The Yeah, Baby Series

“I’m a doctor, Ellie, I know how to use a fucking condom.” I brought my face inches from hers, my expression turning serious. “I just chose not to because I’m going to knock you up, baby. I’m going to fuck you every chance I get until I’m sure my kid is growing in this sexy belly.”

Ellison’s jaw dropped in shock, and I nodded firmly to emphasize my determination to make this happen.

“And, let’s get this out in the open so you can come to terms with it sooner rather than later. If your house isn’t up for sale before you find out you’re pregnant, you bet your ass I will handle that shit.” I softened and kissed her sweetly, “I want you in my bed every night, Ellie. I want to wake up holding you in my arms. And I definitely want to have easy access to the pussy I own.”

Her eyes had begun to melt at my words but the last sentence snapped her out of the haze. Way to go, dipshit.

She took a deep breath and stared at me, clearly trying to maintain a semblance of calm and control. I was still fully seated inside her and all this talk about babies and having her whenever I wanted had turned my semi-hard erection into stone. I shifted hoping to gain a little relief in another position.

At the movement inside her, Ellison glared at me and tried to push me off of her. Her efforts were futile. I outweighed her by at least a hundred pounds.

“You can’t just decide to get me pregnant, Jack!” she exclaimed.

I sealed my mouth over hers before mumbling, “Sure I can,” against her lips. Moving with slow, torturous strokes, I drove her out of her fucking mind until she exploded in my arms and I filled her with even more of my seed.

“See?” I murmured.

“I—I, um … no, you, um,” she stuttered, her mind seemingly in a confused and disconnected state.

I pulled out of her, my chest figuratively puffing up at her small sound of protest. Picking her up, she wrapped herself around me like she did when I carried her. I started for my room and the shower, but right when I set her on the counter, my cell phone started ringing.

“Fuck,” I muttered. I swiftly stalked across the bedroom to grab it from the dresser. “Dr. Halston,” I answered.

“Doctor,” Debbie, the shift supervisor said urgently, “Heather developed a complication. The on call doctor wants to open her up again, but I knew you’d want to be the one.”

“I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” I responded before hanging up and tossing my phone on the bed. I rushed into the bathroom and turned the shower on.

“I’m sorry, baby, I’ve got to go in.”

Ellie frowned. “Heather?”

I nodded and hopped into the glass stall. She hurried in after me and began to rush through a shower too. I should have expected she would want to be there as well. Heather was also her patient.

Our personal stuff would have to wait. We reached the hospital and I confirmed Heather needed additional surgery. I wanted to put my fist through a wall, but my volatile reaction wouldn’t help either of us. Ellison pulled me into the scrub room and helped me prep. Her presence soothed my turbulent emotions, infusing me with calm and determination.

6

Ellison

Long hours and exhaustion were the norm in a surgeon’s life, but they were hell on relationships. Even when both people were doctors apparently. Jack and I had spent so many hours at the hospital since Heather’s emergency surgery that we hadn’t been able to revisit the whole ‘trying to knock me up’ conversation. Not that it had stopped him from giving his pregnancy plan another go or two—or twelve. I’d taken to putting condoms in my purse, lab coat pockets, his pockets, both our cars… pretty much everywhere. Not that it had done a lick of good. In the heat of the moment, I never remembered to ask him to put one on, and he sure as hell never offered. I was beginning to wonder if it was my subconscious trying to tell me I actually wanted the smug bastard to knock me up.

The timing was horrible, though, with the offer of my dream job dropping in my lap. A decision I’d successfully avoided thinking about over the last week, too. Judging by the increasing frequency of the calls coming from Declan, time was running out. The ringing of my phone pulled me out of my thoughts. I glanced down and recognized the number on the display.

Speak of the devil.

“Hey, Declan,” I answered. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to get back to you with a response yet.”

“No apology needed, Ellison,” he assured me. “I expect my call caught you unaware after we went with a different candidate initially.”

“It definitely was unexpected,” I confirmed.

“The board and I want to make it clear how committed we are to having you on our team.”

He was telling me exactly what I would have given almost anything to hear a year ago. “I appreciate that, Declan, and you know how excited I was by the prospect of working for you when I interviewed last year.”

“Why do I hear a but in there somewhere?”

“I’m just not sure I want to make the move right now,” I sighed.

“Give me a chance to convince you otherwise. Let me take you to lunch so we can talk it through face-to-face.”

“Lunch?” I repeated. How would that even work with him in Minneapolis and me in Rock Springs? “When?”

“Today.”

His answer shocked me, stopping me in my tracks as I walked through the hospital corridor. “Are you in Nebraska?”

“I told you the board and I wanted to convince you of how serious we are about you taking this job.”

“So you hopped on a plane to come to me? For lunch?” I sputtered, feeling flattered by the lengths to which they were willing to go to talk to me about the job. It helped soothe some of the sting from when they’d not selected me for it previously.

“I will if you tell me you’re available for lunch today.”

My stomach growled, reminding me I’d skipped breakfast. Turning down a free lunch was silly. “Sure, I can do lunch.”

“Great! I’ll pick you up at the hospital?”

“Sure,” I drawled, thinking about how I could make sure we didn’t run into Jack while he was here. Not only hadn’t we talked about the condom situation, I still hadn’t mentioned the job offer either.

“Mmmm,” I murmured, savoring the flavor of my bacon wrapped filet. Declan had gone all out, picking me up in a town car and taking me to one of the best steakhouses in town. It was a good thing I didn’t have a heavy case load this afternoon, because I could easily see a nap in the sleep room in my near future.

“Smart, successful, gorgeous, and you actually eat real food instead of weeds.” Declan’s tone was filled with masculine approval.

My eyes popped open in surprise. I’d been enjoying my food so much, I’d kind of forgotten he was there for a minute. I ducked my head in embarrassment and set my fork down on my almost empty plate. Skipping breakfast hadn’t been a smart idea since I’d been hungry enough to devour my entire steak in a matter of minutes. “I definitely enjoyed my food,” I mumbled.

Declan reached out to grab my hand and squeeze it. I slid my hand away and dropped it onto my lap. Awkward.

“I meant it as a compliment, Ellison.”

“Thanks,” I whispered.

“You done?”

“Yeah,” I confirmed, fidgeting in my seat, suddenly aware of how we’d been seated together in a corner booth.

He waved the waiter over, and he cleared the table, leaving the check behind for Declan.

“I’ve already given you my pitch.” And he had, both the last time I’d interviewed and during our lunch. “Not to sound conceited, but I know we have a lot to offer at Children’s Minneapolis.”

“You do,” I replied, nodding in understanding.

“When we spoke last week, you mentioned your situation had changed.” His gaze dropped to where my hands were folded in my lap before rising to meet mine again. “I can only assume it’s your personal life since our research hadn’t indicated anything different in your current position.”