Page 25 of Passion Restored

“No, I’m someone who likes sex. You used to be that person too until you started working as much as you do.”

Liz glared. “You work as much as I do these days.”

Tessa raised a brow. “Yeah, but I let off steam.”

To the point sometimes it worried Liz, but she didn’t say that. Tessa was her own person and could do what she needed to, but that didn’t mean Liz wouldn’t remain uncomfortable with some of it.

“He was a patient. His brother was a patient. I’m not going to sleep with him. Or Murphy.”

Tessa snorted. “I know you’re not going to sleep with Murphy. There wasn’t chemistry there. But you and Owen?” She fanned her face. “Oh, Momma. But, Liz darling, they were your patients for five minutes and never will be again. I know you. If for some reason they come into the ER again, you’ll hand them over to another nurse. You wouldn’t make things sticky.”

“And if I do that, then Lisa and Nancy will have just one more reason to put me on edge since Lisa is fighting for the same position as me, and Nancy is in just as much trouble.” Liz let her head fall back, her temples pounding. “How did I end up in high school again?”

“People are always going to act like they’re fucking immature pricks who don’t know how to deal with others. That’s how life is. But you don’t have to let them win. You’re the best nurse there by far, and Lisa knows it. You’re not going to lose your job because you happen to sleep with your neighbor. You’re not his nurse anymore, and you will never treat him again in that hospital. If you’re worried that it might get sticky that he’s your neighbor, don’t. We hardly ever see him, and the Gallaghers seem like nice people. They’re not going to fuck us over.”

Liz narrowed her eyes. “You say that, but I don’t see you sleeping with Murphy.” Liz hadn’t missed the way the two of them flirted when they thought no one was watching…and even when they thought others were watching for that matter.

Tessa scoffed. “We’re flirting because it’s fun. But I’m not as sex-deprived as you, and I don’t know if I want to sleep with Murphy. I like him as a friend. And you know how I tend to fuck things up once I sleep with a guy.”

“Then why do you think it’s okay for me to sleep with Owen?”

“Because things are different. You’re different. And hell, you’ve already kissed him. Just make it happen and stop overthinking it. You’re stressing me out.”

“You can’t just push me into having sex with a guy so I’ll stop stressing you out.”

Tessa rolled her eyes. “No, I can’t. And I’m not. I’m pushing the other shit out of your way so you can do what you want to and not freak yourself out about it. If you want to sleep with him, date him, pour hot wax on him after you tie him to the bed, go for it. Just don’t stay away because you’re scared. You need to live a little, Liz. It’s okay to do that.”

“Hot wax?” Liz asked, pointedly ignoring the rest of Tessa’s statement.

“I don’t know your kinks. I mean, I know some of them since the walls have been pretty thin in our apartments, but the hot wax thing might be a secret fetish.” She grinned, and Liz threw the dishrag at her.

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t. You love me. Now go shower and put on those skinny jeans I bought you. You’re going to look hot as fuck and maybe get fucked.”

“One, you’re crude when you’re pushy. Two, I’m not going to fit my very large ass into those jeans. I don’t know why you bought them for me.”

Tessa just used the dishrag to clean up the mess from the potato salad mixings. “You love me. And all you need to do is lay down on the bed and wiggle them on. I’ll help you if you need it, but your ass looks freaking amazing in them. Owen won’t be able to stop looking at it.” She frowned. “Though maybe you should wear another pair because they’ll probably be hard to get off in a hurry. Though he could like that, you know. The ripping and tugging as you guys are all panting and trying to get to each other’s private parts.”

Liz held up a hand. “Please, stop talking. I beg you.”

Tessa grinned. “You love me,” she repeated. “Now shower, get dressed, and actually brush your hair. Then we’re heading over to Owen’s. The Gallaghers will all be there, and they want us over there.”

“Murphy wants us there,” Liz corrected. “We don’t know about the others.”

“Get a move on!”

With a sigh, she went back to her bedroom and pulled out the jeans she didn’t think she’d actually fit in. She would not be sleeping with Owen tonight, and not ever for that matter. Maybe wearing jeans that were hard to get out of would ensure that she stuck to that.

Hopefully.

“You made it!” Murphy said as he opened Owen’s front door. She knew the man didn’t actually live here, but he sure acted like it. “I was afraid Tessa wouldn’t be able to convince you to come.”

Tessa hip-bumped her as she handed over the potato salad to the large Gallagher at the door. “Of course, I convinced her. I’m good at convincing people to do all manner of things.”

Murphy winked at Tessa, and Liz wanted to bang her head on the doorframe. And people thought Liz and Owen flirted. Holy hell.

“Good to know, Tessa. Good to fucking know.”

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