I gave her my name and downed the rest of my beer. I could tell this girl knew what she wanted, and I wasn’t about to tell her no.
***
Four beers and three cocktails later, Trey disappeared, nowhere to be seen. But Denise had just delved into her aspirations of becoming a model. She was on the hunt, currently scouting agents, and her mother served as her manager.
I’d found out that she was barely of drinking age, which had surprised me. She looked mid-twenties with all that caked on makeup. Too bad, because under all that grime I could see the attractiveness of her small features. It was unfortunate she felt the need to cover it up.
She angled into me for the millionth time, practically sitting in my lap. I got another whiff of her strong expensive perfume and barely stopped myself from coughing.
Her eyes glossed over, and I had to admit that I, too, was well into the hella-good zone. She giggled at everything I spilled out, and when she peered up at me with her dark-as-night pupils, I cupped the side of her face and kissed her.
Instantly, she opened her mouth to let me in and, within the next few seconds, her hand had moved down the front of my jeans. My cock stiffened on contact.
We made out for a couple minutes as she continued to give me a hand job. I teased and suckled her lips as my cock strained against my pants, needing to break free.
And then she pulled back, breathless. “Wanna get out of here?” she slurred.
My eyes met hers then flickered to her lips. I felt nothing. Absolutely nothing when I kissed her. Maybe this was a good thing.
“My place is just down the street,” she said sweetly as her hand brushed against the bulge in my jeans.
Shit. I wanted this, but I didn’t.
I hadn’t gotten laid in a while, and all of me needed this. But I didn’t need complications, especially since my last relationship had failed. I wasn’t ready for anything serious. I didn’t have time for that with my responsibilities at work.
Judging from the smirk on her face, it didn’t seem like she was looking for a relationship either. We were the perfect detached duo looking for a little excitement.
I nodded. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.” I reached for her hand and scanned the place for Trey. If I left, he’d know what happened. Hell, he’d probably wished this on me, since I’d been working like a dog. If anything, he had the same plan in mind for tonight.
We were about to exit, when I jerked to a stop. I glanced dazedly behind me to find a massive, tattooed male in a leather vest, gripping Denise’s other hand and staring at me like he wanted to stuff my balls in my mouth.
Oh hell.
He shot daggers at Denise. “What’re you doing here? I thought you were staying in tonight.” His tone seethed with mounting rage.
I released her hand, unable to bite back the guilt. ‘Sorry, dude, you’ve just been played,’ didn’t even need to be said. I’d been there.
I turned, about to leave them to handle their business, when he twisted her arm and her face registered pain. “You fucking whore! Is this the guy you’re screwing?”
“Stop, Damon. You’re hurting me,” she yelped. “Let go!” She yanked her arm back, but couldn’t budge as the man, I assumed to be her boyfriend, crushed her skinny arm in his grasp.
Watching him sobered me up real quick. Okay, so I wasn’t the most standup guy out there, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to witness this prick hurt her.
I stepped in between them, straightening my stance. “Listen, the lady said let her go.” My voice was firm as I squared my shoulders, sizing him up.
He released her with a growl, and I tilted my head to take in his height. He had a few inches on me, but we had the same build. I’d taken down guys bigger than him before, but I wasn’t expecting his aggression to escalate to a fight.
“Why the hell are you with my girl?” he growled, the veins on his neck bulging.
Before I even had a chance to respond—POW! In the face.
Surprised, I staggered back. My hand flew to my eye as pulsing pain rushed to the surface, the brass ring on his middle finger most likely leaving an indentation on my skin. The stickiness of blood gushed down my face.
Great, just fucking great.
I pulled back my arm, ready to fire back and beat the shit out of this bastard, but then Denise sheltered him with her body, saying to him in a panic, “I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry.”
He narrowed his eyes at me until she threw herself at him and started kissing his face, running her hands up and down his shoulders.
I blinked and shook my head at the comedy of this scene, then let out a low, humorless laugh as the taste of iron hit my mouth.
When I felt someone behind me, I automatically brought up my fists, ready to spring into action in case his friends wanted to play ‘beat the nice guy.’
“Whoa, dude, it’s me.” Trey was behind me with his hands up as if he was about to be the victim of my aggression. “You’ll bleed dry if I don’t get you to a hospital.”
I groaned, knowing from the pain and the amount of blood oozing from above my eyebrow I’d probably need stitches. Having played football throughout high school and being the rambunctious kid that I’d been, I was familiar with the protocol. I unbuttoned my shirt, jumbled it into a ball, and applied pressure to the wound.
Shithead wasn’t worth it. I could’ve taken him, but I needed to get fixed up and head home. Shit, I should’ve just stayed home, in front of my damn computer. Less drama.
“You’ll need stitches,” Trey said, following me out.
“Yeah, I know,” I muttered.
Life was a bitch sometimes.
More recently, it seemed that bitch was intent on taking me down.
TWO
KENDY
I adjusted the Michael Kors watch on my wrist. The larger than life gold dial told me I still had six more hours until my shift ended.
Coffee was calling my name and, as I advanced toward the nurses’ station, I caught Sarah, my cute little friend, charging my way.
Her dark, pin-straight hair bounced as she rushed toward me. At five-four, half Hispanic and half German, she was a looker. When I’d met her on my first day, she’d slapped her ass and said that her big ole’ booty had come from her Spanish side. She functioned as my daily dose of laughter, something I especially craved since I was the newbie and didn’t know many people.
Sarah reached for my arm, catching her breath as though she’d just run a race. “What’re you doing tomorrow?” The enthusiasm on her face and suffocated rasp in her voice from running had me smiling.
I noted her flushed cheeks and wondered if she was late to work. “Where are you coming from?”
She wheezed a short laugh. “I tried to chase down the late night burrito truck, but I couldn’t catch up.”
I couldn’t control the fit of giggles that escaped my lips. “That’s totally something I’d do.” I led us to the set of chairs against the wall. “What’s going on?”
By the mischievous look in her eyes, I knew something was going down.
“I have gossip.” She leaned in, her elbows resting on her knees, and I followed her lead. “So . . . I know where the hot doctors are going to be tomorrow.”
“Even my man?” I asked, my heart fluttering against my ribcage. I crossed my fingers and toes, waiting for her reply.
I trusted Sarah. She had been good about keeping my secret about my big crush on Dr. Klein.
“Even your man,” she cooed as she fluttered her lashes at me.
I didn’t even try to hide my cheeky grin as I bounced on my toes and shook my shoulders in a shimmy motion. “Okay, details,” I whispered to her, looking around to see if anyone could overhear.
Sarah always had the ins and outs of everyone’s love life in the hospital, another reason why I loved her.