Page 16 of Offside Attraction

Rhonda glanced at Penny, wishing she could come with instead of this guy she barely knew, but the nurse was already walking. They strode through the doors and down a sterile hallway.

It felt like she was sucking air through a cocktail straw. The nurse led them to a room, motioned for her to sit on the paper-covered lounger, and immediately started prepping something at the side counter.

Aaron stood next to her, shifting back to leave space for the nurse. The door creaked open, and when Rhonda looked up, her heart stopped in her chest. A man walked in. Tall with dark hair that curled slightly at the ends, a five o'clock shadow that added to his rugged charm, and a full tattoo sleeve on his left arm.

Jordan held a clipboard in his hand. He set it on the counter and said something to the nurse before turning around and looking at her.

Her lips were swollen, her face flushed, and still, he stopped dead. Jordan blinked, then looked up at Aaron.

She should’ve thrown out the damn napkin.

Chapter

Four

Jordan

Jordan blinked.He felt like a bird that had just run full-tilt into a sparkling glass window. Rhonda. That was her name. He’d asked a few people at the bar that night, but they weren’t sure, and he wasn’t going to waltz over and ask Sean.

She sat stiffly on the edge of the exam table, looking pale and drawn, her breathing shallow. Some guy stood next to her, one hand resting on her shoulder, and he was rattling off the details like he had intimate knowledge of her life.

“She’s having an allergic reaction,” the guy was saying. “We think it was peanuts in the sauce.”

No shit.Jordan’s eyes flicked over him, assessing. Tall. Built. The guy’s hand on Rhonda’s shoulder, trying to look like he could do anything to help this situation. What an asshole.

Jordan stepped closer, keeping his gaze firmly on Rhonda, who was still looking at him like a deer in headlights. A deer with severe facial edema. “How long ago did this start?” He kept his voice steady. Cool. Professional.

“A few minutes,” the guy answered, but Jordan barely registered the response. His focus was solely on getting her stable. “She only took a few bites of dinner.” Her date shifted, fingers brushing over her arm like he was trying to comfort her.

Jordan gave a curt nod, barely acknowledging him, eyes on Rhonda as he reached out and took an epinephrine auto-injector from Ally, the nurse at the counter next to him. He sat on the stool and rolled up to her, sitting close enough he could feel her shaking. He put a hand on her thigh, hoping her date was watching.

“Rhonda, we’ve got this,” he said, voice low and calm. “This’ll get you breathing better in just a few seconds.” She nodded once, and her fingers gripped the edge of the table. Tight.

He administered the epinephrine with a single quick motion, inserting the needle through her jeans on her outer thigh, then scanned her face for a reaction. It was ridiculous the way his chest tightened at the sight of her like this.Just a patient.That’s all she was supposed to be tonight.

The guy next to her cleared his throat, and Jordan left his hands on her a few seconds longer than necessary just to screw with him.

Ally turned from the counter. “This is an albuterol inhaler. Have you used one before?” Rhonda nodded, her pupils already dilating from the shot. “Great, so take one deep breath and hold, okay?”

Ally held the inhaler to her lips, and Rhonda took it like a pro. Jordan turned, grabbing the IV kit from the counter, all of it muscle memory at this point. Assessing her veins took only a second. He scanned the inner crook of her elbow, spotting a prominent vein that barely needed a tap to rise to the surface.

His fingers grazed her skin as he positioned the needle. “Little pinch,” he murmured. “You’re doing great.” A quick swipe with the antiseptic, and he was in, sliding the needle into her vein with the kind of smooth, practiced precision that made the whole thing look effortless. He secured the IV, glancing briefly to make sure the line was running smoothly.

Rhonda’s date leaned in, and Jordan’s voice came out sharper than he intended. “Give her a little space, eh?” Ally gave him a look, and he stepped back, too. Rhonda’s wheeze was gone, but she was shaking. That was fine. A normal response to the epinephrine.

Jordan opened the cupboard behind him and pulled out a blanket. He laid it over her lap, tucking in the edges a little more than necessary. "What did you eat?"

Rhonda swallowed hard, pressing her fingers to her still-swollen lips. That was going to take a few hours to go back to normal. “Indian food. I can’t remember exactly what we ordered?—”

“Biryani, vindaloo, naan, and butter chicken.” The guy next to her piped up. “The waiter said there weren’t any peanuts.”

Jordan set down the clipboard. "Fenugreek.”

Rhonda's eyes widened. "What?"

"Some chefs put fenugreek in butter chicken. Seeds or powder."

Rhonda blinked. "Okay, and?"

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