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“I’m glad you identified the same issues I did. And if it were my wife,” he eyed me in a playful and teasing way, “I wouldn’t leave your side unless you demanded it.”
I arched an eyebrow at him. “You need to calm down with all this stuff between you and me,” I said with a laugh. “I walked head-on into a barrage of gossip this morning. The staff are onto you.”
“I really couldn’t care less.”
“Well, I could,” I answered.
“Bullshit.” He sat back and sipped his coffee, “I can see the smile in your big, beautiful eyes.”
“John,” I said, trying to be stern, “what did we talk about last night?”
“That I’m taking you to the opera?” he reached for his phone. “Oh, by the way, one of the ladies in scheduling owed me a favor, and I cashed it in. This Friday and Saturday, we’ll have off together.”
“This Friday and Saturday? We just had two back-to-back days off together. We can’t do this again.”
“Why not? That’s why we’re not the only doctors here.”
“It’s going to irritate the other doctors.”
He smiled and took another sip of coffee.
“What are you smiling about?” I questioned.
“You know,” he said casually, “I can’t stand being around uptight doctors and?—”
“I’m not uptight.”
“Oh, you most certainly are uptight,” he said.
“I’m just saying I don’t want to piss everyone off because you’re on some crazy mission to date me.”
“Uptight,” he confirmed. “And I was trying to state how it usually irritates me to be around this nonsense, but I find it charming and quite adorable with you.”
“Well, then you’re staring through rose-colored glasses.”
“Nope, I’m staring at one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever known. The fact that I find even your annoying behaviors charming is saying something.”
“It’s saying that we need to return to work,” I smiled.
I couldn’t help but inwardly love that John found me attractive even when I was not at my best. I’d been a raging bitch from the time I woke up, yet John found it adorable. It felt foreign not to have someone argue with me for having a shitty day like Jesse used to love to do. I was probably taking it too far, but I had to admit it was nice.
Just like that, my foul mood was gone, and I was looking forward to the opera. Maybe I would give Casanova a bit of a chance—but I could only allow a sliver of hope to exist between us. I was damn serious about not being ready for a relationship at this point in my life. And a relationship with a man who was all over the place was a recipe for heartbreak.
Chapter Twenty-Three
John
I don’t think the word excited was big enough to describe how I felt. Since I’d gotten back from camping, I couldn’t stop thinking about Mickie and what could be between us.
This was far more than me merely wanting a piece of ass. I really, really wanted this woman in my life. I wanted her eyes gazing into mine, I wanted her lips on mine whenever I had a chance to capture them, and I wanted her. I went to bed, aching to have her in my arms and my body wrapped around hers. I was fucked, and I knew that. The best part was that I didn’t care, even though my brain was trying its hardest to intervene and put an end to what my heart and soul were longing for.
I knew this was crazy, considering what my family expected of me, but when hadn’t I done crazy shit? My career was initially more than my family could handle, but look at them now. They were fine and focused on my brothers being the good, submissive Aster children, doing everything required of them. I had to thank God I was the youngest because I knew very well that my parents would never approve of Mickie because of her background. But for me, they’d let it slide, and I knew it. I always managed to get my way with whatever I wanted, and right now, all I wanted was Mick.
As the Uber driver pulled into her driveway, I nearly bounced in my seat. I got out of the car and hurried to ring the doorbell.
“Good evening, gorgeous,” I said when she opened the front door.
“Good evening, handsome,” she said, our eyes locking for long enough for me to want to scrap this whole opera idea and take her here and now in her aunt’s lavish home.
