Page 40 of Heartless Pucker in Love

I tensed, every cell of my body hyper-aware of her soft touch. Her fingers were warm and soothing. As subtle as I could, I pulled away. Apparently, I wasn’t so subtle because she raised an eyebrow and muttered, “I’m sorry. I’m just concerned because you carried all those bags after I told you not to.”

I glared. “Gee, Flower Child, thanks for your concern. I’d be more touched if I wasn’t paying you for your concern.” The second the words left my mouth, I froze and mentally kicked myself in the mouth.

April went completely still. Color rose in her cheeks and her long eyelashes lowered to hide her eyes. “You know, Julian, I really don’t have to be here,” she bit out. “I guess it’s already slipped your mind that you begged me to be here.”

“I wouldn't say I begged.” I paused and reflected on the conversation we’d had two days ago.

After a few more weeks in New York wrapping up business, shooting a commercial and doing a few promotional gigs, April requested that we talk. I had assumed, hoped even, that she was ready to talk about what happened between us. As it turned out, she just wanted to ask me what she was still doing under my employ.

“Julian, don’t you think you should end my time with you? I mean, as your nurse?”

I had stared at her, mind racing, trying to come up with an excuse to keep her with me. Holy hell on toast, I, Julian Grayson, a man who prided himself on not needing any deep emotional connection, needed April to stay. I found myself wanting to buy more time with her in hopes that she’d break her silence about...us. So, I had convinced her to stay with me.

“April, I’m starting to feel bad about you trying to get away from me. Do you hate being around me that much?”

She’d blinked, gazed at me with confusion, and said, “Of course not. It’s just that I’m doing absolutely nothing for you now. You’re even getting your cast cut off tomorrow. You’re fully healed.” She continued to stare at me wide-eyed as if I’d suddenly morphed into another species.

I understood why she thought I was a nut job, hanging on to a nurse I no longer needed. However, I was trying to hold on to her because it hit me square in the chest that my “little thing” for Flower Child since childhood, was way bigger than I thought. It took her blowing my mind with one sexual encounter to realize that. That’s why I found myself coming up with a lame excuse to get her to stay with me.

“What’s the problem? Do you need to get back to your job at the hospital?”

She wrapped her arms around her middle and blushed. “Well, not really. I mean, I applied for extended leave. I asked for more than six weeks since that's how long I assumed I’d be with you for...”

“So you’re still a free agent.”

“Julian, I?”

“Why did you take the job?” I asked. “I mean really. I know it isn’t because you were all that thrilled to be around me, considering you hated me until recently.”

The pink in her cheeks brightened. “I never hated you,” she huffed. “What does it matter? You don’t need me anymore.”

That’s where she was wrong. I felt like I needed her close to figure out exactly what I was feeling for her. That would be hard to do with her all the way back in Oakland. “Answer my question, why did you really take the job?”

“You offered a lot of money.” My heart dropped a little to even think that my sweet April was all about money like almost everyone else until she added, “I needed...I need the money for a project.”

I frowned. “A project?”

“A community project. A free nursing home that the mayor and I had a hand in starting some years ago. The town is having a hard time funding it. I feel responsible for keeping it up and running because it was my idea. The residents will have nowhere to go. They’re mostly the elderly without family in town.” Her face reddened as she threw her hands up. “So, there you have it. I was sort of using you,” she hung her head and grumbled, “for the money. I’m sorry.”

Her obvious guilt made my lips twitch. She didn’t take the job for herself but for charity and she felt bad about using me. She was so damn sweet. My heart practically melted. “I wouldn’t call it using me. I offered you a job.”

“True, but you offered an obscene amount of money. I should have insisted on the regular per-hour rate. I feel bad. That’s why you should let me go.”

I chuckled, immensely relieved that she was still the kind soul she’d always been. And I was going to be a jackass and use her sweet nature to keep her company for a little bit longer. “You mean, that’s why you should stay.”

Her eyes flew up to meet mine. “I should?”

“How much money do you need for the nursing home?”

She blew out a breath. “A lot. I was thinking I’d have to use my own money, but that’s laughable on a regular nurse’s salary. But I have a fundraising event planned.” She seemed skeptical about the fundraiser, as she should be. I doubted she’d make that much with an event in little Oakland.

“Well, my offer still stands. Double the pay if we leave the country. That’ll be sure to give you a boost with funds. Come to Canada with me and think of it as fundraising for your project.”

“A-are you serious?”

I could easily write a fat donation check for her nursing home, and I intended to before she returned to Oakland. However, I’d keep that little detail to myself for now. I nodded.

She opened her mouth, and I detected the protest before she said a word. “Come on, April. What will it hurt? You said you don’t have to go back to work yet. You should use me to make money for your community project.” I smirked and opened my arms wide. “Please, use me, April. I have tons of money.”

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