God, this girl.
I’ve spent the last week basically treading water, barely talking to her. If I had taken a few minutes, she probably would have told me this days ago. Before I caneven pull myself out of my thoughts, I feel soft warmth against my lips. She’s closed the distance between us, leaning over me to press a gentle kiss to my mouth.
My hands slide to her waist, and I draw her down until she’s straddling me. She pulls back just enough to smile softly at me.
“I think our backstory is just that our schedules never really worked, so we never met each other’s friends and just got married on a whim,” she says.
“Yeah,” I murmur hoarsely.
“Good. Well, it’s almost nine-thirty, so I’m going to finish getting my stuff together.”
“Okay. You really are playing hard to get, and I kind of like it.” I grin up at her. She smiles back, then winks as she slips off me.
“It’s not that I’m playing hard to get. I just don’t want to look like a pushover.”
“I don’t think you’re a pushover at all. I think you’re strong, independent, and beautiful, and I’m lucky enough to be around you all the time.”
“All the time?” she teases. “You’re about to have someone else hanging out with me at work, which makes me think you want to be away from me.” She giggles as she reaches for a hair tie.
“You know why we need someone else.”
“Yes, I do. I’m messing with you.”
I laugh softly, shaking my head as I leave the room to grab my blazer and keys. We head out of the apartment and drive to the hospital.
After I drop Vanessa off, Alonso and I park in the garage attached to the building. We’ll start here, then move closer to the entrance later. The last thing we need is hospital security wondering why an SUV with two men is sitting out front all night.
“Since I missed all the action over the last two weeks,” Alonso says, “how the hell did you end up married? You’re habitually single, bro.”
“Well, did Gino tell you anything?” I ask.
“Some, but not all. He mentioned you two recognized each other when she showed up at his place to tell him she was his sister.”
“Yeah. She was the trauma nurse on duty when we brought you in.”
“Ah,” he says. “So how did she end up marrying you? Did Gino just decide that one day?”
“No. Antonio and my father made an arrangement before they died.”
“So, you have no clue why there was an arrangement made?”
“No, and neither does Gino. He thinks maybe there was some kind of deal made when we were even younger.”
He glances at me. “If Antonio and your parents are dead, why did you decide to go through with it?”
“Because she really does need the protection,” I say. “The second it got out that she was an Esposito, everyone started calling Gino with marriage contracts and arrangements. Someone would have come after her and hurt her.”
“I am hurt, though,” Alonso says, pouting. “I didn’t even get to plan a bachelor party.”
“Who said you would’ve planned it?” I laugh, rolling my eyes.
“Whatever. You would’ve loved it.” He reaches for the door. “I’m going to go in and check on her.”
He leaves the car, and I’m alone with my thoughts. I’ve spent the last few days trying to figure out how to apologize to her, but none of my ideas feel good enough. Cooking for her, letting her pick whatever she wants to watch, none of it breaks through the wall she’s built. What she said today makes it clear she doesn’t need grand gestures. She just needs someone who won’t walk away, and I want to be that person.
Her shift passes without any surprises. Alonso heads out shortly before it ends, leaving me to go pick her up. I walk into the emergency room and immediately spot Vanessa at the desk, talking to a young woman. She’s smiling, bright and easy, and the sight of it makes something loosen in my chest.
“Here he comes,” the young woman says, glancing straight at me.
