by J. H. Croix
“You said ‘we’ would operate. Aren’t you the surgeon?”
“Oh yes, but there will be a team. Myself, the anesthesiologist, a nurse and so on.”
One of his dark brows arched up. “I see. I trust you’ll be the only one doing whatever it is you’ll do to repair my knee.”
Once again, I saw a flicker of something other than confidence in his eyes, as when I’d mentioned the tear to him a few minutes earlier. I experienced a pang of sympathy for him, my heart giving a little squeeze. Something about him led me to think he rarely doubted himself, or much of anything. This tiny window into his hidden vulnerability got to me. I suddenly realized I was sitting there staring at him and gave myself a mental shake. Focus, Olivia. Focus. I nodded firmly, nudging my mind back into action. “Absolutely. Everyone else is there for support. I’ll do the actual surgery part. Maybe we should take some more time to review…”
He shook his head sharply. “I’d rather not hear the details. Just make my knee right. That’s all I ask.”
His anxiety about his knee was painfully obvious, and it made my heart clench again. It also helped me latch onto a bit of sanity. No one wanted to worry about losing the function of a joint, but a world-class athlete, well, that took worry to an entirely new level. “I meant what I said earlier—the tear isn’t bad. I’m confident you’ll be good as new once your recovery is complete. You’ll need to follow a strict regimen of physical therapy and…”
Liam’s grin returned, it’s force so powerful, my pulse lunged. “Olivia,” he began, his tone holding a hint of haughty, just enough to make my belly do a slow flip. “I’ll do absolutely everything you tell me. Not to worry about that.”
I literally had to bite the inside of my cheeks to keep from smiling. Flustered beyond belief, I spun around on my stool and pulled up my email on the laptop, firing off an email to Jane who handled all of my surgery scheduling. A prickle ran up my spine, and I knew without looking that Liam had stood and stepped in my direction.
I spun again to find him taking another step. If he was in any pain at the moment, he didn’t show it although he took only one step before resting his weight on his good leg. Even with a streak of dirt on his cheek and a temporarily injured knee, Liam Reed was the definition of pure, raw sexy. His body was a work of art. I’d never thought about it much, but right now I realized I had a strong preference for the build of a soccer player. He was lanky and muscled and moved with grace and economy. When I’d received the hurried call from the Seattle Stars office with the news one of their high-profile British players was on the way here, I’d quickly looked up Liam. I didn’t search anything other than his sports bio because that’s all I wanted to know.
He was considered one of the best midfielders in the world. He’d led his last team in Britain to the league championship in his first year. Seattle news had been filled with reports about the grab the Seattle Stars soccer team had made to snatch Liam and three other players from England at once. I was used to athletes, but Liam was about as high profile as it got around Seattle. I’d had to suffer through a mini-lecture from his team doctor before I came in to meet Liam. I suddenly realized I was staring at him. I was close to level with his face from where I was sitting on the stool. Before I realized what was happening, Liam reached a hand out and gripped the edge of my seat, rolling me toward him, the damned wheels of the stool quite oblivious to my internal resistance.
I was suddenly mere inches away from him, and I couldn’t seem to catch my breath. He emanated an easy strength, so inherent to him it was almost unnoticeable save for the depth of its power. His eyes searched my face, while I seemed to be frozen. Under usual circumstances, if a patient got this close to me, I’d quickly back away. Yet, everything about Liam threw me off kilter. My heart was beating wildly and my cheeks heated again. Before I realized what I was doing, I reached up to adjust my glasses, a nervous habit I’d never managed to break.
“I love your glasses,” Liam said, his crisp words falling into the quiet.
Unable to speak, I simply nodded. He angled his head to the side. “I think I’m not supposed to do this, but damn if I can help myself.”
While my mind was spinning wildly over what ‘this’ was, he reached over and removed my glasses. He set them carefully on the counter beside us. I swallowed and tried to rein in my pulse. I wanted to cross my arms and create some kind of barrier against the vulnerable feeling welling inside me. It’s not like I could actually hide behind my glasses, but they were a layer and now they were gone. A curl that had been tangled around the temple of my glasses sprung free and bounced against my cheek. He spun the curl around his index finger, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. My heart was pounding so hard and fast, I was surprised I didn’t topple over from the reverberation in my body.
I couldn’t look away from Liam’s eyes. Fire spread through my veins and the air fairly snapped under the force surrounding us. What the hell was going on? I needed to break out of this moment and now, but I couldn’t. All I could see was the blur of Liam’s bright blue gaze and the hint of mischief in his eyes, while I had to squeeze my knees together to quell the throb there.
He pulled my curl out, stretching it and then letting it loose where it bounced on my cheek again. “Olivia,” he said, almost thoughtfully.
Suddenly, I managed to latch onto some sanity and grabbed the side of the counter and pushed back, the wheels of my stool rolling me back swiftly. “What are you doing?” My voice sounded screechy. I hated it when I sounded like that. I was flustered and flushed—hot inside and out. I abhorred feeling out of control like this and certainly wasn’t accustomed to it.
Liam appeared unperturbed and lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I wanted to see what you tasted like.”
If I’d thought I was hot before, I had no idea what hot was. While I should’ve been thinking he was crazy, I was wondering what he would taste like, even worse I was wondering just what it would be to be tasted by him. Sweet hell. This man made me crazy.
“You can’t…” I started to speak and ended up shaking my head wildly.
“Why not? I want you. You’re not so sure you want me, but you’re curious. You’re definitely curious, my dear Olivia.” His mouth curled on the corner, a dimple appearing.
I tore my eyes away because it was becoming downright dangerous to look at him. “I can’t…we can’t do anything like that. I’m your doctor and I’m about to perform surgery on your knee. You can’t… you have to stop this.”
I could feel his shrug, although I’d turned my back to him. My eyes landed on my glasses on the counter, and I reached over to slip them on.
“We’re two consenting adults. If that’s the only thing holding you back, let’s make a deal. We’ll wait until after the surgery.”
I didn’t like how out of control I felt, not one bit. Annoyed, I spun back around. “We aren’t waiting to do anything. If you think I’m going to just leap into your arms because you’re some kind of soccer god…”
A flash of irritation passed over his face. “Football. It’s football.”
I waved a hand dismissively, latching onto my annoyance at feeling out of control. “You know what I mean. Anyway, I’m sure you’re used to women falling all over themselves for you, but that’s not me. I don’t do this. Honestly, sex bores me to tears. I’m sure you think I’m some kind of novelty, but it’s not worth your bother. Let me do what I do best and get you back to playing. This, whatever this is you’re doing, needs to stop.”
The teasing look in his eyes had faded, and he looked genuinely startled. Good. He needed to back the hell off. I could get my stupid body under control, but it would be much better if he’d keep his hands to himself.
“You think sex is boring?” he asked, his tone incredulous.
I didn’t even try not to roll my eyes. “Downside to being a doctor, at least for me. I see bodies all the times, including plenty of men in just as good a shape as you.” I conveniently omitted the fact it
was a miracle I hadn’t literally swooned at his feet a few minutes ago. “Sex is for the purpose of procreation, nothing more. I’ve tried it and found it wanting,” I said dismissively. I meant every word I said, yet the moment the words left my mouth, I wondered what it would feel like to experience sex with Liam. All he’d done was exist in the same room with me—injured and clearly not up to par for his usual state—and he’d made me feel things I’d never felt. I could not go there.
Liam’s eyes widened as I spoke. He shook his head wonderingly. As I sat there in the silence, my belly did another slow flip at the look in his eyes.
“You’ve just guaranteed I won’t be dropping this, luv, ” he said, that subtle hint of haughty in his tone doing funny things to my insides again.
My mouth went dry at the look in his eyes, and I could feel the wetness between my thighs. I swallowed. “What, what do you mean?”
“You can’t go through the rest of your life thinking sex is boring. We’ll have to remedy that.”
For an injured man, he moved like lightning. He snaked his arm out and grabbed onto the stool again. In a flash, I was inches away from him, my heart beating so hard, I was afraid he could hear it.
“Maybe we’re not supposed to do this, but this will give you something to think about until after my surgery.”
He brushed that wild curl off my cheek and dipped his head. His lips came against mine, and electricity jolted through me so hard and fast, I gasped. Holy hell could he kiss. He took his sweet time, dusting my lips with soft kisses, nipping my bottom lip, slipping his tongue inside on a breath. Somewhere along the way, his hand tangled in my hair and he stepped in between my knees. His body was all hard planes and strength. I could feel the ridge of his arousal against me and moaned into his mouth when he nudged his hips into mine. A spike of pleasure shot through me at the subtle point of contact. I wanted more. Now. But he didn’t give it to me. He held still and just kept on kissing me. The glide of his tongue against mine made me delirious. I didn’t realize I’d slipped a hand up along his chest, savoring the feel of the muscled planes, while I arched into him, desperate for more. Until he slowed his kiss, easing away. He lifted his head, and I was suddenly horrified.
I’d just kissed one of my patients, right here, right now in my examination room. On a scale of one to ten for how horrible this was as far as my career went, this was a solid ten. My eyes collided with his. He looked as startled as I felt. He gave his head a slight shake before stepping back carefully. Reflexively, I reached out to steady him, aware he needed to be careful of his injured knee.
His shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath. Still holding my gaze, he nodded almost as if to himself. “Well, Olivia,” he began, his tone sly. “That should give you something to think about. Don’t you dare try to pretend that was boring.”
Chapter Three
Liam
“Bloody hell!” I swore as I tried to reach up and grab a banana off the top of the refrigerator.
I kept forgetting my shoulder was stiff as hell and felt foolish every time I did. With a cup of coffee in my free hand, I turned to set it down, just as Alex walked into the kitchen behind me and snagged the banana, handing it to me without a word. He poured a cup of coffee for himself and plunked down at the kitchen table. Just as we had in London, Alex and I shared a flat here. Correct me, a condo. It was cheaper and easier to rent a place together. I peeled the banana and sat down across from him. He sipped his coffee, while I ate my banana in silence. I was cranky today. It was the day after I’d kissed Olivia, and I was fairly certain I’d lost my mind. Oh, I’d wanted to taste her, just like I said. However, my estimation of what kissing her would feel like was staggeringly off base. I’d thought it would just be a fun kiss.
Fun didn’t quite capture how it felt to kiss the lovely Olivia. Scalding hot and mind-bending was more like it. Something about her hit me in a strange way. The moment she’d said sex was boring, it was as if she’d poured gas on a fire. I loved a challenge and I’d be damned if I’d let Olivia pass me by. All on her own she was a challenge, but she’d thrown down the gauntlet with that. There was nothing I liked more than a challenge. Then, I’d gone and kissed her. I’d kept it together and managed to tease her afterwards, but I felt as if I’d been knocked back on my heels ever since.
Honestly, I’d felt knocked back on my heels since my mum died. It had been three months now and I didn’t know when I’d feel right again. My family was tight. We always had been. I was the oldest of three boys. Mum called us stair steps with me oldest at twenty-eight, Carter at twenty-seven and Leo at twenty-six. My dad was still alive and kicking, but he’d been hit hard by my mum’s death too. My parents had met in grammar school and he’d teased her mercilessly, so she hated him. Then, they ended up at university together and fell mad in love. Her stroke had been like a bolt of lightning in our family. I was still reverberating from the electrifying shock.
The one thing that gave me solace was playing football, so I’d insisted on playing in the next few games back in England. I’d pulled through until the last game when I was just plain out of it. I missed a few crucial passes and we lost. Next thing I knew, my agent notified me of the best offer on the table from the Seattle Stars. I glanced over at Alex who turned away from the windows and caught my eye.
“How’s the knee?” Alex asked.
His question annoyed me, but only because it reminded me of my current state. Sidelined from playing for a few months at best.
“A bit better than yesterday.”
He nodded slowly. “Dr. Bowen seems nice enough.”
The feel of Olivia’s lips under mine flashed through my brain. Nice was one way to put it. “That she does. Dr. Monroe swears she’s the best surgeon around.”
Alex grinned. “He had his knickers in a bit of a twist over her asking him to leave. I told him to roll with it.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. Since we’d only been with the Stars for a little over a month, I was still getting a feel for the team management. Dr. Monroe was wound tight and struck me as the kind of man accustomed to people following his orders. Olivia hadn’t given a damn about his orders, and I liked it. “I could tell. I think he thought she’d cave when he got pushy, but she didn’t.”
Alex’s gaze sobered. “Anything new from her when you talked?”
“Nah. She said the tear’s not too bad and seems confident I’ll be back to myself in a few months. She’s as bossy as him. Gave me a little lecture on doing my physical therapy after my surgery,” I said with a grin.
Alex finished off his coffee and winked. “Not so sure it’s a brilliant plan to flirt with your doctor, mate.”
I’d been born a flirt and Alex damn well knew it. I eyed him and shrugged. “You know me. Can’t help myself sometimes.”
Alex stood and stretched before walking to the sink and setting his empty coffee cup inside. He had practice in a bit, which sent anxiety coiling inside my chest. I hated not being able to play. I wished my surgery were today, so I could be one day ahead in getting back to playing. Football anchored my life and kept me sane. Without it, I was restless and out of sorts.
Alex turned, crossing his arms and leaning against the counter. “Maybe you can’t help yourself, but Dr. Bowen doesn’t strike me as your type. Let her do what she does best and fix your knee. You’ve plenty of women falling over themselves for you. It’s worse here than it was in London,” he said with a roll of his eyes.
“I’ll bloody well decide who I’m going to flirt with. You’re the one who should be enjoying the women here.”
I couldn’t help but feel a tad bit churlish. Alex knew me well, as well as anyone did. He might not specifically know I’d gone a step further than flirting with Olivia. He also might not specifically know I was gobsmacked over her. Yet, he’d know something was amiss with me. Hence, my churlishness. Alex was my best mate, but it didn’t mean I always appreciated how well he knew me. I preferred to feel in control, and everything about my li
fe lately led to the opposite between my mum dying, moving to Seattle, and now having my knee blown. What I’d expected to be a moment when I was in control turned out to be the opposite. That kiss with Olivia had, well, it had blown my mind. All I wanted was more.
Chapter Four
Olivia
I tugged the front of my raincoat together and dashed through the heavy drizzle. Once I was across the street, I pushed through the swinging door into Desert Isle Café. I flung my hood back and gave my coat a shake before glancing around. My glasses immediately fogged from the contrasting warm air, creating a blurry halo. Removing them, I dried them on the bottom of my shirt and slipped them back on. The scent of baked goods and coffee assailed me.
“Olivia, over here!”
I looked around to see my best friend Daisy Knight waving from a table in the corner. I returned her wave and headed for the counter. I was cold straight through from my walk here and needed coffee to warm me up. Moments later, I threaded through the tables in the crowded coffee shop and slipped into the chair across from Daisy. I’d known Daisy since we were in first grade. She glanced up from whatever she was doing on her laptop and grinned, her smile wide and welcoming. Daisy was like her name—cheery and warm with a whimsical side. With her blonde hair, dark brown eyes and curvaceous figure, she was plain gorgeous and also one of the kindest people I knew. Daisy and I had gone to medical school together, although she’d gone into medical research, while I’d gone into surgery. No matter how busy we were, we had a standing coffee date every week. Desert Isle Café was our favorite place for coffee, named as a shake of the fist to Seattle’s rainy weather and a metaphorical oasis on a rainy day.
Daisy saved whatever she was working on and closed her laptop, sliding it into its padded shoulder bag, before turning her gaze to me. “Hey, hey, what’s up?”