Chapter Twelve

Laura

N o matter what I did the next few days, irrigating a wound, stitching up a power tool accident, set a teenage skateboarder's broken arm, my thoughts went back to Hawk and the night we spent together. Getting to spend the entire night wrapped in that big, biker's arms was amazing.

A woman getting ideas because of a few good orgasms is so cliché, but this wasn't that. Okay, it wasn't just that. There was something about the way he touched me, something about the way he made me feel. Too fucking good. The big, sexy, long-haired biker was also a magician, and I just couldn't get enough of him. No one had ever made my body feel like that, so hot that I wanted to peel my skin off, so out of my mind with want and need that I lost myself, forgot to worry about anything at all.

Even now, days later, I felt him all over. Shivers pinged around my body like a pinball, keeping me on the uncomfortable edge of desire and irritation for hours on end. How could it be that this man, so different from me in every way, was the one who made me feel like no one else ever had?

It didn't make sense.

"Damn, girl, I have to know what or who is making you look like that." Kristy sat down across from me inside the small break room, chin resting in her hand and a teasing smile on her face. "Spill, bitch."

I rolled my eyes. "I was just thinking," I lied through my teeth.

"Oh, that is such bullshit and we both know it. Tell me everything. Now."

It wasn't like me to keep secrets from my best friend, but I just wanted to keep this for myself for a little while. It wasn't like it could—or would—go anywhere, but right now it was hot and fun, and just for me. "Kristy, it's nothing. Really."

"Lies," she shouted just as a page sounded over the speaker system.

My shoulders fell when I heard my name being called. "Who in the hell would be paging me?" Usually, nurses didn't get paged by name, and when they did, it was because a patient had taken a turn for the worse, or somebody was pissed off. "Gotta go."

Kristy hopped up with a smile. "I'll come with you. In case it's the sexy biker. And if it's not, in case you need backup."

I tossed my head back and laughed before putting my coffee mug in the sink. "Now who's lying?"

"That's exactly why I'm coming with you. Let's go."

We exited the break room and headed down the hall in the direction of the nurses' station where we updated charts and monitored patients when we weren't actively with a patient. We turned the corner and a groan escaped when I caught sight of a perfectly styled blond head that belonged to my ex-boyfriend.

"Eric, what are you doing here?"

He flashed a smile at me that I used to think was oh, so charming before I knew better. He was a handsome man with golden blond hair and piercing blue eyes that only enhanced his chiseled jaw and dimpled smile. "Laura, how are you?" He took a step in my direction with his arms open wide like he was about to hug me.

I took a step back. "I'm fine. Why are you here?" Months had passed since I ended things, so it made no sense that he was here now.

"I heard about the killing you witnessed and the guys chasing you. Are you okay?" He reached for me again and frowned when I took a step back.

"I'm fine, Eric." I took an extra step back to drive home the point that I didn't want him to touch me. "I spoke to the detectives who are handling the case, which isn't organized crime, by the way. They have what they need from me."

"But you're okay?" His eyes were wide, and his tone held a thread of worry, but again he reached for me.

"Eric, stop. I'm fine." I held up both hands to stop him. "I'm okay."

"Do they know who you are? Where you live?" He raked a hand through his perma-perfect hair and it—of course—bounced back. "You can stay with me. In the guest room," he added with a smile that was supposed to be comforting.

It wasn't. "No, thanks."

The clench of his jaw was the only expression of his anger, but I caught it, and it served as yet another reminder why we were no longer together. He blanked his expression and nodded. "Okay, fine, but the offer stands. Call me if you need anything."

I nodded just to get rid of him, but I had no plans on calling him because it would just open a door that took me too damn long to close. "Yeah, sure." I turned away first because I was done with this conversation and the last thing I wanted to do was remember that horrible day.

"Holy shit, girl, what was that?"

I shrugged. "Don't know. Don't care." That was the truth.

"You're not tempted, not even a little bit?" The question would have upset me even two months ago, but now it didn't faze me.

"Nope. All the appeal of Eric is visual, and trust me when I say it wasn't worth the hype."

"Stone cold," Kristy whispered before locking her arm through mine. "Good answer, by the way. He was here to get in your head, you know that right?"

"Yeah. He was hoping to swoop to my rescue and use it as a way to get me to change my mind. Again. I'm done with that dance." Thankfully, another page sounded to say there was a brawl at the middle school baseball field, which meant dozens of minor emergencies that would keep me busy for the next hour or two.

***

After dealing with angry parents for two hours straight, I was exhausted and ready for a long, hot shower and a few episodes of something on Netflix that would lull me to sleep. I couldn't handle one more father, pissed off because his boy wasn't getting enough game time, or I would lose my shit. One more placating mother trying to soothe the angry beast and I'd be the one locked up.

So when my shift ended, I didn't bother changing out of my scrubs or freshening up like I usually did so that my car didn't smell like body fluids and disinfectant. I was beyond ready to get home and waiting for Kristy so we could walk to our cars together was taking too long.

"Jeez, girl, did you say goodbye to everyone in the hospital?"

She tossed her head back and laughed. "Someone's eager to go home. Those baseball parents piss you off?"

"Ugh, I don't want to talk about it." I nodded towards the door and rushed out before another emergency could come in and cost me another few hours. "Let's go!"

"I'm sorry your day was so long, babe."

"Me too, but it's over. Ancient history. At least it will be after a hot shower and a mountain of food."

Kristy stopped and looked at me, gripping my forearm. "What kind of food mountain are we talking about? Pizza or Chinese?"

I laughed at my best friend and shook my head. "You do know there are more cuisines aside from pizza and Chinese food, don't you?"

"Of course," she answered in a haughty tone. "But those are the two that matter most."

We laughed so hard it echoed in the empty parking lot, bouncing off the cars that filled the spaces. It wasn't even that much of a funny comment, but we couldn't help but get a bit silly after a long and stressful shift. We were still doubled over laughing when the sound of screeching tires drew my attention. It was alarming to hear considering we were in a parking lot, but it was late and visiting hours were over, so the sound was unexpected.

But it also drew closer and closer. My laughter faded immediately as my nurse's instincts kicked in and I scanned the lot in search of the impending accident, only to find myself staring down a set of ultra bright headlights. "Kristy," I called out at the same time the tires began to spin and the car lurched forward at full speed, right in our direction. "Kristy," I shouted a second time, and spun just in time to see her dive between two cars.

"Move," she shouted, and I flung myself out of the way and right into the side of a white SUV.

Pain radiated from my elbow and all the way up to the base of my skull. I held my breath, but the car never stopped, and eventually my fear subsided enough to see taillights speeding left out of the parking lot. My heart continued to pound against my chest, but my training had kicked in. "Kristy?"

"I'm here," she grunted. "A little dirty, but I'm good. You?"

"My elbow hurts like a son of a bitch, but once my heart slows to normal, I'll be good." I bent to pick up my bag and realized my hands were shaking. "I just need to get home."

"What the hell do you mean?" Suddenly she was right in front of me wearing a frown. "You'd better call that sexy biker and tell him what just happened."

My shoulders sagged because part of me agreed, but the other part was so fucking exhausted she couldn't think straight. "I will, after I'm home and showered and fed."

She gripped both of my arms and gave me a surprisingly hard shake. "No! You will call him right now or I'll pin you down and do it myself."

"Kristy," I began with a tired sigh.

"No. What if those assholes are waiting for you at home and you show up alone and too tired to be cautious?"

"Fuck," I groaned. "Fine." This phone call would probably delay my date with my bed by an hour, at least, but Kristy was right.

"Laura, hey. How was your day?" The smile in his voice was like a donkey kick to the gut.

"It was long and exhausting, but the end was a little exciting," I began, and told him what had just happened.

"I'll be right there. Wait for me inside the hospital."

Make that two hours.