She nods and steps back, granting me entrance. As I pass, I press a light kiss to her cheek, subtly inhaling the scent of her skin and hair. “What was that for?” she asks, a bit of humor laced in her question.
“That was just a simple hello, beautiful.”
Narrowing her humor-filled eyes, she asks, “You kiss all your friends hello?”
“Only the hot ones,” I reply with a wink. “And I only have one in that class.” I clap my hands together and give her my complete attention. “Now, let’s talk about dinner. Any preferences?”
“Not really.”
“Pizza?”
“Love it,” she says, her eyes seeming to light up just at the suggestion.
“Well, let’s go,” I insist, turning to the front door. “I’ll drive.”
“Wait, I need to change.”
I give her a once-over, committing every curve of her body to memory. “You look great.”
Her brown eyes narrow. “I’m in scrubs.”
“And no one wears them better than you do, Oaklee.”
She rolls her eyes dramatically and shakes her head. “That was the cheesiest line I’ve ever heard.”
“Not a line when it’s the truth.”
She exhales dramatically. “Still, I’m going to change. Give me five minutes.”
“Whatever.”
Before she disappears down the short hallway that leads to her bedroom, she sasses, “Don’t touch anything.”
My eyes brighten with mischief. “Because you’re hiding things? Like what? Bodies? Hustler magazines? Men?”
That gets the result I was looking for as she rolls her eyes once more. “Yes, I’m hiding men all over the place. I keep them chained up in the closets.”
“I knew it.” I wave two fingers between us. “You and I…we’re in sync.”
A single eyebrow shoots toward the ceiling as she asks, “Because you also keep men chained up in your closets?”
“Not since the last one got away,” I reply with a tsk. “Anyway, pizza. Go. Change. Or don’t. I think you look beautiful just the way you are.”
She spins around and continues on her way, but I don’t miss the way her cheeks turn pink before she goes. I move around the living room, noting nothing has changed since I was standing here last night. There are still a few boxes needing to be unpacked, but for the most part, the living room is comfortable and homey.
Spotting a closet behind the front door, I almost open it, just to make sure she’s not hiding anything—or anyone—but I don’t. Everyone has secrets, and it’s not my place to snoop around to try to discover hers. I have plenty of my own skeletons, that’s for sure. No need to poke around in someone else’s closet.
Glancing at a side table, I catch a framed photograph. I’m not sure if it was here last night, but I notice it now. Picking it up, I take in the three people smiling at the camera. The middle is clearly Oaklee, donning a white hat and white jacket and holding a small pin and rose. On either side of her is an older gentleman and woman, most likely grandparents. They seem happy, proud even, as they grin for the camera.
“Those are my grandparents. They basically raised me.”
I glance over my shoulder and find Oaklee standing there, watching me. She changed into a purple top and a pair of blue jean capris, and on her feet are a basic pair of slip-on sandals. She doesn’t look like she stepped off a runway or that she spent her week’s salary on her outfit, but she looks…beautiful. Stunning, really. Her hair is still up in a ponytail, though she has adjusted it and brushed it out following a long day at work.
“This was the day you became a nurse?”
She nods, stepping closer until she’s beside me. I catch a whiff of something fruity with a hint of jasmine. “My pinning ceremony. Honestly, I was surprised they came. I hadn’t expected it, though I had secretly hoped. They both worked at that time, and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy for them to get off work to attend.”
“But they did.”
