spasm inside me, emptying himself deep within me.
He rested his head on my shoulder as we both caught our breath. It was hands down the most incredible sex I’d ever had, and that scared the shit out of me.
After a minute or two, he rolled off of me.
Chapter 6
“Doc, are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No, you didn’t hurt me. That was far from hurt. That was amazing.”
“I’d have to agree with you there. Come here.” He pulled me over so that my head was resting on his chest. I pulled the blanket over us, and he ran his fingers gently up and down my back. I’d never felt so satisfied and content before.
“I’m glad you decided to give it up.” I started to giggle into his chest.
“Very funny, Doc. I didn’t stick to that for very long, did I? That’s your fault for being so beautiful and sexy. I couldn’t resist your charms for another second.”
“Yeah, sure. I’m just a goddess with this black eye and bum ankle.”
“Your strength and determination is totally sexy. Don’t kid yourself.”
We laughed and talked a bit more, and I started to drift off to sleep in his arms. It felt nice to be held. I felt protected and wanted, and those feelings were more important to me than anything else.
***
I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up, I was alone in the bed. I glanced at the clock and noticed it read 1:45 am. Eric was next to the bed getting dressed.
“What’s wrong?”
“One of my ranch hands called. There’s trouble with one of the horses. I gotta go see if the vet needs to be called.”
“Oh. I hope everything is okay.” I tried not to let him hear the disappointment in my voice. I was glad it was dark so he couldn’t see the range of emotions pass over my face. After what we just shared, he needed to run off and leave me in bed alone, making me feel like it had just been a one night stand.
“I’m sorry, Doc. I wanted to stay right there in bed with you. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” He leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the lips and hurried out the door.
I couldn’t fight the sadness that came over me when I heard the front door open and close. I knew he was a good guy, but it was the first night, and he had already loved me and left me. Was I ready to be with a man whose life was devoted to something else? Could I be selfless enough to let him go when they needed him?
I lay there in the dark wide awake, trying to decided whether there was a future for me and Eric Langdon after all.
Chapter 7
I woke up the next morning and rolled over. My arms instinctively reached for a warm body in the bed next to me, and I felt a new rush of disappointment as I remembered that Eric had slipped away during the night. Duty called, and I understood that, especially in my profession, but I still wished I could have woken up next to him.
I was still completely bare beneath the sheets, and the smooth cotton felt good against my skin. I noticed that the ache in my muscles had eased up, and I felt like I could actually move on my own. Despite feeling warm and comfortable in the afterglow of my time with Eric, I knew that I needed to get up and get ready for work.
As soon as I sat up and let my feet hit the floor, I started to get up, testing my weight out on my bad ankle. I was able to stand long enough to grab my crutches and easily maneuver over to slip my robe off the back of the door and put it on. Moving a little faster than the day before, I went into the bathroom and started to get ready for my day.
When I closed my eyes, I could still picture every inch of his strong body and the way it moved with mine. Eric had awakened feelings in me that had been tucked away for far too long. He was exactly the opposite of how he looked. His appearance was rugged and tough, but the way he made love to me was soft and thorough. He put me first in every aspect of what we did. I felt spoiled considering what my last boyfriend had been like.
The hot water of the