Page 52 of Scrubbing In
Disgruntled at the smarting of jealousy over food, I rub my eyes and grumble under my breath. I’m seriously fucked up over her.
“A packaged deal, huh? I’m not sure I’ll survive the two of you.”
Leena leans in close enough to whisper in my ear, “You may not surviveme, if you don’t recoup all the calories you’ve burned in the last eighteen hours.” Her whispered breath flutters along my neck, and her teeth nipping my earlobe sends a shiver down my spine.
Head popping up, I shove the remaining bite of my sandwich into my mouth and chug the water in my glass. “I’m feeling replenished and invigorated,” I announce with a clap.
Sliding her plate in Charlie’s direction, Leena hops up from her chair and grabs my hand with a waggle of her brows. I follow after her like a panting puppy, as if an invisible string connects her hand to my neck. If she wants me to bark for her, I will, but I can’t promise I won’t hump her leg or mark my territory, laying claim to her.
Cocooningourselves away for the rest of the day, we don’t just satiate our bodies’ hunger for each other, we spend hours talking.
I am obsessed with learning every inch of her body and consumed with knowing everything I can about her, not sure if discovering as much as possible will ever explain her undeniable magnetism I’m powerless to resist. I absorb every detail she shares, hoarding each nugget away like a dragon does with gold and precious gems. It’s like now that she’s crossed the line that had been holding her back from letting herself fall into us, she’s eager to share every little bit of herself with me. And I love it.
We wandered out to the kitchen for a snack a little while ago, but she saw me looking around, taking in her space, and tugged me along to give me a quick tour.
Now, glancing down at the table in what is a formal dining room, I take in the puzzle she is currently working on. My lip quirks at this tidbit. “You said you weren’t big on going out. This is what you do in your spare time?” I ask as I pick up a puzzlepiece and grin wider when I’m able to slot it into place on the first try.
“Yeah, I’d much prefer staying in to read or do a puzzle. Sometimes my sister and Sylvie will come over, and we’ll put the kids to bed, and work on a puzzle and just talk.” She shuffles through pieces as she speaks.
“This seems like a pretty big house for just you and Charlie,” I muse out loud.
Her head pops up, and I can’t take my eyes off her soft smile as she takes in the room and dim light from the kitchen beyond. “This house belonged to my grandparents. While Matteo and Mina wanted to spend all their time at the restaurant, I’d come here whenever I could.” Cupping her nape, I sweep my thumb up the column of her neck as she talks. “Grandpa passed when I was in middle school, and I started spending even more time here with my grandma. When she passed away, I couldn’t bear the thought of selling this house. My dad knew I wasn’t planning on going into the family business, so he and my mom offered me the house instead of the share of the restaurant they had been planning on. My mom was an only child and seemed happy that I loved it so much, too. I’ve been updating it ever since I finished school and started working.”
“Wow.” Awed, I take it all in with fresh eyes. I can see her nurturing and natural tendencies to be a caretaker in how she talks about her family and Charlie, reflected in the love and attention she has poured into this place. “You’ve made yourself a beautiful home, baby,” I whisper, placing a gentle kiss to the crown of her head.
We spentthe rest of Sunday evening and Monday locked away in Leena’s room, coming out occasionally for easy-to-consume snacks because we absolutely needed to refuel. However, Leena has now decided we need real sustenance.
Rolling away from me and out of bed, she throws my clothes at me. “Doctor, you may be used to going long periods of time without a proper meal after so many years of med school and residency. But I’m starving”—she draws out the word with the most adorable pout—“and about to wither away in here.” Then she’s hopping around from foot to foot, struggling into her own clothes before she prances from the room.
When I make it out a few moments later, she is already pushing things around in the refrigerator. Snaking my arms around her, I nuzzle her neck. “I could survive only on your sweet pussy.”
“I guess I’ll come back later . . .”
Both of us turn to see Charlie backing out of the kitchen with a huge grin on her face.
“I’m about to cook dinner. Aren’t you hungry?” my girl calls after her.
“Starving!” she says, before turning around with a hard stare. “Call me when it’s ready. And keep it sanitary in here, please.”
“Charlie!” Leena admonishes. “I’m sorry about her.”
Grinning, I begin chopping up vegetables for a salad while she prepares salmon and rice. “Why? I thought you two were a packaged deal?”
“We are. But I don’t want to scare you away,” she says jokingly, but turns her eyes away from me.
“Pretty girl,” I say, stopping what I’m doing until she looks at me from the stove. “I’m not going anywhere. The friendship you two share is one unlike any I’ve seen before. Having a friend who cares for you the way she does only proves how amazing you are, which is definitely worth any sort of teasing Charlie sends my way.”
“Okay.” She says it quietly but with a satisfied tilt to her lips.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Julian
Leena keeps glancingat me as I chop the vegetables, focusing on my forearms and biting her lip, stroking my ego with the heat in her eyes.
“See something you like over here? Or judging my chopping technique, Chef?”
Laughing, she turns back to the stove. “I’m no chef.” Then over her shoulder, she dances her gaze over me again. “It may not be a scalpel, and your technique may be a little messy, but you look good,” she says, a teasing tilt to her voice and twitch of her lips. “How I imagine you’d look without a gown and gloves during surgery. I wouldn’t be able to concentrate if I was still the ortho nurse.”
