by Lucy Clark
‘Too soon to tell,’ Patti mumbled.
‘So will you do it?’
‘You’d better believe it,’ the nurse replied with a laugh.
‘Good. We can organise the paperwork with the agency tomorrow, if that’s all right.’
‘I’ll take care of it.’
‘OK. I’ll see you at the hotel, then.’ Susie relayed the good news to Margo as Blade was now sleeping. The manager sprang into action, pulling out her mobile phone which Susie quickly took off her. ‘Your phone should be switched off,’ she said, and pointed to several posters on the walls, telling people to turn their phones off. ‘If you need to make some calls, please, feel free to use the pay phones,’ she continued, and led the way.
Finally, everything was organised and Kyle travelled with them in the back of the limousine. Blade was collected from one of the back entrances to the hospital after a security sweep by his bodyguards had revealed no movie fans to be found. Susie followed them in her car and greeted the valet attendant with a tired smile. ‘I won’t be too long,’ she told him.
As she was waiting for the lifts, Patti came up beside her. ‘Oh, good,’ Susie said. ‘Thanks for doing this at such short notice.’
‘Are you kidding?’ the nurse asked. ‘This is just the best thing that’s ever happened to me. So where is he?’
‘Being brought in through the back entrance.’ They took the lift up to the fourth floor, where a number of suites were located. Margo had told her the room number but as there were bodyguards standing guard in the corridor, Susie surmised that they’d beaten Blade there.
A door marked STAFF ONLY opened and Blade was brought through in a wheelchair. He was just being taken into the room when a door along the corridor opened. Susie looked around and saw Jackson, dressed in faded denim jeans, a white T-shirt and with damp hair, come through the door.
He stopped when he saw her. ‘Susie!’ he said in surprise.
‘Jackson!’ Her surprise equalled his. Her gaze drank in the sight of him dressed in casual clothes, and she could have sworn her heart started having palpitations.
Jackson slowly took a few steps towards her but one of Blade’s bodyguards intercepted him. ‘No. It’s all right,’ she said quickly, and held up her hand to stop him. ‘He’s a colleague of mine.’
‘Ma’am, security has to be kept tight,’ the bodyguard replied.
‘No. You don’t understand. This doctor assisted with Mr Fargo’s surgery earlier this evening.’
Margo came out of the suite. ‘What’s going on?’ she asked, and then spotted Jackson. ‘Oh, hi, again,’ she said. ‘It’s all right.’ Her last comments were directed to the bodyguard. ‘Has that other equipment come up yet?’
The STAFF ONLY door opened as she spoke and the equipment, which had been hired from a private hospital Susie used to work at, was wheeled through. ‘This way,’ Margo instructed. The bodyguard followed her and waited for Susie.
‘Uh…I’ll be there in a moment. Tell Kyle to get things started,’ she ordered, and the bodyguard shut the door behind him.
‘Doing a little private consulting?’ Jackson asked, his tone husky. He didn’t move. They simply stood there, staring at each other. Susie’s gaze went over him again and she realised his feet were bare. He looked so…different out of his suit. Relaxed. Gorgeous. Sexy!
CHAPTER SIX
SUSIE tried to swallow but found her throat completely dry. ‘Um…I…um, hope the, um…’ She trailed off as Jackson took a small step towards her. Her breathing increased and she parted her lips to allow the air to escape more easily, her gaze never leaving his.
Again he moved, slowly closing the distance between them. Susie took an involuntary step backwards, only to encounter the wall. He was like a lion, stalking his prey, slowly…cautiously. She couldn’t move, even if she’d wanted to. She was mesmerised by him.
With a few more steps he was standing before her. In her high-heeled shoes, their gazes were almost level. Her gaze flicked to his lips and saw them part.
‘Oh,’ she gasped, as he raised his hands and placed them on the wall on either side of her head. Her breathing was now so utterly out of control there was no hiding just how much this man affected her. She’d been attracted to other men in the past but never had it been this intense.
She looked up into his eyes, noting the mounting desire there as Jackson slowly leaned closer. His clean, fresh scent only heightened her awareness of him.
‘You were saying?’ His deep voice washed over her and Susie’s eyelids fluttered closed, savouring the moment. She opened them again and looked longingly at his lips.
‘Huh?’
‘Didn’t you want to…ask me something?’
Did she? She had no idea. Her brain failed her, her only conscious thought being that if Jackson didn’t kiss her, she’d go insane. The effect he had on her senses was sending them spiralling out of control. Her body was in tune with his as she silently urged him to come even closer.
How much longer was he going to torture them? If she could get her arms to move, she’d reach out and bring his lips to hers. She was paralysed, no, hypnotised, and there was nothing she could do about it, such was the effect Jackson had on her.
‘Captivating,’ he whispered. Never before had he felt like this. It had to be right—but even if it was wrong, there was no denying that the only thing he wanted to do right at this very second was to claim Susie’s luscious lips in a mind-shattering kiss. A kiss that would satisfy them both—of that he was absolutely sure.
Closer and closer he came until his breath was mixing with hers. Susie closed her eyes, unable to summon the strength to keep them open. She waited, waited impatiently for his mouth to touch hers while still enjoying the sensations he was evoking throughout her body.
The click of a door being opened, together with Kyle’s voice saying ‘I’ll check with Susie’, penetrated the sensual haze with a jolt.
Susie’s eyes snapped open, her limbs came to life and she quickly ducked under Jackson’s arm, trying to compose herself. Her legs were like jelly and as she took a step away she stumbled.
‘Hey, Susie,’ Kyle said as he spotted her and then quickly held out a steadying hand. ‘You all right?’
Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded.
‘Jackson?’ Kyle looked past her and Susie risked a glance over her shoulder. He was casually leaning against the wall, his hands in his jeans pockets.
‘Kyle.’
‘Are you staying on this floor?’
‘Yes, a few doors down.’ He kept his gaze away from Susie’s, although the way she’d looked a few seconds ago would now be burned in his memory for ever. Her face had been turned expectantly up towards his, her lips parted, her eyes closed, her skin tinged with a faint pink glow. Beautiful! ‘I hear Blade Fargo is one of my neighbours.’ He forced himself to ease away from the wall.
He was determined to ensure that Kyle didn’t pick up on the sexual tension that existed between Susie and himself. He needed to protect her as best he could, and if that mean not looking at her then he wouldn’t.
‘Yeah, and Susie and I are his doctors.’ Kyle said excitedly. ‘Come and say g’day,’ he urged, and knocked on the closed hotel door. It was opened by one of the bodyguards and Kyle headed in.
Susie hung back, anxious for a look, a word—something—from Jackson to reassure her. Instead, he gave her a wide berth and for the first time since she’d met him he went through the door before her.
She was hurt. Didn’t he realise she needed some reassurance? Had Kyle not interrupted them, Jackson would have kissed her and there was no way she would have resisted. She’d wanted it just as desperately as he had.
Feeling suddenly cold and bereft, Susie rubbed her arms as the first spark of anger ignited deep inside. She followed him into the room. How dared he pretend nothing had happened? Although, she realised, nothing had happened and perhaps that was why she was starting to feel so utterly frustrated.
&nbs
p; How dared she allow him to have the ability to affect her in such a way? Her anger grew and it encompassed herself as well as Jackson. She’d promised herself not to allow men to affect her like this yet here she was, frustrated and cross because of Jackson.
Perhaps she should thank Kyle for interrupting them. Perhaps she should consider this a lucky escape. After all, if they had kissed, she would have had more physical sensations to fight. Perhaps she was better off.
‘Would that be right, Susie?’ Kyle was asking her, and she realised that everyone in the room was looking at her expectantly—except Jackson.
‘Uh…well…um…’ she spluttered, not at all sure what Kyle had asked her.
‘I think you’re spot on, Kyle,’ Jackson answered. ‘Good work.’
‘Ah…Absolutely,’ Susie responded, finally finding her voice. Her hostility towards Jackson diminished a bit as she acknowledged that he’d just rescued her. She needed to get out of there, to sort out her emotions before she made a fool of herself. ‘If that’s all you need…’ she glanced at Blade and then at Kyle, her gaze avoiding Jackson’s ‘…I think I’ll head home. It’s been a very hectic day and tomorrow promises to be no less. Call me if you need me,’ she told Kyle as she turned and headed to the door.
‘I’d better be going, too,’ Jackson announced to the room.
‘Aw, come on,’ Margo purred, and Susie watched as the other woman crossed to Jackson’s side and linked her arm with his. ‘Surely you don’t have to go just yet? Now that we’ve got Blade settled, we can all relax.’
Susie groaned inwardly and continued out of the door, which one of the bodyguards held open for her. ‘Stay and relax,’ she muttered as she stormed over to the lifts. ‘That man doesn’t know his own charm and probably has every woman he meets falling in love with him.’ She assaulted the down button, pressing it repeatedly.
‘Mumbling to yourself?’ Jackson asked. She didn’t turn around. Instead, she pressed the down button again.
‘I’ll walk you out.’
‘There’s no need,’ she replied between clenched teeth.
Jackson watched as she pressed the button again, muttering something about slow hotel lifts. He frowned, unsure why she was so angry. ‘It’s no trouble,’ he told her.
Susie met his gaze. ‘I don’t care if it’s an imposition to you or not, the fact is that I don’t want you to walk me out. I’m a big girl, Jackson, and I’m more than capable of getting into the lift, walking to the valet desk and waiting for my car.’ She pressed the button yet again. ‘That’s if this lift ever gets here.’
‘You’re angry with me,’ he stated in surprise. ‘Why?’
‘Oh, that’s right. As far as you’re concerned, you’ve not done anything wrong.’ Her temper was at boiling point. She was cross with him, cross with herself and cross with the lift. She glanced around for an exit sign and stormed over to the door marked STAIRS.
‘Susie!’ Jackson charged after her, completely baffled as to why she was upset. The concrete stairs were cold beneath his feet but that was the least of his worries. ‘Talk to me,’ he demanded, his voice echoing. The clip-clop of Susie’s shoes reverberated around the stairwell and he was pleased to note she was holding onto the railing. She’d already stumbled once tonight and, as he’d realised the previous evening, she wasn’t at all comfortable in heels higher than an inch.
‘There’s nothing to say.’ She rounded the bend and started on the next flight. She was grateful that Blade’s suite hadn’t been on the twentieth floor but, given the way she was feeling, she wouldn’t have cared how many flights of stairs she had to walk down. All she wanted was to get out of the hotel and away from Jackson.
‘Nothing to say? You’re being stubborn and irrational.’
Susie stopped and whirled around to look up at him. He stopped, too. ‘Stubborn? Irrational?’
‘Yes.’ There were only two steps between them and Jackson slowly moved down one, hoping she wouldn’t move. It didn’t work.
She whirled around again and started clopping her way down the noisy stairwell. ‘So what if I am being irrational? I’ve got good reason.’
‘Then tell me what it is,’ he said, starting to get a bit fed up with the situation himself. He took the stairs two at a time, passing her. He barred her way just before she reached the door that led to the lobby.
‘Look, if I’ve done something wrong, at least tell me about it so I can apologise.’
Susie gazed at him and felt her anger begin to dissipate. She sighed. ‘It’s the fact that you don’t know you’ve done anything wrong that’s made me angry.’ That and her own uncontrollable reaction to him. She had to become stronger. She had to fight the attraction between them with every ounce of strength she had.
‘Wanting to kiss you was wrong?’ If there was one thing he’d learnt from his marriage, it was that communication was paramount. Then again, Alison had always been willing to talk things through and eventually come to see things his way. Whereas Susie seemed to be as stubborn as a mule.
‘Oh, you know it was,’ she said, her anger returning. ‘I hardly know you, Jackson. You might have a girl in every…hospital,’ she spluttered. She saw his jaw clench and his eyes darken. ‘You’ve been travelling for so long, you’re bound to get…well…lonely and—’
‘So you just think I kiss any woman who shows an interest in me, eh?’
‘How do I know? You might.’ The last thing Susie wanted to think about now was Jackson kissing other women. Jealousy reared its ugly head.
‘Even though we’ve spent such a short time together, Susie, I thought the answer to that question might have been obvious. For all I know, you might be the type of woman who gives in to every guy who makes a pass at you.’
‘What? How dare you?’
‘Ah, so you don’t like it either. It’s all right for you to accuse me of bad behaviour but not vice versa.’
He had a point. Susie looked down at the stairs, trying to control her emotions and her thoughts. Finally, she raised her head to look into his eyes, eyes that had the ability to make her forget all rational thought. ‘Look, all I was saying is that you’re a very handsome man and I’m sure you’ve met plenty of women during the VOP who would have been more than willing to indulge in a brief affair while you were in town.’
‘And what if there were?’
Susie’s eyes widened in surprise. Was he admitting to it? Was he a womaniser? ‘Were there?’ she asked quietly, trying hard to control her disappointment.
‘Yes.’
She felt as though he’d hit her. Her mouth opened in disbelief. She’d been hoping against hope that he wasn’t that way and now he was admitting as much.
‘Yes, there have been women who’ve made passes at me during the VOP—but I didn’t take any of them up on their offers. Susie, I’ve been working through a lot of emotions during this tour and the last thing I needed was…entanglements.’ He held out his hand to her. ‘Until you.’ His tone was soft and endearing, urging her to trust him.
She looked at his hand but didn’t take it. He dropped it back to his side and nodded. ‘You’re the first woman I’ve wanted to kiss since Alison’s death. Is it so wrong that I’d follow through on that instinct?’
‘You shouldn’t have.’ Susie shook her head for emphasis, her determination returning.
‘Why not?’ His tone held a hint of impatience.
‘Because it just complicates things even more.’ She sidestepped him and stalked through the door, into the lobby.
‘As I recall,’ he said as he went after her, ‘you were quite willing for it to happen.’
Susie stopped and turned to face him glad that, except for the bare minimum of staff, the lobby was deserted. ‘I am not having this discussion with you here.’
‘Then come back up to my room and we’ll discuss it there.’
‘Ha. Come back to your room? That would be the last thing I do.’
‘Why?’
Susie opened her mo
uth to speak but couldn’t. She wanted to tell him that if she went up to his room there was no way she’d be able to resist him. He would kiss her and she would willingly let him. She knew it was because she wanted it, more than she wanted anything else right now, but she’d also given in to her wants before and it had ended in heartbreak.
‘I’ll tell you why,’ he continued. ‘You don’t want to come back to my room because you can’t trust yourself.’ He lowered his voice and took a step closer. As he did, he stubbed his toe on a nearby table and grunted in pain.
Susie reached out and steadied the vase of flowers on the table before glancing down at his foot. He’d flexed his ankle to hold the toes upwards and was hobbling towards a chair. She looked into his eyes and saw the pain there.
‘Let me look at it,’ she said, and reached for his foot.
‘No. It’s fine. I can take care of it.’
‘Stop being such a martyr and let me look at it.’ Susie grabbed his heel and lifted it up.
‘Is everything all right?’ one of the staff asked.
‘It’s fine.’ Jackson glared at Susie as she tweaked his sore toe.
‘Sorry.’ She grinned at him and continued checking the range of motion. ‘Not broken,’ she announced, and turned to face the staff member. ‘He’ll be fine,’ she said. ‘My prescription is two paracetamol and bed rest. Perhaps you might help Professor Myers back up to his room.’ Susie smiled sweetly, enjoying Jackson’s disadvantage.
‘I’m fine,’ he repeated, and stood to prove it.
‘Well, if that will be all, I’ll be on my way.’ Susie handed the staff member her valet ticket, and after a brief nod he left them. ‘No charge for the examination,’ she told Jackson.
‘How generous of you.’ He frowned and she realised that she’d better not try to push him any further as his mood had changed drastically. Previously he’d been willing to reason, to calmly discuss things. Now he wasn’t in such a good mood and she didn’t blame him—stubbed toes were painful.
Susie decided to take pity on him. ‘Go and rest. I’ll see you tomorrow,’ she said, and turned away from him. It was either that or throw herself into his arms. He looked so gorgeous, standing there in his faded denims, his blue eyes filled with exhaustion. It had been hard to resist but with every step she took away from him she grew more proud of her success.