Page 29 of Heartless Pucker in Love

She did that thing where she pouted and then pulled her lower lip between her teeth. It drove me crazy because every time she did it, I ached to kiss her. “I have to admit, I’m not eager to get involved in a relationship.”

That was a shocker. April belonged in one of those fairytale romances where her Prince Charming cherished her and gave her everything she wanted. “That’s a surprise. Why is that?”

Her lashes lowered to conceal her eyes. “Mom might have been crazy, but sometimes I fear she was onto something. The whole relationship thing might not be worth the trouble or the heartache.”

That made me wonder if April had ever gotten her heartbroken, but I was afraid to ask. Maybe that was too personal.

She turned to me. “See? We have something in common.”

I grunted. “What makes you think I’m not a long-term, settling down kind of guy?”

She lifted her brow at me and I gave her a sheepish grin. Okay, so being seen with one model or actress after the next in quick succession made me look bad.

April laughed softly and pulled her feet up on the seat. I got a glimpse of her pink toenails. God, even her toes were cute. I really need to stop checking her out. We hadn’t discussed that mind-blowing kiss we shared, but I assumed she didn’t want me to touch her again.

“How did we even get here? I don't know why I told you about my parents.”

Stroking my chin, I grinned. “Well, maybe because you’ve realized that I’m not the asshole you thought I was, and I’m pretty easy to talk to. I’m a nice guy, April. Surprise.”

Her laughter filled the cabin again. It was a nice sound. I gazed at her as subtly as I could. Her entire face lit up when she laughed.

“Okay, fine. You’re not all that bad, Grayson.” She glanced at my laptop. “Did I disrupt something important? You should get back to it.”

“Nothing important.” If legal contracts from companies could be considered unimportant. Screw multi-million dollar endorsement deals. I liked talking to April more. “This is nice. I don’t get this much, just chatting with…a friend.”

“So we’re friends now?”

I shrugged. “We haven’t argued for the entire day. We’re like besties now.”

Rolling her eyes, she shifted and tucked her feet under her skirt before reclining her seat. “Right. It’s hard to believe you don’t have anyone to talk to. You’re always at parties with famous people.”

“Has someone been stalking me on social media?” I teased.

“No.” Her cheeks turned to the prettiest shade of pink. “It’s hard not to see stuff.”

“Uh-huh,” I said, reclining my seat a little. Our heads were close and our hands were almost touching. It was almost like we were lying together. I felt comfortable. Maybe it was because I knew her. We pretty much grew up together. That had to be the reason why I felt at ease with her. Although deep down, I knew it was something else. “I have plenty of acquaintances, April, but not true friends whom I can share personal things with. The circles I move in don’t have those kinds of genuine friends. Sure, I laugh and have a good time with fellow athletes and celebrities but none of them know the real me.”

“Who’s the real you, Julian?”

I turned toward her and smiled. “Stick around, maybe you’ll find out.”

Her eyes narrowed as they locked with mine. They were filled with curiosity, shining with a hint of uncertainty. We were having an intimate moment, and we were both dressed. This was new to me. All my intimate moments with women consisted of us naked, doing the horizontal mambo, which meant nothing to me on an emotional level. I didn’t know exactly what was happening between us—how we went from disliking each other and bickering all the time to confiding in each other—but...I didn’t hate it.

14

APRIL

I’d been holed up in yet another magnificent five-star hotel all day. Working with wealthy clients wasn’t new to me. I’d traveled with a few before but never so far out of Nebraska and never for this long. This level of opulence was insane. The private jets, the luxury hotels, the chauffeured vehicles, there was even a helicopter ride simply because Julian didn’t like the idea of sitting in traffic and being late for his meeting. His life was a little crazy. All along, I assumed he just played hockey for a portion of the year and relaxed and partied for the rest.

I was so wrong. As it turned out, he made more money on the business end than his actual sports career. He was driven, way too driven for a guy who chose to be a professional athlete. It was almost like he was chasing something and was running out of time. I was confused, but I didn’t dare ask what was going on with him. I mean, we weren’t that close yet. Sure, we’d warmed up to each other a little in the few weeks I’d been traveling with him, and we’d even shared a couple of intimate conversations, but we weren’t...anything.

We’d fallen into this weird space where I wasn’t sure if we were still childhood enemies, friends, or frenemies as he liked to say, or if he liked me as a little more than a friend. There were moments I caught him looking at me with interest, what one would probably call sexual male interest, and I liked it. However, we’d been skirting around each other since that kiss.

Leaning against the window, I gazed over Manhattan, admiring the skyscraper buildings and the bustling city below. It was getting dark so there were already thousands of lights illuminating the scene. Accepting the gig as Julian’s travel nurse turned out to be a great decision. The pay was so good that it was outrageous but, the best part was seeing places I never even knew I wanted to see. Stepping out of the small town Oakland bubble had opened an appetite to see the world. I was never one to dream about seeing the world, but what I’d seen so far was great. I wanted to see more.

Still taking in the view, I plucked my phone from my pocket to check in with my sisters. Before I could send a text in our group chat, another text came in. It was from Julian.

Open up, nurse. Your patient has returned.

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