Trish felt every emotion Mick felt. He grew up believing his life was one way, but the truth was another way completely. Her only regret was she had to leave him, because of her early rounds. He looked exhausted when he stood to drive her home.

"Will you be okay? Do you want to stay with me?"

His sad eyes gazed at her. "Can I so I'm not alone?"

"Yes. I'll feel better and won't worry."

"I'm not, you know, desperate. I just feel confused and sad."

She nodded. "I can imagine. Are you hungry at all?"

His eyes grew wide. "We never ate. You should have said something."

"It's fine. I'm used to going all day without eating. Get your work clothes."

Trish wanted to make love with Mick, but not yet. She didn't want to associate their first time with the day he learned he had a mother. She had read novels with crazy plot twists, but this was real life. Trish wondered how long before the others learned the truth and doubted Mick realized Hunter wasn't even his cousin.

Once at her place, she heated some leftovers, but neither was hungry. Mick looked at her. "I just want to hold you."

"I know. It's my bedtime."

He held her when she was upset, and it was her turn to return the favor. They cuddled under her covers and she checked her alarm. "Set your phone. I'll try not to wake you."

After she settled her head on his shoulder with her hand over his heart, he fell asleep before her. Allowing herself to relax, she followed him.

Trish woke groggily, but tapped off her alarm. Before she could slip out of bed, Mick rolled over and pinned her to the bed. She felt his morning wood on her leg. It felt as nice as she expected.

His voice was raspy. "Some day soon I'm going to send you off smiling."

The jolt of excitement short circuited through her body. A part of her wanted to beg for it. She felt wet enough, but fast wasn't what she wanted for their first time.

Surprisingly, she was early for rounds and opened her phone to do Wordle. Right after she sent her score to Max, he texted. Olivia wants to have you and your island guy over.

She smiled. His name is Mick. I'll have to let you know. She stopped before adding he has a lot going on.

For her rounds, she led a group of residents on their liver rotation. She tried to convince them to enjoy the liver more than she had as a surgical resident. The lucky ones would scrub in and watch a transplant, but all would take part in other liver surgeries. After rounds, she visited her own patients again, before heading to the outpatient area for appointments.

She froze when she saw Putty. He looked at her with a frown. "How is he?"

She shrugged. "In shock. He talked to his father."

"I know she's my relative, but I don't want to see her ever again. She made his life hell and insulted you. I made sure they knew we never..."

Trish nodded. "I don't have a lot of time, but are you and Jocelyn okay?"

He shrugged. "I guess. I'm realistic she'll dump me for a guy like Mick."

"Maybe not, but if so you'll find the right girl."

After a long day, she texted Mick. She called him during her lunch break and he sounded better. Work was an excellent distraction. As she walked home, her phone rang. She tapped her earbud. "Hi."

"Trish, honey, you sound happy."

"Hi, Mom." I thought you were someone else.

"We're having a sixtieth birthday party for your father. The only thing he wants is for his daughter to come home."

"Mom, it's a long trip and..."

"I know. Your work. When was your last vacation?"

"December." An email went out about putting in for vacation days.

"Next you'll tell me you can't come for Christmas or the New Year."

"I'm going to a wedding on New Year's Eve." She wanted to see Leigh marry Eli. "I work over Christmas."

"Thanksgiving too."

"Yes." Not the actual day. She wondered what Mick would do for Thanksgiving.

Her father's birthday was in December. "What day is his party?"

"On his birthday. It's a Saturday."

"I'll see what I can do." Spending her entire weekend driving didn't appeal to her. They made the trip from New Haven a lot, but she usually studied or slept. She would have to rent a car, unless she asked Mick.

Trish ended the call with her mother before she reached her building. When she stepped into her apartment, her buzzer sounded. She stepped out to greet Mick off the elevator. He looked weary.

"Hi." She sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing important. How are you?"

"I'm okay. I was loved."

She smiled. "So many love you."

"You?" He shut her apartment door and pushed her against it. "I wanted you so badly this morning."

"I, um, felt it."

He smiled. "And?"

"And what?" She giggled.

"Do you want to feel it again?"

She answered by nodding. His lips found hers and his body pressed against her. The kiss went on and she parted her lips for his tongue. His hands left her hair and moved down her sides. Touch my breasts, she thought.

Trish felt the muscles in Mick's back. She could probably name each one, but anatomy was very far from her mind, unless she counted the hard organ pressing into her. She groaned. It had been so long and after weeks of just kisses, her hormones were going haywire. She wanted, no, she needed Mick.

"Tell me you want me, please."

She nodded. Feeling nervous but unwavering. "Are you sure?"

He laughed. "I've wanted you since I sat down next to you."

"And learned I wasn't a child."

He smiled, and she wanted to bite his lip. His hand found her breast. "An older woman."

His maturity made up for the difference in their ages. She couldn't concentrate on the benefits of longevity as his gentle fingers circled and tweaked her aching nipples. They were like the faucet and she felt the effect when she pressed her legs together.

"Against the door is hot, but I want you stretched out naked. The rest is up for discussion."

She laughed, before her mind crept to him and Candy against a wall. Although she had been too engrossed in herself, she had been extremely jealous of Candy. Grabbing his beautiful ass, she thought, it's my turn and I'm never gonna let him go.

He lifted her off the floor and carried her with her feet dangling a few inches off the ground to her bed. The same bed she had left him in early that morning. "You should have packed for the week."

He laughed. "I'll wake early and go home to shower and pack."

"So practical."

"Plan on being late."

Self consciousness raised its ugly head. "Unless you don't like it."

"Darling, my sweet, that is impossible."

His mouth devoured her. They kissed for a long time, still clothed. Trish felt like she might combust so she pulled on his shirt trying to free it from his waistband. She wanted to touch his skin and hoped he would touch hers.

He helped her by standing up and unbuckling his belt before letting his pants fall. "Should I take my shirt off?"

She felt drool on her lip as she nodded. He lifted it over his head skipping the buttons. He wore a tee underneath, not an undershirt like her father wore, but a crisp white tee shirt. She breathed out disappointedly as he returned to her still partially clothed.

He kissed her, and she reached under his shirt to feel his smooth skin. When he pulled back, he said, "Your turn."

She had changed from her scrubs into sweatpants. As Mick tugged, they easily came off leaving her white cotton bikinis. They were practical but not sexy.

"This is better than a thong."

"No, it's not." She laughed.

"Yes. It is." He ran his fingers over her most private place. "More absorbent, which is a good thing." She laughed, and he smiled. "Your shirt."

"What about yours?"

He gracefully pulled his tee over his head and straddled her. "Arms up."

He pulled her shirt off like a parent would a child. Thankfully, her bra had some lace with comfortable cotton. On surgical days, she wore a sports bra.

"So gorgeous." His eyes raked over her.

"They are small like a child's." Aside from her creamy skin, her tiny breasts were the reason she looked young.

"They are perfect." With a shit-eating grin, he added, "A perfect mouthful."

Without giving her time to react, he pushed aside her cup and proved his point. His tongue expertly worked her nipple into a frenzy of pulses through her body. She bucked as she thought of his competent tongue on a more sensitive spot.

When he pulled away, he said, "You are so sensual."

Trish felt the heat rise as she admitted to herself she had always loved sex and she missed it. She reached for the package in his boxers and ran her hand along all of him and there was plenty of silky smoothness. She brushed his tip which had a drop of wetness before moving her fingers down again. His groans let her know he liked it. His hand reached into her panties and as he dipped and teased, she palmed him up and down and cupped his balls before returning to his shaft. Her hand froze as he sent her reeling to the edge and pushed her over. She let out an involuntary cry like a wounded animal and wanted to hide her face but the waves kept coming.

Eventually, he tenderly kissed her lips. "You are adorable. I can't wait to make you do that when I'm inside of you."

"I can't wait to have you inside of me."

He smiled. "We never discussed the, um, important stuff."

She blushed. "I'm good." She used birth control to avoid periods. They were inconvenient with eight-hour surgeries.

"Do you want me to?"

She shook her head. "You did with...?" He nodded. "I want you without a barrier."

He looked at her and gently kissed one eyelid and then the other and moved on to the tip of her nose, before brushing her lips. "I love you." With his words he inched himself inside of her.

Her muscles relaxed to take all of him. It was as if their bodies were saying what took you so long. The rhythm of his thrusts were her undoing. The man knew how to please a woman. It was only after they both came and she panted in his arms that she realized she hadn't thought about Joey once.

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