“Okay,” I say, somewhat warily. His response makes sense, but I’m a little too paranoid about previous relationships.
“Trust me, Doc,” he says tenderly, leaning in to kiss my lips quickly, “I will proudly have you by my side to show you off, but it’ll be whenwedecide. Not outsiders.”
“Show me off?” I ask with a breathy giggle.
“Yup. Once we’re public, all bets are off. I’m gonna want you at every event, and I’ll plan to be with you for any stupid things your parents make you do. We’ll be a team. But for now, I’m kinda liking the thought of having you all to myself,” he says, a small smirk covering his face as he kisses me again.
“Do you think anyone will suspect something?”
Jamie laughs. “Not even a little bit. I’m known as the team hermit. It’s rare that I’m out at clubs or anything like that. They think it’s because I’m grumpy and don’t like anyone, but in reality, I’m incredibly private and don’t like when people I don’t know disrespect my carefully constructed boundaries.”
“And you promise you’ll tell me if I ever accidentally cross a boundary?”
“I promise. Boundaries with you will be different, though. My inner circle has a lot more flexibility because I know you’re trustworthy.”
“Good to know,” I say with a yawn.
“What time do you have to be at work?” Jamie asks.
I turn my head to glance over at my clock. “In about three hours. And no, I can’t call in. I have two surgeries today.”
“I wasn’t going to suggest that. I know you’re passionate about your job. You’d never call in because your clients would be the ones who suffer.”
“Exactly. It may seem silly to say a dog would suffer if I don’t spay her, but I know that dog’s owners have fixed their schedule to be here today. And my second surgery is a dental cleaning andlipoma excision. For all I know, that dog actually is suffering. I could make a big difference today.”
Jamie yawns. “Any chance I could take a power nap on your couch? I’ve got a workout mid-morning with a few teammates, and a meeting with my agent at lunch. I could use an hour to recharge.”
“Can we both nap for an hour? I didn’t sleep well last night. Or the previous night, honestly,” I admit. Jamie bends to rest his forehead against my shoulder. “If it’s alright, we can nap in my bed. No funny business, though.”
Jamie chuckles. “Absolutely not. There’s one thing you should absolutely know about me, Doc. I don’t mess around when it comes to sleep.”
My phone rings as I’m climbing out of Jamie’s lap, and I point toward the hallway leading to my bedroom. Seeing that it’s Chelsea, I pick up. “Hey. What’s up?”
“Your surgery this morning has been canceled.”
“Oh. Why?” I ask.
“Stomach bug ransacked their house last night. The mom said she doesn’t think she can make it to the clinic without pooping her pants or puking.”
I grimace. “Yuck. Alright. Don’t charge her a cancellation fee. I’ll be in for the second procedure around lunchtime.”
“I figured you’d be thrilled you can take a nap,” Chelsea says with a laugh.
“I’m very thrilled with napping.” Ending the call, I look up to find Jamie watching me with an amused expression. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Your friend even knows how much you like to nap?”
I nod. “I also value sleep over most things. And now I don’t have to be at work until lunchtime.”
“You cool if I grab a change of clothes from my car? I was afraid to leave, so I know I must smell.”
“Of course. Would you like to shower?”
He lets out a long exhale. “A shower sounds perfect.”
“Let me go get my things out of the shower, and then it’s all yours. Just come in when you’re back.” I need to go hide my vibrator, which I usually only use in the shower. Since no one comes into my house besides Chelsea, it’s taken up residence on the side of my tub. I’d prefer henotsee that.
Jamie extends a hand to me, pulling me up. “I’ve never looked forward to a nap more.”
