I opened the palm of her hand and folded the lipstick into it. “I can’t wait to see you wear this for me.”
Somehow, I managed to rein myself in enough to step back. As much as I wanted her, as much as it physically pained me to put distance between us, it wasn’t going to be here in the supply closet at work. Because once I got started touching her again, there would be no way I could fucking stop. Plus, Bridget needed to be the one to initiate things so she couldn’t hold it against me.
My girl seemed too stunned to focus on anything so I grabbed the supplies that were needed in the treatment room. “I’ll take care of restocking room three.”
As I reached for the door, her hoarse voice stopped me from opening. “Simon?”
“Yes, luv?”
“What were we doing in your dream that I was wearing this red lipstick?”
I smiled broadly, thrilled that she’d asked. “Your beautiful red lips were wrapped around my cock.”
Simon and I had somehow ended up working opposite shifts over the next several days.
The break was both good and bad. While I’d definitely missed the excitement of seeing him, when he wasn’t working the ER, I didn’t have to worry about any distractions.
I was in the middle of another Simon-less shift—or so I thought—when I heard his voice behind me.
“Thought you’d get lucky another day without me, eh?”
“What are you doing here?”
“Well, this is an emergency room. And I’m a doctor, so…”
“I know, but you weren’t supposed to be on this shift.”
“I switched with Dr. Boyd. He had an obligation.”
“I see.”
“And I missed you. So, I took advantage of the opportunity, even if it’s just working alongside you. It’s the only way I get to see you these days.”
“It has seemed like a while. How are things over at Calliope’s?”
“She’s pretty sick of my smart mouth in the morning. I’ve been interrupting her quiet time. She needs lots of coffee before she can deal with me, apparently. I think she’s ready to be rid of me. Luckily, I think I found a place.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. A small apartment in Wayland Square with no lease.”
I pretended to be happy for him. “That’s great.”
A part of me was sort of hoping that he wouldn’t be able to find anything, that he would decide to come back to my house. That was stupid, but nevertheless, I had hoped. His moving into a new place seemed like the first step toward his leaving my life altogether.
“Yeah, it’ll do,” he said. “It’s small, but it will only be temporary.”
Temporary. Right. Because you’re leaving. Get that in your head, Bridget.
Simon was staring at my lips then his eyes travelled down to my breasts. I changed the subject.
“Brendan told me you’ve been keeping in contact with him.”
“We text back and forth, yeah. I don’t want him to feel like I can’t be there for him just because I’ve moved out. I’ve told him I’m just a phone call or text away anytime he needs to talk.”
“That’s very nice of you. I know he appreciates your friendship.”
I know now that’s all it will ever be—a friendship. That’s for the best.
“He’s a special boy. I’d like to always keep in touch with him.”
That thought didn’t exactly sit well with me. There would be a time when Simon was back in England moving on with his life. If he was keeping in touch with Brendan, I didn’t know that I would want to know certain things, like if he’d moved on or ended up getting married someday. I didn’t know if I was strong enough to handle that. Even thinking about it gave me a pain in my chest. I guess I had to respect my son and his wish to remain close to Simon. I wasn’t sure if I really had a say in the matter.
I couldn’t get thoughts of Simon moving on out of my head most of that morning. Even though he was on duty, we hadn’t crossed paths much. Despite that, his presence weighed heavily on my mind.
During a bathroom break, I opened my purse and saw the red lipstick that he’d purchased for me. I’d never put it on, but for some reason, I decided to open the tube and try it on.
It was extremely…red. I guess, that was the point.
It was amazing how many of my co-workers commented on my lips. One little thing like a pop of color definitely got you loads of attention. Unfortunately, it wasn’t their attention I was looking for. I was dying to see Simon’s reaction. The fact that I was craving his attention right now was definitely a bit troublesome.
Finally, I was called into the room where he was examining a patient, who’d been taking up a good deal of his time all afternoon.
Simon turned around to look at me. “Nurse Valentine, if you could…” he hesitated then smiled once he got a look at my lips. He blinked a few times, then continued, “If you could prepare an IV drip for Mr. Norton. I’m going to keep him here for a bit.”
I licked my lips. “Of course, Dr. Hogue.”
Simon abruptly left the room, and I didn’t see him for a while again.
About a half-hour later, I flinched when I felt his hand on the small of my back as he walked to keep up with me.
“Are you due for your break, Bridget?”
“Not for another hour.”
“How long do you get again?”
“Thirty minutes.”
“Meet me by the elevator in an hour.”
He zipped past me so fast that there wasn’t any time for me to respond.
When it came time for my break, I found myself waiting by the elevator alone. Just as I was about to leave, Simon came running down the hall in his scrubs. His hair was disheveled. He didn’t say anything as he pushed the up button.
We entered the packed elevator together. While he glanced over at me, he still wasn’t saying anything. The doors opened, and we made our way up to the third floor.
“Where are we going?” I finally asked.
Without answering me directly, he said, “Follow me.” He then led me down a side hallway.
There was a one-stall family bathroom. He looked around, and when there was no one in sight, he pulled me inside and locked the door behind us.
My heart was beating rapidly.
He placed both of his arms around me, locking me in.
“Why did you put that lipstick on at work?”
“Didn’t you buy it so that I could wear it?”
“Not here. Do you realize that scrubs do absolutely nothing to hide an erection?”
“I—”
“You think it’s funny that I had to run to the bathroom the minute you walked in with those lips?” He leaned in, and I could feel his breath.
There was only one answer. “I do.”
“You put it on for one reason and one reason alone. And that was to drive me mad. Am I right?”
“Maybe.”
“Does it please you to know that you have this kind of sexual power over me, Bridget? Look down.”
Simon’s erection was practically vertical, and there was a huge wet spot that had seeped through the thin material of his blue scrubs.
He pointed down. “You think I can go back to work like this?”
“No, I don’t think you can, actually.” I laughed.
Simon’s arms were trembling as they continued to lock me in against the wall. I was making light of this, but clearly I’d gotten him all worked up.
He started to kiss my neck, and I could feel my underwear getting wetter by the second.
I knew what he fantasized about. But I also knew that he wasn’t going to come out and ask me for it, because by nature, he was a giver, not a receiver. As much of a dirty talker as he was, I couldn’t picture him asking me to get on my knees and suck his dick. Although, that was exactly what he wanted.
If I was being truly honest with myself, it was the real reason I wore this damn lipstick. I wanted to live out his little dream from the moment he
told me about it. I wanted him in my mouth, to taste him. I just wanted to drive him a little crazy first. And it seemed it was time for me to put him out of his misery.
I dropped to my knees and pulled his scrubs down slowly. His breathing became labored as I wrapped my hands around his throbbing cock. A string of pre-cum dripped down, and I caught it with my mouth. Simon moaned as I licked the rest off of his tip.
I looked up at him, and he was just on another planet. His eyes rolled back as he buried his fingers in my hair.
I waited for him to look at me again before I took him all the way down my throat, sucking him as I stroked the slick and silky skin of his thick shaft.
“Fuck, yes. Just like that, Bridget. I’ve always wanted to feel this beautiful mouth around my cock. You have no idea…how good…this feels…”
He kept tightening his abs to keep from coming. I started to suck harder and move my hand faster.
His body began to shake. “I’m coming. You’d better—”
Ignoring his warning, I felt streams of hot cum exploding out of him and into my mouth. I swallowed all of it, something I hadn’t ever done—not even with Ben.
Simon’s abs were moving in and out as he continued to pant. His hair was all fucked-up, and he looked like all of the wind had been knocked out of him.
“God, you give good head, baby.” He still looked dazed. “That was…”
I stood up. “We’d better go.”
“You think I’m going to let you go, just like that? We still have ten minutes. I’m not wasting it.”
He pulled up his pants then dropped to his knees.
“What are you doing?”
“Finishing off my lunch,” he said, sliding down my bottoms.
“That’s really not necess—” I gasped.
My words just stopped upon the feel of his mouth on my clit. Simon growled, and I could feel it vibrate through me. His warm tongue circled around my lips. I was probably pulling too hard on his hair, but I couldn’t help it.
Simon buried his whole face between my legs. It was the most intense oral sex of my life.
“My pussy,” he whispered in between lapping his tongue.
He gripped my ass to guide me over his mouth.
“That’s it. Ride my face,” he groaned.
Simon’s tongue was deep inside of me as I came so fast. It was literally the longest lasting orgasm of my life.
When he stood up, he said, “Please tell me I’ll get to do that again. That can’t be the last time.”
“Haven’t we broken the rules enough for one day?”
“Technically, not the Clinton rules. We’re still in compliance.” He rubbed my cheek then pulled me into him again and kissed me hard.
I was surprised how little of my lipstick had actually spread to his lips…or his cock. It was matte, and long-lasting, apparently.
Simon and I safely returned to the emergency room area. No one had a clue that we had been together, let alone what we had been doing on the third floor.
Later that afternoon, Simon and I were attending to the same patient. I caught him staring at me when he thought I wasn’t looking. Our eyes locked, and we just smiled at each other for a moment. It was clear we were both still on a sexual cloud nine.
My shift ended before his. I was on my way out but decided to say goodbye to him first.
Simon was looking at someone’s chart when I came up behind him.
“I’m off, Simon.”
He frowned. “I wish I could get out of here with you.”
There was something I had been waiting to ask him.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you…” I said. “The weekend after next is Brendan’s birthday. I’m having a little party for him at the house. I think he would love it if you’d be there.”
Simon closed his eyes momentarily then asked, “That’s the weekend of the twenty-fifth?”
“Yes.”
His expression dampened. “Shit. I would’ve loved to have gone, but I’ve booked tickets to the UK. I’m going there for a week.”
My heart sank. “Oh. To see your parents?”
“Yes.” He seemed hesitant. “And I…also have an interview for a permanent internist position at a private practice in Leeds.”
I just stood there with my mouth hanging open. I knew this was coming. He’d always made it crystal clear that he was going back to England once his residency was over, but a part of me really hoped he would change his mind. Apparently, that part of me was just delusional.
“Wow, it’s really happening, huh?”
“Well, nothing is set in stone. It’s just an interview.”
“But if you get it, you’ll take it, right?”
“I haven’t thought that far ahead.”
I didn’t know if I was just feeling really emotional because of what we’d done today or if it was the build up from months of worrying about this very thing happening, but my eyes started to water.
Fuck.
Stop it.
I tried to walk away suddenly so he wouldn’t notice, but he quickly followed after me.
“Bridget, fuck. Don’t go.”
“Don’t forget where we are, Simon. This is inappropriate. Go back to work.”
“Fuck inappropriate. I don’t want you driving home upset.”
I ran ahead of him and snuck into a closing elevator before he had a chance to stop me.
My parents and I were having dinner in the local pub around the corner from their house in the Calverley neighborhood of Leeds, a quiet village-like suburb not too far from the city.
It was great seeing them, but being back home felt a lot different than I’d expected it to.
Had it always been this cloudy here?
I hadn’t left the US on good terms with Bridget. She’d started avoiding me more than ever after finding out about my interview. And this time, I let her. I avoided her right back. Because it just wasn’t fair to lead her on anymore if I was going to take this job. Her tears were proof that I’d taken things too far.
Making the situation even more difficult was the fact that the interview had gone spectacularly. After an eight-hour day spent touring the facility, the partners of the medical practice unanimously agreed to offer me the position, which would start in two months after my residency in Providence officially ended. They even offered to pay for my moving expenses.
My parents were therefore considering this a celebratory dinner, because they’d assumed I would be taking the job. To anyone looking in from the outside, the decision was a no-brainer. I hadn’t told anyone in my family about Bridget. I kept my recent private life under wraps; my parents didn’t even know I’d been living with her.
My mother took a bite of her fry. “So, once you move back, it’s going to be great for Nan. She’s really missed you. I don’t know how much time she has left,” my mum said.
“I plan to visit her this week before I leave.”
“When can we expect you back here for good?” my father asked.
“Well, I didn’t formally accept the job yet. They gave me until next week.”
My mother seemed surprised. “But surely, it’s a done deal?”
I couldn’t get myself to give Mum the confirmation she wanted. I hadn’t expected them to offer me the job on the spot with an ultimatum. I was still gobsmacked, really. I figured I’d have several weeks to make a decision. But they were looking for an immediate commitment.
My mother further prodded. “Simon…is there something you’re not telling us?”
I didn’t want to spend the next hour lying to my parents, making up excuses for my hesitation when there was only one reason I wasn’t jumping to happily accept my supposed dream job.
Unsure of how to begin, I said, “There’s someone back in the States…um…”
“You’ve met someone?” She looked at my father then back at me. “You haven’t mentioned anything.”
“Well, she’s…someone I’ve gotten to know for quite a while, actua
lly.”
Dad grinned. “Is she in the medical field, too?”
“She’s a nurse, actually.”
“I see.”
My mother leaned in. “Is it serious?”
“Well, technically, we’re not together, I suppose. But it’s…we’ve gotten close.”
“Would she consider a move across the pond?”
Mum could be very judgmental. I hesitated to tell her the whole story, because I knew she would go off on a tangent about Bridget having baggage, not being good enough for her precious son. I really didn’t want to hear all that.
I simply answered, “She can’t.”
“Why not?”
I braced for her reaction. “She has a son.”
My mother grimaced. “You’re seeing someone with a child? She’s divorced?”
“No. Her husband died in a car accident.”
My father nodded. “Sorry to hear.”
She went on with her questions. “How old is this woman?”
“Thirty-four.”
“She’s five years older than you?”
“Four, basically. And that’s not very much at all.”
“You’ve been spending time with this little boy?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you’re getting out now. You wouldn’t want him getting anymore attached to you.”
My mother’s assumptions were making me a bit defensive.
“He’s a great kid. I’d be lucky if he got attached to me, really.”
“Oh, Simon. Listen to yourself. You can have practically any woman in the world that you want. Your life and your family are here in Leeds. You can’t stay in the US with some woman, not to mention raising another man’s child. Don’t you want children of your own someday? She could be trying to trap you, you know. This woman is pushing thirty-five, she’s hardly—”
“Her name is Bridget. Not ‘this woman.’ Her fucking name is Bridget.” My pulse was going a mile a minute.
Fuck. I can’t remember the last time I swore in front of my parents. It was out of character for me. But my mother was really pissing me off.