Vital Company Read online

  “Bastard.”

  “Yes, he is. When Bianca was a year old, he decided it would look good for him to be a family man. He came back with a ring. I was tired, Cohen. Tired of trying to juggle a baby and medical school. Wave and Ken helped out, but it was a lot, but they had their own stuff going on. I think you know about that.”

  I nod, and she continues. “I took that ring, along with a nanny and a mansion. The only thing I’ll ever be thankful to him besides Bianca, is that I finished school. Once I was done, we were back in San Diego, and he realized it wasn’t just a title I wanted, but the real job, he divorced me. And quickly remarried someone who had just as much money as he did. She loves being a socialite.”

  “How long has it been?”

  “Three years.”

  “Does he take her for weekends or something? Sorry if I’m overstepping here.”

  “You’re not, and he takes her when he needs a photo op, or to try to show he’s a good dad. He’s not.”

  “I really want to punch this guy.”

  “Did I mention that his wife’s family owns at least a third of San Diego, and his wife’s on the board of my old hospital. She did what she could to make my life miserable.”

  This is an interesting turn. I know exactly who she’s talking about. My family—and Knox’s own most of San Diego. I’d give Mika’s family a fourth of it maybe, if I’m being generous. They flaunt it more, so it seems like a lot more. I already thought Quincy’s ex was a douche, but now I know he’s an idiot too. Who in their right mind would leave her for Mika?

  “You won’t have to worry about that here.”

  “No, I won’t. Reina worked some magic, and got Rick to sign off on letting me bring Bianca here, although I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop. His wife hasn’t popped out a kid yet, and I’ve heard some rumors about him wanting to run for office. My daughter’s amazing, and she deserved to be loved and not used.”

  Her eyes tear up. I vow right now to destroy this Rick dude before he can ever hurt this woman and her girl again. Knox will join me, and Reina appears to already be on the same page. I may be down right now, but I’ll make sure I’m ready to take out the little asshole—after he takes the first swing, of course. I know how to protect my fortune, too.

  Quincy

  I probably said too much. Hell, I know I said too much. Cohen has a serious look in his eyes, and his erection is no longer tenting the sheet. The doctor in me knows that’s a good thing, but the woman is mourning it just a little. Or a lot. Okay, a lot.

  “I got too deep there, didn’t I?”

  “What?”

  “I understand if you’re not interested now. It’s a lot—we’re a lot. B and me.”

  He starts to lean toward me, but winces and falls back against the pillows. “Damn concussion.”

  “Where does it hurt? The sutures?” I ask, hopping out of the bed and rushing to his side.

  I sterilized the wound and bandaged him up, but no one’s perfect. There was a lot of blood and I might have missed something. I pray to God I didn’t miss something.

  “It’s okay. I just shouldn’t have moved so fast.”

  He tries to push my hands away, but I slap his and peel back the bandage. Everything looks good. “You’re good.”

  “Are you sure? Maybe you need to kiss it better. Or maybe I need to kiss parts of you to feel better.”

  “Parts of me?” I ask, then look down to where his mouth is level with the gaping V-neck of my shirt. “Really, Cohen?”

  “You put them there.”

  “What am I going to do with you?”

  “You could start with a kiss.”

  Why not? We both want it. “That sounds like a good place to start.”

  Leaning down, I kiss the shocked expression right off his face. A brush of my lips over his—one, twice—and then he’s gripping my face in his hands and drinking me like a starved man in the desert.

  I’ve never been kissed like this before, with my lips being worshipped. Kisses, bites, licks, and sucks work together as he makes sure not to miss even a millimeter of space on them. I do my best to keep up, feeling grossly out of my element.

  “Sorry,” I tell him when I bite his lip a little too hard, and he curses.

  “Relax, Quince. You’re doing fine.”

  I don’t know if he means it to be condescending, but it is. I know I haven’t kissed a man since Rick, and he wasn’t going to win any awards in that department. But still. Cohen asked me to kiss him, and I did my best. Not good enough, as usual.

  “I need to get going,” I tell him, stepping away. “I’ll let Wave know I’m leaving.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “Bye.”

  Bye? God, could I sound more pathetic as I rush from the room. Conversation stops in the main room of the apartment as I rush out.

  “Are you okay, Q?” Wave asks.

  “Is daddy k?” Shane asks.

  I force myself to stop and smile. “Your daddy’s awake, and I’m sure he’d love to see you. No jumping on him, okay?”

  “K!” he yells, running to his father.

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  I give Waverly a look, tilting my head toward Bianca. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

  “Knox is making pancakes. Can I stay for pancakes, Mommy?”

  “If Knox doesn’t mind.”

  “Not at all.”

  Waverly claps her hands together. “Good. I’m walking Q home.”

  “That’s code for ‘girl talk’ B. You’ll learn about that when you get older,” Knox tells her with a wink.

  “Okay.”

  Kids are so easy. Adults on the other hand are pushy, and wonderful. “Come on, my friend,” Wave says, linking her arm with mine.

  “I’m so embarrassed,” I tell her, sinking onto my big, comfy couch.

  “Elaborate.”

  “We kissed, and I sucked at it.”

  “We’re coming back to the kissing itself, but I seriously doubt you sucked. I mean, unless you were literally sucking.”

  “I tried that. I tried to match what he was doing, and he said I should ‘relax’ because I was ‘doing fine’ so yeah.”

  “He did not really say those things.”

  “He did. It’s my own fault. I threw myself into work and B after Rick. I know I’m not experienced like Cohen is.”

  “Most of the world isn’t as experienced as Cohen. I love him, but it’s the truth.”

  “I was just being stupid. You and Ken like him, he seems to be raising a good kid, and he didn’t even ask whose shoe he slipped on. I thought he might be a good guy to try out dating with.”

  “He’s a great guy. I promise.”

  “Just not for me.”

  “Don’t give up on him yet. You know his head’s not right at the moment.”

  “Low blow.”

  “Maybe, but just give him a chance to explain. If he has an explanation.”

  “Only because he’s your friend.”

  “Good. Now, you get some sleep. Kenny’s going to check on Cohen, and Matisse said the kids can hang with her while we get some rest.”

  “Thanks. I’m glad we’re here.”

  “Me too.”

  I never realized how much I needed my friends until I had them back. The years where they were hiding, then running were rough. More for them than me, but I missed them—and so did B. With or without Cohen, I’m truly happy to be here.

  Chapter 7

  Cohen

  Matisse came by and took the kids back to her place, so it’s just Knox, Kenny, and me until Wave comes blazing in. I swear her red hair’s on fire as she glares down at me.

  “Are you just naturally an idiot sometimes, or do you practice it?”

  “Both?” I reply with a shrug, having no clue what she’s talking about.

  Knox holds up a hand. “Before you lay into him, can I ask if this has to do with Q. If it does, he may not respond the same way.”
r />   “Yes. It definitely has to do with Q.”

  “Hey, I’m not the one who ran out of here after kissing her.”

  “No, but you used words like ‘relax’ and ‘fine’ when talking about said kiss.”

  “Dude,” Knox tells me, shaking his head.

  “She seemed nervous! I was trying to reassure her.”

  “The word ‘fine’ should never be used when talking about a kiss,” Ken informs me.

  No shit. I can’t even blame the concussion for my words. I lost my mind in that kiss, and I wanted more. It’s all I could think about.

  “Do I have any chance of making it right?”

  “Yes. I convinced her to let you try again to be a decent human being.”

  “Harsh.”

  “You need to be sincere if you go after her,” Kenny says, the fire in his eyes surprising me. “Her ex-husband is the scum of the earth, and I doubt she’s dated anyone since him.”

  Wave jumps in before I can. “She hasn’t. Her confidence with men is shattered.”

  Now I feel like an even bigger asshole. My best friend takes pity on me, standing up and pointing to the door.

  “Everyone out. Best friends meeting about to commence. The two of you can have your own out there.”

  “Let’s order lunch and not include them,” Wave says to Kenny, who nods as he closes the door behind them.

  “Alright. Tell me exactly what happened.”

  “I love you Knox, but just because you have a good woman doesn’t mean you’re a romance expert now.”

  “She’s an extraordinary woman, and I’m better at this than you are.”

  “Fine. We kissed, and she bit me a little too hard. It surprised me, I dropped an f-bomb, and she jumped back.”

  “Wuss.”

  “This is why we don’t share.”

  “No, we don’t share because Wave would kill us both.”

  “Can she put on a Wonder Woman costume before she kills me?”

  “Focus, and stop fantasizing about my wife.”

  “You know I’m just messing with you. As for Quincy, I didn’t realize how bad what I was saying sounded until Wave stormed in here.”

  “What are you going to do about it?”

  “Let her rest for a few hours, and then give her what she wants.”

  “And you know what she wants, how?”

  I pick up the Kindle she left behind. “Right here, my friend.”

  “Damn. I like it. I didn’t think you had it in you, but I like it,” he tells me, a smile taking over his face.

  “I’m not sure I’ve got it, but I’m going to try.”

  A couple of hours later, some notes left on the device, and I think I’ve got this worked out. The sound of my front door opening has me sitting up straighter in bed. Kendrick appearing in my doorway brings back my smirk.

  “Quincy is here to see you. She says she’ll take over for me if that’s okay with you.”

  “Yes, thanks.”

  “Oh, and Matisse and I will be keeping the kids tonight.”

  “Even better. I owe you.”

  “Just treat my friend well, and we’ll be good.”

  “I plan on it.”

  He nods and walks out. I hear some murmured voices before Quincy takes his place at the door.

  “I hope you came back to continue where we left off earlier.”

  She glares at me, ignoring my remark. “You shouldn’t have been in my Kindle.”

  “Trying to expand my damaged mind, Doctor. You should be praising me for that.”

  “The notes you left weren’t professional, so stop pretending you were giving your brain a workout.”

  “Kenny was in the next room, or I’d been giving another part of my body a workout. Those books are hot.”

  “Are you making fun of me again?”

  “I wasn’t making fun of you the first time.”

  “It felt like it.”

  Her voice goes soft, and my dick gets hard. “I didn’t say the right things, but that’s your fault.”

  “Excuse me?” And, the fire’s back in her eyes.

  “You did too good a job of kissing me better, Quince. My damaged brain couldn’t handle all that goodness.”

  “You don’t have to say that to make me feel better.”

  “I say what I mean.”

  “I bit you.”

  “And it was so hot I had to take a breather.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t have experience like you do. My husband was—bland. There’s been no one since him.”

  “Lucky me.”

  She steps closer to the bed. “The things you commented on in the book aren’t possible until you’re feeling better.”

  “I want to do them all with you. Seriously.”

  “Right now, we can kiss and maybe some other stuff.”

  “I’m down with that.”

  Hell, I’m down with whatever she wants to do. I know I’m lucky she came back, and I plan to show her she made the right choice.

  Quincy

  I can’t feel my lips. I didn’t think it was possible to kiss so much your lips went numb, but that’s where I am right now.

  “I can’t stop kissing you,” Cohen tells me, peppering my neck with his mouth. “My lips feel like they might fall off, but I cannot stop.”

  “You’re better than me. I’m going to touch you all over while my lips rest.”

  “Good plan.”

  “You have too many clothes on.”

  “I’m only in boxer briefs.”

  “I, um, I want to touch it.”

  “It? Aren’t you a doctor?”

  “Fine. I would like to fondle your penis and testicles, Cohen. May I?”

  “Hell to the yeah.”

  “Ass.”

  “You can touch that too.”

  I slide my hand under one perfect ass cheek, and pinch him hard.

  “Motherfucker!”

  “Not until you’re feeling better.”

  He laughs so hard, I start to worry about his head. “You are hot when you’re all doctor-y, but I’m so fucking turned on by this fun side of you, I can barely think straight.”

  “I don’t want you thinking. I want you feeling.”

  Did I just say that? Apparently I did, as he takes my mouth again. I was saving the little bit of feeling I’d gotten back for other activities, but I’ll never complain about kissing Cohen. It’s perfect.

  “If I have too many clothes on, you’re way too overdressed,” he says against my lips.

  “Feel free to remove anything you’d like.”

  I don’t know where this bold woman came from. I know my body’s nice and functional, but I never think of it as sexy. I should be nervous about him seeing me without my clothes. Strangely, I’m not.

  “Since I’m a little incapacitated here, I was hoping you might take pity on me.”

  “Are you angling for a striptease?”

  “Totally. I have the perfect music on my phone for it.”

  “Now you’re making me anxious.”

  “Huh?”

  “How many women have danced to the music on your phone?”

  “In the world? It’s probably in the thousands. For me? None.”

  “None?”

  “None.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay, you’re going to dance for me?” he asks, looking more excited than he should.

  “I suck at dancing. It’s going to be really embarrassing, and totally unsexy.”

  “Believe me, Quince, whatever you do is sexy.”

  Here goes nothing. I stand up as he starts the song. My hips move awkwardly while I pull my shirt over my head. I let myself get lost in the music and don’t look over at Cohen. At least not until I’m only left in my panties and he’s laughing uncontrollably.

  Mortified I reach for my clothes. “I warned you!”

  “Babe. Come here.”

  “No.”

  My back is to him, so I don’t see him trying to
get out of bed. I hear it though, causing me to drop my clothes and race back over to stop him.

  “Always with the tits right where my mouth wants them,” he says, licking one nipple.

  “You cannot get out of bed alone.”

  “You looked like you were going to leave.”

  “Being laughed at when you’re attempting to be sexy isn’t exactly fun.”

  “It was adorable. The waving arms were my favorite.”

  He’s got that damn smirk back on his face. I can’t decide if I should smack it off him, or kiss it off him.

  “I hate you a little right now.”

  “I can work with that. Come here,” he says, opening his arms.

  I climb into the bed and let him cuddle me. I might pinch his side a little harder than necessary, but he deserves it. He knows, kissing me after I do it. His stomach growls right after, reminding me I’m supposed to be here as his doctor.

  “I need to feed you.”

  “Later. Not done cuddling yet.”

  “Not later. I’m here to take care of you.”

  “I know. You were about to take care of me until I made a horrible suggestion.”

  “At least you’ll never try to get me to strip for you again,” I say, wiggling out of his arms.

  “Stripping without music next time. I still want to see you take your clothes off for me.”

  “I’ll think about it. What do you want to eat?”

  “Is that a trick question?”

  I look over to see him zeroing in on my crotch as I fasten my bra. “You need real food. Try to focus on that for a moment.”

  “Can I focus on my appetizer once you order?”

  “Not today. You’re still under concussion watch.”

  “Damn head injury.”

  He looks truly upset about the thought of not eating me and it makes me wish I could forget I was a doctor for a few minutes. Just long enough for him to give me the orgasm I have no doubt he can. Alas, that’s not an option. At least not yet.

  Chapter 8

  Cohen

  I could lie and say it’s good to be back at work. Don’t get me wrong—I’m loving my job. I just love being in bed with Quincy even more. We haven’t done more than make-out in my bed yet, but it was hot as hell. Even her ridiculous striptease had my dick at full mast.