Chapter Twenty-Three
Crystal
“You’re way off base here,” Gabe says to me. “I’ve known these two since high school.” He’s talking about the woman patient we just had who came in with a gash on her head that required five stitches.
I cross my arms over my chest. “I’m saying her story doesn’t add up. How the fuck do you get a bump on your head from taking a cardboard box down?”
He puts his hand in his lab coat pocket. “I’m not saying it adds up; I’m just saying that I think you’re off base.”
“I think you aren’t looking at this the right way,” I counter with my back against the wall. It’s been three weeks since we had that talk on the beach, three weeks of sneaking around, and let me tell you. Do we ever fucking sneak around. His house has become what I like to call our fortress.
“You just don’t like that you’re wrong,” he tells me.
“Wow,” I say, walking out to the nurses’ station where everyone is talking. “Last patient of the day.” I put the chart down on the pile. “I’m planning on soaking in a tub and going to bed at seven,” I say, knowing we made plans to eat dinner tonight and watch a movie, which would usually end with us all over each other. In the past three weeks, nothing has changed. I want him just as much as I did that first day. Every single time, it gets better and better.
I walk out to my car, seeing that he is calling me. “Are you not making me dinner tonight?” he whispers. “You lost the bet.”
“Rain check,” I tell him as I get in the car.
“Really?” he says. “You’re lying.”
“I am not,” I huff out even though I know I’m totally fucking lying. But I’m pissed that he won’t even look at the facts.
“Liar, liar, pants on fire.” He laughs, and it aggravates me.
“Fuck off,” I tell him. “I’ll speak to you tomorrow.” I hang up, tossing my phone to the side while I drive home. I really do soak in the tub for what feels like an eternity. I have to say it isn’t as nice as Gabe’s tub, though. I get out, drying myself off, and see that he’s called me four times. I’m about to call him back when the phone rings with Blake’s name.
“Hey there,” I say to him with a smile on my face. “How’s my favorite cousin?”
“Tired as fuck.” He laughs. “What are you up to?”
“Just got out of the bath and I’m heading to bed.”
“It’s fucking seven p.m.” I look at the clock, smiling. “Don’t tell me the country has got the city girl chilling out.”
“You can say that.” I laugh.
“So how is everything?” he asks. “How is Hailey doing?”
“Everything is fine,” I tell him. “She’s good. I think the best thing she ever did was move out here. Wait till you see her. It’s not even like she’s the old Hailey; she’s the better Hailey.”
“Really?” he says. “Good. I’m coming down tomorrow. I get off shift, and I’ll drive right down, sleep during the day, and then make you take me out and show me the sights.”
“You mean show you the street? It’s basically one street.” I laugh at him. “One street but with everything on it.”
“Whatever.” He laughs. “I’ll see you when you get home from work.”
“I can’t wait,” I say. Hanging up the phone, I go to find Hailey to tell her, but she isn’t home. I go back upstairs, seeing that Gabe has called me three more times. I shake my head. “Nope,” I say. “Not tonight.”
My eyes flicker open when I hear something hit my window. I look that way, thinking maybe I dreamed it, but there it is again. I get up, looking out my window, and see Gabe tossing a pebble. I open my window. “What in the ever-loving fuck are you doing?” I ask as he stands there with his hands on his hips.
“Open the door.” He walks toward the front door as I close the window and walk downstairs to open the door.
“Are you out of your mind?” I ask him when he walks in, and I close the door. I don’t have a chance to ask him again because he comes at me. His cold hands cup my face as he leans in and kisses me. My hands go to his hands on my face as I open my mouth for him. I move my hands to his head as he tilts his head to deepen our kiss. No matter how many times I’ve kissed him, it’s always like the first time. His hands leave my face, traveling down my sides. He picks me up, and my legs wrap around his waist, our lips never separating as we continue to kiss. He walks me back upstairs to my room, falling on the bed with me. My hands frantic to get his t-shirt off. His hands now moving under my tank top where he cups my breast and plays with my nipple. I raise my hips to rub against him. My hand goes into the front of his pants, and I cup his cock, finding him already ready.