Page 62 of Stat: Love In Scrubs
I still couldn’t believe he’d been able to have a comfortable conversation with Veronica’s parents. They had even called to apologize to me, which I found surprising. I could hear the desire to be better in their voices when I spoke to them. I hoped the therapist, Desmond, would give them the number to help them.
They would have to actively want to change for it to actually work.
“You look so good moving around my kitchen. Have you ever considered being a Chef? I can hear it now, Chef Wilder is in the house.” I joked.
He chuckled and scrambled our eggs.
“Nah, baby, I only cook for you and Esa. Don’t go around telling people I cook. It’s not a community thing. When folks love you, they will lie a little bit about whether your food is good or not. I need that space of deceit in the kitchen.”
I burst into laughter.
“I love you, but I’m not going to tell you, your food is good if it isn’t.”
The words just spilled out before I could catch them. Desmond slowed up his mixing to look up at me with a lift of his brow.
“I knew I was going to get you to say it one day. I love you too, baby,” he responded with no hesitancy.
“What do you mean you knew you would get me to say it at some point. Why didn’t you say it first, if you felt it?” I asked.
He finished the eggs and removed them from the burner, giving me his undivided attention.
“Because I know you. If I had told you I loved you too early. You probably would have moved out of here and blocked my number,” he said with a smirk.
My eyes widened, not because I was shocked but because he was right. I needed to come to terms with things on my own. It was why Darby found herself pulling me from the edge often, and now that job would fall on Desmond's shoulders. He might as well be prepared for the ride because he was locked in.
I walked around the island and wrapped my arms around his waist.
“I’m glad you know because that would have been a sign of crazy and stalker ish behavior.” I cracked.
He chuckled, then leaned down to place a succession of kisses on my lips.
“Now, go grab Esa while I make our plates. I’m starving for more than this food, but I have to feed you first and find that child some business to attend to.”
I released my hold on him and turned to walk away when he slapped my ass. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“You are so damn doggish.” I threw it over my shoulder.
“But you knew that already, baby. Roof.” He barked, then stuck his tongue out and twisted his head and neck in the iconic move of a Que with his tongue out.
I rolled my eyes, but the pool between my thighs was saying something completely different. I made quick work of finding Esa so we could eat. Once we were finished, Desmond conveniently decided it was Esa’s time to take a nap.
When he was certain she was actually asleep, he took the time to do exactly what he promised. He feasted on my pussy like a starved man, like he hadn’t just eaten breakfast moments earlier.
Esa was down for her nap, so this was the perfect time for me to look over the decisions I needed to make for the Academy. So I threw on a pair of leggings and an oversized shirt. I then carried my fabric swatches and materials to examine.
I spread them across the floor while Desmond cleaned the kitchen and picked up Esa’s toys to get the place back in order.
My phone rang while I was sitting cross-legged on the floor in my living room, surrounded by fabric swatches and supply lists, wondering if I could make fifty bucks stretch into five hundred.
I didn’t recognize the number.
My stomach flipped anyway.
I swiped to answer. “Hello?”
“Ms. Sinclair?” A woman’s voice. Polished. Warm. “This is Mrs. Hamilton, calling from the Community Healthcare and Wellness Foundation.”
I froze. Heart stuttered.
