Page 27 of Code Love
She opened a couple of windows, the breeze blowing through and cooling the rooms nicely. The screen of her phone was clear of notifications, her staff worked pretty well to allow Jade her time off; they generally didn’t bother her unless it was a true emergency, so she wasn’t surprised. Though she almost wished there was something to take her mind off Lillian.
Her heart twisted when she thought about it. Lillian was amazing, and Jade wondered if she really didn’t feel the same way. She slipped off her clothes and stepped into her shower, washing away the hospital, the storm, the lust, everything. Shefocused on the water running over her body, the feel of the soap against her skin. The water was cool thanks to the power outage, but not cold. It was a nice change. Slipping into a set of satin pajamas, she checked her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were dark and hooded, the lines clear against her skin. She pressed her lips together wishing Lillian was here with her and struggling to keep her emotions in check. She had to stop thinking about it or she would end up calling her. Lillian didn’t want that. Lillian needed time, and if she chose not to pursue a relationship with Jade, then so be it. Jade hadn’t needed one before, she didn’t need one now.
Jade chuckled to herself at the thought. Of course, she didn’t need a relationship, but damn if she didn’t want one, even if it was only stolen moments from her job.Now I’ve set the bar too high,she thought to herself. No woman would come close to Dr. Lillian Holder, she was everything Jade had ever wanted.
Light was fading, so she went into her storage closet and found a couple of candles, she placed them around her living room and lit them, the smell and the tiny flames warming the air slightly. Rain started to fall; she could hear it tapping against her windowsills. She took a deep breath and picked up the book sitting on her end table and turned to the marked page, but quickly gave up, the light from the candles not nearly enough to read by.
Stifling a yawn, she knew she needed some sleep and forced herself to go to bed. She tossed and turned on the soft mattress. She tried to blame the cool breeze, the warm air in the apartment, the mental load of the patients, but she couldn’t kid herself. She couldn’t sleep because all she could think about was Lillian. She stared at the ceiling trying to force the woman from her thoughts, but eventually gave up and just allowed the images to flash through her mind. She kicked the blankets off of her asher body flushed with heat when she thought about the intimate moments in the hospital.
The rain fell harder outside, and Jade thought about the window in the breakroom. Her body pressed against it while Lillian touched her and brought her to peak pleasure. She could feel desire pulsing through her core, throbbing between her legs. She thought about the toys she had hidden away in her nightstand, something to take the pressure off, but certainly not something that would take her mind off Lillian. If anything, it would only fix Lillian that much more permanently in her fantasies.
With a grunt, Jade threw her legs over the side of her bed, she would get herself a cold drink. Maybe that would calm her down enough to finally get some sleep.
11
Lillian
Lillian had done all she needed to before heading home from the hospital. Hannah had been checked out and moved into the recovery room with Stephanie, and both women were doing well. She even got to say goodbye to little Jasmine as Stephanie’s sister took her home for the night.
It had started to rain again, and Lillian was having trouble making herself leave the hospital. Something about her empty apartment seemed to be repelling her, but she knew she needed some rest. She made one last stop before leaving the hospital.
“Doctor Rourke?” Lillian said as she poked her head into her mentor’s room.
“Doctor Holder, it’s good to see you,” Elizabeth said with a smile. She was reclined on the bed, her head resting against the pillows.
“How are you feeling?” Lillian asked, coming in and picking up her chart.
“Like a million bucks,” Elizabeth chuckled, turning her head slightly.
“I see your sense of humor hasn’t diminished,” Lillian said with a roll of her eyes.
“I was told you were the one that saved my life,” Elizabeth said.
“You could say that,” Lillian answered with a slight wave of her hand. “Though it was Doctor Lin’s quick thinking that got you in my hands in the first place.”
“You two are going to drive me up the wall,” Elizabeth chuckled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lillian asked, heat coloring her cheeks.
“Apparently I can’t compliment or show my gratitude to either one of you without you deflecting it back to the other,” Elizabeth chided. “You make a good team.”
“I don’t know about that, Ja—Doctor Lin drives me batty sometimes,” Lillian said, trying to brush off the discomfort. She hoped Elizabeth hadn’t caught her almost use of Jade’s given name. Elizabeth noticed everything, though, so she doubted she missed it.
“I’m sure you do the same for her, but that doesn’t mean you’re not good for each other,” Elizabeth said with a slight lift of her eyebrow. She fingered the bandage around her head.
Lillian glanced at the woman wondering exactly what she meant by that. She thought about asking what Jade had told her, but she knew better. The woman would take any conversation held in confidence to her grave. “We did work well together through the storm,” Lillian admitted.
“I’m sure,” Elizabeth said and turned back to the television. “Give yourself some credit,” Elizabeth continued without looking at her. “Sometimes you have to trust your intuition and go with what feels right.”
Lillian narrowed her eyes at the woman; it felt like she wasn’t talking about surgery.
“Do you need anything?” Lillian asked as she finished her checks.
“I need you to go home and stop fussing over me,” Elizabeth said with a smile.
“Fat chance,” Lillian answered with a chuckle. “It might not be me, but someone is going to be in here fussing over you until you’re recovered and home.”
“Of course you are,” Elizabeth said with a huff. “Still, you need to go home, you have been in this hospital too long. Get some rest.”
