With his tall, muscular build and broad shoulders, the paramedic was impossible to miss. His thick, dark hair was tousled as though he hadn't bothered to run a comb through it since I saw him this morning. He was talking to the bartender, so I only had a side view of his profile. I was dying to know if his deep blue eyes were as gorgeous as I remembered, but I was hesitant to find out because this was the last place I wanted to see him again.
I was going to have to explain about the dumb blind date that Jaelyn had set me up on and hope that he'd understand I wasn't interested in some other guy. I would’ve much preferred to have been going out on a date with Tyler tonight, and my hope was he’d understand the situation. It’d be super difficult to refrain from strangling Jaelyn if a blind date I hadn’t wanted to go on in the first place ruined my chances with Tyler.
I was pondering the possibility of talking him into getting out of here before my blind date showed up as I moved closer. I didn’t notice what he was wearing until I came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. A button-down shirt the same shade as his eyes. Feeling immensely relieved, I asked, “Hey, stranger. Any chance you’re the blind date I’m supposed to meet tonight?”
“That’s a loaded question if I ever heard one.” His blue eyes flared with heat as his gaze drifted down my body. “If I wasn’t the guy Rand had picked to go out with you, I’d be forced to lie my ass off right about now. There’s no way in hell I’d be able to sit by and watch some lucky bastard sit down to dinner with you.”
His flash of jealousy was more than flattering, but it was also a touch ironic, considering he was here to meet a blind date just like I was. “No worries there. Since I couldn’t call to cancel, and Jaelyn has been ignoring my calls, I showed up to let the guy down easy before heading home.”
“My plan was to let whoever they’d set me up with know that the situation had changed, and I was now a taken man.” He tapped the menu sitting on the bar in front of him. “Then I was going to place a carryout order and bring dinner over to your place.”
“I was going to call you once I got there,” I admitted with a smile, happy to know he didn’t want to be set up on a date with someone else any more than I did.
He grinned back at me with a gleam in his blue eyes. “I would’ve done the same before showing up at your door unexpectedly, but you haven’t given me your number yet.”
I’d been in such a rush to make it to the hospital for my clinicals after he’d stitched me up that it hadn’t even occurred to me. Pulling my phone out of my purse, I found his contact information—I’d added his information before I’d left my apartment since I’d been nervous about losing it—and typed out a quick text to him. His grin widened when his phone beeped with my message. “Problem solved.”
“I’m good like that,” I bragged just as my stomach let out a loud growl.
“So am I.” He stood and held his hand out to me. “The least we can do is stay for dinner since Rand and Jaelyn went to the trouble of setting us up on a date. Unless you’d prefer to go with my original plan and grab a to-go order to eat at your place?”
Sliding my palm against his, I considered both options. I still looked forward to the moment that I could slip into my pajamas, but the lure of a real date with Tyler was too strong to resist. “I’d love to stay for dinner.”
5
Tyler
The relief I’d felt when I realized I was the guy Mia had been here to meet was huge. Rand must’ve been more off his game than I realized to have not mentioned that vital piece of information when he’d asked me to stitch up Mia’s leg. Or maybe he just liked fucking with me even more than I knew. Either way, I’d gotten exactly what I’d wanted ever since I first saw her—a date with Mia.
With my hand at the small of Mia’s back as I guided her to our table, I felt like the luckiest bastard in the place. Spending time with Mia was well worth the shit Rand was going to shovel my way about how badly I tried to get out of this blind date.
Mia must've been thinking something along the same lines because as soon as we were seated, she laughed and said, “Jaelyn is going to give me heck for the message I left her when I first got here.”
“You won't be alone in that,” I reassured her. “I was kind of a dick to Rand about the whole thing, too.”
After scanning the menu to choose her meal and giving the hovering waitress her order along with the drinks, Mia added, “In Jaelyn’s defense, I get why she avoided my calls all day. Not only does she have a lot going on right now, but she knows my stance on dating.”
Reaching across the table to take her hand in mine, I asked, “And what's that?”
“As horrible as this is going to sound”—her wince was fucking adorable—“I just don't have time for it.”
“That doesn't sound horrible to me, not when I’m the lucky guy sitting across from you.” Her lips curved up in a smile, and I decided right then and there to put it on her face as often as possible. “Then again, I’m the guy at the station who my co-workers like to razz about needing to get a life.”
She tilted her head to the side, her green eyes narrowing as she studied my face. “I find that hard to believe.”
“How come?” I asked, giving her hand a little squeeze.
Her cheeks filled with heat again, and I had a feeling I was going to like her answer. “Because you’re…well, you.” She waved her free hand up and down, gesturing in my direction. “In my experience, hot guys like you don't spend many nights home alone.”
I grinned at her admission that she thought I was hot and leaned forward to murmur, “I could say the same thing since it's rare to find a gorgeous, smart, and kind woman who isn't already taken.”
“There’s just no way for me to comment on the first two parts of your compliment. It'll sound as though I'm fishing for more if I say anything about my looks, and I'm not about to say that I’m dumb. Not when I'm busting my butt to earn my nursing degree.” She beamed a smile my way. “I think I'll just go with…how do you know I'm kind?”
That was an easy one. “Even though you had a busy day and moving is one of the worst things to help a friend do, you still found the time to help Jaelyn.”
“You're one to talk.” She glanced down at the bandage on her calf. “You came over on your day off to help a stranger.”
“True,” I conceded. “But my boss was the one who asked me to do it.”
Mia waited until after the waitress dropped off our drinks before she pointed out, “I see what you’re saying, but you also offered to come back and take the stitches out without Rand asking you to do it.”
“I wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to have an excuse to see you again.” With all that Mia was, my offer was more of a favor to myself than her.
“Little did we know that we would’ve met each other tonight anyway. By the time Jaelyn wore me down, I didn’t bother asking her for any additional details beyond where, when, and how I was going to find you.” She laughed and shook her head. “I guess I learned my lesson for next time.”
The thought of Mia going out on a date with another guy had a growl rumbling up my chest. The possessiveness I was feeling after meeting her this morning was a fair price to pay for all the shit I’d given Rand over falling for Jaelyn so quickly. Fate had turned the tables on me, but I wasn’t about to complain about it. But she sure as hell wasn’t going to be on dates with anyone else but me from now on. “If I have any say in it—and I’m going to do my best to make sure I do—there won’t be a next time, sweetheart.”
“I’m sorry. I worded that really badly.” She flipped her hand so it was palm up and laced her fingers through mine. “What I meant was that I learned how important it is to ask for details when someone else makes plans for me because I would’ve saved myself a lot of worrying if I’d known you were my blind date. Not that I needed to ask for a name next time around. I had already promised myself never to cave to a friend’s request to set me up before I met you this morning.”
/> I liked how she apologized and explained her thought process without any hesitation. She just kept getting better the more time I spent with her. “Good.”
I released her hand as the waitress delivered our meals, and we got to know each other more as we enjoyed our food. She wasn’t afraid to eat in front of me and even asked for a taste of what I ordered.
“I guess I’d better head home.” She sounded as reluctant as I was for our date to end after we finished dessert. “Saturday nights are when I typically catch up on all the sleep I missed during the week.”
“Thanks for sacrificing your rest to have dinner with me.” Since I’d already paid the check, there wasn’t any reason we couldn’t leave. As we stood, I caught the wince she tried to hide. Hurrying around the table, I wrapped my arm around Mia’s waist, taking some of her weight off her leg. “How badly does it hurt?”
“I’d only put it at about a three or four, except I’m so tired that it feels like worse,” she explained as we walked through the restaurant.
“It’s your right leg.”
I felt her shoulders shake as she stifled a giggle. “Yes, Mr. Obvious, it is.”
“I actually had a point,” I chuckled. “Are you going to be okay driving home?”
“Yeah.” She tilted her head back to smile up at me. “I’ve driven all around town today and survived.”
Surviving implied that she’d been uncomfortable behind the wheel, and I didn’t like that at all. A trio of guys left the restaurant, and I cupped her elbow to lead her off to the side. One of them paused to check her out, and when his lips parted, I knew he was about to say something either to or about her. Either option was unacceptable. Pulling Mia closer, I glared at him over her shoulder. One of his friends nudged him forward, but I didn’t look away until they were out of sight. Shifting my attention back to Mia, I gentled my expression and asked, “What about the stairs to get up to your apartment? Or was there an elevator somewhere that I didn’t see?”
“Ugh,” she groaned. “They’re a pain in my butt after a tough workout. I’m sure they’ll be even worse tonight. I’ve never wished for an elevator more than right now.”
“I can’t give you an elevator, but I do have a solution to your problem.” Taking her hand in mine, I brushed my thumb over her palm. “Come home with me tonight.”
6
Mia
Normally, when a guy invited you back to his place after your first date, it threw up major red flags. But not so much with Tyler’s invitation. My gut instinct was to accept it, and not just because I thought he had extended it out of concern for my injury.
I couldn’t remember a time when I’d had this much fun with a guy. That didn’t mean I wasn’t going to yank his chain a little, though. My mom had always said it was best to keep a guy on his toes, after all. “Back to your place, huh?”
His lips curved up in a small grin. “That sounded bad, didn’t it?”
I squeezed my forefinger and thumb together before lifting my finger to allow the barest amount of space between them. “Yeah, a little bit.”
“If you’re not comfortable with coming back to my place, I can drive you back and carry you up to your apartment.”
My stomach swooshed again, a feeling that only happened around Tyler. “While it’s awesome of you to offer, we probably shouldn’t run the risk of you hurting yourself when I’m already injured.”
He placed his hand at the small of my back to guide me to the parking lot. “I’m tempted to say something about how I’m strong enough to carry you up thirty flights of stairs, but I’m not willing to run the risk of changing your mind.”
“But is your masculinity up to letting the insult go?” I teased.
“I’m more than man enough for it,” he promised.
Considering how big his dick looked in the gray sweatpants he’d been wearing when we met, I had no doubt he was right. I was more than a little flustered by my thoughts of what he was packing in his pants—and willing to give my leg a break—when he suggested it was best for him to drive. As soon as we got in his truck, he gave me some ibuprofen. By the time we made it to his house, the stitches were already feeling a little better.
“Your place is so nice.” That description for the ranch-style brick house Tyler lived in was actually a major understatement. It had an open floor plan with the entryway, kitchen, and living room flowing into each other. There were high ceilings, gleaming wood floors, and a fireplace. The furniture was dark leather and looked super comfortable.
“Thanks. I bought the place a couple of years ago, and my sister helped me decorate.” He shook his head and chuckled. “She’s an interior designer, so there was no getting out of it.”
“She did a great job.”
“Thanks.” He padded over to the kitchen and looked over his shoulder to ask, “Do you want anything to drink?”
I nodded. “I’d love a bottle of water if you’re cool with me taking it to bed.”
“Of course.” He grabbed two bottles and led me over to the bedroom. I stood near the doorway and watched while he pulled a pair of boxers and a T-shirt out of his dresser. “C’mon, I’ll get you a toothbrush, too.”
I followed him into the en suite bathroom and frowned when he pulled out a toothbrush still in the packaging and handed it to me. “Do you have so many women over that you need to keep these in stock?”
“Nope.” He grinned before gently brushing his lips over mine. “I just had a dental cleaning on Tuesday afternoon and hadn’t switched this one out with my old toothbrush yet.”
“Oh.” I felt embarrassed for letting my imagination get away with me, but I didn’t regret what I’d said too much since it’d earned me a kiss.
“It’s been a long damn time since I’ve been interested in anyone.” He kissed the corner of my mouth before adding, “And no other women except for my mom and sister have ever been in my house before you.”
“Wow.” I was stunned by his admission as he left me alone to get ready.
My head was still reeling when I left the bathroom, and he went in to get ready for bed. When he grabbed the folded blanket off the bottom of the mattress and went for a pillow, I realized that he intended to sleep somewhere else. After considering the size of the California king bed I was sitting in the middle of, I offered, “You can stay in here, too.”
His blue eyes widened in surprise as his hand hovered over a pillow. “Are you sure?”
I thought about it for a moment longer before answering, “As long as you promise to be a gentleman, yeah.”
His voice is gruff as he admitted, “As much as I want you, I didn’t suggest for you to stay here tonight so I could fuck you.”
“That's good.” I blurted out the next part without thinking it over first. “Between the wine and the day I had, I’m in no shape to give up my V-card tonight.”
“Fuck,” he groaned, dropping the blanket to the floor and crashing down on the mattress. “You’re a virgin?”
I wasn’t certain what his strangled tone meant, but I was fairly sure it wasn’t bad. I still felt compelled to ask, “Is that a problem?”
“Not for me.” Tyler reached out to lace his fingers through mine. “I find it sexy as hell to know no other man has been inside you.”
“It’s not like I’ve been keeping it all these years because of a chastity pledge or anything like that,” I explained, feeling my cheeks heat with embarrassment as I stretched out on the mattress next to him. “There just hasn’t been much time, and I hadn’t met anyone who made me want to figure out a way to make them fit in my life.”
His hold on my hand tightened. “Is it safe for me to assume that you want to figure that out with me since you’re here right now?”
My voice was whisper soft as I answered, “Yeah.”
He rolled to his side to face me. “Is this conversation turning you on as much as it is me?”
“Maybe more.” The ache deep in my core made me want to rub my legs together, but I knew it
would hurt. “It’s as though meeting you woke up my sleeping libido.”
He leaned close, gliding his lips up my jaw to whisper in my ear. “I can do something about that for you.”
“Yes, please,” I whimpered as my hips instinctively lifted off the mattress.
He gently cradled my calf between two pillows. “You're going to keep this gorgeous leg right here while I eat your pretty little pussy. If you move it, I'll stop.”
“I know better. I'm a little more than halfway done with my bachelor’s degree in nursing, after all.”
“You know what they say,” he teased. “Nurses make the worst patients.”
I rolled my eyes and giggled. “No, the saying is doctors, not nurses.”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “I'm pretty sure it's true for all medical professionals.”
“Even you?”
“Yeah.” He grinned at me. “But now that I have you to help take care of me when I'm sick, I promise to do better.”
There went the butterflies in my belly again, but the sensation paled in comparison to what I felt when Tyler kneeled between my legs and slid the boxers down my hips. “I can’t wait to taste this pretty pussy.”
I couldn’t wait, either, but I still blurted out, “Don’t you think you should maybe kiss me first?”
“You’re right, sweetheart. I abso-fucking-lutely should kiss you first,” he agreed before he proceeded to kiss the heck out of me. When my lips parted beneath his, our tongues tangled together. When he finally ended the kiss, my brain was clouded with passion and I could barely think straight. But Tyler hadn’t forgotten his plans for me.
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