Chapters (50)
- Cover
- Full Page Image
- Dedication
- Playlist
- Prologue
- Part One
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Part Two
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Part Three
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgments
- Bonus Scene
- Marni’s Midnighters
- Spoiler Group
- About the Author
- Also by Marni Mann
- Sneak Peek of When Darkness Ends
- Sneak Peek of Even If It Hurts
“My assistant texted me an hour ago, and I have to fly to San Francisco this morning to meet with a client.” He brushed several pieces of hair out of my face, his eyes so piercing and sexy in the sunlight. “Why don’t you come with me?”
I moaned, pulling the blanket up to my neck, thinking how heavenly that sounded compared to my upcoming shift. I lowered it enough, so he could hear me when I said, “You know I would love that more than anything, but I have to work today.”
“This is your last shift of the week, right?” I nodded, and he added, “Then, how about I get you a plane ticket for tomorrow morning, and you can meet me out there?” He brushed his fingers across my forehead, a touch that was light enough to cause goose bumps but powerful enough to tell me how badly he wanted me to come. “We can have lunch in the city and drive out to Napa, spend a few nights touring the vineyards. I can rent us a few ATVs, and we can ride up the mountains.”
Our relationship felt like a dream, and so did his desire to whisk me away and show me different parts of the country I’d only fantasized about. But our work lives were extremely different. I wasn’t my own boss; therefore, I didn’t have his flexibility.
“I only have three days off, and then the rotation starts over.”
“I’ll get you back in time.” He kissed the spot he’d been touching. “Or you could use some of your vacation days.” His mouth moved to my neck, each caress like a tickle.
I squirmed, the sensation overwhelming but not enough to make me move away. “I could probably take a day off, but I can’t do that every time I want to travel with you.” My voice turned softer. “Even if I want to.”
He held my cheek steady. “Whitney, you can do anything you want. I know you love the family you work with, but you’re exhausted and burned out, and I sense you’ve felt this way for a long time. Why don’t you find what makes you happy?”
“I have to be a nurse.”
“But you don’t have to be one at the hospital.” He was quiet for a few moments. “There are expectations when it comes to my career. I have parents who expect me to take the reins of their business when they retire. You’re not in that predicament; you have options and opportunities everywhere you look.” His hand lowered from my face, moving to my heart, like his fingers were a stethoscope. “What is this telling you?”