Page 93 of Heat Clinic

I rub the empty spot on my right side where we’ve decided it will go. “It went really well. We’re waiting until my next cycle to make it official.”

Lindsay grins and knocks her shoulder into mine. “Told you it would.” She leans over toward Dawn. “Emily won the lottery. She found a pack, and they’re loaded and live in some fancy high-rise apartment in New York.”

I scrub a hand over my face. “Oh my God, don’t say it like that. That sounds like the only reason I’m packing up with them is because they’re well off.” She would understand why I love them if she’d gotten to meet them. Marcus is so protective, caring, and sweet. Tom is an imp, keeping things interesting and Marcus from brooding. And Sam is so naughty and fun. He makes me smile until my cheeks hurt.

Lindsay arches a brow. “Marilyn said it best. A man being rich is like a girl being pretty. You don’t marry a girl just because she’s pretty, but boy, it sure helps. Besides, I’m hoping they have some single friends.”

I shake my head and grin. “You should come and stay with us sometime. We’ll show you around. The museums are really interesting.” I stand and nod to Dawn. “It was nice to meet you. I have to go talk to my boss and hand in my resignation.”

My manager reads my printed letter of resignation. My stomach is in knots while he reads it. He gives me grief over the lack of two weeks’ notice after coming back from leave, then asks for my badge and calls security to have me escorted out before the day is even over. They offer me a box, but there’s nothing at my desk that I need other than the family vacation photo I hold to my chest as I leave the job I’ve worked at for years. It’s bittersweet, and I’m strangely sentimental about a job I never really liked.

For a moment, I sit in my car in the parking lot and remind myself to breathe, and then I call Sam.

“Hey,” he answers.

“I’m done early. They walked me out like I was going to trash the place. What are you up to?”

“Packing your summer clothes.” Something heavy thuds in the background as he keeps working while we’re talking.

My stomach flips, feeling too light for my body. He could have been watching TV or grabbing his own stuff from his apartment. Instead, he’s taking care of me. How did I get this lucky? I grin. “You just wanted an excuse to go through my panty drawer again.”

“You do have a very sexy blue and yellow polka dotted one.”

Blue and yellow polka…“My slick panties? Those arenothot.” They’re as full coverage as it gets, going from the tops of my thighs up to my waist. My face heats at the thought of him looking at my ratty old slick panties.

“Baby, I can assure you they’re very fucking hot,” he says, his voice getting husky. “Because it makes me remember our time together at the free clinic, and then all I can think of is what’s gonna happen with your next heat. I’ve had a boner all morning.”

I tuck my lips and bite them to keep from laughing. “You’re terrible.”

“And you love me anyway. Are you coming home now? If not, then I can’t make any promises regarding the state of cleanliness your panties might be in when you get home.”

I slot my keys into the opening and turn, starting my car. “I’m coming home. Donotuse my panties to jerk off.” I hang up before he can think of a smartass reply. The commute back to the apartment is faster, and when I get there, he opens the door before I can get my key into the lock. He greets me with a kiss, tugging my hand between his legs to feel how hard he is. We make out all the way to the bedroom where he shows me exactly how excited those panties got him, and we make the bed that’s strange to me now smell a little more like pack.

We lie together afterward, and I stare at the blank white wall as Sam draws circles on my back. I rest my head over his heartbeat and play with the faint smattering of hair on his chest.I don’t want to sleep here, I realize. Not for one more night. Why did I ever think coming back here was so important when half of my heart is two hundred miles away?

My plants are packaged and ready for the movers. They already know what to move and what to donate. The charity is coming to pick up the donations and my car in a few days. None of my few friends can hang out on a Thursday afternoon.

“I want to go home,” I say.

“Yeah? Didn’t you want to stop in and see your family before heading back?”

It takes two seconds for me to think about it and chicken out. “I’ll see them next month.“ Future me will probably regret it but that’s her problem. I prop my chin on his chest and look up at him through my eyelashes. “Let’s go home. Unless you have stuff to do at your place?”

He pulls his other arm from behind his head and plays with my hair. “I’m good. Marcus had it all taken care of. We can go if you really want to. I’ll text them and let them know we’re coming.”

I pull out of Sam’s arms and get dressed, throwing on my wrinkly clothes and hopping into my pants. He’s ready before I am and waiting at the door as I run a brush through my hair and throw all of my stuff into my bag and zip it shut.

“I called a taxi and texted them,” Sam says.

On the train, I stare out the window and look at the passing countryside until darkness settles and there’s nothing to see. I curl into Sam’s side and watch him play a game on his phone, and then he’s shaking me awake, telling me we’re home. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I take my bag when he hands it down and follow him onto the platform.

Despite the late hour, Marcus and Tom are standing there with an enormous bouquet of red roses, and we hurry down the long platform. I drop my bag and throw my arms around Marcus’s neck, breathing him in deep and savoring his spicy-sweet scent. He nuzzles my hair, his hands on my back in an almost hug and everything feels right again.

Pulling away, I reach for Tom and hug him too. He’s less chaste, his hands drifting down to grab my ass and squeeze, and I laugh.

“Did something happen?” Marcus asks.

“No, we just finished early and wanted to come home,” Sam answers. He takes the bouquet and a kiss from Marcus.

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