I rarely got caught up in romance, but my heart melted a little at this. All my life, I saw myself as a weird, little girl who could never catch the attention of the popular crowd. Hearing him say that he wanted me on his arm meant the world to me.
“So, do we start our two weeks of celibacy now?” I asked after the waiter came by for Damon’s credit card.
He smirked. “How about one more night? Come back to my place and then we’ll start the clock from there. I know we said we’d try to take things slow, but I’m having such a nice night. I don’t want it to end.”
I returned his smile. “Okay,” I relented. He was impossible to say no to.
Chapter 26
Damon
Once again, we were hand in hand, racing to my apartment for a little privacy. In the cab on the way home, I discreetly slipped my hand under her skirt and touched her as she tried to pretend as if nothing was happening. I loved watching her sit in the cab while her cheeks began to flush. I found the way she bit her lip incredibly sexy. I wasn’t sure if I’d make it through the doors of my building without showing my excitement below the belt.
We giggled as we walked through the front door, arms around each other. I had one hand firmly on her ass and she had hers around my waist as we rushed to get inside.
When we got to the front door, none other than Kevin walked out of the elevator. He seemed surprised to see us together, looking so happy. I thought about slugging him in the face right then and there, but he was still an intern and I didn’t want to get myself into trouble, especially after giving into his demands.
“You have what you want,” I said darkly. “Leave us alone.”
He nodded as though he understood what I was trying to tell him. Then, Olivia and I got into the elevator and we started making out. I saw Kevin look back at us before the doors closed, so I flipped him the bird and continued to kiss my new girlfriend.
We didn’t have a very good track record for making it all the way inside the apartment before we started going at each other. I just couldn’t help it— our bodies were magnetic. We just fit together like puzzle pieces. I couldn’t wait to ravish her.
There were so many good locations to choose from in my apartment. We could go back out to the hot tub and strip down, using the natural flow of the water to guide our movements. Or, I could put her up against the wall in my home office, surrounded by the smell of cigars and leather bound books. The shower was always a good option, as there was something I found so sensual about cascading water. And, in many cases, the living room floor was the place I’d end up with a woman in the heat of the moment. But now, our bodies called us to my bed— old reliable.
For the first time in my memory, I was overcome with a rush of emotions. For a second, I wondered if I was feeling what my dad described when he was with his various wives. While I instinctively started to withdraw, I decided instead to go all in. I allowed myself to feel the unmatched joy of being close to a phenomenal woman.
Though we rushed the entrance, we took our time removing each other’s clothes. Olivia carefully undid each button on my shirt, tossing it onto the floor when it was finally off. I pulled her blouse over her head and slid her skirt off, adding it to the pile of clothes.
“No panties?” I mused.
“I— I was in a hurry to kick your ass at the hotel,” she said sheepishly. “I didn’t have time to change.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t your subconscious preparing for this very moment?”
She grinned. “You’re so full of yourself. Only you would be aroused at the thought of an angry woman coming after you.”
I laughed. She was absolutely right.
“You’re absolutely stunning, do you know that?” I asked her, marveling at her naked form.
“Flatterer,” she accused. “I would say the same to you, but you have a big enough head as it is.”
“I’ll take it,” I joked, pulling her on top of me.
She squealed with delight.
Olivia and I made love off and on for the rest of the evening. Every time we declared it to be our last, we found ourselves bargaining.
“Well, since we’re not going to do this for a few more weeks, maybe once more won’t hurt,” she’d say after I’d pull her close to me.
Eventually, we got to the point where I don’t think I could have finished another round if I tried. We were both sore and exhausted, but took to each other’s arms like old lovers. I purposefully stalled her until it was too late for her to return to her apartment. I don’t think she minded staying at my place for one more night.
As we lay in bed together, I found myself coming to terms with our new relationship. I was scared as hell and had no idea what I was doing. In all other aspects of my life, I had everything under control. But, I welcomed the new challenge. If I could master a serious relationship, then I may just have it all.
In the morning, Olivia made breakfast while I showered and got ready for work. I was running behind, so I didn’t have one last quickie with her before our fortnight of celibacy. However, we did steal as many kisses as we could before I left for the hospital and she returned to her apartment.
I wasn’t sure how long my domestication was going to last, but I was going to make a serious effort. While I taught Olivia everything she needed to know about the medical world, she would teach me how to be a better person in my personal life. It was a struggle to forget everything I thought I knew about relationships, but I decided that with Olivia, it was absolutely worth it.
Epilogue
Olivia
Evaluations came out and I noticed that mine had additional comments from Dr. Farnham. He praised my contributions to the CUIMC family and professed his disappointment that I was unable to accept the surgical internship, but praised the fact that I was going to get to work with such an amazing surgeon as Dr. Rye. It left me very confused.
“I’m so glad your evaluation went so well, sweetie. We should probably head out of here or we’re going to miss our reservation. Winston picked out a very nice steakhouse for our reception tonight.”
“Okay,” I said. I still felt weird ordering from menus that didn’t have prices listed, but it was something that I would have to get used to, since I was seeing Damon on a regular basis. Besides, Winston seem genuinely happy to spend that kind of money on my mom and me.
“How did you enjoy having Damon mentor you?” she asked.
I shrugged and looked away, but I could feel my cheeks heat.
“Olivia?” she asked, narrowing her eyes. “Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
My blush deepened. This was the fifth time in two weeks that she’d brought Damon’s name up to me and I’d had the hardest time not spilling everything to her.
“Has he not been treating you well? Do I need Winston to have a talk with him?”
“God, Mom. No. It’s just… well, Damon and I have been seeing each other.”
“What?”
I blushed again. “Look we were seeing each other before we knew you and his dad were involved. It started out as something casual, but it’s turned into something more serious. We weren’t sure we wanted to continue once we found out, but… well,” I said with another shrug and a sheepish look.
“Oh my goodness! No wonder you two were so strange that day!” she said looking completely mortified. “If I had known, I would have told you who Winston was sooner, Olivia, I’m so sorry!”
“It’s okay, Mom. We’ve worked through it, we had a long talk and we both realized there was something more between us and we want to see where it goes. It’s a bit weird knowing you and his dad are married, and that we are in a twisted way related now, but for all intents and purposes, we’re not blood related and we don’t see a reason for us not to try to make things work.”
“If he doesn’t treat you right though—”
I held a hand up. “Mom, it’s between me and Damon. If things don’t work out, they don’t work out, but I think if it doesn’t we’ll always be friends, so there is
n’t anything to worry about.”
“Okay,” she replied as we met Damon and his father at the restaurant.
Damon greeted us, pulling me in for a kiss. He wrapped his arm around my waist and escorted me in behind Mom and his dad. We were seated at a table for four, with me beside Damon and Mom and Winston on the other side of the table. My mom pulled out a small, beautifully wrapped present and handed it to me.
“Mom, you didn’t need to get me anything, it was just first round evaluations,” I scolded.
“Of course, I did, I’m proud of you.” She smiled. “Open it.”
I peeled back the paper and opened the small, leather box. Inside was a gorgeous, rose gold watch.
“I thought it would look nice when you’re talking to patients,” she said.
“It will,” I replied. “Thanks.”
Winston sat up a little straighter. “I have a present for you as well, but it can’t exactly fit into a box.”
My shoulders sank. I wondered what outrageous gift Winston bought me to make up for everything he put my mother through. I liked the guy, but if he thought he could buy my loyalty, he was mistaken.
He leaned forward, a big smile on his face. “I’ve decided to come out of retirement,” he said. “I get myself into trouble when I don’t stay busy, and I miss working. I’m going to open my own clinic and do minor surgeries.”
“That’s great,” I said, faking my enthusiasm.
“And if you’re okay with it, I’d like you to come work for me. I’m not talking an unpaid internship, either. You can be involved in as much or as little as you want. Granted it’s not the internship you were hoping for, but I promise you, you’ll probably get more benefit than that blackmailer Kevin will working with Dr. Wilhouse. It’s basically what Damon did when I was head surgeon at CUIMC, but on a smaller scale. What do you think?”
My eyes nearly bulged out of my head. “Seriously? That would be amazing!”