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I slowly turned around and smiled. “Would you believe I couldn’t sleep and decided to go for a walk?” She placed her hands on her hips and shook her head. “How about I was looking for my nurse and I got lost?”
“How about you just tell me the truth, because I am starting to believe the only thing you are suffering from is a bad case of lying.”
You got that right.
“Why don’t we have this conversation in my room,” I suggested.
“Maybe we should have it in Finn’s office. I believe Mr. Henderson would like to hear whatever you have to say as well,” she stated firmly. “He is the one currently in charge and I’m sure he will not be any happier than I am that you wasted our time and resources.”
“Yeah. About that. He knows,” I admitted.
Her face first filled with shock, then anger. “Are you telling me that...that Mr. Henderson is aware that you are here under false pretenses?”
Not only was I digging my own hole deeper, but I also just started digging one for Brice. This was not going the way I had envisioned this.
Looking around to make sure our voices hadn’t drawn any unwanted attention, I said softly, “Please, Meri. I’m begging you. Give me five minutes to explain. If not for me, then for President O’Connor.”
The anger seemed to fade slightly, and she nodded. “Five minutes. And if I don’t like what I hear, then I will have your ass tossed out of this hospital. Understood?”
“Totally,” I said, trying not to let her catch sight of my grin. She was even cuter when she was pissed. Her eyes grew so dark they were almost black, yet they also sparkled.
Maybe you’re not as angry at me as you seem.
I was about to find out. We entered my room, and she slammed the door behind us.
Or maybe you are.
“Why don’t we sit on the bed, and discuss this calmly,” I suggested.
“I’m fine where I am. But I believe you should lie down.”
“I’m fine,” I said.
“Yes. I am well aware of that now,” she sighed. “Tell me, Ryker, is this some game to you? I already told you that you’re my patient. I willnotdate you. I agreed to have lunch with you only so you would return to the hospital to have your stitches out. Not for any other reason. And the fact that you brought Brice into this is...is totally embarrassing. I can only imagine what he believes is going on. I’m a professional, and this...this tells me that I’m not being taken seriously by my superiors,” she choked back tears.
Fuck.
She was way off the mark, but damn it, I think this was hurting even more than the truth. I needed to tell her even though I had promised Bennett I wouldn’t.
“Meri, I...”
“Nurse Meri, please,” she demanded.
Oh, I was on her shit list for sure. And yet, kind of impressed that she thought through a plan of how I would manipulate things just to get a date with her. It had crossed my mind, but not this plan. Mine had been more like when she leaned over me to take my stitches out, I would wrap my arms around her, pull her onto my lap, and kiss her until she agreed to have dinner with me.
Which would probably get the same result. No. No way in hell.
“So, we’re back to that, are we?” I asked.
“I believe it is better that way, Mr. Stone.”
“Fine. We will do it your way, for now. But maybe after you hear what I have to say, you will be...”
“Just tell me,” she ordered.
“No one can know about this. I mean it. Lives could be at risk if it gets out,” I warned her.
“You’re being a little overdramatic, don’t you think?” she said, her arms crossed.
