Page 53 of Scrubbing In
“Cut me to the quick, baby, why don’t you,” I drawl, moving the contents from the cutting board to the serving bowl. “You said last night your dad knew you didn’t want to go into the family business. Why not? If the food tastes as good as it smells . . .”
“I love Nonna’s, don’t get me wrong. It was the center of our family, full of traditions and some of my happiest memories happened there,” she tells me, eyes slightly unfocused as if lost in those memories. “But I never had a passion for cooking theway Matteo always has, and Mina loves being in charge. Making design choices comes naturally to her. Being a managing partner didn’t sound fun to me.”
“So nursing is what you landed on?” I move around the island and rest a hip against the counter by her side, then sweep her hair over her shoulder so I can see her face more clearly.
“My grandma was a nurse, and so was my mom. I thought it could work for me. And it did. But I’m not sure I’d want to be anywhere but the OR.” Her attention is wholly on the pans in front of her, but still she looks up at me when she asks, “Why did you want to become a surgeon?”
“My dad is a doctor. I kind of always wanted to be like him,” I say, shrugging.
She turns her head to look at me again, eyes soft and misty. “Really? I love that, Julian. He must be so proud of you.”
Both of my parents are proud, but they’re proud of all us kids. I just nod. “But he’s a family practice physician, and when I went into medicine, I wanted to do something a little more exciting.”
“And is it as exciting as you hoped?”
“It brought me to you,” I reply cheekily.
Blushing that pretty pink color just like I’d hoped, she knocks her elbow into my stomach. “Oh, stop! Hand me those plates, please.” She tips her head toward the island.
“It did!” I chortle. Then I skim my hand down her back and palm her ass before doing as she requested. I can’t keep my hands to myself now that I’m free to touch her. “But in all seriousness, it is exciting. When I was in my first year of residency, the competition was insane but thrilling. It wasn’t until I met Connor, though, that I knew for sure I wanted to pursue orthopedics.”
“Who would’ve known all these years later, he would be the one pursuing you to come work with him.”
“It feels meant to be. I was looking into moving closer to home when he called me, and I’d always wanted to work with him. Not sure anything could have made me turn down his offer.”
Leena gives me a smile as she plates the food.
She was skeptical when I told her I was all in, therefore, I refrain from saying what I really feel—that this job in Bayberry Park has ended up being the trifecta. I get to be closer to my family, work in a collaborative, innovative, patient-centered, state of the art facility with my mentor, and . . .her.
As we are sitting in front of empty plates some time later, the mood at the table feels heavy. Both of us are reluctant to leave the comfort of our bubble, the return to the real world a weight on us both. I went from wanting to be at work where I hoped to catch a mere glimpse of her and share a few words, to now craving being locked away with her, not sharing an ounce of her attention. The possessiveness that roars through my blood is still a shock. I know it is going to be difficult to go from touching and kissing her whenever I want to being on guard about how we interact, not giving a hint to what is truly between us.
As I clean up the kitchen, I smile at her gaze openly following my every move with heat in her eyes. When I’m done, I sit at the table and pull her into my lap, needing the contact.
“And that’s my cue to leave,” Charlie, who joined us for dinner, says. I barely notice as she stands and leaves us alone in the kitchen.
Leena runs her fingers through my hair, and I lean my head into her touch, practically purring like a kitten.
“I don’t want you to go home.”
Closing my eyes, I rest my forehead in the crook of her neck and inhale her scent deep into my lungs. I place open-mouthed kisses along her collarbone. Driven by an inexplicable impulseto mark her, even if it’s not visible, I suck on her skin. My cock thickens with her needy moans.
“Let me stay then. I’ll drive with you to work and walk home from the hospital.”
Pulling back, she peers at me. “Wait, really? You don’t want to sleep in on your last day?”
Wrapping a hand around her throat, I declare, “Pretty girl, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to spend more time with you.”
Face relaxing into a contented smile, Leena pulls my face to hers, kissing me fiercely.
Standing with her in my arms, she squeaks at the abrupt movement, wrapping her legs around my waist and clutching at my shoulders. “Dessert time?” I waggle my eyebrows at her.
Leena
Being tucked into Julian’s side, warm and cozy, makes it extremely difficult to get out of bed. Especially when he grunts at the alarm and tightens his arms around me. I linger through an extra snooze, indulging in a few extra moments with him.
Running behind, I decide not to diffuse my curls and opt for a braid instead. When I’m almost ready to go, I gently wake Julian by peppering his cheek and jaw with kisses. Unable tohelp admiring the flexing of his chest and stomach muscles as he stretches beside the bed, I duck out of my room to get my to-go coffee ready before I do something that really will make me late.
He comes up behind me as I tighten the lid on my cup, circling my waist with strong arms, nuzzling my neck. “Do you want a cup to go, too?”
