive and finally Ariel and even Ben to do the same. “Here’s to you. An example to young couples everywhere.”

“All you need to make it work that long is hair on your teeth and plenty of good whiskey.” Ben grinned and clinked his glass against mine, winking at Ariel. It seemed he was thawing out a little toward us. “Also, keep up the romantic dinners while you still can, sonny. Once the kids are there, it’s difficult to find time to spend alone. Your late nights will reduce drastically.”

He winked at me then, too, as if I’d needed a hint at what he was really saying. Still, I liked these two. They were much better tablemates than what some of the others around us appeared to be.

Ariel was still waiting on an answer to her question. I set my glass down, leaning forward as if I was about to share a secret with her. “We’ve been together for a few years now. No kids yet, though.”

I said that last part to Ben and added, “That’s why I thought we should take this cruise now before we do have them.”

“Good thinking, boy,” Ben said approvingly before going for his next bite.

Ariel sat back, a satisfied smile spreading on her thin lips. “I knew you two had been together for a long time as soon as I saw you from all the way over there.”

She pointed to the other side of the room where people were still waiting in line for some cooked breakfast items. “I knew because of how natural you are together. People who move together the way you do, like you’re tethered by an invisible string, are always the couples who have been in it for the long haul and who will make it.”

Her tone made it sound like she was making a declaration, and apparently, she wasn’t done yet. “Love is so hard to find in this world that it’s so obvious to see it when you’ve had the privilege of finding it for yourself.”

“Uh.” Olive coughed, bringing her hand to her chest. “Thank you.”

“Finding your soul mate is a beautiful thing,” I said agreeably, giving Olive a meaningful look, even if I wasn’t sure exactly what the meaning behind it was.

She returned it, leaning in to plant a chase kiss on my lips. “Yes, yes it is.”

Ariel beamed at us and then, obviously having deemed us worthy, started telling us all about their children and their grandchildren. Six children and twelve grandchildren to be precise. Ben chimed in occasionally, but it seemed like he was more than happy to let his wife do the talking.

He did cut her off eventually, apologizing to us and explaining that they had a spa appointment to get to. Olive and I finished breakfast after that, avoiding any talk of what had been said until we took a walk to the front of the ship later.

We found a quiet spot against the railing and I stood behind her, my forearms resting on the warm metal, my front pressed to her back. “Was it too forward to tell that couple that we’d been together for a long time?”

Olive shook her head before leaning it back against my shoulder, turning so I was able to look into her eyes. “I didn’t take any offense to it at all, don’t worry about it.”

Chapter 24

Olive

Sunday came too soon. Before I knew it, our weekend was over and we were saying our goodbyes to Ben and Ariel at the port. They had been great tablemates and I was sad to see our cruise together end.

Even Rylen seemed rather affected while we had been saying goodbye to them. The drive back to my house was quiet. My hand was on his on the gear lever, my fingers tracing patters on the back of his.

“Thank you again for taking me, Rylen. I really enjoyed the cruise.”

Since his eyes were covered by his sunglasses, I couldn’t see them, but I did see the smile that came to his lips. “So did I. Thanks for coming with me. You were much better company than Edgar would have been.”

“I still think he would have looked decent in that bikini,” I teased, patting his hand. “Maybe next time we should pick him up something to model for you at the hospital.”

Rylen made a small, disgusted sound. “You’re ruining so many good memories for me right now. Let’s just agree never to mention Edgar in a bikini again. I’m liking this mention of next time, though. What did you have in mind?”

“Another weekend away?” I had been the one to bring it up, but it had been more in the context of teasing him about Edgar. “I didn’t really have anything in mind, but it would be fun. I’ll have to see about work first, though. I might not be able to do it for a couple of months.”

“No problem.” He flipped his hand over beneath mine, winding our fingers together. “Speaking of work, how are you feeling about tomorrow?”

“Nervous,” I admitted. “I haven’t really been thinking about it all weekend, but now that we’re back, it’s like there’s this shadow looming over me. I have no idea what to expect. It’s disconcerting. I’ve never even met my boss before.”

“True, but you’re going to be great.” He squeezed my fingers, holding on to them tightly. “You’ll get to know your boss, all his associates, and everyone else there quickly. Even if you had been for an interview, you still wouldn’t really have known anyone. Don’t let it get in your head.”

“I won’t.” I had no idea how I was going to keep that promise, but I was going to try. He was right, after all.

At any new job, it sucked to be the new person. The last time I’d had to start somewhere new, I’d had my two best friends at my side and even that had been a learning curve at the beginning.

I’d been the new girl enough times to know that it always took a couple of months to settle in, but eventually you looked around and you realized that you knew the place and the people in it. You had figured out which bathroom stall didn’t close properly and which people to steer clear of, you knew which shortcut to take to arrive early and everything in between.

What was new for me was to receive support in the run-up. Usually it was just me on the day before I started, lying in my bed at night and wondering what I was in for the next day. It was nice to have someone to support me.

“Well, I guess this is it,” I said when we pulled up in front of my house.

Rylen frowned, pushing his sunglasses onto his head. He reached for my hand and caught my wrist, tugging me forward. It was so unexpected that I landed against his chest. His arms wrapped around me, his lips brushing against my ear.

“No, this is not it. This is just the end of our first weekend together. It’s Sunday afternoon and you’re starting a new job tomorrow, or else I’d be taking you to my place.”

Pulling back so I could look into his eyes, I was surprised of the intensity in their hazel depths. “Okay. Sheesh. That was what I meant.”

He pursed his lips, his brows lifting just a fraction before coming back down. “It wasn’t, and both of us know it. Anyway, I’ll see you again soon, okay?”

“Okay.” I tipped my head back, offering him my lips. His hand slid to the back of my neck, his mouth claiming mine in a deep, passionate kiss that went a long way in assuring me that he really did want to see me again.

Unfortunately, we were in a car and in public, so he had to end the kiss just when it was getting really good. It was comforting that he seemed as disappointed to have to do it as I was.

After carrying my bag to my living room, he planted a kiss on the tip of my nose. “I had a really good weekend with you, Olive. We’ll do it again, I promise. For now, focus on your new job and we’ll talk.”

“Yes.” I smiled, pushing up on my toes to press a kiss to his jaw. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

Rylen left after a few more false starts, finally calling me when he was halfway home to tell me he was halfway home. I was still smiling like an idiot from the call when my phone rang again.

Thinking it was him calling to tell me he was home, I answered without checking the screen. A pathetically girly giggle came out along with my greeting. “Really? You’ve only been away from me for maybe thirty minutes. How are you going to get through the next twenty-four hours, at least?”

There was a pause, and then a very confused Valerie spoke over the line. “Sorry, I was just checking that I’d called the right number. Is that you, Olive? You sound like Olive, but different.”

“It’s me.” I cleared my throat, trying to swallow the unreasonable disappointment that it wasn’t Rylen again. I was happy that it was Valerie, though. We hadn’t spoken in so long. “I’m sorry too. I thought you were someone else.”

“Clearly.” She laughed, but I could imagine the look on her face right then. “Pray tell, my little Olive. Who is this person who has only been away from you for maybe thirty minutes? Why might surviving the next twenty-four hours without you be a problem for said person and for the love of God, please tell me that the person is a romantic interest. Male or female, I have no preference. I only want to know everything.”

As usual when it came to the topic of romance in any of our lives, Valerie’s words came out as an excited ramble. In the past, there may have been some bitterness or even a tiny dash of judgment when said romance appeared to be blossoming into something more than sex, but those days were long past.

My commitment-phobic friend had found the person who had looked her phobia in the eye and conquered it. Valerie was more in love than I ever dreamed I’d see her, and I loved it.

“His name is Rylen,” I confessed, carrying my phone to the couch and sinking down on it. “I think I’ve told you about him before, but maybe not. I can’t remember.”

“Wait, is that the doctor dude?”

I nodded, though, she couldn’t see me. “It is. We’ve gotten to know each other and we’ve just spent the weekend together.”

A muffled crackling could be heard, like she was trying to hold the receiver closed. I heard what she was saying, though, and it made me laugh out loud. Also, it made me really miss my friend.

“Fulton! Get the champagne. I think Olive’s finally tossed out the V-card. We need to celebrate.”

I was still laughing when she came back, but it seemed like the perfect time to tell her. “You’re right, I did.”

After waiting for her squeals to end, I gave in to her demand to tell her everything. I started at the beginning, but again left out any details that seemed too intimate to share. There were certain things that felt like they belonged only to Rylen and me, no one else.

It was almost an hour later when I was done, and my ear hurt from holding the phone against it. Pulling it away, I pressed the button for speaker mode and lay back on the couch, holding the phone near my lips.

“So that’s that. I like him, Val. I really, really like him.”

“I knew you did the second you said his name.” Her voice was softer than it had been while she’d been quizzing me about him, gentler. “God, I can’t believe so much has happened in your life since the last time we spoke. I’m so sorry for not keeping in touch with you more. I’m a shitty, terrible friend.”

“No, you’re not.” I wasn’t even just saying it. I was starting to realize that we never were going to be as close as we once had been indefinitely. “You’ve just been busy, Val. I understand that. Between Fulton, traveling, and your job, I really do understand. It’s nice to hear from you, though.”

“It’s nice to talk to you, hon.” She sighed, and I heard the door click shut wherever she was. She was about to get serious if she was making sure she was alone. “Listen to me, babe. I know you’re probably freaked out right now. A lot has happened with Rylen in not so much time, but I don’t want you to overthink it, okay?”

“Why not?” My teeth sank into my lip. “You know me too well. If you hadn’t called, I’d already have been overthinking why he hadn’t called again yet.”

“I had the same feelings you have now when I met Fulton, and believe it or not, I had the same doubts too. Nothing you’ve told me about him makes me think that you have anything to worry about or anything to overthink about. Plus, if you’re feeling the same things I felt about Fulton, I’d say that’s a good sign.”

Chapter 25

Rylen

“Please tell me you’re joking?” Edgar stared at me like I’d grown another head or two. “You did not just tell me that you spent the entire weekend with a girl. On a cruise.”

“I did tell you that, because it’s the truth. You asked what I did this weekend and that’s what I did.” I calmly sipped my coffee, trying to keep a straight face. It was difficult, considering all the ways Edgar was pulling his face.

“Shit.” He released a heavy sigh, sagging into the lumpy couch in our break room. “Please tell me this doesn’t mean that you’re starting a relationship. Relationships are the worst, bro.”

“How’s that?” I didn’t agree with him and he wasn’t going to change my mind regardless of what he said, but hearing what he had to say could be entertaining.

We had finished our second to last surgery for the day, but both of us were still on shift for one last one. After completing our paperwork, we’d decided on coffee before we scrubbed up again.

It had been a long, harrowing shift. At one point, I’d almost been convinced that it was reality’s way of slapping me in the face. I still hadn’t lost someone during surgery, but we’d had two patients coding.

The emergency unit had sent up four teenage patients who had received electrical injuries to be checked out. They refused to tell us exactly how it had happened, but we had managed to learn that all four of them had been touching an electric fence somewhere.

Of course that meant that the police had to be called, which in turn meant that in between everything else, I’d had to carve out time to give my official statement. Eleven hours after I’d arrived that morning, and this was the first time I really had the chance to sit down.

Edgar looked like I felt, his eyes watery and red with dark-blue circles underneath them. I felt like all the renewed strength I’d arrived with—after the best weekend in a long time—had been sapped right out of me.

All that I really wanted to do was to crawl into bed with Olive and sleep for four days straight. Unfortunately, my shifts for the rest of the week weren’t looking much better.

At this rate, I was going to be lucky to get her on the phone during hours she would be awake. Seeing her didn’t seem likely, sleeping beside her seemed like an impossibility.

I sighed, rubbing my eyes. Closing them made them sting and water, so I rubbed harder to push past it. When I opened them again, Edgar was still staring at me, but he had a calculating expression on his tired face.

“Relationships are the worst for reasons I’m thinking of in my head, but I can’t seem to find the words to say. They’re just bad, okay? Everyone knows it. Playing the field is the way to go. There’s no expectations then, no getting in trouble with the girl if you stay out late or work too hard, and not getting yelled at when you check out someone’s ass.”

“Thought you couldn’t find the words?” Despite my exhaustion, I felt the corners of my mouth tipping up. “That was a lot of words for someone who claimed not to have any.”

Edgar shrugged. “Once I got started, it was easier. I’m going to have to get some sleep before I give you the rest, though. I don’t have it in me to think anymore.”

My coffee was ice cold by now, but I sipped it anyway. I was pretty sure the caffeine was the only thing keeping me awake. “You should be happy for me, man. I met someone who I genuinely like and who genuinely likes me, at least I think she does.”

His head was shaking before I’d even finished my sentence. “I would have been happy for you if I didn’t think you were making a huge mistake.”

My wrist vibrated, giving me the heads-up that it was time to head into the next surgery. It would be a quick one, and after that, we would finally get to go home.

Edgar looked down at his watch at the same time, having received the same notification. “Let’s go. I’ll fill you in on all the reasons why this is a shitty idea while we’re in there. As many as I can think of anyway, then I’ll give you the rest tomorrow.”

“No, you’re not.” I drained my mug and gave him a scowl that I hoped would discourage him. I should have known better.

While we scrubbed in and went through the preop procedures, Edgar was on his best professional behavior. As soon as the patient was under and the room was filled with only familiar and trusted ears, he continued with his crusade.

“Relationships are bad for you because we’re not meant to be chained to one person for the rest of our lives.”

“Ben and Ariel wouldn’t agree with you.”

He frowned at me, passing me the next instrument I needed without having to be asked or skipping a beat. “Who the fuck are Ben and Ariel?”

“They were our tablemates on the cruise this weekend. Been married over four decades and they’re still happy.” I made the incision, my hands steady despite the caffeine. At some point, I’d developed an immunity to most of the effects of the stuff. “Plus, I’m not asking her to be with me for the rest of our lives. All I said was that I liked her and we spent the weekend together.”

“I think that’s very nice, Dr. Page,” another one of the nurses said. I didn’t know for a fact, but I was pretty sure she’d had a fling with Edgar sometime. “Unlike what some people may think, relationships are healthy and people can be happy together forever.”

Edgar scoffed. “Explain the divorce rate then, Tina. Nothing about how common divorce is indicates that people can be happy together forever.”

The anesthesiologist decided to add his two cents to the discussion. “Divorce statistics can’t be used to accurately assess the happiness or otherwise of those involved in monogamous relationships. There are many people who live together but aren’t married, and there are many people who marry for reasons other than love. Therefore, people are divorced who never married for the right reasons and others are happy together for many years, but never marry.”

He checked the patient, pressing one of the buttons on his rig before sitting back and folding his arms. “Why are we talking about this again?”

“Rylen has met someone,” Edgar said. He held out his hand for the instrument I was about to be done with and passed me the suction. “He thinks I should be happy for him, but I don’t agree. Relationships are bad for a person’s health.”

He nodded at the patient on the operating table. “Just ask this guy. I bet his wife was the cause of at least half the stress that led him to this point.”

“He’s not married,” one of the other nurses said, flipping through the patient’s chart. “His brother is listed as his next of kin.”

“Well.” Edgar paused, narrowing his eyes at me above his mask. “If he had a wife, I’m still sure she would have been the cause of at least half the stress that led him here.”

“It’s a moot point,” I told him. “He doesn’t have a wife, so there’s no way to prove your hypothesis. He’s here because he’s here, not because of his wife. Perhaps his brother is distressing, but I guess we’ll never know.”

Edgar sighed. “Fair enough, but it doesn’t change the facts. Being in a relationship is going to be bad for you. I just know it. Don’t go there, man.”

“I think you should go there,” the anesthesiologist said, holding up his left hand to show off a wedding band, only the outline visible beneath his blue rubber glove. “I’ve been happily married for twelve years. There have been days where I’ve wanted to throw my wife over a wall, but I’d always be the one to fetch her too. No one is one hundred percent happy with each other all day every day, but the days that you are, are worth three of the bad ones.”

“Thanks.” I paused the surgery for a moment to look at Edgar. “None of this matters, though, because I’m not in a relationship. I met someone. I like her. That’s all there is to it. I’m not buying a fucking ring after work.”

“You better not,” he muttered.

Piping down after that, Edgar focused on the job at hand. There was some idle chatter around me, but no one brought up my relationship—or lack thereof—with Olive again.

She was never far from my mind, though. I did my job and I did it well, but every time I blinked, I saw a pair of azure blue eyes and a smile on rosebud lips. It was unreasonable how much space she was taking up in my brain, but I couldn’t stop it if I tried.

After the surgery was done and the patient was in recovery, I went to the waiting room to update his brother. I doubted I was right about the man being a cause of stress for our patient. He was kind, thankful for the update, and went to grab a coffee before going to sit beside his brother’s bed.

Just as I was about to go back to the break room to grab my stuff, I caught sight of a familiar face leaning against the wall. Will Campton was watching me, inclining his head toward the outer door when he met my eyes with his.

I frowned, my gaze drifting to the unknown man standing beside him. The guy looked vaguely familiar. I thought he might have been one of the people who had been in the waiting room with Will the day his baby was born, but I’d been so taken by Olive that I hadn’t been paying very much attention to anyone else around him.

Will pushed off the wall, holding my gaze for another second as he started striding purposefully toward the door. The other guy followed, and so did I.

Once we were outside, he turned to face me. “Rylen. It’s good to see you, man. This is Fulton. We were hoping you had a minute to talk to us?”

“Sure, I’ve always got a minute for an old friend.” I just couldn’t understand why this particular old friend could possibly need one from me.

Chapter 26

Olive

The law office where I was about to start working wasn’t nearly as imposing as I had thought it would be. It was located in a nondescript building downtown with small windows and a few potted plants on the one balcony out front.

The only sign of who occupied the building was a square plaque on the wall outside that read decker, moon, and wood: attorneys at law. I didn’t know which one of those three was Jenna’s uncle, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about meeting him.

All I knew about him was that he was Jenna’s uncle, he specialized in criminal law, and she called him Shane. She’d constantly reassured me that he was a very nice guy and that I shouldn’t be worried about how he was going to be, but I couldn’t help it.

First day jitters were coursing through me as I opened the wooden door, walking into my new job for the first time. I gasped when I entered, not having expected the interior to look the way it did after the impression left by the exterior.

There was nothing fancy or special about the building on the outside, but inside was a totally different story. The lobby was carpeted in thick maroon, the walls lined with pictures of three elderly gentlemen posing with a number of people. I recognized some of them as local celebrities, sports stars, and politicians, but others were unknown to me.

I might never have heard of these attorneys before, but it was clear that they were quite a big deal. I took a deep breath, calming myself as I approached the circular receptionist’s desk situated in the center of the room.

“Hi.” I forced a smile to my lips, hoping my nerves weren’t blaringly obvious. “My name is Olive. I’m st—”

“Oh, yes. Olive. I’ve been expecting you.” The receptionist rose from her wheeled chair and removed an earpiece before motioning for me to follow her. “Let me show you the way to Mr. Wood’s office. We’re very excited to have you.”

“Thank you.” I followed her into a tiny elevator. It was one of those that appeared to have been installed a hundred years ago with a manual door and copper trimmings, but it had been upgraded and modernized. “Your offices are lovely.”

“Aren’t they?” She beamed at me, tucking a strand of graying hair behind her ear. “I’m Beth, by the way. I work in the front office, as you’ve already seen.”

“Hi, Beth. It’s nice to meet you.” I smoothed out the front of my black pencil skirt, noticing that while Beth and I wore similar attire in our black skirts and white button- up blouses, hers was meticulously pressed. Mine seemed rumpled in comparison.

Beth calmed my nerves a little as she showed me to my new boss’s office, telling me all about the firm and informing me that she’d been there for thirteen years. She was happy, which set my mind at ease. People didn’t stay at super crappy jobs that long.

The elevator stopped at the top floor, the doors opening to reveal a room that looked very much like the lobby. Instead of the pictures on the walls, there were bookshelves lining them. A cluster of couches were arranged on either side of the room, a coffee table between them with stacks of magazines. There were three doors in front of us, but none of them were open.

“You’re right through here,” Beth said, walking to the door on the left. “Your office is Mr. Wood’s outer office. I escort clients up here, but it’s up to you to show them in or to seat them in the waiting area if they arrive early.”

She knocked quietly, then opened the door and led me into the area that was apparently my office. It was spacious and neat, but sparsely furnished.

I wouldn’t need anything more, though. There was a desk beside the window with a comfortable-looking leather chair behind it. On top of the desk was a computer screen, a telephone, and a stand with three paper trays in it.

Another couch faced the desk, but there was no table in here. Beth pointed a finger at it. “If the client requires more privacy because of their profile or if it’s a client you like, you can have them wait in here. Mostly the clients wait outside, though.”

She marched through my office, knocking on the door at the other end. “Mr. Wood? I have Olive here for you.”

The sound of paper shuffling and some kind of creak could be heard from inside my boss’s office, then the man himself opened the door. Whatever I was expecting the lawyer to look like, it wasn’t the kind-face man who was looking out at me now.

Gray tufts of curly hair sat atop a round face with red cheeks. A pair of wire-rimmed glasses with thick lenses amplified light-blue eyes that were alert and intelligent. He broke into a wide grin when he saw me. “Olive. I’m so happy to meet you. Come on in.”

He looked at Beth and nodded. “Thank you for showing her up. I’ll take it from here.”

“Sure thing, Mr. W.” She smiled, her brown eyes sliding to mine. “I’ll see you later, new friend. Welcome to the family.”

She took off back the way we came as Mr. Wood ushered me into his office, showing me to a seat across from a massive mahogany desk. It was covered in about a foot of paper with books scattered haphazardly between the sheets. It looked like chaos to me, but I quickly learned that it was organized chaos.

Mr. Wood took his seat behind his desk, leaning back and smiling at me. “Well, like Beth said, welcome to the family, Olive. If there’s anything you need, you just let me know. I’ll help you with anything you need if I’m here. If I’m off to court, you can ask Beth.”

“Thank you.” I fidgeted with my fingers but forced myself to stop when I saw my boss noticing. “I’m sorry. I’m a little nervous. To be honest, I’m surprised you gave me this job without meeting me or evaluating my skill set or anything. I’m afraid to disappoint you.”

“You won’t.” He sounded completely sure of himself, the smile never once dropping from his lips. “I wouldn’t have hired just anyone without going through all the rigmarole, but you came highly recommended.”

“Jenna mentioned you trusted her.”

A fond softness came into his eyes. “I do, implicitly. She’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a daughter and she knows what I need here. Plus, I was in a bit of a pickle. I’m sure she told you. Jenna has never steered me wrong before and I trust that she still hasn’t.”

“I hope I can live up to the recommendation.” I had to live up to the recommendation. I couldn’t afford to lose this job. “To be able to do that, do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?”

“Shoot.” He grinned and opened his arms. “I’m happy to answer anything you would like to know.”

After getting an overview of my duties and what was expected of me, Mr. Wood told me to call him Shane and then patiently answered all my questions about his practice. He was clearly passionate about his job, telling me that every person deserved a fair trial and that was why he did what he did.

By the time he had to leave for an appointment at the local jail, I was convinced that he was one of the nicest people I’d met. He rose from behind his desk, shrugging into a jacket hanging from a coatrack in the corner.

“Thank you for being a friend to my Jenna, dear. You’re the first friend of hers I’ve ever met, and I must say, I’m impressed. I appreciate you helping me out too.”

“You’re welcome. Thank you for taking a chance at me.”

He nodded, grabbing a hat from the top of the rack and sliding it onto his head before tipping it at me. “I’ll see you later. Remember, if you need anything while I’m gone, Beth can help you.”

A couple of minutes later, he was gone and I was sitting behind my brand-new desk. Someone had written the username and password I needed to log in to my computer on a sticky note and stuck it to the top of my screen. I sent a silent thanks to whoever it had been and then started getting myself organized.

Jenna arrived later, bursting into my office in a blur of fiery hair and energy without knocking. “Surprise! I’ve come to see how your first day is going. Beth told me you met my uncle this morning, isn’t he the best?”

“Yeah, he’s really nice.” I stood and rounded my desk to hug my friend. I hadn’t realized how highly she thought of me until Mr. Wood had said everything to me that he had. “Thank you for helping me out. I really appreciate it.”

She squeezed me tight before releasing me. “You’re welcome. It really was a pleasure. I think you’re going to love it here and I know they’re going to love you right back.”

Walking backward to the couch against the wall, she kept talking before draping herself over it and stretching out like a cat. “Have you met old Moon and Decker yet? They’re great too. Not as great as Uncle Shane, but great. People always think criminal law attorneys are bottom feeders, but these guys prove those people wrong. They’re all about justice and fairness. It’s awesome.”

“I’m looking forward to really getting started, if I’m honest. I was so nervous this morning, but now that I’m here, I can’t wait. Shane only told me a little about what they do, but it seems really interesting.”

“It is.” Jenna nodded, her eyes bright and happy. It was easy to see that she’d definitely inherited some of her uncle’s passion. “They really help people, you know? Sometimes it’s people no one else will help. They have a different outlook on life than most after being in practice for so long.”

“I’m excited to learn more about it.” The clock in the corner of my computer screen caught my eye. “Wow, I only just realized it was lunchtime already. Should we order in?”

“Let’s. There’s a deli down the road that does the best sandwiches. I’ll write down their number for you.” Jenna stayed for lunch, talking about the other assistants at the firm and introducing me to a few of the associates who sat on the floor below us.

Everyone was pleasant and friendly, much to my relief. I’d never worked in an environment like this one, but I wasn’t kidding when I told Jenna I was looking forward to it.

Soon it was time for her to leave. She had to get back to work. I’d also received a call from Shane informing me that he was on his way back and that he would need me to type up some briefs—whatever that was.

Jenna gave me another hug. “Good luck. You’re going to knock this job out of the park. Have fun.”

“Thanks again, Jenna.” I really meant it. I would never have ended up there if not for her. It was only my first day, but I had a really good feeling about the job.

She winked at me and rushed out the door, leaving me alone in my office once more. The rest of the day passed with no more surprise visitors, but I did learn a lot from Shane.

It was nearing the end of the business day when I checked my phone for the first time since I had arrived. Shane was on a call, so I had a moment free and I really wanted to text Valerie, Heidi, and Rylen.

There were texts waiting for me from all three of them, but only one of the texts made my heart beat faster and brought a smile to my lips.

Rylen: Hope you’re having a great day, baby. Thinking about you. xxx

Chapter 27

Rylen

Realizing that you had feelings for someone and then not seeing them for a week sucked. Olive and I spoke every day, but I hadn’t seen her since I dropped her off at her house on Sunday afternoon.

By the time Friday rolled around, I was so eager to see her that I picked up dinner on my way to her house and went to surprise her when she got home. Sitting in my car waiting for her to arrive felt just a touch too creepy, so I grabbed the bag of groceries and went to sit on the top step in front of her door. It wasn’t that much better, but at least I was out in the open.

While I waited, I had time to think properly for the first time since Monday. Although, Will’s suggestion had been churning around in my mind all week. When I closed my eyes at night and when I opened them again in the morning, his request was the first thing I thought about—after Olive.

What he was asking me to do was total fucking insanity. Insanity wrapped in illegality with a dash of ethical dilemma to go with it. The only thing that was more insane than what he had asked was the fact that I was seriously considering doing it.

Resting my head in my hands, I considered my answer. It was a tough one and there were a lot of questions I needed answers to before I agreed, but I was strongly leaning toward agreeing anyway.

A couple of minutes into my wait, Olive’s car pulled up at the curb. I heard the engine turn off, followed by the slam of a car’s door. “Rylen? What are you doing here?”

When I looked up, Olive was jogging up the stairs to me. She was smiling wide, a pair of high heels in her hands. I stood, opening my arms for her when she reached me. “I wanted to surprise you after your first week at work.”

“It’s so good to see you.” She stepped into my arms and they closed around her at the same time hers wound around my neck. She burrowed into my chest, holding on to me like she was never going to let me go. “Is it weird to say that I missed you?”

Her voice was muffled by my shirt, but I heard the question loud and clear. “Nope, not weird. I felt the same way. Hence the reason that I’m here.”

“I’m glad you came,” she said, giving me a final squeeze before reluctantly stepping back. “Let’s go inside. I’m starving and I really want to tell you everything about my job. Sorry about my shoes, but I don’t like driving in heels.”

She grinned at me, then started rummaging around her purse for her keys. When she found them, she unlocked the door and led me into her house.

I hadn’t spent much time inside. In fact, I’d never gotten farther than the entrance hall. Olive walked right through it, leading me to her kitchen. It had a beautiful picture window that looked out over the beach and the sun setting over the ocean beyond.

The view was nothing in comparison to Olive, though. Her long, dark hair was pulled up into a sleek ponytail, small silver hoops dangling from her ears. She was wearing the tightest, high-waisted gray skirt with a black shirt tucked into it. Around her slim waist was a studded belt and a necklace hung from her neck almost to the clasp of the belt.

Her feet were bare. She’d dropped her shoes as soon as we’d walked inside. There was a radio in the kitchen that she had just turned on and she was swaying softly along to some pop music as she opened her fridge. “Would you like some wine? It’s Friday, so we’re allowed.”

“Yes, please.” I couldn’t keep my eyes off her as she stretched her arms up to reach the glasses, pouring the wine while still gently swaying along to the rhythm. The picture was completed by the view through the window, the setting sun casting a soft glow that made her seem almost ethereal.

I was fucking enchanted by her, reaching out on autopilot to take the glass she offered me. When she noticed I was staring at her, she smoothed her hands over her shirt and dropped her gaze to her clothes. “What? Do I have something on me?”

I shook my head, reaching out to take her hands and tugging her against me. “No, you’re just fucking gorgeous. I can’t not stare when I’m around you.”

She smiled, pushing up on her toes to press a soft kiss to my lips. “You’re not so bad yourself, Doc. How was your week?”

“Hectic, but good.” I turned away from her and started unpacking the groceries I had bought. “I thought we could grill some steaks. I’ve got stuff for a salad and a garlic bread, sound good?”

“Sounds heavenly.” She opened a few drawers, glass of wine in hand, and offered me a chopping board and a knife. “Do you need anything else?”

“Just a tray to marinate the meat in if you’ve got one.” I opened the steaks and liberally added olive oil, salt, and pepper to the tray she handed over. When I was done, I coated the meat in the mixture and left them be for now. “I’m going to make the salad, but you’re not helping. Drink your wine and tell me about work.”

She eyed the fresh ingredients for the salad almost longingly, but eventually sighed and hopped onto the counter beside me. “Okay, but I’m a really good chopper. If you change your mind, just tell me. I’ll have the salad done in no time.”

“Thanks, but no thanks. Relax. You’ve just finished your first week at a new job. That’s huge. You’ve done enough. Let me feed you at least.”

Olive smiled and lifted her glass to her lips, taking a long drink. “Okay, I can do that. It’s nice not to be the one responsible for dinner tonight.”

“Anytime.” I grinned and started with the salad by opening the lettuce and getting it shredded. “How was it? Are you happy you made the move?”

“I can’t tell you how happy I am.” Her smile inched wider and stayed there for the entirety of the time she spoke. “My boss is amazing. He’s the nicest person in the world. The other partners are okay too. Everyone there is so welcoming and friendly and the work, oh my God, it’s so cool.”

She launched into a description of everything she had learned and done during the week, starting with some briefs she’d typed up on Monday. She’d also gotten to go to the courthouse with her boss on Tuesday. I listened as she explained the finer details of her job to me, loving how much she was enjoying her work.

The change in her was noticeable, and it made her somehow even fucking hotter. It was like she’d become more confident in the week since I’d seen her last, like she stood taller. She spoke with so much passion that I could practically feel it radiating off her.

“What kind of law does your boss specialize in?” I asked, slicing a tomato and adding it to the bowl she’d handed me while telling me about her week. “It’s got to be something cool if it’s got you this worked up.”

“Criminal law,” she said, eyes lighting up. “They help the people who need them most, or so they say. My boss told me that law was printed in black ink on white paper, but that was where the black and white ended. He said that there were too many shades of gray to count, because every situation is different.”

“Criminal law, huh? Interesting.” I twisted around to face her, leaning forward to drop a kiss on the tip of her nose. “I’m really glad for your sake that it’s not, like, wills and estates or something.”

She grabbed the back of my neck and hauled me closer to her again, returning my kiss by pecking me first on the cheek and then on my temples. “I think I still would have enjoyed it, just maybe not as much.”

Stepping back so I could finish the salad before I just gave up and wrapped my arms around her, I grinned. “Too many shades of gray to count? I thought there were only fifty.”

Olive chuckled, narrowing her eyes at me. “I don’t want to think about what you’re referring to and Shane at the same time. Ew.”

“Right.” I paused, realizing that I had forgotten to ask a pertinent question. “You mentioned your boss was Jenna’s uncle, but he is an elderly uncle, right? It’s not one of those situations where the uncle is actually younger than her or anything, is it?”

“No.” She frowned, but then followed it up with the cutest wink. It seemed Olive was one of those people who blinked both eyes when she was trying to wink one. It was adorable. “I’m estimating he’s in his sixties, so keep the green-eyed monster inside. You have nothing to worry about.”

I rolled my eyes and scoffed, but I was more relieved than I was willing to let on. “I wasn’t worried, I was merely inquiring. Come on, sassy pants. Let’s go get the grill fired up. I thought you said you were starving. We’re wasting time debating about nonexistent green-eyed monsters here.”

“Sure we are,” Olive replied in a tone that suggested she didn’t believe me at all. She hopped off the counter and led me through her living room to doors opening up to her patio behind the house. “Grill’s out here, Hulk. I haven’t used it for a few months, but it should work.”

Olive was right. The grill worked. I cooked our steaks and garlic bread while she set the small round table in the corner of the patio. Dinner was simple, but good.

Relaxing with Olive was exactly what I needed after the week I had. When we were done eating, we carried the dishes inside. I filled the sink with warm water while Olive collected the rest of the stuff we’d used.

“Thanks,” I said when I heard her coming to a stop behind me. “You can add it to the pile. I’ll wash the dishes, you can dry.”

No sounds of movement met my ears and no dishes were added to the counter. I frowned, turning around to see what was going on.

And then my eyeballs nearly fell out of my fucking head. Holy shit.

Olive was standing there wearing nothing but her underwear. Her skirt was lying in a pool around her feet and her shirt was draped on a stool. Her nipples were pert beneath a black lacy bra, her panties matching it.

My jaw became unhinged and my cock stirred. I blinked, wondering if I was in the middle of a dream. I even pinched myself, but she was still there.

Olive saw me pinch my thigh and smirked, lifting her finger and hooking it in a come-hither motion. “You took care of dinner. It’s only fair that I offer you some dessert. Interested?”

Chapter 28

Olive

Rylen definitely brought out a naughty inner me that I hadn’t even realized I had before I met him. It was like I couldn’t stop myself, though.

The ideas kept coming to me and before I knew it, I was carrying them out. There was something addictive about it, surprising him and getting to see the look on his face when realization dawned.

He was a hot guy, but he was never sexier than he was in those moments. His eyes darkened, his eyelids hooded, and the muscles in his throat started working. When I saw him pinching himself, I nearly giggled. I would have, too, if I wasn’t so damn turned on by him.

Rylen stared at me for another long moment before he turned slowly back to the sink. The surge of self-confidence I’d felt that allowed me to strip down in the middle of my kitchen sank to my feet—until I realized what he was doing.

He shut off the water, then reached for a dishcloth to dry his hands. When he was done, his gaze zeroed in on mine. “Never stop surprising me like this, Olive. I fucking love it.”

His voice was rough, needy. A thrill traveled through me and settled smack bang between my legs. My nipples had already gotten hard as soon as I’d taken my shirt off and they’d been exposed to the air, but they tightened to rock-hard peaks now.

Rylen kept his eyes on mine and stalked up to me, his hands coming down on my hips. “I’m definitely taking you up on your offer for dessert. The question is if I get to pick what I get, or have you already decided?”

“I had some ideas.” My hand snaked down between us to cup the bulge growing in his jeans. “But it’s your dessert, so I guess you get to pick.”

“Excellent.” One of his hands traced the curve of my side, the brush of his fingers on my bare skin leaving goose bumps in their wake. He didn’t move, standing there looking into my eyes as his hand caressed me and started to cause an ache deep inside. “I know exactly what I want.”

“Yeah, what’s that?” My voice was barely a whisper, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak any louder. Rylen always drew me in when he came that close to me and it almost felt like if I moved or even breathed too fast, the spell would be broken.

Apparently, he felt the same way. His hand started trailing down the length of my body, but it was torture how slowly he was going. I felt his fingers between my breasts, brushing softly against my cleavage.

He toyed with the small bow at the front of my bra, his gaze never leaving mine. The expression he wore was neutral and even, but the tension in his body betrayed him. Going as slowly as he was killed him as much as it did to me.

Finally, he moved his hand lower. The backs of his fingers alternated with the tips of his fingers as he dragged it over my stomach. A finger dipped into my belly button. It tickled a little, but not so much that it would force me to interrupt the moment by laughing.

He took his time before moving on, eventually hooking his finger into the waistband of my panties and tracing the elastic from hipbone to hipbone. My breath caught, a flood of heat dampening the scrap of lace that was barely covering me.

As his hand traveled into my panties, his head came to my neck. He kissed me softly just as the tips of two fingers reached my seam and dragged over it lightly. “I want this.”

The volume of his voice matched mine, but that was before his finger dipped inside me and made me moan loudly. “Good choice.”

I felt him smile against my skin as he added another finger to the first. My knees buckled, but Rylen’s hand that had been on my hip banded behind my back fast as lightning and kept me upright. He let out a low growling sound.

“Can’t have you falling.” His fingers slid out of me. The sudden loss made me cry out, but then Rylen lifted me onto the counter and brought his face close to mine. “Don’t worry, I fully intend on finishing what I started.”

My lips parted, every inch of my being paying attention to what he was doing as both of his hands landed on my upper thighs eventually following the curves on my sides to around my back where he quickly released the snaps of my bra. At the same time, he lowered his head and his tongue darted out of his mouth. He circled first one nipple with it, then moved on to the other.

A little moan escaped me, my head wanting to roll back. I couldn’t let it, though. I wanted to see what he was doing too badly.

At the sound of my moan filling the silence of the kitchen, he sucked in a shuddering breath that ghosted across my skin when he released it again. The sound and the fact that his hands were right there but not touching me made me squirm, my legs opening a little wider.

“You’re not big on waiting, are you?” he whispered, bringing his head back up to lick my earlobe and nuzzle the skin below it.

“I think I waited long enough,” I reminded him, lifting my hand to the back of his head. With my other hand, I reached for him again. His cock twitched when I touched it, but Rylen didn’t acknowledge it. “Don’t you think I waited long enough for this?”

He paused for a moment, but then his hand slid between the fabric of my panties and my skin. “Yeah, I guess you did.”

Without warning, he leaned in and kissed me. His lips were firm on my mine, his kiss more urgent than any I’d felt before. It wasn’t much of a surprise, though, considering that every time we did something sexual it was like we leveled up.

It was always more intense than before. I always needed him more than I had the time before. Like I said, addicting.

He kept kissing me fervently as his fingers filled me up, pumping slowly in and out. His thumb joined the party, massaging my clit in maddening little circles that lacked the pressure I really needed. I moaned into his mouth, breaking the kiss to gasp his name. “Please.”

He cocked his head, his gaze dropping down to his hand. I wasn’t really on full display for him, given that I was still wearing my panties, but I wanted to be. Spreading my legs farther, I leaned back on one hand while lifting my ass and trying to shove the panties off with the other.

Rylen needed to help me, but his hand only left me for long enough to do what needed to be done before he was working me again. “Christ, that has to be the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

I heard the scrape of a stool and opened my eyes just in time to see him sitting down on it. He lifted his eyes to meet mine for a fraction of a second before they were back on what he was doing to me. “Your knees aren’t the only ones that go weak. Also, this counter is too high for me to get on my knees to do this.”

“Do what?” I rushed out between heavy breaths. I shouldn’t have bothered to ask, though. When I looked at him again, all I could see was the top of his head and his broad shoulders between my legs.

Then his mouth was on me and all conscious thought flew from my mind. It was warm, wet, and unlike anything I’d ever felt before. My legs were spread as wide as they could go, and I was sitting up. In my freaking kitchen.

I moaned, my hands slapping down on the counter on either side of me as incoherent sounds followed the moan from my lips. My back arched and my hips began thrusting with a mind of their own.

“Yes.” I hissed when he hit a particularly good spot inside me. His tongue kept lapping at me, but he repeated what he had done with his fingers.

It was exactly what I needed to shove me over the edge, my orgasm washing over me as Rylen kept maintaining a steady rhythm on my swollen flesh. My hand reached down and grabbed at his hair, holding him where he was. “Just like that, Rylen. Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”

He didn’t stop, not even as I clenched his hair and screamed and practically rode his face. It was only once the pleasure subsided and I released his hair that he finally let up, grinning at me.

“Best dessert I’ve ever had.”

If I could have felt my eyeballs, I would have rolled them. My entire body felt limp, though. Too weak to move a muscle.

Rylen stoop up and stepped between my legs, wrapping them around him and hooking my ankles together behind his ass. “Let’s go to your bedroom. I want a second helping and you look like you might need to lie down for it.”

I nodded and raised the noodles that used to be my arms, clinging to him as he lifted me up and carried me out of the kitchen. With the way my body was being held against his front, I felt the evidence of his arousal against my sensitive core.

A low hiss fell from his lips when I rolled my hips against him, surprised that my body seemed more than willing to cooperate with me as long as it was to do this. I doubted I’d have been able to walk on my own, but I could grind against him. I’m becoming a sex fiend.

And I didn’t even care. I kept going, relishing the sounds Rylen made as I did. By the time we reached my bedroom, he was panting and his muscles were locked so tightly it looked painful.

He dropped me on my bed. It wasn’t gentle, but it was on a mattress, so it didn’t hurt. I liked that he was losing some of that gentleness and control that he had always managed to hang on to with me.

Following me onto the bed as fast as a speeding bullet, he shoved my legs apart before taking a fistful of my comforter in each hand. “Hang on to the sheets, baby. I’m having my seconds now and I’ll be having as many helpings as I want after that. This time we’re not stopping until I’m done.”

Oh my. I’d wondered from time to time if it was true that some guys really, really liked going down on girls. The idea kind of grossed me out, but Rylen obviously didn’t find it gross at all. I also got the answer to my question: he really fucking liked it.

He ravished me, devoured me, and made me hear the angels sing time and time again before he finally needed his own release. Without a word, he removed his clothes and sheathed himself with a condom since I was too blissed out to have noticed him produce or to see where he had gotten it from.

When he pushed into me, I cried out again. Despite having lost count of the times he’d made me come, not that I’d thought that could be a real thing, either, I still felt myself barreling right back to the edge. I was so sensitive that I came apart at the seams pretty much as soon as Rylen established a rhythm.

This time, however, he came hurtling over it with me. I felt him tremble and heard him mutter low curses before he started whispering sweet nothings in my ear after he was done. We were both breathing hard, both quivering as we lay there holding each other.

Eventually, he slid out of me and wordlessly cleaned me up before coming back to bed. Once he was under the covers, he lifted them for me and held his arm open until I cuddled up against him. We were still lying like that when I finally caught my breath and felt my brain click back into place.

“Do you have any big surgeries coming up this week?” I asked, my fingertips tracing the skin on his chest.

Rylen’s hand came up to meet mine, his fingers winding around mine to hold my hand right over his heart. “Every surgery is a big surgery, so yeah. I have a couple.”

“I love that you care so much,” I murmured quietly, tightening my grip on his hand. My eyelids were getting heavy, my body ready to get some rest after what had been a long and exciting week.

Just before sleep dragged me under, I heard Rylen’s whispered reply. “There are many things I love about you, too, Olive.”

Chapter 29

Rylen

“So, this is your backyard?” I lifted my hand to shield my eyes from the midday sun, turning my head to look up and down the beach right outside Olive’s house. “It’s pretty fucking impressive.”

The neighborhood she lived in was exclusive enough that the beach itself was kind of secluded. It was lined with houses, so it wasn’t secluded enough to get up to anything, but we wouldn’t have to worry about any big crowds or being bothered by hawkers or anything.

The sand was white, stretching in either direction as far as the eye could see. It was soft beneath my feet, even if it was a little too hot to be comfortable with bare feet. Olive and I had laid out our towels closer to the house to take advantage of the patch of shade it created on the sand.

Olive stood beside me, grinning as she nodded and looking out at the waves crashing to the shore. “It is impressive. Sometimes when I come out here, I still have to pinch myself to believe I can walk out of my living room and onto the beach.”

“It’s gorgeous.” I dropped my hand and walked forward until the warm water was lapping at my feet. Olive moved with me, walking into the ocean until the water came to her knees.

She turned around to face me. “Thank you. I’d be willing to share it with you anytime you like.”

“It’s a great way to spend a Saturday morning, so I might take you up on that.” I exhaled a deep breath and sucked in another, tilting my head back and closing my eyes. “God, this is the life. Remind me why we have to work again. Fuck Saturdays, I could do this every day.”

Olive chuckled. “No, you couldn’t. You’d get so bored. You live for high-pressure environments, don’t you? You told me that only last week.”

“I said I was better in high-pressure environments.” I dropped my chin and opened my eyes, a smirk tugging at my lips. “I didn’t say I lived for them. I could definitely get used to this instead.”

Shrugging, she walked out of the water again and sat down on the sand just out of reach of the waves. “You could always give up your career and become a beach bum. I won’t join you, but I would support your choice.”

“You wouldn’t join me?” I pretended to pout, shaking my head with fake disappointment. “Why not? We could be bums together.”

She laughed, drawing her knees up to her chest and looping her arms around them. “I’ve recently learned I have trouble keeping myself busy for just a few days without a job. I’m not sure I’d be able to lounge on the beach for a living.”

“Fair enough.” I grinned, walking up to her and holding my hand out. She took it and I tugged her to her feet, winding our fingers together as we walked back to our towels. “I doubt I’d have lasted long as a bum anyway. I love my job too much.”

“I know.” She smiled and tightened her grip on my hand just before letting it go to get comfortable on her towel. “I know I’m still new at my job, but I’m already starting to love it too. It’s stimulating, you know?”

“Yeah,” I agreed, taking a seat on the towel beside hers and crossing my legs. “I can see how it would be. Have you met any criminals yet?”

The thought made me frown. I’d been rather preoccupied last night when she told me her boss specialized in criminal law. Now that I wasn’t preoccupied, I realized that his specialty meant she might come into contact with potentially dangerous people. Not that I can judge them.

Olive pressed the corners of her lips in and lifted her shoulders. “I’ve met some of the clients, obviously. I don’t know that I would call them criminals, though.”

“If they’ve committed a crime, they’re criminals.” It was fucking rich coming from me, especially right now, but that didn’t make it any less true. “Are there security measures in place at your office?”

She bopped her head up and down, eyeing me with amusement. “Plenty. Look at you being all concerned and protective. It’s cute, but unnecessary. I’ll be just fine. I’m perfectly safe. Besides, if I’m not, I’m sure Shane could get me into the witness protection program or something.”

I temporarily ignored her comment about my concern being cute, choosing to inject some humor into a situation I wasn’t finding all that humorous anymore. “Where would you move to then? If you could move or if you had to?”

She took a deep breath, turning a contemplative gaze toward the ocean before looking back at me. “I’ve always loved the thought of living somewhere cold. I used to love winter in New York, but it would have been better if there had been feet of snow on the ground.”

“Somewhere cold then?” I narrowed my eyes and motioned to the beach stretched out in front of us. “You’d give all this up for the cold?”

Flipping her hair absently, she shrugged. “Well, obviously, I just hate the sun. I’m so done with it.”

“Of course. I can see that you are.” I laughed, arching an eyebrow. “I noticed how reluctant you were to come to the beach today. You totally didn’t drag me out of bed first thing to get me out here.”

“It wasn’t first thing, first thing. There was the other thing first.” Her cheeks flushed at the mention of our morning workout. Well, maybe it hadn’t been that much of a workout, but we’d both been covered in sweat by the end of it anyway. Lazy morning sex is awesome.

“True.” I lay back on my towel, then rolled over to reach for my sunglasses that were lying on top of my shirt. “Okay, so cold weather then. I’ll keep that in mind.”

I laughed, but Olive frowned at me with questions shining in her eyes. “Keep it in mind for what?”

“If we ever decide to move, or if you get placed in witness protection and I have to come find you.” Or if we didn’t necessarily decide to move, but it would be convenient to do it. Will and I had been talking, and I was trying to be realistic about my options.

Olive didn’t know I’d been talking to her friend’s boyfriend and baby daddy, but his connection to one of her best friends was one of the reasons I was considering what he approached me with. Without her in the picture, it might have been easier to turn him down out of hand.

She was in the picture, though. I couldn’t ignore that, and I also couldn’t ignore how loyal she was to her friends. It made the situation more complicated than it would have been otherwise, even though I knew I would have given it due consideration purely because it was Will asking.

Sighing, I slipped my sunglasses over my eyes and lay on my back. The sand was warm beneath my towel, but it wasn’t uncomfortably hot here. Except for the roar of the ocean, it was quiet on the beach. Occasionally I could hear a bird somewhere nearby, but soon the tranquility of my surroundings was lulling me gently to sleep.

I reached for Olive’s hand, finding it already placed halfway between our towels. She took it, but then I felt her rolling onto her side. Our hands moved a little in the process, but we didn’t break apart.

Turning my head to face her, I pried open my sleepy eyes. “Why are looking at me like that?”

I’d felt her stare even while my eyes had been closed and my face turned up to the sky. Vulnerability flashed in her eyes, worry following close behind.

I frowned. Neither of those emotions should have been present after the morning we’d had. Even last night had been nothing but spectacular.

“What’s wrong, Olive?”

“I’m not looking at you like anything,” she protested, but her voice lacked conviction. I lifted my free hand to move my sunglasses to my forehead, raising a brow at her.

She released an exasperated huff, but then closed her eyes for a moment and relented. “Okay, I am looking at you like something. I just don’t know how to bring it up. There’s nothing wrong, though. I guess I’m just confused.”

At that, I propped myself up on my elbow and looked at her properly. When her eyes blinked open again, I made sure to maintain eye contact. “What are you confused about?”

Apprehension tightened my gut. I didn’t like the look in her eyes or the way she seemed to be having a hard time meeting mine. The feelings of peace and tranquility I’d been experiencing vanished along with any lingering traces of sleepiness.

I was suddenly wide awake and maybe even a little bit terrified about what she was going to say. Sitting up all the way, I shifted so I was facing her. I waited until her position mirrored mine, both of us sitting cross-legged on our towels, then took her hands in mine.

Olive sucked in a breath that shuddered when she blew it out. “What are we doing, Rylen?”

“What do you mean?” I didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but I had a pretty good idea what she was asking. The irony was that I’d been meaning to talk to her this weekend about how I was feeling, but now that she’d asked the question. I had no idea how to answer it.

She pursed her lips, a line appearing between her eyebrows. “Whatever it is, it doesn’t feel casual to me. We’ve never talked about it, but it feels like we’re more than just friends or people who occasionally sleep together.”

“That’s because it is more than that.” I didn’t know exactly what we were doing, either, but I knew it was more than just hooking up. “I like you, Olive. I really do, as more than a friend.”

“What does that mean then?” Her voice was soft, some of the vulnerability in her eyes seeping into her tone. “For us, I mean. What does that mean for what it is that we’re doing?”

I leaned forward, holding her hands tighter. “I’ve told you that I like you, so before we talk about what we’re doing, I think I need to know how you feel about me. There’s no point discussing it if you don’t like me that way too.”

“I do,” she practically whispered, blood rushing to the surface below her skin. “I do like you too. As more than a friend.”

“Well, then.” I grinned, scooting forward until our knees were touching. “I think we have our answer. We’re hanging out, we like each other. I’d like to keep hanging out. You?”

She nodded but didn’t say anything. I took that as a cue for me to continue. “You told me once that you didn’t want to deal with the mess that came with being in a relationship, so I’m not going to put a label on it. We don’t need to.”

Pausing as she considered my words, her lips spread into a slow smile. “I did tell you that, yeah. I can’t believe you remembered.”

“It wasn’t that long ago, but also, I remember everything you say.” I lifted our joined hands and pressed a soft kiss to the back of each of hers. “Instead of putting a label on it, let’s just put it this way. I’m not sleeping with anyone else and I know you aren’t either, unless you’ve changed your mind about that. Other than that, we can call it whatever you want.”

“I’m not sleeping with anyone else”—she kept her eyes on mine, the blue in hers dancing with light again—“and I like that. I’m good with that.”

“I can tell.” Olive had some of the most expressive eyes I’d ever come across. The moment the worry over what had been on her mind had fled, I really had been able to tell.

I smiled, bringing a hand up to cup her face. “Since we’ve had the big talk now, I need a nap. You okay with that?”

“Yes,” she said, returning my smile. “I think that’s a good plan. Also, you don’t need to pretend you need to sleep because we’ve had the talk. I know you were getting drowsy when I asked you.”

“You sneaky sneak.” I chuckled, releasing her and lying back down. “Striking while the prey is unsuspecting. You really have learned a lot at your job already.”

Olive laughed, but the sound was moving. Coming closer.

When I popped an eye open again, she had edged her towel all the way up against mine and was in the process of sitting down. I opened my arm for her, just like I did at night when we slept next to each other.

Without hesitating for a moment, Olive lay down on the towel with me and stayed there for the rest of the afternoon.

Chapter 30

Olive

“You catch on fast, my dear,” Shane said, nodding his approval of the documents I’d spent the morning getting ready for him. “These are close on perfect. I can’t believe you’ve only been here for a week and you’re already doing these this well.”

“Thank you.” I didn’t even try to keep the excitement out of my voice. Shane had learned quickly that I thrived on positive reinforcement and that I appreciated his knowledge and guidance.

Thankfully for me, he gave all of it freely. Hands down, he was the best boss I’d ever had. The work was interesting, too, and the more I was learning the more interesting it was becoming.

Shane set the agreements I’d drafted for him down on his desk and motioned me into the seat across from it. “I’m not going to need you for a couple of hours this afternoon. I have a big meeting that is bound to take up most of the afternoon. From what I gather, it’s a rather complex matter.”

“Okay.” My eyebrows pushed together. “You don’t usually tell me things like this, so why now?”

Shane smiled, but I could see the strain behind it. His expression was tight and reserved. “Jenna is going to come by to take you to lunch. I thought you might want to know that there’s no need to rush back.”

“Oh wow. Thank you.” I didn’t question how Shane knew Jenna was taking me to lunch when I hadn’t even known.

Those two were crazy close, even closer than I’d thought at first. They talked on the phone multiple times a day. It was no surprise that he knew about her plans when I didn’t.

Glancing down at my watch, I realized I had less than an hour before lunchtime. The morning had flown by with everything I’d had to get done. “Is there anything I can do to help you prepare for your meeting before I go? I’ve still got some time.”

He shook his head, pulling a file I hadn’t seen before closer to him on his desk but not opening it. “No, I’ve got this. I haven’t had much notice for the meeting, so I haven’t had much time to prepare myself. The client called this morning and requested to see me urgently. If there’s anything you can do on the matter, I’ll let you know later. For now, I just need some time to prepare myself.”

“Got it.” I stood up and cast an eye over his desk for any documents I could take out with me to file. Shane’s hand shot out to cover whatever he’d written on top of the mystery folder. What the heck?

Instead of frowning and demanding to know who he was meeting, I forced a smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to look like I was peeking. I was just checking to see if I could relieve your poor desk of any of these papers. I’m headed down to the file room before I leave anyway.”

“I’m sorry I can’t tell you more about this client, but confidentiality trumps all else.” He sounded sincere, just like I’d become used to hearing from him. “Sometimes, especially with new clients, they specifically request that their names be kept out of even our own offices. Do you understand?”

I nodded, but I didn’t really understand. Usually clients called the firm to make appointments, which meant they spoke to me before they got anywhere near Shane. I hadn’t made any appointments for him for that afternoon.

On the other hand, his explanation made sense. I was new here and his clients had no reason to trust me. Perhaps it was a paranoid celebrity or something, terrified that someone within their lawyer’s own offices would sell their story to the tabloids. Anything was possible.

“Sure, Shane. No problem. I’ll send your love to Jenna and see you later.”

He grinned. “Thank you. I’d have loved to have joined you. Perhaps I can next time. Remember, no need to rush back.”

“Thanks. Can I bring you some takeout? If you’re not going to be able to eat during lunchtime, I can bring you something for after.”

He looked surprised by the offer, but then his eyes lit up. “Yes. Please. Wherever you two ladies end up going, Jenna will know what to get for me. Thank you, Olive. I really appreciate that.”

Trusting that his beloved niece would know what I could bring back for him, I didn’t press the issue. After making sure again that he didn’t need anything from me before I left, I headed into my own office and finished a few emails before Jenna showed up.

I looked up from my computer when I heard my door creak, smiling when I saw her standing in it. “You’re early.”

She held her thumb and her forefinger an inch apart and nodded. “I sneaked out of the office a little bit before my break technically started. I’ve had a busy morning and I’m starving. An extra twenty minutes isn’t going to hurt them, but it might kill me. You ready?”

I nodded, logging out of my computer just like I had been taught to do every time I left my desk, and picked up my purse. “Let me just say bye to Shane. I told him we’d bring him back some lunch, by the way. He has a meeting that’s apparently going to take up most of the afternoon.”

A knowing grin touched her lips as she waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t even bother saying goodbye to him then. He’ll be chin-deep in paperwork. You’ll only interrupt his focus. Let’s go. I’ll choose a meal for Uncle Dearest.”

“That’s what he said.” I shouldered my purse and rounded my desk, joining Jenna at the door. “Should I lock it? Who’s going to show the client up if I’m not here?”

“Shane will either meet them downstairs or Beth will bring them up.” She clutched my arm and led me down the stairs. “Don’t stress about it. If he didn’t tell you he needed you in the meeting or this afternoon, he would have already made the necessary arrangements. Also, he knew I was coming by to take you to lunch, so he’d have told me, too, if it was going to be a problem for you not to be here at that time.”

I chewed the inside of my cheek, but I knew she was right. “Sorry, I’m still not entirely sure of my role here. I’d hate to leave early if he still needed me around.”

“I understand, but you have nothing to worry about.” Jenna’s tone was easy and reassuring, which made me relax. “I promise, now come on. I’ve made us reservations at the cutest little place that just opened around the corner.”

Jenna told me about the new bistro on our way, and by the time we arrived, all of her talk about the reviews they were getting had my stomach grumbling. I had all but forgotten about Shane’s weirdly secret meeting, but after we were seated, something Jenna said reminded me about it.

I sat forward, sipping on the complimentary bottle of lemonade the server had given each of us when we walked in the door. “So, who do you think Shane could be meeting with? It was really weird, Jenna. He was so secretive about it all.”

She chuckled, her eyes sparkling. “Did he tell you he wouldn’t need you until late this afternoon and then refuse to let you help?”

I nodded and leaned over farther, hoping she was about to let me in on the secret, but she just laughed. “That’s not weird for him at all. He meets with a lot of big-name clients. You’ve seen the photos in the reception area, haven’t you?”

I nodded again.

Jenna took a sip of her lemonade before she continued. “Well, those are only the people they’ve represented publicly. There are a ton more recognizable people who come through the firm that no one even knows about. All three of the partners have impressive client lists, but they don’t need to flaunt it, and some of their clients are hypersensitive about their privacy. Some even believe that attorney-client privilege means literally only the lawyer and the client can know anything.”

“You mean they don’t want the staff in the office to know either?”

She shrugged, her head bouncing up and down. “Sure. Sometimes. Celebrities and other high-profile people are often difficult and paranoid.”

“Okay.” I enjoyed being able to talk to Jenna about my work, knowing that she understood the firm and the job even better than I did.

In situations like the one that afternoon, it helped a lot to have someone in the know on my side to reassure me. A part of me still believed that I didn’t deserve the job because I’d gotten it through a friend. I knew it wasn’t true, but it did make me overeager to prove myself.

Being told that I could stay away from the office for lunch was one of those times that I felt I had to explain myself or apologize for not being there even when I’d been told point-blank I could go. I wanted to prove that I could be there and keep quiet about whoever this celebrity was, but that wasn’t what my boss or the client wanted.

I sighed but resigned myself to the reality that I wasn’t the lawyer or the client. I was going to have to learn to take the lead from both of those parties without it making me feel like I was doing something wrong somehow.

“Enough about work,” Jenna said as she set down her lemonade and looked at me with curiosity shining from her eyes. “How are things going with Rylen?”

Rylen. I swore my eyes crossed from simply hearing his name and all my worries fled. “Things are good. They’re better than good, actually.”

“Ooooh, I like the sound of this.” She propped her elbows on the table, forming a bridge with her fingers and resting her chin on them. “Tell me more.”

I released a contented sound, feeling totally and uncharacteristically dreamy about our topic of conversation. “I think I’m falling in love with him, Jen. We’ve been spending so much time together and I just, I don’t know, there’s this fluttery feeling in my stomach and my heart gets all warm whenever I think about him.”

“You’re definitely falling in love with him then.” She smiled so widely I was afraid her face might crack in half. “He’s a good one to fall in love with. Despite everything, I’ve always liked him. I can just imagine you guys together too. You must make the most gorgeous freaking couple.”

I giggled, then filled her in on the conversation we’d had last Saturday about what we were doing. Even though my lunch hour was closer on three hours than just the one, it still sped by.

Jenna and I got caught up on Rylen and everything else going on in my life and in hers. When I saw the time on our walk back to my office, I could hardly believe how late it already was.

My head was still in the clouds over reliving the last weeks with Rylen while filling Jenna in on them, but I slammed to a stop when I saw the man himself coming out of our offices as I rounded the corner.

I narrowed my eyes, then blinked repeatedly and narrowed them again. No matter what I did, though, the outcome remained the same. I really was looking at Rylen Page coming out of my office. He might have been there looking for me, but I’d checked my phone a minute ago. There hadn’t been any messages or missed calls from him.

Which begged the question, what on God’s green earth was he doing there?

Chapter 31

Rylen

“Your streak continues,” Edgar cheered as I finished closing up our patient. It had been a long and difficult surgery, but it had gone well.

I exhaled a quiet sigh of relief and smiled, nodding at the nurse who had to wheel the man to recovery. “Yeah, I guess so. I fear the day that you don’t say that to me after a surgery, though.”

Edgar shrugged, standing by my side as we watched the patient being taken out the side door that led into the recovery room. “I don’t think that day will ever come, man. You have nothing to worry about. You’re a fucking rock star.”

I arched an eyebrow, half turning my head toward him. “Don’t say shit like that. You’ll jinx it.”

“What? Are you superstitious now?” He laughed, nudging me with his elbow before we headed out of the operating room to wash up. “I didn’t have you pegged for one of those.”

“I’m a surgeon. Of course I’m fucking superstitious.” I pushed through the door first, Edgar right behind me.

He took off his gloves and other protective gear, discarding them in the proper containers. As he hit the faucet to start scrubbing his hands, he looked at me over his shoulder with a smirk on his lips and his eyes crinkled at the sides.

“Do you have lucky underwear on or something?”

Narrowing my eyes on his, I slipped out of my surgical gown and tossed it in the biohazard container. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

He laughed, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t, actually. I don’t need to be wondering if you’re wearing the same underwear during every surgery, but whatever it is you’re doing, keep doing it.”

I winked and headed for the basin beside the one he was using. “Thanks, Captain Obvious. I was planning on changing my tried-and-tested routine up just for the hell of it. Thank God you told me not to.”

Without his fingers making contact with his forehead, he saluted me before he finished scrubbing up. “I know, I know. It was just in the nick of time too.”

“You know it.” Finally done with our post-op procedures, Edgar and I walked side by side to the break room. “On a different note, we have a long shift ahead of us. We’d better get something to eat while we’ve got the chance. Do you want to grab food from the cafeteria or order something in?”

There was a stack of very well-used take-out menus in the drawer beneath the coffee maker. All the restaurants in the hospital’s immediate vicinity delivered to us, which made our lives significantly easier during our longer shifts.

Our cafeteria food actually wasn’t too bad, but you could only eat so much of it. Edgar rocked his head from side to side, as if thinking about what to answer. “Let’s order in for dinner. We can get breakfast from the cafeteria before we head home.”

“You’ve got to love the late shift.” I pursed my lips and lifted my hand to massage my right shoulder as we walked, rolling it to loosen it up. “Fuck. I would kill for a homemade meal right about now. Today has been too long already.”

“Only twelve more hours to go.” Edgar grinned and gave me a thumbs-up with both his hands. “Aren’t we the lucky ones?”

“Yeah. Yeah, we a—” My sentence cut off when we rounded the corner to the break room, and I saw Olive standing near the door.

She was holding a brown paper bag resting on top of her palms, chewing her lip the way she did when she was deep in thought. She hadn’t seen us yet, staring off into the distance of the corridor perpendicular to the one we were coming down.

Edgar saw her at the same time that I did, letting out a low whistle. “Man, I still don’t approve of you being in a relationship, but that girl is hot.”

“Don’t even think about it,” I warned him, but it was hard to keep my voice stern when my heart filled with something warm and gooey, and a smile inched its way to my lips. “Hands off, bro. She’s mine.”

“Is she?” He cocked his head, slowing to look at me with amusement shining from his eyes. “You know, I never thought I’d see the day you got all alpha protective on me over some girl.”

“She’s not some girl.” I kept my voice down as we neared her. I still had to tell her exactly how I felt about her, and I didn’t want her to have to find out by overhearing me talking to Edgar. Suffice it to say that I’d been keeping things cool over the weekend when we talked, but there was a lot more to say. “She’s my girl. I told you, this one is different. I really like her, so be nice, okay?”

From the corner of my eye, I saw him shrug just as Olive realized we were walking toward her. “I’m always nice.”

“Sure, you are.” Pulling ahead of him, I smiled at Olive and opened my arms when I got close to her. “Hey, you. This is a surprise.”

Olive didn’t step into the hug I offered, lifting the package she was holding as an excuse. “I brought you guys some food. I know you’re working late and that you won’t be able to leave, so I made something for you and brought it over. I hope that’s okay.”

“Did I hear someone say food?” Edgar was suddenly beside me again, grinning from ear to ear. “We were just discussing what we were going to do about dinner. It’s like you were sent to us by the gods themselves.”

She smiled softly. “It’s lasagna. I made it myself, so here’s your fair warning: I’m not the best cook in the world.”

“Homemade lasagna?” I grinned at the way Edgar perked up, wrapping my arms around her at the same time that he took the food from her. “Thanks, babe. It’s going to be so much better than anything from a take-out container.”

Her arms came around my waist, her head resting against my chest. “You’re welcome. Sorry for barging in on you.”

“You’re not,” I assured her. “You’re always welcome here, especially if you bring food. If it ends up being really good, Edgar might just fall in love with you.”

She laughed, releasing me and stepping away to face Edgar. “I’ve never actually met you, but I’ve heard so much about you that it feels like I have.”

“Likewise.” He shifted the bag of food she had brought onto one of his hands and offered the other to her. “It’s nice to officially meet you, Olive. Thanks for the food.”

“Nice to meet you too.” She shook his hand and dropped it within the space of a few seconds, but it was long enough for a surge of jealousy to rise up in me.

Seeing her touching another man, even a friend and even for something as innocuous as a handshake, was not a pleasant feeling. Yeah, we have a lot more to talk about.

Edgar jerked his head in the direction of the door to the break room, lifting the lasagna. “I’m dying to get into this, so I’m going to go on in and give you two lovebirds some privacy.”

Winking on the word lovebirds, he ducked into the break room before I could think of a snappy retort. Olive watched the door slam behind him, her blue eyes wide as she turned them up to mine. “Lovebirds?”

“You’ll have to ignore him.” I slid my hand into hers and laced our fingers together before leading her to a sitting area nearby. “He thinks he’s hilarious.”

“I remember the crowd of people laughing at him at the beach party. He must be a pretty funny guy.” She took a seat beside me, keeping her hand in mine in her lap. “That seems like a pretty random comment to make, though.”

“That’s Edgar for you.” I smiled and shrugged, but in the back of my mind I was tossing out a few choice words in Edgar’s direction. “Anyway, how was your day? I wasn’t expecting to see you today. It’s a really nice surprise.”

She smiled but got a faraway look in her eyes. “It was okay, not really anything too exciting, though.”

I nodded. “Sounds a lot like mine then.”

“Really?” Her head tilted as she looked into my eyes. “Nothing out of the ordinary or exciting happened to you today?”

“Not really.” I shrugged, ignoring the tiny pinpricks of guilt stabbing me in the gut. “One of my surgeries got a little hairy earlier, but that’s not really out of the ordinary around here.”

She sighed, her eyes locked on mine. I saw something in them that I couldn’t place, but definitely didn’t like. A flickering of some darker emotions that I never wanted reflected back at me from her.

“I didn’t only come here to bring you food,” she said, averting her gaze and finding the floor as her chest rose on a deep breath. When she brought her eyes back to mine, there was new determination in them. “Why were you at the law office today, Rylen? I went out for lunch and when I came back, I saw you leaving.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. In my mind, I heard glass shattering. It was like I’d compartmentalized everything so neatly and with that one question, the dividers between the compartments came crashing down.

Shit. I’d known going to her office was a risk, but I thought I had it handled. When she wasn’t there when I arrived or when I left, I thought I was home free. Apparently, I had thought incorrectly.

Sucking in a deep breath, I released it slowly. “That’s not a question I can answer, Olive. I can’t talk to you about what I was doing there.”

Her eyebrows drew together and hurt flashed in her eyes. Withdrawing her hand from mine, she lifted my hand out of her lap and put it down on my own. “Why can’t you answer me? Why can’t you tell me what you were doing there? I don’t think it’s that you can’t, Rylen. I think it’s that you won’t. Why is that?”

I didn’t answer her. I couldn’t. I looked into those beautiful blue eyes instead, hoping it wouldn’t be for the last time.

Chapter 32

Olive

Rylen was looking at me with this really weird expression on his face. It was a mix of defiance, sincerity, hope, and resoluteness.

It was terrifying and heartbreaking, because with that one look, I knew what was about to happen. He wasn’t going to tell me what he had been doing at a law office specializing in criminal law.

Sure, the partners did a little bit of everything. Whatever their clients needed, they did.

Their specialty, however, remained criminal law and my sort of, maybe boyfriend had been to their office—my office—and wouldn’t tell me why. There was pain in his hazel eyes, as well, in the twist of his lips, and the set of jaw, but that didn’t change the facts.

One of those facts was that not only wasn’t he being honest with me, but he was also a client of the firm. Jenna had been very clear that they took the rule of not getting involved with clients very seriously.

Now that I knew he was a client, I couldn’t be involved with him. I hadn’t broken the rule intentionally, but I had broken it- even if it had been by accident. I wasn’t a rule breaker, accidentally or otherwise.

Rylen exhaled a heavy breath. “I can’t tell you, Olive. I’m sorry, but I just can’t.”

I hadn’t really needed the words to confirm what his expression had already told me, but each syllable coming out of his mouth sliced through my heart like he was taking a razor blade to it. The cuts stung and ached, making my chest hurt so much that my lungs constricted.

It felt like I couldn’t breathe, like my heart was coming apart and being torn into pieces by those cuts. Tears stung my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall.

“Can you tell me why you can’t tell me?” My voice cracked with emotion, causing even more pain to bleed into his expression.

Even though it pained him, Rylen shook his head firmly. “I can’t, I’m sorry.”

My upper body trembled from trying to contain the pain in my chest. I folded my arms tightly around myself, trying to physically keep myself together when it felt like I was on the brink of falling apart.

One of Rylen’s hands shot out, reaching for me. I leaned back in my chair, away from him. It felt unnatural not to be leaning toward him, but I just couldn’t let him touch me.

“Can you tell me anything at all?” My eyes darted from one of his to the other, searching for even just a hint of the truth but not finding any. “Please, Rylen. Give me something I can work with. Anything.”

“What do you mean?” He turned in his chair so he was facing me fully, his hands in his lap. His knee bounced and his shoulders were locked.

I could see that he wasn’t enjoying this conversation any more than I was, but we needed to have it. “I mean that I can’t be with someone who isn’t honest with me.”

“This has nothing to do with you, Olive.” He kept his voice low, but it was harsher than I’d ever heard it. “Please. It’s personal. I’m not being dishonest with you. I just can’t tell you about this one thing.”

The cuts in my heart became deeper with every word he said. My chin dropped, my head hanging as I tried to breathe through the pain. “Keeping secrets is being dishonest, as far as I’m concerned.”

“Jesus, Olive.” He shook his head, imploring me with his eyes to understand. “Have you told me everything there is to know about you? There are some things that we keep to ourselves, things everyone keeps to themselves. It’s not a secret, necessarily.”

I screwed my eyes shut, unable to lift my head. A part of me wanted to cover my ears with my hands and start making noises so I wouldn’t have to hear what he was saying, but I had to hear it.

This was a turning point for us. That part of the relationship where we were suddenly hit in the face by the real world and our little bubble of romance was officially popped. I knew that this moment would define us, would be the determining factor in whether there was even going to be an us by the time this conversation was over.

I knew all of this, which was why I had to listen to what he was saying, even if I wanted to do nothing more than to stick my head in the sand. “I’m sorry, Rylen. That’s just not good enough.”

“What the fuck is going on here?” He reached for my hands again, but I shook my head. “Olive, look at me. Please. What is happening right now?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “When I saw you coming out of the office earlier, I thought there had to be a reasonable explanation for why you were there. I thought maybe you had gone there looking for me or something, but then I realized you hadn’t even told me you were coming, and when I went inside, there were no messages for me about anyone coming by to see me.”

I took a deep, shuddering breath. “I still didn’t want to believe something bad was going on, though. I wanted to believe in you, so I came here. I was planning on bringing you food anyway, so I thought I would just ask you about it when I got here. I never thought you would refuse to tell me.”

“Can you just trust me?” he asked, his voice starting to crack in much the same way mine did. “I don’t think I’ve ever given you any reason not to trust me, Olive.”

“Is this the part where you tell me that you’re keeping this from me for my own good?”

He narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. “No, because I can’t tell you anything. Not even that.”

“How can you ask me to trust you if you can’t tell me anything? You were at a criminal law office, Rylen. That’s a big deal.”

“No, it’s not.” His hands twitched, almost like he was about to reach out again. Looking down at them as if they had betrayed him, he folded his arms across his chest. “It also happens to be your place of work, Olive. You go there every day and it’s not for any ominous reason. Why does it have to be a big deal that I went there?”

“For starters, you don’t work there.” My head titled back, my eyes closing. “Apparently, you weren’t there looking for me. There’s only one other reason you could have gone there, and that’s because you’re a client. There’s a rule about not getting involved with clients, and you’ve made me break it.”

Rylen didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to deny it in order for me to know it was true. I had been thinking about this for hours, and there were only so many options that made sense. A sob worked its way through me and despite my best efforts, a tear rolled from the corner of my eye.

“Fuck, Olive. What the hell is going on? If it’s the rule that’s bothering you, I’ll talk to them. It will be fine.” He sounded anguished now. When I opened my eyes and saw the emotion reflected in his, I came really close to wrapping my arms around him and comforting him. But I can’t do that. Maybe never again.

The thought tore the last few pieces of my heart that had been trying to cling together apart. There was now only a gaping hole where the organ used to be.

“I’ve already told you, I can’t be with someone who’s not honest with me. I also can’t be with you if you’re a client.”

“How am I not honest with you?” he asked, incredulity ringing in his tone. “We don’t know everything there is to know about the other yet, but isn’t that kind of the way relationships go? You start with the small stuff and work your way up to everything else.”

“Yeah.” I sniffled, managing a small smile. “Yeah, I guess that is how relationships go. You know what else happens in relationships, though? You get asked questions and if you can’t—or won’t answer them—that says something about who you are. If the other person doesn’t like who that is, they’re entitled to call it off.”

“Is that what you’re doing?” A deep crease appeared between his eyebrows. “Are you calling us off because of this or because of the rule thing?”

Taking in a deep, fortifying breath, I nodded. “Yes. I am, because of both of those things.”

“Why?” Confusion joined the pain in his eyes and his biceps bunched under his scrubs like he was actively fighting to keep his arms across his chest. “Don’t do this, Olive. Please don’t fuck up something great because of one thing that I have to keep to myself.”

“It’s one thing for now.” I sighed and pressed the heels of my hands to my eyes. “It will never stay just one thing, though.”

“What are you talking about?” Exasperation dripped from his voice. A big, warm hand closed gently over one of my wrists and pried my hand away from my eye. “Would you just look at me and tell me what the hell is going on? Yes, I was at your office. No, I can’t tell you why, but I am asking you to trust me. It’s one thing that I can’t tell you. I don’t understand where all of this shit is coming from. As for the client thing, I said I would talk to them.”

“It’s not shit.” I finally gave up trying to fight it and looked into his eyes, but what I saw there made the gaping hole throb painfully. “It’s not shit, Rylen. I’m telling you that I can’t be with you if you’re keeping things from me. It might only be the one thing now, but there is always more. I don’t want you to talk to them. I’m new at the firm and I like it there. I don’t want to jeopardize my job. It doesn’t matter anyway, because once people start keeping secrets, that’s it. The end of their relationship. It’s just the way it is.”

“It doesn’t have to be.” He gave my wrist a gentle squeeze. The pain I was in was causing my body to become numb. I hadn’t even realized he’d still been holding on to me until I felt the pressure of the squeeze. My eyes dropped to where we were joined and, after I glared at the point of contact for a few seconds, he let me go. “Come on, Olive. Please. You won’t lose your job; I’ll explain the situation to your bosses. We were together before I became a client. The secret doesn’t have anything to do with you. One day, I will tell you everything. That day just can’t be today.”

“By the time that day comes it will be too late.” Tears were leaking steadily from my eyes, but I didn’t bother wiping them away. One advantage of breaking up with a doctor at a hospital was that I could cry, because people would simply assume he was giving me bad news. No one would bother us.

In a way, I supposed that was exactly what he was doing. It just wasn’t the kind of bad news people in his profession regularly doled out in rooms just like this one.

At least there weren’t any other people in the waiting room with us, only people passing by. I didn’t know too much about the hospital, but as I had made my way toward the break room, where I knew Rylen and Edgar went for coffee after surgeries, I had noticed that it was rather isolated from the busy areas where the patients and their families were.

“If you have to keep secrets from me, I don’t want to be with you. I never want to be in that kind of relationship.” I tried sucking in a breath between the sobs, but the air wouldn’t fill my lungs all the way. “I vowed to myself that I would never be involved in a relationship like that. It was one of the big reasons why I avoided relationships, the messy drama. I told you that. Keeping secrets leads to the messiest drama there is, and now my job is on the line too. It’s just too messy.”

“I’m pretty sure cheating would qualify as the leading cause for the messiest relationship drama,” Rylen said dryly. “Will you just a take a breath here, babe? Please. I’m crazy about you. I took one fucking meeting with one fucking lawyer about something that doesn’t concern you. I didn’t cheat on you, didn’t hurt you, didn’t lie to you. I won’t let them take your job away from you. I’m sure if I explained things, they would understand. I don’t understand where this is coming from. Being pissed off at me about it is one thing, but breaking up with me?”

“I’m crazy about you, too, Rylen.” I felt a small, sad smile spreading on my lips, but the tears kept flowing. “But that doesn’t change my decision. I can’t be involved with a client and I won’t be involved with someone who keeps secrets. My parents kept secrets, a lot of them. I made myself one promise when I was a kid, and I’m not about to break it now. I won’t be involved in a relationship like theirs was, not ever.”

Pushing to my feet without looking at him for fear that I would change my mind if I did, I bit back another sob. “I’m sorry, Rylen. Don’t call me, okay? Goodbye.”

After that, I practically ran away from him. Again, a hospital seemed like a really convenient place for a public breakup. People reacted in all kinds of different ways in hospitals. They were a little like airports in that way: ordinary social rules and convention didn’t really apply.

A sobbing girl running for the exit didn’t even get more than a couple of looks, and even then, the looks that I got weren’t even puzzled. Everyone knew what it meant: in one way or another, I had just gotten my heart broken.

Maybe if they knew why my was heart was broken, I would have gotten a few puzzled looks. I was sure a lot people wouldn’t understand why I had broken up with him, maybe they would even think it was an overreaction on my part.

But those people hadn’t grown up in my house. They hadn’t seen the devastation that could be caused by secrets or how a family’s entire life could be ripped apart by them. I had been there, seen it, and promised myself that I would never put myself in that position. Not for anyone.

Personal issues set aside, there was also the unavoidable fact that he had gone to see a criminal lawyer. I didn’t know what he had done, but I knew the kinds of cases my bosses dealt with. Whatever Rylen had done, it couldn’t be good.

Chapter 33

Rylen

“What’s going on with you, man?” Edgar asked as we sat down in the outside section of the cafeteria and slid our trays onto the table we had chosen. “You’ve been looking like someone kicked your puppy ever since the other day when Olive came by.”

“Still don’t want to talk about it.” I climbed onto the bench and sat down, staring at the hamburger I had bought but didn’t feel like eating. “Let’s just get through lunch so we can get back to work, okay?”

I felt Edgar’s dark eyes on me, questioning as they had been for days now. I wasn’t looking at him, but from the corner of my eye, I saw his jaw clench and his head shake. “No. Nope. No can do, sorry, buddy. I’ve been watching you mope for the better part of this week and I can’t do it anymore. What happened?”

I sighed, but I knew he wouldn’t leave it unless I told him. The truth was that I didn’t want to say the words out loud. A part of me still felt like everything that happened that day had been a dream, that after work tomorrow it would be the weekend and I would be spending it with Olive.

Saying the words out loud felt like it would cement the fact that I wouldn’t be spending the weekend—or any other time, for that matter—with her. My head still swam when I thought about what had happened on that day.

I had known it would be a risk to make an appointment at her office, but I’d needed legal advice and I had done some research on the firm after she’d told me where she would be working. They were the best of the best.

I set it up so that she wouldn’t be there. I hoped it would work and that she wouldn’t know I had been there at all. Unfortunately, life had a funny way of being the thing that happened when you were making other plans.

At worst, I figured she would be pissed if she found out I had been there. I never imagined she would kick me to the curb over it. Fuck.

I hadn’t known about the stupid rule about getting involved with clients. If I had, I would have sought the advice I needed elsewhere despite the firm’s reputation of being the best. She had told me time and again how much she was enjoying her new job; I never would have knowingly put it in jeopardy.

Deep down inside, I still thought that if she had let me explain the situation to her bosses, we could have found a way to stay together despite the rule. She hadn’t broken it on purpose, and I was sure they would have understood the situation I had unknowingly put us in.

In the end though, it hadn’t mattered. I was a client of her firm and knowingly or not, I had put her in breach of their rules.

Every time I even thought about being broken up with her, it was like someone was taking a blowtorch to my fucking heart. Speaking about it was going to be even more painful. I had no doubt that it would feel like taking that roasted, raw flesh and pulling it off layer by layer.

“You’ve been down for days now, Rylen. It’s not like you.” Edgar held his burger in his hands, but he hadn’t taken a bite of it yet. “I’m starting to get worried.”

And there it is. That magic sentence. Hospital policy dictated that if we were worried, like really worried, about one of our coworkers, we had to report it. I knew Edgar wasn’t trying to use that policy to make me talk, but he was warning me that he was that kind of worried about me.

It had been a hell of a week and even I could see why he would be thinking along the lines that he was. My streak still stood, but I had been snappy and irritable. I didn’t talk to anyone outside of what I was required to do, and I was caught up in my own head. All of these things were symptoms that could point to something far more dangerous than a breakup.

“Olive and I split up.” Saying the words was like gurgling with fucking acid. They hurt like a bitch. “I haven’t really wanted to talk about it because… Fuck.”

“Shit.” Edgar’s dark eyes became sympathetic and soft. “I know. You don’t have to explain it to me, man. Ripping off a Band-Aid is better, but it hurts like a fucking bitch.”

“That it does,” I agreed. “Especially if you didn’t see it coming.”

“Wait.” He lifted a finger from his burger. “Was that a breakup lasagna she brought you?”

“Yep.”

“I don’t know if it makes it better or worse that it was so fucking delicious.” Edgar sighed. “Guess we won’t be getting any more homemade food from her, huh?”

I shook my head. “I don’t see it happening. Sorry.”

Edgar had been raving about the lasagna all week. To me, it had tasted like cardboard. Just like everything else did that I had eaten since. It was weird how emotional pain could affect your entire body, even your taste buds. There was actual science behind it too.

I didn’t really want to think about what the science was, though, since that would mean acknowledging things I was trying my best to keep buried. Work didn’t seem like a good place to finally unearth them.

Edgar leaned back in his chair, setting his burger down. I hadn’t so much as touched mine yet. “What happened? I thought you guys were in that moonbeams-and-roses phase.”

“We were.” And I fucking loved every sappy second of it.

“So?” he prompted, lifting his eyebrows. “What went wrong?”

I shrugged, pressing my lips into a thin line. I had heard what Olive had said, but I was still struggling to accept it. Totally in denial.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to make sense of the mess in my head so I could explain it to Edgar. “Have you ever had to hide something from someone you care about?”

His dark eyes widened. “Ah. I see. But yes, I have.”

“How did it work out for you?” It was a stupid question since I knew Edgar’s relationship status was “single and ready to mingle,” but I still wanted to know the answer.

He shrugged, giving me a pointed look. “I think you know the answer to that. There’s a reason why I was so against you getting into a relationship.”

“You knew I was going to have to hide something from her?” I tried to joke, but it fell flat.

Edgar smiled anyway, but it was a sad smile. “Maybe not, but I knew you shouldn’t have made her your girlfriend. This is what I was trying to tell you and warn you away from. Breakups fucking suck.”

“Yeah, they do.” It had been some time since I’d been through a breakup and an even longer time since I’d been the one to get broken up with, but I didn’t remember it hurting this badly. This felt like I was being flayed alive. “I was totally blindsided, man. I really didn’t think she would dump me over this.”

“Girls are big on honesty.” He lifted his shoulders, flashing me a half smile. “Anything they perceive as being a lie is a big no-no.”

“Yeah, but—”

He cut me off by slashing a hand through the air. “That’s just the thing, there are no buts. Zero. You might not even think you were lying to her, but you were. Keeping shit from them counts as lying.”

“I don’t see it that way.” For fuck’s sakes, part of the reason I was doing this was for Olive. Not telling her was for her own protection, but I knew she wouldn’t believe me if I’d told her that. I could see it from the derision in her expression when she asked me if that was the part where I told her it was for her own good.

This really fucking was for her own good, though. If I told her, there could be serious consequences for her. I knew accepting those consequences should have been her choice, but I couldn’t put her in that kind of danger, so I made the choice for her. Ultimately, I supposed that in doing so, I had made the choice to break us up, even if I hadn’t realized it at the time.

If I added the broken rule on top of everything else, I really only had myself to blame for this. It sucked, and it fucking hurt to know. Especially since I didn’t know how to fix it.

“I didn’t see it either,” Edgar said, his face more serious than I had seen it in a long time. “But that’s the way it goes. If you have to keep something from someone, it’s probably best you’re not with them anyway, right?”

“No, that can’t be right.” Nothing about being away from Olive felt right to me. In fact, everything about it felt very, very wrong. I woke up at night looking for her, only to have to relive the big breakup every time.

When I opened my eyes in the morning, there was that one moment of reprieve where I still thought of her with a smile on my face. Then reality would come slapping it right the fuck off. Not fun.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do, Edgar.” It had only been about a week, but I was still lost.

It was weird how Olive had embedded herself so deeply in my life and in my heart in such a short amount of time, but she had. Removing her from it felt like a surgery so delicate even I wouldn’t be able to perform it.

“You’re going to take it one day at a time,” he said, picking up his burger again. “One day, you’re going to wake up and realize that it’s better this way. Relationships are hard and they never end well. It won’t be today, but someday you’ll realize that I’m right.”

I nodded, but I didn’t agree. Despite the pain I was in and the hell I had been through this last week, I still believed that relationships could end well. Yep, total and complete denial.

Sighing, I picked up my own hamburger and ate with a vigor I didn’t feel. It tasted like nothing, just as I’d expected.

Edgar didn’t mention Olive or the breakup again for the remainder of our lunch. He told me about random things, presumably as a distraction. We talked about his boat and a girl he had met at the marina, the surgeries we had left to do that day, and other stuff that had nothing to do with Olive.

The distraction was welcomed, but it didn’t take the burning pain in my chest away. Only Olive would be able to do that, and it seemed highly unlikely that she would be interested in doing it for me anytime soon. My own fucking fault.

By the time we were done with lunch, we had to go scrub in for our next surgery. Edgar begged off after we’d thrown away our trash, mentioning something about having to meet up with another nurse to finalize a prank on someone.

I smiled and let him go, hoping the person they were pranking wasn’t me. My sense of humor seemed to have checked out.

My phone buzzed in the pocket of my scrubs, and the name I saw reflected on my screen banished whatever humor might have been trying to creep back in as a result of my lunch with Edgar.

“Shane, what have you got for me?” There was no need for niceties with the lawyer. I was paying him by the hour, I wasn’t wasting a minute of that time. “Is it ready?”

“Everything you asked me for is ready for Monday,” he replied curtly. “Good luck, Dr. Page.”

“Thank you.” I ended the call after saying goodbye, staring down at the phone for a second too long after hanging up. A part of me wondered if I had made a mistake in not bringing up the rule to him while I’d already had him on the phone. I didn’t know if it would have made a damned bit of a difference clearing that up with him now,

Hearing from Shane had brought Olive back to the front and center of my mind, not that she had been very far away from it. Already holding my phone with my call log open, I scrolled until I found the last call I had received from Olive.

Her contact details were right there. All it would take—to open the lines of communication between us and to tell her everything—was the push of one button, but I couldn’t do it. It was too dangerous, and I didn’t have the go-ahead from her bosses.

Fighting the urge to call her anyway, I shoved the phone back in my pocket and stalked out of the cafeteria. I had a fucking surgery to get to.

Chapter 34

Olive

Shane walked into my office with a tweed jacket hanging over his arm and an old school cap on his head. “Pack your things, dear. We’re going to lunch.”

He walked through my office to the outer door, holding it open and looking at me expectantly. “Well, are you coming? I’ve made a reservation, and I’d hate to be late.”

Seated at my desk, I frowned and looked around my office. “Are you talking to me?”

“Yes.” He wagged his brows at me. “I haven’t lost all my marbles quite yet. I’m well aware that there’s no one else in this office with us.”

I laughed, lifting my hands with my palms up. “You never know. That might not be a good thing. There could be a gorgeous, charming lady ghost standing right behind me that you could have invited with you instead.”

“Alas, my dear.” He grinned and waved his left hand in the air, a ray of sunlight catching on the thin golden band around his ring finger. “The only gorgeous, charming lady in my life now is my wife. And you, of course.”

I smiled and inclined my head, having learned that there was no point arguing with a person who litigated and literally argued for a living. “Thanks, Shane. Thank you for the invitation as well, but I really can’t go out to lunch today. Too much work.”

I gestured at the stacks of files and briefs covering my desk. “My boss keeps me insanely busy, so I don’t have any time to go off and gallivant.”

“What an asshole.” He winked. “He’s my boss, too, so I know he can be a slave driver. Let’s duck out before he comes back.”

“I really can’t, Shane. You said you needed that discovery done by this afternoon and I’m nowhere near ready with it.”

He walked to my desk, closing the file I was busy with. “I won’t take no for an answer, my dear. You can finish the discovery when we get back. If you don’t manage to get it done today, tomorrow will also do.”

“I—” He didn’t hear my next protest out, simply motioning for me to follow him. I sighed quietly, not wanting him to hear it.

Shane was still the best boss I’d ever had by a large margin, but I just wasn’t up for going out and making small talk. The gaping hole in my chest was still throbbing and raw. My eyes burned from crying so much at night and not getting a decent amount of sleep, and my brain felt like mush.

The only thoughts it felt like I could conjure up with perfect clarity were those of Rylen. I could remember the way the gold swirls in his eyes lightened the green and the blue so vividly that if I had been an artist, I would have been able to paint them flawlessly.

I remembered how his voice was smooth when he was happy and turned just a little hoarser when he was turned on. I could practically hear his laughter in my ears.

Of course, none of those things were things that were actually useful in real life. In real life, my brain felt like it was reaching for thoughts, but it would spin and forget them before I got there. It was frustrating and it was slowing me down.

As much as I would have liked to have been invited to lunch with Shane a week ago, I didn’t want to go today. He was still looking at me with a stern, yet kind expression and was clearly waiting for me to move my butt.

Nodding at him as I exhaled another deep breath, I bent down to retrieve my purse and slung it over my shoulder. Following Shane out of the office and onto the sidewalk, I was surprised to find a town car and driver waiting for us.

“Good afternoon, Mikey,” Shane said cheerfully, stopping when he reached the driver and motioning me into the car ahead of him. “Are you well?”

“Very well, sir.” The driver, who I assumed was named Mikey, grinned and nodded at Shane. The two of them chatted as I slid onto the leather back seat. Shane climbed in a moment later.

“I’m so glad you’re joining me today, Olive.” He smiled and patted my hand with his much softer one. “You look like you need something to cheer up and if Pascali’s steaks don’t cheer you up, we may as well take you out to the pasture and put a bullet in your brain.”

“What?” I frowned, searching my hazy brain for the reference he was making. “Oh, right. Because then I’d have had it?”

He nodded, seeming pleased that I’d gotten there myself in the end. “Exactly. That man in a true master at cooking meat. Eating one of his meals always cheers me right up, no matter what is going on in my life.”

“Had you been going there before you met your wife?”

Shane looked surprised by the question, but then he nodded. “Yes. I still go there for dinner whenever we’ve had a tiff. I’m telling you, his food will cheer you up.”

“Why do you think I need cheering up?”

He cocked his head, lifting a silver eyebrow. “My powers of observation and deduction are rather astute, my dear girl. Judging by the way your eyes have been watery and red all week, your mood mopey and that question you just asked, I’m sensing you’re having some issues with your relationship.”

“I’m not in a relationship.” It hurt to say it out loud. Even though Rylen and I had been careful about spelling out exactly what we were to each other, we had been something. There had been a relationship between us, and now there wasn’t. Admitting that was difficult. “Not anymore, anyway.”

“What happened?” Shane asked, his tone gentle. It was nothing like the way I’d heard him asking questions in court. This was kind, fatherly, and caring. It very nearly made me burst out in tears again. Although, making me burst into tears didn’t take much these days.

Breathing in a few deep gulps of air to avoid making myself look like an overly emotional cry baby in front of my boss, I leaned my head back against the soft leather and closed my eyes. “The guy I thought was everything I ever wanted, the only one I’ve ever wanted everything with, turned out to be a liar. He would rather hide things and keep secrets than be with me, so we broke up. Also, he became a client so everything else is moot anyway. I know there is a rule against getting involved with clients.”

We must have arrived at Pascali’s, because the car slowed just as my sentence ended. Shane gave me a sympathetic smile and patted my hand again, not saying anything until we were seated and had a basket of fresh bread between us.

He placed our order without looking at the menu and turned to face me when the waiter left. “Setting aside the fact that he’s a client for the moment, this boyfriend of yours, do you know what it is that he was hiding?”

I shook my head, lifting my shoulders. “No, but it doesn’t matter what it was. I can’t be involved with someone who is lying to me or keeping things from me.”

Shane’s eyes narrowed, but not in a mean way. It was more like he was thinking about what I’d said and was carefully considering his answer. Eventually, he started nodding slowly, tapping his fingers on the linen tablecloth and making sounds of affirmation.

“Have you considered the possibility that keeping secrets isn’t always a bad thing?” He tilted his head, his eyes sincere but serious.

“I haven’t, no. In my experience, it’s always been a bad thing. The reasons for keeping a secret are usually only justifications for doing something you know you shouldn’t be doing.”

His bowed his head a little, but then looked back at me. “Justification also isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, by its very definition, it is the act of showing something to be right and reasonable.”

“You just knew that? Like right off the top of your head?”

Nodding, he flashed me a small smile. “You would be surprised at the amount of times that very definition has been useful in my personal and my professional lives. The point is that showing something to be right and reasonable is a good thing, is it not?”

“I guess it can be, but it doesn’t matter in my situation anyway. He wouldn’t tell me anything, not even a justification or an excuse.”

I had asked myself time and again whether it would have mattered if he had. I had asked him to give me anything, after all. It didn’t feel like anything he could have said would have made a difference, though—not when he wouldn’t tell me the truth.

Shane rubbed the stubble on his chin and cheeks, searching for something in my eyes. “I keep many things from many people. I don’t tell them a single thing about what I’m keeping from them or others. Does that make me a bad person?”

“It’s part of your job to keep things confidential,” I said. “This isn’t the same.”

“How do you know?”

“He’s not a lawyer.”

“There are other professions that have to keep things confidential. Doctors, for instance. They subscribe to rules of privilege and confidentiality that are as stringent as ours are.”

Something about the way he said it made me feel like he hadn’t chosen the medical profession as an example randomly. I’d never told him anything about Rylen, though. I didn’t even think I’d ever mentioned his name to Shane.

Although to be fair, it might have been Shane that Rylen had seen that day. In fact, given that Shane had told me to go out for lunch and stay out for longer, I was willing to bet it was him.

“Rylen isn’t the person you think he is right now, Olive,” Shane said, confirming my suspicions. I still didn’t know how he knew that Rylen was the guy I had been seeing, but I was assuming it must have come up in their conversation. “As for the rule against getting involved with clients, your situation is different than the one we envisioned when the rule was made. He was your boyfriend before he became a client of the firm. You’re not running around jumping into bed with clients that you met at the firm. That is why the rule exists to guard against, not to prevent anyone our employees may be involved with to seek out our services in the same way the general public does.”

Shane kept talking, unaffected by everything he had just given away. “Tell you what, my dear, why don’t you take the rest of the week off? It seems to me like you need some personal time. Now, here’s our food. You’ll see, you’ll feel so much better by the time we walk out of here.”

Chapter 35

Rylen

Edgar walked out of the operating room with me, apparently at a loss for words. Since I happened to know that he wasn’t one to be rendered speechless easily, it was a sign that I wasn’t the only one feeling traumatized over what had just happened.

He didn’t say anything while we were getting cleaned up and he didn’t say a word as we headed for our lockers. The surgery we had just walked out of had been our last for the day and for that, I was grateful. I didn’t think I’d have the wherewithal to perform another surgery right away.

As it was, I was going to be having nightmares about the one we’d just had for a long time coming. Edgar walked into the changing rooms behind me and uttered the first word that had been spoken by either of us since the machines had gone silent.

“Coffee when we’re done?”

I gave my head a firm shake. “I’m going to go to my office. I need to get the paperwork for this done and then I’m heading home.”

“Okay.” He fell silent again, changing out of his scrubs and into his casual clothes. I did the same thing, but as I sat down to tie my shoes, I found my head in my hands and the shoes forgotten.

Tugging at the strands that were matted from the length of time I’d worn the surgical cap, I tried to make sense of everything that had happened. If there was an inquiry into the patient’s surgery, I was so fucked.

I’d done everything medically and surgically possible for him, but I hadn’t done enough. Obviously.

My brain felt like it had left the building and for the first time in my life, I truly understood what was meant by the term airhead. I sure as hell felt like one right now.

My stomach was rolling and tightening, but I wasn’t nauseated. I was confused and not quite sure where I was supposed to go from here. And I didn’t mean literally.

The trajectory my career had been following had been based on my streak, and now it was over. So what the fuck now?

Edgar sat down next to me, close enough that I felt the wood slats shift under my butt. A heavy hand landed on my shoulders, beefy fingers squeezing. “You couldn’t keep up your streak forever, man. How many times have you told me that?”

“I know,” I mumbled into my hands, my head shaking as I lifted it and looked into Edgar’s brown eyes. “I just don’t really know what to do with this, you know? Knowing it was going to come to an end was different from having it actually happen.”

“As the guy who has been standing right there next to you during every one of your surgeries, I think I know better than probably anyone how you feel. You did your best, though, okay? No second-guessing yourself. It won’t change the outcome, and I was there. I can tell you that no one would have done a better job in there than you did.”

Oh, I did my best all right. Just not in the way he was talking about. “I know. I did what I had to do in there.”

I really had. I just wasn’t sure if what I’d had to do was something I should have gotten myself into, in the first place. As Edgar had said, though, there was no point second-guessing myself now.

It was all said and done. All I had left to do was to file the official paperwork after making sure I had dotted my i’s and crossed my t’s, and then I had to hope that I had done a good enough job that no one could point a finger at me.

Until that paperwork was filed, however, I was going to be tense as fuck. With that in mind, I stood up from the bench and gave Edgar a thud on the back. “I’d better get to my office. I want to get everything done while it’s still fresh in my mind.”

“I get it.” He stood up, too, following me to the door. “If you need any details, just give me a call. I could come to your office with you now too. Just in case you need me.”

“I should be fine.” There was no way I wanted Edgar anywhere near the paperwork. Besides, it was my signature at the bottom and I had been the one to call it, no reason to drag someone else into it now.

Well, no more “someone else’s” than had already been dragged into it. No one from my side, anyway. “Thanks for the offer, but I want to be alone for now.”

He nodded. “Okay. I’m here if you need me.”

“Thanks, man.” We said our goodbyes and went in our separate directions. I was more desperate than I could remember being in a long time to go home, pour myself a stiff drink, and to just be. But I couldn’t do that, not yet.

Paperwork had always been the bane of my existence. I wasn’t usually much good at it, even if I was thorough and provided all the necessary details. I just didn’t really have a head for administrative stuff.

This report was different, though. It was the first time I had to fill out a report of this nature and it was fucking crucial that I did it properly. There could be no cutting corners, no vagueness, and not even the smallest detail could be forgotten.

Painstakingly slow, I filled out the required paperwork. As it turned out, it was much more of a mission to get it done when the patient had died than if they’d lived. Even if our patient hadn’t had any family members listed or present, the hospital still wanted to make sure that everyone’s asses were covered.

When I was finally done, I sat back and signed my name on the last dotted line. Right above my signature were three words that could change my life forever, “Rayce Phillips. Deceased.”

I sighed, noting that my breath came out staggered. Pressing my hands to my tired eyes, I rubbed as I shook my head. I still couldn’t believe everything that happened.

Rayce. Fuck.

The certificate may have him at thirty-five, but I remembered Rayce as a teenager. There would always be a part of me that would think of him that way: as the brooding, dark-haired little punk who tried to act like he didn’t give a shit.

Rayce Phillips had always tried to act that way, but the truth was that no one had ever given more shits than that guy. All the little kids were like his army, and they were under his protection.

I hadn’t grown up in the foster system like Rayce and Will had, but I had grown up in the same neighborhood. Those foster kids had been my best friends, my brothers even.

Some of them didn’t know their biological parents, but I had the misfortune of knowing mine. I’d often wondered if I wouldn’t have been better off in the system than I was in my home. I knew what those kids went through in the group homes, but I had gone through a lot of the same stuff in my house.

Will and I had bonded over a shared love of frogs one day when we had been about seven years old. Rayce had come to the pond near the house to look for Will at some point, and at first, he’d told me to stay the fuck away from them.

Will vouched for me and told him that I was okay. I’d always thought that in those few hours beside that pond, Will had seen and recognized things in me that people who had known me for years—since and after—had never seen.

Rayce had given me a once-over, then he’d simply nodded and declared that I could stay. After that, the three of us had stuck together for years. We fought together, we celebrated together, and during a particularly dark time in our later teenage years, we even fucked together—not one another, but together.

Rayce and Will had been my ride-or-die friends. They were guys I could count on for anything and I knew they felt the same way about me.

Nothing could break that bond between us then, and now I had found out that not even time itself had been able to sever the ties we had formed as children. Walking away from my previous life when I got into school hadn’t been that hard, but walking away from Will and Rayce had been almost as painful as the flaying my heart was currently taking.

When I found out they had graduated from petty thievery and pickpocketing, I hadn’t been surprised. They had always done whatever it took to get by, and Rayce especially had always been determined to rise above his circumstances.

Once or twice over the years, I had reached out to him. I tried to convince him to get out of the game. Will and I had even spoken about what he would do when he got out of the game a few times, but then life had happened, and we lost touch.

It started slowly. It went from not seeing them every day to only calling once a month. Eventually, we weren’t talking at all anymore unless it was someone’s birthday or a holiday. After a year or two of that, even those calls had ended.

I had noticed the gradual decline in our contact, but I hadn’t made an effort to keep in touch more. Everyone’s lives were moving on and they were moving in vastly different directions. I had gotten my degree and started work, Will and Rayce graduated to armed bank robbery.

Slowly but surely, they had become a part of a past that I was ashamed of. Their names became synonymous with my misspent youth and a crew I used to run with but didn’t want to remember anymore.

Fuck. I dropped my hands and stared at Rayce’s name on that piece of paper. How the hell did we get here?

I sat in my office for a couple more minutes, quietly remembering a friend who had also been a protector and a brother to so many, myself included. When I finally got my head back in the present, I gathered my things and switched off my office lights, more than ready to go home.

Walking out of the hospital gave me a more melancholy feeling today than it ordinarily did, even more so when I spotted Will standing beside a cherry red truck. He was wearing sunglasses, even though it wasn’t that bright out anymore.

I nodded at him and he did the same, but we didn’t acknowledge the other in any additional way. It was necessary, and it really wasn’t fucking safe.

Chapter 36

Olive

“Are my eyes deceiving me or are my two best friends really standing there waiting for me?” I planted my hand on my hip and smiled at Valerie and Heidi. I could hardly believe it, but they were standing right there next to my car.

Without waiting for an answer, I gave up on the sassy act and launched myself at them.

Valerie’s arm came around my one side while Heidi’s came around the other. With my arms around their necks, we embraced one another in a group hug that ended in giggles and even a few tears.

The tears were mine, streaming silently down my cheeks as I clung to my friends and thanked whatever it was that had prompted them to come to me. When they released me, they spoke excitedly over each other until Heidi noticed the tears.

“It hasn’t been that long since we last saw you, what’s with the waterworks?” A concerned frown furrowed her brow and her hands came up to wipe the tears from my cheeks. “Olive, honey, what’s wrong?”

Valerie slipped her hand into mine. “Whose ass are we kicking?”

She looked up and down the parking lot outside my office as if she were expecting the perpetrator to be standing there, just waiting for her to kick their ass. I shook my head, smiling through the remaining tears that were making my eyes blur.

“You’re not kicking anyone’s ass. Honestly, nothing is wrong. I’m just so happy to see you guys.”

“We’re happy to see you too.” Heidi took my other hand and gave it a squeeze. “You’re done for the day, right? You don’t have to go back inside?”

“No, I’m done. What are you guys doing here?” My voice cracked and another tear escaped.

It had been a long, crappy day. After my lunch with Shane, I’d gone home and taken the rest of Thursday and Friday off as he’d told me to. By the time Monday rolled around, I was more than ready to get back to work.

Taking the time off hadn’t been very good for me. I obsessed over everything that he had said about Rylen and wondered if I’d made a mistake; if maybe I had overreacted after all. My instincts told me that I hadn’t, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe I should have given him a chance.

Trusting him for a couple of days or weeks might not have been the end of the world, but then I’d remember how it was a vicious cycle to trust someone who was keeping secrets. I’d come full circle to decide that I had made the right decision. It was exhausting to keep going round and round, especially now that I knew I couldn’t fall back on the rule against getting involved with clients anymore. With that out of the equation, our break-up came down to my own beliefs and moral convictions.

Being back at work and out of my head on Monday had been a blessing. I’d thrown myself into my work and gotten caught up on everything I had missed by early that morning.

Unfortunately, that meant that the renewed vigor to focus only on my job faded and it was only Tuesday. Without all that stuff I had to do to get caught up weighing on my mind, I found it once more constantly returning to thoughts of Rylen.

The crying had finally let up a few days ago, but seeing my friends had brought it back in all of its ugly-cry glory. I hadn’t even told them what had happened yet, but I was finding it difficult to control the tears. So freaking annoying.

“We’re here to take you to dinner,” Heidi said. “Valerie and Fulton flew in this morning. We decided it was about time for a good girls’ night out. I even got to shower for long enough to shave my legs.”

I sniffed and blinked back the tears. I’d done enough crying over Rylen. Plus, I was determined not to let it ruin my night. Who knew when I was going to get the chance to have a girls’ night out with these two again. If Heidi had splurged to shave her legs, I could damn well suck it up and try to have some fun. “Where’s Adam?”

“With the boys.” Valerie grinned. “They’re having guys’ night in while we do girls’ night out.”

“I’m not sure I’m up for a night out.” As much as I wanted to spend time with them, I didn’t think I’d be able to muster the energy for dancing, karaoke, and whatever else they had planned. “Instead, could we do a night in?”

Heidi smiled and gave my hand a final squeeze before releasing it. “Well, girls’ night out won’t be as exciting as it used to be. We thought we could just go to dinner and then follow it up with drinks at your place.”

“I got us a reservation at this new restaurant you’re going to love,” Valerie said. “I also bought stuff for us to mix all the great cocktails when we get back home. Sound good?”

I nodded, feeling a smile creeping onto my lips despite my current mental state. “We just can’t stay up too late, okay? It’s a school night.”

“Every night is a school night for me.” Heidi sighed, but she couldn’t hide the way her eyes softened. “Adam doesn’t care if it’s Saturday or Monday. He still wakes up for his feedings all the same and is ready to play by six in the morning.”

“The joys of motherhood,” Valerie teased, but I heard the longing in her words. For a girl who’d always insisted that she would never have children, she was broody as hell. “As for it being a school night, I have work tomorrow too. We can all feel sorry for ourselves together if we don’t get enough sleep.”

“Deal.” Heidi grinned and tilted her head in the direction of her car. “Let’s go. I’m starving.”

Heidi drove to a restaurant at a beach I hadn’t yet been to, chatting to Valerie about day-to-day life with a baby on the way there. Both of them were giving me space before the inevitable inquisition started, and I was grateful for it.

Instead of fretting about what I would say and how I would answer their questions, I took the time on the drive to take a good look at my friends. I had always felt like it was my responsibility to make sure they were okay, and since I hadn’t seen them for a few weeks, I needed to reassure myself of their well-being before I focused on my own issues. Old habits die hard.

Heidi was still glowing. I was starting to wonder if it was ever going to wear off. She and Will had hit a rough patch just after she found out she was pregnant, but after they made up, the glow had settled in for the long haul.

She was dressed casually in jeans and a black tank top, her green eyes sparkling every time I saw her glance at me in rearview mirror. The pregnancy bump had subsided, and I figured she would be hated in any new-mommy circles, because she looked just the same as she had before she had fallen pregnant. I even remembered those jeans, they weren’t new.

The only outward difference between the girl in the car with me now and who she used to be was the serenity in her eyes and the engagement ring on her left hand. Everything about her seemed less poised-to-take-off and more settled and at peace. It was in every move that she made and every word that she spoke.

The same thing could be said for Valerie. She was still herself in every way that counted, but she’d found her purpose in life and it showed. She was just more … put together.

Her clothes were sleeker and more sophisticated, her hair and eyes shone like the stars. There was a quiet confidence about her that was different to the brash, borderline arrogant confidence that she used to have.

When we arrived at the restaurant, I had concluded my assessment and satisfied myself that both of my friends really were okay. They were better than okay, actually. They were better than they’d ever been before—since I could remember, anyway.

The beach that the restaurant bordered on was rockier than the others I’d been to since arriving in Florida, but with the gentle ripple of the waves, the white sand, and the setting sun, I couldn’t think of a more beautiful setting.

We were seated at a table beside a wall made entirely of glass and set near the back corner of the dining area. Privacy was offered by potted plants and low jazz music, but I knew it was more the illusion of privacy than actual privacy.

The restaurant wasn’t overly fancy. It wasn’t the kind of place that had a dress code or anything, but it was nice and the smells coming out of the kitchen were delicious. It was clearly a popular place, too, considering how fast the room was filling up.

When we had ordered our drinks and food, the inquisition I had been expecting finally began. Heidi and Valerie both turned to face me as if they had predetermined the exact time they were going to do it.

“Okay, Olive. We’ve given you time to worry about us and go through all your processes, now spill. What’s going on?”

I toyed with the napkin on my lap, my eyes fluttering closed to brace against the pain I knew would be coming with my admission. “Rylen and I broke up. He was hiding something from me, and you know how I feel about that.”

Opening my eyes just in time to see them exchange a glance, I frowned. “What?”

Valerie cleared her throat and inched forward in her seat. “Okay, so it is truth time then. We suspected as much.”

“What?” I knew I had already asked that question, but I was just so damn confused.

Heidi sighed, her gaze flickering out of the window before it met mine. There was a burning intensity in their emerald depths that I couldn’t remember having seen from her before.

“We guessed that something had happened between you two,” she said. “Will saw Rylen at the hospital yesterday and he said the guy looked like shit. I thought you were just busy at work and that’s why I hadn’t heard from you, but then I checked with Val, and she said she hadn’t spoken to you either.”

“We’ve both tried calling,” Valerie said. “You never called either of us back.”

I hadn’t really thought about it before, but they were right. Heaps of missed calls had gone unanswered since it happened. “I’m sorry. I’ve been a little preoccupied lately. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

“We always worry about you,” Heidi said, smiling softly. “You don’t have the market cornered on worrying about your friends. Anyway, after Valerie and I talked, she decided it was time to come out for a visit.”

“Fulton had some stuff to get done in Florida too,” Valerie added, but there was a sudden vagueness in her tone that struck me as strange.

But that wasn’t the only thing that had struck me as strange since this conversation had started. “Wait, did you say Will saw Rylen at the hospital?”

Heidi nodded. “That’s why we said that it’s truth time now, because we’re going to tell you everything tonight. If you want to hear it.”

I frowned, still not really understanding what they were talking about. “Okay?”

“Rylen and Will were friends growing up,” Heidi started. Valerie reached for my hand under the table and laced her fingers through mine in a silent show of support, but she didn’t interrupt Heidi. “Like, real good friends. From the sounds of it, they were even closer than we were as kids.”

“I doubt that.” Valerie chuckled, but then nodded at Heidi to continue.

She took a deep breath, and then spun the last tale I ever thought I would hear outside of a book or movie. It was so bizarre, but I knew that it was true because of who it was coming from.

“You already know that there’s some dark stuff in Will’s past, but what you don’t know is that there was a time that Rylen used to run with Will’s crew too. He got out before things got really hairy, but he’s loyal to them and he still loves them.”

She told me about how Will and Rylen had grown up with a third boy, Rayce Phillips. Rayce was older than them and had always taken on the role as their big brother. He was not only fiercely protective of them, but he also felt like it was his responsibility to take care of them.

In a way, hearing about him made me think a lot about myself and how I felt about my friends. When Heidi got to the part about Will and Rayce having been responsible for the slew of bank robberies that had rocked the city last year, I full-on gaped. Thinking back to those days, though, a lot of things I hadn’t understood about Heidi and Will started to make sense.

“Anyway, Rayce was arrested for the robberies and took the fall for himself and for Will,” Heidi said. “His guilt was tearing him up inside, so one day he came up with a plan to get Rayce out of prison.”

My jaw loosened again and my eyes grew so wide it felt like they were about to fall out of my head. “Will broke his friend out of prison?”

“Wouldn’t you have done the same for us?” Valerie asked. The question wasn’t phrased in a way that presupposed an answer, but it did make me realize that I would have. I would have gone to the ends of the earth and then to the moon and back if it meant helping one of those two.

“Yeah, I would have.”

Heidi nodded, her shoulders lifting in a shrug. “That was my answer, too, when Will told me about the plan. He couldn’t let Rayce rot in prison.”

I nodded slowly, pain threading into my very soul at the thought of it being Valerie or Heidi sitting in a cell—no matter what they had done to be put in there. “I get that, but what does any of this have to do with Rylen?”

Valerie answered my question. “They needed a doctor to help them fake Rayce’s death. That’s where Rylen came in.”

Both of them were quiet for a few minutes after that, allowing me to put all the pieces together in my brain. “Oh my God. That’s why he went to see the lawyer. This is what he was hiding from me.”

They nodded in unison while my body went numb. Holy crap. Of course he would have to hide something like this from me. He really had been protecting me—in a big way. And at the same time, he was protecting his childhood friends, too, could I really blame him for that?

Chapter 37

Rylen

My fists clenched at my sides and my teeth clamped together when I heard the knock at my front door. Being defensive wasn’t going to help me if it was the police outside, but it was an instinctive response to the possible threat.

Breathing in deep a few times to get control over it, I headed to the door and yanked it open. For a fraction of a second, I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing.

Relief flooded my veins when I realized it wasn’t the police here to arrest me, but Olive standing on my doorstep. Her lips curled into a tentative smile when she saw me, her hand raised as if she had been about to knock again.

“Olive? What are you doing here?” My fingers uncurled from my palms, but now I had to fight the urge to reach out and touch her—even if only to make sure that I wasn’t imagining things. I didn’t think poking her would go down well, though, so I refrained.

Her hand dropped and she took a small step forward. “I came by to talk, if you’ve got time. If you don’t, I can come back.”

I blinked, still not entirely sure that I wasn’t dreaming. Thankfully, my feet shuffled themselves away from the door and I found myself motioning her in despite my disbelief.

“No, I’ve got time. Please, come on in.”

She followed me inside, shifting her weight on her feet as I closed the door behind her. Autopilot mode cut out, causing shock to root me to the spot. “This is a surprise. I was pretty damn sure I’d never see you in my house again.”

“I hope it’s okay that I came here.” The smile slowly slid from her face and was replaced with a nervous frown. “If you don’t want me here, I can go. I have no business showing up at your house after everything.”

“No.” I took a step toward her, finally breaking the spell that had momentarily rendered me immobile. “Don’t leave. Please. I’m sorry, you just caught me off guard. I’m glad you’re here. Would you like a drink?”

“Yes, please.” She followed me to the kitchen and watched as I rummaged around in the fridge. “Anything is fine.”

I pulled my head out of the appliance and gave her an apologetic smile. “I’ve got beer and water, unless you want something warm. There’s always coffee in this house.”

She smiled. “Water is good.”

I filled two glasses and went to join her at the island, pulling out one of the stools for her and one for myself. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

Holding her glass in both hands, she took a breath and blew it out slowly. “I know the truth, Rylen.”

Her voice was soft, but I had no problem hearing what she said. Coming to terms with it, however, was a different story. “The truth about what?”

“You and Will and Rayce.”

Fuck. I sucked air into my lungs, but there was a sudden vise around them that refused to allow them to expand with it. “How?”

“My friends told me,” she said, an understanding softness shining in her eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you when you asked me to. I never imagined it would be something like this.”

My eyes screwed shut. “How much do you know?”

Throughout her explanation of what her friends had told her over dinner, my eyes remained tightly closed. I didn’t need to see the look in hers while she recounted the story of what I had gotten involved with.

When I heard her voice tremble toward the end, I opened my eyes and was surprised to see her expression hadn’t changed, but that her eyes were now misty. “I understand why you did what you did, Rylen. I would have done the same thing if I had been in your shoes, no doubt about it. These people are more than our friends, they’re our chosen family. I don’t understand how all the pieces fit together, but I’d like to, if you’re willing to tell me.”

I met her gaze dead-on. “You do understand there are risks involved with knowing everything, right?”

Now that I was aware of how seriously she took hiding things, I never wanted to keep secrets from her again. On the other hand, I would keep what she didn’t know from her if it meant protecting her from consequences she wasn’t willing to take.

Olive didn’t hesitate to give me her answer, though. “I understand, but I want to know. I can help to protect all of you, but not if I don’t know what I’m protecting you from. Valerie and Heidi already know everything, and they told me they would tell me, but I wanted to have the chance to hear it from you first.”

“Okay.” I sighed, keeping my eyes locked on hers. “I’ll tell you, but first, I want you to know that I would have told you from the beginning if it wasn’t dangerous for you to know. Especially for you to know before everything was done.”

She nodded. “I might have tried to put a stop to it or even gone to the authorities and messed everything up.”

I rocked my head from side to side. “Yeah, but I didn’t think you would. I just didn’t want to involve you in something you didn’t need to be involved with. Will and Fulton came to me for help, and I agreed. I made the decision to help partly because I care about you, but also because I care about Will and Rayce.”

“That’s what you meant when you said it had nothing to do with me?”

“Yes. It was my decision, not yours.”

“Okay.” Olive rested her forearms on the marble counter and linked her fingers together. “I appreciate what you did for me and that it was your decision to help them or not, but it is my decision now to hear the full details. I want to hear them, Rylen. I don’t want there to be any secrets between us, especially not ones my friends are also involved with.”

“Is there still an us?” I asked, my voice soft but even.

Olive’s blue eyes flashed at the question, but it wasn’t in anger or denial. It looked more like hope than anything else. “I think that’s up to you at this point. I broke us up, but I would like for there to be an us. If you still want that.”

I wanted it all right. “I think you should hear me out before you make your final decision.”

“I’m all ears.” Disappointment darted across her features before she could school them. It cut me up all over again to see the emotion and to know that I had caused it—again, but I needed to get it all out in the open first.

If she still chose me after, I wouldn’t have to worry again. But until then… Let’s not get our hopes up, shall we?

“The owner of the last bank that was robbed is called Yates Finance, as in Fulton Yates.”

Olive brows climbed up her forehead. “Wow, I can’t believe I never made that connection.”

“The bank is named something else, but Fulton’s company owns it. He came to me with Will and said he was financing the whole operation to get Rayce out of prison.”

“Why would he do that?” She frowned, tucking her chin into chest.

I shrugged and ran a hand through my hair. “I asked myself the same question, so before I gave them my answer, I asked him point-blank. What it boils down to is that Will and Rayce gave all the money back. Fulton took that as them turning over a new leaf. He related to the story and didn’t want someone close to Will sitting in prison for a crime—where in end—nothing was taken.”

“I didn’t realize those two were that close.”

“I don’t think they were, but they are now.” I brought my hand up to scratch my chin and pressed one corner of my mouth in. “The two of them have been talking a lot from what I’ve heard. Fulton had a feeling something was off with the arrest, so he kept reviewing the security footage. He wound up identifying Will by a tattoo.”

“Why didn’t he turn him in?”

I shook my head, rolling my shoulders. “You have to understand that I only came into this thing after a lot of this stuff had happened. I asked all the same questions, but I can only tell you what they told me.”

“That’s okay.” She smiled and touched my arm, resting her small hand on it. “If I’ve got any questions after I’ve spoken to you, I can always ask them. I just want to hear your side of it first.”

“Fair enough.” I returned her smile and brought my hand up to rest on hers. The contact felt like a part of me that had been drifting and was now clicking back into place, prompting me to thread my fingers through hers. I never wanted to let her go again. I only hoped that by the time we got to the end of this story, she felt the same way.

“Fulton loves Valerie more than anything else in the world. Valerie loves you and Heidi like sisters. When Fulton figured it out, Heidi was pregnant with Will’s child. If he turned him in, he would have caused a child to grow up without his father and would have created yet another single mom.”

I lifted one shoulder and sucked my lips into my mouth. “He told me he couldn’t be responsible for that. It would have hurt Adam, Heidi, Will, and Valerie immeasurably. He knew he would have lost Valerie, and he couldn’t bring himself to take a dad away from a kid. Apparently, Fulton would have been alone in the world if not for his dad. His dad was all he had.”

Olive drummed the fingers on the hand that wasn’t on my arm on the table, nodding slowly. “So he’s a humanitarian financier? Don’t think I’ve heard of many of those.”

I chuckled. “That’s one way to put it, but yeah. He got to know Will, liked him, and was happy about his decision. Will told him about Rayce and the two of them started coming up with a plan together. They got everything in place, but they needed a doctor to help them pull it off.”

“And you agreed to be that doctor?”

I nodded. “I couldn’t say no. Not when you, Will, and Rayce were involved. I need you to know that I’ve been out of that life for a long time, Olive. When I told you before I’d had a few hiccups, I might have been downplaying my upbringing. The truth is that I ran with a rough crowd, but those guys were like my brothers for the longest time. I’d never have gotten where I am today if not for them. Hell, I’m not even sure I would have survived growing up if they hadn’t been there.”

Tears filled her eyes, but they didn’t fall. “I know all about having friends like that. I don’t blame you for downplaying your history, not anymore. I glossed over some of the darker parts of mine myself.”

I tightened my grip on her hand. “I just wanted you to know who I am now before you learned about who I used to be. I was afraid you’d run if you knew.”

“I might have,” she said, honesty darkening her blue eyes. “I feel like I do know who you are now, though. Who you used to be doesn’t scare me the way I think it would have back then.”

Her words hit me with the force of a superhero’s hammer. Relief so intense it made me dizzy spun through me. “For real?”

She released my hand and got up, nudging my legs apart with hers to stand between them. Her hands came up to cup my neck and her forehead dropped down to rest on mine. “For real. I love you, Rylen. All of you. You have a heart of gold and you’re a great friend. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you before, but I do love you.”

A slow grin spread on my lips, my hands landing on Olive’s hips. I hauled her closer to me, pulling her right up against my chest. “I love you, too, Olive. I can’t promise that I’ll never keep anything from you again, but if I do, you need to know that I will only ever do it if it’s to protect you.”

“I understand,” she whispered.

“What about the rule?” I asked, praying that we could get over that hurdle too.

“We don’t have to worry about that anymore,” she said, smiling just before her lips found mine and the burning hole in my chest finally sealed up.

Chapter 38

Olive

Rylen kissed me so hard and with so much passion that it felt like he was giving me his body, his heart, and his soul. In return, I gave him mine.

I never thought it was possible to feel such raw emotion transferring by touching your lips to another person’s, but that was what was happening between us. Rylen’s lips were firm but soft, his tongue delving and stroking like it was the first time he was getting to explore me.

His hands flexed on my hips, holding me in place as he kissed me until my knees threatened to give out. Feeling them buckle, he broke the kiss and formed a band of steel around my waist with his arms.

“Can’t have you falling down on my kitchen floor.” He adjusted his grip and then picked me up, not breaking eye contact with me. “I want to take you my bedroom, is that okay with you?”

“Yes,” I whispered, winding my arms around his neck and hanging on as he carried me to his bed. I’d always thought it was a little weird that men in books and movies were always carrying women around, but I had to admit that I liked it. It made me feel wanted, safe, and protected.

Gazing lovingly into his eyes like the lovesick fool I apparently was, I didn’t even notice that we had moved until he laid me down gently on his bed. I felt the mattress beneath my back, but I still couldn’t take my eyes off his.

The hazel heated and burned in an expression unlike what I’d ever seen anyone wear before—especially when it came to looking at me. He stepped away from the bed. He didn’t make any moves to take his clothes off before the mattress dipped on either side of my legs as he climbed onto it with me.

His lips closed over mine again, but the kiss was much more intense this time with the weight of his body sinking mine into the mattress. I smelled the faint hint of his cologne, felt the hard planes of his body hot against mine.

My hands ran up and down the ropes of muscle in his back, into his hair, and over his shoulders. It felt like I couldn’t touch him enough, couldn’t taste him enough, couldn’t get enough of him. Rylen touched me in the same way, and every so often when he broke our kiss to say my name, it sounded as reverent as a prayer.

Since I felt the same way about him, I didn’t understand why he wasn’t taking things further. Then I realized that I had broken up with him a week ago. We were back together now, or at least I thought we were.

We had confessed our true feelings for each other but despite that, Rylen was waiting for me to set the pace. Once again, he was trying not to push me into something I might not be ready for. The man’s self-control astounded me, but I respected him for it as much as he respected me enough to be patient with me.

“Make love to me, Rylen,” I whispered, my lips brushing against his.

He pulled back far enough to look into my eyes, letting out a desperate sounding groan at whatever he saw in them. “Yes.”

Sitting up on the bed, he took off his own clothes first and then started on mine. It was slow going, his eyes only leaving mine to sweep the length of my body once I was rid of the last item.

The light ghosting of his hands across my bare skin as he’d removed my clothing, the way he was looking at me like I were a new planet and he were the astronomer who’d discovered it, made my heart swell to proportions that had to be dangerous.

But that wasn’t the only effect it had. I could feel my heartbeat in my clit, the space between my legs throbbing and pulsing with need. Rylen’s hands made their way up my thighs. His eyes were burning into mine as he pressed a soft kiss at the corner of my mouth. “I love you, Olive.”

My heart swelled to a bursting point then, doing a happy dance as it pitter-pattered in my chest. I cupped his face between both of my hands and kissed him hard.

“I love you too.” I wanted to keep telling him over and over again, and I wanted to keep hearing it.

His lips turned up into a sexy smile and his eyes shone with pure elation. “I don’t think I’m ever going to get tired of hearing that.”

“Good, because I was just thinking the same thing.”

A bright smile split his face in half, then his lips came crashing back onto mine, kissing me breathlessly and letting me know exactly how he felt about me. Our bodies became one as we kissed, limbs entwined and frantically touching each other everywhere we could reach.

Our loving kisses and touches soon turned into something more as both of us chased those high peaks of climax. We found them together, moaning and writhing as we rode them out.

Lying in Rylen’s arms after felt like finally coming back inside and relaxing in front of a fire after being out in the snow for too long. It felt like I was back where I belonged, and I wanted to stay right there for as long as he would let me.

“You’re the most caring person I’ve ever met,” I whispered into the darkness of the room. “I mean it, Rylen. What you did for your friends, not many people would have done that.”

He stroked my hair and planted a soft kiss on top of my head. “Takes one to know one.”

Shifting and scooting down on the bed so my head was resting on his biceps, he smiled. “I do care, and obviously that was my primary motivation for doing it, but it wasn’t the only one.”

“What do you mean?” I bent my head forward so the tips of our noses were touching. “What other motivation did you have?”

“If anything had gone wrong, it might have cost me my career at the very least.” His voice was low, his hand still stroking my hair and my back. It was relaxing, but I wasn’t sleepy at all. I was suddenly wide awake, needing to know the final piece of the puzzle. “In order to compensate for the possibility of that loss, I got paid too.”

My brows went up. I knew Fulton was a billionaire and I knew he had bankrolled their operation, but how much had it cost him? “How much?”

Rylen simply smiled. “Enough, baby. Don’t worry about it, okay? I’m not trying to keep it a secret, I’m just not telling you because it doesn’t matter. All you need to know is that we never have to worry. Is that a good enough answer for you?”

I looked into his eyes in the faint moonlight filtering in through his window, studying what I could see of them before releasing a shallow breath. It had been a long couple of days and honestly, I was on information overload.

Besides, he was right. It didn’t really matter, not when I had him, and all my friends were safe and happy. That was the important thing. No amount of money could ever be worth knowing that all was well with the people I valued most in the world.

“That’s a good enough answer for me.” I smiled, bringing my lips to his and giving him a long, lingering kiss. “You’re right. The amount doesn’t matter. I love you, Rylen. That will always be good enough for me.”

Chapter 39

Rylen

One month after that fateful day that Olive came to my house and healed the both of us with those three little words, I looked around the deck at Olive’s beach house and smiled. I never thought I would be here.

Not at the beach house, I was here all the time now. Every night that Olive didn’t spend at my house, we spent at hers. I just never thought that I would be part of one of those deliriously happy couples who kept exchanging glances even while they were surrounded by all of their friends.

I was totally that guy now, though. The one who tracked his girl with his eyes and was aware of where she was at all times. The one who couldn’t keep his eyes off her and was simultaneously having a really good time with his friends and wishing that they would all just leave so he could be alone with her.

Olive smiled at me from where she was sitting on the beach with Valerie. Adam cooed from the carrier in Will’s chest, reminding me that I was actually in the middle of a conversation. “Sorry, what were you saying?”

Will laughed and clapped me on the back. “Don’t worry about tuning out, dude. It used to happen to me all the time when I looked at Heidi. Coming to think about it, it still happens to me all the time.”

“Yeah.” Rayce snorted. “He really does do it all the time. It’s like her ass places a spell on him whenever he sees it. You should try fucking living with them. It’s like you’re invisible.”

“Well technically,” Will retorted. “You are dead. For a ghost, you’re pretty damn annoying.”

Rayce tipped his head back and laughed, dark hair gleaming in the sun. “Don’t you mean to say that for a ghost, I’m pretty damn good with children? I haven’t heard you complaining about how annoying I am when I spend time with the little man so you can drown yourself in your fiancée.”

Will cocked his head, then lifted his broad shoulders in a shrug. “True, I am going to miss having a live-in babysitter when you leave.”

Rayce flipped him off, but he was smiling. “Fuck being a live-in babysitter. I’m a loving godfather, is all.”

I shook my head at them, chuckling into my almost empty beer bottle. “Can’t say that I haven’t missed being around you two all these years.”

“You’re the one who left and got yourself a fancy-ass degree, bro,” Rayce said, lifting his bottle to point at me. “Got to say, you picked a hell of a time to make a comeback.”

Will rolled his eyes. “No one’s making a comeback.”

“I didn’t mean it that way.” Rayce grinned. “I meant that he came through for me, and I appreciate it.”

“Don’t mention it,” I said, clinking the neck of my beer against his before draining the last sip. “You know I’d do anything for you, just don’t fuck it up. There are no third chances in this life or any other.”

Rayce’s expression sobered and he nodded. “I know. I’m done with all that bullshit. Consider my lesson learned and my head out of my ass.”

“Figured out what you’re going to do yet?” Fulton joined us, two fresh beers dangling from the fingers in each of his hands. “Here. Noticed you guys were all running on empty.”

“Thanks.” I tossed my bottle in the trash and took the new one from him.

The other guys did the same, all waiting on Rayce’s answer. He took a long drink before meeting each of our eyes in turn. “It’s been good living with Heidi and Will, but I reckon I’ve got to get my own place and get my life back on track.”

“That identity we got you still holding up then?” Fulton asked. Obviously, I didn’t have the same history with him that I did with the other guys. The better I got to know him, the more I liked, though.

We were fast becoming friends and despite our respective connections to the girls, I thought we’d have been friends anyway. Fulton was a stand-up guy and Will had become the same.

Rayce was the wild card, or at least he had been. I’d been worried that he would go back to his former ways, but so far, so good. He claimed not to be tempted to mess with the wrong side of the law again, and I believed him.

For a large part of his life, he’d only known crime. With all of us helping him, I knew we could guide him to stay on the straight and narrow. It didn’t hurt that he’d gotten a small taste of where he would end up if he fell off the wagon again, and he’d assured us all that he had no intention of going back there.

“Yeah, it’s holding up. I have some money saved up,” Rayce said, his expression still serious, “from legit jobs that I did, bets I placed, and investments I cashed out. It should be enough to set me up until I get back on my feet.”

My eyes dropped from his face to his chest. Beneath his shirt, I knew there was a wound that would still be healing. “How’s that feel? All good?”

Rayce nodded. “Yeah, man. It’s all good.”

“He okay to move out yet?” Will asked me, concern written all over his face. “If he’s not medically fit yet, I don’t want him finding a place of his own.”

“No, he’s fine.” I had recommended Rayce move in with someone immediately after the surgery. The drugs he had been given to mimic the heart problem that had landed him in my OR had necessitated opening him up.

It was all part of the plan, but the man had still undergone heart surgery. We might have faked his death, and I might not have performed any surgery on him, but having your chest cracked open was no laughing matter.

“As long as you remember all the rules for your recovery and abide by them. Just don’t move too far away, okay? I still need to be able to see you for at least one more checkup in two weeks’ time.”

Rayce nodded, his eyes narrowing as he thought. “I won’t, but I do need to get out of Tampa. I know too many people here to be able to make a new life for myself here.”

“We’ll look into the surrounding areas,” Will said. “He’ll be at his checkups and hopefully, he’ll still come to these little get-togethers when it’s just us.”

“Of course.” Rayce grinned, genuine fondness coming into his eyes when they dropped to eye a now sleeping Adam against Will’s chest. “I want to spend as much time as I can with you guys, but especially with that little guy.”

Had anyone told me that Rayce Phillips was going to end up being the most doting godfather on the face of the planet, I’d have laughed them right out of town. I’d have been wrong, though. The man was infatuated with that baby.

Although even I had to admit, he was a pretty fucking cute kid. Thinking about babies wasn’t exactly a large part of my day, but spending time with Will, Heidi, and Adam, I had realized that wanting children wasn’t just some hypothetical “someday” anymore.

I really did want babies, as long as the gorgeous blue-eyed, brown-haired girl coming toward me right now was their mother. She jogged up the couple of wooden steps leading off the beach with Valerie in tow, looping her arms around my neck and planting a smacking kiss on my cheek.

“Hey there, sexy.” Her eyes lit up with her smile. “Want to come help me in the kitchen for a minute?”

“Is that a euphemism for something?” Will wrinkled his nose, then winked. “If so, do you have another kitchen Heidi and I can borrow? Adam’s asleep, I’ve got to go lay him down anyway.”

“It’s not euphemism.” Olive’s cheeks flushed. “I really do need him in the kitchen.”

“Where you need him is none of our business,” Fulton said, his voice thick with laughter.

I smirked and raised my middle finger, pointing it at both Will and Fulton. “If you didn’t want to know, you shouldn’t have asked, assholes. We’ll be back.”

I grabbed Olive’s hand and dragged her into the house with me. Her cheeks were still red by the time we got to the kitchen. “They don’t think we’re going to … you know … in here, do they? With all of them right outside?”

Sliding my hands to her hips, I pulled her close and walked her backward until she stopped against the counter. “Who cares what they think?”

I lowered my head to her neck, planting soft kisses on her skin. She shivered, bringing her hands to my shoulders. “Anyone can walk in at any time, Rylen. We can’t do anything here. Besides, I really did need your help. We need to take out the snacks.”

Smiling with my head still in the crook of her neck, I breathed out a mock sigh. “Fine, but only if you promise to make it up to me later.”

She used her grip on my shoulders to push me away, but then rose up on her toes to press a long kiss to my lips. “I promise, but I need you to help me with the snacks. Deal?”

“Deal.” I grinned, reluctantly letting her go. “I’ll get the stuff in the fridge, you set out the crackers.”

Olive and I worked like a well-oiled machine in the kitchen now. Gone were the days where I cooked and she watched, or she cooked and I tried to insist on doing dishes. We did everything together now, and we kind of kicked ass at it.

We’d spent the night last night preparing the snacks so we wouldn’t be stuck inside while everyone else had a good time outside today. Within ten minutes, we had a spread fit for kings and queens set out on the dining room table.

Olive came by to give me another kiss before she went to call everyone in. “You did a good job on the snacks. You definitely deserved a reward.”

“A reward and a promise to make it up to me later? When can we start booting people out?” I was only half joking, but Olive laughed and went out onto the deck.

“Right, if you want to get something to line your stomachs with, I suggest you come and get it while it’s hot. Or cold. Some stuff is just better cold.”

“Like beer,” Valerie called out, but she was the first to follow Olive back inside. As always, Fulton was hot on her heels. Will and Heidi went to lay Adam down in the folding cot they had brought along for him, then came to join us at the table.

Rayce came in last, seeming reluctant to come inside. I crossed the room and went to stand next to him, joining him where he was still facing the beach. “You okay, man?”

“Yeah.” He sighed, the corners of his mouth turning down. “I just never thought I’d have a view like this again, you know?”

“No, I honestly can’t even imagine what you’ve been through. Want me to stay out here with you for a few more minutes before we go grab some food?”

“Thanks.” He sipped his beer in silence, taking in the view for a few more minutes before turning his head to me. “Thank you for what you did for me, Rylen. I know you’ve said not to mention it, but I can’t not mention it. You’ve worked so fucking hard for this life and you put it on the line for me. You hadn’t even seen me for years. I don’t know how to thank you for that.”

“You just did.” I inclined my head in acknowledgment of what he’d said. I hadn’t done what I had for the thanks, but I knew it was important to him that he get it out. “I worked as hard as I did because I wanted to help people. That’s always been the only thing that I wanted to do. You’re a person, and I helped you. You’re more than a person to me even, you’re my brother. I couldn’t let the opportunity to repay you for everything you’ve done for me pass me by.”

“I don’t think you did it to repay me. If you did, you really didn’t have to.” He slung his arm around my shoulders, giving me a familiar squeeze that I hadn’t felt in years. “You’ve always been the best of us, Rylen. Never lose that.”

“I won’t,” I promised, then grinned at him and shrugged his arm off me. “Now mop up all these tears and go get something to eat. Olive’s pretty serious about getting to the food while it’s still at its intended temperature.”

He laughed, his head bouncing up and down. “Sure thing.”

“I’ll see you in there in a minute,” I said, noticing Heidi making her way toward us. She came to stand beside me in the doorway, watching the general merriment and banter going on around the table.

“It’s something to see, isn’t it?” she asked.

I nodded. “Sure is. It was definitely worth every risk we took to get to where we are today.”

“Yeah.” She smiled, her eyes lingering on Will and the cot standing just a little ways behind him. “I didn’t think I’d get to see Will this happy or carefree. There was a time I thought for sure that we would always have to share a part of his heart that was stuck in prison with Rayce. I never thought I’d say it, but I’m glad he’s out.”

“So am I.”

“So.” She nudged me with her elbow and nodded discreetly at Olive who was in a playful debate with Valerie. “When are you going to pop the question?”

I chuckled. “I should have known there would be a sneak attack launched for that information today. I’ve got to admit, I kind of thought it would be Valerie, but since you’re here, I’ll tell you my secret.”

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Is it today? Please tell me it’s today.”

I winked but shook my head. “No, but I am going to do it. One day.”

Epilogue

Olive

“Don’t take this the wrong way. I’m not complaining, but you do know you don’t need to keep taking me on these fancy weekends away, right?” My eyes were wide as I looked around the latest cruise ship Rylen and I were on.

Our cabin had a balcony this time. It was small, barely big enough to hold two chairs and a low, round table, but we had our own balcony.

The bed faced the windows and the balcony, but I’d already checked and I couldn’t see inside if the sliding doors were closed. The cabin was designed so we weren’t able to see anyone else from inside or from the balcony.

It was like we were in our very own floating bubble. Crystal-blue waters stretched out as far as I could see, almost seamlessly blending in with the sky on the horizon. It felt like we were on top of the world in every way possible.

It had been five months of bliss since Rylen and I had gotten back together. Some days I still felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, but then I realized that it already had, and that we had gotten through it.

We’d been threatening for the last couple of months to take another cruise, but I hadn’t been expecting him to surprise me with one when he came to pick me up from the office at lunchtime. He’d told me he was taking me to a special lunch and had arranged everything with Shane, then he whisked me off to the port, my bag already packed and in his trunk.

Lunch had been special, that was for sure. But it was nothing on the cabin he’d gotten us for an extended weekend cruise.

The ship was more luxurious and much bigger than the first one we’d been on together—not that I would have imagined that could be possible. Despite the thousands of other souls on board, though, it felt like it all belonged just to us.

I turned away from the window to face Rylen. He was standing next to the bed, looking like a freaking supermodel again, even though he wasn’t really doing anything. Just him, just standing there, was a gorgeous sight.

I still couldn’t believe that he was mine sometimes.

Black sunglasses hung from the shallow V formed by his opened top button. The white button-up shirt clung to him like a second skin, except that the fabric stretched tight in some places, which was incredibly sexy as far as I was concerned.

Light-blue jeans only just clung to his hips, a leather belt regretfully keeping the pants from falling down. I was all for keeping them on while we’d been checking in and having lunch, but now that we were in the privacy of our room, with the prospect of four whole days alone together, I wasn’t so partial to them.

Rylen smiled and raised his hands. “What can I say? I like spoiling you. I know you don’t need or expect me to, but that’s what makes it so much fun.”

“Is that what makes it so much fun?” My gaze caught on his and I slowly moved toward him, sliding my hands into the waistband on his jeans when I reached him. “I thought there were other things that made it fun.”

He released a low groan, nodding in agreement. “That makes it fun too. Everything makes it fun.”

When he slid his hands into his pants to catch mine, my breath hitched and anticipation coursed through me—red and hot. “But we’re going to have to put a pin in this, babe. The porter’s going to be here any minute and room service is sending up champagne.”

He wound his fingers around mine and then pulled them out of his pants. My only consolation was that he looked as disappointed to have to do it as I was. Heat smoldered in his hazel eyes and his touch was insistent, even if it was innocent.

“Why is room service sending up champagne?” I asked, sighing as I took a step away from him. I had to if I was going to cool down. “What’s the special occasion?”

“It comes with the room,” he replied.

Before he could say anything else, a knock sounded at our door. I walked up to our sliding door and opened it, sucking in a deep breath of fresh ocean air as I stepped out onto the balcony. I heard Rylen dealing with the porter and the door closing shortly after.

A few seconds later, he came outside too. He stood behind me, his chest firm and hard against my back. His arms snaked underneath mine to cage me in, strong forearms resting on the warm railing on either side of my hands.

“What are you thinking about so hard out here?”

I turned to him, tilting my head back so I could look into his eyes. “What makes you think I was thinking about anything?”

He lifted an eyebrow, lips pulling into a knowing smirk. “I know, sweet love of mine. What’s up?”

Taking him in, from the five o’clock shadow on his jaw to the tilt of his lips and light in his eyes, I smiled. “I’m glad we’re getting to do this again. I wasn’t sure we ever would.”

“I know what you mean.” He leaned his head down to touch his forehead against mine, planting a kiss on the tip of my nose. “Fuck. It nearly killed me when you walked away from me, Olive. I didn’t fully understand what the term heartbreak meant until that moment.”

“I’m sorry.” I’d said it so many times, but I’d keep saying it for the rest of my life. “I can’t believe I got that close to throwing everything between us away.”

He sighed, his eyes leaving mine to fix on a point on the horizon. “I gave you good reason to. I should have just told you why I had gone to see Shane in the first place. Or at least given you the option to know.”

“I understand now why you didn’t.” Despite the amount of time we’d had conversations very similar to this one, there was one last question I’d never gotten around to asking. “You never told me what you went to speak to Shane about. If the plan was already in place and everything, why did you need to meet with him?”

Rylen’s eyes returned to mine. “I had a lot of questions that I needed answers to. Obviously, I knew that breaking someone out of prison was illegal. I also knew that faking someone’s death was both illegal and unethical. I just needed to talk the realities through with someone.”

“That’s a heavy conversation.”

“Very,” he agreed. “In the interest of full disclosure, I also needed to make sure that I had all the right paperwork for the loss of Rayce. The hospital has forms and stuff, but I didn’t want to leave anything to chance.”

“Shane helped?” My brows rose. “Really? I can’t imagine him being complicit in something like that.”

He shook his head sharply. “No, he wasn’t. Our entire meeting was based on hypotheticals. He drew up some paperwork for me and let me know that he would have it ready for me by that Monday when it was set to happen, but it was all drafted as templates in the event of the loss of a patient.”

“You think he bought it?” I asked, but I already knew the answer.

Rylen confirmed it for me anyway. “Not a chance, but he was good enough about it not to ask too many questions.”

Another knock at the door interrupted us. Rylen smiled. “That will be the champagne. Let me go get it and then maybe we can have a sundowner out here?”

“Sounds good.” I made myself comfortable in one of the deck chairs, putting my feet up and crossing them at the ankles.

The sun was now a glowing orange ball on the horizon, painting the sky in a multitude of pinks, yellows, and oranges. Having an unimpeded view of it was incredible.

I was still smiling to myself and admiring the view when Rylen came back. He had already uncorked the bottle and filled two crystal flutes with the bubbly liquid, handing one over to me before he took the other chair.

Lifting his glass to mine once he was seated, we clinked them together. “Here’s to us, Olive.”

“To us.” I looked into his eyes as I said it, feeling that rush of love for him that still made my head spin.

The fact that he looked at me the same way was mind-boggling, but I’d come to accept that for whatever reasons, he loved me in the same way that I did him. He’d been a groomsman at Heidi and Will’s wedding last weekend, and throughout the entire time they recited their vows, his eyes had never left mine.

It had felt like we were making those promises to each other without having to say the words, but there were still a couple of important issues we had to clear up. We’d covered a lot of ground since we met, but there was one pertinent question we hadn’t yet discussed.

Of course there was also the fact that we weren’t engaged, so we couldn’t exactly make those kinds of promises to each other. I hadn’t pushed Rylen toward getting engaged or married, though. I knew that I loved him and that I wanted to be with him forever. I also knew that he felt the same way.

I could wait for him to do something about it, but that question we hadn’t discussed yet was bugging me. I wanted kids and I didn’t know if he did too. I’d always envisioned myself having a few, but if I did, I wanted them with Rylen.

“Do you ever want to have kids?”

Crap. I nearly buried my head in my hands. After months of not asking because I didn’t want to sound like I was trying to push him into anything, and then it just came rushing out like that?

I was half expecting him to spray the sip of champagne he’d just taken, but he didn’t. Calmly swallowing, he set his glass down and put his feet on the ground to sit facing me fully.

“Yeah, I definitely want them.” My heart swelled with relief, but it didn’t look like he was done so I didn’t say anything about it.

This time I was expecting him to tell me that while he did want kids, he didn’t want them for a few years or something around those lines. Maybe that he wanted them but wasn’t sure when yet.

What I wasn’t expecting was for him to dig around in his pocket, pull out a small, velvet box, then slide off of his chair to land in front of me on one knee. But that was exactly what happened.

My hand sneaked to my lap to pinch my thigh, but after I blinked back the pain, he was still there. He opened the box to reveal three diamond-crusted silver bands with a huge square-cut diamond sitting atop the one in the middle. It was so wide that it covered the two rings on either side of it too.

I gasped, clamping my hand over my mouth. Rylen’s eyes came to rest on mine, bursting with so much love and warmth that it brought tears to my eyes.

“I definitely want kids, but we have to do things right.” He breathed in deeply through his nose. “Here’s the thing, Olive. I do want them, but only if I have them with you. I want everything, as long as it’s with you. I want to give everything I have, everything that I am, as long as it’s to you. I love you, and I want it all with you. Will you marry me, Olive?”

Blinking rapidly so as not to spoil his amazing proposal by becoming a giant blubbering sap, I slid off my own chair and onto my knees. Bringing my hands to his cheeks, I pressed my palms to them, then leaned forward so my lips touched his when I gave him my answer.

“I love you, too, Rylen. Of course I will marry you.”

And then he kissed me.

In my head, I heard the nonexistent narrator in the story of our lives declare that we would live happily ever after, and I believed him.

The End

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About the Author

Ali Parker is a full-time contemporary and new adult romance writer with more than a hundred and twenty books behind her. She loves coffee, watching a great movie and hanging out with her hubs. By hanging out, she means making out. Hanging out is for those little creepy elves at Christmas. No tight green stockings for her.

She’s an entrepreneur at heart and loves coming up with more ideas than any one person should be allowed to access. She lives in Texas with her hubs and three kiddos and looks forward to traveling the world in a few years. Writing under eleven pen names keeps her busy and allows her to explore all genres and types of writing.

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Rule Breaker By Accident

Copyright © 2019 by Ali Parker

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

The novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and plot are all either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons – living or dead – is purely coincidental.

First Edition.

Editor: Eric Martinez

Cover Designer: Ryn Katryn Digital Art