Page 78 of Paging Dr. Hart
Ethan
PS Last night was the best night.
The postscript line makes me smile, a grin that feels almost too big for my face. I’m so happy that I might shatter and, if I did, pure joyful sunlight would surely come streaming out of all my broken cracks. That’s how Ethan makes me feel.
While I’m brushing my teeth, worry chips away at that happiness. My brain begins its usual laundry list of questions. I wonder if it’ll be awkward with Ethan when he comes back from the gym. What will happen when we go back to Columbus? The scariest question of all—how to tell him about my past?
Even though I’m terrified that telling Ethan about my history in Las Vegas will change how he looks at me, he deserves the truth. If I really want this relationship to have a chance, which Ireally, reallydo, I need to come clean. I resolve to talk with him after the conference today.
My phone dings with an incoming text.
Melanie: Good luck with UR presentation.
Tiffany: Thanks.
Melanie: What time R U giving it?
Tiffany: Nine-thirty. Hoping if I do a good job, it’ll get back to Dr. Washburn. Maybe I’ll finally get that Resident of the Month award.
Melanie: U better, or I’m going on strike!
Tiffany: Lol. Appreciate the support.
Melanie: Always.
“Tiffy, I’m here,” Ethan calls out as the hotel room door slams closed behind him. I’d given him my extra room key earlier.
“In the bathroom,” I call back as I frown in the mirror, fumbling with the clasp of my necklace.
“Hey you.” He enters the room and smiles when he meets my eyes in the mirror. He reaches around me to place a large iced latte on the bathroom counter. I don’t have to taste it to know it’s vanilla.
“Thanks.” Smiling, I lift my gaze and take in his face, clean-shaven and so very handsome. My eyes drop to his lips. My cheeks burn as I remember all the things he said last night.
Look how well you take me. How deep I can go.
Noticing that I’m struggling with the necklace, Ethan comes up close behind. “Here, let me help with that.” Gently, he takes the metal chain out of my hands. As I hold my hair out of the way, he bends close and fastens the necklace, letting it fall to rest between my breasts.
“Good morning.” His breath is warm on the nape of my neck as he presses a kiss to my sensitive skin. That touch sends tingles of desire traveling along the highway of nerves throughout my body.
I turn until I’m facing him. “Morning.”
Ethan doesn’t move away, so we’re pressed close together, the small of my back braced against the sink behind me. Lifting my chin, I kiss him deeply. It feels so good to touch him. I could live in this moment, stay here forever. With Herculean effort, I drag my mouth away from his.
“We need to get down to the conference. It’ll start soon.”
Ethan presses harder against me, his erection digging into my thigh. “What conference?” he jokes.
My hand is firm against his shoulder as I laughingly push him away. “Come on now. You know what conference. The one downstairs about to start in, oh,” I check my watch, “ten minutes.”
“We could skip the first lectures. Just go down when it’s time for you to give your talk,” Ethan says hopefully, resisting my attempts to move him out of my way.
“We skipped out yesterday. We can’t keep missing the lectures,” I insist, shaking my finger at him. “There’s a nuclear medicine cardiac imaging presentation at 9:00 that I want to see.”
With a dramatic sigh, he lowers his forehead until it rests against mine. “Who would have thought I’d fall for such a rule follower?” He shoves himself away and turns and walks out of the bathroom.
“I got a little something for you,” he calls back over his shoulder.
“You did?” I follow him into the bedroom, practically bouncing up and down in my excitement to see what he’s brought.
