Page 25 of Prickly Pair
Me
I might need a visual reference
Evie
Naughty ;)
She sent a photo of just the tops of her breasts, just enough to see the lace against her soft freckled skin. The red was a bold shade of crimson with scalloped lace edges. The black was strappy with a metal ring at the center, dark and sexy. I wasn’t sure I could pick, she was perfect in both. My cock strained against my mesh shorts and I groaned.
Me
You look gorgeous in both, Evie
I can barely think right now
Evie
I’ll surprise you then
See you tonight, doc
I put my phone down and laid my forehead against the steering wheel, trying to will away my erection, but that wasn’t going to happen. Not after seeing those pictures. It’d only been a peek too, but it was enough to set my imagination on fire.
This week had been a fucking nightmare, but knowing I had a date tonight with Evie kept me sane. It got me through an elbow break with a four-year-old, a stage-four lung cancer diagnosis with an older patient, and a construction worker being pierced through his foot by a nail gun.
I’d always wanted to be a doctor. I’d known since I was a kid that it was right for me. My mother still told stories every holiday about how I used to carry around a toy stethoscope and check everyone’s hearts. Eventually my dad bought me a real one just so I could hear the beats. My family was proud that I’d become a doctor, even though they were all confused on what brought me to a small town like Whynot.
The answer was too complicated though. And sad. I slid my hand over my collarbone, feeling for the locket there. I didn’t even want to think about it.
But Whynot was my home now. And I was finally able to push myself to reach for the romance I wanted in my life. It was time to move on from the past.
Maybe I’d swing by the store for supplies. Just in case Evie ended up coming home with me. I wasn’t going to press for that, I was content to take my time, but I liked being prepared.
Which meant I needed to tidy up my place, do laundry, and make it presentable.
All my nerves fired up as I started my car and drove the three streets over from the park to the grocery store. It was atiny shoebox-sized place that did its best to stock the freshest foods. They also made tortillas by hand every morning, so maybe I’d get lucky and there would still be a pack. Maybe some wine, some condoms . . .
I drained about a quarter of my water bottle before heading inside to shop. A wave of cool air blasted as the doors slid open.
I picked up a hand basket and perused the store, making my way all around until I came to the condom aisle. God, when was the last time I’d bought condoms? It’d been ages. What if she had an allergy to something I wasn’t aware of? I groaned and tossed three different boxes into my basket. Hopefully one of them would work . . . if we went that far.
Fuck. I was still thinking about her lingerie.
I crossed over to the wine aisle and stopped when I saw a familiar face.
Nick.I recognized him from the bakery the other day. I found myself staring, my heart pounding as he inspected the different bottles of wine. His flaxen-blond hair was cut into a mullet, and piercings glinted along the shell of his ears. Countless tattoos inked his golden skin, and I couldn’t help but wonder how many were hidden under his clothes.
I didn’t know what to think about him. My first impression of him at the bakery was that he clearly wanted Evie. But Evie wanting him back surprised me, then made me wonder . . . What would it be like to have two romantic partners? I’d certainly seen that work out for Mateo and Dallas. Both of them were so happy with their partners.
In the front of his cart, a little head popped up. Two bright green eyes blinked at me and my mouth dropped.
His cat. He had his black cat in the store.
I couldn’t stop myself from cracking a bad joke as I neared. “What aisle do they sell those on?”
Nick glanced up and his face lit with a smile. “Oh, hey.” He scratched the top of his cat’s head. “Want to say hi this time? Lucky is nice to everyone except Austin. I know I’m probably not supposed to bring him in, but no one has stopped me yet, so . . .”
I laughed as I held out my hand. Lucky butted his head against me and offered a slow blink. He wore a lime green harness and leash with a silver clover-shaped tag.
