Luke caressed Elise’s bare back, brushing his fingers up and back down again. They were lying on their sides, still naked, on Elise’s bed.

They’d just finished some of the best sex he’d ever had. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had sex without a condom. With the exception of Ava, it had probably been back in high school. It had felt incredible. Elise had felt incredible.

He was trying not to let it bother him, but he was uncomfortable with Elise assuming he was STD-free. Not because he wasn’t; he got himself tested regularly. He’d seen too many patients who didn’t practice safe sex or get themselves tested between partners. No, his issue was whether Elise would have said that last night before finding out what he did for a living. Did she trust Luke the doctor or Luke the man? He knew he shouldn’t let it get to him, and he tried to ignore the thought, but it lingered in the back of his mind.

Elise rolled onto her back and winced.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked. “I didn’t hurt you or anything, did I?”

She smiled at him. “No. My neck is sore from falling asleep in an odd position on the couch. It’s a good thing that you called and woke me up. I can only imagine what I’d have felt like if I’d stayed there until morning.” She grimaced.

“Show me where it hurts, and I’ll rub it for you.”

She grinned. “You don’t have to give me a neck massage. I already slept with you, and I’m probably going to do it again.”

He laughed. “Just show me.”

She rubbed her neck and shoulder on the side closest to him.

“Roll away from me again.”

She did as he’d asked, and he started kneading her neck.

“Oh,” she moaned. “That feels great.”

He massaged her for about five minutes when he realized that Elise had fallen asleep. He was tired, too, but his mind was still running, so he slipped quietly from the bed.

She rolled onto her back. “Luke?” she said, still half-asleep.

“I’m going to go shower.”

“M’kay,” she said as she turned onto her side again.

Luke went across the hall and into the bathroom where he found a towel and got in the shower.

He’d just finished washing his hair when the curtain was pulled back behind him, and Elise stepped into the tub.

“Hey, I thought you were gonna sleep,” he said, drawing her toward him.

She put her hands on his chest. “I was, but then I realized that I probably needed a shower, too,” she said as she looked down at herself.

Ah, yes. One of the drawbacks of no protection. Messier sex.

He grabbed the body wash on the shelf next to his head and began lathering her body. “Sorry about that.”

She closed her eyes and dropped her head back against her shoulders as she let him wash her. “I’m not. You felt awesome inside me.”

He stood from where he was washing her legs. “Keep talking like that, and it’ll happen again.”

She slid her arms around his neck and rubbed her soap-covered body against his. “God, I hope so.”

He maneuvered them under the spray to rinse away the suds. Then, he pushed her against the wall. He stared into her eyes as he lifted her up and draped her legs around his waist. He placed himself at her entrance, searching her face for any indication that she didn’t want this.

“Put yourself inside me, Luke,” she whispered.

And he did as the lady had requested.

They both groaned as he thrust inside her. She was hot, tight, and wet.

Will I ever get enough of this woman?

Right now, he was a little terrified that the answer was no.

After they showered, they were drying themselves off when Elise’s stomach rumbled.

“I guess I’m hungry,” she told Luke with an awkward laugh.

“Maybe we should order pizza.”

“I think we might have a few frozen ones. Then, we don’t have to wait.”

“Sounds good to me.”

She scanned his towel-clad body. “Do you have anything to wear? I feel bad for insisting that you come over, not letting you go home.”

“Don’t sweat it. I have a clean pair of scrub pants and boxers in my backpack.”

She wrapped her own towel around her body. “Hold on. I’ll go get it for you.”

Normally, he had no problem with walking around naked, but it didn’t feel right, doing that in Elise’s parents’ home. “Thanks.”

When she returned to the bathroom with his bag, she was wearing yoga pants and an oversize U of M T-shirt. Her wet hair hung down her back, and she was sans makeup. He thought she looked beautiful.

She handed him his pack. “I’ll go put the pizza in the oven. Wanna watch a movie while we eat?”

“Works for me,” he said. Unzipping his bag, he began rummaging through his stuff.

He didn’t register the smile on her face until she slipped out of the bathroom.

He rushed to the door and swung it wide. “Elise?”

She turned, her face a touch too innocent. “Yes?”

“No Love Actually.”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “You suck.”

He laughed and went back into the bathroom. After he dressed, he met her downstairs in the den. “What did you end up picking?” he asked her.

“Since you ruined my plan, I went with Lethal Weapon 4.”

“Lethal Weapon 4? What the heck for?”

“It’s the only one I own.”

“Then, what’s that?” He pointed to a pile of all four Lethal Weapon movies on the shelf behind her.

“Fine.” She raised her chin. “I admit it. It’s my favorite, okay?”

He stared at her in disbelief. “You’re crazy. Everyone knows the first two are the best.”

Something beeped from the kitchen.

“Oven’s ready. I’ll go put the pizza in.” She walked backward toward the kitchen and smiled. “No switching the movie while I’m gone.”

“You suck,” he said, returning her words to her.

She spun and laughed all the way to the kitchen.

She came back a minute later. “Hey, do you want something to drink? I don’t have any beer or anything though. My parents don’t drink alcohol.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, my parents are on the conservative side.”

He pointed to the TV. “Yet they watch R-rated movies?”

“Ha. No, those are mine. They would never watch such filth, don’t you know?” she joked. “Way too much swearing and forget about the fornicating outside of marriage.” She rolled her eyes.

“Wow.” He looked at her, remembering the night she had come to his house. “Is this why you won’t get the nose piercing?”

“Pretty much. I know I’m almost thirty, but I can just hear my parents’ voices in my head. Elise, God would frown on you for doing something so shameful to your body.” She shook her head, as if she were disappointed in herself. “Anyway, what can I get you to drink? I have water, milk, or juice.”

“I’ll have water.”

“Okay. I’ll be back in a sec.”

She went back into the kitchen as Luke took a seat on the couch.

He sympathized with Elise. He understood conservative. His father had grown up in a traditional Chinese family, and while his father wasn’t super orthodox, his grandparents were. One of Luke’s uncles had once told him that his grandparents had really pushed their children to marry a Chinese guy or girl, but his father had mostly dated Caucasian women. Whether it was out of some sort of revolt against his parents or because most of the Chinese girls he had known were related to him or reminded him of family members, Luke never knew. But, in the end, it hadn’t mattered too much because half of his grandparents’ kids had married white people. One had married another Asian, but she wasn’t Chinese, and remaining two had Chinese spouses.

And, despite how his father had grown up, he had married his mother because he’d knocked her up, and he still drank beer, watched R-rated movies, and swore. That, and he supported his wild-child daughter in LA. Something he couldn’t see Elise’s parents doing if they couldn’t even accept a common body piercing.

Elise came back to the den with bottled water and snuggled up beside him. He thought about all the dirty things they’d done in bed together, and he had to wonder if that was how Elise rebelled against her parents. Happy to be part of her resistance, he pushed her hair off her shoulder as she hit play.

They watched the movie and ate their pizza. Even if Luke wasn’t a big fan of Lethal Weapon 4, it was still a Lethal Weapon movie, and it kept his interest.

When the movie was over, Luke discovered that Elise had fallen asleep on him. He slowly untangled their limbs and carried her upstairs. He laid her on her bed and pulled the covers out from underneath her as best he could without waking her, but he didn’t quite succeed.

“Luke?” she said with her eyes still closed.

“Yeah, Lise?”

“Don’t go.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, baby,” he told her.

“Mmm,” was her only response. A content smile swept across her face.

He shucked off his pants, so he could sleep in his boxers, and he climbed into bed beside Elise.

He put an arm around her, and she curled up next to him.

“I’m glad you’re staying,” she whispered.

He kissed her on the forehead. “Me, too, babe.”

“I don’t want to be alone.”

He squeezed her close. “You’re not alone. I’m right here.”

Elise sighed, hugged him tighter, and fell into a deep sleep.

Luke thought he’d lie awake for a while, but he closed his eyes, and the warmth of Elise’s body helped him fall into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.