Chapter 16
“So,” I said as I turned back to Kevin, “do you ever get called in to work like that?”
“If there’s an emergency or a new patient, yes. Kyle doesn’t usually get called out like this, but when he’s taking care of a mother during her pregnancy, it’s more frequent,” he said.
“What types of emergencies do you encounter in your field?” I asked.
“Mostly reactions to medications. They can treat the reaction, but they can’t change the treatment option unless I’m there to do an evaluation and sign off on it. Sometimes I’ll have a child I’m treating that’s staying there, and they get spooked. The nurses call me when that happens and I always try to get into the office and talk with them,” he said.
“Do you treat many children?”
“More than I care to admit.”
A hint of sadness rolled over his eyes. Leaning forward, I kissed his cheek and felt him melt into me. Kyle’s willingness to become soft was easy to tap into. It took a few kisses in the right spots and a bit of ranting about how he enjoys caring for women. With Kevin, however, this was the first time I was seeing his vulnerability.
And it had to do with children.
“I’m so sorry,” I said.
“It’s why I fuse treatment options with a healthy lifestyle. When I help them recuperate, I want to send them along with values that will carry them through. I’ve always believed that most cancer is caused by things we are exposed to in the environment that we shouldn't be, so any steps we can take to reduce what we’re exposed to will help—especially in people who have already been diagnosed and treated.”
I was simply in awe of their passion and intelligence. Their jobs alone made them sexy, but the way their minds worked had me salivating. It wasn’t for the money or esteem, though they had plenty of both. It wasn’t for the glory or the recognition, though I was sure they had plenty of that as well.
It was because they genuinely wanted to help people, and that revelation made me melt even further for them both.
“You can go to sleep if you’d like. I can see how worn out you are,” he said.
“You’re just so comfortable,” I said.
“And so is this bed.”
He pressed a kiss to my forehead as my eyes fluttered shut. I didn’t open them again until the morning, when I felt Kevin’s arm threaded around my body. I shoved my leg between his, and he clamped down on it. Warmth cascaded up my back, causing me to shiver as I reached out for Kyle. I wanted him to be there, to have done his job and come back to me. But my hands descended on the cool cotton sheets, and it caused me to slowly peel my eyes open.
“Still not back?” Kevin asked groggily.
“Don’t think so.”
“Would you like some breakfast?” he asked.
“Only if I can cook it with you,” I said as I turned around in his arms.
“Under one condition,” Kevin said.
“And what’s that?”
“You gotta wear my shirt while doing it.”
I giggled into him before he helped me sit up. I crawled over him and felt his rock-hard cock against my thigh, but my stomach was growling in hunger. I slid off the bed and rummaged around for his shirt, finding the blue button-down he’d had on last night for dinner. I slipped my arms into it before I rolled up the sleeves, but just as I went to button it up, I felt a pair of arms slink around my waist.
“Your legs are amazing,” he said.
“I understand the feeling,” I said, giggling.
He slipped around me as his eyes studied my body. He was taking me in as the morning sunlight cascaded through Kyle’s windows. His fingertips started from the bottom, grazing against my pussy as I gasped a bit in surprise. That wicked grin of his spread across his cheeks as he started to button up my shirt, but he left the three top buttons undone before he bent down and pressed a kiss to my chest.
“Your body’s too beautiful to cover up too much. What would you like for breakfast?”
“Do you have eggs?” I asked.
“Mhmm.”
“And ham? Or bacon?”
“We’ve got both,” he said.
“What about cheese and tomatoes?” I asked.
“You’re thinking omelets?”
“And buttered toast,” I said.
“Mmmm, that sounds delightful. Can I eat it off your body?”
“Only if you promise to clean up the mess really good,” I said, grinning.
“I’m sure that can be arranged.”
His hands held me at the small of my back before his lips descended onto mine. I felt my body shiver, my legs carrying me closer to him as his hands pressed me further into his body. My fingers danced down his chest, tracing the light divots of his unassuming muscles, and I couldn’t help but press kisses down his neck before I playfully bit into his shoulder.
“You’re gonna open a can of worms that can’t be closed if you’re not careful,” he warned.
“Then let’s get to cooking,” I said.
We made our way into the kitchen, and Kevin started pulling stuff from the fridge. I struck up the skillet and found some olive oil to put in the pan, and then I got to cracking eggs. Kevin stood beside me as he started toasting the bread in the toaster they had. Then a question slowly peeled from between his lips.
“Who did you enjoy better last night?” he asked.
“Honestly? I enjoyed you both the same,” I said.
“Oh, come on, it’s just us. I’m curious.”
“No, really. I’m serious. I couldn’t choose between the two of you if I tried. You’re both so handsome and dexterous with your movements. You both filled me in ways I’d never felt before. The two of you have hearts the size of the sun and are filled with such respect for your clients and have such passion for educating people. I’m not just being nice. I honestly can’t pick,” I said.
“Eh, I don’t believe you for a second,” he said, grinning.
“Well, that’s just something you’ll have to accept.”
“Everyone’s always got a favorite. Mothers have favorite children, even though they never admit it. I’m sure there’s one of us you preferred over the other,” he said.
“Kevin, look at me.”
I slid the first finished omelet onto a plate before I set the pan down. I turned to him and hooked my eyes on his gaze, and he began to study me, take me in, use that hidden talent to see if he could determine the answer for himself.
But the more he studied, the more his confident smirk fell into absolute shock.
“Look at me when I say this,” I said.
His eyes trailed back up my body before his baby blues connected with mine. He swallowed hard as the toast popped out of the toaster, but it didn’t even catch his attention. I grabbed his hand and held it within mine.
“There would never be a way I could choose between the two of you.”
Utter shock rolled behind his eyes before he turned to get the toast. He started buttering it in silence as I prepared the pan to make the second omelet, and part of me wondered why that was such a shock to him. Had they been in this situation before? Had he been the rejected brother? I could see how women would flock to Kyle. He was sensitive and very intent on taking care of and educating the women around him, but Kevin had a soft side to him as well.
You just had to spend some time with him and ask the right questions in order to see it.
“I know you can see I’m not lying, but even if there’s still a shred of doubt, you’re just gonna have to deal with it. I’m not changing my mind, and it’s something you’ll just have to accept. I want you both, and that’s that.”
I looked over at him as the eggs cooked in the pan, and I could see a smile pulling at his cheeks. Not a snarky grin or a devilish smirk, but a genuine smile that was threatening to burst forth underneath those serious, intense eyes of his.
“I think I can do that,” he said.