Taming Casanova (5 page)

Chapter 8

Andi closed the door to the room that would forever change her life. 
She heard the crying from behind the door and held onto the wall to keep her balance.  Tears filled her eyes and her heart broke in her chest.  It had been a month since she was taken off the neurosurgery rotation and thrust into obstetrics.  But her eight year old patient had stayed close to her heart.  When she received the call that there were only moments left, she ran to say her last goodbye.  She held his hand as he took his last breath and pronounced his death seconds later.  Watching his mother break apart had been her undoing.

She wiped the tears from he
r face and took a deep breath before she slid to the floor.  She tucked her legs under her and buried her face in her knees.  In all her years in the medical field, she had not felt anything more powerful or devastating than losing a child to a brain tumor.  Her body trembled.

“Andi?”  Kevin’s voice was little more than a whisper.  “What happened?”

She met his eyes and shivered.  “Hi.”

He sat next to her and took her hand.  “Are you ok?”

She nodded.  “I lost a pretty important patient today.  I know they say we can’t get attached but sometimes you just can’t help it.”

His face seemed pale.  She reached out and touched his cheek.  “Are you sick?”

He gave her a fake smile.  “I’ve got the toothache from hell.  I have a date with an oral surgeon in a few days and I’m just really run down.  Jena’s got a B12 shot with my name on it.”  He shifted uncomfortably in her stare.  “I’ve been traveling a good bit for work.”

“I heard y
ou were gone.”  She stood up and extended her hand to him.  “Come on.  I’ll help you find J.”

Kevin smiled as he slipped his fingers through hers.  She stepped a little closer to him as they walked down the hall.  The hospital was quiet and it was getting dark outside.  Andi knew she had a few more hours on duty but took a minute to enjoy feeling him so close.

She hadn’t seen him since the night in the rain.  She had decided she needed some time to reflect on the feelings that had surfaced for him.  She had asked Ryan and Caleb about him a few times but he had been spending time traveling with a few photographers for a fitness apparel company.  He looked tired and his face was drawn.  She had a strong urge to take care of him.

“There’s my favorite patient.”  Jena gave Kevin a hug and Andi flinched.
  Realizing what she had said, Jena backtracked.  “I have your stuff on my desk.  I have a patient coming up from recovery so give me just a few minutes.”

“I can give him the shot.”  Andi looked between Kevin and Jena.  “If that’s ok?”

Jena nodded at Kevin.  “Yes.  There are two injections on my desk.  The one with the white label gets injected into the abdomen and the blue label into the buttocks.  There’s a bag on the desk that has the other five injections.  Take those with you.  They are twice a day until surgery.” 

“Why am I giving an injection in the abdomen?
What surgery?”  Andi asked Jena at the same time her patient rounded the corner from the operating room.  “Kevin?”

“Listen.  Don’t ask me a bunch of stuff I’m not ready to answer.  Can we just get this over with? I’m a total pussy around needles.”

Andi smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. She took him into Jena’s office and he immediately removed his shirt.  She washed her hands and put on some gloves.  Grabbing an alcohol pad, she ran it over the spot on his abdomen.  She grabbed the syringe and held his hand.  “You ready?”

He took a deep breath.  “Yep.”

Once she gave the injection, she stared at the syringe.  When Kevin cleared his throat, she locked eyes with him.  “Why am I giving you a Lovenox injection?”  He was silent.  “Please don’t shut me out.”

“Andi, I think I like fighting with you more than the look you are giving me right now.”  Kevin picked up the B12 shot and handed it to her.  “Please give me this one and then we can talk.”

Andi gave him the injection and helped him put his shirt back on.  Her worry was written all over her face.  She reached out and touched his chest.  He didn’t pull away.  Instead, he covered her hand with his and smiled down at her.  She stared into his intense, gray eyes.  Her heart fluttered.  “Can I kiss you?”  The words were out before she could stop herself.

His lips brushed against hers.  They were feather light.  He pulled back and kissed her eye lids, her jaw and her mouth once more.  When she moaned, he deepened the kiss.  Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him impossibly close.  The passion in his kiss was more intense than anything she had ever felt.    She had one serious relationship in her past and although she had loved him, she had never felt
anything that felt as right as kissing Kevin. 

He ended the kiss and put his forehead against hers.  “Your mouth does wicked things to my body, slick.”

“Ditto, Deuce.”  She giggled when he picked her up and hugged her.

“I have an appointment.”  He looked at his watch and cringed.  “Can we get
a late dinner?”

“Yes.  You owe me an explanation.” 

He kissed her forehead before heading out of Jena’s office.  As Andi disposed of the needles, she couldn’t help the feeling of dread that came over her.

Caleb and Steve sat on the boat after a hard workout at the gym.  They were both exhausted and wanted
to take in the peace and quiet of an evening on the water.  “Talk to Moretti yet?”

Steve groaned
.  “No.  Get off my back about Amber. I will eventually.  This isn’t easy for me.”

“I won’t push
.”  Caleb leaned his head against the headrest and sighed.  “I wouldn’t leave LA for all the money in the world.”

“Jena still talking about missing Seattle?”

Caleb laughed.  “Daily.  Then she remembers the rain. What’s new with Amber?”

“I can’t help that I love her.”  Steve’s body tensed.  “But she’s toxic and I’m dragging out the inevitable.”

“I’m sorry man.”

“What’s wrong with Kevin?” 
Andi’s voice was stern as she stepped onto the boat.  “What aren’t you telling me?”

Caleb shook his head.  “I don’t know.  Why?  You two get in a fight?”

Steve laughed and fist bumped Caleb.

“I’m serious.  What’s wrong with him?”  Andi sat down and stared at her brother.

“I’m serious.  I don’t know.  Why do you think something’s wrong?”

“I just injected a vial of blood thinner into his gut at Jena’s instruction.”

“What?”  Caleb sat up straighter. “I don’t understand.  Why would you give him a blood thinner?”

“I think that’s what she’s asking you.”  Steve looked at Andi.  “Did he just have surgery?”

Andi stood up and laughed.  “You are both idiots.  You don’t know shit.  But if Jena is keeping something big from me, it will be a problem.”

Caleb got defensive.  “We don’t keep things from each other.  Ever.”

“If he’s a patient she does.”  Andi stepped off the boat to go get ready for her dinner.

Chapter 9

Andi stepped into the restaurant and rolled her eyes when she saw the waitress leaning all over Kevin.  Her boobs were spilling out of the top of her shirt and her fake nails ran down his arm.  Kevin was being polite but she could tell he was uncomfortable.  She would have fun with this.

“Hello honey. Were you waiting long?”  Andi kissed him on the mouth and took the seat across from him. She glanced at the waitress.  “I’ll have a glass of chardonnay.  And if you would remove your hands from my husband’s shoulders, I would appreciate it very much.  Thanks.”

Kevin choked on his water.
  He loved playful Andi and was glad she was the one that came to dinner.  “My wife doesn’t like to wait for her chardonnay.”  She waved the waitress away and laughed.  “Thank you.”

“I actually felt slightly possessive when I saw that.”  She set her napkin in her lap and looked up.  Kevin was staring.  “What?”

“Possessive huh?”

“Don’t flatter yourself, double trouble.  I said slightly.”  Andi sipped her water.

“Slightly is progress, doll.”  He winked.  As the waitress leaned across him to put his drink down he smirked. 

Andi rolled her eyes at the waitress.  “Listen honey, it would do you some good to put your tits away.  It won’t help at
all with your tip, since I’m buying.  And for the record, mine are real and they are magnificent.”

As the waitress stormed off, Kevin belly laughed. 
“I may need a reminder of just how magnificent they are.  You game?”

“Stop stalling.  I want to know about the medicine.”
  Andi reached across the table to let him know she was serious.  “If you’re a good boy, you might get a reward for the information.”

Kevin groaned.  “Seeing as how you shot me full of poison today, I’m considering this conversation covered under the secret shit between doc and patient.
  Deal?”  When Andi nodded, he continued.  “A while back I had a small heart thing.”

When he didn’t say any more, Andi huffed.  “Kevin, this is important.  What kind of heart thing?”

“I may need some motivation.”  His eyes twinkled with mischief.

She unbuttoned her top two buttons and ran her foot up his leg.  His hands fisted in the tablecloth.  When his eyes met hers again, she raised her eye brows and bit her lip.

“Shit.  Here goes but this stays between us.  This is something that I have kept to myself because I don’t regret any of it.”  He took a deep breath.  “After I gave West the bone marrow, I got pretty sick.  I let the infection get totally out of control and pushed my body really hard for a competition.  I started having pressure between my shoulder blades and some pain in my stomach.  It went on for a couple days.”  He paused and looked at Andi.

“Oh my God.” 
Andi’s face paled.  “Kevin, did you have a heart attack?”  Her foot dropped from his leg.

“I called Jena one night and she came over.  I was all sweaty when she got there and after yelling at me for a few minutes, she called an ambulance. 
They called it a mild something or another.  I had to make some changes and I am fine now.”

“Except
Jena is giving you Lovenox.  That tells me this isn’t over.  Are you on a blood thinner everyday and they’re making you stop it for your oral surgery?”  Andi rubbed his arm and he nodded.  “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“Who could I tell?  Ryan was dying and everyone was exhausted.  I didn’t need to add to anyone’s stress.  Jena had been through so much shit with all of us already and I could tell how upset she was keeping my secret
but I didn’t feel like I had much choice.  I don’t have any family, except for you guys.  I don’t know what I would have done without J.  She has saved my ass so many times.”

Andi tilted her head and smiled.  Her eyes were full of tears.  “You’ve saved her too.  And by saving her, you saved my brother.  You’re a pretty amazing person.”

Kevin threw two twenties on the table and stood up. When she didn’t follow, he reached out and pulled her to her feet.  He jogged from the restaurant with Andi in tow.  She giggled when he motioned for her car.  “Open.”

Andi handed him the keys and he unlocked the door, shoving her in before crawling into the back seat.  “What are you doing?”

“Getting my reward.”  His mouth crushed hers.  His tongue begged for entry and she melted into him.  When she moaned, he whispered against her mouth.  “I hope this is what you had in mind.”

Her hands were frantic, pulling at his shirt, fumbling with the button on his jeans.  Heat pooled between her thighs.  With just a kiss, he had her so turned on that she couldn’t
think straight.  She straddled his lap and pulled his hair.  Her body ground against him in the back seat.  Her breathing was frantic, her panties soaked.

“Baby.  Slow down.”  Kevin pulled out of the kiss and held her hips still.  He was panting.  “Wait.”

“I want this.”  Her eyes were glazed with desire.

“I do too.  You have no idea how much.”  He wiped his brow with his shirt.  “
We can’t have sex in your car.  You aren’t a booty call to me.”

Andi bit her lip and leaned down for another kiss. 
Her hand travelled to his pants and she pulled him free from his boxers.  “OK.  No sex.” 

She pushed off his lap and took him into her mouth. 
His erection pulsed and he threw his head back against the seat.  “Fuck.”  Her hands rubbed his abs then moved to his thighs.  Her tongue drew circles around the head of his penis. Taking him deep in her throat, she swallowed several times before pulling him back out. 

Kevin hissed.  “You have to stop.  I need you to be my strength.  I don’t want you to regret this.”

Her eyes met his, his hard length still in her mouth.  It was the hottest thing he had ever seen.  She released him on a pop and licked her lips.  “What if I say I won’t regret this?”

He pulled her head to his and captured her lips.  His tongue thrust in and out of her mouth. 
She grabbed his shoulders and scraped her nails down his back.  His moan was the most erotic thing she had ever heard.  He bit her shoulder. 

“Shit.”  She jumped off his lap and took a couple deep breaths.  “Shit. 
What am I doing?  I lose my mind around you.  What the hell is wrong with me? We can’t keep doing this.”

“I can’t do some casual fling with you.”  Kevin straightened his jeans and sighed. 
His words were like a punch to the gut.

“Why?  Because I’m only one person?”  Andi buttoned her shirt and her anger flared. 
Her emotions were all over the place.  “I knew this was a mistake.”

“Calm
down.”  Kevin grabbed her shoulders.  “I can’t do casual with you because you already mean too much to me.”

Andi’s
eyes widened.  “I have to go.  I’ll see you when I see you.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow night.”  Kevin opened the door and smiled at the steamed windows.

“What?”  Andi climbed into the front seat.

“Game night at
Moretti’s.  You’re on my team so don’t be late.”  Kevin slammed the door and sighed as she sped off.

Frustrating son of a bitch.
  Andi growled to herself as she pulled out of the parking lot.  Her heart was pounding, her hands were shaking and her body was buzzing.  She would have taken it all the way in the back seat of her new car in a totally public place if Kevin hadn’t stopped it.  She was relieved he had.  She was completely angry he had. 

In all the months she had known him, she had learned one thing.  Kevin Merck was a playboy.  He loved sex and he had it as often as possible.  If she surveyed ten women in LA, at least five would know who he
was.  And two of the five would have known each other from his bedroom.  This was not the man she wanted to get involved with.  Her heart was doomed.  She punched the steering wheel.  There was no way any woman on earth could tame this Casanova, especially not one like her.

But she wanted him.  She wanted him more than she
wanted to breathe.  She wanted his lips on her mouth, his body moving inside hers.  She wanted to wake up and feel his stare and she wanted to gaze into those steel colored eyes forever.  She was screwed.  It was time to leap or stop dancing.

Kevin slumped in his seat and grabbed his cell phone.  He needed to say the wor
ds.  He had never said them in his life but he needed it to be ok.  His fingers flew across the keys.

I’m in love with Andi.

He waited.  His breathing was shallow as he stared at his phone.

Fuck.
I know.

He laughed.
 
What do I do?

His phone rang immediately.  Caleb’s face flashed across the screen.  He chuckled as he picked it up.  “Allen?”

“If you hurt her, I will cut your dick off in your sleep and shove it so far up your ass that you will never see it again.  Do you understand me?”

Kevin’s laughter echoed through the whole car.  He had never heard Caleb so worked up.  “Yeah, man.  I got it.”

“Good.  Then maybe you should tell her and stop texting me like a pussy.”

The
line went dead and Kevin smiled.  One Allen down, one to go.