2

After three back-to-back surgeries, the most recent of which was an emergency laparotomy, the last face I wanted to see when I approached the nurses' station was Bloom's. Coincidentally, the fatigue I'd felt just moments before disappeared as I straightened my spine and braced for impact.

"Running into" Bloom always had the effect of being hit by a train going seventy miles per hour. I was in no mood for the devastation he left in his wake. Not today. One of my patients hadn't made it through surgery. I still had to document what had happened and inform his family.

Bloom wore full black as usual from the crown of his head, which I suspected was a natural blond, to the soles of his combat boots. His cargo pants had more pockets than I could count and several chains running from one end to the other.

In theory, Bloom should be a huge turnoff with his face piercings, stretched earlobes, and the tattoos covering almost every inch of his body—information I didn't even want to know. His presence should make people look in the other direction. And it did. Some visitors sitting in the waiting area kept casting suspicious glances his way. As I approached, Nurse Hatchett sent me a look of relief. She didn't like Bloom lounging by her desk, but as always, he seemed oblivious.

Why didn't I feel in danger around him? Given the people he hung out with, I knew he was a cold-blooded killer. When he'd said he nearly ate his parents, I believed every single word. Yet his eyes held something vulnerable, something innocent about the way he smiled when he saw me. Always smiling for me, even though his default expression seemed to be a frown.

"What's up, Doc?" He grinned from ear to ear, stretching those plump lips of his. He was stunning just by being, but when he smiled… my god, was he gorgeous. My stomach fluttered, and I inhaled. Dammit. He smelled delicious and made my mouth water. I wanted to lick him all over, exploring his tattoos with my tongue.

You can't have anything to do with this boy.

He wasn't my type. I usually liked guys closer in age to me—in their late twenties at the least—and I preferred them well built. Bloom was slender and too damn young. Not to mention, he took people's lives while I worked to save them.

"Nurse Hatchett." What was that scent Bloom was wearing? I detected a rich amber with an undertone of warm musk but mixed with something else. Something that teased my senses. A fragrance that was magnetic and alluring, drawing me to him despite my best efforts to ignore him. "That's it for me. Dr. Otto is on call. Unless she needs to consult me on a case, I wish not to be disturbed."

"Making some alone time for me?" Bloom sidled closer and traced a vein on the back of my hand with his index finger. My mouth went dry, and I fought against the instinct to snatch my hand away. Then he would know how much he affected me, and I'd been downplaying any sort of attraction to him since we first met.

"Mr. King didn't make it through the emergency surgery." I kept my voice steady as if his finger wasn't doing funny things to my insides. The urge to sniff him until I could inhale every unique scent of his cologne and him made me grit my teeth. "I tried contacting his wife but was unable to get through."

When was the last time I got laid?

"You want me to keep trying, Dr. Collier?" she asked.

Bloom bent sideways and waved a hand in my face. "Hello. I'm not invisible."

I grabbed his wrist and ignored his sharp intake of breath. "Please do," I said to the nurse, holding on to Bloom without acknowledging him. He plastered himself to my side and shoved a hand into my lab coat.

Damn him. There was something else I needed to say to the nurse, but what?

"Anything else, Dr. Collier?" Nurse Hatchett asked, her gaze flitting from Bloom to me.

"Ah, yes, the test results for Ms. Davis. Are they back yet?"

She typed quickly on her computer then nodded. "Yes, it's already updated in the system."

"Thank you."

"Dr. Collier," she said hesitantly. "Do you… want me to call security?"

"Bitch, I can hear you, you know." Bloom's eyes flashed, and the nurse pushed her chair back a few feet.

I tightened my hold on his wrist so hard he gasped. "Apologize to Nurse Hatchett."

"I don't apologize to no one." He raised his chin, his lips forming a stubborn line.

"I will not tolerate you being rude and disrespectful to the hospital staff. Now apologize or else."

My threat hung in the air, empty between us. Short of filing a restraining order against him, what else could I do?

I waited for him to call me out on my bullshit. He was blunt like that, but he pouted and turned a malicious look toward Nurse Hatchett. "I'm sorry I called you a bitch." His tone was flat and not apologetic at all. "You're really not a nosy bitch, and I'm sure you didn't mean to put your nose where it doesn't belong." He flashed me a smile. "That better?"

"Don't push it."

He made his eyes go big and batted his eyelashes thick with mascara. "Don't push what, Dr. Collier? I apologized just like you said."

"I'll see to it he doesn't bother you again," I said to Nurse Hatchett. "In the future, if you see him, don't engage. He's not… your average person."

"Noted, Dr. Collier."

"You, come with me." I dragged Bloom after me. Not that much dragging was needed when he was too happy to follow. We barreled down the hallway, getting odd looks. The insufferable boy waved to everyone we passed, deliberately drawing attention to us. I greeted colleagues with a nod while grinding my teeth.

Soon, we came upon my office, a private sanctuary from which I oversaw the trauma unit. Letting go of Bloom's wrist, I unlocked the door. He slipped both arms around my waist from behind.

"Are we going to do it?" he asked, his tone breathy, his erratic heartbeat thumping against my back.

"Get in here." I pried his hands loose from around me and yanked him into the office. My superior, Andrews, looked at us from the hallway. I gave him a nod and firmly shut him out.

"What the hell are you doing?" Bloom stood half-naked in the room, his shirt on the floor. He was working on his pants. "Stop that this instant."

"You don't want to fuck me?" He bit his bottom lip. "I admit I'm not sure I'll like it, but I'm willing to try. If anyone can make me enjoy it, I'm sure it's you."

My mouth went dry, and I stared at his bare chest, covered in tattoos. He had barbell piercings through cherry-sized nipples. Not only was his belly button pierced as well, but he had couplet hip piercings his low-hanging cargo pants didn't hide. His slender build and the tightly cut V-lines disappearing below the waistband of his pants drew my eyes like a magnet. I took a deep breath to steel my nerves.

Must resist him.

"Put your shirt back on." I picked up the shirt and, because I didn't trust him not to argue, placed the hole over his head. He smiled a little too wide as he raised his arms one by one without protest, allowing me to slip them through the holes.

"If what Saint says is true, most men would jump at the chance to fuck me," he said softly. "Why don't you? Did I get it wrong? Are you a bottom?"

"I top exclusively." I clamped my lips together too late. The words had already spilled out, and he wore a smug look.

"Can you wait for me to figure out this sex stuff?" He cocked his head to the side, shoved his hands under my lab coat, and felt my pecs. "Touching you makes me hard. Do you know that's never happened with anyone?"

"The intricacies of your love life aren't my concern." I pried his hands away from my body. Another second of him rubbing on me like that and he wouldn't be the only one hard.

"What intricacies?" He took a step back and slowly turned as he looked around my office. "Until I met you, the thought of lying naked with anyone repulsed me."

What is it about me that makes me different, then?I didn't want to be different. I didn't want his attention. I didn't want… him.

I bit my tongue before the question sprang from my lips. Bloom had a dangerous allure. He was a paradox in the flesh—beautiful on the outside, but I sensed darkness within him. Foul-mouthed and uncaring one second, yet frank and achingly vulnerable the next. I doubted nothing that came out of his mouth, which made it concerning that he'd set his sights on me. Even if I were interested in dating or relationships, I couldn't have his special brand of unhinged behavior in my sedentary life. I was done with all that and had the wiped past to show for it.

"Look, Bloom, contrary to what you believe, there's nothing special about me. My work is my life. I work eighty hours a week. The little time I have is reserved for sleeping, eating, and the occasional one-night stand. I don't have time for a relationship, nor do I want one—and especially not with you."

"Why especially not with me?" He crossed his arms. "I sent you pictures earlier, but you didn't respond. Didn't you like them? Saint says I'm not…ugly. Do you think I'm ugly? Is that why you won't give me a chance?"

I frowned. "Who on earth would think you're ugly? But it doesn't matter how beautiful you are. I'm not interested in you. Do you understand?"

A few seconds of silence passed. Then his lips slowly curved into a smile. He dropped his hands and tilted his head.

God, he wasn't merely beautiful. He was stunning. Breathtaking. Captivating.

"All I hear is that you think I'm beautiful."

"Good god." Talking to him was useless. I yanked out my chair and sat. "Leave."

"I'm not ready to go yet."

"It doesn't matter. I'm finished with this conversation. If you don't go now, I'll have security escort you from the building." I placed my hand over the phone on my desk.

Bloom perched on my desk and took up a pair of scissors. "If you make that call, I'll hurt you."

Unfazed by his threat, I picked up the phone and punched in the extension for security.

After a brief pause, a bored voice came on the line. "Security desk. This is Officer Rose speaking."

"Dr. Collier here. I'd—"

Bloom slammed his fist down on the hook, disconnecting the call. With a scowl, he dropped the scissors on my desk. "You're taking advantage because you know I'd never truly hurt you."

"Security will be here any minute."

"Then let them. You think I came here unarmed? I always have my piece on me."

My stomach clenched as a scene unfolded in my mind of Bloom confronting the security guard. If he had a weapon, they wouldn't go easy on him. He could end up getting hurt or worse…

"You should go before they get here."

"You're the one who called them."

"For god's sake, Bloom, go." He stubbornly refused to move his ass off my desk. "I may not want to be with you, but I… I don't want anything to happen to you either."

The stubborn fire in his eyes softened. "Now, was that so hard for you to admit?" He got up, seemed to think better of it, stretched across my desk, and smacked a kiss to my cheek. By the time I jerked back, it was too late. Those soft lips had already touched my skin. "I'll see you soon, Dr. Collier. You still have enough time to fall in love with me before November."

"Wha-a." My voice came out croaky, and I cleared my throat. "What's so special about November?"

A dark look crossed his features, like a shadow, shielding his emotions. A vacant, faraway look settled in his eyes. "November is when the monsters come, and I have to kill them all over again."

The air in the office turned cold in an instant, and a chill ran up my spine. "I don't understand…" The possibility of this being some morbid joke didn't escape my mind, but that look in his eyes… It was too painfully real, too raw. I wanted to reach out to touch him, comfort him. That was normal, wasn't it?

Bloom's gaze returned to me, but the darkness hadn't receded. It was so stark I almost asked him to sit on my desk again and flirt with me. To do whatever made him smile. But his demons weren't mine to fight. I already had my own shit to deal with.

"Don't forget about me, Dr. Collier," he said softly. "And FYI, I came here to see Dr. Simms. I have an appointment."

Bloom slipped through the door and closed it behind him. Dr. Simms? He was seeing a psychiatrist at the hospital? If Bloom was serious about seeing him, Dr. Simms would know his background.

I could…

"You know that's not ethical." Thinking about it wouldn't hurt anyone. It wasn't as if I would go to him and ask to peek at what must be a long list of diagnoses.

Yeah, that would definitely not be ethical.