Loving the Nurse by Piper Sullivan

Cal

Iloved having the weekends off, but that happened once, maybe twice a month. If I wanted a social life I had to work around my days off, which I did, when I felt like being social. Today I was enjoying a rare solitary day off. I’d gotten up early and went for a long run before enjoying a hot shower without any interruptions. I even took my time for breakfast, making a spinach and feta omelet with bacon on the side. It was nice and relaxing, which was my goal when I wasn’t at the hospital.

It was late morning, and instead of patching up emergencies, I was sprawled out on the sofa watching a movie. Sure, there were more productive things that I could be doing, but the day was still young. I’d get around to that stuff…later. For the moment, I paused the movie to make a sandwich with the remaining bacon from breakfast and settled back onto the sofa, ready for the big fighting climax that every action flick is required to have.

The first punch was thrown when my doorbell rang. The sound startled me because I wasn’t sure the bell even worked. My best friend, Antonio, usually knocked, and my sister entered without warning. When I didn’t hear anyone jiggle the doorknob, I knew it wasn’t one of them so I paused the movie, reluctantly set down my sandwich and went to see who had the audacity to show up unannounced on my day off.

“Alana?” Seeing her on my doorstep was a bit of a shock. We saw each other when our schedules permitted, usually in Eugene or Salem, but never, ever in Jackson’s Ridge. “What’re you doing here?”

Her red lips pulled into a tight smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes and I knew what was happening. I knew this moment well, had lived it dozens of times in my life. “I came to talk about the state of our relationship, Cal.”

I blinked at her words. “What relationship?” We met up once or twice a month, for a nice dinner with bland conversation before we found a nice hotel to burn up the sheets in for the rest of the weekend. That was it.

Alana only laughed at my question before rising on her toes to kiss my cheek. “Such a jokester, Cal.” Then, without an invitation, she stepped inside my home.

A home she had never been inside, never invited to either, I might add. That should have told her everything she needed to know about our so-called relationship, but it didn’t. After a few minutes of looking around, taking in the details of my half-finished, half-decorated house, she turned to me and smiled. “I want more Cal. I want to see you more often and spend more time with you.”

“Alana, that’s not what we do.” She was beautiful and smart, and hot in bed, all things that appealed to me. What she wasn’t, until this moment, was delusional.

She pushed on as if she hadn’t heard me. “I have a work party coming up, an awards ceremony of sorts, and I’d like you to escort me for the evening.”

“No thanks.”

Alana sucked in a breath and narrowed her green eyes at me. “That’s it? Just no, and that’s all?”

“What else do you want me to say, Alana? I told you what I wanted from our arrangement and that hasn’t changed.” It wasn’t the first time I had this conversation with a woman, and if I had any sense, it would be the last.

“I know you did, but you didn’t mean it.”

“I don’t say things I don’t mean, Alana.” She wanted to believe that I would change, that my feelings for her would change over time, so she accepted what I was offering.

“That’s cold, Cal. Cold and heartless, and you’re not a heartless man.” Her skin paled, highlighting the freckles she normally hid with makeup, but not today, probably because I loved to kiss each of those freckles when I had her naked.

“I may be cold and heartless from your perspective, but I’m not a liar. I told you that I wanted something light and casual, and you said that’s what you wanted too.” I should have known. Hell, I did know, but she was a grown woman who owned her own business, she was capable of making up her own damn mind.

“It is, or rather, it was. But my feelings have changed, and I believe yours have too.” She believed that because she wanted to, she thought if she was wild enough in bed, or sweet enough or whatever, that I would fall for her.

“My feelings, and more importantly, my wants and desires, haven’t changed.”

A small smile appeared as she walked towards me, flipping her strawberry blond hair off her shoulders. “I know all about your desires, Cal.”

“It’s one of the things I like about you, Alana.”

At my words she froze. “Like. It’s one of the things you like about me? Is there anything you love about me, Cal?” Her blue eyes were filled with hope and expectation, and I wanted to be able to keep that look on her pretty face. But I couldn’t.

“No, Alana. I’m sorry, but I don’t love you.” I didn’t love anyone, not in a romantic sense anyway.

She blinked and tears fell down her freckled cheeks. “But how can that be? All those dinners and weekends spent in bed talking. What was all that?”

“That was perfect. It was just what I wanted. I thought it was what you wanted at the time too.” It was clear she was ready to upgrade from casual to boyfriend on her way to husband and happily ever after, which meant we were done. “I hope you find what you’re looking for, Alana.”

“This is ridiculous, Cal. You couldn’t possibly have thought I’d be happy with that arrangement forever.” Now she was angry. At least that was easier to deal with than her tears.

A throat cleared behind me and I turned with a frown to find Teddy Ricci standing inside my door wearing ripped jeans that sculpted long, shapely legs, thick caramel curls that fell around bare shoulders and a black tank top that showed off amazing tits and long, strong arms. Her big, honey brown eyes were filled with amusement—at my expense no doubt—as she took in the scene.

“Is this a bad time?”

“Oh this is great,” Alana growled. “Just great. You’ve already replaced me?”

Teddy laughed and the sound was rich and throaty, like she enjoyed every moment of her life. “Not in a million years, lady. I’m here strictly in a professional capacity,” she told Alana before turning to me. “Teddy at eleven. Ringing any bells?”

I nodded absently, remembering Hannah left a message about Teddy Brothers coming for a consult. “I didn’t realize Teddy Brothers was your company.”

She nodded, her gaze now blank as it clashed with mine. “Well, it is. I can go if this is a bad time, and we can reschedule.”

We’d reschedule never, I was sure. “No, this is a good time. Alana and I were just finishing up our chat.”

Alana gasped and more tears rolled down her cheeks. I felt bad, but she did this to herself. “You are a heartless jerk Cal. I hope when you do fall in love, it’s with a woman just like you.” The words sounded good to my ears, but they also sounded like a curse. “Have a miserable life, jerk.” She stomped off angrily and I sighed, feeling like a jerk and trying to shake off that feeling.

“Ah, sorry about that.” I rubbed a hand over my messy hair and let out a slow sigh.

“Don’t apologize, I already know you’re a jerk. So, what did you want done to this place?” Her brown eyes took in the details of the house and she already started making notes. Not the kind that included throw pillows and a woman’s touch, just notes on beams and windows and fixtures.

She was all business, and as much as I usually appreciated it, I hated it from Teddy. She practically grew up at my house and now she acted like we were strangers. I didn’t get it, but I had time.

“Right. Let’s start in back and work our way forward.”

“Lead the way.”

I took Teddy through every room in the house, explaining my vision for each. “I want this turned into a mudroom because I’d prefer to entertain outs-,”

“You have a timeline in mind for this?”

I didn’t like being cut off, but I read her message loud and clear. We weren’t friends so there was no need to elaborate. “I’m not sure.”

“Okay. Mudroom. What else?” That was how the next two hours went, me trying to reel her into conversation with details of the job, and Teddy shutting me down at every turn. I should have been pissed off but I wasn’t. I was amused. And more, I was determined to draw her out of that cold shell and remind her that we weren’t strangers.

“How did you come to own Teddy Brothers?” I heard the rumors around town that the Ricci girl had it in her head that she could run a construction company, but I hadn’t bothered to find out more.

“I started the business and it’s mine,” she said simply. “How’s the wiring on this place? Have you had any official inspections done?”

Back to business. “Um, not yet? The plan was to do this all on my own when I had free time, but I have very little of it, so here you are.”

Teddy nodded and jotted something else down on the tablet cradled in her arm. “If we make it that far, we’ll have to start with inspections so we know what we’re working with.”

“What do you mean if? We’re practically family, who else would I hire?”

Her brown gaze lasered in on me and I could see the strands of gold and dark brown that added fire to her eyes. “We are not family, Cal. You’re friends with my brother, and I’m friends with your sister, that’s all. You should base your decision on budget and deadlines and nothing else.”

“It’s my house and I’ll decide who to hire based on any damn criteria I choose.”

She stared at me for a long time, not like she was trying to figure me out, more like she was trying to intimidate me. It didn’t work, because I didn’t intimidate easily. “I’ll have a bid for you within the next seven days. Expect it by email.” Without another word, Teddy marched out of my house and I let my gaze follow her the entire way, those long, strong legs gave a man a lot of thoughts he shouldn’t.

Thoughts I shouldn’t be having about my best friend’s little sister.

Thoughts I shouldn’t be having about a woman who clearly hates me.

But damn if Tomboy Teddy hadn’t gotten hotter than hell and with an attitude to match. She was a challenge I couldn’t resist.