A Man Who Knows What He Wants Box Set 5

by Flora Ferrari

  I don’t date doctors. No way. No how. They’re never what they’re cracked up to be, at least that’s what the other nurses tell me. Technically I’ve never tried to date a doctor. And even more accurately I’ve never dated…at all.

  I’ve just been so focused on paying off my student loans that I’ve had my nose to the grindstone racking up those overtime hours to get out of debt before I get into my grave. At the rate I’m going it’s still a toss up which one will come first.

  And moving to the big city doesn’t exactly help with expenses, but it does help with the salary although time will tell if it actually offsets the costs.

  But what is offset right now is everything about me, including my balance. I feel dizzy looking up at this monster of a man.

  Tall. Dark. Handsome. And he even has a slight accent? I think?

  “Buuuu,” I start to say.

  “I work here,” he says. “Just started.”

  My head nods and my mouth remains open. Apparently I haven’t remembered to close it yet. And right now I’m not remembering much of anything. Just taking in the sight of him.

  “Which also explains why we haven’t…bumped…into each other in the apartment building yet. Until last night,” he says.

  “I thought that unit was empty,” I say. Really? That’s the best I can come up with?

  I could be complimenting his terrific tan asking which Spanish island gave it to him. Or was it Greek or one of the ones in the Caribbean?

  I could be asking him for fitness tips so I can get the female equivalent of the perfect body he has.

  I could be asking him a lot of things, but instead… “But what are you doing here?”

  “I’m a doctor, and I’ve been assigned to this wing.”

  “My wing?” I ask.

  “If you work in this wing then yes.”

  “Doctor, we need you in the ER right away,” a nurse says loudly from down the hall.

  “If you’ll excuse me,” he says. He hasn’t even turned to look at her, nor has he removed his eyes from mine. And our hands are still connected in what’s quickly turning into the world’s longest handshake. Not that I’m complaining one bit.

  “Sorry to cut this introduction off so short, but I should be going,” he says. But his body language betrays him. He doesn’t move or turn at all.

  “Uh huh,” I say.

  “Doctor!” the nurse says even louder.

  He glides to the side, keeping his eyes on me as my small hand slides through his. He’s a solid two to three steps down the hall, changing from a turn of the body to a jog before his head aligns with his body taking his eyes from mine.

  “Can you feel that tension?” Riley asks as she puts both her hands on my shoulders.

  “And how about the way he looked at you. That delicious doctor’s got it bad for you.”

  “No chance,” I say. “And I don’t date doctors anyways.”

  “How long have you been in the city?”

  “Three months now.”

  “And in those three months how many dates have you been on?”

  “I’m focused on my work.”

  “Uh huh. And by work you mean paying off your student loans. Don’t try and deny it. You already told me.”

  “So.”

  “So? You think that the new doctor they hired to take over this wing can’t help you with that?”

  “I’m not that type of girl. Come on, Riley,” I say getting angry that she even suggested it.

  “I’m not saying you’re that type of girl. What I am saying is that you’re his type of girl. That hot dish of a doctor was ready to serve himself up to you on a silver platter and girl when he does you best take a bite!”

  Her words take a second for my brain to process as I follow his body down the hall before he quickly turns the corner, his uniform fanning out like some sort of superhero cape.

  And that might just be exactly what he is.

  But not mine. Oh no.

  I don’t need a superhero. I can fend for myself.

  But Riley’s one-liner was funny.

  I laugh and make eye contact with her.

  She’s the kind of girl who always gets the guy. She’s taller, fitter, and with legs for days. And she’s not afraid to show them, or her big boobies which she likes to keep pressed up so high they practically pop out of her tops. I went out with her on exactly one occasion and the amount of attention she got was breathtaking. I felt like a stone in the middle of the river, guys just flowing right around me to get to her. And when they did all they could say was, “Damn!”

  And I already know how this story will play out. Doctor Cristiano will catch a glimpse of her and realize she’s way more attractive, experienced, funny, and just about everything else he wants in a woman. I’m not feeling sorry for myself. I’m just being realistic. Reality is one of the reasons I chose to be a nurse. It’s practical and with an aging population nurses will be in high demand in the future.

  I always think things through, but in this case there’s no need to think.

  They’ll meet. Sparks will fly. And I’ll be, thankfully, forgotten by this time tomorrow. I’ll be free to focus my mind on my work and paying back the mountain of debt I owe.

  Plus I don’t date doctors anyway.

  I never have and I never… “Doctor Will needs you in the ER,” Nurse Mary says to me.

  “I never will,” I say.

  “Huh?” Nurse Mary says. “Doctor Will. ER. Better get your booty in there now.”

  “Right. Doctor Will,” I correct myself.

  I take off down the hall towards the ER.

  Now I’m the one who feels like a superhero.

  This is 2018. I’m just as capable as any man. And I certainly don’t need one.

  And not a hot doctor either.

  Nope. Not me.

  Chapter Four

  Cristiano

  The stab wound victim’s chance of survival is well below one percent, but today that’s more than enough for me.

  No way this guy is dying on my operating table.

  They’ve pulled in a second doctor, Doctor Will something, but I just brush him aside.

  I’m still running on the high from meeting that girl.

  Rose. My nurse. My neighbor.

  And soon to be mine in a lot more ways than just those.

  God, she is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.

  My hands are moving like I just drank a gallon of coffee, but there are no jitters. I’m completely under control as I cut this, sew that, and stitch there.

  For the next three hours I notice nothing. The time completely flies by. It’s the strangest experience of my life.

  My mind only thinks about here while my hands go on autopilot and get this poor fella fixed up in three hours for a surgery that should have taken four times as long, and had practically no chance of success.

  But he’s stabilized and will make a full recovery.

  But not me.

  I set down the scalpel on the small metal table and turn to leave the ER room, but then I see her.

  She may have a medical mask on, but it doesn’t matter. I could spot her across the Serengeti right now, like a cheetah on the hunt.

  Even in a nurse’s outfit she looks good enough to eat.

  I can’t believe I’m having these thoughts in an operating room. Sure, I’ve experienced blood and the human body doesn’t shock me one bit, but it’s just that I’ve never felt such a pull to someone like this before…and certainly not in this clinical environment. And post-surgery no less.

  I make a head motion for her to follow me out of the operating room and she does.

  I wash and cover my hands in sanitizer and hip check my way through the door. The second I step out I hear Doctor Will, “That was incredible! You were an animal in there. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “And I’ve never seen anything like you,” I say to her as I reach up with one hand and carefully remove her surgical
mask as she finishes writhing her hands causing her own handful of sanitizer to evaporate.

  I’m completely out of line here, but I don’t care.

  Those lips, the lower slightly bigger than the top but both equally as luscious.

  I want to kiss her right here and now, but I can’t. I’ll lose my job and it will also threaten hers.

  “Have dinner with me,” I say.

  “No,” she says.

  “Tonight. Eight.”

  “I said no.”

  “I’ll be at your door then,” I say.

  I take my hand from her mask and turn walking down the hall to finish with all the post surgery things that need doing.

  “I said no,” echoes down the hallway.

  I respect women and would never force myself onto anyone, let alone into anyone’s life, but this is different.

  There’s no way I’m taking no for an answer.

  As a doctor I’m trained to read people. There’s the quote unquote reasons and symptoms they give you, and then there’s the actual problem solving diagnosis you have to solve by reading between the lines.

  And I can read her like the open book that she can surely see I am just as well.

  Her look gives her away. The immediate change in her body temperature when we touched. The way her lips parted when my gaze drifted to her lips.

  I just need to take her somewhere nice. Somewhere to try and match the level of beauty and brains she has. No place on earth exists to rival her perfection, but I’m going to do the best I can.

  And it will be much better for both of us to find a spot where no prying eyes from the hospital will be.

  Just her and me. Mono y mono.

  Doctor and nurse.

  Neighbor and neighbor.

  This is all too perfect.

  And the most perfect thing of all is her.

  Chapter Five

  Rose

  “More eye shadow?”

  “Less eye shadow,” Riley says. “He likes you the way you are. You probably don’t need any makeup really, but what fun would that be?”

  “I can’t believe I’m getting ready.”

  “And I can’t believe you ever considered not getting ready. Are you crazy?”

  Maybe she’s right. Cristiano’s voice turns gravel to sand and his hands work magic. I can imagine that silky smooth deep voice of his and what he might say as he runs those incredible hands all over my body.

  And his hands really are incredible. I’ve seen doctors work miracles before but that will go down in history. Not to mention the spark I felt when his hand touched mine.

  But I don’t date doctors, right? Right?

  I guess there are exceptions to every rule, but this sure is a big one.

  If this goes bad or things heat up and then don’t work out then not only do I have to see this guy at work but also across the hall.

  And I’ve already made a big enough fool of myself here at home. Turns out I was so frazzled the other night that I tried to park in his spot. I was on the wrong floor in the underground parking garage. It can be a maze sometimes, especially after working the amount of hours I have been this week.

  Part of me is even surprised I’m upright. I should be using this time to catch up on some very much needed rest, but Riley convinced me otherwise. If I’m honest with myself maybe I didn’t need too much convincing in the first place.

  And how weird is it that he has the exact same spot I do, just on a different floor? It has nothing to do with our units being in the penthouse. It was complete luck. Timing. When the old moved out the new came in, and we’re both new around here. More crazy luck, if luck is even the right word.

  And as lucky as I feel, in some ways at least, that I’m going out tonight with such a desirable guy it’s actually Riley who reminds me that luck has nothing to do with it. She’s really encouraging me and telling me how beautiful I look. If she ever decides to take up self-confidence coaching for sure I’ll be her first client.

  The sound of knuckles wrapping on the door three times in succession fills the room.

  “It’s him,” I say.

  “Wow, those hands of his must be thick to be able to put out a knock like that. Just imagine those thick fingers slowly moving inside—”

  “The door!” I say, trying not to imagine that. I’m already feeling a bit wet at just the authority of his knock and the anticipation as we’ve been getting ready for near an hour now.

  “Don’t worry. I’m not moving in. Just here to help,” Riley says as she opens the door to greet him.

  “Not worried at all,” he says. “And this floor is ours and only ours.” I turn just in time to catch him wink at Riley. I’m glad that I saw that. His words were direct and if I didn’t see the wink I might, just might, have perceived it as a threat. But I know he’s not the kind of man to threaten a woman. It’s just that I’m not used to dealing with a real man. That’s what I’m quickly learning.

  A man who knows what he wants and goes for it unabashedly. A man who says exactly what’s on his mind no matter who’s standing around. Nursing school didn’t exactly attract the most alpha of guys and most doctors are kind of clumsy nerds who try and project power but fail miserably. It’s like they think their title is the ultimate panty dropper. Gross.

  But not Cristiano. And when you add in that authoritative voice, his height, and the way his body language never betrays him he really is the real deal. He’s the complete package.

  And I’m trying to stay completely cool in his presence and I’m not exactly succeeding. Thankfully I caked on the deodorant, and even more so that it’s no show and doesn’t get cakey white like my last one did.

  “You look incredibly beautiful,” he says as his eyes wander across my dress from head to toe and back up again.

  “Thank you,” I say. The dress was a last second purchase on the way home from the Nordstrom Rack. I couldn’t believe they had it, and the one they had was in my size. I really am in luck today.

  “Shall we?”

  “We shall,” I say.

  “Have fun kids!” Riley shouts as I step through the doorway of my four hundred and eighty-five square foot studio apartment and into the hallway. I can only imagine how big his apartment must be judging from the length of the hall. Not to mention he has a city view. Me? I’d be stuck with a landfill in the distance if I even had a window at all.

  He offers me his arm right away. I’m thankful he doesn’t make me stumble around in these heels first before being a gentleman. I’m certainly not used to wearing them. I spend a majority of my life in Crocs, which suddenly seem like something completely different from the world I find myself in now. Heels a dress and going out on a real date with a doctor, and more importantly one I find attractive and am interested in.

  I’m not going to lie, it’s nice that he has money, or that he appears to. But that’s nothing more than icing on the cake. Regardless of the amount of people on Tinder and Seeking Arrangement and all those other sugar baby and sugar daddy websites I do still believe in true love, and one and only one partner. That’s what true love is about…finding your one and only soul mate.

  And I plan on taking the first step towards uncovering what makes him tick tonight.

  I grasp a hold of the fine wool that makes up his suit jacket and pull myself just a bit closer. I don’t want to be too aggressive, but the smell of his cologne reminds me of the forest I use to play in as a kid. The ones that seemed to just suck me right in, even when my mother reminded me there could be bears lurking out there.

  But he’s no bear. He’s a wolf. But the scent is the same and I find myself quickly being sucked right in.

  And just like when I was a girl, I’m ready to see if it’s really dangerous or not.

  Chapter Six

  Cristiano

  I can’t believe she’s single, but it doesn’t matter much if she wasn’t. I hate wasting time and if she was with another man I’d politely, but firmly, let him know his time was
up. He had his chance to put a ring on it, but apparently didn’t.

  Like I said, I hate wasting time. It’s our most precious resource and at thirty-eight years old I value it even more than ever.

  But the most important thing about time is spending it with the right people. And in this case the right person.

  The one? It sure feels that way.

  I’ve never felt something like this in the pit of my stomach. Never.

  But I can’t let my emotions get the best of me. I need to be rational about this. At least as much as I can. To get to know her first.

  Does love at first sight exist? If you would have asked me last week I would have told you you’re crazy.

  But after some spilled ice cream in the hallway? Now I’m a believer.

  “I believe we’ll take the beef tartare and the side salads,” I say to the waiter.

  “You didn’t even open the menu,” she gasps. “And you’re not going to ask me what I want?”

  “The beef tartare is the best in the city. That’s one of the reasons we’re here. And that’s just a starter. I plan on taking my time tonight and getting to know you. Enjoying this evening and this city we both recently moved to. And after our appetizers I absolutely expect you to order your own dish. I wouldn’t be that presumptuous.”

  She leans back in her chair a bit after having come forward to challenge me. I like that. I like a girl with a backbone and a bit of feistiness to her. Maybe even more than a bit. What I dislike more than just about anything is when people just defer or cower to people with titles or positions. I like someone to stand up for themselves no matter what they happen to do from nine to five for money or what cards life has dealt them. And I’m very interested to know more about her life…where she gets her strength from.

  “Your champagne, sir.” I turn and take the flutes handing one to her and keeping one for myself.