by J. H. Croix
I was so screwed.
“I need another shot,” she muttered, turning around and walking to a table in the corner where, lo and behold, there were a few bottles of alcohol. She proceeded to pour a shot of tequila and knock it back inside of a few seconds.
“It’s not like my dating prospects are any good in Willow Brook,” she mumbled as she turned back to face me. “I figured I’d raise a little money for this hospital thing and maybe I might actually meet someone. Not you. I didn’t need to meet you.”
For the second time tonight, I was speechless.
Fuck it.
I strode to her, reaching for her hands and tugging her against me.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she murmured as her body bumped against mine.
“You don’t need to meet anybody,” I said flatly.
Holly’s breath hissed through her teeth. When she gulped in air, her breasts pressed against my chest. It was then I realized my miscalculation. Because I couldn’t be near Holly and not want her. Fiercely.
Having her this close meant there was no way for her to miss the fact that I was rock hard and ready. Her eyes narrowed again, and she jabbed her finger in my chest.
“You don’t get to say whether or not I need to meet anybody. You’re not my keeper, so don’t fucking act like it.”
“No. But I want you, and I know you want me. So, let’s stop dancing around and do something about it.”
Her mouth dropped open, her cheeks flushing bright pink and sending another shot of blood straight to my swollen cock.
“You don’t know that I want you,” she announced, with another jab of her finger against my chest. “You’ve been ignoring me anyway.”
“You mean to tell me you forgot about that kiss last year,” I murmured, sliding my palm down the back of her spine to cup her bottom, palming it as I rocked into her slightly.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not trying to tell you I forgot about it. But you couldn’t run away fast enough. I’m not an idiot. I’m not just gonna be another chick you have a little fun with. I’m almost thirty, and I need something real, not you and your bullshit.”
“Oh sweetheart, this isn’t bullshit.”
I finally gave into the need I’d been holding at bay for too damn long. I fit my mouth over hers, growling at the snap of electricity the moment our lips collided.
That kiss we had a year ago? It was as if we picked up right where we left off. My body knew exactly what it wanted. I swept my tongue into the warm sweetness of her mouth, savoring the low moan coming from her throat and the way she flexed into me.
Just when I forgot where we were and what the hell I was doing, there was a sharp knock at the door. Holly broke away from me, stumbling back. The door swung open, and one of the guys who’d been helping with the tickets at the main door when I first got here stepped into the room.
“How we doing here?” he asked with a smile as his gaze swept over us.
We’d kissed maybe for a minute, yet Holly’s lips were swollen, her skin was flushed, and my arousal was likely quite evident to anyone who paid attention.
Holly’s gaze swung to the man. “Ethan, I’m so glad you’re here. We have a problem.”
What the fuck is she doing?
Holly approached Ethan, looping her arm through his, and then pointing to me. “He’s not the right date. I grew up with him, so this won’t work,” she said flatly.
Ethan’s lips tightened as he fought a smile, his gaze flicking to me and then back to her. “Sweetheart, it doesn’t quite work that way. He paid for a date with you. Short of things like violence or safety, either you’re going on a date with him, or we refund him his money. Unless he agrees to forfeit the date,” he said carefully.
“Can’t his money pay for somebody else?” Holly asked, undeterred.
I was trying to keep a level head, but now I was pissed. “No,” I said sharply. “You don’t have to go on a date with me. But I’m not paying for someone else. Before you go making up something ridiculous”—I paused, looking at Ethan—“her twin brother is my best friend. We’ve known each other forever. There’s nothing nefarious here.”
Ethan was quiet, his gaze bouncing between us. “Well, then I’m sure you two can figure this out. Holly,” he said, gently uncurling her hand from his arm, “if you would like us to refund his money, please let me know. Otherwise, I’ll leave you two alone for now.”
As soon as the door shut behind him, I strode to her. Conveniently, she was standing beside the wall. I placed my hands on the wall beside her and pinned my gaze on hers.
“You’re a coward,” I said flatly.
“I’m not a coward!”
“I say you are. Plus, maybe you’re not giving me enough credit.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You’re right. After that kiss last year, I kept my distance. Because I didn’t want to be stupid. You’re my best friend’s sister, so there’s that hurdle. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anyone. I didn’t know if I was ready to do anything about it. Now I am. The ball is in your court.”
I held still for a moment before trailing my fingers down her shoulder, teasing over her tight little nipple, and then over the soft curve of her hip. Stopping there took all of my restraint, but I managed it.
I stepped back. “You owe me a date. Tell me now if you’re backing out. I’ll leave you alone if you are, but don’t play games with me.”
Holly’s breath came in shallow little pants. She shifted her legs, and I heard her rubbing her thighs together, just barely. I hadn’t forgotten how wet she’d been last year when I lost my damn mind and almost fucked her at a party.
She stared at me, lifting her chin slightly. “I’m not backing out. When and where?”
“Your call. But not tonight. Let me make one thing clear, though. It will be a real date. You don’t get to say, let’s grab drinks at Wildlands, or coffee at Firehouse Café. Hell no. Dinner and a hotel. I did pay five thousand dollars, after all.”
“I’m not your whore,” she retorted.
I closed the distance between us again, leaning forward and catching her lips in another kiss. Kissing her was like playing with dynamite. Clinging to my control, I drew away.
“No, you are absolutely not. You want this as much as I do.”
Chapter Three
Holly
Leaning across the desk in the nursing station, I snagged my cold cup of coffee. It was going on midnight, usually a quiet time at Willow Brook Hospital in the Emergency Department. I took a gulp of my coffee, spinning around when I heard my name. As luck would have it, somehow between taking a sip and moving at the same time, I spilled the remainder of the coffee all over the front of my scrubs.
And looked right into the eyes of Nate Fox.
Great, just great.
Nate’s lips curled at the corners in a slow grin, promptly sending butterflies into flight in my belly and a flush straight to my cheeks.
“Well, hello, Holly,” he said slowly, his eyes flicking down to the coffee, spilled all over my breasts, of course.
“Fuck,” I muttered. Turning, my eyes landed on a box of tissue on the corner of the desk. I grabbed a handful, dabbing at the coffee, rather pointlessly, and tossed them in the trash.
“That helped,” Nate said, his lips twitching.
Mustering my composure, I glanced up with a resigned sigh. “Hey, Nate. What can I do for you? You don’t look injured.”
He lifted his wrist, and then I noticed the swelling.
“I’m not sure if I broke it, or sprained it,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Oh, okay, let’s get you into a room so we can take a look. Follow me,” I said, setting my coffee down and hurrying out from behind the counter of the nurse’s station.
I was concerned Nate was injured, but also quite relieved to have something to focus on. My body practically caught on fire every time I thought about the last time I’d seen him. Which I did a lot. A lot, a lot.
He was pure man and way too handsome for his own good. With his dark brown hair and matching eyes, and a body made for drooling, he had plenty of women swooning over him. He was also a wilderness pilot, flying all over the skies in Alaska, via helicopter or plane, to ferry wilderness adventurers, deliver supplies, and to provide support to hotshot firefighters whenever and wherever needed. He was all about risk and adventure, and he held the key to getting under my skin. He drove me completely insane, and our last little interlude had nearly pushed me over the edge.
Stuffing those thoughts to the furthest corner of my mind, I walked down the hall with him at my side, acutely aware of his presence. He was potent, exuding a teasing sensuality that made my body hum. I forced my attention to the moment. Right now, he was here late at night because he had injured his hand. As the head nurse on duty for the ER, I needed to do my damn job.
I reminded myself sternly that I needed to be professional and not let my pesky thoughts get in the way. As an ER nurse in a tiny town like Willow Brook, I treated many patients who were personal friends and family. It came with the job. I usually didn’t think much of it, but dealing with Nate was going to test my limits.
After our last close encounter, well, I’d done my best to avoid anything more than a passing interaction with him. Which was no easy feat, I might add. He was friends with all of my closest friends, my brother’s best friend, and his sister-in-law happened to be my best friend.
I paused in front of the door of an empty exam room, gesturing him in. “Come on in. I’ll take a look and see if we need to order an x-ray.”
He slipped into a chair by the counter running along the wall. When I sat down in a wheeled chair and spun to face him, he held his hand up. Reaching out, I carefully cradled it in mine. It was warm to the touch and swollen around his knuckles. “What happened?”
I glanced up into his eyes, and a zing of electricity zapped through me. Sweet hell. Those eyes—dark and dangerous and always with a teasing glint.
He lifted his shoulder in a shrug. “I was doing some work on my plane and accidentally knocked loose the blocks around a tire, and one of the wheels rolled over my hand. Hurt like hell. I ignored it at first and just kept working. Now it’s pretty swollen, in case you didn’t notice,” he said with a low chuckle.
“Oh, I noticed. On a scale of one to ten—I’m serious now—where would you rate your pain?” I asked as I gently probed, trying to feel if anything was broken. Unfortunately, the swelling was bad enough, it was hard to tell.
I set his hand down gently on the armrest of his chair, turning away to spin the laptop on its wheeled stand closer to me.
“Maybe a five,” he offered.
“Just a five?”
“I’m taking that scale seriously,” he said, his laugh belying his comment. “I figure a ten would be like I’ve been shot, or severely burned, or something like that. Don’t get me wrong, it fucking hurts. It’s throbbing, and I sure as hell hope you’re going to send me home with something for the pain, so I can at least sleep tonight. I’ll survive though, so I’m sticking with a five.”
I couldn’t help but smile in return. “Fair enough, sounds like a five. Hang on.” I clicked into the right screen on the computer, tapping on the microphone to call down to radiology. “Hey Tad,” I said as soon as he picked up. “I’ve got Nate Fox up here, and we need to do an x-ray on his hand. Based on the swelling, I can’t tell if he broke it or just severely bruised it. I don’t want to mess with it too much because it’s pretty swollen.”
Tad’s laugh came through the line. “Let me guess, Nate decided to wait before he came in?”
Tad went to high school with Nate and me, so we all knew each other.
Nate called over. “Hell yeah, I waited. Now I feel like an idiot though, so feel free to give me some shit.”
“I’m finishing up with someone else, so give me about ten minutes,” Tad replied.
“Got it.” I tapped the speaker button to end the call. “So, we wait a few minutes, and then I’ll send you downstairs to radiology.”
Nate’s gaze slid sideways, catching mine. For a flash, heat spun through me. Then he winked, promptly sending my belly into a spinning flip. I turned away quickly, standing and sliding my laptop on the counter. Anything to give me a little space from him. I forced my attention to the electronic chart and made a few entries, speaking as I typed. “Dr. Lane will probably send you home with something for the pain, but you’ll need to wait until you get home to take it.”
When I glanced over, Nate narrowed his eyes. “If you think I should take my pain medicine now and you’ll offer me a ride home, I’ll do whatever you say,” he said, his voice low and weighted with meaning.
“No thanks,” I said quickly, pointedly ignoring the little thrill that raced through me at the heated look in his eyes.
Nate stood from his chair. In one stride, he was right in front of me. I was trapped between him and the counter, with nowhere to go. He set both hands on either side of me, resting his bruised hand on the top of the counter and effectively caging me in his arms.
My pulse went wild and my breath hitched, heat spinning through my veins.
“We have unfinished business,” he said flatly.
Scrambling for purchase in my mind and body—my traitorous body, with my nipples perking up and all but begging for Nate’s attention—I tried to take a breath and barely managed to get any oxygen. His eyes flicked down to my coffee-stained scrubs then back up, the knowing glint in them only serving to notch up the heat inside.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I finally managed to say, lying through my teeth.
Nate smirked and pissed me right off.
“We kissed. That was it,” I muttered.
“Oh Holly,” he said, tsking. “That wasn’t just a kiss. You want me, and I want you. Let’s just face up to it and do something about it.”
Gah!
See, the problem was I didn’t just want Nate. I had a crazy, mad crush on him, but I sure as hell didn’t want to admit it. He was more than just sexy to me. He made me want things I knew would be a colossal mess. We had too many shared friends in common. Willow Brook was too small for us to navigate those tricky waters and try something stupid like “friends with benefits.”
I had already survived the tragic death of my high school boyfriend years back and managed to get through it. It’s hard to do that in a small town because you can never escape that everybody knows what’s going on. I sure as hell didn’t think I could escape letting myself fall into the madness between Nate and me when I knew all he wanted was a quick fling.
Nate Fox was practically a professional at quickies. He wasn’t an asshole, but he certainly didn’t do serious.
I was starting to feel like I was staring down being single for the rest of my life. With one friend after another falling like dominoes—falling in love, getting married, and having babies—I was feeling a little out of the loop these days.
As I stood there with Nate, his hard, muscled body an unholy temptation, I absorbed him for a moment—his rich brown hair and espresso eyes. Nature had been too generous with Nate. He had a square jaw with a dimple in the center of his chin. For God’s sake, he even had a dimple in one cheek when he grinned. His nose was slightly crooked from being broken once when he fell off his bike when he was a kid.
See, when you grew up with somebody, you knew all the little details. I’d actually had a little crush on him back in high school. He never even looked twice at me then. We were friends and nothing more. His older brother, Caleb, had been dating my best friend, Ella. Caleb’s best friend, Jake, and I ended up getting thrown together all the time as a result, and we eventually started dating. I
liked Jake, and we had fun together, but there had never been any thought that he was the love of my life. Then, Jake died in a fiery car crash, and I wasn’t sure how to come back from that.
I was saved by the sound of my name being called over the speakers. I swallowed, relieved when Nate stepped back. “Radiology is downstairs. Just take the elevator and follow the signs. Tad will tell you where to go after that,” I said quickly.
After I sent Nate off to radiology, I figured I was done with him for the evening. Tad would send Nate on to the doctor next. I threw myself into dealing with the next patient. This guy had apparently decided to work alone in his garage with a skill-saw and almost cut his finger off. Because, you know, it’s smart to take the safety guard off.
Chapter Four
Holly
It was a good hour later when I walked down the hallway at the end of my shift. Willow Brook Hospital was a whopping three stories tall. The ER was actually on the second floor because of the way the hospital was built into a hillside, with the parking for the emergency level on the second floor. The lower floor was partially underground, although staff parking was on the lowest floor at the far end of the hospital.
Stepping into the elevator, I was startled to see Nate. I assumed he was long gone by this point. My heart started pounding wildly the moment my eyes landed on him. It was late now, a solid hour past midnight. No one else was in the elevator.
His mouth kicked up at the corner in a sly grin. “Well, hello again. I’m all done for the night. Nothing broken, just badly bruised,” he said, holding up his hand, which was in a brace. “They want me to wear this so I don’t aggravate it more with too much motion.”
I tried to order my heart to slow down, but it willfully ignored me, banging against my ribs while heat spun through my veins. I thought I was in bad shape after Nate and I had our moment in the closet well over a year ago now. But I’d gotten things under control, and then that stupid fundraiser happened.
