She sputtered on the wine. “No girlfriend, ever ?”
I shook my head. “No, why ?”
“Don’t you think that’s a little strange? You’re not sixteen. You’re not in college anymore. You’ve never had a girlfriend? Never lived with someone ?”
“Never.”
“Oh God.” She finished off the wine. “Shit.” She slid off the stool .
“What? I’m being honest .”
She spun to face me. “I appreciate that part. But I don’t know what I was thinking. I-I overanalyzed this entire weekend, and now I know I should have done the analyzing and the questioning before I got here, not after, and now I know what an idiot I am for just now asking relationship questions after we’ve slept together five times .”
“Actually six,” I corrected her. The floor had happened after the end of the last game .
“Right, six.” She glared at me. “We slept together six times, and I never bothered to ask if you ever had a girlfriend before or knew the meaning of commitment or dating, or monogamy or ….”
“Hold on, hold on.” I walked around from behind the bar. “What’s happening in that pretty head of yours ?”
“God, I’m an idiot .”
“I don’t think you’re an idiot, Doc. You’re a brilliant, hot-as-fuck surgeon .”
She pursed her lips, and for a second, I thought she might try to slap me. “Thanks .”
“Come on, we had fun .”
“And that’s it?” she taunted. “I go back to work tomorrow. You go to your game tomorrow night ?”
My chest started to pound. I felt an uneasy, sinking pit in my stomach. “Yes .”
She lowered her eyes. “All right. You told me. The only person I have to be mad at is myself .”
“What are you mad about ?”
“This,” she screamed. “You and me. What we did. How you made me feel .”
Her shoulders tensed as I moved within inches of her. “I have never asked a woman to stay with me the next day.” I stared into her stormy blue eyes. “I have never left a woman in my apartment while I went to work. I have never rushed home, praying to God she’d still be there when I got back. I’ve never cared if she came more than once. I’ve never given her my jersey to wear. And I sure as hell have never spent twenty-four hours with her.” I tipped her chin upward. “I’ve never spent a night like I did with you. That’s what I’m trying to say .”
Lennon’s arms flew around my neck, and she drew me toward her, kissing me softly, but with more passion than she had before. I breathed against her, drowning in her, falling for this woman I barely knew, but somehow knew was mine .
I pressed my forehead to hers. “I’m not going to lie to you, Doc, I’m a fucking bastard, but please stay. I want you to stay .”
She nodded. “I don’t want to go .”
“I have no idea what I’m doing,” I groaned into her ear. The words she said had scared the shit out of me. I didn’t know anything about relationships or commitment. But what I had told her was the damn truth. I wanted her more than I wanted anything, and that meant she had to stay .
“First thing tomorrow, you’re getting a new doctor .”
“All right. If you insist .”
“I do.” Her hands slid over my shoulders .
“And then there’s no conflict with the hospital ?”
She smiled. “No conflict .”
“So I can fuck you whenever I want?” I grinned greedily .