“Sorry, but that doesn’t work for me. First of all, I’ve never accused you of being the ‘one-night-stand’ kind of girl. Secondly, I wasn’t asking you for a cheap affair. And thirdly, I’m not exactly chopped liver. My family is respected in this community, and contrary to what you might think, I care about my reputation as well.”
“Hah!”
Her childish outburst made Austin grin. He looked at her as he fought the laughter wanting to spill out. She was the most intriguing woman he’d ever had the pleasure of meeting. He couldn’t seem to stop chasing her. Maybe that was why he was so intrigued. He was usually the one being chased. It was nice to feel like a man – to hunt his prey. He felt like jumping on the table and pounding his chest. His grin grew bigger.
After a moment of silence, Kinsey’s lips twitched as she looked at him. Maybe she was realizing how bull-headed she was acting.
“Okay, I can concede that you’re not the devil. I’m still not interested in dating you, though.”
“Since we’re around each other night and day, how about we at least be friends? After all, your best friend is married to my brother. We’re going to see each other often,” he offered.
She had no way of knowing his legs were crossed. He had much bigger plans with Kinsey than just being friends. He had a few ideas about some of the empty hospital rooms. Damn, his body was in a state of half-arousal whenever she was in his vicinity.
She narrowed her eyes and he knew she wasn’t buying it, but what was she going to say? If she refused, she was admitting that he affected her. If she accepted, she’d have to fight herself and him. He knew he’d put her on the spot, and he could practically read the indecision on her face. He relaxed as he felt the power shift back into his favor.
“I wouldn’t go so far as to call us friends, but I can agree to be civil,” she finally said. He grinned, satisfaction radiating off him when her cheeks pinkened.
He’d give anything to just throw her over his shoulder and cart her off to the nearest broom closet. Oh, the possibilities of the seemingly endless hospital.
“I don’t think so. It’s either we’re friends, or… I’ll just have to prove to you how great a friend I can be. That could take a while – a really long time,” he threatened with the same confident smile in place.
He watched as her eyes widened. She knew what he intended, and she wanted him. She just didn’t want to admit to it. He had to get her away from crowded rooms. Her on-call room didn’t sound too bad at that moment.
“I have to get back to work,” she said as she quickly stood from the table. She hadn’t even touched her food. He knew the amount of hours she was working and he didn’t want her missing meals because of him.
He stood and placed his hands on her shoulders, bringing her body to within a few inches of his own. He leaned his head down, his breath brushing across her face, causing the loose strands of her fallen hair to flutter at the corners of her mouth.
“Finish your meal, Kinsey. I’ll back off… for now.”
She pulled away and dropped to her seat. It seemed he’d taken the words right out of her mouth. He liked that as well. He sat and began eating his meal while she slowly picked up a juicy piece of watermelon.
She slid it into her mouth and softly bit down, and he barely managed to stop himself from groaning. The anticipation was hell on his body, but he had a feeling the build-up would be worth it when they finally did make it to a bed. Heck, it could be a cave for all he cared, just as long as he could sink deep inside her.
A few minutes of strained silence went by as sweat beaded on his brow, and he forced food into his mouth. He didn’t know how her meal tasted, but he could’ve been eating cardboard for all the enjoyment he was getting out of his. He was satisfied, though, when he noticed that she finished her entire fruit salad. She was too skinny – smaller than when they’d been together. She was beautiful no matter what, but she could stand to put on ten pounds.
That thought led him to picturing her with a rounded belly, her br**sts straining against a tight T-shirt as her body ripened. Before he could stop it, a low groan escaped and she looked up, making eye-contact. Her eyes dilated at what he was sure was unadulterated lust shining from his own.
Hell, he’d give a million dollars for just five minutes alone with her. Okay… maybe more like an hour. Her body deserved to be worshiped.
After a few more minutes of strained silence, he cleared his throat. He really did want to talk to her about his father.
“My dad will be ready to leave the hospital soon. He’s agreed to stay with Katherine at the main house to support her. She’s acting strong, but we all see the massive amount of strain this is placing on her.
“I’ve been concerned about Katherine, too. I can’t begin to imagine how she feels. I’m glad your father is doing well, at least. I’m sure that helps her.”
“I appreciate that, Kinsey. The point of all this is that Uncle Joseph will need to stay here longer, which means he still needs round the clock care. If his situation hasn’t changed in a couple weeks, we’ll look at alternatives, such as bringing him home, where he’d still need full care. My aunt will be here most of the time, and so will the rest of us. It makes no difference if it’s my dad, or Uncle Joseph. We take care of each other.”
He could see Kinsey was confused by where the conversation was leading. He could’ve just let her supervisor tell her, but then he couldn’t see her reaction.
“If we take Uncle Joseph home, we’ve requested for you to remain his nurse.”
He waited as he let his words sink in. She didn’t disappoint him when it clicked. He knew she felt safer around him in the hospital. He could see she was worried about her own ability to resist him if they were in a quiet house together – night and day.
“I… I’d have to talk to my supervisor. I don’t think the hospital can afford to let me go,” she stuttered.
“It wouldn’t be a permanent placement. My uncle will recover,” he stated with confidence.
“I really do need to get back now,” she said as she quickly stood as if afraid he was going to stop her again. He didn’t say another word – just let her walk away.
He watched as she dropped off her tray and practically ran from the room. He smiled as he sat back. She could try to run…