AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He pushes off the door. “But we’ve really got to get going.”
“I’m right behind you,” I say following. “I don’t know what the fire drill is about. Is Tessa all set to manage Nick?”
“Yeah, all good there.”
“I know he’s on the mend, but I still feel a little funny about leaving him,” I say as we descend the stairs.
“He’s doing great, and Tessa will be here the whole time,” he glances over his shoulder at me. “For the next two days, turn off the doctor's brain and try to relax for a change.”
“Easier said than done.” When we reach the bottom of the stairs, I turn toward Nick’s room, but Bash grabs my hand, stopping me.
“Nick, we’re leaving,” he calls out.
“Have a good time,” Nick replies.
Bash hikes a brow at me. “Satisfied?”
I roll my eyes at him. “Let’s go.” We grab our coats and head out the door.
The drive to the East Hamptons was pleasant enough. Bash and I talked about our childhoods, comparing our upbringing. My father is a retired Naval officer living in Alaska where we’d been stationed for five years. This tickled Sebastian because Alaska was merely a stone’s throw away from Russia. We were practically neighbors as children and didn’t even know it.
At thirty-one years old, Bash is still five years older than me. He’d finished his MBA by age twenty-two and had spent six years working for Goldman Sachs in New York before he left to run his family’s business. Whereas I’d earned my undergraduate degree at NYU and went on to attend medical school there as well.
But as Bash is fond of saying, the stars aligned, and our paths crossed on that fateful night. We’ve been inseparable ever since. And for the most part, happy ever since.
Upon stating that, he slipped his hand into mine, resting it upon my knee. I give him a warm smile and glance up at the rearview mirror. Dmitri and his brother follow at a comfortable distance. All the while reminding us that all is not well in Camelot.
We discussed our favorite movies and TV shows. Bash watched very little television, but he’d mentioned that the one show that fascinated him was E.R. His favorites were Doctors Green and Benton. While he thought Dr. Green was a brilliant and compassionate physician, he thought Dr. Benton, the surgeon, was the rock star.
“Ah,” I say, “thus your fascination with doctors, surgeons in particular.”
He grins. “You know, I toyed with the idea of becoming a doctor.”
“Really?” I say, turning to look at him. I try to imagine Bash in scrubs as a surgeon. He’s highly intelligent and could probably accomplish anything he set his mind to. The drive and determination are there. How different our lives would be if he’d only chosen that path.
“But the family was pressuring me to run the business, so it was an MBA for me instead.”
“Do you regret it?”
He considers it a moment, his head lilting to the side. “I think this was the best course for all parties concerned.” He glances at me. “Besides, my superhot girlfriend’s a surgeon. It’s the next best thing.”
We arrive at the house around 8 pm. The floodlights in the front yard illuminate the stately home in soft hues. Through the windows, I see that the inside of the house is lit up as well, as if welcoming us in.
Bash carries our things up to the master bedroom. I head for the living room and go stand before the large plate glass window overlooking the vast silvery ocean. Watching the full moon shine its rays down upon the surface of the glistening water was like watching heaven pour down pure radiance and love to wash away all this world’s woes. The panoramic vista is breathtaking.
“Magnificent, isn’t it?”
My gaze shifts to Sebastian’s reflection in the glass as he strolls up behind me, looking fine as hell.
“I’ll say, and the ocean’s not too bad either.”
He chuckles softly as his blue eyes crinkle adorably. “You’ve got to see these stars, Mads. It’s insane out here,” he says, taking me by the hand. “Come on, you’ve got to come see it.”
“Ah, babe, it’s kind of cold out there,” I say, resisting as he pulls me toward the French doors that open out onto the deck.
“Stop whining and come on,” he says and throws his arm around my shoulder. He reaches over and flips on a light switch. Out on the deck, beautiful blue flames dance up and lick the air within the stone firepit. “We’ll be warm enough.”
“All right, Romeo,” I tease as I let him pull me back out into the cold night air. “Happy now?”
