Chapter 72: Renee

I stared at the computer before me, trying to read my patient charts but failing miserably as Aaron's words came back to me. A job offer. In Seattle. I'd had to be supportive, but I could hardly tell him my concerns. He seemed wary but excited, and I didn't want to be the one who had to crush his dreams. I would do anything for my men but couldn't say the same for them. Would Matt and Jake ever agree to uproot their lives and cross the country for Aaron's new job? Doubtful. Would we have to ask them to anyway? That all depended on Aaron.

I hated it. I hated that now that we'd found a happy medium in our relationship, a single change of direction could throw everything off, unravel it like a sliver of thread ready to break. I couldn't deny Aaron his dream; none of us could. But what could I do? Support him. That's all I could do.

"Ren, we have a GSW coming in right now." Elena's voice behind me pulled me out of my temporary funk, and I spun in my chair to look at her.

"Is it bad?"

"STATS are falling pretty fast. Matt is bringing him."

My heart fluttered at the sound of his name, but work mode kicked in as I jumped to my feet and hurried after Elena and our ER physician, Dr. Burke. We pushed through the doors of the ambulance bay just as the bus pulled up, the firetruck right behind it. As the attending paramedic handed the victim off to Dr. Burke, I caught sight of Matt and one of his team members, Tameka Something, jumping out of the firetruck.

"Doc, do you need me for this one?" I asked, and he shook his head with a wink as Elena took over for me, helping the doctor wheel the patient back through the doors and into the trauma room. I watched them vanish before turning around to face Matt.

"Hey, baby," I said, coming forward to wrap my arms around him. He smelled good, like old spice blended with fire and ash. Familiar. Comforting.

"Hey, gorgeous," he said, kissing me gently on the lips. It took me a moment, held in his embrace, to notice that his female coworker was staring awkwardly at us. I flashed her a quick smile and pulled myself from Matt's arms, putting a foot or so of distance between us.

"You're Tameka, right?" I asked, offering my hand. "I don't think we've officially met."

"No," she said, stepping toward me with a grin. "We haven't. But Matt talks about you all the time."

I glanced at Matt, almost missing the spark of irritation that lit in his eyes. It was gone before I could call it out, but the vibe coming off him suddenly left a tense feeling in the air. I didn't like it, and the next words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"Interesting," I said. "He hasn't mentioned you."

Beside me, Matt stiffened, and the chill in the air seemed to grow. Tameka, however, didn't lose her smile. If anything, it only got bigger.

"It's nice to officially meet you, Renee," she said, and something in her eyes haunted me. "Matt is a nice catch, but he's lucky to have you."

"Thank you."

"Why don't you go get some coffee or something while I fill out the patient report," Matt said to Tameka, breaking the tension between us. "I need to speak to Renee alone." He was speaking to her but looking at me, and a twinge of anxiety grew in my stomach.

"Sure," she said flippantly. "I'll meet you back here in twenty." As she traipsed off, seemingly pleased with herself, Matt took my hand and pulled me gently forward until we were back at the firetruck. He opened the door for me and I climbed in, watching as he closed the door behind us and locked it. I took a seat on one of the bench seats, my eyes on Matt as he did the same directly across from me. He seemed tense and nervous, and that flutter of fear in my belly returned.

"Ren," he said softly, reaching out to take my hands in his. "I have something to tell you. I think we need to talk."

I drew my lip between my teeth as Tameka's face flashed in my mind. Did it have something to do with her? Suddenly, I didn't want to hear it. I didn't like how nervous my boyfriend looked, hovering there with a frown on his face. Matt wasn't a nervous person; he never had been. In fact, some might say that his ego often led the way.

So this terrified me.

"Wait." I put a finger to his lips to stop him from speaking, more out of fear of what I would hear than anything else, and Matt hesitated, his eyes on mine. As he tried to speak again, I shook my head, shushing him. "Don't."

"But, Renee—,"

"Just kiss me." Before he could respond to that, I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his, supporting the back of his head with the palm of my hand as I drew him closer, closing my eyes, enjoying the soft gasp of surprise that slipped from between his lips. He hesitated for a moment and I was sure he was going to pull away, but within a few seconds he succumbed, and I felt him take over as he slipped his tongue between my lips, exploring my mouth with his. His rough hands moved up my neck and into my hair, his grip tightening in my waves as a moan of pleasure slipped from my throat. As we kissed, Matt's fingers trailed down my arms, stomach, and towards my thighs. He parted them, reaching for the hem of my scrub pants, and as he worked them loose and pulled them down, he fell to his knees in front of me, pulling my panties out of the way as his lips kissed the insides of my thighs, teasing me. My legs parted for him and my head fell back as Matt entered me with his tongue, delving into the sensitive folds, eating me out. I cried out in surprise and pleasure, tangling my hands in his hair as he maneuvered expertly in and out of me, making me squirm with euphoria. My pussy tingled with anticipation as he fucked me with his tongue and mouth, using his fingers a moment later to send me over the edge and into oblivion.

"Fuck," I moaned, my legs trembling as I came. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

Matt's eyes twinkled as he looked up at me, a satisfied smirk on his face. Gone was the insecure, nervous wreck he'd seemed only minutes ago. As I panted, trying to catch my breath, he rose to his feet and sat beside me, drawing me into his arms. I pressed my forehead into his chest and took a deep breath, my cheeks flaming with heat.

"Now," I purred, stroking the stubble on his face. "What is it you wanted to tell me?"

He hesitated as if the reminder was a slap in the face, but then he smiled. It wasn't genuine.

"Nevermind," he said. "We can talk about it tonight."