Page 24 of Devoted

“Yeah. What do you want to do?”

Suddenly, the nervous woman standing in front of me musters enough confidence to put me out of my misery, granting me permission to do what I wanted since I saw her earlier. “I think we should leave, seeing as how the only guy I’m interested in is standing right in front of me.”

With the speed of a bullet leaving a gun, I don’t waste any time grabbing her hand and pulling her down the hall, back to the check-in table where I tell the lady in charge that the event was a success.

“You made a match. We both got what we came for, so thank you.” I salute her and the man standing next to her while Jess giggles beside me, struggling to keep up with my lengthy strides as we make our way to the door.

“Jesus, Brooks. Can you slow down, please? Remember, I don’t have legs as long as yours and I can’t walk very fast in these heels.” Jess is huffing beside me while I pull her to the parking lot as I frantically try to remember where I parked. I’m so damn pumped right now, I feel a rush like when I’d score a touchdown during a game or when I save a patient from dying—because getting Jess to agree to leave with me was exactly the win I was counting on.

“Sorry, babe. I’m just excited.”

She peers up at me in the glow from the street lamps illuminating the parking lot when we arrive at my car. Opening the door for her, she speaks softly before sliding into her seat. “I’m excited too.”

“Good. Now get inside.” Before I press you up against my car and take you right here.

Once Jess is seated, I close her door and make my way around my car, buckling up and then heading for Tony’s, since that’s the first place that registers in my mind and somewhere I know she’ll be comfortable.

Upon arrival, we find a booth in the back corner, order a round of drinks, and settle into our seats, soaking each other up from across the table.

“I can’t believe I’m sitting here with you right now,” she says, looking across the top of her drink as she takes a sip. Jess is a cranberry and vodka girl apparently, a detail I picked up on the night Ethan and I crashed their girls’ night.

“And why is that?” I lift my beer and drain a good third of it.

“I guess I’m shocked, is all. I mean, part of me was hopeful you’d make a move, eventually. But the other part was scared that you would.” She sighs before looking down at her fingers, fiddling them around for a minute, tilting her head back and forth slightly as she thinks. Then suddenly, she’s shaking her head and then slamming her hand on top of the table, startling me and the few people around us.

“You know what? I’m just going to be honest, okay?”

I swallow harshly and nod, a little scared for the truth she’s about to speak, but eager to get more of an insight to this bold side of her. “That first morning when I met you at Skye’s, I thought you were an ass.” I can’t help it, I laugh, but she continues. “And the more you spoke, the more infuriated I became with you because all I could think was, how can this guy be such a jerk, but so damn hot!” She chuckles now and takes another sip of her drink. “And then we started working together and all I could think about is how sexy you are in your scrubs and when you speak to patients and use all of your medical jargon.”

“Oh, yeah?” I grin.

“Yeah.” She licks her lips, drawing my eyes to the sight, of course. “I never thought you’d be interested in me—and part of me didn’t want you to be.”

That little detail catches me off-guard. “And why is that?”

She sighs again, looking out across the room before focusing back on me, her eyes showing me a flash of pain I haven’t seen in them before. “I don’t exactly have the best of luck in dating.”

So I guess part of my intuition was right. She’s scared because of how other guys have treated her or how her past relationships have ended. That’s okay. I can remedy that—and even though I hate that someone has hurt her, if she hadn’t been unsuccessful in her dating history, then I wouldn’t get a chance with her now.

My hand finds hers on the wooden surface as I pull her a little closer so that we’re both leaning in over the table, mere inches separating our faces. “I don’t think dating has to do with luck. I think it has more to do with connection and two people who want the same things. I want you, and you want me. So let’s just focus on that and see what happens next—how does that sound?”

Jess’s eyes bounce back and forth between mine as a smile slowly builds on her face, her red lips taunting me and her scent drawing me closer to her without even realizing it. “Sounds like a chance worth taking.”

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