Page 17 of Mountain Beast

And never to my complete satisfaction.

“That’s not fair, Autumn. Your parents weren't kidding when they said that you've changed. Why are you doing this?”

“You mean, why am I living my life the way I want to and not accepting the scraps you used to give me? The scraps you’re now giving... What was her name again? Tanya?”

“Don't bring her into this.”

Briggs's tongue thrusts as deep as it can, licking at my walls while his fingers milk my clit.

“Oh my god.”

“What was that?”

“Oh my god, Jason. This… This… I've gotta go.”

I slam the phone over and come braced against the exam table. Briggs chuckles at the strength of my orgasm, before standing and kissing the back of my neck.

It's an oddly tender gesture. Which, honestly, shouldn’t surprise me. These past few weeks with Briggs have been full of surprises.

When he’s not pissing me off with his attitude, he’s making me melt with his unexpected gentleness.

“Your ex is a whiny asshole.”

“Tell me something I don't know.” My loose muscles slump over the wrinkling paper covering the table. I’ll have to switch it out before the next patient.

“You taste like fucking honey and cinnamon,” he rasps in my ear, and my buffering mind struggles to understand the non-sequitur.

“That sweet, huh?” I say, catching my breath.

“That perfect,” he corrects, and it takes all my power not to swoon.

Shit. I should not be feeling this way about my fuck buddy. We don't even like each other. We still bicker over nonsense, he’s still got a chip on his shoulder, and I’m just trying to prove a point to myself.

Right?

“What’s the deal with Jason? I heard you were divorced, but he still calls and says ‘I love you’?”

“Ugh…” I do not want to discuss my failings when it comes to my ex-husband. Standing straight, I scoot out between Briggs and the table to clean up at the sink along the far wall, needing a minute to think.

“Our families are close, so we’ve known each other forever.” My hands land behind me as I lean against the sturdy counter, while he washes his hands next. “Imagine a royal marriage pact, except for the medical world. Our dads wanted a medical dynasty. First, with their children marrying, then with the grandchildren that would follow. Thankfully, Jason cheated on me before we got to that part of the plan.”

“What an idiot.”

A wan smile twitches at the corner of my lips before disappearing. “Yeah… That’s mostly why we had to veer off the surgical path. Jason couldn’t hack it.”

“So, he held you back from what you wanted.”

“Not quite. I’m the one who suggested a private family practice.” My shoulders rise and fall in admission as Briggs braces himself beside me. “Maybe I should thank Jason for making it easier to ignore my dad’s dictate in that regard. He was really gunning for a surgical prodigy to follow in his footsteps.”

“Your dad sounds like a prick, too,” he says with grim understanding.

A startled laugh breaks loose. “I’ve never said that out loud, but I think you may be right.” I pause, considering the path that’s always been expected of me. “My parents don’t approve of my life thus far. The divorce. Moving to High Ridge. They don’t like the ‘changes they’re seeing in me.’”

Even repeating the words from my mom’s last phone call causes a pit in my stomach.

Briggs chuckles and crosses his arms over his chest before bumping me with his shoulder. “And to think, they don’t even know about your fuck buddy situation, Miss Good Little Bad Girl.”

I roll my eyes at the ridiculous moniker. “It’s about more than being bad, you know. It’s about freedom. I’ve spent my entire life living by their rules, and it hasn’t stopped me from getting fucked over.”