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Drake
Less than twenty-four hours after kissing Margo, and Drake stood freshly showered back in the doctor’s lounge before his shift, eager to see her. He’d had what was supposed to be an easy surgery in the plastics department, but it got complicated when the patient’s heart rate elevated. He much preferred to be in the ER, where an emergency was expected than in a calm surgery suite.
The pace of medicine and the ER were much more intense than plastics, which he enjoyed. But the long hours weren’t conducive to spending time with someone working the same long hours.
I’ll come to your place after our shift. He fired off a text even though she was only about ten feet and one hallway away from where he stood, conferring with Dalton at the start of their shift.
He could see her let out a deep breath before she responded, Okay.
Either she knew he wouldn’t take no for an answer, or she was equally ready to pick up where they’d left off. There was only one thing that could stand between them anymore, the fact that he lived across the country. Something that could be changed.
He could see her read his last message before stowing her phone and heading into the hall where he and the other doctors waited to do their rounds. Her gaze landed on him briefly before she started explaining a trauma case they were expecting via helicopter, but it was long enough for him to recognize the desire and uncertainty in them. Maybe he recognized both those emotions because he felt the same way. It didn’t sound crazy anymore to move home and try to pick up where they left off. He wanted Margo more than his job in LA, more than his fancy career, and practicing medicine in the ER felt like where he needed to be right now. Why couldn’t he have both? The only question was if she would give him a second chance. But he was going to do everything possible to convince her.
Of course, the next eight hours would be the most grueling and exhausting he had experienced in the ER. There was a gang turf war spreading into Virginia from DC, and victims were coming in every hour as the city grew tense with the outbreak in violence. Drake had already sewn up several gunshot wounds when the director asked him up to her office.
“Dr. Maguire, I realize you’re busy pulling double duty today, but the board wanted me to officially offer you a position in the plastic surgery suite. You’ll find the offer in your email, but I wanted to stress this is just the beginning of a negotiation. Mercy can’t compete with the type of salary or bonus structure a lucrative plastic surgery department in LA can offer, but we hope you will consider the offer.”
“Thank you, Director Kelly, I will.”
He hesitated to voice his interest in the ER. Once he told the hospital, it would make it real. And he wanted to see where things were going to lead with Margo before he accepted any position.
“When do you need an answer?”
“Well, it’s not a competitive offer. I think you could take your time over the next week or so to determine whether we can meet you at a comfortable number.”
Drake stood again and shook the director’s hand. “Great, I’ll give it a look as soon as my shift is over and get back to you.”
“Fantastic.”
Drake couldn’t help but smile. He’d secured a position, but maybe not the one he really wanted. He needed to see how far things could move along with Margo in the next week and decide if he was going to stick with plastic surgery or take a leap to work in the ER.
Chapter Sixteen
Margo
If she hadn’t been so exhausted after her shift, she wouldn’t have been able to fall asleep knowing Drake was planning to come over. He was stuck at the hospital longer to finish up with his last patient, yet another stabbing victim. The first half of their shift had been dominated by three gunshot victims and more chaos than anyone should see in one night. She was getting more and more fatigued by emergency medicine. It was common for doctors and nurses to move around just as much as some stayed in one department for life. But she was done with the ER. Promotion or not, she needed a change.
There were several other vacancies in different departments at Mercy. Each would probably involve extra training and a probation period. But it would mean getting away from the chaos of the ER and would give her a chance for a more normal schedule. The deputy director position was still up for consideration, but she waffled on if that was the best next move. It was nice that the director thought she would be a great fit, but that didn’t mean it was what Margo wanted. She’d fallen into training the residents by default. She did enjoy it but not as much as helping patients.
She also didn’t have the deputy director job in the bag, even if she did convince Drake to accept a job at Mercy. She didn’t want to tell him her next job might depend on him accepting a job at Mercy, but then, should she hook up with him? He had left her behind to pursue his career, and for all she knew, he had no intention of leaving his fancy career in LA. But ever since he’d coaxed her body into an explosive frenzy with his hand, she couldn’t stop thinking about the next time. The next time when they would have no interruptions. Even if her head hadn’t caught up, her body had already decided to hook up with Drake again.
She didn’t want to have to worry about repercussions, anyone else’s feelings, or recruiting Drake for a job to help her get a promotion. She wanted to win the promotion because she earned it and then decide if she wanted it. She wanted to hook up with Drake and get him out of her system because she didn’t think he would stay in the long run. She wasn’t going to think about how much more she wanted with Drake because she couldn’t let herself want something she couldn’t have. It had been hard enough to get over him the first time. Fantasies of Drake dominated her mind as her eyes drifted closed. She would just rest on the couch until he arrived.
What seemed like moments later, she woke up with a start knocking on her door, and the clock indicated she’d been asleep for about an hour. Standing, she shook off her exhaustion and opened the door.
She was gifted with a freshly showered, smiling Drake, and his dark eyes ran over her rumpled clothes. There were faint circles under his eyes that were overshadowed by his dark long lashes, and dark eyebrows that framed his face. Her favorite feature was the lush thick black hair he usually kept styled just a little long on top. When they dated, she would grip his hair between her fingers while they made love. She could still remember the silky feel.
“You look as tired as I feel.” His gruff voice broke the silence.
“I hope you don’t plan on having any deep conversation. I’m too sleepy,” she said, stepping back and letting him walk into her apartment.
His smile was the stuff of fairy tales: sexy and disarming wrapped into one. Stepping inside, he closed the door behind him.
“I don’t really want to talk right now either.”
She nodded before he stepped into her space, and one of his hands moved up to cup her neck while the other began to undo the hair tie holding her braid in place. His hands wove into her hair, releasing the thick waves.
“I missed you.”
