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She needed a distraction, but found it strange that there were no noises in the house. “Did you see or hear anything when you got here?”
Tristan shook his head. “No. I wasn’t here very long before you pulled in.”
“Hmm, Oh well.” She shrugged. “Jacob and Kristen are gonna miss out on meeting you. Guess they’re in bed.”
They finished eating, and she cleaned up as her nerves jumped around inside her. She could feel Tristan’s eyes on her the entire time, but she found something else to keep herself busy. Between her encounter with Doctor Bitchy, and him actually inside her house, her anxiety ate away at her.
“Let’s talk. Something’s up with you. You are a fidgeting mess.” Tristan lightly touched her shoulder. “What’s up?”
She turned to him and froze. His eyes, his body. She shook her head hard, picked up her beer, and finished it in a couple gulps. “Want another?” she asked.
“I’m good.” He shook his head.
Stacey shrugged, got another for her, and walked into the living room. She wanted to be comfortable. She sighed and fell hard on the couch, almost sloshing beer on the pillow next to her.
Tristan sat beside her and put his arm on the back of the couch. “Stacey, if me being here makes you feel uncomfortable, I can leave.” His voice sounded flat to her ears, with a slice of irritation.
She needed to get a grip. She took another mouth full of beer and released a breath. “I’m sorry. Only part of this is you.” Stacey watched a muscle in his jaw pulse. She needed to do a better job with her feelings. He may not be here long if she doesn’t figure her shit out.
She laid her hand on his thigh and rubbed it. “You being here isn’t a bad thing.” His thigh felt nice beneath her touch. Strong. Muscular… Maybe they should have stayed in the kitchen. She moved her hand and finally put her beer on the table and leaned back to get comfortable. “Okay, this is ridiculous.” She sat back up. “Yes, I’m a nervous wreck because you’re here. Having a guy in my house is a step I didn’t want to take. It can lead to things—great things, I’m sure—but still things I don’t want to go to. Remember, I…”
Tristan moved closer and ran his fingers through the ends of her hair. “I know. You don’t do relationships. I got it.”
Their eyes met. Her heart went squishy.
“Is that everything?” His left brow raised.
She let out her breath. “No, it’s not.” Her fingers found their way to his leg again and started to play with a crease in his jeans. “I told you about Labor and Delivery closing. Well, I had my meeting today, and Doctor Condescending Bitch was not helpful at all.”
“Nice name.”
“Thank you. I made it up myself.” Stacey’s nerves relaxed, and a smile grew on her face.
“Did she do something, like say you weren’t going to get support finding a job?”
“No. She said I was one of the strongest nurses in the department. That’s why they met with me first. To give me the pick of any job I wanted.”
He gasped. “Oh, my God. What a bitch!”
Stacey punched him playfully in the gut. “No, I was moved that she said that about me. It was just that she didn’t want to listen when I said something about preferring one of the more local small hospitals. Like I should be above them. It was rude.”
He pushed her hair behind her ear and played with her earring. “Maybe you’re too big hearted, and someone like her is just too snotty to understand you.”
Stacey relaxed to his touch, and she stretched her neck. “Exactly. Rich people who think they are better than small town people irritate me. Just because you have a big house, lots of land, and can do what you want, doesn’t mean you’re better. You’re usually less of a person.”
Tristan’s hand stopped. “Really, less of a person, just because they have money and stuff. How many rich people do you know?”
“I work at a hospital. I’m around rich shitheads all the time. They’re annoying. I have no time for rich people who think they’re better than those who work hard for what they have.”
“How do you know rich people didn’t work hard?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Why are you sticking up for them? They have the money. They can do it for themselves.”
He removed his hand from her neck. “I think you’re being a little hard, is all. It’s making you get little wrinkles right here.” He rubbed her forehead and their eyes locked.
His smoldering gaze stopped her breath.
“I don’t want wrinkles.” Her voice came out in a whisper.
