Thicker than Blood - Book One

by Olivia Leighton

  We roared. I don't know why we, nurses of all people, would continue to use men's hand-size as a way to determine the size of a guy's dick. We knew better... but I guess it was still fun to make assumptions.

  After receiving report on my patients from the day nurses, I settled down at the station to check cardiac rhythms, just to make sure that the nurse before me and the telemetry tech didn't miss anything.

  I had three good patients, the same ones I had the night before. The only change was Dr. Amante being added as doctor for one of my peoples. Other than that, it looked like I was facing a pretty slow evening. That's exactly what it turned out to be. Around 0200, I gathered my charts and began making my notes and reading previous ones.

  I was so caught up in charting I didn't realize what time it was until I looked up. Damn, 0537. I quickly finished up my notes on Mr. Kimbrough and went down the hall to Mrs. Klesster's room. She recently had a pacemaker installed and she was basically being monitored to ensure there were no issues with the pacer. I was pretty confident she would be discharged later in the day.

  When I turned the corner into the boring and dreary semi-private room, I saw a tall, dark-haired man wearing a lab coat by her bedside, writing notes in her chart. So, this is the famed Dr. Amante... He was hot. Olive skin with wavy, black hair, standing at least six-two.

  “Hi, Dr. Amante.”

  He glanced at me, his amazing caramel-colored eyes scanned over my face and body quickly, then went back to work on the notes. “Good morning. Are you Mrs. Klesster's nurse?” He had a very faint Italian accent. Lord, days didn't tell us he had an accent. I would have thought him hot before, but that accent pushed him into orbit!

  Easy girl. “Yes, I am. I'm Kenna.” I walked further into the room, passing the empty bed closest to the door.

  “Any problems with her rhythm over the night?” he asked, continuing to write.

  “None. She's maintained sinus 70s since I came on,” I said as I came to stand next to him.

  “Good.”

  Dr. Amante seemed very straight to business – not rude but not a chatter either. Course, it was early. The handsome, young doctor could be the most flirtatious guy on the planet after a cup of joe.

  As he wrote, I noticed he wasn't wearing a ring, but that didn't mean anything. I knew plenty of men that were married that didn't wear rings. It could be for reasons of hygiene, forgetfulness or because they didn't want people to know they were married.

  The handsome cardiologist glanced up at me for a brief second, then proceeded to scribbled down a few more notes on the yellow paper, but stopped, pen frozen just above the sheet. I swear that I had seen him shudder slightly; his jaw clenching. He remained like that for several seconds, eyes remaining on the doctor's note, but unmoving.

  His rigid state made me a little uncomfortable. “Um, will she be discharged today?” I asked, forcing myself to peer out the window into the black night.

  Dr. Amante looked at me – his intense gaze boring deep into my scull. I was taken aback by the sheer hunger in his eyes.

  “...Doctor?”

  He continued to stare at me as he set the pen on the paper. I could feel the hair rise on the back of my neck. Something was... wrong with this picture. He came towards me, I took a step back. He kept coming.

  What the fuck?! I backed up as he approached and stopped only when the wall blocked my backward motion. I felt like a mouse slinking away from a large, powerful cat. This was not professional behavior but I was unable to say anything as I watched him close the distance between us. He put his hands on the wall next to my face and peered down into my eyes. Why did his eyes look almost black when they had been a caramel before? Weren't they?

  “You smell delicious,” he said with a whisper which was closer to a growl. His eyes focused on my lips. Something was wild and feral about his current behavior, like I was Little Red Riding Hood and he was the Big Bad Wolf.

  Oh. Dear. God. “Uh....” I tried to say something but nothing came out. I was intoxicated by the situation, the lustful look he held, the soft smell of his skin and cologne...

  A hand came up to my cheek, the heat from him felt like it was branding my skin. “Don't move....”

  Don't move? I couldn't breath! Is this really happening?

  He brought his lips slowly, painfully slowly, to mine. The touch sent a thousand tiny electric shocks through my body, down to my toes. Dr. Amante's mouth was gentle at first, his tongue searching for mine, his hands moving to the nape of my neck. He gathered me in his arms, pulling my body to meld against his. As the kiss deepened, I felt myself loosing touch with reality... and the solid matter beneath my feet followed suit. I was floating... in a patient's room, I was floating.

  A whimper escaped from my lips as his mouth moved to my jaw and neck. As if it were possible, I felt like my skeletal system completely liquified against him. If he wasn't holding me, I would be a giant pool on the cold, hospital floor.

  Dr. Amante inhaled deeply, lightly scraping his teeth against the soft skin covering my jugular. I groaned softly and he responded with a faint hiss. Before I knew what happened, he was standing in front of my face again, not touching me. Hunger was still in is eyes but there was something else there too. I seriously don't know how I remained standing with no external support.

  “You will forget this happened,” he commanded, his eyes intently concentrating on mine.

  I stared at him for a moment. Was he serious? I blinked. “Wh... why?” He must be married or have a girlfriend then...

  Dr. Amante's determined look changed to amazement as his brow furrowed. He studied my face carefully. “How...,” he started, then paused in thought. “Are you... are you taking Garlique or a similar supplement?”

  “No...” What did that have to do with anything? Was my breath bad? “Why?”

  His mouth opened slightly as he took a step back. Our eyes remained locked for an instant more, then he turned, and picked up Mrs. Klesster's chart. “Excuse me, Kenna,” he said, glancing at me one last time before quickly exiting the room.

  I was floored. Seriously, what the fuck just happened? I pinched my own skin tightly and it hurt. No, this isn't a dream. For a moment, it seemed as if our encounter would turn into one of those predictable pornos featuring the bimbo nurse and the horny doctor. Too bad.

  After standing there in a fog longer than I should have, I pulled my walkie from my scrub pants and held it to my lips. “Marie, is Dr. Amante up there?”

  The unit clerk didn't respond right away. “No, he just left the floor.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  I removed the table from the side of Mrs. Klesster's bedside, not really thinking of my movements. No one would believe me if I told them. I just made out with the hot new cardiologist... and I knew no one would believe me. I smiled and traced a finger along my lips. I could still faintly smell his cologne on my scrubs and skin. I need sex, I thought, realizing the hot pool sitting at the apex of my thighs.

  I quickly walked out of the patient's room and into the nurses lounge, fishing my cell phone out of my pocket. I texted Matt: Are u free this morning? I really need u.

  It has been a long time since I was so turned on. I was still trying to wrap my brain around the occurrence when my phone buzzed.

  Matt: R U OK? Wuts wrong?

  Me: Want sex.

  Matt: Lol. Was about to go to bed, but I guess I can take a little nap instead. See you at 8?

  Damn. Nearly two hours to go. I texted him back: Not soon enough but ok.

  The rest of the shift was a blur; not because I was busy but because I couldn't focus. I was dying to tell someone about Dr. Amante but knew we both could get in trouble for our unprofessional behavior. Maybe I could tell Tiffany later. Wonder if she'd believe me?

  After giving report on my three patient's, I was able to leave. I found that my foot pressed on the accelerator harder than normal as I drove home. My Nissan 350Z wove in and around rush-hour traffic, the six cylinder roaring.
I glanced at the clock. It was 0723. If I hurried I'd have time for a quick shower before Matt got there.

  The hot shower did nothing to help my voracious appetite for a man. If anything, it made me absolutely starving.

  When Matt knocked on the door, I met him naked. Grabbing him by the collar of his t-shirt, I jerked him inside the house. I was in his arms within seconds, smashing my mouth to his.

  He broke away from my kiss to look at me with a huge grin. “Whoa!” He laughed. “What's gotten into you?”

  For the first time, I was able to remove his shirt from him without help, revealing that muscular body and his beautiful, interlacing tattoos. “Nothing, just had... a night.”

  “I guess so,” he said as I dragged him back to my bed. “Wait a minute.” Matt planted his feet firmly, making it impossible for me to move him any further.

  “What?” I turned and looked at him; he was standing with a smirk on his face, arms across his sculpted chest.

  “I want a little more than what we did yesterday.”

  “Weren't you happy with it?” I thought he thought it was good. I did, anyway.

  “Of course, but I'd like a little more involvement, more teasing, for both of us.” A hand reached out to my shoulder and he rubbed my arm softly, thoughtfully.

  Dammit, I need sex! “Like what,” I asked impatiently.

  “Well, like sixty-nining or something like that.”

  I sighed. “Fine, foreplay.” I tried to kiss him again, but he brought the other hand to my shoulders and stopped me.

  Head cocked to the side, Matt considered me for a moment. “Damn, you're wound up tighter than a spring. What's happened?”

  I stared up at Matt. Should I tell him? No, that would be stupid. If I told him about Dr. Amante, Matt would know I was fucking him so I could pretend he was that cardiologist. Course, we were just bed buddies... why should it matter?

  Matt pulled me to sit on the bed with him. “Seriously, what happened? Don't think for a moment that I didn't see your brain running at 100 miles per hour...” He pulled the hair from my face and tapped my forehead gently. “What's going on up there?”

  “Fuck,” I sighed. Shrugging, I smiled half-heartedly at him. “I had something... bizarre happen.”

  “What?” He smiled, thinking he was getting ready for an interesting story. It was interesting, but I wasn't sure he would think so.

  “It's kinda hard to believe... I mean it happened to me and I keep wondering if it really happened.”

  “Kenna, what happened?”

  I'm really going to tell him, aren't I. “Okay, uh... so, I went to one of my patient's room to check on them and the new cardiologist was in there.” I paused, not sure how to phrase what had happened after that.

  “Yeah?” Matt coaxed.

  I shifted uncomfortably on the bed. “You know what, let me get my robe.” I wasn't about to tell him that story while sitting in front of him naked. The experience itself was exposing enough. I stood and pulled my fleece bathrobe from the door and wrapped its fluffy warmth around me. I sat back down and leaned against Matt. Much better.

  “Okay, uh... after I told him her night long rhythm... he... he attacked me.”

  “WHAT?!” Matt stood quickly, anger filled his eyes. “What's this fucker's name?” His booming yell rattled the windows in the bedroom.

  My hands shot up in protest. “No, wait! I worded that incorrectly.” My mind raced. “He didn't attack me, he... he kissed me.”

  The look in Matt's eyes didn't change. I knew what I said wasn't any better.

  “In a patient's room... he just... kissed you.” Matt was saying the words as if they left a bitter taste in his mouth.

  I stared at the floor and nodded. Yeah, real professional.

  “Did you kiss him back?” came the question I wasn't expecting.

  I knew the answer to that question, but how do I respond? Guilt kept me from raising my head to face my friend.

  “You did, didn't you.” It was a statement, not a question. “Did you guys...” Matt didn't finish.

  I met his blue eyes and shook my head. “No, it didn't get any further than a kiss.”

  “What happened then? He just left?” Matt was being sarcastic, but how strange that he was right on the money.

  I cocked my eye brows up and laughed in disbelief at my own story. “Yeah, he did.”

  Matt put his face in one hand and raised the other to me. “Wait, let me get this straight. This new guy, this doctor, whom you've never met, kisses you in a patient's room and then... just leaves?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, weird.”

  “I'd say so. Did he say or do anything after he kissed you?”

  “Uh, he tried to tell me to forget that it happened, and when I asked why, he asked if I was taking Garlique.”

  “What?” Matt looked up; concern hid behind his blue eyes. “He told you to forget that it happened?”

  “Exactly.” I tried to understand the look I was seeing. It was almost like... he knew something and he wasn't telling me? What could he possibly know?

  “What's this guy's name?”

  “Alex Amante.”

  “Wait.” The concern I had seen in Matt's eyes twisted into furry. “Alessandro Amante?”

  Alex could be short for Alessandro. I shrugged. “I'm not sure, I guess it could be. Why?”

  “Italian accent, right?”

  I nodded. “Do you know him?”

  “That blood... Ugh! That fucker!” Matt's hands tightened to fists at his side. He stepped towards the door, but then turned back, pointing a finger at me. “Stay away from that son-of-a-bitch, you hear me? He's more than just bad news, he's... toxic. Kenna, I'm telling you, stay away from him.” With that, Matt stormed out of my house.

  I sat back on the bed slack-jawed. Okay, seriously, what the fuck just happened? I grabbed my phone and attempted to call Matt, but there was no answer.

  Where did Matt get off telling me who I could see? What did he know that I did not? Was there really a reason for him to act so protective? What didn't he want to tell me? I started to worry that he'd report the incident to the charge nurse, but I didn't think Matt would want for me to get in trouble.

  I sighed. So, what started out as an attempt to quench the fires of lust turned into one, big, damned mess.

  Changing from the robe into pajamas, I climbed into bed. I stared at the ceiling, thinking about the events of the last twenty-four hours until sleep found me.

  *****

  “...like a wrecking ball. I never hit so hard in love, all I wanted was to break your walls...” The alarm clock sang at 1730.

  “What the shit...,” I growled and smashed the clock's buttons with my fist. I needed to change the channel to something more me. Biebs and then Miley? What noise to wake up to. Would have put me in a bad mood if tonight wasn't my last night for a few days.

  I stretched and yawned, snuggling down into the warm sheets for a moment longer. My thoughts went to Dr. Amante and then Matt. My hand snaked out of the covers to feel around on the nightstand for my phone. I pulled it down into the sheets and dialed Matt's number.

  “Hey, this is Matt. Leave me a message.” Dammit.

  “Hey, it's me. Uh, just wanted to say hey.” I paused, not wanting to leave a long, stupid, 'I'm so confused' message. “Give me a call.” My friend was ignoring me. I had to find out why.