Forever Rain (Rain Will Fall Trilogy #1) (10 page)

“Good morning,” Veronica greeted me and sat across from my desk. She had her Apple laptop open and placed it on the desk.

“Good morning, Veronica. No coffee?” I asked, as she was fueled by the jolt of caffeine, much like myself.

“Had my two cups already. I don’t want to end up with tachycardia. I’ll need to wait a couple hours for my next fix.” We laughed and chatted about the party, all the while avoiding the elephant in the room. I was grateful that it was busy, no time for lengthy heart to heart, not today anyway.

Andre sat in the chair beside Veronica as he ended a call on his iPhone. “Good morning. Hope all slept well and revived from our weekend of blissful partying.” He pulled up the first order of business for the day on his computer. Veronica and I groaned and told him to get on with business. He grinned and did just that.

“Well, overall, we had some hospitals cancel a few shifts over the weekend. Some of the nurses were not very happy about that and others were elated. Some nurses with contracts were floated out of their areas but got to work, so that is good. We had two of our own nurses call in sick, but their shifts were filled with other nurses that were more than happy to work.”

“Thank you, Andre. As ever, you are thorough and concise. Veronica?”

“I will start off with Mrs. Royden.”

I groaned inwardly. I just couldn’t figure out why the woman did not like me. I send her flowers when she’s not feeling well, provide a nurse to keep her company even if I need to pay overtime, call her on the phone when she cancels dinner with Robert and me. She never takes my phone calls, so I always end up talking to the nurse that is with her.

“How was her weekend?” I dutifully asked of my possible future mother-in-law.

“Well, she had a panic attack Saturday night but the nurse calmed her down by calling Robert who suggested Dr. Hollis be called, since Robert was heading to your party. The nurse finally persuaded her to take her Xanax or she would need to send Mrs. Royden to the ER. Her Sunday was better as Robert was there to see her and they had a late lunch together. She cooperated with the physical therapist and this morning she is going to brunch with some of her friends.” Veronica finished her reports of the other private duty patients we had and reported that several other patients were going to be admitted to the agency for nursing care this week. Some patients requested a few hours a day, while others wanted a few visits a week. Since they were paying out of pocket and under the care of a physician, they were able to request nursing services whether it was medically necessary or not.

My morning went by quickly. Andre and I had appointments with several hospitals in San Francisco on Wednesday that would hopefully end with contracts. We also have several nurses that are signing on with the agency. Human Resources would be taking care of that end of the business. We already secured office space, hired a receptionist and an office manager.

“Miss Caine, Mr. Dawson is here to see…never mind, he’s on his way to your office,” Grace sounded breathless as she beeped my phone line.

There was a brief knock on my door then it swung open and Jordan walked in. Will this man never fail to put me in a state of hyperventilation? I worked on my breathing as I stared at him. He calmly closed the door behind him and walked slowly toward me.

“Why are you here, Jordan? I have no desire to see you.” I picked up a pen and pulled a note card toward me. I didn’t have any idea what I would do with it but it looks like I am official or something…I think.

“Hello to you, too, Zoe. I have this little problem.” He calmly took a seat in front of my desk and took the pen out of my hand. Not missing a beat, he placed a soft kiss on my hand and placed the pen back on the desk.

“I am sure you have a number of people at your bidding to take care of your problems. I’m busy and you will need to set up an appointment with Grace if you want to take up any more of my time.” Wow! I shocked myself. That sounded pretty good.

“No, you see, Zoe…you are the only person that can take care of my problem since it happened while we were together locked against a fence in Austin.”

What the hell?
I looked at him, and try as I might, I was unable to resist being totally lost in his brilliant blue eyes twinkling with mirth.

“You were never one to play games, Jordan. Why start now? What the hell do you want?” I was anxious for him to leave my office. I needed him…I needed him to leave, right. I must try to sound convincing, so if I have to use some explicit language, well so be it.

“No, no games. What I need from you, or rather what I want from you, are your skillful hands on my, um…”

“Out! Get out, Jordan, or by God I will call the police! I swear I will. It was a mistake. I was taken by surprise and it was all a mistake for me to…for us. So you need to leave.” I stood up and placed my hand on the phone just as it rang.

“Miss Caine, there is a delivery here for Mr. Dawson. He said to send it straight to your office as soon as it arrived.”

“Thank you, Grace.” I placed the phone back down and glared at Jordan who was still sitting with his long legs crossed and dangling over his knee. He has the audacity to look innocent.

“What the hell, Jordan. You can’t waltz into my office and give my staff instructions.” There was a tentative knock on the door. Jordan sat silently. Christ, this man drove me absolutely fucking crazy.

“Come in.” The delivery guy handed Jordan the package and bid us good day. Seeing Jordan in my office was anything other than a good day, but I smiled and thanked him politely as he took his leave.

The smile left my face as soon as the door closed. I was fuming! “OK, Jordan. What do you want? When did you start delving into the medical field? Is this a hostile takeover or something? Surely I am a drop in the bucket as far as you are concerned. I owe more than I’m worth and barely keep my head above water, but it is an honest business and keeps many employed so they can continue to take care of their families.”

My chest was tight from all the information that just left in one breath. Why the hell had I just vomited my business to this person that I despised? As usual, when I was around Jordan, I lose all sensible thoughts. Not even the lapse of 10 years has changed that fact. I looked at Jordan expecting to see a smirk on his face but he was not smiling.

He got up, went to the door, and turned the lock. I opened my mouth to speak but since such nonsense had just come out of my blabbing mouth, I decided to sit back down in my chair and sulk.

Jordan swiftly made his way to my chair and knelt down beside it. My arms were crossed over my chest and I was looking anywhere but at him. He gently squeezed my arms while looking at me.

“Zoe, I will not insult you by offering to help you unless you ask for it. But I know that you’re a smart woman. You have carved this agency in the Houston medical community and made it one of the most reputable and dependable. You will not see it fail and neither will others in your life that knows how hard you work to keep it going.” His calm words of wisdom were quite unexpected and as much as I hate to admit, were much appreciated. “I am not here to buy you out. However, I would like to take you out to dinner.”

“No. No, Jordan, I have a boyfriend. I respect him and I need to tell him what happened between us on Saturday.” His hand gently grasped my chin and turned my face toward his probing eyes. I dropped my gaze to his tie which was the color of his eyes, and caught my lower lip between my teeth. Jordan took the opportunity to rub his hand along my jaw line. I desperately wanted to lean my face into his palm, but resisted.

“So, you have not told him yet. Why?” he asked as his fingers continued to caress my jaw and neck.

“Well…I mean, it’s not something I can just calmly tell my boyfriend. I love…him. And anyway, he trusts me and I don’t want to break that trust by hiding stuff from him.” I sounded so lame. As much as I wanted to be convincing, it sounded like anything but.

“Do you respond to him like you do to me? Be honest with yourself, Zoe. Do you?” His voice was soft but commanding, as if he could see right through me and pull out the truth.

I took a deep breath and pushed at his hands to let me up. He did so easily and stood as well. I walked to the window and looked outside. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say or what I needed to tell him, but I decided to be honest.

“Look, Jordan. You are probably gloating now that you know I have not had sex with Robert or anyone else for that matter, since you. I get it. Robert is getting serious about us and he will be proposing any day now. I want a quiet life with someone that will be true to me. Someone that I can trust. Our relationship is not sitting well with his mother and he is having to deal with her as well. I am not sure she likes me, or maybe she wants someone else, someone different for her son. At any rate, I had no right to respond to you the way I did.” I desperately wanted to believe everything I just said. I bravely lifted my head and looked at him.

He was leaning against my desk and staring at the Waterford crystal vase with the bouquet of bluebonnets that he’d sent for me as a college graduation present.

“Then she is a fool. And so is he,” Jordan said as he turned his head toward me.

“The same can be said for you, Jordan,” I replied. He got my meaning but did not retreat.

“You need to break it off with Robert.” My mouth opened in surprise. I was speechless. Did he just say that?

“Excuse me, but you do not control my life. You don’t get to tell me who I date and when to break up with him. You wander all over the world with gorgeous women doing God knows what with them. Those are the women you get to tell what to do.” He had the audacity to chuckle.

“You find that funny? I am not joking, Jordan. Robert and I are going out Tuesday night to discuss our engagement plans, so there.” Oh great! I just gave him more information than he needed to know about my plans with Robert.

Like a predator, Jordan walked slowly toward me. He reached behind me and closed the blinds. A chill went through my body as he placed both of his hands on the each side of my head and captured my mouth in a deep kiss. I gasped and he readily swallowed the soft sound that left my lungs while he skillfully assaulted my senses with the kiss. My hands grasped the windowsill behind me. It was either that or push my hands in his sexy dark blond hair and pull him closer into me.

As if reading my mind, he put an arm around my waist and the other at the back of my neck, tilting my head to deepen the kiss. He left my mouth and nipped gently at my bottom lip again and again, then finally sucked gently. He finally ended the kiss, but not before briefly rubbing his erection on my abdomen. I gasped as he walked away to retrieve the forgotten package.

“I need a tetanus shot. My doctor was kind enough to send it via courier for you to administer it.”

I was coming undone, trying to hold on to some thread of sanity and hanging on to the window for dear life, and he was talking about a shot? Was he for real? Yes, he was. He opened the package with the pre-filled syringe of medication and a note from the doctor asking me to fax the record back to his office so that it could be scanned and attached to the patient medical record.

“I don’t know what this is all about, Jordan, but I am so not giving you a shot.”

“You’re a nurse, Zoe. Saturday night I sank my hand on a nail poking out of the fence. You bit my hand while I gallantly covered your mouth from screaming my name, and it just so happens to be time for my tetanus booster shot. Would you kindly do me the honor? You can take out some of your frustrations toward me with the needle.”

I covered my smile by placing my hand over my mouth while shaking my head. “You do know I am a busy woman.”

“I do know that you are a gorgeous, desirable and busy woman, yes. Forgive me for taking up your time?” He looked like a boy asking for forgiveness. I’m not sure how it happened, but we both chuckled. I felt the wall of defense that I had erected around my heart wobble a tiny bit. My emotions were all over the place since Jordan reentered my life a few days ago.

“And you must admit you are also ridiculous for bringing this shot here and giving my employee more work by taking care of your medical record,” I said, as I prepared his arm for the shot and set out the necessary supplies to administer the medication.

“Yes, I am aware of that, but in my defense, I am also aware that you would not have agreed to see me under any other circumstances. Ouch!” he yelped, as I covered the area with a Band-Aid and threw the gloves in the trash.

“Ha. The mighty Jordan Dawson is such a baby when it comes to shots.” I smirked at his childish behavior. He took the opportunity to pull me onto his lap. I wasn’t sure what to do or where any of this is going.

“To be fair, baby, you need to break it off with Robert. He is not the one for you.”

“Oh, and you would know that how?”

“By the way you want me and I need you. You know it’s true. Say it. You feel the same way.”

I took a deep breath and looked straight into his eyes. My olfactory receptors were succumbing to the faint hint of cologne he was wearing that was as sexy and desirable as the man wearing it. I was tempted to close my eyes and inhale his scent, his smell that I have committed to memory. It was seductive. I could easily lose myself in him again. As much as my body responds to his touch, I really need to keep a clear head around Jordan. But to my chagrin, I reminded myself that I am so totally fucked. For some reason, Jordan is back and his aim is at me.

I unclasped his arms from around my waist and went back to stand at the window. It did no good for me to continue to try and make my relationship with Robert something it is not and will never be. As I stood at the window I decided to make a decision that shocked even me. Being fair to Robert is something that he deserves. Maybe I am restless or I just need to reassess where I am in my personal life. Turning around, I made the announcement to Jordan.

“I will break it off with Robert. It’s not fair for me to continue in a relationship in which I do not truly love him like I should. I do admire and respect him. He’s a good man, but he does not deserve a cheating girlfriend.” I finished on that note and felt terrible about myself, but I knew it was the right thing to do.