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Prologue
Claire – The First Night…
Keep dreaming, I tell my subconscious as prickling sensations coat every inch of my skin. A firm hand slides along my abdomen, leaving tingles in its wake. Rough bristle runs along the back of my neck, pushing through my hair until soft lips touch the skin below my ear.
It feels so lifelike; I never want to wake up. This is the best dream I’ve had in my life. A stirring begins low in the pit of my stomach, arousing me with the possibility of what’s to come. The tip of a tongue darts out, ever so smoothly licking along the tendon in my neck until my breath hitches. The hand on my abdomen tightens, hauling me back into a hard body right as his warm breath whispers, “Babe, I need to get going.”
My eyes fly open, and I realize this is not a dream.
The events of last night come rushing back to me and I tense. What started as innocent flirting ended with us in a naked frenzy, neither of us holding back as we gave in to pent-up lust and desire. The brush of his hand against mine, the suggestive winks, the curl of his lips when he caught me staring at him from across the room, all of it built from inside, and the instant we were alone, I pounced.
Images of us replay in my mind, and I try to squirm away only to be held tighter. He twists us, pulling his hand away to turn on my lamp, then tucks me against his side. When my eyes adjust to the light, I’m face to face with Mathis Bennett.
The Mathis Bennett.
Soon-to-be officially Dr. Bennett.
A man so brilliant, so kind, and so out of this world gorgeous I fell in love with him instantly. He was the epitome of everything I wanted in a man.
My mind danced with visions of a future filled with promise and hope.
I knew I was crazy… insane… and possibly certifiable, but Mathis Bennett had that effect on me.
Now, he’s staring at me intensely with his striking blue eyes, reaffirming why I was eager to fall into bed with him so easily. My heart beats harder, and an uneasy feeling settles in my chest.
“What time is it?” My voice comes out croaky, and I clear the sleep from my throat.
“It’s early, four-thirty a.m.”
“Is something wrong?”
“I need to get going and didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.”
“Why do you have to leave this early?”
“Doesn’t Bizzy get off shift at five? I don’t think it’s appropriate if I’m in bed with you when she gets home. There will be a lot of explaining to do. We don’t want her to get the wrong impression.” \
My heart plummets, and I try to pretend his words don’t slice me into pieces. Those visions of promise and hope disintegrate into a fiery explosion.
Stupid, stupid Claire! I should know by now there are no such things as soul mates. My defense mechanisms jump into place, and I force myself to nod. “Of course, makes sense. You should go. She’ll be home from the hospital within fifteen minutes of getting off shift. The last thing we want is to give her the wrong impression.” I purposely use his words, trying to sound agreeable.
His face softens, and he cups my jaw, leaning in closer. “That was a dick thing to say. I’m sorry it came out that way. What I should have said was I am a private person, and I respect you too much to let anyone know what we shared. Bizzy can be a
bit overzealous with her curiosity. If you choose to tell her, that’s your business. Last night was amazing, and the last thing I want is to tarnish it with my idiocy.”
Well, that’s sweet—kinda. He’s looking out for me in a roundabout way and trying to shield me from the Bizzy inquisition that could go very wrong. Overzealous is an understatement.
“Thanks,” is all I can say.
“Why are you thanking me? It’s me who should be thanking you.”
“For having sex with you?” I know I sound confused, but this guy is seriously messing with my head.
He grins, running his thumb across my lips. “Not for the sex, although that was an added bonus. Thank you for giving me a great night. You are so vibrant, brilliant, and full of life. Being around you the last few days was a breath of fresh air that allowed me to smile for the first time in months. All the stress of my life faded away, and I laughed more than I think I have since I entered medical school. You gave me a gift.”
Okay, that was really sweet, the kind of sweet that burns my eyes. Thankfully, he keeps talking because my throat is closing.
“Amazing, Claire. I mean it. You’re amazing, and I’m honored to have spent the night with you.”
I immediately add ‘sweet-talker’ to my list of traits, which is becoming an increasingly long list.
“Will I see you again?”
“If I’m lucky. Once I get back to Miami, I’ll know more about my residency. My plan is to try to visit as much as possible, especially with Nick’s games.”
A spark of excitement bursts inside. Nick Bennett is Mathis’s younger brother and is the star quarterback. Football season is quickly approaching. There are six scheduled home games, which means six opportunities to see Mathis again soon.
“I can’t make any promises because there’s no telling what my upcoming expectations are going to be.” He goes on, “There are many subjective factors that are going to carve my career, and I’m interviewing with some tough doctors and administrators for a spot on their teams.”
Dammit! Leave it to me to fall for a man who is emotionally unavailable. Not because he’s a Class-A dickhead, but because he’s trying to become a world-renowned pediatrician.
He’s so fucking perfect.
“I understand. It sucks, but I get it. And for what it’s worth, from what I know about you, any of those doctors would be lucky to have you on their team.”
His eyes light up, and he flashes me a smile before lowering his lips to mine in a brief kiss. “You’re making it hard to leave this bed.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask him to stay, but a little voice in my head is telling me he’s right on this. Last night was ours, and I’m not ready to answer questions that don’t have answers. Bizzy is a lover by nature. She’s had some rough shots in her life, and she loves the Bennett brothers like they are her blood family. If she sees Mathis and me together, there will be no end to her curiosity, which could become uncomfortable for everyone involved.
This is between Mathis and me, and I will always cherish the memory of our night together.
“I respect you, too, and I think we would definitely give Bizzy the wrong impression.” My tone is softer with a lot less bite than earlier.
“Can I call you next week?”
“I’d like that.”
He kisses me again, this time sweeping his tongue across my lips from corner to corner before slipping inside. His tongue claims mine, a reminder of exactly how he treated my body last night—possessive, demanding, greedy. There is no choice but to follow his lead, allowing him to control our rhythm and speed. My lungs burn from lack of oxygen. Silently, I’m begging him to never stop, my hand fisting in his hair to hold him to me. His tongue slows, caressing mine lovingly, then eventually breaks away to leave me breathless.
“Thank you for giving me a night I’ll never forget.”
He rolls out of bed, his fully naked body on display, and I grip my sheets to stop myself from pouncing on him again. He grabs his clothes off the floor and disappears into my bathroom, but not before he catches me ogling and winks.
There’s not a bit of humility as I yank his pillow to my face and inhale deeply, smelling the faint scent of his cologne. I twist to my side, curling my legs up, and feel a delicious soreness all over my lower body.
A few minutes later, the door opens. I stuff the pillow behind my head and watch him saunter to me, looking every bit the cool, confident Mathis who walked into my apartment and stole my breath.
