Page 33 of Doc

“You weren’t kidding. That’s the best spaghetti sauce I’ve ever had.” I was stuffed to the gills after downing two huge plates of pasta. I sat back and put a hand on my full belly, staring across the table at the most beautiful woman I knew. And she could cook, too. Bonus.

“Told you,” she said smartly, rising to her feet and reaching for my empty plate. “Would you like more wine?” She turned and walked to the sink.

“I could use another glass.” I wasn’t much of a wine drinker. Over the years my preferences had changed, but wine had never made the list. Lately I preferred beer or whiskey. “I’ll help you with the dishes.” I started to get up.

“Not necessary. I’ll put them in the dishwasher after you leave.”

She left the dishes in the sink and grabbed the bottle of wine on her way back to the table. She’d changed into raggedy jeans and a tank, and when she’d first walked out after her shower, I’d sprouted an instant boner. Harlow had always been classy, and ripped jeans and a tank top didn’t disguise the successful, well put together woman she was underneath. She’d taken the time to blow dry her hair and had pinned it up in a careless knot, leaving whisps of it to flutter around her face and neck as if it had escaped the knot on purpose.

She smiled at my silent perusal as she refilled our glasses before sitting down again.

“David is a fool.”

Her brows shot up with surprise.

“For letting a woman like you go.” I knew Harlow had said that the separation had been mutual, but I wouldn’t have been so generous. Once I claimed her before the club, I was never letting her go.

“Then that makes me a fool, too,” she surprised—and pissed me off—by saying. “David is a good man, Liam. He’s been good to me. Encouraged me to have my own career. Provided for me. But somewhere along the way, we stopped being a married couple and became friends. It seemed easy to just let our relationship continue the way it was. It was comfortable.”

“But you want kids.”

She met my eyes.

“If he’d been open to giving you kids, would you still be with him?” I needed to know the answer to that. I watched her eyes closely as she considered how to answer. After a minute, she shook her head.

“No. Because by the time I realized how badly I wanted a family, I was already in love with someone else.”

I saw the truth in her eyes and released a breath of relief.

“It wasn’t just about wanting a baby, Liam.” She reached for her glass. I took a sip of my own wine. “In spite of our friendship, David’s indifference toward me in the bedroom wasn’t something I was willing to sacrifice myself for.” A little smile turned the corners of her kissable lips up. “I need someone who wants me bad enough to prove it to me. I need passion. Lust. I need to know that I’m important to someone enough that they’ll fight for me. I don’t want someone just going through the motions because it’s expected of him.”

So, he was cold in the bedroom. I couldn’t believe it. Not with someone like Harlow. But I trusted her, so I knew that she was speaking the truth. Her explanation for why they were divorcing wasn’t unheard of. Hell, I knew brothers who went home to old ladies they didn’t love because it was just easier than getting a divorce, losing everything, and then starting over.

She wouldn’t have to worry about my lack of interest in the bedroom. If anything, she was going to stay wet and achy because I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off her. Fuck. I wanted her even now, so fucking badly that I knew I should leave. I couldn’t get the image of her on her knees out of my head, and my dick still tingled with the memory of her sweet mouth wrapped around it. I’d thought that Harlow was innocent, but I had a feeling that was a misconception I’d formed of her because of our history. And I couldn’t wait to see what other surprises she had for me.

“What are you thinking, honey?”

My dick reacted to that soft endearment coming out of her mouth. I decided to be honest. “Thinking about that blowjob.” I reached across the table, snagged her hand, and pulled her up and over to me. She landed on my lap, and I arranged her legs until she was straddling me. “Thinking about my dessert.”

“You’re still hungry?” she asked in disbelief. “After all that spaghetti you ate?”

I grunted. “There’s always room for dessert, baby.” I kissed the tip of her nose. “And I’m a sweet man.”

Laughter escaped her, causing a rosy glow to settle in her cheeks. “Fuck me, Liam.”

I groaned and laid my forehead against hers. I wanted to fuck her, God, did I want to. “Anything but that, babe. Don’t make me break my rule.”

“Could I make you break it?” Even though her tone was teasing, there was something else in it, too, something hopeful.

“Hell yeah, baby. So easily.” I thrust my hips up so she could feel my hard-on, and I knew that I was halfway there. I shouldn’t have admitted that to her. I wasn’t worried that it would make me appear weak if I gave in to my baser needs, but it was a personal decision that I’d made and one important that was enough for me to keep. She was still legally married.

Harlow released a resigned sigh. “You’re a good man, Liam.”

She’d said that before. “Then stop tempting me, woman.” We laughed together. “Now, what about my dessert?” Before either of us could move, I received a call. “Shit.” I dug into my cut pocket and pulled my phone out. It was Sax.Fuck.I knew that something must have been up for him to interrupt my time with Harlow. I caught Harlow’s eyes. “Gotta take this.” She went to slide off my lap, but I clamped a hand on her waist and held her there.

I put the phone to my ear on the third ring. “Yeah?”

“Need you here, Doc.”

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