Chapter Eighteen
For Megan, the next few weeks flew by. She didn’t know if it was because she was so busy at work, or it was because she was so happy being with Pesh. She liked to think it was the latter. Or maybe it was that she was busy being with Pesh. On her off days and his, they spent every second together. Most often, he came to her house. They made dinner together or they went out. Although her parents didn’t entirely approve, he slept over as well. What they didn’t know is that some nights nothing illicit even happened between them. Exhausted from the day’s events, they merely enjoyed lying in each other’s arms.
As she came out of a patient’s room, she glanced up to see Pesh standing across the hall talking to another doctor. For just a moment, his gaze met hers, and although no one else could have possibly noticed it, she saw the longing and the affection. She gave him a brief nod before walking on to the nurses’ station.
Since they had become a couple, their time at work had become almost a game of wills to pretend there was nothing going on between them. Most days, it was harder than Megan could have ever imagined not to burst out in a smile whenever she saw him or to resist the urge not to wrap her arms around him. But somehow they made it work. In the end, the pent up emotions that were suppressed during the day made for a lot of heated fireworks in the evenings.
Megan’s thoughts were interrupted at the buzzing of her phone. When she glanced down at it, she grinned. It was Pesh.
It killed me not to be able to kiss you a moment ago.
I know. Me too.
Dinner at my place tonight?
U cooking? She questioned.
Yeah. Indian food.
Mmm, sounds good. What time?”
7. Does Mason like Indian food?
Megan eyed his text thoughtfully. The last three times she had been with Pesh, Mason had been with them as well. Pesh never seemed to mind, but Megan wanted a night with just him. A true date night.
Not sure. Will get my parents or Papa to babysit.
You don’t have to do that.
I know. I want to.
Okay. See you at 7.
Bye.
She had just slipped her phone back in her pocket when she was ambushed by Kara. Since the day she’d seen Kara grope Pesh in the hallway, Megan had loathed the sight of her. She had managed to keep her distance from her at work, but lately, she noticed that Kara had been creeping around, staring at her.
“Can I do something for you?” Megan asked politely.
“Yeah, for starters, you can drop the sugar sweet act. I know how you feel about me.”
Megan fought the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Fine. What do you need Kara?”
Kara glanced around them before she spoke. “I want you to back off of Pesh.”
“Excuse me?”
Narrowing her eyes, Kara said, “I know you’re into him. I can see it in the way you look at him…it’s in the way he looks at you, too. And I don’t like it.”
“Well, I’m terribly sorry that you don’t, but frankly, I don’t see how any of that is any of your business.”
“Oh, he is very much my business considering we’ve been together.”
“Um, okay. Whatever,” Megan replied, feeling slightly shattered by Kara’s proclamation. In the rational side of her mind, she knew there was no way Pesh could be involved with Kara. But at the moment, it was the irrational side that seemed to be winning out over whether Pesh was truly hers.
Kara jerked her chin in the air. “Besides the fact of what Pesh and I are to each other, I’m sure it would be very interesting business to your professor. Last time I checked, a nursing candidate wasn’t supposed to get involved with a doctor. Bad for one’s reputation.”
“Are you threatening me?”
After a casual shrug of her shoulders, Kara replied, “Just stating facts. You don’t impress me as one of those bimbo girls who likes to be used by a man for sex, which I’m afraid that’s exactly what Pesh is doing with you. But more than not wanting to be a sex toy, I imagine you wouldn’t want to do anything to harm your future career.”
“I’m not discussing this any further,” Megan muttered, as she started past her.
“I won’t be either as long as you stay away from Pesh.”
Without giving Kara a final glance, Megan continued walking down the hallway. She didn’t know where she was going, but she knew she wanted to put as much distance as she could between herself and Kara.
The rest of the day she felt haunted by Kara’s words. More than anything, she couldn’t wait until she could be alone with Pesh to talk to him about it.
Pesh jerked his head up at the loud bang behind him. The garage door leading into the kitchen was thrown open with such a force that it rattled on its hinges. Megan stalked into the room, her mouth turned down in a determined frown. She threw her purse down onto the floor beside one of the bar stools. With a frustrated breath, she blew back a few errant strands of blonde hair that had escaped the loose knot at the back of her neck.
“Bad day?” he asked, with thinly veiled amusement.
She glared at him. “Yes, as a matter of fact it was.”
“What happened?”
“Well, where do I start? When I went to drop Mason off at Papa’s house, there was a woman there with him.”
Pesh’s brows rose in surprise. “Patrick is dating?”
“He claims she’s—”Megan paused to make air quotes with her fingers, “just a friend. But I don’t buy it.”
As he stirred the rice, he glanced at her over his shoulder. “Would it be wrong if he were dating?”
A long sigh escaped Megan’s lips. “No, he deserves to be happy. My nana has been dead for six years, so it’s not like he raced out the moment he was free and started going through women like Kleenex.”
Pesh chuckled at her summation. “Did you not like her?”
Crossing her arms over her chest, Megan replied, “That’s the other part. She seemed really nice. And Mason loves her. I guess she’s been there before when he stayed with Papa.”
After abandoning his place by the stove, Pesh placed his hands on the marble countertop and leaned in close to Megan. “It sounds to me like Patrick has found a good woman who loves him and his family. I don’t think you could ask for a better scenario.”
She stared into his eyes for a moment before she smiled. “You’re right. I don’t know why I got so upset about it all.”
“Because as much as you love your grandfather, you’re still protective of your grandmother’s memory.”
“You’re so wise,” she murmured.
“It comes with age,” he replied, with a wink.
“Whatever.”
He gave her a quick kiss on the lips before returning to the stove. “So besides Patrick’s new lady friend, what else happened to get you so upset?”
When Megan didn’t reply, Pesh turned around. “What else is it?”
“You need to have a serious discussion with Kara.”
His brows rose in surprise. “I do?”
“Yes, you do.”
“Megan, you do remember that I’m not in charge of nurses.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, I realize that. But you are in charge of your dick, are you not?”
“Excuse me?”
Crossing her arms over her chest, Megan said, “Kara seems to think that the two of you are an item.”
Pesh chuckled. “Oh that’s nonsense. We’re just friends from working together.”
Megan narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. “You’ve never seen her outside of work?”
This was one area of questioning he hadn’t bargained on ever having to answer. The truth was something he really didn’t want to admit to Megan. Carefully choosing his words, he replied, “We got together for drinks a couple of times after work a few months back. I hardly think that categorizes us as an ‘item.’”
“It must be enough for her to think she can tell me that you’re only using me for sex.”
Pesh winced at the words. He would have never taken Kara for being someone who was jealous. He put down the spatula and turned off the stove. He knew he couldn’t go forward without coming clean. “Megan, I haven’t been honest with you.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I told you that Kara and I had only had drinks a couple of times. But that isn’t the whole truth.”
Megan’s eyes widened. “What are you saying?”
Defeated, his shoulders drooped a little. “After the night of Noah’s baptism, I couldn’t get you off my mind. I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn’t so enamored by you. So after having a couple of drinks one night, Kara and I went to my car and fooled around.”
“You got drunk?”
He gave a mirthless laugh. “That is what is most shocking to you in what I just told you?”
“Did you think I would be mad at you for messing around with some woman when we weren’t dating?”
“Yes,” he answered honestly.
Megan shook her head. “What you did then was your business. I mean, I’m not thrilled to hear that you fooled around with her, especially since you wouldn’t sleep with me when I asked you to.”
“But don’t you see the difference? I cared for you, and I cared nothing for her. We were barely in the car fifteen minutes if that tells you anything.”
The corners of her lips tugged up in a small smile. “I really don’t need the details of how much you didn’t enjoy yourself.”
He ducked his head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“But at the same time, I’m glad to hear that you won’t be going back for a repeat performance.”
Jerking his gaze up to meet hers, he replied, “Never could I do that.”
“And you really were trying to get me off your mind?”
“Yes, I was.”
“In a warped way, that’s very romantic,” she teased.
“I’m glad you think so,” he mumbled.
“Look, it’s not the fact that she said you were using me for sex that has me so upset.”
“It’s not?”
“She threatened me.”
Pesh’s eyes narrowed. “Physically?”
“Not exactly. She said that if I didn’t watch my back, she would report me to the dean.”
A low growl erupted from Pesh’s chest. “She seriously said that?”
“Yes, she did.”
“I’m sorry that her jealousy and spitefulness is rearing its head. I never imagined she was such a person when I…well, when I got involved with her. I’ll make sure to speak to her. No one should have to work in a hostile environment, and she must understand that just because of her seniority, she is not allowed to harass you.” Pesh watched Megan fidget on her feet while nibbling on her bottom lip. “Do you not want me to speak to her?”
“No, that’s fine. It’s just…”
“Is there something else?”
“You know how much I like you. I mean, the very fact I agreed to date you shows how much I’m committed to you.”
Pesh crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m thinking there’s a ‘but’ coming that I’m not going to like.”
Megan sighed. “But at the same time, whatever it is that is happening between us…” She swallowed hard. “I’ve worked really hard in school, Pesh. I don’t want anything on my record that could hurt my chances of getting a job.”
If she was the crying type, he would have sworn her eyes shimmered with tears. He came around the counter to pull her into his arms. “Hey now, don’t you worry one bit about getting into trouble. Anyone who has seen you in action on the floor knows what a talented and gifted nurse you are.”
She sniffled. “If there’s even a rumor of me having an affair with an attending physician, I could be blacklisted.”
Pesh pulled away to grip her chin in his fingers. “After I speak to Kara, you will have nothing to worry about, okay?”
He could tell that even though she wanted to relax and let go of her anxiety, she couldn’t. “Come on. Let’s fix you up.”
She wiped her eyes. “What do you mean?”
With a wink, he went over to the cabinet and got down a wine glass. Then he poured some white wine into the glass before setting it down on the bar. “Take that.”
Megan glanced at the glass and then back at him. “Are you trying to ply me with wine?”
“Maybe.”
She leaned forward and picked it up. He watched as she couldn’t resist the temptation and she took a hearty gulp. Closing her eyes, she murmured, “That’s so good.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He walked around the counter again. This time he took her free hand. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“For part two of your relaxation.”
Megan smiled at him before he began tugging her down the hall. When he got into the bedroom, he noticed her sigh of frustration when they bypassed the bed for the bathroom. “While I finish dinner for us, you need to soak in a nice, hot bath.”
“You spoil me,” she protested with a smile.
He gave her a playful wink before turning on the bath water. Once he got the temperature right, he turned back to her. “Bubbles? Bath salt?”
She raised her brows. “Don’t tell me you actually have those? I mean, I know you’re a metrosexual but really?”
“We all have our secrets,” he replied. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that he had kept some of Jade’s Bath & Body Works stuff. He might’ve tried to bury them under the bathroom counter to get them out of sight and out of mind, but they were still there. He rummaged around to pull out a vanilla bottle as well as a peach. He held them up to Megan for her approval.
“Hmm, vanilla.”
“Good choice.” It was the one scent that didn’t remind him of Jade since she never used it. He poured a healthy cupful under the water, letting the foam magnify.
“Ready to get in?”
Megan glanced down at herself before looking back at him. “Well, I seem to still be dressed.”
Pesh cocked his head at her. “Oh really? I can help you with that.” He took the wine glass from her and sat it on the counter. His fingers came to the hem of her shirt. Without taking his eyes off of hers, he jerked it up and over her head. He gazed down at her simple, white bra. She sucked in a breath when his fingers skimmed her abdomen before he gripped the waistband of her scrubs and tugged them down. She stepped out of the pants, standing before him in only her bra and skimpy thong.
Taking her by the shoulders, he gently turned her around. His fingers trailed down her back to the clasp of her bra. Once he unhooked it, he brought his hands up to slide it off her shoulders. Unable to resist the softness of her skin, he bent his head to kiss along her back. As he dropped the bra to the floor, his hands skimmed up her ribcage to cup her breasts. “Mmm,” Megan murmured, letting her head fall back against his chest.
“I’m only supposed to be undressing you,” he argued, as he let her breasts fall free of his hands.
She immediately picked them up and brought them back to cup her flesh. “I like the way you undress me. It’s very relaxing.”
Rolling her puckered nipples between his fingers, he was rewarded with her gasp of pleasure. “The water is getting cold,” he warned.
“I’m getting so hot, I can warm it up.”
He chuckled against her ear before taking his hands away from her. As she whined in protest, his fingers jerked her thong down over her thighs. She raised her feet to step out of the underwear. “All right. Get in.”
“Tease,” she muttered, before walking over to the tub. He only got to admire her naked backside for a moment before she lowered herself into the tub and disappeared under the foam. Leaning back against the wall, she closed her eyes in bliss. “This feels amazing.”
“Good.”
“But you know what would feel even better?”
“What?”
Her eyes popped open, and she smiled invitingly up at him. “If you were in here with me.”
“Really?”
“Mmm, hmm.”
“I should be finishing dinner,” he argued, feebly.
Megan eyed the growing bulge in his pants. “I think you should be in here letting me finish you.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Fine. You drive a hard bargain, my lady.” He quickly unbuttoned and took off his shirt. Then his fingers went to the button and zipper on his pants. He slid them and his boxers down and stepped out of them, leaving him naked.
Megan didn’t take her eyes off him the whole time. He shifted them in the water, bringing Megan up to straddle him, but she was facing away from him. “What are you doing?” she asked.
He brought his hands to her shoulders and started massaging the tense muscles. “Helping you relax.”
She ground herself against his erection. “I was hoping a couple of orgasms would do that instead.”
He chuckled. “Don’t you believe in foreplay?”
“Yes, but not when I’m this horny.”
Bending his head, he let his warm breath tickle her outer ear. “You, my love, are never going to be a candidate for Tantric sex. You will never allow yourself to enjoy delayed pleasure and release.”
“I want to try—honest, I do.”
“But just not this evening, right?” One of his hands abandoned her shoulder to slide down in between her legs. She gasped as his thumb rubbed against her *. As he continued stroking her with his thumb, he pushed two fingers into her slick passage. Megan whimpered and thrust her hips against him. Pesh kissed and licked her wet neck and back as he pumped his fingers in and out of her. “Does that feel good?”
“Yes, oh yes,” she murmured.
He increased the pressure of his thumb, and Megan shrieked, bucking her hips faster and faster against his fingers. When his other hand cupped and kneaded her breast, she cried out and came, her walls clenching against his fingers.
Once she finished shuddering, she collapsed back against him. “Feeling better now?”
“A little.” She twisted her body around to where she was facing him. “I want you inside me the next time I come.” She rose up and then took his erection in her hand. While keeping her eyes on his, she guided him into her core. Slowly, she sunk inch by inch on him. When she was fully seated, they both moaned at the feeling. At the intensity of what he felt inside her, Pesh was thankful she had taken him up on the birth control script where he didn’t have to use condoms anymore.
She brought her hands up to his shoulders, and then she began to ride him. His hands came to grip her waist as his head bent forward to suckle one of her nipples into his mouth. His teeth grazed the bud before his tongue flicked and teased it into a hardened point. Throwing her head back, Megan’s walls tensed and convulsed around him. He knew he had a long way to go before he was going to come.
Once she recovered, Megan panted as she started riding him faster, causing the water to slosh around them. As his mouth latched onto her other breast, Megan threw her head back and moaned. “Harder,” she urged.
Pesh continued sucking her nipple as he began to thrust his hips up in time to meet her movements. Each time he went a little deeper, and it caused Megan to be more and more vocal. She tugged at the strands of his hair and clawed at his chest as she strove harder and harder for her orgasm. “Please, please,” she panted, as her hands came to cup her own breasts. As she pinched and tweaked her own nipples, it was Pesh’s undoing. Shoving his hand down between her legs, he flicked her *, sending her over the edge again. Her movements caused him to jerk once and then come in her.
Once he finished shuddering and came back to himself, Megan stared at him with an utterly satiated expression. “That was…amazing.”
“Thank you.”
“Where did a nice boy like you learn to f*ck?”
Pesh chuckled at her choice of language. “You know, a person’s reputation has nothing to do with how they are in the bedroom. I’m sure there are many tough biker dudes out there who wouldn’t know a *oris from a labia—if they even knew that terminology.”
“Hmm, I suppose that’s true. My ex liked to think he was a ladies man, but half of the time, I had to take matters into my own hands if I was going to finish.” She shot him a wicked grin. “Thankfully, I have a lover now who has the most amazing tongue and dick. I never have to worry about coming now.”
“And don’t you forget how amazing he is.”
Her expression turned solemn as she replied, “I could never forget his attributes both in and out of the bedroom.”
He smiled. “I’m glad to hear that.” After he gave her a somewhat chaste kiss, he asked, “How about we test out my kitchen attributes now?”
“Sounds good. I’m starving,” she replied, as she climbed out of the tub. Pesh followed her out, handing her one of his plush towels. After she finished drying off, he gave her a terry cloth robe to put on. She slid it on and tied the front together.
“Wait here. I’ll bring it to you.”
“Dinner in bed? That would be marvelous.”
He winked before heading out of the bedroom. He fixed two heaping platefuls of food. After putting the plates on a tray, he got two bottles of water out of the fridge. When he got back to the bedroom, he found her lounging back against the pillows with an expression of pure relaxation.
After he set the tray down on the bed, he smiled. “I want to try something with you.”
“What is it?” she asked.
He undid the ties on his robe, letting it fall open. After shrugging it off his shoulders, he stood naked before her. Megan’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?”
Without answering her, he climbed onto the bed. His hands went to the lapels on her robe. He opened them and then pushed the robe open to her waist. “I thought we were eating dinner,” she murmured huskily.
“We are.” While her brows furrowed in confusion, he passed her a plate and a fork. Then he took his.
“Pesh, why are we eating dinner naked?”
“I want to teach you about delayed gratification.”
“The Tantric stuff?”
“Yes.”
She eyed him curiously. “Okay.”
“Look into my eyes,” he commanded. When her blazing blue eyes were trained on his, he brought a forkful of food to her mouth. “Open up,” he said.
Her gaze held his as her tongue darted out, tentatively tasting the spicy rice. When she decided that she liked it, her mouth clamped over the fork. As she chewed, she still remained staring at him. “Feed me,” he insisted.
She momentarily broke their eye contact to stare down at the plate. She speared a piece of lamb before bringing it to his mouth. After he took in the bite, his tongue slid over his lips, licking up the remaining sauce. Something stirred in her at his action—a slight tremble.
He brought a piece of lamb to her mouth, and she wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like lamb.” He nodded and then took the bite for himself. He then picked some of the vegetables and brought them to her. This time she took the forkful. “It’s very good, Pesh.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
Each time she took the fork into her mouth, he couldn’t help imagining that it was his cock instead. Sitting naked with her in such a close proximity had his juices beginning to flow. When she lowered her gaze to eye her plate for his next bite, she caught sight of his growing erection. Immediately, she started to put her plate down, but he stopped her. “Not yet.”
“But you’re hard, and I’m getting wet sitting here with you staring at me like you’re already buried inside me.”
“That’s the point, my love. How good do you think it’s going to be when I do finally get inside you?”
“Oh,” she murmured. As she swept up a forkful of rice, she brought it to his mouth. “So how long do we do this?” she asked.
“Until we clean our plates.”
She appeared both disappointed and frustrated at his response. To give her something else to focus on, he brought the fork to her mouth. She took from him, chewing methodically while staring into his eyes. Each time he fed her a bite, he tried conveying through his gaze what he was imagining doing to her. A bite of vegetables had him sucking her breast, his tongue flicking over her nipple. A forkful of rice had his face buried in her wet core as he licked her juices. As she chewed and swallowed, Pesh could tell desire was overtaking her.
“Can I have some water?” she asked.
With a nod, he brought one of the bottles to her lips. She drank in long gulps, her eyes never leaving his. When she finished swallowing, she gave him a grateful smile. Then in a flash, she tackled him, causing his plate to flip over onto the sheets. “Megan!” he cried.
She was too busy kicking out of her robe to care. At the sight of smeared vegetables and rice on the sheet next to him, he began to laugh. His chest shook so hard that he wanted to clutch his stomach, but Megan’s body was in the way.
As she gazed down at him, he pushed the long, blonde strands of hair out of her face. “I don’t believe we were finished eating,” he chastised.
She drew his bottom lip between her teeth, causing him to groan. At the same time, her wet core ground against his cock. “I guess you’ll just have to punish me the next time,” she replied.
Cupping her buttocks, he sent a resounding smack against one of her cheeks. Her eyes widened. “Pesh Nadeen, did you actually just spank my ass?”
He grinned up at her before smacking the other cheek. “Mmm, I like this side of you,” she murmured, before bringing her lips to his.
As their tongues battled against each other, Pesh flipped Megan over onto her back. After spreading her legs, he buried himself deep inside her with one thrust. “Oh God, that feels amazing,” she cried.
“See how much better it is when you wait?” he questioned, as he leisurely moved in and out of her.
“Yes, mmm, it’s so good. You’re right.”
Although her body trembled, she wasn’t close yet. He continued his pace of slow strokes within her. Then he took her legs and put them on his shoulders to where he could pump deeper inside her. She moaned at the feeling, her hands sliding up above her head to grip the sheets.
Pesh ducked his head to bring his mouth to her breasts, alternating between each one. As he felt her begin to tense up, he increased the pressure of his tongue on her nipples, lightly grazing them with his teeth. And then she came apart beneath him, crying out and clasping her hands onto his shoulders. The sight of her was so alluring he couldn’t hold back, and he came in a rush inside her.
When he’d finished shuddering, he raised his head to gaze down at her. Her eyelids fluttered open, and then she smiled sheepishly up at him. “Sorry for being a Tantric sex failure.”
He laughed. “Baby, I don’t care about that one bit. I like the fact you’re aggressive when it comes to f*cking.”
Her hands feathered over his back and down to his ass. As she squeezed his cheeks, he sucked in a breath. “You’re very good at that.”
“You think so?”
“Mmm, hmm.”
“How good are you at laundry?” he asked, motioning to the leftover dinner that was now staining the sheets.
She swatted his ass playfully. “I was planning on taking care of that.”
“Why don’t we get dressed and then sit down and really eat?”
“I think that sounds like a good idea.”
“Good. I want to make sure you’re feeling your best for what I have to ask you.”
As he pulled himself off Megan, her brows furrowed. “What is it?”
“Can’t it wait until we finish eating?”
Rolling her eyes, Megan said, “You know I can’t wait for things.”
Pesh sighed as he bent down to pick up his robe. As he slid his arm through the hole, he met Megan’s questioning gaze. “I wanted to invite you to dinner at my sister’s house this weekend.”
“Okay, I think I can do that.” Tilting her head, she eyed him suspiciously. “Why did you think I would need to be feeling my best for that?”
“It won’t just be my sister and her husband. All of my family will be there, including my parents.”
Megan’s eyes widened. “You want to introduce me to your parents?”
“Yes, I would.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip as she was prone to do when she was nervous. “But that would mean we’re pretty serious, right?”
“Yes,” he replied, with utter certainty.
Scooting to the edge of the bed, she gripped her gaping robe as best she could. She stared up at him. “You’re not the least bit worried what they’re going to say about you dating me?”
“No, I’m not.”
The corners of her lips tugged up in a smile. “Then I’ll go,” she said softly.
“Really?”
When she bobbed her head, he rushed forward to wrap her in his arms. “Thank you, my love. You’ve made me very happy.”
“You make me happy every day. It’s the least I can do.” With her head buried in Pesh’s chest, she was finally able to let the smile she had plastered on fade into a frown. While she should have been elated that Pesh wanted to introduce her to his family, she couldn’t help feeling overwhelmed. What if they hated her? What if their dislike caused Pesh to not want to see her anymore? She didn’t want to think about what it would be like not having him in her life.
At the same time, it was hard processing all the emotions that Pesh’s devotion made her feel. Davis had never wanted to introduce her to his parents. She met them by accident after one of his games. Now she had a man who wanted nothing more than to share all aspects of his life with her. It was hard to process.
In the end, she could only hope that everything went well.