Devoted: Emerson Falls, Book 5 (Emerson Falls Series) Read online

  “Jess,” Piper calls to me, snapping me out of my ogling.

  “What?”

  “I’m pretty sure he just looked over here at you.”

  “Huh?” My tongue lodges in my throat as I turn back to face him and he does it again, winking in my direction this time as the corner of his mouth tips up in a cocky grin. Gorgeous bastard.

  Two can play this game. I reach into my pants and remove my pack of orange-flavored Tic Tacs, pop open the lid, and then dump a couple into my mouth before bringing my head back down to meet his gaze and shaking the plastic container at him.

  And sure enough, he’s smiling from ear to ear across the room, shaking his head at me while his chest bounces from a silent laugh. I shrug and then smirk back at him before I realize that everyone is moving around us.

  “Let’s go save lives, people,” the Chief announces while everyone scrambles to get back to work and I turn around, ready to take on the day and also try to avoid Brooks as much as possible. Working with this man will definitely be a challenge.

  “So, we meet again,” his deep voice resonates behind me as Piper widens her eyes from the side before turning in her seat at the computer.

  I stand up tall and puff out my chest with confidence, twisting to face him, tipping my head back as necessary. He’s so damn tall—but god, it’s so attractive. He easily has over a foot on me.

  “I guess we do. You know, it kind of makes sense now…”

  “What does?” He asks with a tilt of his head.

  “How you knew that I worked at a hospital.”

  “Ah. Well, yeah. No one at a private practice would get off at seven in the morning or work an eighteen hour shift.” He places one hand in his pocket, then extracts a piece of cinnamon-flavored gum between his fingers. Staring at me while never blinking, he mischievously grins while extracting the gum from the wrapper and folding it into his mouth, chewing slowly while maintaining eye contact with me. As I watch his full lips move while his jaw travels up and down, I’m hypnotized by the smell of cinnamon and the movement of his mouth, wondering what talents he possesses with those lips and tongue.

  Dear Lord, Jess. Get it together. You have a job to do.

  “It’s nice to see a familiar face here though. Today’s my first day, obviously. And it seems we’ll be seeing a lot of each other now.” He flashes me a cocky smile before reaching for a patient chart and preparing to move. “See ya around, Jess.”

  “Yeah. I’m sure we’ll bump into each other in a few. Don’t choke on your gum,” I reply, turning around before the blush in my cheeks becomes noticeable as his laughter fades away.

  “Oh, my god! Jess!” Piper squeals, rolling over to me in her chair. “Damn, girl. He is hot! He’s got that Mark Sloan vibe going on,” she jokes, referencing one of the doctors from Grey’s Anatomy. Too bad he died on the show. The man was hardcore eye-candy.

  “I told you. Jesus, Piper. This is bad. We work together. I definitely can’t start anything with him now, even if I got the chance.”

  “I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself, Jess. I mean, there’s obviously a flirtatious attraction between the two of you. But who’s to say he would even go there... Just relax. I think you’re getting yourself worked up.”

  “I am worked up, and all hot and bothered. Are your eyes working correctly? Did you not see how gorgeous he is? You do not see men like that every day,” I bark out sarcastically.

  “I agree. But don’t let one hot doctor derail your intelligence. You’re seriously acting like a boy-crazy girl I don’t even recognize. Get yourself together, woman.”

  I scoff and then try to relax. “You’re right. I’m a professional. And I’m a kick-ass nurse! I’m Jessalyn Harris. I will not let a man derail me from doing my job.” I straighten my spine, inhaling as much oxygen as I can muster, pretending that I’m taking in confidence with it.

  “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’re perfectly capable of working alongside him. You’ll be fine.”

  “Okay, I’m gonna go refill supplies in beds five through eight. See ya soon.” I turn on my heels and make my way towards the triage area to refill boxes of gloves, cotton balls, bandages, IV tubes, and pretty much anything else I can find.

  I manage to avoid Brooks most of the morning except for a curious glance here and there. It’s like my body knows where he is, because the second he’s in the vicinity, tingles travel across my neck and shoulders, alerting me to his presence. I’ve never had this problem, even with Trent in nursing school. I was attracted to Trent, but not this instantaneously, like it occurred with Brooks. And even though I’m truly skeptical now that we’d ever date, there’s a part of me that can’t help fantasizing about what that would be like.

  A few hours later, one of the EMTs comes barreling through the door with a suspected heart attack patient called in a few minutes ago when they were in route. “Sixty-one-year-old female, presenting with shortness of breath, nausea, sweating, and chest pain.”

  “I’m fine,” the woman yells behind her oxygen mask, yanking it from her face as the bed rolls rapidly across the tile floor.

  “You are NOT fine, Penny! You collapsed on the front lawn!” A pregnant woman comes up behind her gurney being rolled down the hallway, and then I realize I know her.

  “Clara! What happened?” I ask as Penny’s bed is wheeled into one of the bays and the EMTs remove her from the gurney and place her on the bed.

  “Ugh. I was outside getting ready to leave and then I saw Penny hunched over in her front yard. When I walked over to check on her, she was wheezing as she tried to breathe. I… I think she’s having a heart attack.” Clara’s entire demeanor is distressed, evident by the lines etched in her face and the way her hand rests over her own heart.

  “Well, we will see what’s going on,” I assure her. “Catch up with you in a bit.”

  “Thanks, Jess.”

  I move further into the room and then start hooking up Penny to the monitors. “Do you know your name and date of birth?”

  Penny rolls her eyes at me and then answers, “Penny Collins, born August 22, 1959.”

  And then those tingles come back as I know undoubtedly who just entered the room. “Hello, Miss Collins. I’m Dr. Bennet. How are you feeling?” As I turn around, I see that Brooks is already standing beside Penny’s bed, doing his initial work-up.

  “Like I’m having a damn heart attack. And it wasn’t even from a good orgasm, Doc! I was just trying to water the damn lawn!”

  Brooks’ eyebrows lift as he takes in Penny’s bluntness. “Well, it’s probably a good thing it didn’t happen during sex, otherwise you’d probably be naked right now.” He’s joking with her as I move around to the other side of the bed, hooking up the monitors to her body.

  “I have no shame, Doc.” She winks at him and then turns to face me. “You look familiar.”

  “I’m Jess. I’m gonna be your nurse. I actually know Olivia, Clara, and Piper.”

  “Aw, yes. You’re the other nurse?”

  “That’s right,” I answer before lifting my head to see Brooks. “Alright Dr. Bennet. Shall I start an EKG?”

  “Yes. And blood work. And get it done quickly so we know exactly what we’re looking at,” he orders, and the command in his voice sends a bolt of lightning between my legs. How the hell am I supposed to work beside this man when him ordering me around makes me aroused? “Miss Collins, how’s your pain and where is the pain right now?” Brooks goes through a slew of questions as me and one of the other nurses move around her bed, hooking up wires, connecting IV tubes, and preparing for future care.

  “Well, it’s not the good kind of pain, Doc, like you get from a hard spank or a little hair pull.” All three of us chuckle slightly at this woman and her sexual innuendos. “But I’m definitely aware that my body is fighting something right now.”

  Brooks asks her a few more questions about her symptoms, pain level again, and keeps his stethoscope on her chest as he listens to her heart ra
te.

  He removes the ear pieces, grabs the printout from the EKG, and then reaches for Penny’s hand. “Okay. Well, it definitely seems you’re having a heart attack. We’re going to send you to the Cath lab to see exactly where the blockage is and then open up that artery. The goal is to do everything we can to preserve healthy heart tissue. Jess here is gonna take excellent care of you and then I’ll be right back with the cardiologist.”

  “You sure you can’t stick around, Doc? I could use something pretty to look at.” Penny flashes him a wink as the light catches her eyebrow piercing, and I swear I see Brooks blush a bit.

  “I have one other patient to tend to first. But I promise I’ll be back. Stay strong and try to stop talking. It will make breathing easier,” he teases before striding up next to me, leaning in so close I can smell his gum again. “Put her on beta blockers and blood thinners, and make sure we have given her aspirin. Keep her stable and call up to the Cath lab and make sure they are ready to go.” His words are crass and clear, which almost offends me that he thinks I can’t do my job.

  “Aye, aye, captain,” I fire back, moving around him as our fingers brush against each other slightly. Just that simple touch sends a fresh wave of butterflies a flight in my stomach while annoyance with him sits in my chest. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to punch and kiss a man simultaneously before, but I guess there’s a first time for everything.

  Less than twenty minutes later, Penny is delivered to the Cath lab where a balloon will be placed in her blocked artery to open it up and get her blood flowing again. I don’t see Brooks for a good hour as more patients move through the ER, but as I sit down to fill information in to the computer, a firm hand clasps over my shoulder and heat radiates from the touch.

  “Nice to work with you earlier,” he says before moving around me and perching his delectable behind on the counter adjacent to my computer.

  “Thanks.”

  “Penny is doing well, by the way. They moved her to the CCU.”

  That makes my eyebrows draw together. “You checked on her?”

  “Well, yeah. You seemed to know her, so I just wanted to make sure she was being taken care of and resting. Clara is still with her, but Cooper’s arrived now so she’s not alone.”

  And as if I didn’t already have the hots for this guy, now he has to go and make me swoon at how sweet he is. “Do you know Cooper?”

  He chuckles. “Actually, yeah. I grew up here, remember?” I nod. “He and I used to play football together in high school. He’s a few years younger than me, but we were friends.”

  “This town is so small,” I admit knowingly.

  Then he changes the topic on me. “So, uh… how long have you been a nurse?”

  “A little over two years. How about you? I know the Chief said you were in Santa Barbara for three years.”

  He brushes a hand through his tousled blonde hair and then focuses back on me. “Yeah. I did my residency there after college and then they hired me on full-time. This will be my fourth year working in the ER.”

  “You didn’t choose neurology or cardiology? With your ego, I would have expected that,” I tease as the corner of his mouth tips up.

  “You think I have an ego?”

  I shrug. “A little. I got quite the glimpse of it at Skye’s last week.”

  “Ah, yes. Well, I’m sorry about that. Now that I know exactly why you were so tired, I should have known better than to mess with you.”

  I stop typing for a minute before sitting back in my chair, peering up at him from my seat. The florescent lights in the ceiling make his eyes seem darker from the shadows they cast on his face. He’s still sporting the same stubble as the other day, but he looks more refined right now—like he could be a model for a medical magazine. Do they even hire models for that?

  I don’t know what it is about this guy, but he’s got me so intrigued. He knows how to be playful, yet serious. He’s a hot doctor, for crying out loud. And now I know he’s got a heart under that proud ego.

  I shake my head and then gather my thoughts. “You’re not the only one that needs to apologize. I was cranky and shouldn’t have given you crap for your gum choice.” That statement grants me a hearty laugh from him as he reaches in his pocket and takes out another piece.

  “Thanks for reminding me. I spit out my other piece earlier.” He folds the gum in his mouth before rising from his seated position. “I guess we both should just start over, huh?” He reaches out to shake my hand and the second our palms touch, my mind and body go insane.

  Why, oh why does the man I find utterly attractive have to be one of my co-workers? This situation just became so incredibly complicated for me—especially because as I watch his eyes bounce back and forth between mine, I can sense the attraction between us in mutual.

  “Yes. I’d like that,” I manage to say around the lump in my throat.

  “Perfect.” He leans down to whisper in my ear again, the same way he did at Skye’s and my pulse starts to race. “I guess we’ll be seeing a lot of each other now. Keep up the good work, Jess.” And the way my name rolls off the tip of his tongue makes me squeeze my legs together to alleviate the throbbing down there.

  I reach for the folder of the patient chart and begin to fan myself with it, turning to watch the flex of his ass as he walks away from me. And just before I return to my task, he glances over his shoulder, catches me gawking at him, and then flashes me a wink before he turns back around, leaving me flushed and embarrassed.

  I’m always focused and devoted to my job. But then again, I’ve never had a distraction like Brooks Bennet to threaten to derail me. And somehow I feel like my resolve will never be the same.

  Chapter 4

  Brooks

  “Fuck, man. I can’t believe you’re actually here.” My cousin Ethan taps the neck of his beer with mine before we both take a long drag from our respective bottles.

  “Well, it’s not like I came home for a good reason… but yeah, I’m here.”

  “Hey, you did the right thing, Brooks,” he says, clasping his hand on my shoulder. “Your mom needs you now more than ever. You know my mom and I will help any way we can. But Aunt Viv needs her boy by her side while she fights this crap.”

  I sigh and then take another drink. “I’m worried, man. It’s bad.” I filled Ethan in after our first visit with Dr. Lexington that day about her diagnosis and treatment plan. He’s the only confidant I really have right now, and as the closest thing I have to a brother, he’s let me vent to him as often as I need to.

  Last week my mom had her first treatment, which left her extremely nauseous and weak. The only reason I’m out tonight is because Ethan’s mom is at home watching her and making sure she’s comfortable. I feel guilty as hell, but they both assured us to go out and have fun. So here we are.

  “Yeah, but your mom is tough as nails. She’ll beat this. I know it.” He slaps my shoulder one more time before veering back around Tony’s bar and the handful of other guys sitting with us at our table.

  It’s actually Ethan’s birthday, and since I’m home now, I finally get to celebrate one with him. It’s been years since I’ve been back to Emerson Falls for a reason other than the holidays. Work and life in Santa Barbara kept me busy enough to only be able to travel around that time. And I never took a vacation during the rest of the year to make sure I had the holidays off to see my family.

  “So, how’s it feel to be thirty-one, knowing forty is looming now in the distance?” I tease my cousin, changing the topic and draining the last bit of my beer.

  “I feel great, man. I’m secure in my career, in the best physical shape of my life… now I just need the girl of my dreams.” The chatter of the other guys at the table interrupts our conversation as one of them plays a joke on another, resulting in the loser throwing back two shots of whiskey. Several men from the fire station and a few from the private emergency company that Ethan works for all gathered here tonight to help him celebrate his uterus evict
ion anniversary on a chilly March evening.

  “Damn. Nick’s gonna pay for that tomorrow.”

  “Aren’t we all?” I joke, knowing that with how often I drink now, I’m sure to be fighting a hangover in the morning. Luckily, I have another day off before I go back to work so I can nurse a hangover if it comes to that.

  “Yeah, but it’s my birthday, so right now I don’t give a shit. I just want to get wasted and the cherry on top of my birthday sundae is having my long-lost cousin here with me.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders from the side, patting my bicep while leaning heavily on my body for support. The smell of beer coming from his mouth is pungent and indicative of how much he’s already had to drink.

  “Aren’t you supposed to have cake on your birthday?” I push him further, enjoying seeing him let loose.

  “I can have whatever the fuck I want. It’s my birthday, dammit! And tonight, I want to bring a girl home and cuddle the shit out of her,” he draws out, leaning back in his seat again while drawing more amber liquid from his bottle. His eyes peruse the room as he tries to narrow in on his conquest.

  “Cuddle, huh? Is that code for sex?”

  “Not all hook-ups have to lead to sex, man. Some women just enjoy a warm body next to them for the night, you know?”

  “Are you talking about women, or yourself?” I chide.

  “Fuck off, man,” he relents and then surveys the bar again.

  When Ethan sets his sights on someone, he dedicates himself to that one woman for the night. Sadly for him, that’s his downfall. He doesn’t know when to move on and cut his losses. My cousin is a hopeless romantic and when he falls, he falls hard. Unfortunately, most ladies don’t reciprocate and it’s left him broken hearted more than once.

  “So who’s it gonna be?” I push the conversation forward, leaning into Ethan as if trying to see through his eyes. We scope out the room some more until my eyes lock onto raven-colored hair across the bar, shiny and straight, and reminiscent of hair I’m all too familiar with. The woman doesn’t turn around though. She’s enthralled in a conversation with the older woman sitting next to her, leaning in closely to her so they can hear each other over the noise in the bar.