“Just getting into practice for my role this weekend. Besides, my shift’s almost done. And since when do you care so much about my schedule?”
“I don’t care,” Carmen lied. “I just don’t want any rumors starting around here about us. You know how people gossip.”
Zac snorted. “You don’t think they’re going to hear about it from Priya and Lance anyway? The guy’s my good friend, but I don’t tell him anything I don’t want the rest of the hospital to know. He’s worse than social media when it comes to privacy.”
He laughed, but she gave him a dark look. “Don’t remind me.”
“Hey, this was your idea, remember?” he said, leaning closer.
Close enough that his warm breath ghosted the shell of her ear and made her shiver.
“Speaking of remembering—I’ve been thinking about that night we spent together. I remember those soft little sounds you made when I held you close. The way you gasped and sighed when I kissed that sensitive spot on your neck...the one near your collarbone where...”
The sound of a clearing throat had her jerking away from Zac. Good thing too, since her pulse was throbbing in her ears and her skin felt too tight for her body. As if the memories she had of that night weren’t naughty enough, now she had to think about Zac reliving them too. Lord, help her. When had it got so hot in here?
Carmen swallowed hard and looked over her shoulder to see Tom standing outside the trauma bay as she tugged at her collar.
“Sorry,” Tom said, glancing between her and Zac. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You weren’t,” Carmen answered, too fast. After smoothing her hand down the front of her pink scrubs, she raised her chin. “What’s your assessment, Doctor?”
“I think she’s good to go. No signs of fetal distress. Baby’s heart rate is normal and strong. Mother’s blood pressure is fine too.” He walked over to the counter. “No spotting or cervical effacement on exam. I’d say she’s fine to discharge—unless you disagree.”
“Agreed. Excellent.”
Carmen was doing her best to portray her usual efficient self, even though her insides were still fluttering from Zac’s heated flirtation. Lord help her... If one brief encounter with him had her this riled up, she was in big trouble for the weekend ahead.
“I’ll go in and talk to her for a bit...answer any questions she might have...then send her on her way. Thank you, Dr. Farber.”
“My pleasure.” Tom gave her and Zac one more assessing look before backing away toward the elevators. “You kids have fun.”
“We will, thanks,” Zac said, raising his hand.
“No, we won’t.” Carmen gave him a narrowed stare. “Fun is the last thing we’ll be having this weekend.”
“Remind me again why I’m going, then?” He raised a brow at her, then sighed. “I know... To help out a friend. Got it. Trust me. This won’t be a party for me either.”
It was her turn to snort now. “Really? Why not? Free stay at a luxury resort, all expenses paid? Sounds like a great time to me.”
When he didn’t answer right away she looked up from the paperwork she was filling out and noticed his playful expression had turned serious.
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s not important.”
He looked away and she saw the shadow of something cross his handsome face. Before she could ask about it though, one of the nurses came up to the desk and started talking to him.
Carmen felt a quick pinch of unaccountable jealousy before she pushed it aside. She had no claim on Zac Taylor. He was helping her out this weekend. That was all.
She sighed and returned to her documentation, doing her best to ignore Zac and failing miserably. Seeing Tom and Wendy so happy together with their new baby, plus Tom’s daughter Sam from his previous marriage, had given Carmen hope that she’d find the same for herself someday—if she ever found the time to date again in her busy schedule.
Until then she was stuck with fake fiancés and imaginary lovers.
Exhaling slowly, Carmen signed off on the patient’s discharge papers and handed them to the nurse, telling her to let the patient know she’d be in momentarily to answer her questions, then continued scribbling on the patient’s chart.
Zac remained steadfastly beside her, and she gave him a side glance and rubbed her stiff neck. “Don’t you have another EMS run to go on, or something?”
“It’s Tuesday. Things are slow. Susan and I are just hanging out until the clock runs down or another call comes in.”
Her stupid neck cramped again and she winced, cursing softly.
“Here.” He brushed her hand aside, massaging the knots in her neck and upper shoulders with those long, strong fingers of his. Between the heat of his body behind her, penetrating her scrubs, and the heavenly feel of his talented digits easing away her tension, Carmen nearly melted into a puddle of goo at the man’s feet. Good thing she had the desk there to hold her up.
“You shouldn’t push yourself so hard.”
She scoffed. “I push myself because that’s what it takes to survive.”
“Last time I checked this was Alaska, not the apocalypse.”
“You never know when things could fall apart. Slack off and you could lose everything.”
She closed her eyes as he worked on a particularly sore spot between her shoulder blades with his thumbs, leaving her feeling far too relaxed and vulnerable.
Reluctantly, Carmen forced herself to step away from him. “Besides, I’ve got more than myself to provide for.”
“Hmm? Tell me more about that,” Zac said, leaning against the counter once more. “I know we’re exchanging fact sheets, but if we’re going to pretend to be in love I’d like to hear about your family and your responsibilities from you. What’s important to you should seem important to me if we want this to be believable.”
The reminder of the upcoming weekend was like a glass of icy water to her face. Carmen straightened and moved out from under his touch. She had to keep her head and be cool, calm, and rational about this if she wanted to succeed.
“My mother and my sister live with me. My mother is ill and requires round-the-clock care. My sister is trying to get into the nursing program at the University of Alaska after she graduates from high school in May. Both things are expensive. This new job in California pays more money and has more responsibility. That’s all you need to know for now. If you’ll excuse me? I need to go back in with my patient. Unlike you, I still have several hours left on my shift.”
She started to walk away, only to have him tag along next to her.
Damn. Hopefully he’d drop the subject of her private life. She didn’t like talking about herself. She especially didn’t like feeling such a strong attraction to a man who made her want to open up to him, made her want to confide in him and lean on him. All of that was completely unacceptable.
Men were unreliable. Her father had taught her that lesson the day he’d walked out on them, leaving her poor mother to work three jobs just to keep a roof over their heads. Because of that, Carmen had virtually raised her little sister Clara.
Forget childhood. She’d had to grow up quickly. The more self-reliant she was, the better.
Perhaps her upbringing was the reason midwifery suited her so well. Well, that and the fact that her patients needed her. Carmen liked to be needed. She was used to being needed, no matter the time involved or the personal cost. When a call for help