2
Ashley
My heart beats fast as Cam kisses me slowly while he pulls out of my body and rolls off me, falling onto the bed beside me.
“Hmm.” He smiles happily. “Good morning, Miss Tucker.”
I smile sleepily. “Why don’t you wake me up like that every morning, Dr. Stanton?”
“Ask your son,” he mutters dryly. “I’m quite sure he doesn’t want to see parent porn before pre-school.”
I giggle.
It’s 5:00 a.m. and we have been blessed with a childfree morning. Owen slept in his bed all night long.
“Surgery today?” I ask.
He rubs his eyes sleepily. “Yeah, full day.” He rolls to his side and kisses my temple as he puts his arm underneath my head. “What have you got going on today, Bloss?”
“I’m in ER.” I sigh as I throw my leg over his.
He curls his lip in disgust. You have to be a special kind of person to work in ER. Cam and I are not those people. I mean, it’s good in some ways. The experience is invaluable, but it’s hectic and you never know what the hell is going to happen on your shift. Drug addicts, car accidents, stab wounds, police everywhere... there’s usually something horrible going on. Nothing good ever happens in ER.
“What time do you finish?” he asks.
“Not until seven.” I kiss his chest. “Do you mind if we give date night a miss tonight? By the time I get home, going out will be the last thing I’m going to feel like doing.”
He kisses my forehead. “Pizza, wine, and hot bath it is.”
“I love you.” I smile.
He smirks and kisses my head. “What’s not to love?”
I sit up and I push him back to the bed to lean over him. “That’s not what you’re supposed to say back, Cameron.”
He smiles cheekily. “If I say it too much you’ll get sick of hearing it.”
I kiss his lips and my eyes search his. “I could never get sick of hearing you tell me you love me.”
His eyes darken, and he suddenly flips me so that he’s on top of my once again. In one slick movement he’s managed to slide back in. “I think I’ll take my tonight sex now, thanks.” He bites my neck. “Tonight’s looking sketchy.”
I laugh as he flexes his dick inside me.
The door handle turns.
“Fucking leg alarm,” Cameron whispers.
I giggle.
“Every time someone in this house is trying to get a fucking leg over, an alarm goes off and he appears from nowhere,” he growls into my ear.
“Dad?” Owen calls. “The door’s locked.”
“Fuck it,” Cameron whispers as he rolls off me.
I giggle and throw my nightgown on and open the door. “Good morning, my Owie.”
He frowns with his hands on his hips. “Why was the door locked?”
“I’m not sure. I probably locked it by accident,” I murmur as I go into the bathroom and turn the shower on.
Owen goes over to the bed. “Let me in.”
Cameron pats the top of the bed. “Lie on top of the blankets, buddy. It’s too hot underneath.”
I smile as I hold my hand under the water. Little does he know his dad’s a sticky, hot mess under those blankets.
Owen lies on top of the blankets and cuddles his father for a moment.
“Why don’t you go and put your shows on, Owie?” I call. Cam needs to start getting ready.
“Yes, okay,” Owen calls back before he jumps off the bed and runs downstairs.
I look around. Damn it. There are no towels in here. I walk down the hall to the linen press and when I return Cam is in my shower. I smirk at him and put my hand on my hip.
He likes the water cold.
I like the water hot.
Showers together when sex isn’t included involve a lot of tap temperature changing by the both of us.
“You can have first shower,” I mutter dryly.
He winks sexily. “Thanks, Bloss.” He grabs the soap and starts to wash himself. “Don’t mind if I do.”
“You have three minutes,” I call. I return to the bedroom, make the bed, and open the blinds. A minute later, Cam appears with my white towel wrapped around his waist. His broad chest and the six-pack bring a smile to my face.
I am one lucky bitch to get to wake up to this guy every day. I get another towel from the linen press and hop into the shower.
Cam is shaving, and I watch him intently as I stand beneath the water.
He looks like a movie star in his white fluffy towel wrapped around him. He slowly slides the razor down his cheek as he concentrates. No matter how many times I watch him do this, it still fascinates me every time.
“So, I have a thing in Vegas in a few weeks,” he says.
I pour shampoo into my hand. “Oh, okay.”
“I thought you might want to come with me,” he suggests casually as he glides the razor over his skin.
“When is it?” I ask.
He rinses his razor under the hot water. “I’m not sure. Couple of weeks? Over a weekend, I think.”
I scrunch up my face at the thought of all the hassle of going somewhere, packing, socializing, unpacking… Ugh. Honestly, just getting through working full time and being a mom is exhausting enough. “No, that’s okay, babe. You go and have fun. Owen and I will stay home.”
His gaze switches to me as his razor glides down his face and he stops mid-air. “Well, no. I want you to come.”
I scrub the shampoo around my head. “I’m not coming, Cam. How long are you going for?”
He rinses the razor under the water again. “Well, I won’t be going if you two don’t come,” he snaps, annoyed.
“Stop being a baby.” I rinse my hair. “You don’t need me to hold your hand.”
“You know, most women get excited when their boyfriend tries to take them away.”
“I am excited. I’m just too busy.” I reply.
He rolls his eyes and continues shaving in silence. “Your job is starting to piss me off,” he mutters. “How can you be too tired to come away for a weekend? It’s ridiculous.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Excuse me?”
His jaw ticks in anger and he glares at me.
“Don’t start pulling that crap, Cameron. I don’t have three secretaries and ten interns running around after me at work all day. I’m one of the fucking runners! I don’t stop from daylight till dusk. I’ll go away when I want to go away.” I get out of the shower and walk into the bedroom, wrapping the towel around my head. “Stop trying to tell me what to fucking do all the time.”
Spoiled brat.
He continues shaving and I get dressed in a hurry before I make my way downstairs.
“What do you want for breakfast, Owen?” I call.
“Fruit Loops.”
“You are not having Fruit Loops,” I tell him firmly.
“Why not?” he fires back.
“Because they are not in a damn food group!” I yell. Fuck. The men in this house are infuriating today.
“Jeez. Settle down,” he calls.
“Don’t say that to me!” I shout. “Stop copying what your father says. You are not allowed to tell me to settle down. It’s disrespectful.”
I make his oatmeal and sit at the table with him and my cup of coffee. Five minutes later Dr. Stanton arrives down the stairs.
And I don’t call him Dr. Stanton lightly, because as soon as he puts on that McDreamy suit the whole dynamic changes between us.
I’m instantly putty in his hand.
He walks past me, places his hand on my shoulder as a silent apology and I find myself smirking into my coffee.
“I hate oatmeal.” Owen sighs.
“Owen. I don’t know where this attitude is coming from about junk food, but the way you’re going you’re never getting it again.”
He widens his eyes into his bowl and Cameron drops his head to hide his smile.
“But…” he begins.
“Owen. Don’t talk back to your mother, just eat your breakfast now,” Cameron cuts him off.
Owen drops his head and eats in silence.
Cameron makes his coffee and his morning protein shake then kisses my forehead. “I’ve got to run. See you tonight, Bloss.”
“Bye, babe.” I sigh as I blow out a breath. I grab his hand and pull him back to kiss him softly on the lips. He smirks and raises his eyebrow at my fiery behaviour this morning.
He kisses Owen. “See you tonight, buddy.”
“Bye, Dad.” Owen smiles up at him, and before I know it he’s out the door. I hear his sporty Aston Martin take off down the driveway and the sound of the automatic gates open. I remember a time when I was just his intern and how exotic his two-hundred-thousand-dollar car seemed. Now that I know it’s just a compact, flashy little thing that’s really, really hard to have sex in, I’m totally unimpressed.
“Did you get out of the wrong side of the bed today, Momma?” Owen asks innocently.
I smirk and try to tame his wild hair with my fingers. “Maybe.”
I stare at the angiogram report in front of me. It makes no sense. I’m in a cubicle with a man in his early thirties who has been brought into ER with a suspected heart attack.
He’s scared, and he has every right to be.
His heart is not doing anything near what it’s supposed to be doing.
“Peter, is it?” I smile sympathetically.
He nods way too fast, as if panicked, and he’s having trouble catching his breath.
“It’s okay. Calm down.” I smile. “You’re in safe hands now.”
I read through the blood samples and go over the chest x-rays. I then go back over the electrocardiogram and the angiogram.
His results are not making any sense and I have no idea what’s going on here. I need to call a specialist down.
“Peter, I’m going to call for a second opinion.” I smile.
He nods. “Is something wrong?” He frowns.
I smile and pat his forearm. “Nothing that we can’t take care of, don’t worry. Try and get some sleep. I’ll get a nurse to come and stay with you while I’m gone.” I draw back the curtain. “Excuse me, Tammy,” I say to the nurse who’s making the bed next to me. “I need someone to stay with Peter while I just call upstairs, please.”
“Sure.” She smiles, walks in, and takes Peter’s hand in hers. “I bet you’re having an interesting day.” She smiles.
Peter coughs as he tries to catch his breath, and nods.
I hot foot it to the phone and dial the cardiology wing. “Hello. This is Dr. Tucker in ER. Can I have a cardiologist come down here, please?”
“Sure thing. Where are you?”
“In E26.”
“Okay, thank you. I’ll send Jameson.” She hangs up.
“Thank you,” I say gratefully.
I walk back into Peter’s cubicle to find he’s having a panic attack.
“Peter. I need you to relax for me,” I say as the nurse puts an oxygen mask on him. He pants heavily as he tries to breath.
Fuck... hurry up, Jameson.
Seb walks through ER and I dart out from the curtain. “Seb.”
He turns. “Oh, hey, Ash.”
“Can you help me for a moment, please?” I widen my eyes in a help me I’m freaking out way. He nods knowingly and follows me into the cubicle.
“This is Peter,” I introduce them. “Peter was brought in by ambulance after collapsing at work.”
“Hello, Peter.” Seb smiles as he shakes his hand. I pass his chart and results to Seb, and I know that he can’t actually do anything that I haven’t done already, but I just want someone with me until help arrives. Seb knows what I’m doing, but goes through the chart anyway.
He frowns as he reads the results and his eyes flicker up to me.
“Jameson is on his way down.” I smile as I try to act calm.
“Good,” he mutters, distracted. “Do we have code blue prepared?”
“What’s wrong?” Peter whispers in fear.
I smile. “Everything is fine, Peter. Stay calm for me.” Two nurses come in and fuss about, sensing the oncoming disaster.
Code blue is a resuscitation team. I’ve already put them on notice. “Yes, code blue is ready,” I reply as my nerves begin to bounce in my stomach.
“Well, Peter…” Seb tries to change the subject to lighten the situation. “You should feel very privileged to have Dr. Tucker looking after you.”
Peter nods as he breathes into his mask, glancing between us. “Are you two dating?” he whispers.
“Well, one day, when Dr. Tucker gets her senses about her and dumps her loser boyfriend, we will be.”
Peter smiles and I grin, too.
The curtain is dragged back, and Cameron stands before us. He’s in his dark blue operating scrubs and is obviously in between surgery.
My eyes widen with horror. Did he just hear that?
He glares at Seb and I swallow the lump in my throat. “Is that so?” he says coldly.
Shit. Yep. He heard it.
Perfect timing.
Seb withers and I begin to perspire.
“Hello. My name is Dr. Stanton.” He picks up the chart and reads it as his jaw continually ticks. Eventually his eyes rise to Peter. “Tell me what happened to you today, sir.”
Peter rattles off what happened, but Cameron is too busy reading his report. He turns the pages back and forth, and goes through the bloods and x-rays.
We all hold our breath as we wait for his prognosis. The two nurses stop what they are doing, too, as they wait. Cam takes Peter’s pulse, frowns, and takes it again. Then his eyes fall to the nurse. “Arrange a transfer to the cardiac wing immediately.”
“Yes, Dr. Stanton.”
He looks at the chart again and frowns. “Call a code blue ahead, please.”
My stomach drops. Cam thinks Peter’s going to go into heart failure at any moment. My own heart starts to race.
Within thirty seconds the room is abuzz with nurses, and two porters arrive to wheel Peter up to the specialty wing.
“What’s happening?” Peter whispers.
“It’s okay, Peter. You’re coming with me so I can keep an eye on you,” Cameron reassures him as he takes his hand calmly. “I’m a little concerned with your results, but you’re in safe hands.”
Peter’s face falls.
Seb sees that as his escape plan. “See you later,” he whispers as he tries to make a get-away.
Cameron glares at him. “Not so fast.” He growls. “In my office. Now!”
My eyes widen.
Cameron turns on his heels and follows Peter’s bed up the hall. Seb widens his eyes and then follows him sheepishly.
Oh my God. Oh my God.
Shit. I look around in panic. What do I do?
For five minutes, I pace in the room as I try to think of a plan.
I grab a file and go to the nurse’s station. “I just have to take this report upstairs,” I lie.
“Sure thing.”
I speed walk to the elevators and then up the two-mile corridor to Cameron’s office.
I go to knock, but my hand freezes midair. I can hear Cameron yelling but I can’t hear what Seb is saying in reply. Is Seb even saying anything?
What the fuck?
I put my head up to the door.
“Do I make myself fucking clear?” Cameron yells.
“Crystal,” I hear Seb reply.
The door opens in a rush and I jump back. Cameron appears, his cold eyes hold mine, and then he calmly walks down the hall towards Peter.
Seb appears and we both stand and watch Cameron disappear around the corner.
We glance at each other, and without a single word we both scurry back to work.
Well, that was awkward.
It’s 5:00 p.m. I’m on my tea break, scrolling through my phone. I have a missed call from Natasha, so I call her back.
“Hey, Ash.”
“Hello.” I smile. “How are you? What’s going on?”
“Well, Joshua just told me that you don’t want to come to Vegas. Why not?”
I frown. “What… Vegas? Are you going?”
“Yes. The boys have a stag night and we thought that we could bring the kids and then have a night out for the girls.”
I frown. Shit... I really don’t want to go. “Yeah, I’m not keen.” I sigh. “I’m just really busy right now, Tash. You go and have fun.”
“Oh.” She sighs. “I don’t want to go without you. Why don’t we bring Jenna?” she asks. “She could do with a weekend away, and there’s plenty of room for her on the jet.”
I scowl because, damn it, I know Jenna really does need a weekend away.
She would be so excited.
“Oh, we’ll have so much fun and the three of us could go out on the Saturday night. My nannies are coming so the kids will all be fine,” she continues.
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, let me think about it. I’m really not into it.”
“Oh, please,” she begs. “I desperately need a night out and Adrian is coming, too.”
“Adrian is coming?” Hmm, it’s getting tempting.
“Let me speak to Cam and I’ll get back to you tomorrow.” I sigh.
“Okay, babe. Please come.” She hangs up and I shake my head.
I am so not going.
It’s 9:00 p.m. and Cam isn’t home from work yet. His secretary called me at 4:30 p.m. to let me know that he was held up in surgery. That’s code for something is not going to plan. We stay at Cam’s house three nights a week and then my house three nights so that Jenna can still care for Owen in the mornings and afternoons. Cameron would prefer to stay here all the time and get the nanny to work extra, but I feel that it’s important for Owen to still spend as much time with Jenna as possible. Apart from me, she is the only other stable person who has been in his life since birth.
I’ve already retrieved Cameron’s favorite red wine from the cellar in preparation for his bad day.
I didn’t see Cam all day after he roasted Seb in his office, and I’ve just tucked Owen into bed. He’s not happy that Dad’s not home before bedtime. It seems surreal that just six months ago he never even knew who his father was.
I hear the automatic gates open and I smile and fill our heavy crystal glasses with the dark red. He must be exhausted after fifteen hours of surgery.
He comes in and walks into the laundry to take off his scrubs. “Hey,” he calls as he heads straight up to shower.
“Hi,” I call after him.
I wonder what happened to hold him up so late. I’ll give him some time to unwind alone.
Ten minutes later he reappears in a pair of silk boxer shorts. “Hello, Miss Tucker.”
I smile. He has that tone to his voice tonight—the deep I’m about to fuck you really hard tone.
“Hello.” I smile as the butterflies dance in my stomach. They dance partly because I know he’s pissed off about Seb and partly because I know he’s had a shit day... but mostly because he looks off the charts fucking hot right now, half naked, standing here in the kitchen. My eyes drop down his torso to his rippled abdomen and the V of muscles that disappear into his silk shorts. My eyes rise to meet his.
He sips his wine and frowns in approval, licking his lips as he stares at his glass. “That’s the stuff.”
I smile and take a sip of my wine. “Was your day okay?”
He turns to the refrigerator and peers in.
“Your dinner is in the oven,” I say.
“Thanks,” he mutters as he takes it out and sets it on the counter. He pulls up a stool and takes a mouthful of the casserole. Our nanny, Madeline, prepared it for us, knowing that we were going to be late. She doesn’t normally cook, as Cameron likes to, but she helps us out on occasion. He frowns as he chews and looks down at his plate. “What is this?”
I smile. I knew he wouldn’t like it much. “Some kind of goulash.”
“Hmm.” He screws up his face and puts another mouthful into his mouth. “Interesting,” he mutters.
I giggle as I watch him as he eats in silence. “What happened with Sebastian today?” I ask.
His eyes rise to mine, but he keeps eating until, eventually, he answers. “How long has he been flirting with you?”
“Seb is just being Seb, Cam. You know he doesn’t mean anything by it.”
“I don’t like it.”
I sip my wine. “What did you say to him, anyway?” I ask.
“Nothing that concerns you.”
I frown. “Was it about me, Cam?”
“No. It was about him disrespecting me.” He pauses for a moment. “And you.”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t roll your fucking eyes at me, Ashley. I won’t stand for it.” He snarls as he takes a bite of his food. “If he says one word out of line to you again, it’s on.”
“He knows we’re together, Cam.” I frown.
“And I know how much respect he has for other people’s relationships.” He growls.
I smile and rub my hand up his thigh. “You’re kind of cute when you’re jealous, you know.”
He sips his wine. “I don’t get jealous.”
“Really?” I smirk,
He rolls his eyes and continues eating. “What is this food?” He grimaces.
I laugh because it really is bad. “You sound like Owen.”
“Did he eat any of it?” He frowns.
I shake my head. “Nope. He ended up having toast.”
“Don’t blame him.” He frowns as he chews. “Much safer option.”
“So, Natasha called me today.”
He nods and keeps eating. “What did she have to say?”
“You didn’t tell me you were going to Vegas with them.”
He shrugs. “Does it matter?” He sips his wine. “I should be the only person who matters enough to convince you to take a trip.”
“Cam.” I frown. “I’m just really tired.”
He looks at me. “Why is that, Ash? Why are you so tired that you don’t want to make any plans with me?”
I stare at him, and for some reason I get all emotional. My eyes tear up.
“It’s not you,” I whisper.
“Ash.” His face falls. “What’s wrong, baby?” he asks gently.
I shrug as I try to articulate my thoughts. “It’s like…” I pause.
“It’s like what?”
“It’s like I had to be so brave and strong on my own for so long.” I frown because I know this sounds ridiculous, even to me.
He frowns as he watches me.
I shrug. “Now that I have you to take half the load, my body has decided to relax and fall apart.” I wipe a tear from my eye. “I feel weak, Cam. I feel tired and weak and could sleep for five years.”
He smiles softly as he watches me.
“And I… I don’t like it because I’m the one who holds shit together,” I stammer.
He smiles and stands, and pulls me into an embrace. “You don’t need to hold shit together anymore, Bloss.” He kisses me softly on the lips. “I’m here to hold our shit together now.”
I smile through my tears. “Promise?”
He kisses me softly and rubs his fingers down my cheek as he studies my face. “I promise.”
I put my hands around his broad shoulders.
“Will you come to Vegas next weekend?” he whispers.
I smile. “If I must.”
“Good.” He kisses me softly. “Now, I know you’re feeling weak, but luckily for you that’s a great companion to how I’m feeling.” He grabs my ass hard and I laugh out loud. “Now get up to our bed, on your hands and knees, because you are about to be fucked into next week.”
I giggle and wipe my eyes. “Yes, Boss.”