Page 10 of Bloom: Part 1

“Mr. King didn’t make it through the emergency surgery.” I kept my voice steady as if his finger wasn’t doing funny things to my insides. The urge to sniff him until I could inhale every unique scent of his cologne andhimmade me grit my teeth. “I tried contacting his wife but was unable to get through.”

When was the last time I got laid?

“You want me to keep trying, Dr. Collier?” she asked.

Bloom bent sideways and waved a hand in my face. “Hello. I’m not invisible.”

I grabbed his wrist and ignored his sharp intake of breath. “Please do,” I said to the nurse, holding on to Bloom without acknowledging him. He plastered himself to my side and shoved a hand into my lab coat.

Damn him. There was something else I needed to say to the nurse, but what?

“Anything else, Dr. Collier?” Nurse Hatchett asked, her gaze flitting from Bloom to me.

“Ah, yes, the test results for Ms. Davis. Are they back yet?”

She typed quickly on her computer then nodded. “Yes, it’s already updated in the system.”

“Thank you.”

“Dr. Collier,” she said hesitantly. “Do you… want me to call security?”

“Bitch, I can hear you, you know.” Bloom’s eyes flashed, and the nurse pushed her chair back a few feet.

I tightened my hold on his wrist so hard he gasped. “Apologize to Nurse Hatchett.”

“I don’t apologize to no one.” He raised his chin, his lips forming a stubborn line.

“I will not tolerate you being rude and disrespectful to the hospital staff. Now apologize or else.”

My threat hung in the air, empty between us. Short of filing a restraining order against him, what else could I do?

I waited for him to call me out on my bullshit. He was blunt like that, but he pouted and turned a malicious look toward Nurse Hatchett. “I’m sorry I called you a bitch.” His tone was flat and not apologetic at all. “You’re really not a nosy bitch, and I’m sure you didn’t mean to put your nose where it doesn’t belong.” He flashed me a smile. “That better?”

“Don’t push it.”

He made his eyes go big and batted his eyelashes thick with mascara. “Don’t push what, Dr. Collier? I apologized just like you said.”

“I’ll see to it he doesn’t bother you again,” I said to Nurse Hatchett. “In the future, if you see him, don’t engage. He’s not… your average person.”

“Noted, Dr. Collier.”

“You, come with me.” I dragged Bloom after me. Not that much dragging was needed when he was too happy to follow. We barreled down the hallway, getting odd looks. The insufferable boy waved to everyone we passed, deliberately drawing attention to us. I greeted colleagues with a nod while grinding my teeth.

Soon, we came upon my office, a private sanctuary from which I oversaw the trauma unit. Letting go of Bloom’s wrist, I unlocked the door. He slipped both arms around my waist from behind.

“Are we going to do it?” he asked, his tone breathy, his erratic heartbeat thumping against my back.

“Get in here.” I pried his hands loose from around me and yanked him into the office. My superior, Andrews, looked at us from the hallway. I gave him a nod and firmly shut him out.

“What the hell are you doing?” Bloom stood half-naked in the room, his shirt on the floor. He was working on his pants. “Stop that this instant.”

“You don’t want to fuck me?” He bit his bottom lip. “I admit I’m not sure I’ll like it, but I’m willing to try. If anyone can make me enjoy it, I’m sure it’s you.”

My mouth went dry, and I stared at his bare chest, covered in tattoos. He had barbell piercings through cherry-sized nipples. Not only was his belly button pierced as well, but he had couplet hip piercings his low-hanging cargo pants didn’t hide. His slender build and the tightly cut V-lines disappearing below the waistband of his pants drew my eyes like a magnet. I took a deep breath to steel my nerves.

Must resist him.

“Put your shirt back on.” I picked up the shirt and, because I didn’t trust him not to argue, placed the hole over his head. He smiled a little too wide as he raised his arms one by one without protest, allowing me to slip them through the holes.

---