JARROD
The days leading to Friday were filled with every occupation I could imagine to keep myself from visiting Leah. Knowing where she lived made it all the harder to resist my temptations.
We texted continuously around our work schedules, which helped keep my impatience at bay. She had gotten bolder and began sending me selfies in her pajamas—and sometimes in much less.
Everything about this woman drove me insane. I handled myself multiple times a day to the thought of her.
Come Friday, work crawled by at an agonizing pace. Even though she'd told me she had meetings all day, I impulsively checked my phone over and over for new messages.
One of the nurses even told me I seemed a little spacey. I hoped my patients didn't notice, but I could hardly help it. Every fiber in my being was ready to see my girl again.
I finished my last patient record and practically ran out of the clinic. Leah would be showing up at my condo in an hour, so I needed to be quick at the grocery store to get a few last-minute ingredients.
This was her first experience trying my food, so I was nervous. I was no chef but I wanted to impress her. Ramen noodles and bagged salad had gotten me through medical school and I hadn't ventured far beyond either as an overworked physician.
Spaghetti wasn't hard, though. Just boil some noodles and throw a jar of red sauce in there.
Just to be sure I didn't miss anything, I called James on the way home. He went to culinary school a few years ago and had always loved to cook.
"What do you want?" he answered grumpily.
"I'm great, bro. How are you?" I mocked.
"Ready to hang up on you."
"Aren't you just a ray of sunshine today?" I rolled my eyes. "How is everything going with Jules?"
"I'm in New York right now. Mother is with her. They delayed her stay again."
"Fuck. What happened this time?"
"She threatened a nurse."
"Why?"
"Your guess is as good as mine."
I rubbed my temple. "Mom needs to take her somewhere else."
"Undoubtedly. Were you just calling to check on her? I am a little occupied tonight."
"You—occupied on a Friday night? I don't believe it. Got a hot date?"
He scoffed. "In your wet dreams. The season finale for Grey's is on."
"I was genuinely excited for you for just a second."
"Unless you have something of substance to share, I'm hanging up."
"Well, unlike you, I do have a hot date tonight. I'm making spaghetti, but I wanted to get your opinion on how to make it extra special."
"Now I'm surprised," he muttered. "Is this for the one playing hard to get?"
I grimaced. "I refused to take 'no' for an answer until she agreed."
He barked out a laugh. "Right. She should have stuck to her intuition and ignored you."
"Do you have any advice or not?"
"Add some of the oregano with cheese to the garlic toast."
"That all?"
"I don't get paid to be your private chef."
I rolled my eyes. "I hope you soil your fucking panties tonight."
"For Grey's? Always."
"Bye, shithead."
"Later, wanker."
Soon I pulled into the garage and loaded the groceries into the elevator. I hurried to my condo and set the ingredients out on the island before rushing to take a quick shower. After, I dressed in jeans and a plain short-sleeved button-up.
As I placed the pot of water on the stove, the doorbell went off. I ran a hand over my damp hair and opened the door. My stomach buzzed with fresh nerves.
I was instantly greeted by the sweet, floral smell of Leah's perfume. My eyes settled on the little beauty beaming up at me.
Leah wore a short red dress with white ankle boots. Her hair fell in loose waves around her shoulder and her makeup was minimal. She'd painted her lips a scarlet color that I could already imagine smearing down her neck.
"Hi, gorgeous," I said. "Come on in."
When she moved to step up to the threshold, I pecked the corner of her mouth before stepping aside.
"Welcome to my humble abode," I said. "You look beautiful, by the way."
"Thank you."
Leah strolled in and set her bag on the kitchen island. I watched her move about with easy confidence while she unpacked its contents, admiring her calming essence in my home.
There was no pressure with her; everything was as natural as breathing. She didn't put on a show or say meaningless things to get attention. She was genuinely, comfortably herself.
"Wow," Leah said, her tone appreciative. "This is the cutest bachelor pad I've ever seen."
"Cute?" I frowned and made my way over to her.
She smirked as my hands settled on her hips. I nudged her back against the island, sliding my knee between her thighs. She bit her lip and glanced away. Her cheeks flushed my favorite shade of pink.
"I don't remember it looking like this the other night," she said softly. "You must have cleaned up."
I grinned. "I always keep it clean. You were just too distracted last time to notice."
She rolled her eyes and placed her palms flat on my chest, stroking my masculine ego. "Maybe you can distract me again later."
"Or right now."
Clucking her teeth, she gave me a chiding look. "I have to taste your cooking first. Those are my conditions."
"See, rules are a good thing," I teased, running a hand through her silky tresses. "How about one little kiss?"
She arched a brow but relinquished with a nod. I leaned down and planted a firm kiss on her lips, tasting mint and lipstick. When my tongue skimmed the seam of her mouth, she pulled away.
"Little," she emphasized, scowling cutely.
I groaned but leaned away. "Yes, ma'am."
She patted my arm. "Now, I've starved myself all day for this, so let's eat!"
Before she could whirl off to the stove, I caught her hips and pinned her to the island again. I tilted her chin up to force her gaze to mine.
"You mean you haven't eaten all day?" I frowned.
"I was joking. I'm just ravenous." Her smile didn't reach her eyes, though.
"You need to eat, baby. That's hard on your metabolism."
She sighed but nodded. "I'm trying to watch my calories. I didn't want to restrict myself tonight, so I just ate lightly. I don't do it all the time."
"You are perfect," I said with a hard look. "I don't want you depriving yourself of food. Here, let's get you a snack. Dinner won't be ready for a few minutes."
"It's really okay."
"Nope. My girl will never be ravenous on my watch."
She reluctantly obliged, accepting the peanut butter crackers I found in the pantry. While she nibbled on her snack, I watched the noodles and got the toast ready. We chatted about the week and what we had going on at work.
Having her here with me felt like a dream and I was soaking up every second of it. Still, her troubling confession lingered in the back of my mind.
I was upset that she was watching her calories. She was gorgeous and fit. She deserved to eat whatever she wanted. This was probably her insecurities talking again, a result of her traumatizing past relationship.
My hands twitched at the thought of that cocky fucker from the gym. Karma would come for him at some point, and he better hope it didn't come in the form of my wrath.