There was a moment Mia could have gone to either one of them. Adam wiping at his bloody mouth or Nick opening and closing his fist, thinking he wasn’t done yet. She came to him. Her eyes were still wide, her mouth open slightly in shock.
“Hey, babe.”
The door to the diner opened. “Somebody going to pay for this coffee?”
Mia reached into her pocket, but Adam went to the door. “I got it.”
“I’m sorry, Adam. You know I’m with Nick.”
“Yeah. I guess I do.” He gave her a sad look and went inside, getting out his wallet as he went.
Mia turned back to Nick, smiled up at him. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
“You promised not to forget.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t promise not to remind him or anyone else. Here.” He took her coat from her hands and held it open. “Put this on.”
She slipped her arms in then wrapped them around his neck and kissed him. “I told you I was too busy to spend time with you.”
“I know.”
Her lips curved against his. “But you came anyway.”
He finished the last button and turned up her collar against the wind. “Yes.”
She tugged his face down until their lips met again. “Thank you.” Then she kissed him, so deeply, so full of welcome and happiness, he knew he’d done the right thing.
He waited while she finished her shift, then waited some more while she finagled a trade so she could have the next thirty-six hours off. Thirty-six hours of just the two of them. He planned to make the most of it.
Chapter 9
IT WAS AFTER MIDNIGHT when they hit the door of her apartment at a near run, their mouths fused as they stumbled through. “I want to talk to you,” he said between kisses.
“Yes,” she said against his mouth. “Me, too.”
“And I want to look at you and…”
“Me too.” Her fingers pulled at his hair while his flew over her back, her bottom, searched under her coat for her breast.
“But not now.”
“No. Not now,” she panted. “I can’t think right now.” She kissed him hard, nipped at his bottom lip, and he laughed.
“I think you missed me.”
“Yes. God, I missed you.” She reached for his belt and flipped the button of his jeans. It had been way too long. “Nick.”
“I feel like a clumsy teen again.” He ran his hands over her, despising the layers of clothes.
“You were never clumsy.”
“Just on the inside then. God, you made me nervous.”
She tipped her head back, making room for his seeking lips, and smiled. “Not as nervous as you made me. I can assure you.”
Their mouths found each other again. Coats were ripped away, his sweater, her scrubs. It was rough and loud and wild, both of them forgetting how to breathe. She slid like silk over him, kissing his face, his chest, working her way down. She used her hands and mouth until he couldn’t remember his own name.
By the time he finally thrust into her tight heat, his world was almost right again. And then it was all the way right. He put his mouth to the pulse in her neck, his own heart shuddering at the feel of it beating against his lips. “You’re mine.”
“I know. Always.” She struggled for breath. “Don’t ever let me go.”
“Never.”
She gave him everything— her body, her soul, all her love, all her trust, and he gave her back the same.
Afterward, they lay together with her body draped over his. He stroked her back, combed his fingers through her hair like she loved. Her body felt melded and molded to his, but she wasn’t asleep.
“What are you thinking about?” she whispered.
“About waking up beside you, making love to you again while you’re warm and sleepy.”
“Getting ahead of yourself, aren’t you?”
“No.” His hands caressed her bottom. “I don’t think so.”
“Mmm.” She agreed and wiggled against him.
“You should be sleeping these thirty-six hours.”
“No,” she whispered, almost sighed. “No sleeping.”
“You’re tired. You’re not getting enough rest.”
“I’m a doctor. We don’t sleep.”
“You’re not eating enough or well.” He’d noticed that the second he’d laid eyes on her.
“Mmm. Another thing about doctors.” She shifted so that she was still covering him but off to one side, with her head on his shoulder. “Tell me you’re eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.”
“Vegetables, yes. Fruit, not so much. How did you get the time off?”
“Someone owed me.”