Katie Ashley - The Pairing

“Can’t it wait until we finish eating?”

Rolling her eyes, Megan said, “You know I can’t wait for things.”

Pesh sighed as he bent down to pick up his robe. As he slid his arm through the hole, he met Megan’s questioning gaze. “I wanted to invite you to dinner at my sister’s house this weekend.”

“Okay, I think I can do that.” Tilting her head, she eyed him suspiciously. “Why did you think I would need to be feeling my best for that?”

“It won’t just be my sister and her husband. All of my family will be there, including my parents.”

Megan’s eyes widened. “You want to introduce me to your parents?”

“Yes, I would.”

She nibbled on her bottom lip as she was prone to do when she was nervous. “But that would mean we’re pretty serious, right?”

“Yes,” he replied, with utter certainty.

Scooting to the edge of the bed, she gripped her gaping robe as best she could. She stared up at him. “You’re not the least bit worried what they’re going to say about you dating me?”

“No, I’m not.”

The corners of her lips tugged up in a smile. “Then I’ll go,” she said softly.

“Really?”

When she bobbed her head, he rushed forward to wrap her in his arms. “Thank you, my love. You’ve made me very happy.”

“You make me happy every day. It’s the least I can do.” With her head buried in Pesh’s chest, she was finally able to let the smile she had plastered on fade into a frown. While she should have been elated that Pesh wanted to introduce her to his family, she couldn’t help feeling overwhelmed. What if they hated her? What if their dislike caused Pesh to not want to see her anymore? She didn’t want to think about what it would be like not having him in her life.

At the same time, it was hard processing all the emotions that Pesh’s devotion made her feel. Davis had never wanted to introduce her to his parents. She met them by accident after one of his games. Now she had a man who wanted nothing more than to share all aspects of his life with her. It was hard to process.

In the end, she could only hope that everything went well.

The following day at work when Pesh found a lull in patients, he stepped into the nurses’ station. While he said hello to some of the other men and women of the nursing staff, he had a singular focus of getting to Megan. When he joined her at the counter where she was doing paperwork, she jumped like he had tasered her.

“Go away,” Megan hissed.

He chuckled. “You know, I think I can be seen back here in the nurses’ station without arising any suspicion. After all, I could be discussing a patient with you.”

“Then you better start talking in patient codes very soon.”

“I wanted to know if it would be all right to pick you up at seven on Friday evening?”

When Megan jerked her gaze off the chart she was working on, her blue eyes bulged in horror at him. In a low voice, she said, “I cannot believe you are talking about a date here at work. Do you care anything about my reputation?”

He held his hands up defensively. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking besides the fact that I missed you and wanted to talk to you.”

Megan’s expression softened. “I’m sorry, but we can’t be that way here.”

Pesh opened his mouth to protest when a voice behind them cut him off. “Don’t you two look cozy,” Kara mused. Pesh whirled around to find Kara staring at them with venom burning in her eyes.

“Excuse me, but I need to get another chart off the carousel,” Megan said, with her head tucked to her chest.

She turned to go, but Kara reached out and grabbed her arm. “If you don’t mind, exam room Three needs a clean-up.”

“Kristi is the only one authorized to give me orders around here,” Megan replied.

Kara pursed her ruby red lips. “Insubordination and sleeping with a doctor—you really have a career death wish, don’t you?”

Megan started to protest, but Pesh stopped her. Glaring at Kara, he said, “I want to talk to you. Alone.”

After shooting Megan a triumphant look, Kara let Pesh lead her out of the nurses’ station and down the hall. “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” he demanded.

“Saving you from making a huge mistake. You don’t need a girl like that—you need a woman to take care of you.” When her hands started to snake up around his neck, Pesh grabbed them.

“Don’t touch me!” he snarled.

A sultry smile spread across her face. “You liked when I touched you before.”

“That was one time—a drunken mistake that I regret daily, and I never intend on making again.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “So you’re throwing me aside for a young bimbo?”

“Do not speak that way about Megan ever again. Do you hear me?”

“And do you really feel that she thinks you’re worth throwing her career away for?”

Pesh closed the gap between them. Looming over Kara, his entire body shuddered in anger. “Listen to me when I say that if you threaten to expose Megan one more time, I will make life a living hell for you. As the supervising physician over the ER, I can have you shipped off to some hellhole far from here.” He glared down at her. “Do you understand me?”

She slowly nodded her head as the realization that there was nothing between them finally dawned on her. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go clean my exam room.”

As she hurried past him, Pesh exhaled a breath of relief. He never used that tone of voice with women, or men for that matter, unless he was absolutely pushed to do so. But Kara’s previous behavior and the way she’d acted today had forced him to become what he wasn’t. At the feel of a hand on his back, he whirled around.

Megan gave him a beaming smile. “My hero!”

He laughed at her expression and words. “You don’t have to worry about her harassing you or me for that matter. I took care of things.”

“I heard you.”

He grimaced. “You did?”

She nodded. “It was amazing.”

“I’m glad you thought so.”

“I’ve never had a man take up for me like that before.”

Pesh shook his head. “That’s a shame.”

“If we weren’t in the middle of the ER’s hallway, I’d kiss you to show my gratitude.”

He smiled. “I’ll gladly take a rain check.”

“Oh you will? That’s good to know.”

Lowering his voice, he said, “I’ll expect that kiss later tonight when we’re alone. And I don’t just want it on the lips.” His brows rose. “I want it on several places on my body.”

Megan grinned. “I think that can be arranged.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“Dr. Nadeen?” a nurse called from the top of the hall.

“Yes?”

“You’re needed in rxam room Four.”

“As soon as I finish this patient consultation, I’ll be there,” he replied.

At his blatant lie, Megan covered her mouth to hide her giggling. “I have to go. But can I come over tonight?”

“Yep. Let me get Mason fed and bathed, and then I’m yours.”

“See you later.” He winked at her before he turned and started down the hall.

A few nights later Pesh found himself speeding along the quiet streets of Megan’s neighborhood. His phone dinged once again. Slowing down, he took a peek to make sure it wasn’t the hospital. He wasn’t too surprised to find it was another text from Megan. He could tell from the way she had been frantically texting him that afternoon and evening that she was nervous, which was totally surprising to him. She was so strong and fearless that it was hard for him to imagine her ever feeling nervous. But he supposed that in Megan’s mind she had good cause to be nervous as tonight he was introducing her to his family.

After he picked her up, they were going to his sister, Shveta’s, house for dinner. His parents, along with at least one of his brothers, would be there. Although he had spent a lot of time with her family, it hadn’t quite meant the same thing as her spending time with his. He didn’t know if her nerves stemmed from simply meeting his family or if they were from the fear of how far their relationship had progressed in the last few months.

He turned into the driveway at ten after seven. He didn’t even get up the front porch steps before the door flew open, and Megan rushed out. Her diminutive figure wobbled a little on the black high heels she was sporting. She wore black pants, and a dressy red top that had a lot of beading. It reminded him of the kurta, a style that women from his culture wore. He wondered if she had chosen it for that reason.

“You look beautiful,” Pesh murmured, leaning in to kiss her tenderly. When she didn’t warm to his touch, he gazed down at her. “What’s wrong?”

Rolling her eyes, she snapped. “Duh, I’m really nervous.”

“You’re really that worried about my family’s opinion of you?”

She threw up her hands. “Of course, I am. Your family is very important to you. I don’t want…” She tore her gaze from his.

“You don’t want what?” he pressed.

“I don’t want to bring shame to you.”

He bit down on his lip to keep from laughing at her. He couldn’t believe Megan was so concerned with his family’s opinion. His heartbeat accelerated at the thought. It had to mean she really was falling in love with him. He brushed a silky strand of blonde hair out of her face. “Sweetheart, you’re not the first American girl I’ve brought home with me.”

“Yes, I’m well aware of that. I’m also aware of the fact of how well your family loved and accepted Jade. It might not be the same way with me.” She stared up at him. “I’m not like her, Pesh. I’m not meek and good-hearted.”