Surrender My Love (6 page)

“How’s your arm?
”

“
Better, thank you.”

He smiled, his eyes eagerly returning to her face.

“How long have you been at WMH?”

“
Two years.”

“I’d
never seen you before last night.”

“I work the night shift. You usually
make rounds after I leave.”

“
Too bad. The nurses love me.” He winked, teasing.

She smiled
wide then and it was as stunning as petals unfurling to their full magnificence.

“They do, right?”
he prodded in humor, fully aware of his reputation.

“Ah…well. I plead the fifth.”

He affected surprise and chuckled, happy to see her coming out of her shell.

“I’ll leave it to you to start my fan club then.”

He saw her gaze drift towards his lips again and couldn’t help but smile. Even with her puritanical appearance and reserved demeanor, her furtive glances gave her away.
What was she thinking?

“Would you like
something to drink?”

She nodded towards his desk.
“What else do you have in your drawers?” She suddenly looked up, their gazes locked and the smile vanished from her face.

His lips t
eetered in a half smile. He knew what she’d meant, but the fact that she’d made the slip and their brains had detoured along the same path stirred his cock to life. Interesting.
So…she’d been wondering what was in my drawers…
Though the utter look of mortification on her face was enough to redirect his derailed train of thought. He searched for something to say, seeing that she was ready to bolt.

“I
…I have to go. My shift is starting. I don’t want to be late.” She rose from her seat.

“Wait
!” He pushed up from his chair just as the phone on his desk rang.

Thinking it was Bea, he hit the speaker button.
He wanted to tell her to call Nurse Wall to inform her that Chloe was still in her meeting and would be a few minutes late.

“Brad, darling! You left so quickly last night, you
horny beast!” The sultry voice oozed out of the speaker and Brad felt his gut clench.

Oh,
fuck…

He slapped the speaker button on his phone like he was squashing an irritating bug, effectively cutting off Diane’s voice.
He cursed again under his breath, promising to kill his secretary. Already Chloe had reached the door and was pulling it open.

He quickly
followed her into the hall, right past Bea’s desk.

“Chloe,
wait!
”

She turned and pivoted at the steely command of his voice, her eyes wide and round.

He stopped directly in front of her, his tall body dwarfing hers, and for the life of him couldn’t think of a damn thing to say. He looked into those beautiful, startled eyes and the words gathered in his throat as she stole every breath away.

“Thank you for coming in early,” h
e said at length, hearing the hollowness ring through his voice. It wasn’t as though she’d been given a choice.

She nodded, then turned and fled the office, leaving him standing there
, scratching his chin and wondering what the hell was wrong with him.

It was the distinctive cluck of a tongue that caused him to turn and glare furiou
sly at his secretary. Bea, apparently seeing the storm on his face, had the good sense to bite back whatever barb was ready on her tongue. Brad marched over to her desk, and bracing his palms on it, leaned in angrily.

“I told you
not
to put anyone through to me!”

Bea did the head
snakey thing that he hated and held up an index finger. “No, you didn’t! You said not to put
Angelique
through. I don’t recall you saying anything about
Diane
.”

“
Do not play the innocent with me! You know I don’t want to talk to her! Plus, Nurse Bennett was in the room.”

“Diane kept asking me
what you were doing Saturday night! She wanted to know if you’re seeing anyone. How am I supposed to know? I’m not your tramp-tracker? Don’t blame me for the mess you’ve gotten yourself into!”

Brad forked his finge
rs through his hair and growled angrily. “You’re…you’re…” Oh, how he wanted to say the word ‘fired’! He clenched his hands at his side.

Bea smiled innocently and blinked her long dark lashes
dramatically. “Please, put me out of my misery.”

“You’re…you’re… a pain in the ass!”

“Ditto. I don’t know why you’re so upset. That nurse seems like a nice girl. Not your type at all. You interested in her?”

“Of course
not!”

“Then why are you chasing
her? I’ve never seen you chase a woman.”

Brad stood erect. “I was
not
chasing her,” he said through clenched teeth. “And stop doing that head snakey thing!”

Her dark eyes popped open wide and she shook her head in confusion. “What head
snakey thing?”

Brad fumed. “This!” He did a horrible demonstration and threw his arms up in exasperation as Bea erupted into laughter. He figured he looked much like a pecking chicken
. “Don’t you have work to do?” he tossed over his shoulder, heading into his office.

“I’ve
got better things to do than watch you chasing after some woman. At least she had the good sense to run.”

Brad ignored her and slammed the door, cocooning himself in his office. He had created a mess. He needed to break up with Diane. She’d become way too clingy and demanding
, and he was definitely not looking for a long term relationship—or
any
relationship, other than sexual. Plus, he didn’t have the kind of feelings for her that she desired. He was too engrossed in his career and, at this point in his life, had no interest in commitments or distractions. Occasional interludes with willing partners were perfect for him. From the beginning, he’d told Diane their relationship was only physical, and she’d agreed to that arrangement, seeming to enjoy the costly trinkets and gifts she received. Now things were different. She’d become stifling and needy. He’d told her repeatedly not to call him at work.

Last night was a mistake. He should not have called her, but he’d desperately needed to release some aggression
and stress. He shook his head miserably. He deserved the problem he’d been dealing with for the last few months. Although the interlude had worked out for Diane, he’d again been unable to reach satisfaction. He got aroused, enjoyed the sexual experience, remained rock hard—for hours sometimes, but that was as far as it got for him. Tripping over the edge into blissful oblivion continued to elude him. It was almost two months now since his last pitiful orgasm, and that had been achieved on his own, and with much effort.

Last night after Diane’s orgasmic marathon, he’d gotten dressed and left, feeling empty and frustrated
. He needed to end it with her, should have done it a while ago. Maybe he’d do it Saturday night. He cursed, suddenly remembering he’d promised Larry Wasko he’d go out with him. He’d have to break up with Diane tonight. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and made arrangements to see her.

Chloe knew she was late for wor
k, but desperately needed a moment to compose herself before facing her co-workers. She slipped into an empty bathroom, closed the door, and leaned heavily against it. Squeezing her eyes tight, she inhaled a deep, shuddering breath, hoping to blow away the embarrassment still burning her skin.

Oh my God…
She groaned inwardly. She had not asked him what was in his drawers! How could she make such a fool of herself? Dr. Markson was a colossal force, known for his brilliance and skill. He was egotistical, domineering, and implacable—a total jerk!

Then w
hy are you so attracted to him? Why were you thinking about what was in his pants?

Chloe covered her face with her palms, shamed by the emotions
slamming into her. She couldn’t deny it. Even in her anger she found him unbelievably appealing. The man was sinfully gorgeous and completely overwhelming. He was tall and robust. All tanned skin and chiseled features. From the way he filled out his suit, she could tell he was honed with lean muscle. His dark hair was a thick, inky mat of waves, cut short. When he smiled, dimples slashed down his cheeks, enhancing the unique map of his attractive face.

That mouth was
lickable, and those lips…
God…
the bottom was a voluptuous curve of flesh. Whenever she looked at them, she imagined sucking on them, or feeling them plot a meandering course over her body and making leisurely stops along the way. She never allowed her gaze to linger for fear that her desire would be apparent. Those dark blue eyes seemed to bore through her, stealing peeks at the thoughts she tried to conceal. Although, one thought had slipped through her mental blockade to suffer the embarrassment of freedom.

Oh God…

Chloe walked to the sink and splashed cold water on her face. He hadn’t seemed angry
about the blunder. In fact, he appeared to be somewhat amused. Of course he was! He was probably still laughing at her. Here was yet another woman who found him desirable. Like the one on the phone…
horny beast?
Chloe’s mind filled with all sorts of lurid images and she groaned audibly.

He is so absolutely panty-wetting fuckable!
She needed to get a grip. Men like Dr. Markson chewed up and spat out women like her.
If
they even decided to partake in the meal. She was thrilled he wasn’t lodging a complaint, and had been enormously surprised by the apology, but she had enough tumult in her life to keep her thoughts occupied. These carnal musings about Dr. Brad Markson were completely inappropriate and silly! A man like him would
never
be interested in her. His mere presence twisted her insides out and tied her nerves into convoluted knots of apprehension.

Chloe dried her face with a paper towel then headed from the bathroom
, determined to stamp out all thoughts of the delectable Brad Markson. She was rushing up the corridor to the nurse’s station when she spotted Nigel heading towards her. He was wearing his white lab coat and carried his basket of blood-drawing supplies. The last time she’d seen him had been last night during the Code Blue. She waved as she scurried by, wishing she had time to stop and chat. He’d seemed just as upset about Mr. Barkley as she. He was always so shy and socially awkward, and would probably appreciate having someone to talk to.

Her thoughts abruptly shifted
when she found Nurse Wall waiting at the nurse’s station. The line of her tight lips and the frigid intensity of her stare clearly conveyed her anger. She was a large woman, her very short dark hair, and her meaty features made her appear bloated and masculine. Chloe came to a full stop in front of her, anxiety bubbling under her breasts.

God!
Can I not catch a break today?

“You’re late!”

“I had my meeting with Dr. Markson.”

Her supervisor squared her broad shoulders and pursed her lips.

“
I hope he put you in your place! Mr. Barkley had been his patient and friend. It was inappropriate for you to treat him the way you did!”

“I cared about Mr. Barkley too. It meant a lot to me to
be able to take care of him at the end…to show him respect. I don’t know what happened. He was just so agitated and confused, just like the other patient I told you about. It just seems strange.”

“The world does not revolve around
you
, Nurse Bennett! I didn’t ask for your opinion! Get to work!”

Chloe watched Nurse
Wall huff and march away, wondering at her sharp words. Chloe had incurred her wrath a few months ago when she’d needed some time off for her mother’s surgery. Nurse Wall had firmly denied the request, stating she didn’t have the staff to cover Chloe’s absence. Some of the nurses had banded together and each had volunteered to take a turn covering her shifts. Chloe had been deeply appreciative and moved by the support, but Nurse Wall had been furious, saying that her authority had been undermined. She’d upbraided Chloe for allowing her personal issues to disrupt the nursing department. Since then, she’d taken every opportunity to torment her and voice displeasure at almost everything Chloe did.

Chloe startled when
Susan fluttered long strips of paper in front of her face.

“Don’t worry about
Witch Wall. Look what I’ve got!” Susan danced excitedly.

“What?”

“Free passes to Club Silo!” She winked.

“And…”

“
And
one for you, one for me! Don’t ask how I got them.” Susan grinned, following Chloe to her locker.