Twenty Times Tempted: A Sexy Contemporary Romance Collection

by Petrova, Em

  As she took a seat on the rolling stool and began to open plastic trays with sealed, sterile lids, he watched calm return to her.

  “How long have you been a nurse?”

  “Two years, but I’ve only been here for one.” She took off the gauze bandage and smeared a thick brownish-yellow liquid over his cut.

  “And you like it here?”

  “Yes, very much. You never know what you’re going to have walk through that door.” Her brows puckered again, and he wondered if she was concentrating on his cut really hard or worried about Knox.

  He didn’t like feeling as if he had to vie for her attention. He’d had women in the past—plenty of them. He’d never had to go begging for someone to be with him. But Abigail wasn’t falling into his arms as most women did. Sure, she was a professional, supposed to be caring for him. But that didn’t mean…

  He cut off his thoughts as she raised a lethal needle and filled a vial. “I’m just going to numb the site and then we’ll get started, okay?”

  “Sure.” He didn’t flinch as she administered the local and the hot sting of numbing agent moved through his skin until his whole foot felt deadened.

  She patted his leg, and his cock jerked as if to meet her touch. “You did well.”

  “Well enough to get your phone number for later?”

  She removed her hand and stood. “Um, I’m not allowed to date patients.”

  “I’m only a patient for today.”

  Her gaze travelled over his face and down to his chest and then back up. Did she like what she saw? Was it his imagination or was her pulse going wild in her long throat?

  “I’m sorry, Gunner.”

  He wasn’t going to take no for an answer. She was beautiful, obviously smart and very good with her hands. And he hadn’t felt such a spark with a woman in too long. He opened his mouth to speak but the doctor came in, took up the stool and immediately began suturing his foot.

  Abigail shouldn’t be standing by watching.

  She should be straddling me, sinking over my cock.

  Chapter Two

  Abigail had spent far too little time sleeping lately. The toll on her was a pair of dark bruises under each eye. She’d used a lot of concealer to try to cover them, but the only answer was a tube of bright red lipstick to draw attention away.

  She applied it and leaned away from the mirror to examine her reflection. The ugly fluorescent lighting of the hospital’s restroom didn’t help her appearance at all, and she grunted.

  Spinning away, she headed out to work. Whatever today brought, she would slap a smile on her face and make the most of it. Being a nurse meant more than just healing someone. She couldn’t count the number of men she’d just listened to.

  Coming back from war, going into it. Even the young guys struggling to get through basic training.

  A few of those men stuck out in her mind, but recently one had her heart doing backflips. She’d tried for a week to get Gunner out of her head. Of course, it didn’t help that he’d come back daily to have her change the dressing on his wound and check it.

  Then there was Knox…

  She’d been so worried about him that she’d gone into the hospital to find his room. In her time as a nurse, she hadn’t often seen a man in so much pain, and she just had to see him without that grimace or the beads of sweat on his face.

  But it turned out his smile had a much worse effect on her. She couldn’t shake it from her mind either.

  Man, she needed laid. It had surely been too long if she was daydreaming about the soldiers she treated.

  When she walked into triage, the night nurse was just doing her inventory. Trina turned from the cabinet with a smile. “Hi, Abigail. You look ready to slay the day.”

  “What, me? I haven’t gotten more than three hours of sleep a night for two weeks.”

  “Really? Why not? You’re getting off shift early enough, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah, for the most part. I just have a bad case of insomnia, it seems.”

  “Have you tried taking any over-the-counter sleep aids?” Trina was tall with her light brown hair in a short pixie cut barely skimming her ears. It suited her delicate features and made her green eyes look huge.

  “Yes, I have. They make me feel so sleep-drunk that it isn’t worth it. I’d rather be alert.”

  Trina made a face. “I know the feeling. I’m almost finished here and then the triage is yours.”

  Abigail heard a step behind her that sent goosebumps skittering over her whole body. After a week, she knew the sound too well.

  Gunner.

  She didn’t need to turn to know she was right. The look on Trina’s face said it all. Her eyes went round and her jaw dropped.

  Bracing herself, Abigail pivoted. There was all six-foot-one inch of Gunner. Eyes blazing, wearing fatigues and a badass crooked smile.

  A warm tingle ran through her body, lighting every spot in its path. Her pussy gave a hard squeeze before she could find her brain and form words.

  “Hello, Private First Class.”

  He gave her a nod that was quick and efficient—and all man. That heat inside her kicked up a notch.

  He looked past her at Trina. “Gunner reporting for wound check, ma’am.” His gaze flicked down to Abigail, a smoldering there making her panties damp.

  Finding her voice, she waved at the bed. “Have a seat, soldier. I’ll have a look, but you know you don’t need to have this looked at daily.”

  “A soldier’s feet are important. I figure it’s best to make sure there’s no trouble.”

  His scent wafted toward her, male spice and a hint of whatever masculine soap he used.

  Trina went about her business of inventorying, but Abigail didn’t dare look at her. She watched Gunner’s long fingers work over the laces of his boot and then pull off the leather followed by his sock. Before she even took a proper look, she knew the stitched area was fine. She suspected he was coming in for another reason, one that she couldn’t act on.

  Men in the Army were lonely. They worked day and night without comforts of home or loved ones. And definitely not the comfort of a good woman.

  But she couldn’t be that woman. She wasn’t into soldiers, no matter what her hardened nipples said.

  Gunner twisted his foot aside for her to examine the area. Behind her, Trina made a noise and then hurried out of the room with a “See you later, Abigail.”

  Leaving her alone with the man she’d been having more than odd tingles for. She’d actually dreamed about him last night, of rolling in his arms and his long cock—

  She stomped all over that thought and leaned in to peer at his foot. “It’s healing perfectly. No sign of infection.”

  “It itches like a motherfu—” He gave her a sheepish smile. “I mean it itches badly.”

  She straightened and threw him a smile. “You’re not the first guy I’ve heard swear, Private First Class. It itches because it’s healing. It’s a good thing.”

  “Ah.” Something about his tone drew her gaze to his. A hard throb of her heart and she was lost hopelessly in his eyes. Feeling as if she were driving a fast car and losing control.

  “Abigail. Do you ever go by Abby?”

  She shook her head. Unaware that she’d drifted closer to him until he reached out and caught a loose tendril of hair that always escaped her bun and floated around her face. He rubbed it between his fingers, and her body reacted as if he’d stroked her straining nipple.

  She issued a quiet noise.

  “Go out with me, Abigail.” His dark, promising tone, his scorching gaze and the way he lightly tugged at her hair all threatened her sanity.

  Before she could say something she’d regret, she stepped away.

  Good thing too, because at that moment Trina poked her head around the curtain. “Someone is requesting to see you, Abigail.”

  “Thanks, I’ll be right there.” She gave Gunner a look. Trina disappeared again. “Your foot is fine, Private First Class. You
can just come in for your final scheduled appointment to have the stitches removed.”

  He opened his mouth to say something, but she didn’t want to know what else he’d say or do to get her to go out with him. She rushed from the space and into another.

  Where she came face-to-face with Private Knox. God, these soldiers were going to kill her this week. He was tall, his hair freshly cut. Where the hair had been above his ears there were small white slivers of skin.

  He was shirtless.

  Her gaze traveled over broad shoulders and rounded pecs down to the speed bumps of his abs. At the bottom where his fatigue pants hung low on his hips was a small white bandage where they’d removed his appendix.

  “You’re doing well, I see,” she said breezily. He was a beautiful man, and she was a woman. Of course she was going to look. But not act.

  “Hello, Nurse Abigail. I wondered if you could take a look at it for me and make sure there’s nothing wrong?”

  She skipped her gaze up to his face, which was as much of a mistake as staring at his abs. He was tanned to a golden brown, his nose straight and a small scar running through his brow. Below his brows was a pair of bright blue eyes. Bright with interest, that was.

  “S-sure.”

  She moved closer to him. Touched his bandage at his waist. When she began to pull the tape free, she shot a glance up at him to make sure she wasn’t hurting him.

  “What do you do in your free time?” he asked in a deep rumble.

  She bit her lower lip. “Ummm, I don’t have much of that to be honest.”

  “Too much work and no play for a lovely woman like you?” He shook his head and made a noise of distress.

  She freed the edge of the bandage and slowly removed it. He didn’t wince, and why should he? It was only a little tape and he’d likely been through a whole lot of hell just in training.

  “Will you go out with me, Abigail?”

  A growl sounded from behind her, and she whirled to see Gunner glaring from around the white curtain.

  ***

  Walking in and seeing Abigail so close to that asshole Knox—bent down on a level with his groin—shook Gunner to the core.

  Why, though? He and Abigail didn’t know each other, but ever since he’d set eyes on her he’d known he wanted more, even despite the pain he’d been in. And now he was in another sort of pain, a hollow, aching pain that ripped him up.

  And made him want to punch Knox’s teeth out and put him in another wing of the hospital.

  He stepped into the space.

  “If it isn’t the douche-bag,” Knox drawled.

  Gunner took a threatening step toward him. Abigail thrust out both hands as if to hold them off.

  “No trouble in here, guys.”

  Gunner glared over her head at Knox. The man wrapped his hand around her wrist as a lover might right before he pinned her on the bed.

  “Get your hand off her.” Gunner barked the order. As he was a superior officer, Knox had to obey him.

  Yet he didn’t.

  “You’re out of conduct, private.”

  Knox gave him a slow smile that had no joy in it at all. “This is my private space where I’m being examined by my nurse. I think it’s you who’s out of conduct.”

  “Stop, it, guys. You’re both healthy—neither of you need medical care. Now why don’t you go back to your duties?” A desperation sounded in her voice, but when she looked at Gunner, her voice hitched enough that he knew she was affected by him.

  Gunner wrapped his hand around her other wrist and lightly tugged her in his direction.

  “Both of you stop before I call security. I’m sure neither of you want to be written up for this!” Her eyes shot sparks and her hair was slowly trickling free of her bun. More tendrils floated around her face. God, what he wouldn’t do to cup her beautiful face and tip her mouth up for his kiss.

  Knox took her hand and drew it down to touch his chest. She gasped and wrenched away from both of them, putting several feet of space between them all, but it was a mistake.

  It gave Gunner a clear shot at Knox.

  “I think the nurse is right. You’re healed,” Gunner bit off.

  “I’ve got six weeks of light duty.”

  “Then I’d suggest you go do it before I tell your CO.”

  Knox gave a wide grin, which he turned onto Abigail. She flushed to the roots of her hair and glanced away. Gunner’s chest burned. Did she find this asshole attractive? Maybe something was going on between them.

  Damn, he was a fool.

  But a fool who wasn’t about to give up. He hadn’t seen someone like Abigail in—well ever. She was special, feminine, smart and had a soft touch that reached deep into a man and grabbed him by the heart.

  Apparently he wasn’t the only one who felt this way, though.

  But I’ll be the last, dammit.

  He and Knox glared at each other until a noise brought their heads up. Abigail had left the space and returned with the security she’d threatened.

  “Is there a problem, soldiers?” the man said in a hard voice.

  Abigail stood with hands on her hips, looking about to throttle them both. Damn, she was cute. Too bad Knox had that smitten look on his face. Gunner was about to knock it off for him.

  “Is there a problem, soldiers?” the security guard repeated in a harder tone.

  “Guys.” The soft pleading in Abigail’s tone broke the moment. Gunner looked into her eyes. “I’ll see you in two days, Abigail.” He looked to the guard. “For stitches removal.”

  He gave a nod and Gunner walked out, ignoring Knox even as he burned to go back and punch his face in. Gunner wasn’t finished with trying to win Abigail over. A date with him was in her future—and he was going to wine and dine and treat her as she deserved to be treated even if it cost him a reprimand or five.

  Abigail was worth the punishment.

  Chapter Three

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” Gunner practically roared when he spotted Knox sitting on the triage bed.

  Knox gave him an eye roll. “Same thing you are, Private First Class.” He said the title as if it were something nasty lying on his tongue. “Trying to get the girl, right?”

  “She’s not a prize to be won.” Gunner braced his legs wide and folded his arms over his chest, using his impressive bulk to intimidate. All his hard work would pay off in this case. Knox wasn’t exactly a wimp, but he wasn’t up to Gunner’s standards after his surgery.

  Very slowly, Knox got off the table and stood facing him. Bracing his legs and folding his arms too.

  “I saw her first,” Gunner said.

  “Yeah, well, she visited me several times while I was recovering here in the hospital. We got close.”

  “I don’t believe a thing a lying piece of shit like you says.”

  Their raised voices brought someone into the room, but it wasn’t Abigail. The tall nurse called Trina looked between them. “Abigail warned me this might happen, that you two would come in and there’d be trouble. Want me to call security again?”

  Gunner turned toward her. “Where is she?”

  “It’s her day off. So take this problem someplace else. You’re wasting your time anyhow.” She came into the room and whipped back two curtains so they were exposed to the front desk where the security guard sat talking to one of the other nurses there.

  Knox stepped up to Gunner, two inches from his face, and said, “This isn’t over.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  “I said take it outside, men!” Trina huffed.

  The security guard got up.

  Ignoring them, Gunner said, “I know you’re faking shit to come and see her, Knox. I bet your CO would like to hear that.”

  “Same goes for you.”

  “We’ll see who comes out on top.” Gunner wanted to pop the man like a pimple, even if they had been friends for years.

  And he wanted to go find Abigail. She probably lived off base, but where could he f
ind out that information? Trina didn’t seem too eager to share it.

  “Is there a problem?” the guard asked.

  Gunner didn’t look away from Knox when he said, “No.” And turned and walked out.

  He went straight to work and threw himself into four long hours of training, running for two of those despite the stitches that needed to come out. While he set up to pump some iron, he couldn’t help but think about Abigail. What did she do on her days off and where did she go?

  He pictured her curling up on her sofa with a book. She seemed a quiet sort of person, but he wanted to make her moan—loudly.

  As he added more weight to his machine and started lifting, he let his mind wander. Fantasizing about sitting on the sofa next to her and drawing her feet into his lap for a massage to work out the stress of being on them for long shifts.

  This is getting beyond a one-night stand. What happened to my vow to stay away from girls I could run into?

  “Hey, Gunner. Time’s up on that machine.” Walker was one of Gunner’s closest friends. They’d spent a lot of time down at the bar together on their off hours, drinking away memories of bombs and blood. Now Walker had a baby and a steady woman he confided to, and they hadn’t drunk together in too long.

  He ended his reps and got off the machine. When Walker settled on it, Gunner leaned against the wall to watch. “How’s that pretty little lady of yours?”

  Walker flashed a grin. “Great. I can’t wait to get home to her again.”

  “Must be hard just stealing some hours when you’re off duty.”

  “Nah, well worth it. And she’s very understanding. Especially when I can make her scream until she’s exhausted.”

  They shared a laugh.

  “Do you have someone special?” Walker asked, doing his own reps. The space was nearly empty with only a few other guys working out. Not all soldiers came to the gym when not forced to, because they were too tired from everything they’d already done that day. Walker and Gunner were different, though.