Friday evening could not come fast enough.  Chloe spent the entire day at work trying not to look at her watch to check the time.  She was excited and also a little nervous for her third date with Justin.  Thank goodness she had plenty to distract her.  It was the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday and she was swamped. 

She was supposed to be off at 5, but as it often happened a trauma patient that needed surgery came in to the E.R. just a few minutes before her shift ended.  She was going to be late.  Chloe hated to be late but hoped that Justin would understand. 

Her patient was being prepped for surgery, meaning she had a small window in which to text Justin and explain what was happening.

Chloe sighed heavily as she pulled out her phone and started typing.

Chloe: Hey.  I feel awful, but I am going to be late.  I got pulled into surgery at the last minute.  I’ll head over as soon as I finish.  I’m so sorry.

Justin looked down at his phone and couldn’t help but smile. 

Justin: No worries. I’m not going anywhere.  I get it.  Go do your thing and I will be here when you get here.

Chloe smiled then locked her phone in her locker and headed off to surgery.

It was almost 8 by the time she left the hospital.  Truthfully, she hoped that Justin had at least saved some dinner for her.  She was starving. 

“Hey there.” Justin said, his smile wide as he opened the door for her.

She looked tired, and understandably so, but she also looked completely breathtaking.  Her dark hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail and she was dressed in a pair of jeans and a NYU scoop neck sweatshirt.  It was a casual look, because he’d told her they’d just be hanging out, but he found it sexy as hell.

“I’m so sorry about being late.” Chloe sighed as she stepped through the door.

Justin smiled and shook his head.  “Don’t apologize.  I completely understand. How is your patient?”

Chloe cracked a smile.  “Going to be just fine.  He has a LONG recovery ahead of him but he’s going to be ok.”

Justin nodded. “Sounds familiar.”

Chloe’s eyes widened.  She could only imagine how difficult recovery must be for him.  Unlike many of her patients, his recovery was a waiting game.  All he could do was wait, and allow his body time to heal.  Unfortunately, waiting was doing nothing to heal his spirit.

“How are you feeling?’ Chloe asked.

Justin shrugged.  It was a fair question but not one that was easily answered.

“I’m ok I guess.”

Chloe nodded then stepped a bit closer.  The protective caregiver in her was kicking in.  She smiled up into his cool blue eyes then gently reached up to touch his face.  The feel of her soft fingertips against his skin made him sigh and lean in to her as his hands instinctively went around her waist.

“Hey. I know.  It seems like an eternity but stressing about it doesn’t make the time go faster.  Trust me on this.  Cut yourself some slack.  You’ve been through a lot.  Just take things one day at time.” Chloe replied, her voice low.

“How?’ Justin whispered.

Chloe smiled then stepped into him a bit more. 

“Close your eyes.” Chloe whispered back.

“What?”

Chloe giggled softly.  “Just trust me.  Close your eyes.”

Justin cracked a tiny smile then did as instructed.  His eyes fluttered closed and he found himself biting his lip as he waited in anticipation for what came next.

“Ok, now take a deep breath.” Chloe continued.

Justin inhaled deeply then cringed a bit as he felt the strain against his ribs and his lung.

“Still hurts a bit?” Chloe asked quietly.

“A little.” Justin replied.

“That’s normal.” Chloe assured him.

Justin nodded but didn’t speak.

“Ok, take one more deep breath.”

Again, Justin obliged.

“Can I open my eyes now.” He asked, his voice still a whisper.

“Not yet. Just listen.”

Justin nodded.

“I get it. I’ve been where you are.  Maybe not in the same way, but what you’re feeling, all those thoughts racing through your brain those are responses to trauma.  Baby steps.  Don’t worry about what comes next.”

Justin opened his mouth to speak but Chloe quickly quieted him, placing a finger to his lips.

“Baby steps, ok?!” Chloe whispered.

Justin nodded.

“Now can I open my eyes?”

Chloe smiled and bit her lip for a moment.  Then stepped into him just a tiny bit more.

“If you want to.” She replied before closing her mouth over his.

Justin groaned then deepened the kiss.

“I like this, but I bet you’re hungry.” Justin said softly as he pulled away.

“Starving.’ Chloe answered.

Justin pulled away a bit more but not completely.  Smiling, he took her hand and started leading her to the kitchen. 

Chloe couldn’t help but smile and shake her head at what she saw when they entered the kitchen.

On the stove were two William Sonoma Pizza stones, each with pizza dough already rolled out and all the toppings for homemade, flatbread pizzas.  He’d gone all out.  There was pineapple, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, black olives, bell peppers, onions and cheese, just to name a few.  In fact, most of the counter space was covered with bowls of different toppings. 

“Something wrong?” Justin asked, noticing her expression.

Chloe giggled.  “Nope.  This is perfect.”

Justin grinned.  “I wasn’t sure what sort of toppings you liked on your pizza so I got a little bit of everything.”

“You did good.”

“I try.” Justin said as he smiled again and popped a pepperoni into his mouth.

Chloe laughed.  “Are you hungry too?”

Justin nodded.  “Famished.”

“You didn’t have to wait for me to eat.  Trust me, I totally get it.”

Justin smiled.  “It was no big deal, really.”

“Well, thank you.”

Justin grinned more.  “You’re welcome.”

Ten minutes later they were popping their pizzas into the oven to bake.

“Would you like some wine?” Justin asked as retrieved two glasses from the cupboard.

Chloe nodded.  “Wine sounds nice.”

Justin poured them each a glass then handed a glass to her before taking a sip of his own.  His eyes peered at her over the glass.  She was quiet, as if in thought.  It made him wonder what she was thinking about.

“How is Gabby?” He asked politely.

Chloe smiled.  “Good.  She’s with her grandparents.   They were going to go get a Christmas tree and start decorating so she was excited.  I’ll pick her up Sunday morning.”

Justin nodded then cracked a smile.  “It feels weird, doesn’t it?”

Chloe made a face.  “What?”

Justin smiled a bit more.  “Being without her.  I remember…my mom used to get that look.”

Chloe’s eyes widened.  It thrilled her, but also frightened her a bit how intuitive he was.  This was only the third date but already she found herself connecting more with him than she ever had with Eddy.

“Oh. Umm…yeah.  I haven’t really left her for more than a few hours since before the divorce.”

Justin nodded.  “It’s a good thing…for both of you.”

Chloe managed a weak smile.  “I know…I just can’t help but feel guilty.”

Justin smiled.  “Baby steps, right?”

Chloe sighed, smiled and nodded.  “Baby steps.”

There was a bit of an awkward pause that followed.  Neither really knew what to say next.  The tension in the air was palpable.  Chloe wanted nothing more than to relax and enjoy the evening but as they’d both just admitted, there was a lot emotional baggage to sort through.

Chloe took a sip of wine and a steadying breath.  She needed to allow herself to relax. 

“How was Thanksgiving with your family?” Chloe asked.

Justin smiled and shook his head.  “Good.  My mom fussed over me entirely too much.”

Chloe giggled.  “She’s a mom…it’s what we do.  We can’t help it.”

“Yeah, I know.  Which is why I just let her do it.  I’ve learned not to argue.”

Chloe grinned and nodded.  “Smart man.”

“I have my moments.” Justin chuckled.

Chloe blushed a bit and shook her head.  “I don’t think you give yourself enough credit.  You seem pretty smart to me.  I mean…yeah…you’re talented and attractive but any one who can write songs like that definitely isn’t lacking in intelligence.”

Justin grinned and brought his glass to his lips.  “Attractive? You think I’m attractive?”

Chloe gave him a look.  “Duh!”

It was then that oven beeped signaling that the food was ready. 

“Should we eat?’ Justin asked, his voice low.

Chloe nodded.  “Please.”

Chloe was finishing up the last few bites on her plate when she set her plate down and smiled.

“I’m going to steal this idea.  Gabby would love this.”

Justin grinned.  “Steal away.”

Chloe smiled more and bit her lip nervously.  She was reminded of what Gabby had said to her about dinner.  Truthfully, they hadn’t talked about Gabby much.  She didn’t want to overwhelm him.  He was being incredibly patient and understanding and she didn’t want to jeopardize that.

“Gabby has decided that we need to go on a “double date.” Chloe said laughing a little.

Justin raised an eyebrow and couldn’t help but smile. 

“Oh?!”

Chloe giggled more.  “Yes, she thinks you and my brother should take her and I out for Steak and Sushi.”

Justin laughed.  “Bougee! I like her style.”

Chloe laughed, a genuine laugh and Justin couldn’t help but notice.

“Very! She gets it from my brother.”

“Well, I’m game.  You just say when.” Justin replied smiling.

Chloe’s eyes widened.  His response was not at all what she’d expected.

“You don’t have to…”

Justin smiled and shook his head.  “I know. I want to. It sounds fun, but no rush, whenever you decide you’re ready.”

3 dates.  They’d only been on 3 dates.  Not even a month.  Eddy had started talking about marriage at 3 months.  She’d hesitated then and she was hesitating now, but this felt different. 

“Careful Mr. Timberlake.” Chloe warned with a smirk.

“Why Doctor Hunter?” Justin replied grinning.

Chloe swallowed hard.  She knew what she wanted to say but wasn’t sure how he would respond and wasn’t sure she wanted to find out.  Then again, she’d never been one to back down from a challenge, professionally or personally.  She wouldn’t be where she was now if she had.

“Keep it up and I might just fall for you.” She whispered bravely.

Justin took that as his cue.  He set his plate down on the coffee table and scooted closer.

“Is that a bad thing?” Justin whispered, his lips hovering.

“I don’t know. You tell me.” Chloe replied, her voice wavering slightly.

Justin bit his lip and shook his head.  “I think we both owe it to ourselves to find out.”

Chloe’s eyes went wide.  “You do?”

Justin bit his lip and nodded.  “I do.”

Chloe swallowed hard again and nodded.  “Ok.”

“Ok?!” Justin asked grinning.

Chloe nodded.  “It’s not like I have any other offers on the table.”

Justin chuckled.  “And I am totally ok with that.  I don’t want competition.”

Chloe giggled.  “Like anyone could compete with you.”

Justin bit his lip and smiled at her suggestively.  “Is that so?”

Chloe blushed and nodded but didn’t speak.

“Stay with me tonight?!” Justin pleaded softly.

“Stay with you?” Chloe repeated quietly.

“Please.” Justin replied nodding.

“And what?”

Justin cracked a smile.  “Baby steps! Just stay with me, we’ll go from there, no pressure.”

“No pressure?!” Chloe answered.

Justin shook his head and grazed her lips.  “None.  I just want to know what it feels like to wake up next to you.”

Chloe couldn’t help but bite her lip, smile a bit and nod.  “Oh?!”

Justin blushed.  “Umm…yeah…I can only imagine how that sounded.”

Chloe giggled. “You’re fine.”

“I’m fine?” Justin smirked.

“Whatever! You know what I meant.” Chloe shot back.

“Do I?” Justin teased.

“Oh, I think you do!”

“Enlighten me.” Justin replied, his eyes on fire.

Chloe sucked in a breath.  Suddenly, things had taken a dramatic turn.  She could feel the tension between them and the way his eyes were boring into her sent shivers racing down her spine.  He was dangerously close.  He was so close that she could feel his warm breath on her face and she was silently praying that he didn’t hear the way her heart had begun to pound in her chest.

She was attracted to him, and not just physically.  There was just something about him that kept drawing her in.  The more she got to know him the more she wanted to know.  Yes, she knew all the silly superficial stuff that was printed in the magazines but she wanted to know him on a deeper level, beyond the persona. 

Her green eyes were wide. He could tell she was nervous.  He was too.  He wanted to take things slow, to go at her pace, to get to know her, but he couldn’t ignore the chemistry between them. 

“Chloe?’ He whispered after several quiet moments.

She smiled and put a finger to his lips to quiet him.

“I’ll stay.” She said nodding.

Then without another word she took his hand and stood from her seat on the couch next to him.  Justin jumped up immediately, grabbed her bag and started to lead her towards the bedroom.

It was well after 9 p.m., almost 10 so it was after dark.  The only lights in the room were those of city shining through the two glass walls across from her.  Justin stayed quiet as he placed her bag on a trunk at the foot of the bed then quickly hit a button on the wall.  Instantly, the curtains began to close around them, plunging them into complete darkness.  It took a moment for her eyes to adjust but she could just make out his silhouette in front of her. 

A shockwave shot through her arm and then down her spine as she felt his hand take hers and then pull her into him.  In the next moment his hands were gently cradling her face and his lips were crashing down on top of hers.  She moaned softly against him and allowed him to deepen the kiss as her hands went to his waist.  Her hands seemed to act on impulse as her fingers toyed with the hem of his shirt, grazing the skin at the waistband of his pants.  He groaned against her lips and she took that as her cue.  The muscles in his abs and chest quivered beneath her fingertips as she trailed them up his body, pulling his shirt up as well.  For a moment, he pulled his hands away from her face and lifted his arms up in the air as she pulled his shirt off and tossed it on the floor.  With his shirt now gone he reached for her sweatshirt and started to do the same.  With one quick movement her sweatshirt was on the floor beside his shirt leaving her in just a bra and her jeans. 

Justin pulled her close again, then tilted his head and began to place soft kisses against her neck.  She gasped as his lips met her skin causing him to smile.  He couldn’t see her face but he could imagine her expression.

His lips against her neck made her whole body tremble with anticipation.  She hadn’t done anything like this in a very long time.  It was like a drug.  She craved his touch.  The way his lips felt.  The way his tongue felt as it slid into her mouth.  The way his skin felt beneath her fingers.  The way his heartbeat felt against her chest.  It was making her lightheaded and giddy all at once.  Feeling a bit brave she trailed her hands back down his chest and had to bite her lip to keep quiet as his muscles responded to her touch.  Her hands stopped at his waistband and he groaned in her ear as he felt her hands start to tug at his belt.

Justin moved his hand to stop her then whispered in her ear.  “Slow.  Ok?! I’m in no rush.  Let’s just take this nice and slow.  We have all night.  Neither of us has to be anywhere in the morning.”

Chloe smiled in the dark and nodded.  “Ok.”

Smiling again, he wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her tightly against him then dropped his head and placed his lips back on top of hers.  She smiled against him then made the move to deepen the kiss. Her arms went around his neck and he responded by pulling her into him as much as he could.  They kissed for a long time, his lips sliding expertly over hers and his tongue thrusting and retreating in her mouth with ease.

Again, her hands trailed down his chest and again his body responded as every muscle quivered against her fingertips.  Her hand stopped at his waist band again but this time he made no move to stop her.  He groaned against her lips as her fingers began to fumble with the buckle.  With the buckle undone she quickly moved to the button on his jeans and he felt himself buck against her as her hands grazed the thin fabric of his boxer briefs.  With one quick push his jeans were in a puddle at his ankles and he quickly stepped out of them, leaving him in just his boxer briefs. 

Even in the dark, with his boxer briefs still on she could tell he was excited.  It made her curious and excited as well.  She wanted to touch him there, to know how he felt and to see how he would respond.  Eddy had always been quick, with very little foreplay.  Never allowing her to explore or be curious or playful.  She had a hunch Justin wasn’t like that. 

Biting her lip nervously Chloe gently pushed her hand down beneath the elastic band of his briefs and along the side of his very swollen manhood.  Justin inhaled sharply but didn’t move.

“Chloe.” He breathed out, his voice low and thick.

“I’ll be gentle.” Chloe replied.

He was bigger than Eddy.  That was certain, and it gave her a thrill.

Carefully, she pushed his briefs down a bit, freeing him and he moaned a bit as the air hit his skin.  It was his turn now.  In the dark Justin grabbed at her waist and unbuttoned her jeans then slowly undid the zipper allowing her jeans to fall to her knees.  Chloe held his hips to steady herself then kicked her jeans off the rest of the way.

As soon as her jeans were free Justin lifted her from the ground and carried her to the bed.  He tossed her down gently then climbed on top of her, his mouth on top of hers the entire time.

She felt every bit of him as he stretched out on top of her, burying his face in her neck and whispering in her ear.

“Am I crushing you?” He asked softly.

“No.” Chloe whispered back.

Her bra and panties were still on but even beneath the fabric she could feel her own body responding to him.  She felt a warmth start to course through her as every nerve ending in her body began to tingle with anticipation.  She knew what was about to happen.

He pulled the straps down on her bra so that they fell down around her elbows then continued to kiss and gently nip at her neck.  She stopped him briefly, just long enough for her to sit up slightly, unclasp her bra and toss it off the bed.  Now the only thing between them was her panties. 

“Are you sure about this? I said “no pressure.” He whispered through the dark.

Chloe nodded then whispered back to him.  “I’m sure.”

The next thing she knew his fingers were at her waist.  Gently, he eased her panties down over her hips and to her ankles before pushing his own hips forward and sliding into her.  Immediately she gasped and arched up to meet him.

“Am I hurting you?” He asked quietly.

Chloe shook her head.  “No.  You’re just…umm….”

He smiled and nodded.  “Slow, remember?!  No rush.”

“Ok.”

Very slowly, and gently he began to thrust inside of her, moving his hips in a steady rhythm back and forth.  With every thrust she felt herself rise to meet him, her own hips bucking in time with his pace.

They kept up the slow and steady push and pull for quite a while and Chloe could feel her climax start to build inside of her.  Justin felt the same.

Chloe grabbed at his hips, digging her fingers into his skin a bit causing him to groan.

“Oh GOD!” He moaned.

With her hands pulling her to him his own hands went to her breasts.  He teased her with his fingers and she whimpered softly.

He was losing his resolve quickly.  It was time to pick up the pace a little and move things along.  Taking a breath, he trailed his hands down her body, and snaked them around until he was grabbing her ass. 

“Hold on Beautiful!” He whispered before thrusting himself forward with a bit more force.

“OHH!” Chloe moaned.

“Mmm.’ He groaned back as he used his hands to guide her into his thrusts.

Over and over, he thrust into her until he couldn’t hold on anymore.

“Chloe …I’m….” He whispered, his voice shaking.

“It’s ok.” She replied her own voice trembling.

Chloe felt her whole body began to quiver uncontrollably as she reached her climax and then with one last thrust a fluid warmth spread throughout her causing her to scream.

“JUSTIN!”

He collapsed on top of her gently, his breath quick and shallow.  The room was quiet for several minutes as they both allowed themselves time to recover. 

Justin was the first to move.  He rolled off her gently, breaking the connection between them as he rolled onto his side and reached for the lamp on the bedside table.

Chloe closed her eyes to block out the light, allowing her pupils time to adjust but when she opened her eyes again, he was looking back at her, his eyes swimming and a playful smile on his lips.

“Hi.” He whispered softly.

“Hi.” She replied with a giggle.

“That was…” Justin chuckled, biting his lip.

“Better than I expected.” Chloe said blushing.

Justin chuckled more.  “Oh?!”

“You’re umm…well…my ex…he isn’t…well…he’s not you.” Chloe sputtered.

“Ok.” Justin laughed.

With the lights on she had the opportunity to look at him a bit more closely.  Yes, she’d seen him without a shirt before, as her patient, but they hadn’t been intimate then.  It was different this time.

Tenderly, she reached out and touched the scar still forming on his chest where she’d placed the chest tube.  He sucked in a breath when her fingers met his skin.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, her fingers still tracing the scar.

He cracked a smile.  “Don’t be.  You saved my life.  I’m grateful.”

“How do you feel now?’ She asked.

He smiled and lifted her chin to meet his gaze. 

“Amazing! I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to…that it would hurt too much.  In my chest, I mean.”

Chloe shook her head.  “You’re nearly 4 weeks out.  Normally, I tell patients 6 weeks but your otherwise healthy and in good physical shape…and well, I’m not your doctor anymore so really it’s what you’re comfortable with.”

“It felt good! REALLY good!” Justin said grinning.

Chloe blushed and nodded.  “For me too…but…”

“But?!” He repeated, his eyes wide.

He was fearing the worst.

Chloe caught his expression and shook her head, giving him a reassuring smile.

“I was just going to say…as a heads up…God, this is awkward…”

Justin chuckled a bit.  Her unease was cute to a degree.  He could tell she cared.

“Go ahead…” He urged softly.

“I was just going to say that at least for a while, until you’re completely healed, it might be better if we did it this way.  The other way may not be so comfortable.” Chloe tried to explain.

“The other way?” Justin replied curiously.

Chloe blushed. “Me on top.”

His eyes widened but he couldn’t help but smile.  She really did care.

“Oh.”

Then his eyes and his smile got a bit mischievous.

“I think we’ll manage.” He teased.

“I won’t argue one bit.” She replied giggling.