Page 34 of Yours to Keep

Pretending to have forgotten something, I adjusted the hem and shifted my weight. Doing pretty much anything but sit still, because sitting still meant the gown pressed, and crinkled, and rubbed in a way that made my skin crawl.

Bree’s eyebrow arched. “And?”

“It’s fine.” I waved a hand. “I’m just stretching.”

She folded her arms as she kept watching me like she was waiting for something, the corners of her mouth twitching upward. “Patients often have to lie down or sit for extended durations of time. Some can’t move, even if they want to, and others have been advised against it. Rest promotes healing.”

She said it like she was reading a pamphlet on patient care out loud, but I saw it for what it was. Bree was calling me out on not being able to sit down for even one damn second while certain patients in this hospital had been stuck in these for days, either lying or sitting down the entire time.

The mere thought of it nearly made me cringe, but I figured that maybe if I tried to distribute the contact points, it would be better. I went for the chair again, but before I’d even planted my ass on it, the gown made a sound like an angry grocery bag.

Sweat broke out along my spine, equal parts discomfort and self-inflicted torture. Internally, I was screaming, but I kept my face neutral and my posture relaxed, like this was all perfectly fine and I wasn’t counting down the seconds until I could tear this thing off and set it on fire.

Meanwhile, Bree was definitely enjoying this now. Laughter sparkled in those blue eyes that had popped up in one too many of my dreams, a smug curve on her lips that she couldn’t hide anymore.

“Are you okay?” she asked, innocence dialed up to a level I didn’t believe for a second.

“Never better.”

She tilted her head and her eyes flicked down. It was just for a moment before they snapped back up, her cheeks going even redder, but even that one tiny glance did something dangerous to my focus.

As soon as it slipped, I felt my cock starting to wake up and alarm sirens went off in my mind. Fuck, no. I’m practically naked right now.

I shifted again, the paper protesting loud enough that there was no hiding the movement. Bree’s eyes finally came back to mine. “You know, it sure looks like you can’t get comfortable.”

“I’m fine.”

“Mm-hmm.” She leaned back against the table now, clearly settling in. “I can get you a cloth gown if you like.”

I shot her a look, but she just flashed me a smile that was so sweet, it almost made my teeth ache. “Oh, wait. I can’t do that. Some genius got rid of them.”

Giving up on the idea of sitting, I walked around the table. After checking my phone, I went over to the window, glancing out and wondering if rolling around on the floor of the patient parking area below would help soothe my skin.

“Stop pacing,” she said. “You’re making me dizzy.”

“I’m not pacing. I’m strategically repositioning.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You’ve repositioned twelve times in under a minute.”

“It’s only because that chair was extremely unsupportive and I’m waiting for an email.”

“The chair? An email?” she repeated. “Are you sure it’s not the sandpaper onesie eating your skin alive?”

“It’s fine,” I said tightly. “I barely feel it.”

I took one more step, then another, and a wince slipped free. Bree clocked it immediately. “Oh my God, you’re sweating.”

“So? I always sweat. It’s really hot in here.”

“It’s really not,” she said, sounding more and more delighted with every word. “I’m also not sure if you’ve noticed this, but you’re twitching too.”

“I’m energized.”

She grinned. “You look like a man trying not to scratch poison ivy on your privates in public.”

“Nah, I could go the rest of the day like this,” I said. “I’ll even sleep in it tonight.”

“Please do,” she said. “I’ll come with you to your meetings. Dinner. Just to make sure you really commit.”