by Piper Page
Get your head back in the now, and out from what it would be like between her legs, Cole.
“Did you enjoy the food?”
She nodded.
“Hmm, okay, it wasn’t the food. Was it the charming waiter at our beck and call at every moment?”
Her lips cracked a tight smirk, and she shook her head.
“Not the waiter’s fault.” I scratched the back of my neck and pretended to give the moment some serious thought. “So if it wasn’t any of that, it must have been all the laughter we shared. Oh, damn!” I threw my hands in the air. “I should have guessed—after all, you are a nurse. I should trust your medical opinion. Laughter is off the table, too much is bad for you. I think I always knew that. It won’t happen again. We laughed entirely too much. Did you have a laughter hangover?”
I watched the lines wrinkle around her eyes and the smile spread over her face. She shook her head, giggling.
“Oh no, oh no, not again, don’t do it! Someone get in here stat, she’s about to laugh!”
Sunny tittered and covered her mouth hastily.
I softened my teasing and looked at her with sincerity. “Sunny, I need those perfect pearly whites right by my side. Don’t deny me. Won’t you be my date?”
“Alright, fine, Cole, I will be your date.” She blushingly gave in. Oh, how her shyness was driving me absolutely mad. It was so damn cute, I wish today were Friday already.
5
Sunny
If you looked up the word irresistible in the dictionary, I swear there would be a picture of Cole von Larsen next to the definition. He blew in here like a god and wooed me into going against my own decided mind. My mouth said yes before my brain even registered the words. He was going to be my Achilles heel. Never before had someone ever had such an effect on me in my twenty-three years. He left me with my heart racing and my palms sweating. I could barely finish typing my shift report.
The other nurses were on cloud nine. Their enthusiasm was soaring, and I was quivering like a leaf. I was in over my head, drowning in a sensual pool that was Cole von Larsen, and no life preserver was in sight. My coworkers made me promise to serve them all the details of the newest adventure, then begged for the leftovers of last Saturday’s date like deviant vultures. These nurses were thirsty for romantic gossip. I supposed circulating tales of romps in the supply closets and pharmacy stacks were no longer enough vicarious living for them. I couldn’t really hold them responsible. It was hard, working the hours we did, and some of these girls were going on fifteen years here, or more. I was fresh news, being a first-year employee. How could I blame them, much less deny them? I gave just enough insight to keep them thrilled, but when a message was delivered to our fourth-floor station with another long-stemmed rose, they swooped in hard and fast.
“Is it from him?”
“Of course it is. Have you seen her get roses from anyone else today?”
“There’s a card. What does it say?”
“Is he coming back?”
“Read it, read it!”
I swallowed back the nerves and scanned the small floral card. Cole wanted me to meet him on the roof of the hospital at the end of my shift on Saturday morning. I held the card out to Cheryl. “Is he serious?”
Her eyes scanned the script. “Only one way to find out, if I were you, I’d be up there with freaking bells on.”
“And nothing else,” one of the other nurses jabbed.
My jaw dropped. The thought of going anywhere with Cole other than the safe and secure places I was comfortable with in Galveston made my stomach turn somersaults.
“Holy Moses, Sunny, you look like a ghost.”
I tried to smile. The corners of my mouth twitched and refused to turn upward. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
Cheryl gave me a serious look. “It’s Cole von Larsen. I don’t know how you can’t do this!”
I sighed and went back to work.
* * *
I can do this, I can do this.
* * *
The mantra in my head lasted for the next three days, and before I was ready or even knew it, Saturday was here in all its terrifying glory. I worked my way through my early morning shift in a haze. Cole texted me the day before, saying I needed to bring nothing, again that he was going to be certain to provide everything I needed. My head spun whenever I thought of that. How would he know my size? Did he expect me to be cognizant enough after a full shift to go shopping when we got to Houston? How would I have enough time? I would be exhausted, and that wouldn’t lend well to looking good on anyone’s arm. Just what exactly was he expecting from me? How was I going to get through this?
These questions plagued my brain with each step I took up to the rooftop. My soft-soled work shoes brushed in a swooshing whisper on the stairs, and I found myself fidgeting with the hem of my scrubs. At the last moment, I pulled my hair free of my ponytail band and shook the tresses loose. Was I hoping to seem more alluring?
* * *
Yes Sunny, you are a vision of beauty in pink scrubs and white sneakers. Any man would want you. Ugh.
* * *
I depressed the crash bar on the solid metal door that allowed a person to get onto the rooftop. Why would he want me up here? There was nothing up here but the emergency helicopter pad. Maybe he was waiting with more flowers and a gift certificate to a store. I shrugged. It would be cute, but a little over-dramatic. Suddenly, my loose hair flew up and tangled in front of my eyes as the thunderous roar of whirling blades assaulted my ears.
* * *
Oh gracious, the copter is bringing someone in.
* * *
I braced myself against the artificial wind, and my nursing instincts kicked into high gear. Cole would have to wait. This was an emergency, and I had a duty to be of assistance in any way I could. My feet guided me across the pavement of the rooftop, and I kept my eyes down following the painted guidelines that would lead me to the helicopter and the waiting gurney.
When I looked up and brushed my hair out of my eyes, my breath was gone from my lungs. It was Cole. No, he wasn’t an injured or a dying patient. He was standing there in all his alluring glory, smiling at me. He held his hand out to me and guided me into the seat of the helicopter before I could try to say anything.
The door slid shut, blocking out all the noise and wind. Cole slid a set of headphones and a microphone over my ears and mouth. His voice came through loud and clear, “Right on time, Miss Banks. I like punctuality. It’s very attractive.”
I was stunned.
“You said you hate traffic. I thought this would be less stressful than the bumper-to-bumper on the 45N.” His hand slipped into mine, and his fingers laced between my trembling ones.
All I could do was nod. Right. Of course. He’s a billionaire, remember?
Cole grinned from ear to ear. He was obviously enjoying this. I, on the other hand, was a ball of knots. The helicopter veered out over the Gulf, and I looked out the window in awe. I loved the ocean, and seeing it from this view took my breath away. I wondered if being with Cole would always feel like this.
Cole pointed out the shipyards. They looked like painted artwork against the rolling water from this height. We flew past the St. Lupis Pass and headed inland. Cole pointed out the new high-rises, then the Glass Pyramids of Moody Gardens. Seeing all this from a bird’s eye view was breathtaking.
“Do you do this often?”
“What, take gorgeous women on a helicopter tour?”
I pulled a pouty expression. Suddenly, I didn’t want to believe Cole did this with other girls. He picked up on my disappointment and his hand squeezed mine. “I’m kidding. Seriously, I do fly a lot. It’s an easier way to travel for me, much better than dealing with the congestion and time abuse on the freeways. However, I don’t make it a habit to bring women, dates, with me. I thought you’d enjoy it. Are you?” The glimmer of hope in his eyes gave him the brief look of a young boy, not a twenty-something-year-old man.
> “Thank you for showing me this. It is very nice of you, but costly, I’m sure.”
He smiled. “I own this helicopter, it’s a private company.”
* * *
Of course. He’s a billionaire. You can’t fathom that type of wealth.
* * *
I felt silly saying anything about money. I had never even known a real life millionaire. Billionaire!? Now that was something unfathomable.
We continued onward, and soon, I was viewing Houston’s skyline. Buildings loomed out before us as we dipped and swerved around the structures. I found my heart beating in my throat with the exciting stimulation of the ride. I yelped out and clutched Cole’s hand when the copter swooped low, giving us a full visual of the sideways arch of the William’s Tower Waterfalls. It reminded me of a combination of the Parthenon and a century-old playhouse in the round. It was exquisite, and even though I had seen it from the ground many times, this perspective brought tears to the corners of my eyes.
“I can’t believe you did this for me. This is crazy.”
Cole caught and held my stare. “Seeing the sheer joy on your face has been the best part of this whole ride, Sunny.”
I felt the familiar heated glow fill my face, and I dropped my eyes. His index finger hooked under my chin and lifted my face upward. “You’ll miss it, looking down like that.”
My smile was genuine, and I brought my gaze back to the cityscape spread out before me. Cole leaned over my body, and I felt every muscle connected to my bones tense up. He pointed out my window. “That’s where we’re going.”
I focused as best as I could on a tall building, reaching upward into the Houston morning sky. I could see the landing pad, but all I could think about was how his body felt so close to mine, and that familiar smell, that intoxicating rich scent that had dazzled my senses on our first date. There was something about that scent that made me feel dangerously scandalous. It made me think naughty thoughts about Cole’s body entangled in mine. What would it be like to kiss those lips? To nestle my head between his shoulder and neck and gain an even more up-close and personal whiff of such impeccable eau de toilette?
Cole’s voice came through my headset again. “That’s my office building,” he said as he pointed downward, “and those buildings are all new this year. Our company is growing in leaps and bounds.”
I nearly jumped from the description, my lust had enraptured my attention so well. I could hear the pride in his tone. It made me feel lucky to be a part of his world, if only for one night.
* * *
I want it to be more.
* * *
The helicopter descended to a hovering position above the rooftop. When it touched down, I realized how often my breath had been held in my lungs. My muscles quivered, and my feet felt like they were walking on gelatin when we exited the cabin of the flying machine. Cole wrapped his arm around my waist and escorted me to the elevator, taking me down to the ground floor.
“Where to now?”
“The spa for some rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation.”
I must be in a dream, and if so, then I preferred to stay asleep, forever
6
Sunny
I sat in a rose-colored, cushioned chair, tapping the terry cloth slipper on my foot in midair. This was not what I had expected at all. Worse yet, Cole was no longer here with me. I felt out of place, yet again. I should have just gotten used to it and played the part. I could have done that. My spine straightened, and I lifted my chin. Is this how a wealthy woman would sit and wait for her scheduled massage?
* * *
Ugh, a massage.
* * *
Did they expect me to get fully naked? I purposely left on my panties and bra beneath the robe they gave me. It was undemanding and warm, and I had wrapped it tight around my body for protection. Cole said he would be back to check on me later. I still couldn’t believe he left me.
“Your morning and afternoon are booked,” he’d told me.
I’d thought he meant with him. You could imagine my surprise when he walked me across the street from his office building and deposited me at the reception desk of this froufrou, upscale spa. I mean, I’m a girl, I wasn’t going refuse a mani-pedi every once in a while, but when I saw the itinerary Cole had arranged, I was flabbergasted. First on the list was a sixty-minute full-body Swedish massage, complete with hot rocks. Then there was a facial, a manicure, and a pedicure. After a light meal, they proposed hair and makeup, and then I was to be whisked away to be fitted with something appropriate to wear to this gala event. I wasn’t attached to Cole, but he was the only soul I knew in all this storm of formality, and I wished he was here.
“Miss Banks?”
My muscles jumped, and I bit back a quiet yelp. “Yes, that’s me.”
The woman gave me a warm, inviting smile. “Are we ready for the massage portion?”
* * *
No.
* * *
“Yes, of course.” I stood up, gripping the robe tight and shuffling along behind her into the next room. She explained the process to me, asked me to sign a waiver. While she waited outside the room for me to prepare myself, I steadied my shaking nerves and slowed my breathing. The room itself was calming, done in cool, comforting colors, with soft music, dim lighting, and several plants strewn about. It wasn’t scary or hard and sterile like a doctor’s office. It was relaxing.
Then there was a knock on the door, and my whole body stiffened on the table under the sheet. “All set in there, Miss Banks?”
I cleared the fear out of my throat. “Yes.”
The door opened wide enough for her to slip in and for no one else to see into the room.
“Call me Sunny, please. Miss Banks makes me tense,” I giggled, “But I guess I am in the right place for that, hmm?”
“This is your first time getting a massage, isn’t it?”
I watched her shoes shuffle around the table as I tried to rest my face comfortably through the facial hole in the massage table. “Is it that obvious?”
I could hear the smile in her voice. “I see a lot of people. I’ve learned to take note. I promise to tell you everything I am doing, until you feel comfortable enough for me to be silent. Is that okay with you?”
I tried to relax my curled fingers, took a deep breath, and nodded. “Okay.”
Sixty minutes later, my body was a big, relaxed bowl of pudding. I had never experienced such euphoria. At one point, I thought I would cry.
“Sunny?”
“Hmm?”
“We’re all done here. You can get up and get dressed when you’re ready. There’s hot tea and water out in the waiting area, and I’ll be back to take you down for your facial treatment in a few minutes, okay?”
“Mmmhmm.” I could lay here warm and relaxed for hours.
* * *
Thank you, Cole.
* * *
I cinched my sash and walked back out to the cushioned chairs. Just as I had been told, there was a tall bottle of chilled water and a steaming cup of herbal tea waiting beside the chair. I popped the water bottle and downed half of it in one go. I couldn’t believe how thirsty I was. Did massages always make you so thirsty? Maybe I was abnormal.
I paced beside the tall windows, finishing off my water and wishing there were another one available. Down on the street level, people milled about.
* * *
I bet you all wish you could be this relaxed.
* * *
I watched several people duck in and out of buildings, a woman holding the hand of child. I smiled at them as the little girl skipped beside her mother’s long strides. On the opposite side of the street, I could see the doors to Cole’s building. Maybe I would be able to see him on his way back to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man in the shadows of the alleyway. Long swirls of smoke spiraled up into the grey space between the buildings. Cole shouldn’t allow employees to smoke out in the front of his building. I wonder is he knew?
&nb
sp; “Sunny?”
I jumped, dropping my empty water bottle.
“Whoops, sorry,” she laughed as she picked up the bottle. “Would you like a fresh one?”
“Oh, goodness yes, thank you. Is it normal to be so dehydrated after a massage?”
She laughed. “It’s like sex,” she whispered. “All that pent-up energy getting out—it’s a workout for your body. Personally, I think the release from a massage is just as good as an orgasm.”
I coughed and chocked on the water I had just swallowed.
“Oh my, are you alright?”
I nodded. If she only knew the truth, I had nothing to compare it to. I would have to take her word for it.
“Well, let’s just get your downstairs. Tammy is waiting for you.”
Guiding me onto another table, “Tammy” massaged my face and neck. She worked in cleansers and unblocked blemishes I didn’t even know existed. My skin felt tight and fresh by the time she was done, and then I was on to fingers and toes. This part I was a little more used to. I went with a neutral tone for both. The woman behind the nail station tried to sell me on a very bold red, but without knowing what I’d be wearing and since I never wore anything brighter than pink, I didn’t feel it was appropriate for the evening’s event. I wanted to convey…what did I want to convey? I didn’t want Cole to see me as something I was not. Did red polish say something negative?
“I’m sorry, I changed my mind. Can we go with the red after all?”
