Jared pushed up his sleeves and advanced on Angel. She backed away as the two men circled each other in the foyer.
“Um, help?” she called to whatever family member might want to intervene. “Mrs. Marino! I think someone’s going to get hurt!”
The family rushed in to see Angel peeling off his leather jacket and tossing it to the floor in a big show of machismo. Their fluffy dog, Fred, growled, ran over, and started humping the jacket.
“Please don’t fight,” Emily said. “This has all been just a big misunderstanding.”
“Whoa,” Nico said.
“Twenty on Jared,” Luke said.
“I got fifty on Angel,” Vince declared proudly. “I taught him every dirty trick I know.”
The brothers quickly placed bets about evenly split between Jared and Angel.
“Boys!” Mrs. Marino exclaimed, hands on her hips. “What do you think you’re doing betting on your own brothers?”
“Men!” Mr. Marino barked. “Take it outside.”
Emily’s eyes widened as Angel held the door open and gestured for Jared to go outside first. Jared grabbed Angel and shoved him out the door. All the men rushed through after them to watch. She wasn’t sure if she could stand to see either one of them get hurt.
She turned to Mrs. Marino. “Shouldn’t we stop them?”
“I get the feeling only you can stop them,” Mrs. Marino said. “They’re fighting over you.”
“This is ridiculous,” Emily muttered. This kind of thing would never happen with her and her older sisters. They would just silently seethe and convey everything with a lethal look. Men were beasts.
She stomped outside to find Jared had Angel in a headlock on the front lawn. “Jared! Let him go.”
“You’d like that,” Jared snapped and then grunted as Angel got in a jab to the kidneys that made Jared release his hold.
“I taught him that,” Vince said proudly and put Gabe in a headlock, who elbowed him in the kidneys too. “Oof,” Vince said and then grinned.
Emily rushed in between Jared and Angel, who were circling each other again. “Angel, tell him there’s nothing between us.”
“I did,” Angel said. “He’s too thickheaded to listen.”
“Jared,” she said gently, “please don’t fight. Could you just take me home? I’d really like a ride home with you.”
“Your girlfriend needs a ride home,” Jared barked before turning and stalking off to his truck.
And before she could say I’m not his girlfriend, he’d taken off in a big squeal of tires.
“That was disappointing,” Luke said. “Who won?”
The brothers began arguing over what should count for points. Angel just shook his head and turned to her. “C’mon, I’ll take you home.”
On the drive home with Angel, she felt horribly guilty. “I shouldn’t have come tonight. I feel terrible that you and Jared got into a fight.”
“Don’t feel bad,” he said. “Sometimes things get physical. Testosterone and all that.”
He was awfully casual about the whole thing. “What if one of you got hurt?”
“Come on, it’s Jared. You think he’s going to bust up his hand on my ugly mug? He would never risk it because then he couldn’t do surgery.”
“So you knew all along he wouldn’t hurt you?”
“Just blowing off steam.”
She folded her hands in her lap and stared straight ahead. Men were a strange lot. She’d really been worried. “He seems so mad, though. How am I going to have fun with him when he’s like that?”
Angel glanced over at her and grinned. “It’s good for him. Gives him a little challenge. Normally women just fall into his lap.”
“That’s what I was trying to do!”
“Wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Well, your way sucked.”
He chuckled. “Fine, do it your way.”
“I will.”
“He works office hours ten to six on the third floor of the hospital Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. Maybe you could catch him then. Wednesday is surgery day and too busy. He usually eats lunch in the cafeteria at one.”
She let out a breath of relief. Angel was finally helping her. “Okay, thank you.”
Angel smiled his dimpled smile at her. “Sure. And mention you’re thinking of doing a freebase jump. He’s a total adrenaline junkie. He’ll probably want to do it with you.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s when you rock climb with a parachute and then jump.”
“Sounds dangerous, but, hmm…maybe I’ll mention it.”
“Definitely mention it. He loves that stuff. But only do it if Jared’s with you, okay? Let him take the lead. He’s the expert.”
“Okay. Thanks, Angel.”
He smiled widely. “No problem at all.”
~ ~ ~
Emily headed to the hospital cafeteria for lunch at one o’clock the very next day, hoping to see Jared. She stood in line for food and kept checking around. Finally he arrived, standing several people behind her in line with another doctor. She waved.
He raised his hand in acknowledgement and went back to his conversation.
She got her food, paid, and waited by the cashier for Jared to catch up. When he stopped to pay, she asked, “Mind if I sit with you?”
He stiffened. “Actually I’m getting this to go.”
She looked at his tray with a burger and fruit salad on a ceramic plate with no take-out containers. “You are?”
“Yeah, crazy day.” He shoved a twenty-dollar bill at the cashier. “Keep the change.” And then he took off, tray in hand.
He’d just given the cashier a twelve-dollar tip in the self-serve cafeteria. Was he avoiding her because she showed up with Angel for dinner last night, or was he really busy today?
“Jared, wait!”
He kept going, picking up the pace. “Tell Angel I said hi.”
“I’m not seeing Angel,” she called to his retreating back.
Okay. She’d try again tomorrow.
Tuesday wasn’t much better. She got to the cafeteria a little after one, and Jared was already sitting at a table full of doctors. She walked right by his table with a cheery hello and, though he smiled and said hello, he immediately returned to his table conversation. Like he didn’t really want to talk to her. Had she imagined the chemistry between them? No, she’d definitely felt something really strong. That couldn’t have just been her. Maybe she needed to explain better about Angel.
She took a seat across the cafeteria with her supervisor, Jane, and surreptitiously checked Jared out, but he was very focused on his turkey sandwich and didn’t look up once. At least she still had that ace in the hole Angel had told her about—freebase jumping. Jared was the good-time guy and an adrenaline junkie. She had his number. No way Dr. One-and-Done could resist freebase jumping followed by a little nurse action. She just had to make him understand Angel wasn’t standing between them in any way.
~ ~ ~
Jared entered the hospital cafeteria on Thursday at his usual time and quickly looked around for Emily. No sign of her. He relaxed a little. On Monday she’d wanted to sit with him, and on Tuesday she’d watched him from across the room. Thankfully, he spent Wednesday in surgery. He was used to women finding him when they wanted a little fun, but Emily was in a whole different league. The friend league. Besides, he could only stay strong in his resolve to resist her if he kept a safe distance.
He’d nearly made it to the pork lo mein when someone tapped his shoulder. He turned and there she was, looking all kinds of sexy with her glossy brown hair, sparkling brown eyes, and blue scrubs with elephants holding trunks. Her sexy body hiding under scrubs tempted him way too much.
“Hi,” she said with an impish smile.
“Hi.”
“So, I hope you’re not mad at me for sitting next to Angel at dinner. We’re just friends.”
“Uh-huh.”
“No, really.”
He turn
ed back around, ignoring her. Angel wouldn’t have invited her to dinner if he was thinking just friends. He hadn’t brought Julia by for Sunday dinner with the family in years. Not since the early days when she’d first lost her husband and couldn’t tolerate being alone.
“I’ll sit with you today,” Emily said. “And don’t tell me you’re too busy to sit with a friend.”
He blew out a breath and said over his shoulder, “Fine.” He could only avoid her for so long working at the same hospital. Although, now that he thought about it, he couldn’t remember seeing her in the hospital cafeteria before. He definitely would’ve remembered a beautiful, sexy nurse like her. Why was it so hard to do the right thing?
He led the way to a table by the window, and she settled across from him.
She took a sip of water and looked up at him from under her lashes. He knew that look. It was a flirtatious gesture right before a suggestive statement. He shoved lo mein in his mouth and looked out the window.
“Maybe we could have lunch at your house on Saturday after your Captain Cuddle visit,” she said.
“Captain Huddle,” he said around a mouthful of noodles. If he had to dress up in a ridiculous costume, at least he could own it. He was a hedgehog, dammit.
“Captain Huddle, of course.”
He could hear the smile in her voice and met her sparkling brown eyes. “So-o-o,” she said with a small smile, “lunch at your place? I’ll cook as a thank you for your help with my narrow escape from those reporters. I’m a pretty good cook.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder. Another classic flirtatious move. “Or you could come to my place?”
He had to shut this down though it went against every lusty instinct. There was no way in hell he could be alone with her and just be friends. In fact, that would be hell. “I’m busy.”
“Oh.” She went back to her lunch, looking surprisingly crushed.
“Thanks anyway,” he added.
“I’m thinking of doing a freebase jump this weekend,” she said brightly. “It sounds thrilling. Well, you know, you’re the expert.”
He cocked his head. “I’m the what?”
“You’re the adrenaline junkie, right? You do stuff like that all the time. Maybe—”
He set his fork down. “That’s dangerous. People die doing freebase jumps. You are not doing a freebase jump.” He’d never risked it himself and he’d done a lot of crazy shit.
“I just wanted to have a little fun.” She rocked her head side to side. “Little excitement. You want to come with me?”
“Do I want—” He stopped himself as he realized he’d gotten loud. “I’m not doing a freebase jump. You’re not doing a freebase jump. End of story.” He’d never in his life dug in his heels like this, but some part of him wanted to roll Emily in bubble wrap and then tuck her safely behind him so he could shield her from any and all dangers. Geez, this superhero stuff was going to his head.
“Well, I have to do something for excitement.” She raised a brow, looking at him expectantly.
He racked his brain for something safe she could do that was also exciting. Skydiving was out. Too much for a newbie. Bungee jumping—too risky. He absolutely needed her safe and tried not to think too hard on the why, given that Angel was in the picture. Angel should really be the one stepping up to the plate here.
She gave him another sweet smile. “Or just cooking lunch for you could be exciting with the right spices. Zing! You like Mexican?”
She was just too adorable. Zing. “Yes, I like Mexican.”
“Great!”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Just lunch and then I have to go. I’ve got a lot going on.”
“Of course you do. Lotta nurses lined up—” she finger quoted and gave him a big exaggerated wink “— for the service of Venus.”
He jolted and then narrowed his eyes. “Did Angel tell you that?” He never told anyone he called his hookups the service of Venus. That was his little joke with his brother. He hadn’t been tempted even once by another woman since he met her nearly three weeks ago. And it wasn’t for lack of offers, either. The whole thing was so aggravating, what with the Angel situation. And the fact that Jared kept running into her, lusting for her—
“Maybe,” she said, grinning mischievously.
He ground his teeth, not liking one bit Emily and Angel talking about his sex life. Especially because he wasn’t getting any! Could this situation be any more fucked up? “What else did you talk to Angel about?”
“Not much.” She picked up her glass of iced tea, put the straw in her mouth, gazed into his eyes, and sucked. Tease. He adjusted himself under the table.
He picked up his fork and jabbed it in the lo mein. “So, you’re…” Single and looking? What was with all these flirty gestures? Wasn’t she still with Angel? It had only been four days since their Sunday dinner. Was she still in love with Angel? “Never mind. None of my business.” He quickly finished his lo mein so he wouldn’t blurt out any of his wayward thoughts.
He glanced at her eating a salad with a small smile on her beautiful heart-shaped face. Even her face stood for love. She deserved that, and Angel had said he wasn’t serious about her. Was Jared just supposed to step back and watch Angel take Emily for a ride that would ultimately hurt her? But if Jared stepped up, would he end up hurting her too? He sucked at relationships.
She leaned forward and lowered her voice to a sexy purr. “What were you going to say? You can ask me anything.”
He swallowed hard, feeling like he was standing in the open hatch of an airplane about to take a free fall into a happy parachute ride or a splat into death. Terrifying and exciting and absolutely no going back. Was Angel still between them? It was one thing for Angel to say there was nothing there, but he needed to know if Emily had really moved on. After that tense Sunday dinner, Jared knew he’d done the wrong thing pushing Angel and Emily together. Well, wrong for Angel, since he wasn’t serious, but maybe right for Emily. He was so confused. But one thing was clear, after running into Emily so much at work this week, it had hit home just how much he wanted her. He was a selfish bastard, but there it was—he wanted her all to himself even if Angel was better for her.
She looked at him expectantly. His lust and like—really intense like—were making him tongue-tied. He should just lay it on the table and ask, Are you over Angel? But the words wouldn’t come. Because what if she said no?
Okay, okay. Think positive. Assume she is over Angel. He started shredding his napkin as he worked up a good speech for that scenario. I like you, and if I’m reading your signals right, you want to hook up, but this would not be just a hookup for me.
“We’ll go out for Mexican on Saturday,” he blurted. “Bring Angel.”
He watched her expression for any telltale signs of how she really felt about Angel. Why was he torturing himself like this? He shouldn’t have given her the option. Damn guilt.
Her brown eyes twinkled with merriment. “Should I meet you at the service elevator after my shift on Saturday? Or the supply closet? That was fun.”
He swept up the shredded napkin and stood, mad at himself for bringing Angel into it again, and mad at her for not pushing Angel out of it. “I’ll give you the address,” he bit out. “We’ll meet there.”
Her brows furrowed. “Oh. Okay.”
“You’ll like it.”
She tilted her head to the side, studying him. “I’m sure I will.”
He opened his mouth to explain himself because she seemed a little confused, and who wouldn’t be with the way he said all the wrong things? But what came out was only, “See ya.”
“See ya,” she said and went back to her salad.
He turned and walked away, knowing when to shut up. He wasn’t Mr. Feelings Talker like Angel. He headed toward the exit, a little shook up. Like he’d leaped and the chute had gotten all tangled up.
Chapter Seven
Emily waited in the lobby of La Casa de Margarita, determined to get through to Jared.
He was proving shockingly difficult to seduce considering his reputation. She thought he would’ve picked up her flirty cues days ago. What did she have to do, get naked? She’d changed at work into a white V-neck top that showed some cleavage, skinny jeans, and spiked knee-high black leather boots. She left her hair down and spritzed on some perfume that had hints of cinnamon and vanilla, a potent male aphrodisiac according to the advertisement. She was completely hookup ready right down to her pale peach pushup bra and bikini panties. If he didn’t get it from her outfit and her flirty moves, she’d have to admit defeat. It must mean he wasn’t interested. Either that or he was extremely dense. Maybe she should just put it out there. Wear a sign with bright red letters—ready for a fling. Or show me a good time, please. She smiled to herself and with some kind of sixth sense turned her head and met his green eyes from across the room just as he arrived.
He started toward her, wearing a navy blue close-fitting sweatshirt that showed off his wide shoulders and faded well-worn jeans. She met him halfway.
He looked behind her. “Where’s Angel?”
“I didn’t call him. I told you we’re just friends.” She leaned up on tiptoe and whispered in his ear, “I want you.”
He pulled back. “Are you sure?”
“You’re the good-time guy, right?” She looked up at him from under her lashes and lowered her voice to a seductive purr. “I want a good time.”
His brows drew together. “No, you don’t want the good-time guy. You need the good-for-you guy.”
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him both to shut him up and to get her point across that she really wanted him. Not Angel. His lips were firm and warm and not kissing her back. She started to pull away, embarrassed, but then he slid his hand into her hair and pulled her in for a hard, hungry kiss that sent her hopes soaring.
He pulled away so abruptly she nearly lost her balance. He steadied her with one hand on her arm, and their gazes locked for a long, sizzling moment.
“Jared, party of three,” the host called. Obviously Jared had prepared for his stepbrother to join them.
“Just two,” Emily called, holding up two fingers.
She laced her fingers with Jared’s, and he let her. Progress. They followed the host to a table, where they were quickly given glasses of water, chips and salsa, and the drinks menu.
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