Page 7 of Stone Vows

“I saw him handing a homeless guy a wad of cash last night,” Cameron tells the group. “And I heard he paid for some old lady’s leg brace last week.” He turns to me. “You’d better be careful or patients will be hunting you down expecting you to pay their bills.”

“I think what he’s doing is incredible,” Mallory says, getting up to set the table. “Don’t ever stop doing what you’re doing, Kyle.”

Ethan motions for me to give him another beer. “Hey, before I forget,” he says, “Mason hooked me up with some pre-season box seat tickets for next weekend’s game. You guys up for it? You too, Cameron.”

“Hell, yes!” Cameron shouts. Then he lowers his voice and says to me, “Damn, I’m one lucky son-of-a-bitch to have met you our first day as interns. A movie star brother. Friends who play for the Giants.”

“Dude,” Chad says to him. “Stop kissing his ass or it will give him a bigger head than he already has.”

“Oh,I’mthe one with the big head, Mr. Jake fucking Cross,” I say, referring to his award-winning movie trilogy.

Chad punches me in the arm. “That’sLieutenantJake fucking Cross, you tool.”

Charlie and Mallory call us to the table for dinner. The girls tell us about the work they’ve been doing at Hope For Life, a program for pregnant teens who have been kicked out of their homes and have nowhere to go. The residential center helps girls navigate their pregnancy and then gets them back on their feet afterwards. It makes me think of Elizabeth. But as she’s in her twenties, she’s too old for the program.

“Bro!” I feel a kick in the shin under the table and look over at Chad who delivered it. “Can you tell me why the hell you’ve been staring at my pregnant wife the whole night? I know she’s gorgeous and all, but what’s wrong with you?”

“Sorry,” I say to him. Then I wince and turn to Mallory. “Sorry, Mal. Uh, I just can’t get my mind off a case I had last shift. She was about your age, and at thirty-two weeks, just a little further along.”

Mallory looks worried and puts a protective hand on her belly. “Oh, gosh, what happened?”

“She’s okay,” I tell them. “And so is the baby—for now. She’s got placenta previa. But that’s not what got to me. First, I found her outside the hospital sitting on a bench. She was scared to come in because she didn’t have insurance. And then, when I asked if I could call someone for her, she said she didn’t have anybody. But the way she said it was so sad. I actually think she doesn’t haveanyone. Like she’s alone in the world.” I shake my head and down the rest of my beer. “It just really sucks, that’s all.”

“Oh, wow,” Mallory says. “That’s so sad. I can’t imagine being pregnant and alone.” She reaches over and takes Chad’s hand in hers.

“You have to let it go, Kyle,” Cameron says. “I know you want to fix everything and everyone. But you can’t. You’d better get used to that now or you’ll burn out on this job before you know it.”

I nod. “I know. For the most part, I can let things go. I do what I can and then the rest is out of my hands. But this girl, I don’t know, I just felt like maybe there was more I should have done. She was different. Better. More deserving somehow.” I run a frustrated hand through my hair. “Fuck.”

Cameron puts a supportive hand on my shoulder. Then I look around at all the fallen faces at the table. “Shit,” I say. “I didn’t mean to bring everyone down. I’m sure she will be fine.”

I nod to the large ice bucket on the bar that’s holding several bottles of champagne. “I’m not back on the clock for twenty-four hours. So how about we open those and get shit-faced?”

Chad laughs. “How about the three of you get shit-faced and I’ll be the one to make sure you and Cameron get home.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I say, just as my phone vibrates with a text. I pull it out to check it.

Gina: Enjoy your day off. But I expect payback tomorrow night!

I smile at the text. Best to stick to the things I can control and let the rest go. I tap out a reply.

Me: Looking forward to it.

And then I toss back a glass of champagne and try to convince myself I meant it.

Chapter Four

“Oh, God, yes!” Gina belts out in a hushed scream as I work my tongue on her. “Kyle, uhnnnnng . . .”

She tries to be quiet as I make her come, my mouth feasting on her as I work my fingers inside of her. Her hips buck off the bed and her head lashes from side to side on the pillow beneath it. It makes me wonder what it would be like to have her outside of the hospital. I’ll bet Gina is a real screamer. Just thinking of it makes me even harder.

I climb up her body before she recovers from her climax. My dick easily glides into her slick channel. Damn, this feels good. It’s just what I needed after the difficult cases I had today. I could have gone home. I’m off the clock now. But let’s be honest, Gina is a far better choice than my right hand for relieving tension.

In short order, she’s making those noises again and I can’t help but smile. I wonder if every man can make her come this quickly, or if it’s just me. Whatever it is, she’s very responsive. Makes our quick on-call room hookups more interesting, that’s for sure.

“God . . . Kyle . . . oh . . .”

She writhes beneath me as her second orgasm pulls her under. Her tight walls pulsate around me, taking me right along with her. I bury my face in the pillow next to her head to muffle my own cries.

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