“I’ve missed you this week. I can’t get last weekend’s rope session out of my mind. It was sexy as hell, and I can’t wait for more.”
Thankfully, Sean was the only one in the room or she would have died of embarrassment. Since it was just the three of them at this point, she felt safe to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Please hush about all that, Jonas. I’d really prefer to keep my afterhours activities to myself if that’s okay.”
“Sorry, babe, guess the morphine is working on my brain.”
“I know, or else I’d be reading you the riot act by now.” She smiled at him and brushed another kiss against his forehead. “We’re going to keep you for observation overnight. You can go home in the morning if you’re a good boy and cooperate for the nurses.”
“I’m always a very good boy, Sunshine. I’m going to prove that as soon as I get you in my bed again. Hey, since I go home tomorrow we won’t have to cancel class. I’ll have you tied up in knots and at my mercy again in less than 24 hours—hot damn.”
Lexie heard Sean chuckling in the background. She ignored him, addressing her idiotic patient instead. “Jonas! You can’t have class tomorrow. It will be weeks before your shoulder is healed enough for that kind of activity. At a minimum, those stitches will have to stay in for ten days.”
“Rigging and suspensions won’t be for a few weeks. We’ll work on knots and floor work, stretching, and aftercare. I know you’ll enjoy the aftercare lessons, baby.”
Her eyes flew to Sean’s for support.
“Don’t look at me. He’s stubborn, and no matter what you or I say, he’ll do what he pleases.”
“Damn straight.” Jonas’ words were becoming slurred as the additional drugs worked on him. “You’ve got tonight to be the boss. Come tomorrow, I’m back in charge.”
Sean chuckled at Jonas; even injured, he still managed to have the last word before falling asleep. He left soon after, saying he’d be back shortly with Jonas’ clothes and essentials for the trip home. He also offered to stay the night with him since Lexie had to work. She agreed and, after he left, reluctantly went to check on her other patients.
***
Hours later, after the oncoming shift had arrived, Lexie sipped her cold coffee as she hurriedly finished her charts. All she needed was Dr. Benson’s signature on two and she’d be able to head upstairs to Jonas. Looking in his normal haunts, she was told by one of the off-going nurses that he was in the lounge. She grimaced at that. Dr. Benson was a “white skirt chaser,” what the staff called a doctor who hit on the nurses all the time. He was also a sacred cow for some reason. A parade of nurses had gone to human resources with sexual harassment charges time and again, yet he somehow managed to keep his job.
Taking a deep breath, she walked into the lounge with her tablet, the two forms she needed signed pulled up and ready to go. She purposely had everything prepared to keep their interaction as brief as possible. “I’m heading out. Could you sign off these charts for me?”
“Ah, there she is, the beautiful Alexis.” He gave her his patented slime-ball smile as he walked toward her. At sixty, he had a really bad comb-over and a potbelly, which was bad enough, but he also had short man’s syndrome. He liked the power of being in a male-dominated profession and being able to order others around, especially women. He thought he was an alpha male, only he was really just a pathetic wannabe.
“I need to check on my friend, so if you could just sign off.”
“Friend? He’s more than just a friend, isn’t he, my dear. He’s your master.”
Her mouth fell open in shock and heat suffused her face. He’d obviously overheard Jonas’ loose-lipped revelations.
With a self-satisfied smirk, he stood and approached her. “Yes, naughty girl, I heard every word. You have this sweet air of innocence about you, but lo and behold, you’re actually a very bad girl and a kinky one at that.” Stepping up close, he pulled the tablet from her hand and set it aside. “He mentioned ropes. You’re into bondage then? I’d love to tie you and flog that delectable ass of yours. I bet you like those tits whipped, too. I can do all of that while I fuck you.”
“You’re disgusting. What makes you think I’d ever go out with you? Did you see Jonas Mitchell? You don’t hold a candle to him.”
“Yes, he’s young and handsome, but he looks like a player. He’ll tire of you soon, and I’ll be happy to fill in when he’s done with you. I’ll only spank you a little bit for that nasty remark. I think we’ll get along fine.”
“You’re insane. I’ll go to HR.”
“Really? You want the whole hospital to hear about the kinky nurse we have working in our ER?”
“You’re blackmailing me?”
“Quick, aren’t you? Meet me on Thursday or I’ll share your sordid BDSM fetish with all and sundry: Facebook, Twitter, HR, administration…” He tucked a card into the breast pocket of her lab coat and patted her, giving her breast a squeeze. Recoiling at his touch, she angrily knocked his hand away.
“You are a pig.”
“Adding to your punishment is probably not a wise idea, Alexis. My address is on my card. Be there at eight o’clock sharp. Clothing is optional, until I say otherwise, of course.” He chuckled nastily as he walked out the door.
Lexie shuddered, the bitter gorge of her disgust rising up in her throat. Tears of frustration pooled in her eyes. She needed Jonas.
When she got off the elevator, the first thing she saw was Sean and Dex talking outside of Jonas’ room. Damn! He didn’t need this stress while recuperating. It was probably best that Jonas didn’t find out just yet. He’d want to kick Benson’s ass. Blinking away the tears, she took a deep, calming breath before she approached them. “How’s the patient this morning?”
“What’s wrong, Lexie?” Dex asked without answering her question.
She blinked in surprise. She’d used Visine and washed her face. How did he know?
“You’ve obviously been crying, honey,” Sean agreed. “Fess up!”
“It’s nothing, really.”
Dex crossed his arms and gave her his best intimidating Dom glare. “Jonas might not be up to it, but either Sean or I are happy to fill in if you need a paddling for lying, little sub. Now, spill.”
“It better be me, Dex. Elena’s not going to appreciate you paddling her best friend—it could get awkward.” Looking at Lexie with the same quirked brow and frown as his friend, Sean stared her down.
The submissive deep within was unable to maintain her composure before these two six-and-a-half-foot tall behemoths. “Please, I didn’t want Jonas to find out until he was healed. He’ll go ballistic and reinjure himself. His sutures are fresh, and he’s lost blood. He can’t be kicking anyone’s ass for at least a month.”
Dex’s hand came to her shoulder. Lexie knew he’d keyed into the fact that her control was on a very fine thread and she was heading for a meltdown. She needed to calm down. His had squeezed firmly as he spoke. Like Jonas, his low tone dripped with authority. “We can’t help unless you tell us, Lexie. You need to stay calm and tell us what happened.”
“I’d like to know that as well, Sunshine.”
They all turned to see Jonas standing in the doorway of his hospital room. He had his jeans on, but that was it, the bulky swath of a white bandage a stark contrast to his tanned chest. His penetrating gaze was zoned in on Lexie, who walked into the embrace of his one good arm when he held it out to her.
“Baby,” he whispered into her hair as she sobbed against his chest, “let’s get out of the hallway, then you are going to tell me exactly what this is all about.”
Between shuddering breaths, she sat next to Jonas on his bed and managed to tell her story, sugar coating it as much as possible out of concern for Jonas’ reaction.
“Let me understand this. He threatened your job in exchange for sex.”
“Yes, specifically kinky sex. He heard what you said in the trauma room.”
“Jeff Atworth is on the board here
. You want me to take care of this?” Dex offered, letting Jonas make the call.
“I want him gone, Dex. Then call T and have him pick me up at my place in an hour. I want to take care of the good doctor personally.”
“No! Jonas, you’re injured. That’s why I didn’t want you to find out.”
“Hush. I am not going to let this slime ball get away with threatening you or your job. We’ll review our previous discussion about withholding and omitting information from me, later.” He pressed his index finger against her lips when she started to argue. “No, Lexie. This is not open for discussion.” After he’d gained her compliance, he looked at Sean. “Can you bring the car around, bud? I’m ready to get out of here.”
***
Lexie paced back and forth across Jonas’ living room, checking the clock every few minutes. Where were they? It had been hours since he’d left with Lil T. She couldn’t believe he had gone out to beat someone up at all, let alone within 24 hours of being shot.
A key sounding in the lock had her rushing into the hallway. Jonas entered, followed by Lil T and a woman who looked vaguely familiar. She was surprised to see the man bringing up the rear. It was Jeff Atworth, the hospital board member they had called on for a favor. She recognized him from hospital social events that he’d attended a time or two.
“Jonas?” Rushing to him, she ran her hands over his chest, sliding aside his jacket, intent on checking his bandage.
“I’m fine, baby. You can poke and prod to your heart's content after our guests have left.” With his hand riding low on her back, he guided her toward the living room. “Let’s sit for this discussion, shall we?”
Jonas settled onto the couch and pulled Lexie down next to him. She saw his grimace and mumbled, “Stubborn man, you need to be in bed resting.”
“Lexie . . .” His tone clearly stated his patience was already wearing thin.
Mr. Atworth spoke up then. “We’ll keep this short, Ms. Berry. We know Master Jonas has been up all day dealing with this.”
Master Jonas? Her eyes flew to the other woman. Dex had said Mr. Atworth was a club member; was the woman as well? She didn’t have to wonder long before Jonas explained.
“This is Kellie Atworth, Jeff’s wife and submissive. They’re both club members.”
Was everyone in San Antonio into this kinky stuff: her friends, old classmates, co-workers, who else?
Jeff spoke up next. “Dr. Benson has been recommended for termination to the board. They will be meeting this week, until then, he has been placed on suspension pending full investigation of his sexual harassment toward many of our nursing personnel. You aren’t the only one to have been propositioned.”
“With all due respect, Sir, it was more than a proposition. He threatened to expose my private life if I didn’t have sex with him—that’s blackmail. He’s been doing this kind of thing for years and nothing has been done. What’s different this time?” Her tone was cool. After working all night, she had been up all day worrying about Jonas. She was going on thirty-six hours without sleep and had lost her filter long ago. Enraged, she spoke on behalf of the other victims whose voices hadn’t been heard. Just because she had connections with powerful men now shouldn’t make a difference. She decided she had gotten her message across and it was best not to add anymore to her statement, especially when she felt Jonas’ hand squeeze her thigh in warning.
“Let him finish, Lexie.”
She nodded, her expression no less severe.
“This is the first time these allegations have been brought to the board.”
“How—” she was stopped again by Jonas.
“If you don’t let him finish, Lex, we’re gonna be here all night. I’m on the last of my energy reserves, so I want you to wait until he’s done.” His voice was even, without a hint of anger, but she could hear the underlying steel. That meant he was serious. Fatigue was clearly visible in his drawn features.
“I’m sorry, Jonas.” Her concerned gaze flew to his face. He was in obvious discomfort. “Of course, I’ll shut up so I can get you in bed.”
He chuckled. “Sweet words, rotten timing, Sunshine.”
The others smiled at the pink hue that colored Lexie’s cheeks, but they didn’t say anything, letting Jeff finish.
“The HR Director has also been terminated. Both men have been covering up Benson’s ongoing harassment. We are sickened that this was going on beneath our noses. Believe me, Lexie, there are going to be measures put in place to prevent this kind of abuse of power by anyone in the future. Unfortunately, word got out before we could intervene.”
“That’s why I am here, Lexie.” Kellie Atworth was a petite blonde who looked like a porcelain doll. Her skin was clear and luminous, and she had big, baby blue eyes. She was the kind of woman who made Lexie feel like a hulking Amazon. “I’m actually Dr. Kellie Atworth and I run a free clinic in Southtown. Although we treat all comers, it has gained the reputation of being mostly a women’s clinic. I have been looking for an associate for a while, and with your emergency experience, I thought you would be perfect for the job. I know in the ER that you handle walk-in clients with everything from runny noses to gunshot wounds. While we don’t usually get traumas in the clinic, we get just about everything else.”
“You’re offering me a job? What about the hospital? I owe them a 30-day notice and would have to pay back a significant sign-on bonus.”
Jeff quickly responded, “I can speak for the hospital, which is willing to waive both of those commitments to avoid legal action.”
“It’s up to you, Lexie,” Kellie added. “Jonas said you have been under a lot of stress at work lately, even before this incident with Dr. Benson. This is a clinic mostly for women, run by women. In fact, I’ve been considering putting a ‘no boys allowed’ sign on the door.” This she said with a little wink, before continuing. “Since we’re not an emergency room, we close at 6 o’clock and have very limited weekend hours, and there are no holidays. I brought you a salary quote and a list of benefits. We currently receive grant funding for the indigent care we provide and we also take most insurance plans. As a non-profit, we are actually looking at operating in the black this year. I’d love to upgrade our diagnostic lab and X-ray equipment. Ultrasound on-site would be awesome and I—”
Jeff placed a finger over her mouth and waited. Her eyes connected with his and her cheeks flooded with a becoming rosy glow, enhancing her fair complexion.
“I did it again. Didn’t I?”
“Yes, sweetheart, but I love how passionate you are about your work.” Jeff looked at her with such affection that Lexie was captivated by the overtly loving pair. She made an instant decision.
“I’ll take the job.”
Kellie was shocked. “Are you sure? Don’t you want to look at the benefits or ask me questions?”
“No, I trust Jonas. He wouldn’t support this decision if he didn’t trust you in turn. I also am a fairly good judge of character. I’d love to work for someone who is passionate about her work. I don’t know why I thought I would find it in County’s ER with that vile Dr. Benson as head of Emergency Services.” She shuddered as she visualized him.
“Worst comb-over ever!” Kellie added, seeming to read her mind.
The women laughed, already forming a bond.
“Great, now that we’ve settled it, I’m going to have to ask you two to leave.” Jonas leaned heavily against Lexie—exhausted. That didn’t stop him from teasing her some more. “I think I’m in need of the expertise of my hot private duty nurse. Nurse Berry, I think it’s time.”
“For a pain pill?”
“No, Sunshine, for my sponge bath.”
Jeff laughed loudly, and Lexie knew she turned at least seven shades of red. Kellie, who tried valiantly to be supportive of her new colleague, failed miserably and ended up joining in on the laughter.
Not to be outdone, Lexie fired back. “Yes, Mr. Mitchell, Sir. We’ll get to that straight away. Right after I complete a
full head to toe assessment, which might entail a rectal core temperature or an enema.”
Kellie giggled at that, while Jeff warned, tongue in cheek, “Watch out, Lexie. Knowing my kinky friend over there, he might just take you up on that offer.”
“Hm . . . The medical role play and anal ideas have merit, but the day I’m the patient will be the day pigs fly out my ass.” Grabbing Lexie’s hand, he tugged her up off the couch with him, heading for his bedroom. “Lock the door behind you, Jeff. Come along Nurse, I’m ready for my bed, a back rub and a high colonic, but not necessarily in that order.”
“Jonas!” Lexie’s voice was rife with alarm as he pushed her up against the back of the bedroom door. Swallowing with an audible gulp she asked, “You’re not really into enemas are you?”
“I was joking. However, I’ve always had a naughty nurse fantasy.” Leaning into her, he managed to rally enough to spread kisses along her throat and jaw. “So tell me, does a man gotta get shot to get you into a sexy nurse’s uniform—garters, white stockings, heels—the works? We could use the medical play room at The Club.”
“I can do the uniform, that’s hot. Are we talking about stirrups and speculums, too?”
“Damn straight.”
“Remember the pigs flying out your ass, Jonas? That goes double for me.”
Despite his pain and exhaustion, Jonas laughed and pulled her tight against him, in need of the special brand of TLC that only she could provide.
Chapter Seven
Things seemed to settle down after the shooting. Anderson was no longer a threat, and Lexie was settling into her new job. The shorter workdays had her home every evening for supper, and she had almost every weekend off now. With Jonas on medical leave following the shooting, this meant they had a lot more time to be together. Well, in theory, this was true.
Jonas had other ideas for his forced reduction in workload. Lexie soon found out that medical leave, according to Jonas Mitchell meant no fieldwork for Rossi or DM duty at The Club. Otherwise, it was business as usual. He still ran his dojo, went into the office every day or worked in his fully equipped home office.
Unbind My Heart (Club Decadence) Page 11