IsabellaWe make it out of town and to the spot while the sun is still clinging to the sky. Soon it will dip completely below the horizon and there will be a chill in the air before we know it. Luckily, I keep blankets and sweatshirts in the back of the car as part of an emergency kit in case the car should breakdown… in the tundra, I guess.It never hurts to be prepared, especially with a child in the mix.Anyway, we follow the same routine we did five years ago. Park on the gravel shoulder meant for people having car trouble and take the short walk out to the rocky outcropping that makes a half-moon shape, offering an unusual cage of privacy.As a teen, my friends and I would come camping out here. It’s not a legal campground which is why the rocks are so helpful for concealment for building tents, tending fires…And other activities.Rex follows me, just as he did five years ago. A California boy, but not a desert boy. He was freaked out by the lack of streetlamps and the distant c
The tattoo rests there as it always has."Look at that," Rex says with a half-smile.I guide his hand to feel it, just as he guided mine the other day, pressing his hand into my skin. Electricity zooms up my spine and I feel blood rushing between my legs, swelling my center with need.However, Rex is taking his time with the tattoo. He brushes his thumb across it. "So, I'd always be a part of you..." he says.That was the agreement. Delete each other's phone numbers and never seek to contact each other. Always carry a reminder on our skin that a love like ours happened."Kind of pales in comparison to the other thing I left you with," he says wryly.I giggle. "I mean, yeah, definitely less of a responsibility to care for a tattoo until it heals versus carrying a human, but...""Carrying a human and caring for a human and –" He draws away, running his fingers through his hair. "God, Isabella, I feel like such an asshole.""What? Why?""Because you've been here the whole time and sacrif
I squeal in laughter beneath him, but the laugh turns into another moan when he pushes the ridge of his cock into my groin."Feel me?" he whispers against my mouth."Yes, but want – I want more," I say between kisses.Rex sighs. "Fuck, yes."He retreats onto his heels and hurries to undo his belt. He's shaking.I understand. I'm shaking too. The adrenaline is coursing through our bodies. How many times do you get to have something you never thought you'd have again?I'm getting déjà vu as he works his pants down his thighs, except not at the same time. I've been beneath Rex Redford with the stars as our roof before, but now we're older. Both our bodies have changed. And he's not wearing his usual T-shirt and slouchy jeans, the ones I remember well. He's wearing a suit I picked out for him to pretend to be my husband.My heart swells with adoration. I push myself up onto my elbows and crane my neck up, lips begging for a kiss.When Rex sees me, the seriousness splits with a smile. "Hey
Rex“It’s called a smash cake,” Isabella says, her voice a morning type of groggy.I consider the picture on her phone screen. Leo. One year old. Cake covering his face and hands. Happy as a clam. He likes his sweets. I can respect that. “So, you just buy the baby a cake to… smash?”“Yeah, it’s not complicated,” Isabella says.“That’s… weird,” I say, furrowing my brow.She laughs, her head tipping back on the pillow. “Then you have a regular cake for the guests too.”I don’t reply, just taking her in. It didn’t take a lot of convincing to get her to come back to my motel room after our tryst in the desert. Same place we met all those years ago, except the motel isn’t some gritty dump anymore. Someone bought it and turned it into a trendy retreat where rooms go for an absurd amount. It’s Ocotillo Valley for Christ’s sake, not Palm Springs.However, it evokes the same memories.“Okay, next one,” I say, wrapping my arms around Isabella and curling around her like a koala bear.“Don’t thi
"You listening to me?!" Mickey yelps, nearly blowing out my eardrum."Christ, Mick, what –""You fucking got married?!"I stare at the ceiling. "What?""There are pictures coming out of whatever bumfuck town you're in," Mickey says. "I've been able to head a few off at the pass, but some news outlets have already started publishing stuff. And God, the fucking TikToks.""TikToks?"Mickey sighs. "Of you and some woman shopping? At a jewelry counter? In a mall??? For fuck's sake, Rex, you can at least get the woman a nice ring, not any of that every 'kiss begins with Kay' shit."I sit up. "I don't..." I rub my face. "Aw, fuck.""Yeah, stop playing dumb. There's photo evidence. People have been on high alert since your accident. Do you have amnesia or something? You do remember you're in the public eye, right?"Not amnesia. But horniness does make you stupider. "Yeah, of course I do..." I want to turn into a billion grains of sand and disappear. "What are the pictures of?""You were at a
IsabellaI walk into Leo’s bedroom and immediately collapse on the end of his bed.Leo laughs. “Mama, this isn’t your bed!”I glance at my son. He’s sitting at the head of the bed, already under the covers, washed and clothed in his pajamas. “You wouldn’t let Mama share with you?”He shakes his head. “No. I’m a big boy.”God, he’s growing up too fast. I push myself up to sitting and let out a long sigh. “Okay, I’m getting up. I’m getting up.”“You’re not getting up, Mama…” he teases.And lord knows if I didn’t have to I wouldn’t. I’m running on only a few hours of sleep thanks to Rex (and I mean it, thank you Rex) and because Rex promised he’d see Leo today, Rex made today a four-year-old’s best day ever starting with a pancake breakfast, then a visit to an exotic animal sanctuary where Leo got to hold not one but two snakes, then McDonald’s because what kid doesn’t love McDonald’s, then go-karting, and topping out the day with ice cream. Yes. Dessert for dinner.Everywhere we went, t
Leo smiles at me, more grace on his lips than I deserve. "Just have Rex come over more and he can play with me. No problem!"Yes, no problem. It would be so easy to have Rex as the live-in playmate for my son. He'd be so willing to, I bet. "Oh... yes, well, when he's in town, I'm sure he'll always be happy to play with you.""Why can't he stay in town?"It must all be so simple in his head. So confusing that we don't follow logic. "Leo, honey, Rex lives in LA. We talked about this.""Yeah, but why can't he live here? Or we live there?"Leo doesn't know who Rex is, which is great for my sanity. He's going to totally flip when he finds out his father is famous. All in due time, though. "You know, mijo, Rex didn't even know about you until recently."Leo's eyes widen. "What?! But I'm his kid!"I laugh. "Yes, I know.""How could he not know?"I sigh. How am I going to make this make sense to a four-year-old? "You know how I grew you in my tummy?""Yeah...?""Well, Rex didn't know you were
Marisol jerked upward, back straightening, a gleeful smile on her face. “You, Rex –“ She emphasized the “x” at the end of his name. “In for a treat.”Rex smiled haplessly, not knowing what kind of treat to expect.With a pat to his cheek, Marisol got to her feet and went into the kitchen off the living room. Isabella could see her mother sorting through the tiny fridge, lighting the fire under her ass even more to get them out of this hovel as soon as she had the money to make a down payment on a house. A nice one.Rex removed his guitar and leaned it up against the couch before sliding to the ground to join Isabella. His bony knees knocked up against hers. “How am I doing?”Isabella checked her mother wasn’t looking and, when the coast was clear, gave him a soft kiss. “Fabuloso.”“Fa-bu-lo…” Rex began to repeat.Isabella kissed him again and then one more time before she got nervous her catholic mother would take a glance into the room. “God, you make me crazy.”“I hope that’s a good
My skin buzzes at the sound of his deep voice. I have a second to wonder if it's my imagination before I glance toward the door where Luke is standing.In the flesh. Looking so good that it hurts.At my lack of response, he cautiously slips in and closes the door with a lock clicking, shutting us out from the rest of the world. My heart picks up speed as his gaze roams over me, then settles on my face. I swallow and finally push down my speechlessness."Luke...what are you doing here?"He's silent for a while as he just looks at me. Then he clears his throat."I saw you earlier. Wearing that...looking like that. You took my breath away, but you were gone just as quickly."The way he says it...I can hear his longing. The smile from earlier is gone, replaced by a desire glimmering deep in his gaze. There's a triumphant feeling inside me that he never looked at the gorgeous woman in white this way, but it's immediately smothered by the knowledge that they're still a much better pairing t
Olivia"Hey, Liv! I'm glad you could make it!"I grin at Wanda, who's already with Maria and Jasper when I find her. The three make a beeline toward me, giving me hugs before they take in what I'm wearing. A round of oohs and aahs come, and my cheeks heat up."Come on, guys. I just got this from a thrift shop. And it's basic black."The event was announced long ago: a small charity party with the doctors, the staff, and some of the hospital's major sponsors in attendance, held at the largest conference room. It didn't sink into my mind that it would be a semi-formal event or that it would fall on my day off until yesterday, but the black dress that has always been in my closet is a lifesaver.Medical assistants are not obligated to go, but the director wants us to. Nurses don't have to, but Maria and Jasper are free and said they wouldn't miss getting all glamoured up for the world.Maria rolls her eyes good-naturedly. "Sweetheart, if I looked like that in black, I would wear it every
I nod. "Yeah. For when the software has some technical problems and someone has questions about how to use the device."Henry shakes their hands, including Riley's. A seasoned veteran of life, he's friendly, outgoing, and pretty much will shake anyone's hand, which makes him perfect for his department. "Pleased to meet you both. Luke hasn't brought a lot of guests here, so it's good to see some new faces. Are you customers of the product? Or perhaps you're a new member of the team?" He beams at Riley. "And who's this sweetheart?"I look at Olivia, unsure how to play this. But before I can answer, Riley speaks first."I'm Luke's daughter."It's like a bomb dropping-at least, it feels that way to me and Olivia, if her wide eyes and stupefied expression are any indication. My head whips toward Riley, who is smiling at Henry, with Henry eyeing her curiously."You are?"She nods. "Luke is my dad." Then she turns to me. "You're my dad, aren't you?"Color me stunned and rendered speechless.
LukeBeing in Olivia’s house again after taking her so thoroughly a week ago feels more intimate than I anticipated, but it’s also exciting. It’s my third playdate with Riley, who doesn’t have movie-watching in mind this time.“I still have homework, Luke, and I should finish it today.”“Oh. Do you want help with it?”“No. I want to do my homework by myself. Mom says to ask for help if I’m confused, but I’m not confused.”It’s another way of saying she’s independent, which amuses me as I follow her to a room that her mom made into her homework area. The small table is already littered with books, crayons, and the like. I watch Riley start coloring before I gingerly sit on the stool beside her.Immediately, she giggles. “You’re too big for the chair, Luke.”I grin. “It’s okay. I just want to watch you.”She finishes coloring and starts on some math problems. I wait for her to ask for help. But she doesn’t. Realizing my presence might be a detriment more than anything, I carefully stand
I curl my hand inward until his head tilts just a little bit to rest on it. Luke emits a longer sigh, his weariness visible. But he doesn't even care about that.The guy who acts out in front of everyone, sometimes even to patients, has a good heart. I've seen glimpses of it throughout our interactions and the way he treats Riley, but I guess I've been holding back from fully seeing this side of him. He's also just human-the type who, at the end of the day, feels for his patients and gets affected by their condition no matter how hard he tries to separate himself from them.It's this understanding that propels me forward until I'm no longer just cupping his cheek but hugging him, too. I can sense his surprise from his sudden tension, but it's gone in a blink as his arms wrap around me. I know I'm the one comforting him, but the warmth he emits is a source of comfort for me, too."Liv...what is this?"His voice is gruff and just a little bit confused."I just thought you needed a hug."
OliviaI pace the office, done with work, and find myself stuck with nothing to do. I’m sure many people would kill for that problem, but without anything to do, my mind can’t help running a mile a minute as I wait for the person I need to speak with the most.I jump at the knock on the door, then turn to Wanda as she peeks in.“Hey. Wanna get some of that fresh bread down the street before we head home?”I force a smile out. “Sounds great, but I’ll have to pass. I’m staying for a bit.”“Isn’t it past your work hours?”“Yes, but I need to check in with Dr. Jennings about the surgery progress. It’s easier to record everything now than tomorrow.”She shakes her head and mutters about me working too hard, then waves and leaves. I glance at the clock. I should be going home, but it’s one of those lucky days where Nancy asked to stay longer since she needs the extra cash.But as it turns out, I don’t have to wait long as Luke walks in a few minutes later, already scrubbed down.I already h
Luke“If I didn’t know better, I swear you’re acting like this because you haven’t gotten laid in a while.”Not many doctors can say that to my face, not even the hospital’s director, but I suppose Kyle Malone is an exception. He’s not a resident doctor, but he’s trusted and experienced enough that he’s become the regular go-to when we have doctors on long leaves and the hospital needs a temporary replacement.He’s also a childhood friend, who came from the same background as me and rebelled from his wealthy family to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor, which his family considered beneath him.“I’m just knee-deep in work, that’s all.”Kyle raises a brow. “When you’re that overloaded, you’re usually snapping at everyone and acting like a grump, not mooning over your desk with bags under your eyes. What’s up?”Okay, so there’s no denying that I’ve been sleepless lately. And when I do sleep, it’s filled with dreams—and let’s just say those dreams are too raunchy to be said out loud. B
"It's the one talent Riley didn't inherit from me.""What about art? Did she inherit that from you?"I look up, surprised that he remembers me mentioning it years ago. I shake my head. "It's too early to tell. But so far, she's not interested in doodling.""I see. Do you still draw? Or paint?""Sometimes. When I'm stressed or when there's time.""Are you stressed lately?"I nod. "Yeah, but I don't have time to draw or paint.""Too bad. I would have liked to see your work."Right. He doesn't know that my work is available to the public-or at least, samples are available online, as well as some finished works for people to purchase or check out should they want to commission me. I debate telling him about it, but my decision is waylaid when one of his hands leaves my waist and takes my hand."Luke?""You've got callouses. I never noticed. This is an artist's hand."I suck in a breath when he caresses my fingertips, specifically the callouses on them. It's supposed to be nothing but an o
Olivia"How is she?"I close the bedroom door quietly and turn to Nancy, Riley's babysitter for the past three months. She's wonderful at it and I've had no complaints. But she's also young, just recently eighteen, and I know the situation rattled her a bit."She's fine. The fever's gone now, actually, and I think it started going down right after you called me." I smile in reassurance. "You did a good job giving her medicine and that warm bath."Nancy eyes my smile, then sighs in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I was nervous. I don't usually get nervous since I've had plenty of experience babysitting, but I think this is the first time someone had a fever under my watch. Since you're a medical assistant, I thought I should call you and let you know in case it's something more serious.""It's probably just the weather, but I'll monitor her. Don't worry about it. You can go home, Nancy. Same time tomorrow?""Of course."I walk her to the door, appreciating her more for admitting her nerve