Page 4 of Heartless Pucker in Love

He grinned. “I’m very mature for my age.”

Stifling a giggle, I sent him an amused glance. “You were just fanboying over a hockey player.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Surely, you can overlook that. I mean, when do we ever get actual celebrities in Oakland?”

Smirking, I stepped into Julian’s cubicle. “Goodbye, Sam,” I said with a smile as I drew the curtain.

“Just one coffee, April,” came Sam’s plea. “Your resistance only makes you hotter. You know that, right?”

“Oh, my God,” I groaned.

“Got yourself a fan, I see.”

The voice that somehow managed to still sound sexy despite being sluggish from heavy pain meds made my shoulders stiffen. I ignored the little twinge between my legs and spun around to face Julian with a mean scowl. He was propped up on the bed. His bronze skin was a little pale, which I assumed was from the pain. He’d suffered a fractured wrist and two fractured ribs. He also had some nasty cuts and abrasions along his thighs and legs that would require further care. The rest of him had been protected by riding gear. So, Julian wasn’t a complete idiot. Good for him for having the sense to wear protective gear.

When he was being wheeled to Radiology, he’d asked if he was still pretty. That had the female porter blushing and giggling. She’d assured him his “handsome” face didn’t have a scratch. I was disgusted by their exchange. Leave it up to Julian to flirt and be wickedly charming and funny while injured and in obvious pain. And leave it up to ninety-nine percent of the female population to swoon at his feet. Despicable!

“You’re awake,” I muttered, immediately feeling bad for my lack of professionalism.

His deep, honey-smooth laughter made me gulp. “April, it’s been a decade. Show a little love, babe.” With a goofy, drug-induced grin that almost made me smile, he lifted one arm. “How about a hug?”

Seriously? The medication must have given him temporary amnesia. Or maybe it was the concussion. We hated each other, and he was asking for a hug?

“You did not just call me babe.”

Julian dropped his arms and frowned. I couldn’t get over how great he looked. He looked even better than I remembered. His dark blonde hair brushed his shoulders. He didn't wear it that long before. His eyes still pulled me in. I could get completely lost in those mesmerizing orbs if I wasn’t careful. They still gleamed with mischief, too. The only difference in Julian’s appearance was that his chiseled jaw was lined with stubble, and his nose was slightly crooked from being broken. I’d heard about that injury. It happened during one of his practice sessions three years ago. I swear, all the man had to do was breathe, and it made entertainment news all the way across the Canadian border. It annoyed me because there was no forgetting Julian Grayson, no matter how much I’d tried. He was always there in some magazine or blog article. I glared at him as if it was all his fault. I was further irked because him laying in a hospital bed in a white gown did nothing to lessen his broad-shouldered and manly stature. So annoying. Everything about him just rubbed me the wrong way.

“I did,” he slurred. “I mean,” he said as his eyes swept me from head to toe, “you are a total babe, April.” He grinned that silly grin again and hiked a thumb at the IV bag. “Unless I’m tripping on whatever is in that bag.”

My lips twitched. He was so out of it. So, he probably didn’t mean what he said about me being “a total babe.” I opened my mouth to tell him never to call me babe again, but Nic pushed his head around the curtain.

“Hey, can I come in?”

“It’s the Chief!” Julian said excitedly. “Come on in, Chief.”

Nic lifted a brow.

“Don’t mind him. He’s on some strong meds,” I explained.

“Huh.” Nic stepped in. “Well, now that I know you’ll be just fine, Julian, I’ll get going.”

“Awe, don’t go, Chief! Stay awhile and enjoy the party.”

Nic chuckled. “What the hell did you put in that IV bag? He’s high as a kite.”

I couldn’t help chuckling.

“Hey, Grayson? Can I ask you for a favor?”

“Hell yeah, anything for you, Chief.”

“No one knows you’re here yet. I told the EMTs to keep it under wraps but news will get out soon. When you’re not high on pain meds, can you promise you’ll talk to a journalist named Lucy Bennet first before you talk to anyone else?”

“Nic,” I hissed. “You're taking advantage of his medicated state. That is beneath you.”

“My fiancée is a journalist, April,” he hissed back. “Do you know the reward I’ll get if I help her break this story first?”

“Ew. I don’t want to know what you and my sister get up to,” I sighed, shaking my head. “I can’t believe you.”

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