Chapter 4

Kennedy – One Month Later

I smile at Nancy,my thirty-four-year-old patient, as I hand her the discharge papers. Someone will roll her out of the building in the wheelchair to her husband who is pulling the car around to the pick-up/drop off. She"d been admitted for food poisoning after her husband tried to spoil her with a special meal while they were kid-free.

As you can imagine, it didn"t work. Several flowers arrangements around the room show his apology for taking her to a seafood truck—something about trying to save money.

Men can be idiots sometimes.

With a shake of my head, noticing her husband running in for her, I walk over to the nurse"s desk, ready to clock out.

I"ve been on the graveyard shift, and I am tired. I was supposed to be gone by seven this morning, but Becky was a no-show for her shift. Her daddy is on the board, and she gets one too many passes for my liking. Even last month with that little girl, she got a slap on the wrist, and that was it, despite not calling in for child services and security immediately. That little girl is dead because she left her with her parents.

Always listen to the patient. Always.

I check the time and see it"s nearing four in the afternoon. This means I"ve been on shift for twenty-one hours. Amelia smiles as I put my chart in her tray.

"You are amazing, you know that?" she says, and I answer back with a hum because, yeah, words are not working right now. She furrows her brows and asks, "Are you going to be safe driving home? Maybe you should stay in the on-call room."

I smile and nod before pecking her cheek in thanks, then heading to the staff room for my belongings. The less I talk, the less energy I"ll use, and the safer I"ll drive. Well, I hope, because as much as I hate living at Momma"s, staying in the on-call room is a big no-no for me. That"s where I"ve seen Prue leave on a few occasions. I never see Doc doing the walk of shame; I"m already gone before he does. There"s only so much hurt I can take.

Plus, I"ve been dodging him since our kiss. It"s why I"ve switched to nights for the past month, using my "I need more experience" reply as an excuse. I knew Doc was off today, but he"s in tomorrow, and I don"t want to risk bumping into him. When his lips touched mine, honest to God, I saw fireworks. My body lit up, goosebumps ran all over my skin, and then I had the feeling of home.

He"s my home but I"m not his, I"m his little sister"s annoying friend and, that day, he was trying to comfort me. He was trying to take away the pain I was feeling for that little girl and myself.

He pitied me.

With a sigh, I grab my bag and head out of the staff room, ready for sleep. However, I note the time and silently groan, knowing there are most likely several people at home.

I could sleep at the motel tonight. I have some savings, which means I won"t dip into the trust, or maybe Alex can let me use his room, but then there"s a chance I"ll see Doc and Prue—dammit!

"Kennedy," someone calls, and I turn my head to see Claudia rushing my way, grinning from ear to ear. I can"t help but smile back. She never grins.

"Everything alright, Claud? It"s not every day I see you smile this wide," I sass.

She chuckles before giving me a hug, confusing me, but I hug her back, nonetheless. She pulls back and grips my shoulders, stating, "Not only did you help me out today after doing the graveyard shift, but you are an amazing person, Kennedy Gray." I furrow my brows as her eyes tear up, and she rasps, "New York wants you."

My eyes widen, and I stutter, "You-you mean…." My words trail off because, surely not….

But she nods and replies, "Not only do they want you on the program, but they want you in New York to do it. They want you that badly, they are offering you travel expenses and accommodation."

My mouth drops open as she wipes away her tears, then pulls me into a hug again, whispering, "I know you have family here, and I know you have Doc…." I hug her back tighter and swallow hard, not realizing how much she saw. "But this is an opportunity of a lifetime, to work alongside the greatest pediatricians of the country and, if I"m right, you going will open that man"s eyes to see what is right in front of him." She pulls back and wipes away some tears that have fallen down my cheeks. "They want an answer by August. You have two months, but if you don"t take it, which I believe you should, you have also been accepted into the program we will be running here."

I blink in shock as she kisses my cheek, whispering how proud of me she is, before she leaves me so I can go get some sleep. I have the next three days off before my next graveyard shift.

I blindly walk to the exit, my mind scrambled.

New York wants me—me!

As I get outside and the Texas heat hits my face in the evening air, I grab my phone and call the person who can help me unscramble my head.

He answers on the third ring.

"Well, if it isn"t my favorite cousin."

I chuckle a little before yawning. "I"m your only cousin, Alex."

He chuckles and replies, "True. I take it you"ve just woken up and are ready to curse me out for not calling because now you"re not going to sleep tonight. In my defense, little cuz, I tried to call you, but your phone was still switched off from your shift."

I wince. Crap, I forgot to message him. Damn, is he going to be mad….

I clear my throat and admit, "Actually, I, uh, I"ve only just finished."

He"s quiet for a minute as I climb into my Honda, waiting for the blow-up. I silently count down, and he shouts, "Are you fucking kidding me, Kennedy! You"ve been working for over twenty fucking hours again!"

And right there, ladies and gentlemen, is what it"s like to have an amazing cousin. His love for me is what gets me through the hate in my family. Growing up, he was my rock, along with Aunt Shelly and Uncle Chris before he died.

"Becky was a no-show again, and the ER was manic. I had no choice, plus they"ve offered me double pay for the inconvenience,"I admit, and he growls, making me chuckle as I start my car. "Look, I called because I need your advice. Remember that program I told you about last month?"

"To become a NICU nurse?"he asks.

Even though he can"t see me, I nod and reply, "Yeah, well, I got accepted."

He cheers for me, making me smile a little.

"That is amazing, Ken, I"m so proud of you, darlin'."

I sigh and admit, "New York wants me, Alex."

He clears his throat, then snaps, "No,"making me laugh a little as he continues, "I mean it, Ken, no. If they want you that means you"ve got accepted in the program here, right?"I hum out a yes. "Right, so you"ll stay here. I know I sound selfish right now, but I can"t lose you. Noah can"t lose you, and neither can Momma. Please, Ken, don"t take the New York one."

I sigh, letting my hair down from his ponytail, and say, "It"s a great opportunity, Alex…."

He groans. "Dammit, Ken!"I picture him running his hand through his hair as he states, "Don"t make any decisions yet. I know exactly why you"re willing to consider it, and I"m telling you now, fuck Prue, because if Doc finds out about that offer, you won"t be going anywhere."

I shake my head. He"s adamant Doc has the same feelings for me as I have for him, yet if that was true, he wouldn"t be with Prue, and I"d be wearing his cut right now.

I promise Alex I"d give it the allotted time before giving my answer to Claudia. I told him I would speak to Lola, making him cheer. He thinks she"ll also tell me no, making me laugh, before we hang up. With a shake of my head and a yawn, I drive out of the hospital parking lot and head to the club, knowing Lola will kill me if I don"t speak to her, even though I"m tired.

Twenty minutes later, a prospect I haven"t seen before stops me at the gate. He raises a brow at me as I put my window down, my sleepy eyes meeting his hard blue ones.

"Can I help you?"he growls.

I raise a brow and ask, "Does Snake know you get growly to people showing up at the gates?"His brows raise, and I sigh. "I"m Lola"s best friend, Kennedy. Can you buzz me in, please, or call her to the gate to confirm my identity, or call Sniper or, heck, even Snake?"

He clears his throat. "Uh, sorry. We"ve had several cars stop by today, mostly women, and honestly, it"s pissing me off. I"m Ted, by the way. I mostly work in the garage."

I snort. "No offense, but my hair is most likely a mess, my mascara well and truly gone from working twenty-one hours at the hospital, and I"m in scrubs…do you really think I"m here to get a brother"s attention, especially when most are like actual brothers to me?"

I raised a brow at him, making him smirk.

"You"re feisty, and I must admit, I like that. I"ll let you in, but if you turn out to be a patch chaser, then well, I was never here."

I laugh as he opens the gate, and I drive through, heading to dirt road along the side of the warehouse building heading to the houses the brothers have built. Tats is the only one without a house at the compound; he lives off club land, but no one knows where. Except me, because I followed him one time and played like I had a flat tire.

Tats' birth momma is a bitch, and the brothers are, quite frankly, nasty to him because of her. In my eyes, they don"t deserve him as a brother, and I really, really want his house.

I get past Sniper"s house, then near Doc"s, when I see Doc leaning against his bike, his arms crossed, and his eyes firmly on my vehicle. I plan to drive past, but he tilts his head and raises a brow as if daring me to keep going, making me sigh.

A month of ignoring and dodging him has officially come to an end.

How in the hell did he even know I was here?

I pull up beside his driveway to his massive dark gray Victorian house, that I absolutely love, and climb out. He scowls, making me raise a brow at him.

He narrows his eyes and commands, "Please fucking tell me you have not just finished your shift?"He shoves off his bike, meeting me halfway on his drive. "Please fucking tell me you have not just worked over twenty fucking hours again."

I nod and sass, "Okay, I won"t tell you that Becky didn"t show up, and I"ve only just finished my shift."He growls, anger radiating from him, and I sigh. "It"s fine, Doc."He flinches. It"s small, but I saw it, confusing me. I continue, "I got double pay for it."

He shakes his head, not looking happy, and asks, "Why are you here and not sleeping in the on-call room like you should be."

I bite my bottom lip, causing him to step forward and gently remove my lip from my teeth with his thumb, making my breath stutter a little. I clear my throat, step back, and say, "I came to see Lola quick, before I crash in Alex"s room."

Thankfully, he said I could use it so I wouldn"t have to deal withMomma"s"friends." Gosh, I'm lucky to have my cousin in my life.

Doc"sjaw ticks, his eyes flashing with anger. The brown of his pupils making itself more known through the green, which makes me tilt my head in confusion.

He mutters,"Can you, uh, come inside for a moment, please?"

I furrow my brows at his nervousness but nod, causing him to swallow hard. He gently places his warm palm on the small of my back and guides me up the steps onto his black wrap-around porch, and into his house. I walk into his well-lit, open living area, the light gray walls highlighting his black couch, andthe archway toward the kitchen lets in even more light. I turn to look at him but furrow my brows when I see him pacing before me.

"Doc, are you alright?" I ask with concern.

He growls at my words and points at me, his white shirt straining against his muscles.

He snaps, "I fucking hate it when you call me my road name. I"m Lucas to you, Pixie, I always have been."I look down, my tears burning because that's not true; not since he started seeing other girls. I know I don't have the right to be upset over that, but my heart disagrees.

I feel him walk toward me, his body warming mine as he cups my cheeks, lifting my head. Our eyes connect as he whispers,"For years, you have called me Lucas, and the day you called me Doc, I felt like my heart was being torn out."

My heart rate picks up. Alex"s words from over the years come to me, adamant this man had the same feelings as me. Emotion choking me, I bleat, "Why are you doing this?"

He smiles a little, his thumb wiping the fallen tear. I meet his gaze and gasp at what I see…. Love?

"I"m doing this because I have missed you this past month. I am doing this, Kennedy because for as long as I can remember, I have been madly and deeply in love with you. I can"t live without you near me any longer, baby, and I can"t keep my feelings in check anymore. Up until our kiss, I didn"t believe you felt the same way I do, but now I know the truth. You are mine, Kennedy Gray, and I"m yours; I always have been."

With that statement, he leans forward and kisses me. I don"t kiss him back at first, completely in shock, before he nips my bottom lip, snapping me out of it. My hands glide up and over his shoulders into his hair. I kiss him back, my mouth opening for him as he licks the seam of my lips.

My heart picks up, my hands sweat—is this really happening?

He moves his hands slowly down my sides before he cups my ass. He lifts me, making me gasp, but he swallows it as I wrap my legs around his waist. His lips never leave mine, his tongue continuing to lick my mouth, his taste blocking my senses.

Blindly, he moves his feet as I grip his hair as I feel my back hit a soft mattress. His body blankets mine, his hands gliding up my sides, bringing my top up with them, making my breathing deepen.

Are we really doing this, or am I dreaming?

I worked long hours, maybe I hit a tree on the way home, or something….

He breaks the kiss then takes off my scrub top, his eyes connecting with mine as he lays back on top of me. His nose gently rubs mine as he rasps, "I"m done holding back, Ken. I love you, and it"s time you see that."

My eyes tear up, and I whimper,"You have a girlfriend, Lucas."

His eyes soften, and he gently caresses my lips, whispering the words I"ve been longing to hear. " We"re not together, Ken. I haven"t touched Prue in two months. You"re my girl, you always have been, and now I know that you feel the same. Our kiss proves how you really feel, so I"m taking what"s mine back.You"remy girl, and soon you"ll be my wife, my old lady."

He kisses me harder, and I instantly grip his hair, his soft lips giving me butterflies. He breaks the kiss and nips my chin, before moving down to my neck, sucking it, leaving his mark, then kissing down to my breasts. He sucks my nipple into his mouth through the fabric of my plain black bra, making me gasp and tilt my hips at the new sensation. My movements allow him access to unclip my bra, and then throw it on the floor. He takes my naked nipple back into his mouth, making me moan.

He shows the other nipple just as much attention, lightly biting it, and then sucking it, before kissing down my body.

He murmurs against my skin, "I have wanted you for so long. To make you mine, give you my cut, a ring on your finger, my baby in your belly. So fucking long, Pixie."

My breathing gets harsher with his words as he loops a finger into the waistband of my scrub pants and drags them down my legs, along with my panties. He glides his hands on the inside of my thighs to open me for him. I go to shut my legs, embarrassed, but his grip tightens as we lock eyes.

He rasps, "Don"t hide yourself from me, Pixie; I want to see all of you, to taste all of you."

I bite my bottom lip and relax my legs, making him smile as he dips his head, keeping his eyes connected with mine as he licks me from ass to clit, making me gasp in shock. My eyes widen as he sucks my clit into his mouth, sending a jolt through me. Then he licks around the bundle of nerves, then gently nips it.

He places two fingers at my entrance as he goes back to sucking my clit, and pushes his fingers inside me, groaning. I try to stay relaxed as my stomach tightens, and he tilts his fingers inside me, rubbing the tissue inside while sucking my clit. I suddenly see stars, and the feeling of being wet overtakes me. Lucas moans before removing his fingers, and shoving his tongue in my entrance, drinking me up, leaving me gasping.

When he"s happy my orgasm is done, he stands up and removes his cut, throwing it on the chair before pulling off his shirt. My eyes instantly going to his tatted, muscled chest, taking him in as he removes his jeans and boxers, and I think I"ve just swallowed my tongue. His member juts out, long and thick, and, oh crap, that thing is not going to fit inside me.

I bite my lip as he climbs over me. "Uh, um, Lucas. I uh don"t think you"re going to fit."

He chuckles and leans down as he whispers,"You were made for me, Ken. You"ll fit me like a glove."

He removes my bottom lip from my teeth as he blindly moves his hips, the tip of his member hitting my entrance, before he gently pushes in, my walls squeezing him tightly, already making him groan. When he hits my barrier, his eyes widen in shock as they connect with my tearful ones.

"You"re all mine?"he asks softly.

I blink fast, hoping to blink away the tears that want to fall. I drop my gaze to his neck, a little embarrassed because I had saved it for him—and that"s when I see it, my name scrawled on the side of his neck.

How have I missed that?

He really does love me….

I make eye contact with him as I wrap my arms around his neck and whisper, "I have always been yours, Lucas. Always. I love you."

His eyes tear up before he takes my lips in a searing kiss. He thrusts his hips forward hard, taking my virginity and the rest of my soul.

The next morning, I woke to an empty bed, sore between my thighs, with a note on the pillow beside me. I furrow my brows and open the note, only for my tears to build up.

My Dearest Pixie,

I had an emergency at the hospital. I didn"t want to leave you and your warmth after finally having you.

There"sa muffin in the kitchen. Chocolate chip. Your favorite.

You and I, we"re happening, baby, this is it now.

I"m not willing to lose you.

I"ll be in touch, I love you.

Your Lucas xxx

My heart pounds as hope fills it—hope that he"s finally going to be mine. Too bad I forgot that hope doesn"t exist in my world, a world that will crumble around me in a series of events that break me to pieces.