Page 398 of The Doctors Will See You Now

“Shit. Seriously?”

“No.” I grinned. He discreetly pinched the side of my ass in retaliation. “Actually, I only woke up with a little bit of a headache,” I admitted. “Nothing some ibuprofen wasn’t able to solve.”

“So, if you’re measuring on the same scale as I am, I guess your first proclamation of fine wasn’t so off base. I woke up feeling like I’d attempted my own brain surgery without anesthetic.”

“Eeek.” I grimaced at the metaphor. “Sorry I made you drink last night.”

“Don’t be,” he said. “I haven’t had that much fun in a long fucking time.”

I searched his eyes and smiled at the truth and honesty that lay behind his gaze. “Me either.”

Nick brushed a piece of hair behind my ear and leaned forward, his lips painting barely there, shiver-inducing kisses up and down my neck.

Goose bumps pebbled my skin, and a soft sigh left my lips. “That feels good.”

“It does.”

“Yeah, it does feel good,” I responded. “Really good.”

“That wasn’t a question, Char.” Nick’s eyes met mine, but his lips stayed busy on my skin. “I’m finding that kissing you is my new favorite thing.”

Mine too.

Cripes, if he kept this up, I’d have to tell Harry we needed a rain check.

Just as Suzy Q carried a tray of food toward our booth, Nick placed one final kiss to my shoulder before straightening up in his seat.

My mouth turned down into a little pout of its own accord. When it came to Nick, I seemed to have this incessant craving for more from him. More touches, more kisses, more attention. Just, more.

I silently wondered if I’d been a cat in a past life or something. Lord knows, if he offered to pet me right now, I’d be in his lap and purring my excitement without a second thought.

He brushed his index finger across my mouth. “I think we’re going to need to finish what we started, after we eat, at my place. Sound good?”

Oh my God, yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! my brain, and most likely, my vagina shouted. My mouth did a better job of playing it cool. “That sounds perfect.”

Dinner with Charlotte had been equal parts enjoyable and fucking maddening.

I’d enjoyed the easy flow of our conversation, the riotous sound of her laugh—even the Frisco melt and fries I’d washed down with an ice-cold milk shake—but the intense urge to strip her naked and kiss her senseless made my skin crawl with a tinge of early-stage insanity.

I’d spent the majority of our meal fixated on the seductive way her plush, full lips moved whenever she said something or smiled or laughed, and every time she crossed or uncrossed her legs, my balls grew heavier with need.

Mesmerizing eyes, soft, glowing skin, long, svelte legs with a firm, curvaceous ass, and lush, rounded hips I couldn’t stop thinking about wrapping my hands around again—Charlotte Hollis was beautiful, everywhere.

It took every inkling of willpower to keep my gawking to a minimum.

But my hourglass of patience had run out, and thankfully, we had finally made it back to my place.

With the intense need to feel her—everywhere—front and center, my hands tingled as I yanked at the hem of Charlotte’s skirt and pushed her into the wall right inside the front door of my apartment.

Inhibited by our bodies no more, we kissed like our lives depended on it, and I kicked the door shut with a hard slam. It rang out painfully and cut sharp arrows into the following silence.

Through panting breaths and subdued groans, Charlotte offered her throat to me brazenly, daring me to get in there and take my time.

I did so without complaint, almost drowning in her intoxicating smell and warmth. Her body was pliant, helpful even, curving into the bulk of mine and working to get closer. I felt like a man starved for anything and everything related to her.

She was a buffet of all of my favorite things, and I wanted to taste and devour it all.

It wasn’t that I hadn’t had any sexual contact in years, or that I considered myself some kind of candidate for celibacy, but the truth was, I scarcely prioritized it. Between work and Lexi, my schedule was nearly full to the brim, and if I was going to add in anything else, it was going to be more time with my daughter.