Strictly Business (2 page)

“I’ll have to take that sling off.”
She motioned to the tie still around his neck bracing his injured arm and he nodded. “Do you think I could get it over your head?” she asked.

He
shook his head. That’s how he’d gotten it on, tied it first then fit it over his head and forced his arm into it. The pain had almost knocked him over. Now to pull it over his head with his arm in it would evoke so much movement he knew he’d see stars. The least painful way would be to release the knot on the tie.

He hoped he didn’t seem like a wimp
. Here he was, almost six-four, well over two hundred pounds and bawling over a bruised arm. Her eyes grew tender and she seemed to understand. He gritted his teeth playfully and noticed that she almost smiled back at him. Gentle fingers reached around his neck and fumbled with the knot he’d made. Somewhere deep inside he was happy that he’d learned to tie knots as a Boy Scout.

Her breath was warm against his right ear as she leaned closer and craned her neck to see the movements of her fingers. He could feel the heat emanating from her
skin like a heady smoke cloud and it was intoxicating. Instinctively he leaned forward, trying to capture more of her heady scent. Her fingers brushed the nape of his neck and caused his blood to simmer in his veins. He was rapidly aware of blood simmering and pooling in another part of his body. His groin tightened as he breathed her in.

He couldn’t believe the affect she had on him. He shook his head in disbelief. He’d had women touch him a lot more intimately without eliciting the same
brazen reaction from his body.

Nina felt her fingers tingle as she touched his bare skin.
It seemed like an eternity before she could pry the knot open. She drew in an uneven breath, averting her eyes from the stranger in front of her. The first thought that had lodged in her brain when she’d entered the room was that he was huge…
gorgeous and huge
. His body was a solid block that seemed to fill the small room.

She swallowed the dry lump in her throat as his bold stare burn
ed into her. She could feel it linger on her lids, her lips, her neck, and venture lower. She knew the pucker of her nipples was betraying her cool demeanor. She could feel them tingle as they strained against the flimsy material of her lace bra and she knew the thin scrub top hid nothing. This man had an amazing magnetism and she was inexplicably drawn to him.

 
Professional,
she kept repeating to herself.
Gorgeous and huge!
Another voice kept insinuating itself into her overheated brain. She avoided his gaze as she slid the tie out, gingerly peeled off his shirt, and examined his injury. She tried to raise his left arm and saw his jaw tense
and pallor slide across face. Even though he sat stoically, pain was evident in his eyes. Her touch lightened as she palpated his ribs and clavicle to make sure nothing was broken and she reveled inwardly at the feel of the tight hard hills and planes that defined his broad upper body. She traced a few fingers over his left shoulder and he inhaled deeply. Her fingers stilled.

“Did I hurt you?”
Her voice was apologetic.

“No, not at all.”
His deep baritone was barely audible.

She
searched his face and pain no longer marked his expression. Their eyes locked. A ring of deep indigo circled his dilated irises and his predatory gaze trapped her. The air in the room was thick and the only sound that echoed off the walls was the steady rhythm of their mingled breaths.

Okay, deep breath, deep breath…
she needed to compose herself, to get out of there!

Nina tried to
summon some control and she took a shaky step back. Her efforts were futile as his right hand snaked out and cupped her head. Before she knew what was happening his lips crushed down on hers, hot and demanding. The sharp gasp that escaped her lips simmered to a quiet moan as the pliant lips on hers continued their gentle assault.

All sane thoughts were washed away as she opened her mouth to allow in
his probing tongue, one that skillfully sought to play and tease. Hot desire slammed into her and she reached up to entangle her fingers in his thick mane of hair; it felt just as she’d imagined and she couldn’t get enough. Her fingers eagerly explored the silky texture and her mouth sought to devour more of him. He tasted natural and sweet and decadent.

H
e slid off the exam table with a wince then reached around with his right arm and cupped a generous portion of her buttocks, lifting and crushing her hips against his. Nina sighed when she felt the urgent state of his body. No longer teasing, his lips ravished hers. He caught her bottom lip between his teeth and sucked hungrily.

She
pressed eagerly against him, pinning him against the exam table. She rocked against the mound of flesh digging into her pelvis. A raging tide lapped in her belly and drenched her sex. She could feel heated moisture sliding from her body and soaking her panties. She moaned as his searching hand yanked her scrub top out from her bottoms and found its way beneath. He trailed a tingly path up her spine then moved around and cupped a large hand around the weight of her breast.

He massaged and kneaded skillful
ly, applying pressure in all the right places. He drew circles around one taut nipple making it ache and swell, then moved over to the next. She arched into his touch and threw her head back while keeping her fingers gripped in his hair. His lips planted hot kisses down her neck and the prickly feeling of his stubble rubbing her skin sent shocks of electricity shooting through her.

Nina moaned as he lifted her top, exposing her black lace bra. Cool air teased her hot skin, making her shiver. A finger
tormented her nipple and she was sure she whispered “please” before he groaned huskily and closed his mouth over her breast. He suctioned her through the lace and she pulled his head against her, savoring the delicious sensations fluttering through her and gathering at her sex. His wet mouth nibbled and teased the tiny rosebud and she had to bite her lip to contain the moans that crowded in her throat.

He
moved to the next nipple while his thumb and forefinger continued the dizzying assault. Her knees buckled with the onslaught of feeling exploding inside her like popping firecrackers, and he backed her up against the wooden desk to steady her.

Caught in a cloud that was all sensation and need, she
trailed her fingers down to the waistband of his pants and with amazing efficiency undid his belt and button. She quieted the part of her mind that tried to scream a warning of sanity. It had been so long, if ever, that she’d felt like this. It was as though the floodgates had opened and a tidal wave came crashing through. His breath caught in his throat as she trailed a finger over his zipper, outlining the thickness of his cock straining beneath.

The sound of his pleasure
inspired her and she reached inside, eagerly separating the teeth of his zipper. Her fingers barely made their way around his thick shaft as she freed him and began stroking a slow steady rhythm. She caught the slick moisture leaking from his tip and twirled it over the smooth bulbous head of his cock, making him groan and buck into her touch.

She felt
searing heat beneath her touch and it scored her palm. Her fantasy hadn’t even come close to how amazing he felt. His size was considerable and weighty in her eager grip, and she hungered for him with a desire beyond reason. She couldn’t remember ever being this needy to be filled. Arousal licked wildly inside her, causing an unbearable ache she needed assuaged. She knew he felt it too with every eager thrust he made into her palm and every ragged breath that sawed against her ear as he suckled and nipped her earlobe.

“
God
…I want you. Where can we go? Is it safe in here?” His husky breath floated against the shell of her ear, sending a hazy buzz along her skin.

The loud jingle of the beeper hanging precariously from her scrub bottoms
sliced through the moment like a sledgehammer. Nina jumped back; startled as though she’d been thrown into a frozen lake. Her fingers trembled as she brought them to her swollen lips and it took her a second to quiet her ragged breathing. They both stared at each other, stunned, wide eyed and wanting as the shrill jingle continued.

She
took in a long shuddering breath and pulled her scrub top down from where it bunched up over her breast. She reached for the beeper that demanded attention and silenced it, reading the number on the lighted display. She used the phone on the desk to respond to her page, her fingers shaking as she jabbed at the numbers on the keypad. She turned her back to Wade and pushed away the tumultuous emotions rioting inside her.

“Dr. Henley here…yes…yes!” She snapped. “How long ago? Okay. Get him prepped and I’ll be right there. Thanks.”

Nina was relieved when she turned back to Wade and saw that he’d managed to zip and button his pants. She’d tucked her top in and straightened her scrubs while talking on the phone. She shook her head in an attempt to settle her jumbled thoughts, and clearing the gravel from her throat, she somehow found her profession voice.

“I…
ume…have to apologize to you. I’m very sorry for what just occurred. It was very…unprofessional.”

“I’m not sorry. I was hoping we could pick up where we left off.”
His voice still held the raspy lilt of desire. His intensely blue eyes were fixed on her face.

Her
sensible voice, the one that had always kept her on the straight and narrow, the one that always inspired her to do what was reasonable and right, the one that had screamed for attention and had been patently ignored moments before, was echoing in her head like a blow horn. Thoughts of her promising career, her parents, her friends, and the life she’d built all twirled around in her head like a frenzied tornado. She could see them all disappearing into the fuzzy distance. She straightened her back and jutted out her chin.

“I’m very sorry Mr. Conno
lly,” she said sternly. “That was a
big
mistake. I assure you that never in my career have I acted so foolishly irrational. I am a medical doctor who esteems the highest tenets of medicine and would never conduct myself so recklessly.” She couldn’t help the choke on her next words. “I’d never do something so stupid and rash to endanger my career.”

Sighing, she
took a rallying breath. “I apologize again for my inappropriate behavior and hope that I have not injured you or exacerbated your existing injury in anyway.”

“
Injured me?”
Wade looked incredulous. He was obviously more than a little annoyed by her clipped tone and haughty dissertation. He raked long fingers through his hair, tousling it in frustration.

“An orderly will take you to radiology for an X-ray of your arm. As far as I can tell I don’t
believe any bones are broken, your ribs all seem intact. You do have extensive soft tissue trauma and you may have some tendon or ligament damage. That will just take time to heal. We need an X-ray to confirm that nothing is broken. I’ll leave a prescription for pain medication in your chart and the nurse will further instruct you.”

Nina turned to leave, making it clear that their conversation was over. She was stopped by the sound of his voice.

“I think you’ve forgotten something.”

She
turned, expecting to see anger on his face and was surprised to see the wicked twinkle in his assessing eyes.

“What?”
Her voice was shriller than intended. She wanted desperately to leave and was in no mood to further discuss what had just occurred between them. She also knew that her nipples were still puckered beneath her scrub top and she needed to distance herself from this unwanted temptation.

“My belt,” h
e said simply and she followed his gaze to the two unbuckled ends of his belt dangling from the front of his slacks. She also couldn’t help but notice that he was still very aroused.

“Excuse me?”
she asked indignantly, already knowing where this was headed.

“I need help. I can’t possibly manage this with an injured arm.” His voice was
liquid silk, intentionally sardonic.

“I’m sure you can manage.”
She bristled, anger starting to rise. He’d done fine with zipping and buttoning his pants on his own, actions that had required far more dexterity.

“Don’t think so.” He
shook his head. “Besides, this would be rather hard to explain to the radiologist—how I came in for a broken arm and ended up with a genital exam.”

For the love of God!
Nina felt a hot blush cover her face and she sighed with visible impatience. This man was completely outrageous! She could hear the mockery in his deep baritone. Seeing that he had no intention of letting her escape with what little dignity she had left she took a deep breath and walked over to him.

It took every ounce of control to keep her hands from shaking
as she fastened his belt and shoved the excess leather into the two belt hoops on his pants. She kept her gaze averted, but could just imagine the devilish grin on his damned handsome face as she performed the task.