“Yeah,” he tells me, reaching across the table and taking my hand. “I don’t want to take things slow with you. I’m not here to fuck around. I want you and I’m not about to let you slip through my fingers. So, you need to be prepared for that.”
A smile stretches across my face and I watch him looking back at me. “Okay,” I tell him. “But just so you know, I’m not exactly the easiest person to be involved with. I’m already married to my job.”
“Good,” he says. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
New confidence settles through me and just as I’m finishing off my meal, a pager sounds through the restaurant, and regret filters through Thorne’s eyes. “I’m so sorry,” he murmurs, almost looking sick with himself. “That’s the hospital. I have to go.”
Devastation pours through me but I put a lid on it. It’s not like I didn’t know this was a possibility. “Oh, okay. Sure,” I tell him, trying not to let my emotions show as I reach down and grab my purse off my lap.
I start pulling out some cash and Thorne looks at me as though I’ve just grown a second head. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asks, his brows dropping and almost looking offended.
I look up at him in confusion. “Umm … paying,” I explain. “What does it look like I’m doing?”
He shakes his head as a fond smile spreads across his face. “No the hell you’re not,” he tells me. “I appreciate the gesture but there’s no way I’m about to let you pay, especially on our first date. That bullshit won’t be coming back to haunt me.”
“But—”
“Nope. Besides, it’s already been taken care of.”
My mouth drops as I think back over the night. “When … how? You haven’t moved all night.”
Thorne winks before rubbing his hand over his face. “How do you want to do this? Do you mind stopping by the hospital with me and then I can take you home after that? Sorry, I should have thought this through before bringing you here without a way home in a situation like this.”
I shake my head. “It’s completely fine,” I tell him. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve been getting myself home from nights out for years. I know you knocked Uber earlier, but it’s my main form of transport. I can’t live without it,” I tell him with a stupid grin. “I’m actually close to becoming a platinum member.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know whether to be horrified or impressed.”
“Definitely impressed,” I laugh. “Now get out of here and save someone’s life already. Besides, I’ve been dying to call KC and gossip about you all night.”
“Only good things,” he tells me, walking around the side of the table as I stand.
“Promise,” I whisper, turning to face him so I can meet his eyes. “I’ll be sure to tell her all about your Ferrari, though she’s going to claim that you’re overcompensating for something.”
He shakes his head before curling his hand around the back of my neck and gently pressing his lips to mine, finally giving me exactly what we’ve been craving since the last time I got to feel his lips on mine.
Thorne’s lips linger a moment longer than necessary, showing just how much he wishes he could stay. “I’ll make it up to you.”
“I don’t doubt that,” I tell him before he pulls away and walks out of the restaurant, leaving me sitting alone, and for only tonight, wishing that things could have been different.
CHAPTER 15
THORNE
After confirming that my domestic abuse patient, Ashleigh, isn’t actually in labor and just experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions, I walk out of the examination room and instantly fall back against the wall.
Fury tears through me. I cut my first date with Autumn short for that. Heads are about to roll. Whichever nurse or midwife decided it was a good idea to page me for a case of Braxton Hicks is about to take a long trip up shit creek without a paddle.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful that Ashleigh was brave enough to come in and allow me to examine her. It’s only been two weeks, but I can already see how much better she’s doing. The baby has been putting on weight and is looking good, but damn. Those mother fucking Braxton Hicks.
I can’t understand why the nurse on duty wasn’t able to determine that it was false labor and happily send her on her way, just as she would have been trained to do.
Poor Autumn. I left her at that fucking restaurant all by herself. I walked out, and as I looked back in through the window, her bottom lip was slightly pouted and the devastation in her eyes nearly killed me. I couldn’t have been more thankful to the waiter who came by with the dessert menu. Given he was probably trying to get in her pants and take advantage of the sad woman whose date just bailed. Nonetheless, I’m happy she took that menu and I hope to God that she ordered something good.
I hope she got home okay. She insisted that she could handle herself and I don’t doubt that, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since the moment I drove away.
I should go and check on her.
I glance down at my watch and let out a sigh. It’s coming up to midnight and she’s on shift tomorrow. It would be a dick move to show up at her place right now, but what if something had happened. I grab my phone out of my pocket and light up the screen. There are no messages from her checking in, though why would there be? It’s not like I had a second to ask her to text me. Fuck, I don’t think I’ve even given her my number.
This whole situation is screwed up. I just spent an hour over dinner explaining to her that I want to be with her and that I’m serious about us moving forward as a couple, yet I didn’t give her my goddamn phone number. What the fuck is wrong with me? She probably thinks I was just fucking with her. I don’t even have her number, so I can’t check-in and make sure that she’s alright. I could probably steal it from the hospital employee records, but I’d feel as though that was crossing a line.
Letting out a heavy sigh, I push off the wall and start making my way out of the hospital. My job is done here. There’s no point hanging around. I have three inductions tomorrow, and I need to get some sleep before I put three separate women and their newborns’ lives into my hands. It doesn’t pay to be sleep deprived.
I get out to the underground parking lot and find my cherry-red Ferrari staring back at me. It's practically a ghost town down here, but it always is at this time of night. After dropping down into the driver’s seat and feeling the engine rumble through the car, I hit the gas and get the fuck out of here.
I get ten minutes down the road, and just when I need to turn left to head toward my place, I feel the steering wheel beneath my hands shifting to the right and leading me downtown toward Autumn’s place.
What the hell am I doing? She’s bound to think I’m a fucking stalker, yet I can’t find it in me to turn around.
After seven minutes of arguing with myself, I bring my Ferrari to a stop outside Autumn’s apartment complex and look across the road at the rundown bar. I can either go in there and fuck myself up, or I can man up and go and check on my woman.