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Gage’s shoulders stiffen when we make eye contact. I rub my forehead, my eyes catching his, and take a calming breath. A sleeve on his white cotton tee is ripped, and blood, grass, and mud stains decorate the front of it. His hand holds bloody gauze to his cheek, and minor cuts and scrapes are spread along his face and chin.
“For someone who despises my existence, you sure are going to extreme measures to see me again,” I comment before taking a deep breath and moving away from the door to grab a pair of latex gloves.
“Funny,” he mutters. “Trust me, it was not in my plan to see you today … or ever if I could have it my way.” A smirk hits his bloody lip. “I won’t say I can complain about the view though. Sexy nurse and patient is my favorite porn. Shall we give it a go?”
I snap on the gloves and force a laugh while moving further into the room, which suddenly feels much smaller. “You know, this is your Karma for what you pulled yesterday. Don’t count on any friendly bedside manner.” I give him an innocent look. “It’s tragic that I can’t have fun and stick you with a giant needle or shove something up your ass. Would’ve made my day.”
It looks like he’s fighting pain to give me a challenging look. The dude is here for medical attention, and I’m giving him shit.Not cool. This is my job, and I have to do it right, no matter our history … or the fact that I’m terrified what emotions will be drawn out when I touch him.
He winces when I carefully pull his hand away from the gauze and peel the material back. I inhale the masculine scent of him—aftershave mixed with the outdoors. Like every muscle in his body, his scent has matured. His breathing quickens while I inspect the wound.
It’s small. Not a deep laceration. Natasha was right about the stitches. It’ll be an easy cut to close up.
“Wishing you could stick something up my ass doesn’t sound like good bedside manner, Nurse Barnes. Doubt your boss will be happy, hearing you’re discriminating against patients. Public service patients to be exact,” he comments as I move away to gather my supplies.
“This might hurt,” I say when I’m finished and back at his side.
“Shit!” he says through clenched teeth when I start to irrigate his wound. “You could’ve warned a dude.”
“I did.”
He flinches, a slight hiss escaping his lips, while I work. I take my time, making sure the wound is meticulously irrigated, and clean the dried blood off the scruff of his cheek.
“I’m discriminating against assholes, by the way,” I finally correct, my attention on his cheek. “Not patients.”
He snorts. “I’d love to see your boss’s face when you use that as your argument. It’s not smart to get canned from work when you’re homeless.”
I shrug. “He won’t do anything.”
His brow lifts when I pull away and start throwing my trash away. “You seem too cocky, Nurse Barnes. You sleeping with your boss?”
“Something along those lines. Fucking him. Sleeping with him after.” I pat his arm. “Tattle all you want. It’ll only make him want to screw me more. I wouldn’t be surprised if he drags me to the supply closet and gives it to me there.”
His jaw clenches.
Exactly my goal.
So what if it’s not true?
“Your dad okay?” I ask.
We’re in need of a subject change before he continues his interrogation and catches me in my lie.
He clears his throat before nodding. “He’s in the next room. Luckily, we fell in the grass. I took the biggest hit, and even though he seemed fine, I insisted he get checked out.”
The sharpness of his voice guts me. My words hit him harder than his physical wound. Our banter dissolves, and he doesn’t give me another look while he lies back, and I start dragging out my supplies. A knock on the door causes us both to look at it, and I grin at the sight of Jay walking in looking handsome in his blue scrubs. Jay isn’t only a great doctor. He’s also great looking.
Hopefully, he doesn’t catch on to who this patient is.
“Hi, Gage,” Jay says, walking into the room and extending his hand. “I’m Dr. Whitman. I heard you and your father had a fall.”
Gage looks at Jay with uncertainty before shaking it, and I wish I could read his mind. “Could’ve been worse.”
Jay snaps on gloves, and I scoot out of his way to give him room to inspect Gage. I bite into my lip at the sight of Gage’s jaw clenching when Jay touches his cheek.
“Cut isn’t too deep, big guy,” Jay says, glancing back at me. “Good job on irrigation, and thank you for having the anesthetic ready. I’ll give it to him and let you fix him up.”
I nod. “Sounds good.”
