With Me in Seattle Bundle One

by Kristen Proby

“I’m not playing anymore,” Nick murmurs.

  “Once a player, always a player, dude.” Will grins and sits next to his bed. “What position did you play?”

  “Quarterback,” Nick responds shyly, not able to look Will in the eye. Nick’s hair is gone, and his once-strong body looks weak in the large hospital bed.

  “Were you good?” Will asks.

  “Fuck yeah, it was only my junior year, and I had offers from USC and Florida State,” he says proudly.

  “Damn, I’m sorry, man.”

  I step out of the room and let the guys chat it up with Nick, give him gifts and just make his day.

  About an hour later, the players file out, smiling and joking with each other and with Nick. Will offers me a sweet, sad smile. “We need to talk later,” he mutters.

  I frown and cock my head. Talk? About what? I don’t have time to question him.

  “Okay, guys, if you’re comfortable splitting up for a while, there are a lot of kids anxious to meet you. I have extra nursing staff on hand today to lead you around and introduce you to kids and their parents.”

  “Sounds great,” Sanders responds and offers Jill a cocky grin. “Lead on, sweetheart.”

  They each grab baskets full of gifts and follow my staff to various parts of the department, and I laugh as I hear whoops and cries of excitement coming out of the rooms.

  “This is awesome, Will. These kids will remember this for the rest of their lives. Thank you.”

  “My pleasure. I’m gonna stick with you, if you don’t mind. Where to next?”

  ***

  Okay, the man is good with kids. He’s kind and a good listener. He has patiently posed for dozens of photos, flirted with my girls, made the guys feel like he’s their buddy, and just been generally awesome today. All five players eventually made it to every room and talked with every patient. Now, we’re all gathered in a common area set up for families, where they can come and rest. It’s recently been remodeled, and it boasts about two thousand square feet of plush leather couches and recliners, an enormous big-screen television mounted to a wall, tables and chairs near electrical outlets for laptops, and plenty of space to spread out.

  Now, the older kids who are able to leave their rooms are scattered around the space, at the suggestion of Kip, so the patients can ask questions and have a little more time with the team before they leave for the evening.

  They’ve already been here for a staggering five hours.

  “Meg, I need some help with an IV in room twenty,” Dr. Sanchez whispers to me so she doesn’t interrupt the Q&A session.

  “No problem.” I follow her back to the room and help her, and then when I return to the lounge, I stay out of sight so I can listen.

  “So, do you have a girlfriend, Will?” A pretty sixteen-year-old patient named Liza asks with a shy smile.

  “No, I don’t, sweetheart.”

  “Why not?” someone asks.

  “Well, there is one woman I’m interested in, but I don’t think she likes me back.”

  “Well, then she’s stupid,” Liza retorts, and everyone laughs.

  “No, she’s smart,” Trevon jokes, punching Will in the shoulder.

  “Who is it?” Nick asks him.

  “Actually, you know her,” Will begins, and I bite my lip and feel my eyes widen. Holy shit! “I’d love to get to know Meg better.”

  “Well, then ask her out,” someone out of my line of vision advises him.

  “I don’t think she’s interested in me.”

  “We can help,” Liza offers. “We know her really well.”

  “Um, okay.” Will suddenly sounds nervous, and I grin.

  “She loves music,” my patient Bree tells him.

  “And chocolate,” offers Mike.

  “And she likes hugs,” thirteen-year-old Jason chimes in.

  “But if you fuck with her, I’ll tear your heart out of your chest, cancer be damned,” Nick states clearly, harshly.

  “Nick!” his mom exclaims.

  My feet are rooted to the floor. I should go take care of this, but I can’t move. I want to hear Will’s response. Silence fills the room, and the two guys, one almost a man and one a grown-up, staring at each other.

  Finally, Will says, “You know, Nick, I already had a lot of respect for you just from our chat earlier today, but now I just think you’re badass. You’re a good man. You don’t need to worry about Meg.”

  I walk into the room in time to see Nick nod soberly and look at the floor. The other four players’ smirks have left their handsome faces and are instead looking at Nick with respect.

  “Okay, everyone...” My voice is bright, not giving a clue that I heard the conversation about Will and me. “I know you probably have a lot more questions for our guests, but I think it’s time we let them off the hook. They’ve spent a lot of their time with us today.”

  There are a few groans, but the room erupts into applause.

  “Thank you!” the kids call out, and all five players look a bit embarrassed but boast huge, proud smiles.

  “You’re very welcome,” Will responds when the applause dies down.

  “Good luck on Sunday,” Bree’s dad calls out. “I have money riding on it!”

  “We’ll see what we can do,” Sanders responds.

  I follow the players back to the elevators, Will and I lagging behind the others. He takes my hand in his, but I pull away and look around.

  “Not at my job, Will.”

  “Oh, so I can hold your hand outside of work?” he asks with a cocky grin.

  “I didn’t say that.” Damn him.

  “Walk me to my car,” he murmurs so only I can hear.

  “You didn’t ride with the others?” I ask.

  “No, Trevon stopped at the training center on his way to get the ’Hawks gear, and we all met here.”

  “Okay.”

  When we reach the parking garage, Will’s teammates each hug me tight.

  “You do not have an easy job, little lady,” Kip mutters, his face grim.

  “Days like today make my job fantastic, Kip. Seriously, thank you, all of you, for coming today. You just don’t know what you did for those kids.”

  “Why haven’t you asked us to come before?” Jarrel asks, and Will coughs, choking on his own spit.

  “Actually, I have. Several times. But I always got a no.”

  “Fucking Susan,” Trevon mutters darkly. “From now on, contact us directly. I’m assuming you have Montgomery’s number?”

  “Uh, no.” I shake my head and press my lips together.

  “Well, hell, I’ll give you my number.” Kip grins. “And not just to visit you at work.”

  “Back up, Sutherland,” Will warns. “I got this.”

  “Good.” Kip winks at me, and the guys all climb into their own vehicles to leave, wave at us and are gone.

  “So,” Will murmurs and steps toward me.

  Despite the magnetic pull I feel, I take a step back.

  “I should go back up.”

  “I want to see you, Meg.”

  Well, he’s blunt, isn’t he? “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I murmur.

  His eyes narrow, and he crosses his arms over his chest. “Why not?”

  “This is a busy time for you, Will, and my job is busy, too. Hell, I haven’t heard from you for the past two weeks, so I just assumed…”

  “Number one, don’t assume. Ever.” His voice is hard and immediately grabs my attention. “Number two, yes, we’re busy, but we can find the time. And number three, I’m interested.”

  “How did I end up naked the morning after the party?” I blurt out, ashamed that I can’t remember.

  His eyes twinkle mischievously. “You woke up naked?” he asks, a half grin spreading on his handsome face.

  “Yeah, but I remember you making me put the T-shirt on.”

  “You were still in the T-shirt when I left that morning. I told you, no hanky-panky.”

  “I’m surprised you
didn’t try anything.”

  “Oh, trust me, sugar, having your tight, naked ass cradled against my dick was damn alluring.” He steps closer to me and tips my chin up with his fingers. “But I wouldn’t take advantage of you when you don’t have your wits about you. When I take you, you’ll know exactly what we’re doing, what you’re feeling, and I won’t stop until your legs are shaking and the neighbors know my name.”

  Holy fucking hell.

  He brushes his lips over mine once, then twice, before cupping my face firmly in his big hands and sinking into me, kissing me soundly. God, it’s just as good as I remember, if not better, and I didn’t think that was possible.

  If I were wearing panties, they’d be soaked. I’m panting, and I just want to climb him. He pulls back and gently brushes loose hairs off my face.

  “You’re so sweet, baby.”

  Shit.

  I step out of his embrace and rub my hands down my face, trying to clear my head.

  “Will, I’m only going to tell you this once. Please, don’t ever call me baby. Ever.” My voice is controlled, firm.

  He scowls at me. “Why?”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “Why?” he asks again.

  “My deadbeat father used to call me that, during the few times I saw him, and it gives me the yucks. Just don’t, okay?”

  “Okay. Never again.” He shrugs and smiles at me. “Sorry.”

  I shake my head and start to retreat back to the elevator. “I have to get back.”

  “I’ll call you,” he promises, but I just shake my head again and smirk.

  “Sure you will,” I respond sarcastically, wave, and disappear into the elevator.

  Chapter Four

  “Meg, these just came for you.”

  I’m sitting at my computer, responding to e-mail and drinking a Starbucks, settling in before I have to take report from the night-shift nurse and dig into work. Jill hands me a huge bouquet of flowers, pink roses with calla lilies. I bury my nose in them and breathe them in.

  I know who they’re from, but pull the card off the plastic holder and grin at the note.

  You forgot to give me your number. Mine is 206-555-3598. Use it, please.

  So, he’s a little bossy.

  “You gonna call him?” Jill asks from behind me, clearly reading over my shoulder, and I laugh.

  “I’ll text him for now.”

  “Hell, I’d do a lot more than text him. Have you seen him?”

  I roll my eyes at her and tuck the card in my scrub pocket. “I was here yesterday, remember?”

  “The kids are still talking about it. They were really nice.” Jill grabs a chart and begins making notes.

  “Yeah, they were,” I murmur and pull my phone out of my pocket. I add Will’s number to my contact list, but instead of adding his name, I label it Football Star. I smirk and open a fresh text screen.

  Thank you for the beautiful flowers.

  I hit send and finish my e-mail and coffee, and begin taking report from my co-worker.

  About an hour later, I feel my phone buzz in my pocket.

  You’re welcome. Dinner tonight?

  He doesn’t waste any time, does he? Tonight is my only evening off through the weekend. Starting tomorrow, I’m working swing shifts until Monday, and let’s be honest, I want to see him.

  Sure. I’m off work at six.

  “Good for you, girl.” I whirl at Jill’s voice and glare at her.

  “Do you always read over my shoulder?” I demand.

  “No, but now that I know there’s going to be juicy stuff to read, I will be.” She winks and sashays past me into a patient’s room.

  I’ll pick you up at seven.

  ***

  “You look fantastic.” Will smiles when I open my front door to him.

  I’m in a white Boho-style chiffon dress with a soft lace overlay, the hem hitting me mid-thigh, and my brown cowboy boots. Several long necklaces hang around my neck, a chunky cuff bracelet sits on my left wrist, and my hair is down.

  “What did you do to your hair?” he asks.

  I chuckle and run my fingers through it. “I added a few pink strands. The kids at work think it’s fun, and so do I.”

  “Me, too.” He smiles softly and steps back, ushering me out the door.

  “Holy shit, you have a Shelby Mustang!” I gasp as I close the door behind me.

  Will stares down at me and then starts to laugh. “It’s the same car I drove you home in after the party, Meg.”

  I blink up at him and then gaze longingly at his car. I rode in a Shelby and don’t remember? Impossible!

  “Please tell me I didn’t throw up in it.”

  “Thankfully, no.” He grins down at me and tucks a pink strand of my hair behind my ear.

  “Where are we going?” I ask as he follows me down to his spectacular car and opens the door for me.

  “I thought we’d just go to a place downtown for dinner and maybe take a walk on the waterfront.”

  Instead of sitting in the leather seat, I walk to the rear of the car and gaze at the snake emblem, the chrome, hell, even the tires are pretty.

  The car is black, all black, with tinted windows, making the chrome look even shinier. I feel my eyes glass widen, and I sigh.

  “Meg?”

  “Huh?” I glance up into Will’s amused blue eyes and shake my head ruefully. “I’m sorry, what?”

  “Are you okay?” he asks with a chuckle and moves to me, settling his big hand at the small of my back, and between his touch and this car, I can’t breathe.

  “This is a Shelby,” I state, as if that explains everything.

  “I know,” he responds. “Are you a motorhead?”

  “No, I just really, really love your car.” Jesus, I love his car. This car is sexy as hell. Suddenly, I picture myself going down on him in the front seat as he drives, and I gasp, squeeze my thighs together and run my fingers through my loose hair.

  “What just went through that amazing head of yours?” he asks, his eyes narrowed, as he grips my shoulders and turns me to face him.

  I swallow. “Nothing.”

  “You’re a horrible liar.”

  “Let’s just say, this car is really sexy and does things to me,” I respond, not looking him in the eye.

  “Really,” he drawls and smiles widely. He takes a tiny step closer and tips my face up to look at him. His other hand snakes around my waist, and he starts to lower his face to mine, but I step quickly out of his embrace.

  “Don’t get any ideas,” I warn him and walk over to the open passenger door.

  He steps in front of me, blocking my way.

  “Why not?” he asks.

  “This is only a first date,” I remind him.

  “So?”

  “So, no ideas, Montgomery.” I try to look stern but can’t help but smile at him. He’s just too…Will.

  “Don’t tell me you have that stupid three-date rule.”

  I shrug but don’t answer.

  Hell yes, I have a three-date rule!

  “Can we count the engagement party as the first date?” he asks as he steps back and allows me to slide down into the plush seat.

  I’m sitting in a Shelby! Holy fuck.

  “No,” I respond when he gracefully lowers his long frame into the driver’s seat.

  “But I took you home,” he reminds me with a sly grin.

  “But you didn’t take me to the party, so it wasn’t a date.”

  “What about yesterday at the hospital?” he asks and merges into traffic.

  “Anything that includes my job is not a date.” I laugh and run my hands along the dashboard. “This car is my every fantasy,” I whisper.

  Will’s head whips around, and he stares at me, his jaw dropped, and then he starts to laugh, a huge, loud belly laugh, and I join him, giggling like crazy.

  “Great, so now you’re just using me for my car.”

  “You’ll live.” I shrug. “So, how is Jules? I
haven’t had a chance to call her since the party.”

  “She’s good. Busy with their new business and planning the wedding. I don’t know why they think they have to get married so soon.” He frowns, and I want to run my fingers through his messy hair, but link my fingers together and keep them firmly in place in my lap.

  “Did they set a date?”

  “Yeah, for early October.”

  “Why so soon?” I ask, surprised. That’s only a couple of months away.

  “Who knows? This is my sister we’re talking about. She said her whole life she wasn’t interested in getting married, then she falls for a guy and now she can’t get married fast enough.” He frowns and pulls the car into a parking garage.

  “Maybe she’s just ready to get married.”

  “I guess.”

  “Don’t you like Nate?” I ask and turn in my seat to watch his face.

  “I do. He’s a good guy, and he obviously loves my sister.” He backs into a parking space, and I smile widely at him.

  “What?” he asks.

  “So, you’re just being an overprotective big brother then?” I tease him.

  He frowns and then grins. “Yeah, can’t help it.”

  “Jules is good, Will.” I pat his thigh, and he captures my hand in his and kisses my knuckles, one by one, and just like that my stomach clenches and my breath catches and I wonder how the fuck I’m going to hold out for two more dates.

  “Your fingertips have little calluses on them,” he murmurs.

  “It’s from the guitar.”

  His blue eyes meet mine. “I’d love to hear you play sometime.”

  “Sometime,” I respond and grin.

  “I love that dimple in your cheek.” He leans in and kisses my dimple softly once, then again, and backs away, still clutching my fingers, to pin me with those fiercely blue eyes. “Do you feel this, too?” he whispers.

  “Oh yeah,” I immediately respond. It’s futile to deny it. I want him so much it hurts.

  “Good. Come on, I’m hungry.” Will climbs out of the low car and briskly walks around to the passenger side, opens my door, and offers his hand to help me out.

  “I seriously love this car.”

  “I’ll let you drive it home,” he replies and links our fingers together.

  “Seriously?” I gape up at him as he leads me to the street.