"Morning, sleepyhead," he said, handing me the coffee as I sat up, not bothering to cover up with the sheets.
"You are a saint," I said. "You even serve coffee in bed."
He just smiled and we sipped our coffee in companionable silence. I was tempted to kiss him, but I knew how I tasted, and I felt things squishing out of me that needed cleaning.
I was at the end of a long, luxurious soak in the shower when it happened. I felt the unmistakable clamp-gush of my period starting, and then something trickled down my leg.
I fell to the shower floor, tears of relief burning my eyes. Shane heard me and came running.
"Are you okay? What happened? Did you-shit, you're bleeding."
I shook my head in denial and took his outstretched hand to lift me up.
"No, I'm fine, it's just my period."
"Then why are you crying?"
I hiccupped and leaned against his chest. "I-because I thought..."
I couldn't make the words come out, as if saying it would put me in danger of having it come true still, somehow.
Shane's eyes narrowed and his gaze hardened. His arms didn't tighten on me, but they went stiff. "You thought you were pregnant? And you didn't tell me? And you let me-"
"Not yours, Shane. His. That's what the argument was about. I told him I was late, and he just sat there. He didn't react at all. Not angry, not afraid, not anything. And I snapped. I was so sick of him being so f**king calm all the time...and then I met you and I realized I didn't have to live that way. And I didn't lie to you. When I told you I wanted you bare, that I wanted you to come inside me, I knew I was either going to start my period or I was already pregnant, so it didn't matter."
He softened. "Oh. Well...just tell me the truth, from now on, okay? If there's one thing I can't stand, in any way, shape, or form, it's being lied to, and that includes having the truth withheld. Okay?"
I nodded. "I didn't want to think about that, when I met you. I wanted to forget about it and hope it would go away. And it did, in a way." I looked up at him. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
"Well, I'm also sorry because this means we can't do anything for a few days. And you sort of started something inside me, like, made me realize how sexually frustrated I was..."
Shane chuckled. "Well, that's okay, because we have a long flight ahead of us."
I stepped back and looked at him with raised eyebrows. "A long flight? Where are we going?"
"I did some research on you, while you were sleeping. I spoke to your supervisors at the hospital, speaking as the CEO and founder of Rescue Medic Enterprises. They all said you're rock-solid under pressure, that you're a certified Paramedic and you've got extensive experience with field triage techniques. They also said they were doing cuts at the hospital and you were in line to be let go."
I rocked back on my heels. I'd suspected my job was in danger, which was another element to the stress that had likely caused me to be late. But what was he saying? I kept quiet and let him talk.
"My point is, if you're up for it, I'd like to welcome you as the newest member of Rescue Medic Enterprises."
"You're hiring me?" I wasn't sure how I felt about that.
"If you'd like to try something new, yes. Civil war has broken out in Sudan again, and my brothers are already en route. I've already booked us two seats out of Metro."
My head was spinning. "Sudan? Africa?"
Shane nodded, his hand on my arm keeping me from falling over. "Yep. So get dressed, my sexy little lion. Your life's about to start."
I sucked a breath in. "Well then, if we're going to Africa, I'm going to need something to put on my lady parts."
Shane laughed uproariously. "That's my girl. There's a little box in the medicine cabinet. It's my sister's. She travels a lot, and whenever she passes through Detroit she stays here, so she leaves a little kit of things. The drawers have all sorts of girly shit in them. Help yourself."
He kissed me quickly, squeezed my bottom, and left, pulling a cell phone from his hip pocket and hitting a speed dial button.
The drawers did indeed have a very thorough supply of feminine-needs products. She had what I needed to take care of my old Aunt Flow, plus some make-up, a brush-which I wished I'd known about last night-and a top-notch hair straightener. I held the straightener in my hands, considering. I'd never really bothered with straightening my hair. I'd tried it a few times, but John never seemed to care either way. Now, about to start a new life with a complete stranger, I decided to go a little out of the box.
I straightened my hair, applied some make-up, and left the bathroom feeling sexy and fresh. My hair was now down past my shoulders, fine and shimmery and unlike I'd ever worn it. Shane had laid out my bra and panties, washed and dried, and a pair of jeans and leather bustier. They looked expensive, and just my size. I tried them on, and discovered that they did indeed fit me perfectly. I didn't recognize the bold-looking blonde biker chick in the mirror, but I liked her.