“You good? I know your kid is the same age.”
Chris slammed the cabinet door and turned around. “Yeah, I’m good. If I had a breakdown every time I had a patient the same age as my kid or someone who reminded me of my mom, I’d be in the wrong business.”
Chris moved on to the bag, replacing what they’d used. When he zipped the bag and looked up, Michael was watching him with his arms folded. There was no reason for him to respond the way he did, and he knew it. Michael had to be affected by the call as well.
“Areyougood?” Chris asked in place of an apology. However Michael decided to interpret the question was on him.
He expected a quick retreat. Michael was a man of few words. Having long conversations about feelings was not something he was known for. Chris raised his eyebrows in surprise when Michael sat down on the bench seat and leaned against the wall.
“I don’t remember my mother,” Michael admitted. “I was very young when she died. Mallory, though; she remembers. Sometimes I think it would be easier if neither of us remembered her.”
Chris sat down on the opposite seat. He wasn’t big on talking about feelings either, but he got the sense that Michael needed to talk and that he needed to hear what he was saying. He closed his eyes, pushing all thoughts of Lily to the back of his mind, before opening them again.
“I hate calls like this because I know from experience how fucking awful her situation is,” Michael explained. “We at least had a dad who gave a shit. He may have gone about things the wrong way, but ultimately, he wanted us happy and healthy.”
“I hope she has a dad who gives a shit,” Chris said mostly to himself. “Mallory told me about everything. I was being a dick a minute ago. Are you okay? I kept picturing my daughter so I’m sure you were having a hard time too.”
Michael stood up, grabbing hold of his monitor. “I’ll be okay. All we can do is our best. As cold as it sounds, Rayne isn’t our family member. All we can do is make sure we do our best and get them to the hospital in one piece even when it’s something that hits close to home.”
He was right. Stressing himself and envisioning his family members wouldn’t help anything. He had always done his best to treat every patient as if they were a family member, so any similarities wouldn’t make a difference. It was very difficult trying to separate things sometimes.
Michael stepped out of the back of the ambulance just as James was approaching. Judging by the look on his face, he was also having a hard time with that call. They weren’t usually the ones to break bad news to their patients, but they also wouldn’t lie. He stopped at the back doors.
“Coffee?” he suggested.
Chris nodded. “Yeah. I need it.”
What he needed was a stiff drink and to get home to his daughter, but both of those things would have to wait until morning. He finished up and closed the doors, making his way to the driver’s seat with what felt like lead in his stomach. Hopefully coffee would chase away some of the heaviness.
MALLORY
Mallory woke up to the sensation of someone watching her. After rubbing her eyes into focus, she found Christian standing in her doorway. She had given him a key so he could let himself in, assuming they would be up late, which they were. Sensing something was wrong, she sat up quickly.
“What is it?” she asked.
Without a word, Christian stalked toward her, his face becoming clear as he got closer. A face that was obviously troubled. He leaned forward and placed his hands on either side of her on the bed, caging her in. After studying her face for several moments, he finally closed the gap and found her mouth with his. His kiss was desperate. She could feel his need and when she reached for him, he pulled her closer. She was still under the blankets but found herself sitting on the edge of the bed with her legs between his, desire coursing through her. She needed him as much as he needed her.
“You should close the door.”
He broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers. “As much as I want to get you naked, we can’t. Not her first time sleeping over. The last thing we need is for her to think you watching her was just an excuse for me to come over for sex. But I needed to touch you.”
Disappointment overshadowed the desire that she still felt. Things had felt slightly off between them ever since he started trying to figure out what was going on with Lily, and sex would reassure her that they were okay. She knew how ridiculous it was, but she craved that connection. As if he could sense her thoughts, he reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear in a gentle gesture.
“I want to be inside you so bad I can barely think straight,” he breathed before reaching for her hand.
She gasped when she felt the unmistakable bulge beneath her hand. They needed to figure out some alone time or she’d gocrazy. She wanted him; needed him. Needed that connection as much as she needed her next breath.
“Fuck,” she hissed in frustration.
He stepped back, breaking their contact. “I’ll go make coffee while I still have the ability to walk out of here.”
Needing a moment to cool down, she went into her bathroom, brushed her teeth, and splashed cold water on her face. What she needed was a cold shower. Actually, what she needed was to have sex, but maybe some cold water followed by hot coffee would help take the edge off.
When she stepped into the kitchen, she found Lily sitting at the island eating a bowl of cereal. Her hair was a mess as if she rolled out of bed and into the kitchen. It was probably a good thing Christian hadn’t listened to her when she suggested they take things further.
“Good morning,” she greeted as she accepted the coffee Christian offered. “How did you sleep?”
Lily glanced up from the bowl and looked her up and down before shrugging and returning her attention to her bowl. Mallory didn’t blame her. She wasn’t much of a morning person either.
