Page 31 of Doctor Second Chance

We're a tangle of limbs, our movements frenzied and uncoordinated as we rediscover each other. I take off my sling with reckless abandon, putting my left hand above my head and out of the way.

His hands roam over my body, exploring every curve and dip as if it's the first time.

With a swift motion, Shep lifts me onto his lap, my legs straddling his hips. The hardness of his dick presses against me, and a low moan escapes my throat. It's been so long, too long, since I've felt this kind of raw, primal need. It's both exhilarating and terrifying, the intensity of our connection threatening to consume me.

Our clothes seem to disappear with an ease that belies the urgency of our actions. Buttons pop, zippers slide down, and suddenly, nothing between us but skin and heated breaths. Shep's hands are everywhere, worshipping my body with a reverence that takes my breath away.

I can feel the cool night air on my bare skin, but I'm burning up from the inside out. Shep's gaze rakes over me, his eyes dark with lust and something else, something deeper that I'm not ready to name yet.

He enters me with a single, powerful thrust that steals the air from my lungs. It's been over a decade since we've been together like this, but our bodies remember each other. We move together in a dance as old as time, our rhythm building to a crescendo that threatens to shatter us both.

The world around us fades away until there's nothing left, but the two of us join in the most intimate way possible. Our bodies are slick with sweat, our breaths coming in ragged gasps as we chase our release.

And when it finally comes, it's like nothing I've ever experienced before. It's earth-shattering, soul-deep, and I give him all of me for a fleeting moment. There is nothing off-limits, and the relinquishing itself is dizzying.

As our breathing begins to slow and the reality of our situation starts to seep back in, I can't help but wonder what this means for us. But for now, I'm content to lie here in Shep's arms, the steady beat of his heart a soothing lullaby in the quiet night.

I wake to the soft light of dawn filtering through unfamiliar curtains. For a moment, I'm disoriented, then the events of last night come rushing back. I turn my head, and there he is, Shep, sleeping peacefully beside me.

My breath catches as I take him in. He's more handsome in repose, his robust features relaxed, dark lashes fanned against his cheeks. His thick beard, even more apparent than at the end of the day, is sexy and black, slightly darker than his thick brown hair.

The tattoos on his forearm, new since our college days, snake up his arm. This is the first time I can study them unabashedly. I resist the urge to trace them with my fingers.

A whirlwind of emotions crashes over me, leaving me breathless and dizzy. Last night was... incredible. It’s better than I remembered if that's even possible.

Remembering the way he touched me, his strong hands, gentle yet insistent, send shivers down my spine.

The way he looked at me - those piercing caramel-brown eyes boring into my soul - it was like no time had passed at all. Every kiss, every caress felt both achingly familiar and thrillingly new. My body still hums with the memory of our passionate reunion, a symphony of sensations I had forgotten, experiences from another life. I can't help but wonder if this is real or just a beautiful, fleeting dream.

When I come down from admiring his physical beauty and the electricity of his touch, doubt creeps in like an unwelcome intruder, casting shadows on the blissful memories of last night. What have I done?

My heart races as I contemplate the implications of our passionate reunion. Everything about this situation is complicated. It’s an intricate network of past and present that I'm not sure how to unravel.

We've not addressed what happened between us all those years ago. Neither of us seems to have the courage, or maybe it’s the hutzpah, to confront the elephant in the room. The hurt, the anger, the heartbreak—it's all still there, buried beneath the surface like dormant embers, threatening to ignite at any moment.

I can feel it simmering, a messy mix of emotions that could explode if we're not careful—a powder keg.

Part of me wants to run, to protect myself from potentially reliving that devastating pain. But another part, the part that still yearns for Shep after all this time, wants to stay and see if we can have a real second chance. God, why does love have to be so damn scary?

He has a child he shares with a co-parent and a life here in Birmingham. I have my career in Florida and a life I've worked hard to build. Before we had choices, now it isn’t so simple. Picking up and moving isn’t that easy anymore

I'm not opposed to casual flings. God knows I've had my share. But with Shep? There's too much history and too many unresolved feelings. I don't know if I could keep things casual with him. I'm not sure I would want to.

As I watch him sleep, my heart aches with the impossibility of it all. How can something feel so right and so wrong at the same time?

TEN

Shep

Wednesday, July 10

6:22 am

I wake to a gentle tickle on my chest, my eyes fluttering open. Elle's there, watching me intently, her finger tracing circles on my chest. My body instantly reacts to her presence, and her touch is electric on my skin.

"Morning," I murmur, voice still rough with sleep.

"Hey," Elle whispers back, a hint of uncertainty in her eyes.

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