Her grandmother only waves her off, continuing with her business while River takes several deep breaths through her nose.
“Boss, don’t worry about it. I’ve watched hundreds of cows give birth. I won’t pass out.”
I can only hope the joke lands as River just stares at me before bursting into tear-inducing laughter. “Okay, well, let’s move on from the birthing talk and cook before I burn everything.”
And my heart instantly settles. Not only did I just meet the most important person to the woman I am head over heels for, but it went well.
It’s an hour before we’ve finished cooking the two different meals River prepared. The two of us moved through the kitchen like a well-oiled unit. I’ve never cooked with anyone before. With Stacy, it was always me cooking for her because I thought it would make her feel special. Looking back, I’m not sure if it did or not.
“Gran pasta or roast?”
“Which one gets me a view of your beau’s bum again?”
“Gran!” River groans. “Please stop objectifying, Gray. His ego is big enough.”
River tucks her lips into her mouth, stifling her laughter.
Perfect white teeth sink into her bottom lip when I pull her into me. The brush of my lips over the shell of her ear sending a shiver through her body. “Boss, you’re going to pay for that tonight. Just wait until I get you home.”
“Home?”
Her eyes search mine. It’s clear I meant my house. The place seemingly cozier with her there.
“Yeah. My house. You know, with the horses and cows?”
“Okay.”
Her smile is sheepish, slipping out of my hold to prep our plates with generous slices of roast, carrots, potatoes, and broccoli.
Carrying our plates into the dining room, her grandmother is already there waiting for us, a large glass of whiskey or bourbon in front of her.
“What? I’m old, not dead,” she huffs, taking a gulp.
And all at once, I can’t wait for a lifetime of nights like this.
Chapter 14
River
Graymadegoodonhis promises last night. We’d barely made it through the door before he had me pressed against the wall, his rough hands shoving my panties aside to slip his fingers inside me. I’d never been so grateful that I was wearing a dress.
We were nothing more than a frenzy of panting breaths and bodies as he fucked me against the front door, on the living room floor, and then against the stairwell, because we still couldn’t make it to the bedroom. Every punishing thrust was a reminder of how much he wanted me. My body’s response confirmation that I am his.
It’s terrifying how much I’ve come to need him so fast. How connected I feel to him beyond the physical. Even though we slept together on day one, we’d connected first. Those hours spent talking at the bar set a foundation I’m not sure I’ve had with others. Maybe because no one gets to see the real River except my grandmother.
With everyone else, I have to be the tough version I curated when I chose orthopedics. A man’s field. A man’s game.
I’m not a small woman, but it’s impossible to forget the number of times I’m reminded I need unprecedented strength to do trauma ortho and sports medicine. Forget doing joint replacements. Dislocating the hip to then shave off the old head took brute force. Muscle power and a build I couldn’t possibly possess.
So I made myself unbreakable. I proved every single one of them wrong, and I became one of the best female orthopedic surgeons on our side of the country. I’ve attended conferences where the organizers praised me, but still, my coworkers undermined my abilities. Gray believes they are just threatened by me, and maybe that’s true, but it doesn’t change who I have to be around them.
It’s nice to just be a light-hearted River in Gray’s presence. I obsess about cows and tell the horses what type of surgeries I would do on them. I laugh and am goofy. That’s the girl I was before I became a surgeon. But no one knows her anymore.
Gray groans loudly, pulling me closer to his side, his nose nuzzling into my hair. I’ve been trying to let him sleep. After we’d had sex all night, we were both exhausted going out to do chores this morning. A post-nap was the only option. We both fell asleep before the opening credits of the movie could roll, but I’ve been awake for the past hour trying not to move.
He looks so peaceful, with the soft speckling of freckles across the bridge of his nose and his wavy hair wild on the pillowcase. Those obnoxiously long lashes fanned across his tanned skin. Emotion stirs in my chest, staring at him. I refuse to acknowledge the feelings. It’s too soon, too much.
It’s terrifying.
