by M. O. Kenyan
Katherine licked her lips as she was torn out of her fantasy. “What? Help you with what?” Her raw throat made her voice sound like a scratchy whisper.
AJ chuckled and the sound washed through her like a warm cup of cocoa. “Can you help me with the cut on my head?”
“Sure, I am a doctor!” Katherine bit her tongue, holding back from saying anything else stupid. Internal heat surged her cheeks when his lips pulled into a disgustingly sexy smile. “Of course I’m a doctor that’s why I’m here. So are you, you are a doctor too. And—I’m going to shut up now.”
“How about we go to the nurses’ station and you can look after me there.” AJ lips curled into a sly grin as laughter claimed his brown eyes. Katherine noticed his lips must be his best asset, his secret weapon in getting women to go home with him. Hell, she was ready to leave with him and he was a bloody mess.
“Of course.” Katherine snorted. “Do you use that line a lot?”
“That wasn’t a line. I just want you to stitch me up. If you can’t I’ll get someone else to do it.” He turned toward the door.
Katherine reached and grabbed his arm before he left. She cursed herself as her fingers barely wrapped themselves around the bicep in his arm. She desperately wanted to feel his strong arms around her, even for a second. But when Adrian opened the door and let the world in, she had no other choice but to step out. As she did, Katherine noticed a lot of eyes staring at both of them suspiciously, and for a second she thought she saw a sad look in one nurse’s eyes before they turned into pure rage.
“I think that one likes you,” Katherine said as she pointed at the disapproving nurse.
“If my memory serves me right, she likes me a lot.” Adrian shot her a grin.
“Oh brother, you are bad news aren’t you?” Katherine chuckled. “Its not bleeding too bad. A band aid will do just fine. Take a seat on the gurney and I’ll be right back.”
Katherine arranged her tools on a sterile tray and slipped on a pair of gloves. She turned toward Adrian just in time to see him wink at a nurse who was walking by. She was mad, enraged at how ignorantly he was behaving. She felt like taking a scalpel and cutting off his lips.
“Try and control your hormones for five minutes, Doctor Ross.” She hissed through clenched teeth. Now she had managed to still her own hormones she was in control of the situation. “Do you want something for the pain?”
“No, I have to keep a clear head, I’m on call tonight.” He grunted when she put in the first suture.
Sexy and he can withstand pain too? Katherine wanted to kick him in the nuts.
Being so close to him reminded her of the night they had spent together in the back seat of his Range Rover. It wasn’t very romantic but it was exciting. The thought that someone could catch them having a tryst in a public place made the sex more exciting. But here, now, she was standing between his strong thighs—thighs she knew so well it pained her—as she treated his wound.
‘Take care of me.’ Those were the words she had used that night. She had been at the bonfire with her younger brothers who had dragged her there, saying she needed a bit of fun—and it had been fun. But that was almost two years ago. Maybe that was why he didn’t remember her.
“I think you might just live long enough to seduce all the nurses on this floor, Doctor Ross,” Katherine said.
“Thank you, Doctor…” He was embarrassed.
“The name is Katherine Henry but my patients call me Doctor Henry.” She had given him her name and was eagerly waiting for some indication of familiarity. But there was none. Not surprising, really—I don’t think he remembers the names of nurses he’s slept with this week. How could he remember the name of a girl from a bonfire almost two years ago?
“I don’t seduce them,” he was mumbling. “They just seem to come to me.”
“Come with you or by you?” Katherine spat out with a steel tongue. “Sorry,” she quickly said when she saw the hurt look on Adrian’s face. “They flock to you because you are a sexy guy. One look at you, and they want to gobble you up. You are like sex on legs.”
“You mean that?” The smile was back on his lips, the laughter in his eyes.
“I rarely pay any men compliments. My three brothers taught me that. So…you should take what I said as a compliment and run with it.”
“I have two sisters. When I saw you stick out your stubborn chin I wanted to turn in the other direction and run.”
“Siblings, they run your life, but living without them is unimaginable.” Katherine said. “There, you’re done. You’d better go figure out why they’re paging you.”
“Uh-huh, thanks. By the way…could I get your number?”
You already have it, you jackass. Katherine wanted to say. But instead she smiled, shook her head and started to walk away.
* * * *
AJ couldn’t help but chuckle when the ‘friendly’ doctor walked away from him. He had picked up on her annoyed attitude, plus her desire for him. That was hard to miss, because as the sliver of steel on her tongue slashed through him, the hard tips of her nipples stared him in the face. She wanted him, and although the feeling was mutual he couldn’t add doctors to his list of medical conquests, even though her touch did seem familiar.
“Hi.” Adrian’s view of Doctor Henry was cut into by a short red-headed nurse.
AJ groaned inside, his chest rumbling with the sound. If there was one thing he loved, it was red-heads. Each girl represented a sexual ‘something’ to him. He didn’t believe in the stereotypes attached to blondes. But that might be because he only engaged with ones with medical training. He loved them tough and smart.
But women with red hair, at least, the ones with whom he had come into contact, did almost anything in bed. That was the only reason why all the blood had left his head and shot southward.
AJ stood up and had the pleasure of seeing the redhead’s eyes widen as he showed his full length and size. You’re a big guy. He chuckled at the memory. But when he saw the redhead’s pink tongue sweep over her full lips, every memory of Katherine flew out of his head as the redhead drew all his attention.
“Maybe we can get a drink later,” she said in a breathy tone.
“Maybe. But if you can convince me you’ll get a definite ‘yes’.” AJ lowered his head and whispered to her.
“I am a gymnast,” Red said through pouted crimson lips.
AJ chuckled. He could feel his groin chuckle with him. This night, no matter what happened in the hospital, would definitely have a great end.
“Name and number, and I will pick you up at the end of the shift.”
He watched as she quickly scribbled her details down. She was an eager one, he could tell. AJ could feel someone watching him, and when he lifted his head, he caught the dagger-like glares nurses were shooting in his direction. He turned away and was unlucky enough to catch Katherine’s disapproving frown. Her stubborn chin was out again. AJ felt his body shiver with censure. There was no way he was going to invite another woman in his life, who was so opinionated and critical of what he was doing. That was what he had Catalella and Lisette for.
* * * *
“What are you staring at?”
Katherine jumped, startled by the baritone echo in her ear. She watched helplessly as the charts which were next to her, crashed to the ground, announcing to everyone around the nurses’ station how clumsy she was. She bit back an oath, and ducked behind the desk when AJ’s gaze swung her way. She was down on her hands and knees, the charts already gathered in her arms, yet she gave herself five seconds more, hoping AJ would have left by then.
“Hi.”
“What?” Confused, Katherine lifted her gaze and noticed the resident squatting beside her. Doctor Kenneth Lyle was her attending. He was the cardiologist who she was shadowing, and for the longest time Katherine had thought he had the hots for her. “Oh! Hi Doctor Lyle. I was just picking this up.”
“After you were caught drooling over Adrian Ross,” he snick
ered.
Katherine snorted as she jumped to her feet. She dumped the charts on the desk and began rearranging her hair—anything to distract her from the uncomfortable ache at the bottom of her belly. AJ was still watching her, an amused smirk on his lips. The redhead was still chatting away at him. But he was watching Katherine over her head, nodding and not exactly paying attention.
“You’re staring again.” Kenneth chuckled. “Don’t tell me you believe he is an Adonis. I thought nurses were the only people susceptible to his charms.”
“I am not falling for his charms.” Katherine scoffed. She turned her back toward AJ, but still watched him over her shoulder. Katherine bit on her lower lip, while her tongue swept over her plump lips. Her back straightened when AJ’s eyes darkened with desire. She watched as he stepped around the redhead, and took a step toward her. To Katherine, he seemed to be floating toward her. Her heart crashed to her stomach when he winked at her, his lips spreading into a sly smile.
“Oh, dear God,” she swore, when she felt the moisture pool between her thighs.
“Katherine?”
“Mmmh?” She turned toward Kenneth, the whole time her body whined from being denied the view of the subject of its desire. She smiled, beside herself. Katherine willed her mind to take over her body—she took a deep breath trying to control the out of control pitter-patter her heart was doing.
“Maybe I could give you a heart transplant. Replace it with a man’s heart.” Kenneth laughed. “Oddly enough he has some men swooning over him, others wanting to be him and the rest—emasculated whenever they are around him. He makes men feel ugly being around him.”
“What about you?” She was curious which category he put himself in. There was no way he could compare to AJ. Kenneth was cute; his blonde hair cut short, his green eyes smiling, while his talented hands worked magic on any ailing heart. He was a seasoned heart surgeon. But she knew he was also threatened by AJ. Everyone in the hospital was talking about AJ’s talent. The departments were already fighting over him. The Neurology and Trauma were the last departments standing. She knew Kenneth was glad AJ had taken his interests elsewhere.
“My knees are steady. I don’t quake under the glare of his toothpaste commercial smile.”
“What about his surgical talent?” Katherine wished she hadn’t said anything the moment the words left her mouth. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”
“That’s alright. But just because he’s talented doesn’t give him an excuse for being a jackass.” The steel in Kenneth’s tone sliced through her. Kenneth had been the wonder kid before AJ. But now Kenneth was thirty-four, and AJ was ten years younger than he was.
“He’s not a jackass, he’s just…” Katherine looked over her shoulder again. A swarm of women surrounded AJ. Weren’t there any sick people needing nurses to take care of them? But if AJ wasn’t a jackass, he was just—what? Katherine felt a need to find out who the true AJ was—she had to. She couldn’t live with herself, knowing she had given up her virginity in the back seat of a Range Rover Sport to a jackass. She needed to find something good in him, or she needed a do-over. Since the latter was close to impossible she would have to work on the former.
“He’s just what?” Kenneth sneered. “Let me guess, he pitched his tent in your panties. Now you can’t see him for what he really is.”
“And maybe you are just pissed off that someone ten years younger than you, barely out of medical school, beat your time at replacing a heart valve. A final year intern, who by the way isn’t specializing in Cardiology. Who only got the surgery because they were trying to use it as a bribe to lure him to the specialty.” She couldn’t control the steel at the tip of her tongue. “I heard you didn’t have any Heads of Departments fighting for you either.”
“Wow, you’ve really got a hard-on for this guy.”
“I haven’t—I just…I just—” She just what? Katherine had offended her attending and couldn’t come up with a reason why
* * * *
Katherine snapped her gloves on as she walked up beside AJ at the Emergency Room arrivals bay. They were expecting the results of a six car pile-up. Facing a dozen mangled bodies wasn’t as daunting as being in AJ’s presence. She looked up at him and could see the serious set on his face. He was in the zone, and for a second didn’t look like the Lennox Hill Lothario.
“Why can’t you be this way, every minute of every day?” She raised her voice to speak above the sirens of the oncoming ambulance.
“I don’t know what you mean,” he said as he turned toward the sirens.
Katherine tossed her head. It was as if she wasn’t there. As if he hadn’t been flirting with her five minutes earlier. Or had she misread the signals? She breathed a sigh of relief when AJ turned a cold shoulder to his admiring redhead.
“What I mean is.” Katherine began as she stepped in front of him. “When you are in this “doctor zone”, you don’t flirt or make sexual innuendos with your body language.”
AJ threw his head back, his laughter occupying the cold air of November. She’d never thought she would have heard laughter which sounded so appealing. It was low, throaty, an exhibition of life. Katherine noticed that everyone around them had stopped looking for the ambulance, and were now staring at him. She even caught the flirty smiles of the emergency room nurses, but also Kenneth’s disapproving glare.
“There is this verse in the Bible that says there is a time for everything.” He winked at her. “I can still turn you on while I’m elbow deep in someone’s chest. But I choose to give my full attention to my patients. It’s the respectful thing to do.”
“It’s not that you can’t multitask.” Katherine’s eyes were glued to his smile, and she didn’t realize her lips were aping his.
“I can definitely multitask. I would like to show you, but duty calls.”
Katherine stilled at that suggestion. What exactly did he mean?
Katherine realized the ambulances had arrived as the doctors and nurses rushed past her, almost knocking her to the ground. When she got her senses back and her feet moving, she raced toward the ambulance Kenneth had charge over. But his scowl made her make an about turn. The only other ambulance available was the one AJ was working. She took an uncertain step toward him, half expecting his attending to turn her away. But the trauma surgeon had taken a step back, a smile curled on his lips as he watched AJ at work.
“I need hands!” Katherine’s head lifted to AJ’s at the sound of his bark. It was more like a command from an officer, and like a good soldier, Katherine volunteered her hands, applying pressure on the patient’s chest. Before she knew what was happening, AJ’s hands were around her waist, hoisting her onto the gurney. She found herself kneeling over the patient.
“Don’t worry, you won’t fall. I got you.” His voice was now calmer. Katherine felt as if she could trust him. She shot a look at his attending, and his proud grin had curled the corners of his mouth. With AJ around the old goat didn’t have to do anything.
Katherine fought to stay steady as they pushed the gurney into the hospital door. Once or twice she thought she would fall, but AJ’s grip that held her in place.
“We are going to need to open his chest up.” Katherine nodded feverishly, her hands still applying pressure as AJ lifted her off the gurney. She caught the sigh her excited body was about to whimper as he settled her on the ground. “Do you think you can do it?”
Katherine could hear him barking out orders. But her mind could only focus on two things, applying pressure to the chest wound, and keeping her body from crying out for AJ’s touch. She realized he was talking to her when a dozen eyes turned to her.
“What?”
“I asked if you could open him up.” His brow furrowed with intensity. “This is your area of expertise.”
“B-but I’m just an intern.” Katherine head whipped to her right, and there stood Kenneth his hands folded on his chest, watching, doing nothing to help. “Doctor Lyle?”
Kenneth
stood back, not answering her plea for help. The corners of his lips curled in a smirk and she knew—he was setting her up. She shouldn’t have praised AJ so much, implying Kenneth was second best. Now he was playing his hand. Katherine could feel her body shiver with fear and uncertainty. She could try going it alone, but risk killing the innocent patient, or proving to Kenneth she was better than he was. She stared at her bloodied hands. The patient had already lost too much blood. Her eyes flicked to the monitors, and watched his vitals plummeting with each wasted second.
After looking at the patient’s face, her eyes caught sight of AJ’s confident gaze. He gave her an encouraging smile and a nod, and for a second Katherine thought she could do it on her own. That was all she needed—her back straightened in confidence. “Let’s crack him open.”
Chapter Two
Katherine sneaked into the house, just as the sun was rising. The last thing she needed was to be the recipient of her father’s disapproving glare and her mother’s pleas for her to choose an appropriate career. But she was glad of one thing. Their reservations over her medical career hadn’t stopped them from footing the bill.
Once she got to her room she dropped her bag on the floor and crawled into bed with her shoes still on. When her eyes finally closed, her thoughts were memories of Adrian Ross.
Two years ago Katherine had been walking in between her two younger brothers, the height and strength of them making it seem as if she had disappeared into a wall. She didn’t think anyone to her right or left could see her. And those who could see her from the front and the back wouldn’t have dared approach her.
The twins, Christian and Christopher were very intimidating when they wanted to be. Especially Christian, who hid his smile and reserved it for those he loved. They were both beautiful boys. It wasn’t too biased a view because every single girl at that bonfire kept on staring at them. She felt like an anchor, weighing them down and stopping them from netting some willing females to their loft. The twins had managed to convince her to take a break from her medical books and to have some fun with them. It was the last day of summer and school was starting again—the reason the NYU seniors were throwing the party.
