7. April
Three days later…
“I thought you said you were leaving in two days. Why are you still here?”
Julian’s quiet laugh sent a warm tingle through me and I sucked in a breath. My reaction had nothing to do with attraction. It was merely a normal female reaction to the sound of sexy male laughter…I hoped. I peeked up at him through my lashes and saw him wince. The fractured ribs would make him sore for a while. Ignoring the way my traitorous body kept reacting to everything he did and said, I returned my attention to cleaning up the gash on the outside of his right thigh. Looking at his bare thigh was just too...stimulating.
“Are you that eager to get rid of me? I’m hurt.”
“No, you’re not.”
He snickered. “Ouch. Take it easy there, April,” he said when I applied a topical antibiotic to one of his wounds.
“Stop being such a baby.”
“Your bedside manner is lacking, nurse.”
“Only where you’re concerned, patient.”
He roared, but it ended in a groan. Sympathy flooded me. I disliked Julian. A lot. But I didn’t enjoy seeing him in pain.
“You’re as amusing as ever, April. I’ll give you that.”
My jaw clenched. Amusing as in weird? He’d called me a “peculiar creature” in the ninth grade. It hurt my feelings because I assumed he was making fun of me. He and his friends seemed to always enjoy doing it.
I chose to ignore his comment. “So, why are you still here? You seemed eager to leave a few days ago.”
“Mom and Andy talked me into staying a little longer.”
“They usually visit you in Canada, right?”
“Right, or whichever part of the world I am.”
“Do you have something against Oakland?”
Julian frowned. “No, why?”
“You barely come back to visit. When you do, you hide out in Faye’s house the entire time.”
“I didn’t think you cared what I did, April. You said it yourself, you didn’t want to see me again.”
Heat seared my cheeks. “I...It’s not that I care. I’m curious.”
“You have to care in order to be curious.” He smirked.
Rolling my eyes, I focused on bandaging his leg.
“I don’t have anything against my hometown,” he said, softly.
I glanced up.
“I just wish everyone wouldn’t go crazy whenever I drop in. I’d like to come home and walk down the street without being fawned over or treated like the main attraction at a circus.”
My brows shot up. “I thought you liked the limelight.”
“Shows how little you know me, huh, Flower Child?”
“Don’t call me that,” I growled.
“Whoa, calm down. I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean anything―”
“Yeah, whatever Julian. It’s time for your medication.”
“Don’t need them. The pain is tolerable.”
“You should―”
“I’d like to keep a clear head until you leave, thank you.”
My jaw dropped. “What?”
“We tend to butt heads, and I want my comeback game to be on point.”
After a beat of silence, I laughed. “Are you serious? You’d rather bear pain than have me beat you in a verbal battle?”
“Yes, April,” he hissed with a scowl. “I will not prove to be the idiot you’ve always accused me of being.”
“I’ve never―”
“How many times have you referred to me as an idiot since we reached the first grade?”
I pursed my lips. Countless times. “That was when we were kids. To be fair, you did and said plenty of idiotic things.” I grinned. “You do know you’re proving my point right now by neglecting your medication to effectively argue with me, right? That’s less than smart.”
His jaw clenched. He seemed genuinely upset and that confused me. My opinion shouldn”t matter to him.
“Are we done here?” There was an annoyed edge to his voice.
What was I doing goading Julian? He was my patient. I’d never been so unprofessional in my life. “Just about.” Anchoring the gauze with tape, I stood up. “There, all done.”
“Thanks,” he grunted.
Rocking back on my heels, I nodded. “Okay...I guess I can get going then. Or do you want me to stay put until Faye gets back?”
I was sure he’d tell me to leave. It wasn’t like he couldn’t move around on his own. So, I was surprised when he gazed up at me for way too long, sighed, and said, “Stick around. I’ll make you something to drink or eat or whatever.” His jaw clenched. “And, I’ll take the damn pain meds if you promise to stay quiet.”
I scoffed. “You offer me drinks and food then you tell me to shut my trap. Nice, Julian. So hospitable.”
He rose to tower over me, and I almost took a step back. We were too close. Close enough for me to get a whiff of whatever body wash or shampoo he used. The fragrance mixed with his natural masculine scent was heady, and it made me a little dizzy. I only stood my ground because he and I always fell into this strange battle of wills when we were in the same space. Hell if I’d be the first to back down. I angled my chin upwards. Big mistake. Now, I was staring at his lips that were twisted in that teasing, sexy smirk. Swallowing, I forced my eyes upwards to meet his gaze with a glare. He wasn’t glaring back. Instead, amusement shone in his eyes.
“You and I know we get along much better when you keep your trap shut…Flower Child.”
I felt the urge to strangle him. Then kiss that smirk off of his mouth. That strange desire had me worried. Kissing Julian or doing anything equally intimate was out of the question. “Why do you insist on calling me that?” I bit out through clenched teeth.
He did a full sweep of me from head to toe. From the Japanese cherry blossom pins that held my hair back, to my floral print scrub top to my colorful nursing clogs...that happened to also be flower print. Damn it. Point made and taken.
“You’re seriously asking me that?”
Clearing my throat, I averted my gaze. “I like color.”
His attention shifted to my hot pink-painted lips and my breath hitched. It could be my imagination―I was pretty sure it was―but I thought I saw a hint of interest in his eyes. “I got that.”
With an annoying smirk in place, he brushed past me. Even with a slight limp, he still managed to saunter away and looked good doing it. No one should possess that much swagger. Huffing, I peeled off my gloves and stomped in the direction of the bathroom.
I spent longer than necessary in the bathroom because I had to get my body heat down. My temper too. Julian sent them both skyrocketing. Peering at myself in the mirror, I said, “You are not sexually stimulated by that cad. Nope. Not at all. Your face is red from irritation. He irritates you.” Nodding firmly at my flush-faced reflection, I took a deep breath and reluctantly went in search of Julian.
He was in the kitchen operating a blender. Seeing me, he smiled. Gazing at the cast on his left hand, I lifted a brow. “You should be resting that wrist.”
Rolling his eyes, he shook his head. “I have plenty of others telling me what to do, the last thing I need is one more person. Sit.” He nodded to the stool directly in front of him.
Gazing at the green mixture in the blender, I wrinkled my nose. “If that’s what you’re offering to drink. No thanks.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “You don’t even know what it is. I’m trying to be nice here. Don’t be ungrateful.”
When I glowered, he chuckled and started the blender again. I mentally kicked myself. Julian was deliberately trying to get me riled up, and I kept falling right into it. “Don’t need you to be nice, you ass.”
The kitchen went quiet. “What was that?”
“Nothing.” The smile I gave him was extra sweet.
Eyeing me with suspicion, he poured his mixture into two glasses and slid one to me. “Here you go, a peace offering.”
Side-eyeing the glass and then him, I accepted. “What is it?”
“Just try it.”
“It looks disgusting. How do I know you”re not trying to poison me?”
His deep chuckle caused my abdominal muscles to clench, along with a few other muscles in the lower region.
“April, if we didn’t murder each other from childhood up to now, I doubt either of us will ever go through with it.”
I grunted, but it came out as a laugh. “Good point. We had plenty of opportunities to do each other in.”
“You’ve actually tried.”
My eyes snapped to him. “What? No, I haven’t.” Clutching my chest, I racked my brain for a period when he drove me to physically try to hurt him, but I got nothing.
Julian snickered. “You pushed me off the swing on the playground in the second grade.”
I rolled my eyes and sent him a dirty look.
“What? I could have died. I demand an apology.” He smiled over his glass, and I felt disgusted that I wanted to smile back.
“I’m sure you said or did something to deserve it,” I returned, “so let’s call it even.” Grabbing the glass of green liquid, I took a sip. A burst of flavors took my taste buds by pleasant surprise. I took one more sip then another.
“Good, right?”
Lowering my gaze, I shrugged.
“Oh, come on. If you compliment me, the word won’t end.” Julian smiled a smile that projected pure charm. “I promise.”
Ugh. The smoothie was really good. “It’s alright,” I grumbled.
He shook his head. “I’ll have to take that, I suppose.”
“What’s in it?”
“Mango, pineapple, banana, spinach.”
“I hate spinach.” With that, I took another huge gulp.
Julian laughed then remained quiet. As he watched me, his expression was unreadable.
“What?” I glared because giving him dirty looks was an involuntary response.
“Did you have coffee with that guy?”
My brows puckered. “Excuse me?”
He was leaning on the counter but when he asked the question, he straightened up. Clearing his throat, he shrugged. “The paramedic. He asked you out for coffee. Did you go?”
Eyes narrowing, I stared at him, mouth agape. Was he up to something? Was he setting me up to tease me about...something? Because my brain couldn’t grasp the idea of Julian giving a damn about who I had coffee with. “Uh...none of your business. Why?”
He averted his gaze, and there was the slightest hint of pink in his cheeks. “I just...I was wondering if you’re single.”
I continued to gawk. Honestly, I had no idea what to do or say. Did I mention my chronic case of social awkwardness?
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you just going to stare at me?”
“Well, what else am I supposed to do?” I snapped. “Why are you being nice? Why are you asking me about my dating life?” Or lack thereof...
“I want to ask you for a favor, okay? The favor would require you leaving behind whomever you’re...dating.”
I sat taller, my temper flaring. Of course, this had nothing to do with him really caring if I was single or not. “You wanted a favor, and you thought you’d bribe me with a smoothie?” I pushed the glass away. Regretfully. It was very tasty.
“I wasn’t bribing you. I was trying to be polite.”
I rolled my eyes with the dramatics that would rival my melodramatic sister, Ruby. “What do you want?”
“You.”
I almost choked on my spit but then he clarified.
“I need you to travel with me for a few weeks,” he sighed, long and heavy. “I promised everyone I’d hire a medical professional to travel with me so they’d all get off my back.”
Oh. I hated that I felt a sliver of disappointment I felt after I realized that he didn’t actually want me. I gave him a subtle once-over in his white t-shirt that complimented his defined torso. “Who’s everyone?”
He looked skyward. “The people who think that my life doesn’t belong to me.”
I frowned.
“That doesn’t matter,” he said. “So, what do you say?”
“Absolutely not.”
“April come, on―”
“Of all the nurses in the land, Julian, why would I be an option?”
His lips twitched. “Because you’re the only one who I know won’t end up kissing my ass,” he scowled. “Or try to get something from me. Okay?” Julian threw his hands up and winced. “I chose you for the mere fact that you hate my guts.”
Mouth opening and closing, I asked, “Have you lost your mind? Did you get hit in the head with a few too many hockey pucks?”
He roared. “Oh, April, delightful as always.”
“I’m going to go ahead and leave. I’ll be back tomorrow.” I hopped off the stool. “Hopefully, you’ll be done messing around.”
“I’m serious. I have business meetings, photoshoots, a shitload of things to do before I head back home for training. Everyone would feel better if I had someone like you near me.” He batted his eyelashes and he didn’t even look ridiculous, damn him. “A sweet, caring, and capable nurse to keep an eye on me after my horrific accident that not only left physical wounds but psychological ones too.”
“Easy on the drama there, Grayson.”
He immediately dropped the act. “Fine. I already checked your credentials. Not only are you a certified emergency room nurse, but you’re also a travel nurse. You do one-off jobs with the agency we hired you through. You’re the perfect choice.”
“I’m also the perfect choice because I hate you?”
“You’re catching on.”
I huffed.
“Just, think about it. I leave in two days.”
“I have a job at the hospital, genius. I can’t just leave to galavant with you all over...wherever.”
Julian’s eyes narrowed. “Alright, let’s really talk business. What do you get working in the ER? Like forty bucks an hour? I’ll give you two thousand a day to accompany me, even on your day off. If we happen to leave the country, I’ll double that.” He smirked. “If we manage not to throttle each other, maybe I’ll triple it.”
My jaw wanted to drop, but I kept it tightly hinged as I did the math. That amount of money for just babysitting a spoiled rich man could save the nursing home. Hell, that money along with my fundraising efforts...I smelled a possible building expansion.
“What? Is that not enough?” he asked. “Name your price, Bennet.”
“I’m not for sale you prick.”
He heaved a sigh. “I didn’t mean it that way and you know it.”
Yeah, I knew it. The offer was tempting. I could take a lengthy vacation from work. After a while, it would be an unpaid leave but with the money Julian was offering…so what? “You should make it three thousand a day for the mere fact that I can’t stand you. I’ll need compensation for potential emotional distress. ”
“Done.”
“What? That was a joke.”
“Three thousand a day. Double for international duty.” He lifted a brow. “Don’t look so shocked, April. I’m a man of my words. We leave in two days.”
“I didn’t say yes.”
“Do you get this offer regularly?”
I gritted my teeth, considered the offer, and came to a decision. Sighing, I murmured, “How long do you need me to galavant and to where?”
His satisfied smile disgusted me. The lengths I was willing to go to for charity were insane.