“Good afternoon Mr. Harper,” Nicoletta said in her most professional voice as she walked into Dylan’s room. “How are you today?”
“I’m fine, and don’t call me Mr. Harper,” Dylan replied with a frown. “That’s what you called my dad.”
“Well as you know, I’m now your nurse, so our relationship is professional, Mr. Harper.”
“Well then Mrs. Krueger, what if I insist you call me by my nickname?”
“What would that be, Mr. Harper? And for your information, I go by Ballas again."
“Sexy Love God Dylan is the name,” he said, straight faced.
Nicoletta clasped her hand over her mouth. She laughed so hard she was afraid she would disturb the patients. When she could breathe normally again, she steadied herself. “Tell you what, I’ll call you Dylan and you call me…”
“Sexy Nurse?”
“Nic or Nicoletta,” she laughed.
“Yes ma’am,” he agreed reluctantly. “So how do you feel about spending all that alone time with me at the lake house?”
“Well, since I won’t be, I guess I don’t feel anything,” Nicoletta replied. “We’ll be staying at your mom’s. The lake house isn’t habitable again yet.”
“The hell we will,” he snarled. “We can stay at my downtown apartment.”
“You have a downtown apartment?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. “Some decadent den of lust?”
“No, not exactly…I kept it so I would have a place to stay if I partied too late or had early appointments,” he smiled. “I can be responsible sometimes.”
“Unlike on the day you crashed your car and almost killed yourself.”
Dylan pretended to ignore her. “Hey, I gave my niece my dog to help with her issues,” he said defensively. “Mom says the dog has helped a lot.”
“That doesn’t excuse your drinking and driving like an idiot.”
“No it doesn’t,” he said, dropping into a chair. “That was…” he paused.
“Was what?” Nicoletta asked.
“Never mind. It’s my problem,” he mumbled. “What the hell happened at my lake cabin? My wonderful mother was very evasive.”
“Oh boy, I was hoping she would have told you,” Nicoletta said as she sat on the edge of the bed. “Get comfortable, this may take a while.”
CHAPTER 7
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, breaking the tension.
“What? Are you wishing we’d found a room with two beds?” he asked. “Or do you regret what you did?”
“It was with you. How could I ever regret it?” she said rolling onto her side and propping herself up on her elbow.
A smile appeared on Dylan’s face making Nicoletta laugh. She remembered that look…that smile. It meant that her friend’s head was swelling. “Oh don’t get a big head. Just because I complimented you, in a way, doesn’t mean you are now a sex God or something."
Dylan chuckled and stared at the ceiling, wondering where his life was headed now. All he knew was that it was somehow forever changed. After a couple of minutes, he turned back to Nicoletta. “What are you sorry about?”
“That I bounced the bed so hard. I don’t want to hurt you more.”
Dylan reached out and moved her still damp hair off of her forehead. “You know, if you injured me more, you would get to stay with me longer,” he joked. “That could have its advantages.”
“Or,” she said, reaching over to touch his arm. “It could mean that we would fight, bicker, and end up hating each other. Or maybe even killing each other.”
“You were always the sensible one,” Dylan snickered. “You brat.”
“The dream I had earlier just reminded me that I have a lot of thinking to do. I need to decide how I’m going to live my life from here on out. I was in limbo on the cruise ship, but now it's time to start living again and I have to figure out which way is best for me.”
“I can understand that. You’ve been to hell and back over the last three years. You need to get your head on straight. That takes time.”
If he only knew the truth. She was pretty sure he had seen her scar earlier. Hopefully he wouldn’t ask about that because she would be forced to lie or tell him the truth and she wasn’t ready to do either of those things. Her heart was beating so fast in her chest. “Dylan?”
“Yeah Nic?”
“Can I have…can you hold me?”
“You never have to ask,” he murmured as he reached out and pulled her close. She was shivering and he didn’t know why. Her body felt warm so she wasn’t the least bit cold. It must have been an after effect of her nightmare.
“Goodnight Nic.”
“Goodnight Dylan.”
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