by L. P. Dover
She shrugged and a small smile spread across her face. “I thought you needed some excitement. Granted, I didn’t know who he was when we first met them, but after Noah and I got a little closer, he told me the truth.”
“Why would he even tell you? Guys like Lucas get off on playing women,” I said, gaze narrowed. “Surely, Noah’s the same way.”
A breeze blew in from the open patio doors and she looked toward it, her smile never wavering. “He’s not, Ash. We connected last night. All I can think about is being with him again tonight.” Her gaze landed on me. “You felt a connection to Lucas too. I can see the truth on your face.”
I shook my head. “There’s no connecting with a guy like that. He’s a known party animal who has a different woman on his arm every chance he gets.”
She shrugged again like that didn’t matter. “People change. And this is the media you’re talking about. They can take pictures and make any kind of bullshit story up. I wouldn’t put too much into what you read. Worst case scenario is that he is a player. Oh well. You get to have fun for a bit and then go back to your life. No harm, no foul.”
I huffed, getting to my feet. Walking over to the patio doors, I turned my back on her so she couldn’t see the turmoil on my face. I had to be strong and stick to my gut. There was no way in hell I could let Lucas wear me down. “I don’t want to be portrayed as a groupie who follows him around to his tournaments.”
Harper stood and moved beside me, clad in her towel in front of the open patio doors.
I burst out laughing. “You know, people can see you.”
She looked down at her body and giggled. “I don’t care. One of us has to be the wild one.”
There had been a gazillion times when I’d wished to be like her—care-free and fun. My problem was that I thought too much about everything. There wasn’t a spontaneous bone in my body. It wasn’t the way I was brought up. “I’d give anything to be like you. You’re always so full of life.”
“So are you. You’re just tamer.” She put her arm over my shoulder and squeezed. “Oh, come on. You can’t tell me you didn’t have a blast last night just letting go.”
The night I shared with Lucas had been amazing, especially in the bedroom. Unlike men from my past, he made sure I had plenty of orgasms. I guess a big part of me felt stupid not knowing who he was.
Groaning, I closed my eyes. “Okay, I did. It felt good, but it’s not reality. I can’t behave impulsive and crazy all the time.”
“No, but you can loosen up. Stop worrying about what others are going to think of you. You’re a phenomenal doctor. It’s not going to matter to your patients who you’re having sex with.”
“It matters to me. I don’t want to fall for this guy just to be exploited in the tabloids when he cheats on me. I’ve already been down that road.” Only, that embarrassment hadn’t been for the public world to see.
Harper turned me around and grabbed my shoulders. “You will be a miserable old woman with a horde of cats, if you keep thinking like that. I plan on enjoying my time with Noah while he’s in town. Am I scared? Hell yeah. I know he’s only here for a month and then he’ll be back in Charlotte. But you can’t worry about the unknown.” She hugged me hard. “Live in the moment.”
“Sometimes I think you might be smarter than me.” I hugged her back.
“When it comes to counseling people, I am. It’s my job. You’re more than welcome to make an appointment . . . free of charge. You get the best friend discount.” We both laughed, and I let her go. She hurried off to the bedroom and changed into a pair of jeans and a floral, off-the-shoulder top. She pointed to her hair. “Keep it up or take it down?”
“Up. Looks good with the top. Shows off your shoulders more.”
I peered down at my clothes. “Guess I need to change before dinner.”
Harper slipped on her black high heels. “What are your plans after dinner? You can always grab some drinks with me and Noah. I think Aiden’s going to hang out with us for a bit.”
So that was his name. Aiden. I couldn’t remember it from the first night. Shaking my head, I answered, “Can’t. I kind of hit Lucas in the head with my golf ball today.” She gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth, but I waved her off. “Or at least, he said I did. He didn’t act like he was in horrible pain, nor did I even see a mark. Anyway, that’s how I found out who he was and vice versa.”
She giggled. “Damn, I wish I’d been there.”
I rolled my eyes. “Now he insists on me checking up on him at seven o’ clock. If I don’t, he’s going to tell the media about my ball hitting him, and I’ll be plastered all over social media.”
“What?” she shrieked. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner? This changes things.”
“How?” I asked.
A mischievous gleam twinkled in her eyes. “If Lucas wants to play dirty, so can you.”
Excitement bubbled in my chest. “I’m listening.”
“Meeting my cousin tonight?” Olivia asked as I stood from the table. We’d had an early dinner in one of the resort restaurants, and it was closing in on seven o’clock. Sophia and Allie looked like they couldn’t believe a man like Rhett would ever be interested in me. I couldn’t imagine it either, considering we had nothing in common.
Grabbing my purse, I met Olivia’s gaze. “Have you even talked to Rhett?”
She shook her head, grinning mischievously. “No. I was hoping to hear all the details from you.”
I held up my hands. “I promise, I’m not meeting him. There’s just somewhere I have to be, unfortunately.”
“Where?” she asked curiously.
I snorted. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
More like Sophia and Allie wouldn’t. Besides, I didn’t want them knowing where I was going. They’d try to force their way into Lucas’ room. The thought made my blood boil. I had no doubt he would screw countless women once I left, but I sure as hell didn’t want it to be with either of them.
Turning on my heel, I hurried to the elevator, meeting Harper’s smiling face as the door closed. She had her date night with Noah, while I’d be stuck with Lucas. Not that I was complaining. I had a plan for him to be rid of me, once and for all, and I was going to enjoy every minute of it.
Back in my room, I changed into a pair of yoga pants and one of the over-sized, ratty T-shirts I loved wearing to bed. I went for comfort at night, not sex appeal. Granted, I hadn’t needed to impress anyone lately. With my ex, it was dinner meetings and parties all the time. I had to always look my best, even when all I wanted to do was throw my hair into a ponytail and wash off my makeup. Which happened to be what I was about to do.
Hair up and makeup gone, I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled. “Let’s see how he likes me now.”
Lucas was a guy who obviously wanted women for their looks. And it was superficial men like him who I wanted to avoid. He was just like my ex and his family. I remembered a time when I, about to go out for a run, ran into Daniel’s mother who dropped by his house. She had said there was no way in hell she’d go out looking like I did with no makeup on.
I had never been so pissed off in my life. Who wore a bunch of makeup to go sweat and have it run down their face? I kept hoping Daniel wouldn’t turn out to be like his parents, but I was wrong. His betrayal had hurt, and I was glad he was out of my life.
Since I always packed a medical kit every time I went on vacation, I grabbed it and headed for the door. I never knew when an emergency would arise. Better to be prepared and not need it than need it and not have it. Lucas had no idea what he was in for tonight.
Luckily, I didn’t see Olivia or the others as I took the elevator to his floor. Heart pounding out of control, I slowly walked down the hall to his room. I took a deep breath, but it didn’t help. Why was I so nervous? Maybe because deep down, I loved that he wanted me, and I knew once he saw me with no makeup, he’d be unimpressed.
Before I could knock on the door, it opened. I su
cked in a breath and met Lucas’ shocked yet amused expression. It wasn’t the reaction I thought I’d get. Damn him. “Wow,” he said with a chuckle. “I wasn’t expecting this.”
He opened the door further and I walked inside. Setting my bag on the coffee table, I crossed my arms over my chest. “What, I’m not the sexy doctor you wanted?”
Shutting the door behind him, he leaned against it, gaze heated as he peered up and down my body. “Actually, you’re sexier than ever.” He pushed off the door and headed in my direction. “I saw you downstairs with your tight jeans and top, wearing makeup. If you’re trying to throw me off, it’s not working.” The distance between us closed. He was too close . . . way too close. He looked down at my lips. “It’s not every day you see a natural beauty.”
His smile widened as he leaned down, but I held up a hand, his lips touching my palm. “Sorry, Mr. Long Driver, but I’m not here for that.”
He burst out laughing. “Long driver?”
I lifted my brows accusingly. “Surely you remember the interview you did on the Late Show? I seem to recall you saying that it was your driver that got the ladies going.”
Shaking his head, he laughed even more. “What did you do? Google me?”
“It was kind of hard not to. I had to know what I was getting myself in to.” Putting some distance between us, I walked around to the other side of the coffee table and opened my bag.
“Am I truthfully that bad?”
I looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “You’re blackmailing me to be here. How else could I see you?”
His smile faded. “I kind of thought you’d be interested. I haven’t had anyone look at me the way you did when you didn’t know who I was.”
My heart skipped a beat and I focused on my bag, anything to get away from his mesmerizing gray stare. “It wasn’t real, Lucas. You were pretending to be someone else, and so was I. We need to forget about that night.” I fiddled around in my bag and he grabbed my wrist.
“I can’t. It’s not possible.”
Slowly, I disengaged from his hold. “You have no choice. Now sit down so I can examine you. Are you having any headaches, nausea, vomiting?”
“Just a headache,” he answered. He sat on the couch while I pulled out my stethoscope, flashlight, and needle kit. His eyes widened when he looked at the clear container of needles and various medicines. “What’s that for?”
I waved him off. “Nothing for you to worry about right now. If I think you have a mild concussion, there’s a medicine I can give you to help.” That wasn’t true, but I said it anyway.
Coming from a man who exuded confidence, I was surprised to see a hint of apprehension on his face. Could it be that the arrogant Lucas Montgomery was afraid of needles? Trying to contain my smile, I sat beside him and listened to his heart as he stared at the needles. It raced faster than my own. His blood pressure was through the roof.
“Worried about something?”
He shook his head but didn’t look at me. “Not at all.”
I grabbed my flashlight. “Turn to face me, please.” His eyes met mine and I flicked on my light. “I’m going to look at your eyes now. Just follow the light.” His pupils still looked normal, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. I turned off my flashlight and stuck it back in my bag. “I’m afraid you might have a mild concussion. It’ll probably do you some good to get this medication in your system.”
Grabbing the medicine box, I opened it and pulled out a vial of liquid, making sure to hide the saline label. He bit his lip and rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you sure this is necessary? I feel fine.”
“Worst case scenario, you don’t need it. But I’d rather be safe than sorry,” I said in a doctorly tone.
I stuck the needle into the vial and filled the syringe. Lucas took a deep breath and closed his eyes, opening them slowly. “If you do this, does it mean you’ll stay and monitor me? I don’t do so well with needles or medications.” He cleared his throat and added quickly, “I tend to have allergic reactions.” I didn’t believe him, but I humored him anyway.
“You shouldn’t have a reaction to this medication. But no worries, I have an epi pen.”
With a loud groan, he laid his head back on the couch. “I can’t believe this. Where do you need me?”
I nodded toward the back wall. “Look that way, drop your pants, and lean over the couch. It has to go in right below your hip.”
He did as I said and lowered his pants, making sure to hide his face in a pillow. He actually had a really nice ass. I couldn’t help but admire it as I wiped his upper right butt cheek with an alcohol pad.
“On the count of three,” I announced. “One. Two. Three.” I stuck the needle into his skin; his shouts were muffled by the pillow as I slowly injected the saline solution. Once it was all done, I slid the needle out and put a Band-Aid on him. “Done.”
He turned around and hissed when he pulled up his pants. “Fuck, that was worse than I thought. I hate needles.”
“Why are you afraid of them? Bad experience?” I put all my stuff back into the bag.
With a heavy sigh, he slowly sat back down. There was a sadness on his face I hadn’t seen before. “I’m not afraid of them. They just remind me of a long time ago.”
“How’s that?”
He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter.”
I sat beside him. “It does to me. You’re the one who blackmailed me to be with you. The least you can do is try to make me think you’re not an egotistical, panty-snatching whoremongerer.”
“Wow,” he replied with a laugh. “It’s such a relief to know you think so highly of me.”
I shrugged. “You haven’t given me much to go on.”
“Fine. I’ll confide in you about something I’ve never talked to anyone about before, not even Aiden.” For the first time since I met him, he seemed genuine, and sad. He looked away and focused on my medical bag on the coffee table. “When I was young, I had to watch my mother get poked and prodded with needles. There were bruises on her arms where she had to give blood.”
I curled my legs up on the couch. “What was wrong with her?”
“She had a rare condition called Addison’s disease. She was sick for a long time before any of her doctors figured out what was wrong.” He huffed and looked at me. “Do you know what it is?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. I have a friend from college who’s now an endocrinologist.” Addison’s disease happened when the adrenal glands didn’t produce cortisol. Cortisol is the stress hormone that is pertinent to survival. Without it, a person could easily die. I had a feeling I knew the outcome of his mother’s demise.
His body tensed. “I wish everyone knew about it.”
“So do I,” I agreed, voice low. “Do you mind telling me what happened?”
Stormy gray eyes on mine, I could feel his emotion as if it were my own. It angered and saddened him to talk about his mother. He was showing me a vulnerable side. “She was in a car accident and the stress sent her body into an adrenal crisis. The paramedics didn’t know they needed to pump her full of steroids, even though she wore a medical bracelet and had a medical card in her wallet. In the end, she died because she couldn’t get the help she needed. Her body just shut down.”
“Oh, Lucas. I’m so sorry.” I reached over and placed my hand on his. “I can’t imagine what you went through.”
He shrugged. “My father quit the pros after that, and I took his place. He said it wasn’t the same on the course without her. Needless to say, I spent a lot of my time blaming the medical profession after her death. The paramedics should’ve known what to do.”
“They should have.”
One corner of his mouth lifted, even though I could see the sadness still in his eyes. “My mother would’ve loved having you for a doctor.”
I smiled and shook my head. “Now don’t go getting all sweet with me. It doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”
Wincing, he moved closer. “Wha
t if I told you the truth about something? Would you think better of me?”
Gaze narrowed, I studied him. “Depends on what it is.”
“Okay, here it goes. I might have overexaggerated about being hit by your pretty pink ball.”
“I knew it!” I shrieked, hitting him on the arm. “You just wanted to blackmail me.”
Bursting with laughter, he shrugged. “Hey, can you blame me? It was the only way I could spend time with you. But, if you must know, your ball did hit me. And it left a nasty bruise on my shoulder.” He lifted his shirt and turned to the side. Right there on his left shoulder was a dark blue bruise.
Gasping, I slapped a hand over my mouth. “Wow. That must’ve hurt.”
“You’re telling me,” he said, lowering his shirt. “There was some power behind that ball.”
“Good. You deserved it.”
He held out his hand. “Truce?” When I made a face, he pressed on. “Hey, the least you could do is not hate me, especially considering you’re the one who almost killed me.”
I thought about what he said and nodded, grabbing his hand. “Deal. However, if we’re being honest with each other, I’m sorry I got gratification from sticking you with my needle. It was just saline.”
His grip tightened on my hand and he pulled me close, my body sliding across the leather couch. “Who’s the bad one now? You owe me for that. I endured emotional and physical pain just to spend more time with you.”
“It was the price you had to pay.” I let his hand go, hoping like hell he couldn’t see the chill bumps on my arms. I stood and grabbed my medical bag. “I should probably go. I have a busy day tomorrow. We’re golfing in the morning, then spending the afternoon in the spa.”
He got to his feet. “When can I see you again?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I took a needle in the ass for you. Surely, that deserves more of your attention?”
Why did he always have to give me that devilish smile of his? As much as I wanted to hate it, I couldn’t. “Why are you doing this? Can’t you find someone else?”