Chapter 12
Sofie left her patient’s room and glanced down at her watch. It had been a long grueling shift and was finally coming to an end. Her unit was short, as always, and she’d gotten the call yesterday asking if she could come in. She had only agreed to eight hours. She had plans tonight.
Plans that included a six-foot-two, gray-eyed man who took her breath away with one look. Jaxon had left her home yesterday morning with the promise of taking her out, and that would be tonight.
She arrived at the nursing station to see who would be taking over her patients. She searched for the assignment clipboard but didn’t see it. She walked over to where the charge nurse sat and found Chris hunched over it.
“Are you done with the assignment?” she asked.
Joe glanced up from what he was reading and over at her. He was an older guy who had been a nurse for a long time. He was a hard-ass but good at what he did.
“You sure you don’t want to stay?” he asked.
“I’m certain.” She pulled out her pen and papers from her scrub pocket so she could write down who would be replacing her. There was going to be no convincing her to stay today. Any other day, she would have just picked up the full twelve hours to help out.
“It’s really going to hurt with you leaving. Everyone is going to have to pick up someone.” Joe took his glasses off and dropped them down on his desk. He gave a weary sigh and stared at her.
“I told Helen when she called me that I can only do eight. This was my off day.” She reached for the clipboard and began writing down the names of the nurses who would be picking up her patients.
“But what about being a team. Each nurse will now have to have six patients.” He snorted.
“Excuse me?” She lifted her head and glared at him. She always picked up when they called and never complained. She was one of the most senior nurses on their unit and was even charged with training new hires, acting as a resource for others and went out of her way to make sure the unit ran as smoothly as possible. “I know you just didn’t try to insinuate I’m not a team player.”
“You know what I mean, Sofie. Don’t go getting mad. We’re all stressed and working short.”
“It’s not my fault that we are short and it’s not my problem.” She slammed the clipboard back down and walked away from the desk before she said something that would lead her to be called into the manager’s office.
Thoughts of Alana’s offer came to mind. Maybe it was time for her to leave bedside nursing. There was so much more she could be doing. Working with Alana would give her some freedom, and she wouldn’t have the stress of having someone’s life in her hands or the stress of feeling guilty like it was her fault there was a nursing shortage.
She’d have to speak with Alana. Maybe she’d take her out for lunch and hear her friend’s offer. Alana wouldn’t lead her wrong, and it would be nice to not have to work such long days.
Sofie breathed a sigh of relief. There was no sorrow in the thought of leaving this job as she thought there would be. She’d miss some of her coworkers, but they could always meet up outside of work.
Sofie finished up her shift and hurried out of the hospital. She slid into her car and leaned back in her seat. She didn’t want the stress of her job to follow her home. It was a beautiful day out, and she wanted to enjoy it. Turning on her car, she rolled the windows down to get some fresh air. Throwing her car in drive, she inhaled deeply, breathing in the wonderful air of freedom.
The conversation with Joe pissed her off. No matter how many hours she worked, it was never good enough. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
Yes, she would speak with Alana.
But for now, she had planned to get ready for her date with Jaxon. She had the next few days off. That was one perk of working as a nurse. She was only required to work three twelve-hour shifts which was considered full-time. Her extra shifts gave her overtime. Not that her pay was the best. Most people assumed nurses got paid the big bucks, but that wasn’t true. For all they had to deal with, the pay was nowhere where it should be.
Excitement filled her at the thought of going out with Jaxon. She didn’t know what he had planned. He had been quiet about where he was taking her and what they were doing.
The drive to her home wasn’t long. She made it there in record time. She ran into the house and headed straight for the shower. She had to get the hospital smell off of her. In the shower, she scrubbed every inch of herself until her skin was almost raw. Once done, she cut the water off and reached for her towel. She dried herself and stepped out of the shower and went to her closet to try to decide on an outfit.
Not knowing where they were going made it difficult for her. With the weather playing in her favor, she couldn’t go wrong with a cute dress and sandals.
“But which dress?” she muttered. Eyeing her closet that was stuffed to the brim, she could admit she might have a shopping problem. She loved trudging through the racks and aisles at her favorite discount stores to find deals. She shoved a few items to the side, trying to decide on what to wear. She finally opted for a white sleeveless shorts jumper that she could dress up. The material was silky, and she had some gold accessories that she could pair nicely with it.
She placed the outfit on her bed, then caught sight of her cellphone on the nightstand with a message. It was from Jaxon.
Hope you don’t mind, I’ll be there in twenty.
“Are you shitting me?” she shrieked. She was still wrapped up in her towel and had to be ready in that short time. She sent back a quick response.
I can’t wait to see you.
If he wanted to get her early, fine. The hard part of picking out an outfit was done. She tossed her phone back on the nightstand.
“I can be ready in fifteen minutes,” she said. She would definitely challenge herself to be ready before he got here. If he arrived and she was still in a towel, they would not be going anywhere. An unladylike snort erupted from her.
He would take it as an invitation to throw her down on the bed and have his way with her.
Not that she would mind.
“Get dressed, Sofie.” She chuckled. Grabbing her favorite cocoa butter moisturizer, she sat on the bed and applied it to her entire body. It helped keep her skin smooth and supple.
Fifteen minutes later, clothes on, her makeup and hair was done. Sofie moved to stand in front of her full-length mirror and checked herself out. She had curled her hair loosely where it brushed her shoulders, and her skin practically glowed against the white material of her outfit. She chose a bulky gold necklace that rested right above her cleavage, and it matched the bracelet and her watch.
She snagged her purse from the chair in the corner and slid her feet into her wedge sandals that gave her a little more height. Jaxon would still tower over her, which made her core clench.
“Down, girl,” she whispered. Everything about Jaxon made her body tingle. From his intense gaze when he looked at her, to his callused hands as they ran along her skin, to the way his body felt when he was on top of her.
The doorbell sounded.
The man was on time.
After one more glance in the mirror, she headed toward the front door. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she approached it. She peeked out the glass window and found Jaxon standing on her porch, taking in her street.
“Hey,” she said softly, opening the door.
He turned around, and his quick intake of breath confirmed she had chosen the correct outfit. She stepped out and closed the door behind her. Those butterflies were pounding their wings against her inner walls at the way his eyes lit up when they landed on her.
“Wow,” he murmured.
His gaze slid along her as that of a lover’s caress. Her nipples tightened into tight buds, growing sensitive as they always did when he was around her. Jaxon stepped toward her and gathered her in his arms. He lowered his head and took her lips in a soft, gentle kiss. Sofie melted against him, her hands coming to rest on his forearms. The kiss was short-lived but packed one hell of a punch.
“You look amazing.” He lifted his head and stared down at her. He reached up, running the tip of his fingers down the side of her face.
“You don’t look too bad yourself.” She chuckled.
Jaxon could wear a paper bag taped around his waist and he would be the hottest man alive. He wore a deep-gray, twill, one-pocket, long-sleeved button-down shirt, with the sleeves rolled up. The top button was left undone, her eyes gravitating towards that patch of skin that was visible. It was the one spot she loved sniffing to catch a hint of his cologne. His dark jeans and black boots gave the allure of a confident male.
“Now where are we going?” she asked.
“Make sure your house is locked up.” He motioned to her door.
She rolled her eyes but turned around and ensured her door was locked. She pulled out her cellphone and opened the mobile app to her alarm system. They walked to his car. He opened the passenger door for her and assisted her inside.
A small smile appeared on her lips as she watched him shut the door and walk around to his side. Once her alarm was engaged, she closed the app and threw her phone into her purse. Excitement filled her.
Where the hell were they going?
Jaxon slid into the driver’s seat. He started the engine and backed out of her driveway.
“Um, hello? Where are we going?” Her voice ended on a shriek. She giggled at the desperate tone in her voice. She tried not to fidget. She didn’t do well with surprises.
“Calm down. You are going to love it.” He grinned at her. He reached out and turned on the radio. Old-school rock blasted from the speakers. He sent her a wink. “Sit back and relax.”
She playfully scowled at him but did as she was told. The supple leather seats of his expensive car held her captive. The aroma of the leather and Jaxon’s cologne wafted around her. She bit her lip and leaned back, watching him maneuver the streets. Once he was on the freeway, her curiosity was piqued.
“How was your day at work?” he asked.
“Ugh, I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s just say they were not grateful that I even picked up the eight hours. They wanted me to stay longer.” She shook her head and wanted to block the day from her mind.
“Okay, I see we need to change the subject,” he murmured. Jaxon’s warm hand settled on her bare knee. He gave it a squeeze. “You won’t have to think about them at all for the next few days.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” she muttered. Cleveland General Hospital would be the farthest from her mind. Sofie’s hand settled on top of Jaxon’s. She took it and entwined their fingers together. She had a hunky man giving her all of his attention, that was all she needed. “What have you been doing all day?”
“Lots of meetings. Since I’m not in LA, I had to call in to the meetings virtually to discuss some of the options that our agents needed to be able to offer a few new clients they are pursuing. Then some of my personal clients’ contracts are up for renegotiating.”
“Sounds like you had a busy day, but yet here you are, picking me up earlier than you said. Are you sure you can take off work now?” Her other hand came to rest on top of his. She would have understood if he would have needed to reschedule their meeting.
“Well, that’s the thing about being your own boss. You can work when you want, how long you want, from wherever you want to,” he replied smoothly.
“I’m certainly jealous.” She laughed. Yes, this was making her think of Alana’s offer even more. No grueling twelve-hour shifts on her feet having to pull, push, and argue with patients. No getting yelled at by physicians or family members. Working for a consulting firm was looking quite good.
“I heard Alana was trying to recruit you.” Jaxon gave her hand a squeeze.
“I’m seriously thinking about it after the week I’ve had. I used to have so much fun being a nurse, but lately, all of the joy is gone. I don’t look forward to going into the hospital anymore,” she admitted. A sigh slipped from her. She turned away from him and studied the scenery as it flew by. She took notice of where they were, and she was still confused on where they were going.
“I’m sure whatever decision you make will be best for you.”
That was something she needed to hear. She hadn’t spoken with anyone else about her unhappiness at work besides Alana. She hadn’t even discussed possibly leaving bedside nursing with her parents yet. Her parents had worked so hard to help her get through nursing school, she’d hate for them to think she’d be throwing away all of her hard work. Even though she would still be relying on her nursing degree and her experience if she accepted Alana’s proposition.
“How did you get in the business with your brother?” she asked.
“I was his first client.” Jaxon chuckled.
“Really?”
“Yeah, right out of college I got drafted into the professional league. I went first round, and London was able to negotiate one hell of a deal for me. At that time he acted as my manager and agent. My third year I busted my damn knee, and there went my professional ball-playing career.”
“Oh no.” Sofie was listening to Jaxon’s story. He shared with her the amount of surgeries he’d had and that his knee had never recovered. After a year of surgeries and rehab, he’d finally decided to hang up his glove.
“But it’s okay. I had always known I would be joining London at Primetime, just didn’t think it was going to be so soon. As my mother says, everything happens for a reason.”
“Your mother is a smart woman.”
“That she is, and look at us now. I was able to use my insight of being an athlete to connect with clients, and it helped that I used to play. Many players appreciate someone who has once been in their shoes. Especially the rookies. I can help make sure they are not going to get shitty contracts and deals.”
He shared with her stories of some of his clients, good and bad. Sofie listened and watched how animated he was when discussing his job. He loved it. There was no doubt about it.
Jaxon guided the car off the freeway, and it was then she noticed where they were going. She sat up higher and released his hand. She gasped, seeing they were at the airport.
“Jaxon! Where are you taking me?” She turned back to him, waiting for him to answer. The airport. She hadn’t even packed a bag. He drove past the parking garages and through the main part of the airport. They entered the private jet field, and it was then she saw the familiar Primetime Sports Management jet sitting waiting.
He parked the car near the hanger and killed the engine. He tossed her a wink and slipped from the car. She sat stunned that they were really about to hop and jet and fly off somewhere.
Jaxon opened her door and held out his hand.
“You are something else,” she murmured. Her smaller hand was engulfed by his larger one. He pulled her out of the car and shut the door behind her. “You’re just going to leave your car here?”
“They’ll take care of it.” He dropped a kiss on her lips and entwined their fingers together. He led her toward the airplane.
Excitement raced through her.
Where was he taking her?
“Mr. Keith.” A young man dressed in a dark uniform arrived at their side.
Jaxon tossed him the keys to his car. “Hey, Sam. Park it in the usual spot. I’ll be back in a few days.” He slapped the kid on the back.
A few days? Sofie had to hold back the grin that threatened to erupt. Here she was, being swept away by a fine, rich man to only God knew where.
Could the day get any better?
“Yes, sir. I’ll even have it washed.” Sam smiled and raced off toward the vehicle.
“He’s a good kid.” Jaxon laughed. He tightened his grip on Sofie’s hand and brought her closer to him.
“Can you tell me where we are going now?” she asked. They were almost at the jet, and she took in the two people waiting at the stairs to the plane. The stewardess and one of the pilots.
Jaxon stopped, drawing her in front of him. He reached up and cupped her cheek. He leaned down and pressed a hard kiss to her lips.
“I wanted to kill two birds with one stone. You’ve never been to LA, so I’m going to take you there and we’ll play tourist, but I do have to admit there are a few things I have to do at the office tomorrow.”
“LA? But I don’t have any clothes. You didn’t tell me to pack a spend-a-night bag?” she cried out. She only had the clothes on her back and nothing else.
He laughed and brought her flush to him. “Don’t worry. A part of being a tourist in LA is going shopping. I got you.” He covered her mouth to silence her protest.