Here we are, with TWO new chapters! Surprise! :) The end of chapter 7 turned out a bit open, and I didn't want to leave you hanging, so I decided to finish chapter 8 first, which just went on and on. On top of that, real life and work got in the way, so this took longer than planned. On the bright side, you got a LOT to read now. Enjoy!
Chapter 7
Lauren
After shutting the door, Lauren leaned back against it and closed her eyes. She needed a little time to process what exactly had happened in the past 24 hours. Losing Valerie had felt devastating, and Lauren had wanted nothing more than to forget. She'd walked through town aimlessly and eventually entered the next best bar to get drunk. It wasn't something she did a lot, but last night, drowning her sorrows in alcohol in a random bar had seemed like a terrific idea. Was it a sign that this random bar happened to be owned by Bo's grandfather? While Lauren didn't believe in signs, she couldn't help but wonder if something about the Dal had drawn her to it. Like the place knew something Lauren didn't.
Shaking her head, she chuckled and walked to the kitchen to clean up. When she got to the countertop where Bo had luxuriously pleasured her a few hours ago, she couldn't help but smirk. She shuddered at the memory. Bo's touch had been addicting – the brunette's magical hands set Lauren's skin on fire wherever they touched her. She closed her eyes to reminisce. Bo's lips on hers. Bo's fingertips on her face. Bo's digits moving inside her. Bo's tongue on her clit. "Fuck …", she breathed and opened her eyes to collect herself. She had never before been this sexual and greedy with anybody. Or this vocal. Plus, she was actually showing mild addiction symptoms – scientifically speaking. Interesting. Suddenly, she felt the need to talk to someone.
She grabbed her laptop and phone and went back upstairs to lie down on the comfortable lounger, where she opened a Zoom window and selected Ciara from her list of contacts. 'Hey, you free rn?', she typed and hit send. Less than a minute later, her friend's face popped up on screen. "Hey, Lauren!", she greeted her, grinning from ear to ear. "Wow, you look giddy. What's up with you?", the doctor asked, smirking at Ciara's happy face, the initial reason for calling temporarily forgotten. "I'm sorry", the Englishwoman apologised. "You go first. What did you want to talk about?" Even though Lauren really needed to tell her about Bo, curiosity won over. "I'll tell you after you tell me", she suggested, and Ciara smiled. "Okay then … you know I'm normally not like this, but … I kind of met someone." Her grin grew even wider.
Lauren felt happiness spread in her chest. She loved seeing her friend like this. All these years they had known each other, relationships had never been easy for Ciara. She was a successful woman and, much like Lauren, wasn't ready to spare as much time for her partners as most of them wanted her to. That fact, paired with some of them feeling a tinge threatened by her success, had eventually driven them all away – all but one. She'd met Stefan ten years ago on a business trip to England, and they'd clicked right from the start. They got married at only 23 years old, and Lauren had been absolutely certain that Stefan was going to be Ciara's forever. And then, only five years into the relationship, Stefan had died in a horrible car crash. Ciara, a widow at only 27, had been devastated.
She'd functioned for the sake of her company and employees, but as soon as night fell, she would cry herself to sleep in Lauren's arms. Finally, after months and months of mourning and countless long talks with the doctor, Ciara finally started to heal. Stefan would always remain a part of her life, but he was now a happy memory instead of a sad one. Still, ever since he died, Ciara had backed away from any chance at a new serious relationship – partly out of fear of losing again, but also because she basically lived at work nowadays. Lauren worried about her bestie, as you would, but Ciara kept telling her that she was married to her work, and that part, the doctor could definitely get on board with.
"Really? That's amazing!", Lauren exclaimed, grinning along with her friend. "So, tell me about him. How did you meet? And when?" Ciara squeezed her eyes shut and clapped her hands like a little girl, which made Lauren laugh. "Okay, okay, I'm calm", Ciara said taking a deep breath. "I met him a few weeks ago, at an event we were providing security for. A gala dinner for a bunch of high and mighty politicians." Lauren frowned. "Don't tell me he was one of them", she interrupted. Ciara snorted and shook her head. "No, but one of the star guests was – a senator, actually. Black woman, very forward-thinking and a lone shark in a sea of old white men. Anyway, she'd received a murder threat via email which she failed to mention to any of her security detail." Lauren gasped. "I heard it on the news. Senator Myers, right? Someone attacked her?" Ciara sighed. "No, someone tried. You know my people are good, so they got to that right-wing arsehole before he could make his move. He did get scarily far though. I sure hope the senator won't repeat that kind of stupid mistake anytime soon."
Her friend's expression grew dark, and Lauren instantly knew that her thoughts had drifted to her employees. Ciara obviously knew that the security business was dangerous, but she would always try to provide the safest-possible environment for her staff. They had top-notch equipment and were all trained to perfection, including Ciara herself. She was a fierce fighter, no less skilled than her own people. The only unpredictable aspect were the clients, who, often enough, tended to overestimate themselves. And when they'd realise they weren't, in fact, invulnerable, it was often too late. "Hey, no frowning now, we were talking about happy things", Lauren said to get her friend to smile again. It worked. "You're right", Ciara replied, taking a deep breath. "Nobody got hurt after all, and had it not been for that crazy man, I wouldn't have met Dyson, right?" Lauren grinned. "So, that's the heavenly mystery man's name?" Ciara smiled dreamily. "Yeah. We had to call the cops to have the attacker retained, and one of them was Dyson. Oh Lauren, he's handsome and loving and gentle and just … amazing." Ciara sighed. She seemed so happy, her eyes were actually sparkling.
"I'm glad you've finally found someone again", Lauren said, and immediately, her thoughts went back to Bo. Ciara noticed the distant look on the doctor's face and curiously leaned in closer to the camera. "Me too. But I have the feeling that I'm not the only one, hm? So … tell me all about her." Ciara's request caught Lauren off-guard. She didn't know whether Bo was to her what this dreamy Dyson guy seemed to be to Ciara, but she did know that having Bo here today had made her happy … so happy. She took a deep breath. "Her name is Bo", she began. "She's one of the new residents at TMC, but to be honest, I don't really know yet what we are." Ciara knew the doctor better than anybody, and Lauren hoped that she could give her some insight into her own feelings.
Ciara gave her a warm smile. "You really like her, don't you?" Lauren produced a lopsided grin. "Yeah … what does it mean though?", she enquired hesitantly. Ciara sat up straight and put on her pensive face. "Okay, let's approach this from the logical side, shall we?", she replied, and Lauren nodded, relieved. She knew she could always trust Ciara to explain the unexplainable in a way she'd understand. Sure, Lauren was a medical genius, but that didn't mean she knew much about social things. She usually kept to herself, which had worked just fine in the years since Nadia.
"First of all, what do you feel when she is with you, and more importantly, what do you feel when she's not?" Lauren instantly entered analytic scientist mode. "I don't have enough data for a valid answer. We've only … been together twice, and the first time doesn't really count." Ciara chuckled. "Lauren, honey, this isn't one of your neuro studies. You don't need a pile of data to deliver a valid analysis. Just listen to your heart and try again. How does she make you feel?" The doctor frowned. Talking about feelings was nothing she usually did, not even with Ciara. Then again, this had been the reason for calling her the first place, so she had to give it a try. And the first thing that came to Lauren's mind was … "Safe. She makes me feel safe." Ciara gave her a wide grin. "Jackpot!", she exclaimed and clapped her hands. Lauren snorted. "Hey, calm down. We're not picking out place settings quite yet." Ciara turned serious again. "Lauren, I know you inside out, and I don't think I've ever heard you utter the word 'safe' in combination with a human being since Mike died." The mention of her father caught Lauren off-guard. Tears stung in her eyes, and she turned her head. "Hey", Ciara said softly, leaning closer to the camera. "I'm sorry."
Lauren made a dismissive gesture. "It's okay, I'm okay." Impatiently, she wiped the tears away and gave her friend a loving smile, before re-entering science mode. "Okay, you asked what do I feel when she's not around, right? Well, she left about half an hour ago, and now I feel …" She took a deep breath and exhaled. "I feel …", Lauren repeated, but she just couldn't find the right word. Did she feel alone? Not really. The apartment did feel a little emptier than before, but that was only natural – one person had left it after all. Sad? No, she would see Bo again at work soon. Science nerd that she was, she needed to give Ciara an answer though, so she made a decision. "Sore. I feel sore." Her friend laughed. "Okay, not the answer I was opting for, but an answer, nonetheless. So, I take it the sex is good?", she enquired with a smirk. Lauren grinned and rolled her eyes. "Oh, my lord, you have no idea. She makes me do things … and say things like nobody before her. She turns me into this sex monster", Lauren added, knowing full well that this was the exact term Bo had used referring to her earlier. "Oh, I know exactly what you mean. Dyson is so wild in bed. I'm telling you, he growls like a wolf!", Ciara exclaimed.
To outsiders, it might have seemed strange hearing the two friends talk about sex like this, but neither of them was shy in front of the other, and they'd always been open about their sexuality. They never got into detail, but Lauren found these talks refreshing. After all, Ciara was the only one she could talk to about these things. At least up until now. Bo was clearly very vocal about sex, and Lauren felt she could tell her anything. "I trust Bo", she suddenly declared, voicing her train of thought. Ciara leaned in closer. "That's the most important thing. Just go from there and see where it leads you." Lauren nodded, feeling a little better than earlier. The two friends chatted a little more until they decided it was time to sleep and said their goodbyes, promising to call each other soon again.
Another half hour later, Lauren went to bed. Lying there in the darkness, with nothing to distract her, her thoughts went straight back to Bo. Her hand was already halfway down her stomach when she decided against getting herself off. After today's marathon, it was likely she wouldn't even reach another climax, and without Bo nearby, she realised, she didn't actually feel like it. Snuggling into one of the pillows that still carried a faint scent of her lover, Lauren went to sleep.
The following work week was busy. Lauren didn't have any severe cases come in, but everybody seemed to want her attention. She spent her time tending to her patients and talking to colleagues and even had a rather cleansing chat with Valerie, who, like Lauren, had been hit hard by the death of her namesake. The head nurse looked positively surprised when the usually so distant doctor approached her about the little girl's death, but it comforted Lauren, knowing that there was someone else who felt the loss, and most importantly, didn't blame her for it. Time flew past. Lauren kept busy, worked late hours and was back in her element fairly quickly. Apart from a few 'good morning' and 'good night' texts to Bo, the two women didn't talk much. It took a whole six days until Lauren even saw her again. The blonde was standing in her office enjoying some peace and quiet after the craziness of the last days. She was sipping tea from a large mug and looked out the window.
Lauren's office was a spacious room with a desk, a comfortable chair, a sofa with a small table, two matching armchairs and some drawings on the wall next to the door. However, Lauren's favourite part of the room was a small lab area, complete with two different microscopes, a mini incubator, a lab fridge, a benchtop centrifuge and a whole lot of other equipment she needed for her research. It was convenient, and Warren had it all installed right after she'd mentioned to him how she had to constantly move back and forth between the office and the actual hospital lab. She still frequented the latter for large projects, especially the ones she was supervising, but the small lab felt like her own little space, and she loved it.
Another cool detail about Lauren's office was that two of the four walls were window fronts – the first one offering a beautiful view of the park outside the hospital building, the second overlooking almost the entire hospital floor below. Lauren enjoyed watching the busy hallways during the day, the constant hustle and bustle around the helpdesk where Valerie was working, the elevator doors opening and closing without pause, people pouring out, carrying armfuls of medical equipment, food deliveries or duffle bags. Nobody was walking; everyone was running, hurrying to patients, loved ones or clients. It was strangely calming to stand up here, virtually hovering above everyone else, enjoying a cup of tea and watching people go about their business. And whenever she needed some peace and quiet to work on one of her many projects, Lauren could simply close the blinds and pretend that she was completely alone to dive into her own little world where she could hear nothing but her thoughts. Right now, the blinds were open, but the blonde was enjoying the peace of her little break from all the hospital madness.
So, when Lauren spotted Bo rushing out of an elevator to hurry down the hallway towards the helpdesk, her heart skipped a beat. She had been so busy focusing on work that she'd once again forgotten about the effect the brunette had on her. Smiling into her mug, she took another sip. Naughty thoughts crept into her mind, and she didn't have the faintest interest in stopping them. It had been six long days since she'd last seen Bo, and she deserved some distraction. For a few seconds, Lauren just watched the brunette, who was holding a stack of patients' files. She was talking to Valerie, and her head was bent down, so Lauren couldn't see Bo's face. She didn't know how much longer the brunette would be standing there, so Lauren made a quick decision. Grabbing her phone, she opened the app and typed 'Hey you. What're you wearing underneath all those files?' Suddenly hesitant, she re-read what she'd written. Was this really appropriate? Sure, Bo had joked about 'emergencies' at work, but she looked really busy …
On the other hand, Bo was a medical professional through and through. She was just as passionate about her job as the blonde – one of the many things that drew Lauren to her. Bo would never risk her patients' wellbeing, of this Lauren was sure. Waving goodbye to Valerie, the brunette suddenly turned around. She'd probably got the information she needed and was about to head back to wherever 'back' was. Now or never, Lewis. She hit send. Swallowing nervously, she placed the mug on the desk behind her and watched what Bo would do. The brunette stopped in her tracks, moved the files to one arm and fished her phone from her pocket. Once again, Bo had her back turned to Lauren, so the blonde couldn't see her face. The screen came on, and Bo stared at it for a second. Lauren's heart beat faster. Oh god, she probably thinks I'm a perv. This was a bad idea. But the panic vanished as quickly as it had appeared when Bo lifted her head, a puzzled frown on her face. She looked to the left, to the right and then … up. Her eyes met Lauren's, and she flashed her a brilliant smile.
The blonde's knees grew weak. Suddenly out of breath, she leaned against the window to steady herself. Lauren had lost control over her facial expressions, but Bo seemed to like what she was seeing because she gave her a seductive look and then focused back on her phone, typing something. Lauren anxiously looked at her screen. A single word appeared. 'Lace.' Oh, my lord. Bo looked up and let her tongue dart out for a split second, licking her lips. Before Lauren could react, the brunette was typing again. 'How much time you got?' With shaking hands, Lauren answered. 'About an hour.' Bo checked her screen, looked back up to give Lauren a quick wink and disappeared in an elevator.
The blonde turned around and leaned back against the window, slowly breathing in and out. Never before in her life had she been like this at work. She would have blushed, had she not been so incredibly aroused by just watching Bo smile and lick her lips. Precautionarily, Lauren closed the blinds, walked to her desk and sat down. She needed to do something … anything to keep herself busy. Sifting through her papers, however, she realised quickly there was no way in hell that she would be able to focus on anything but images of Bo and her incredibly soft skin and her talented fingers and her voice when she screamed the blonde's name … "Fuck", Lauren breathed, suddenly overcome by memories of their lovemaking. Without noticing, she'd sunk back into her chair and closed her eyes. The vibration of her phone ripped her from her daydream. Another text. 'Will be there in 10. DO NOT MOVE', it said.
Lauren grinned. Guess I'm not the only one. She knew she wouldn't be able to focus on anything work-related right now, so to keep her hands busy, she got up and put on a kettle to make some tea for Bo. The minutes dragged on, while Lauren was pacing back and forth in her office, waiting for the brunette. Once again, her mind was filled with images of naked, squirming and moaning Bo. It took all of Lauren's resolve to keep her own hands from wandering south. She desperately needed to feel Bo's touch and couldn't wait to bury her face between the brunette's wonderful breasts. A knock on the door startled her from her thoughts. "Come in!", she said, her voice raspy with desire. God, I'm a mess.
The door opened and Bo stepped inside. Lauren swallowed. "Hi", Bo greeted her with a loving smile. "Lock the door", the blonde commanded, and Bo did as asked, her mouth twitching in anticipation. With two long steps, Lauren reached the brunette. Taking her hands, she pressed her body close to Bo's, effectively pinning her against the door. Lauren's face was barely an inch away from her lover's. But the urgency she'd felt a second ago was gone. She wanted to take this as slowly as possible. "How much time have you got?", she hummed against Bo's lips. Leaning her head back, the brunette swallowed hard and closed her eyes. "A…about 45 minutes", she rasped. Good enough. Never letting go of Bo's hands, Lauren leaned in closer to graze Bo's lips with her own. The brunette's breath hitched. "Lauren …", she whimpered before the blonde closed the tiny gap to kiss her slowly. Their lips parted to let each other in, tongues touching and caressing the insides of each other's mouths. Bo moaned deeply, losing herself in the kiss. Lauren was beyond turned on.
Letting go of Bo's hands, she grabbed her hips to pull her closer. As if of its own account, Lauren's left hand wandered up to cup Bo's breast through the fabric of her scrubs. The brunette broke the kiss to gasp for air. Lauren squeezed hard and pinched the strained nipple. "Fuck …", Bo choked out holding on to Lauren's body. Vigorously kneading both breasts, the blonde leaned in closer. "Tell me what you want, baby", she breathed, nibbling the earlobe and licking along the rim of Bo's ear. "Oh god", Bo moaned. "Fuck me, baby. I need you inside me." Her eyes fluttered open. "Fuck me like I fucked you the very first time." Her words made Lauren forget how to breathe. Groaning deeply, she rid Bo of her Scrub top and unveiled a black lace bra which made her gasp. "God, you're so fucking sexy", she growled, moving one hand behind the brunette's back to unclasp the delicate garment. She desperately needed to feel Bo's breasts. Greedily, she took one nipple in her mouth and started sucking, licking and biting. Bo squirmed. "Baby, please …", she whimpered, not daring to make too much noise.
Reluctantly, Lauren let go of the brunette's soft mounds to let her hands wander downwards. Licking her way along Bo's chest, she slowly dropped to her knees and pushed the brunette's pants and panties down. Deeply inhaling her scent, Lauren let her tongue dart out quickly to steal a taste. "Ah!", Bo choked out and took her fist in her mouth to silence her moans. Lauren could tell Bo's knees were weakening, so she got back up to steady her lover. Pressing herself against the brunette, she cupped one of her breasts while licking alongside Bo's jaw and then slipping two fingers inside her twitching core. Bo couldn't stop the long moan that escaped her throat from the incredible feeling. Pulling out and pushing into her over and over again, Lauren covered Bo's mouth with her own. "More", Bo panted in between pushes, and Lauren slipped another finger in. The brunette was holding onto Lauren, painfully clutching her hair and arm. But Lauren didn't even notice. She was completely lost in the soft, wet feeling of Bo's heavenly pussy. With each thrust, she rubbed the brunette's clit. Bo was so close. Lauren felt her insides start convulsing when the brunette's rocking movements became more frantic. "Fuck, Lauren, I'm coming … Oh god, you feel so good … Lauren … Lauren … Lau… oh … gooood", she whimpered against the blonde's shoulder to muffle the sounds of her orgasm.
When the last waves subsided, Lauren let one finger slip out and slowed her movements. But she wouldn't let her go just yet. Bo was like a drug; Lauren needed to hear her come at least once more. Softly licking the brunette's lips, Lauren started carefully circling Bo's strained clit with her thumb. Bo winced, and the blonde widened the circle, slowly continuing to slip two fingers in and out, in and out. She lowered her head and took a hard nipple into her mouth, evoking another gasp from Bo. This time, it was full of desire. Lauren could tell she was ready for her when Bo pressed the blonde's head against her breast. Pushing harder and deeper into the brunette's core, Lauren let her thumb flick across Bo's sensitive clit. "Yesss …", Bo breathed, meeting Lauren's every thrust. Her juices were flowing freely, and Lauren decided she needed to taste her. Letting go of her breasts she dropped to her knees.
Steadying the brunette with her left arm, Lauren kept moving her other hand inside her lover's core. She breathed in deeply and plunged her tongue between Bo's soaking folds. The brunette had to hold on to the doorknob to prevent from falling over. Her other hand moved to Lauren's head to hold it in place. Grinding herself into the blonde's face over and over again, Bo met each of her lover's forceful thrusts. Lauren's lips and tongue and fingers relentlessly worked their magic. She was everywhere at once, flicking Bo's clit with just the right amount of pressure and filling her up with two and then three fingers, pushing deep inside her, pulling out and thrusting back in, all the while sucking and licking the brunette's throbbing centre.
Lauren was lost in the feeling of Bo's tight walls around her fingers and the brunette's amazing taste all over her tongue. She moved like in a trance, her mouth and fingers working on their own. Her senses were heightened, and when Bo came, the feeling was absolutely heavenly. She let herself get lost in her lover completely, focusing only on her and her body, forgetting the world around her. When the second orgasm washed over her, Bo threw her head back, bucking into Lauren's face. She opened her mouth like she wanted to scream, but restrained herself to emitting nothing but a strangled sound. Carefully slipping out of her lover, Lauren held Bo's shaking figure, cradling her in her arms when her legs gave out.
Bo held onto the blonde, kissing along her jaw and neck, whispering into her ear. "Baby … you're so beautiful … so beautiful …" Enjoying the brunette's mouth on her, Lauren closed her eyes, and a few seconds passed. "Let's move to the couch", Bo breathed. "I don't have much time left, and I really, really need to taste you." Within a split-second, Lauren's arousal came roaring back, crashing over her like an ocean wave. "Fuck …", she moaned, and her eyes fluttered open. Bo got up and held out her hand, pulling Lauren to her feet. Without any additional words, Bo crashed her lips against the blonde's and made quick work of her clothes. Thoroughly kissing her, Bo slid off Lauren's lab coat and slipped her hand underneath her t-shirt to unhook the blonde's bra. Breaking the kiss, she rid Lauren of the two garments and started kissing her way down her neck.
Lauren followed Bo's lead, gasping when the brunette took one of her nipples in her hot mouth. Bo circled and sucked the sensitive flesh, while greedily cupping and squeezing the other breast. With a sigh, she let go and pushed Lauren back onto the sofa. Kneeling between the blonde's legs, Bo kissed her way down to Lauren's bellybutton. Her breathing was as heavy as Lauren's when she took the silver ring in her mouth, licking the skin around it, while unbuttoning the blonde's jeans. Moving backwards, she slid them and Lauren's panties down, following the trail of bared flesh with her mouth. The blonde watched Bo's nostrils flare when she moved past Lauren's mound. Breathing in deeply, she quickly dipped her tongue between her lover's folds and let out a little moan. "God, you taste like heaven", Bo breathed, the vibration of the sounds against her pussy making Lauren gasp.
When the trousers were gone, Bo kissed her way up Lauren's thigh, enjoying the view just a little bit longer, before burying her face in the blonde's throbbing sex. Spreading her legs wide, Lauren bit her fist to keep herself from screaming out loud when Bo gave her a long and thorough lick across the entire length of her pussy. "Fuck, Bo … yesss …", she choked out, panting heavily and emitting a low growl when the brunette slid two, then three and then four fingers deep inside Lauren's core. The blonde felt her eyes roll back, her head weakly falling onto the backrest. She spread her legs even wider, willing Bo to go deeper. "Harder, baby … yesss, lick my pussy … that's it … fuck me good", she growled under her breath. Bo let out a deep, guttural groan and pushed herself faster and harder, frantically licking Lauren's pussy, sucking her clit and quickly flicking her tongue over the very tip.
The blonde had been so aroused before Bo had even stepped into her office that this was all it took to send her crashing over the edge. Gripping the couch cushions, she bucked her hips into Bo's mouth when an intense orgasm hit her. It took all her willpower to not scream her release out into the world for the entire hospital to know that Dr Lauren Lewis, certified genius and official TMC superstar as well as ever-smiling poster girl, was currently on the receiving end of the fuck of her life. Arching her back so that her butt actually left the couch, her mouth wide open for a silent scream, Lauren's entire body was convulsing from the force of her orgasm. When the waves finally subsided, she let herself crash back down into the cushions. Lauren tugged on Bo's shoulder, and the brunette stood up to straddle her lover's thighs. Pressing herself against her lover, Bo placed soft kisses all over her face. Still high from her climax, the blonde repeated her name like a mantra. "Bo … Bo … Bo …"
"I've missed you", the brunette whispered against Lauren's forehead, who lifted her hands to pull Bo down for a tender kiss. "I wish you could stay", she breathed when they parted, burying her face between Bo's divine breasts, deeply breathing in her scent. "Me too", Bo sighed, eyeing the clock above the door. "But I'm already late. I have to go now." Lauren pressed the brunette's body against herself once more before reluctantly letting her go. Bo climbed off the blonde's lap to get dressed and Lauren got off the sofa to pick up her scattered clothes. When they were fully clothed, Lauren pulled her in for a tender goodbye kiss. "Text me anytime", she whispered against her lips when they parted. Bo gave her a bright smile, which made Lauren's knees weak. "I will", she promised, unlocking the door. She slipped out, and Lauren closed the door behind her.
Leaning against the wood, the blonde took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled. She felt good after that incredible climax, but she wasn't really satisfied. She wanted more of Bo. Sure, the sex was amazing, but it was the afterwards that appealed to her even more. She loved talking to Bo, being close to her and cuddling her. Thinking about their day of lovemaking almost a week ago, Lauren smiled and closed her eyes. It had been so relaxing and … easy being around Bo. She could have all that again though, she realised. The brunette had made it pretty clear that she more than enjoyed being with Lauren. Because for some reason, Bo McCorrigan, this incredibly sexy, adorable, passionate and warm-hearted woman had fallen in love with her. And even though the blonde still didn't quite understand why, she immensely enjoyed the feeling of being appreciated on a more intimate level than what she was used to. Everybody constantly praised her genius, her unique view on medicine and her vast knowledge in the neuro field. But none of her colleagues, not even Warren, ever seemed to show any real interest in her. Nobody except for Bo.
Her loving care when she was with Lauren didn't feel smothering. On the contrary, it felt comforting, easy and genuine. It was real – almost tangible. Lauren didn't think she'd ever felt this loved … except by her father. A single tear made its way down her left cheek. It wasn't that her mum and brother didn't love her – she knew they did. So did Evony, and so did Ciara, in her very own, sometimes-distant, fellow-genius way. But Michael Lewis' love for his daughter had been different. It had been deep, unobstructed and pure. He had loved Lauren unconditionally, and his embrace had always felt warm and welcoming. Just like Bo's. Lauren had told Ciara that she felt safe with Bo, and it was true. It was like they shared an invisible connection – like they were meant to meet all along. And even though Lauren was way too rational to believe in stuff like signs, astrology and whatnot, she felt that there was something … there. Besides, she did believe in love. She'd just forgotten how it worked.
Lauren opened her eyes and wiped her face. She still didn't know where to put her feelings, but she somehow knew that Bo wouldn't want her to force anything. She would give Lauren the time she needed to figure things out. Ever since her dad's passing, the blonde had difficulties accessing her heart. It was like a big part of it had died along with him, and she'd never felt confident or brave enough to address the gaping hole in her chest. This was probably the reason she had been content with the relationship with Nadia. Looking back, Lauren had known deep down that she was a cheater, long before she caught her. Still, seeing it with her own eyes – having to face the ugly truth – had crushed her heart. After that, Lauren's defensive walls had grown even thicker. Until now. Bo kept chiselling away at them, but she did it in such an unintrusive way that it didn't scare the blonde.
Lauren took a deep breath, pushed herself off the door and straightened her back. She wanted to see Bo again. Soon. She knew that much. She walked over to her desk and sat down, then grabbed her phone and started typing.
Bo
Downstairs, back in the ER, Bo felt a buzz in her pocket. She looked around the extensive room, but everything was calm, and luckily, nobody seemed to have noticed her slight tardiness. Today was an unusually quiet day – no major injuries had come in, which was why the brunette had even bothered asking the ER lead physician for a break. Dr Jane Michaels was a middle-aged, resolute and extremely calm woman, who was the perfect fit for a crazy place like a hospital ER, Bo found. She was a dedicated teacher, albeit a little impatient at times; but if her residents did what she told them to do, she would show them respect. Dr Michaels treated absolutely everyone as equals, whether they were a lowly intern or Warren Ash himself, and Bo loved that about her.
The brunette checked on the few patients that were currently occupying the place and made sure everybody had what they needed. Then she took the phone out of her pocket to check her messages. She couldn't help the wide grin that lit up her face when she saw that the text was from Lauren. 'When are you off tonight?', it read. Only five words, but Bo was happy. Lauren wanted to see her again – not that there was any doubt, really, but the blonde seemed so insecure about her feelings that during the last few days, Bo had felt unsure about how to proceed. She didn't want to appear clingy, even though every fibre of her being screamed for Lauren's touch. It had been exceptionally hard to not really talk to the blonde since their mind-blowing sexathon, but after lengthy discussions with Kenzi and Tamsin, she had come to the conclusion that giving Lauren space would be the best option.
However, six days were an awfully long time, and a little nudge would do no harm. So, Bo had talked to Valerie, and they had come to a little arrangement. The head nurse was an excellent judge of character, and she had instantly noticed the attraction between Dr Lewis and the pretty new resident. She'd told Bo that she was happy to see Dr Lewis smile again and had been more than eager to help set the two up for today's little tryst. So, when the brunette showed up with that stack of patients' files earlier on, it wasn't all that coincidental. Valerie had kept an eye on Lauren's office and notified Bo whenever the blonde arrived and left. And when Lauren had made herself that huge cup of tea, Valerie knew she must have some time to spare. She'd immediately told Bo, who rushed up from the ER to deliver the files that were due anyway, and they had spent more time chatting at the desk than exactly necessary. It had been really tough to not look up, but Bo didn't want to spoil the illusion. And when her phone finally buzzed, she'd felt relieved. Given the way Lauren devoured her in their little break, it was clear that she still wanted Bo, and dear god, was that feeling mutual.
Bo re-checked her schedule. Today's shift wasn't too bad. She'd started very early in the morning, and the place was quiet, so it looked like she wasn't going to be doing overtime. Obviously, "quiet" could turn into "crazed mayhem" within nanoseconds in an ER, but that was out of Bo's control. She typed 'Regular shift ends in 2 hours. Why?' and hit Send. Surely, a little bit of teasing was allowed. Busying herself with some typical ER chores such as organising files, filling in charts and stocking up on supplies, she waited for Lauren's answer. It only took a minute until her screen lit up again. 'Want to come to my place tonight? Say, 7 o'clock? I'll cook us dinner.' Bo was ready to jump into the ceiling. 'Nowhere I'd rather be', she replied, giving herself an inner high-five. This time, she only had to wait a few seconds. 'I'll be waiting then. Bring a toothbrush.' Bo chuckled. 'You saying I smell?' The three dots appeared instantly. 'I'm saying stay the night.' Bo couldn't stop the moan that escaped her throat. Startled, she looked around, but nobody seemed to have noticed. Grinning like an idiot, she hurried to get back to work. Two more hours, and she would go see Lauren again. This day was getting better and better.