Shattered Edge(31)

He rolled me on my back and his face was next to mine in a heartbeat. In a whisper that made me shiver all over he said, “Terri, honey, I didn’t mean to make you cry. I just wanted you to know that I really am just a horny guy all the time around you. But just because I am, it doesn’t mean I’m going to take advantage of you...ever. Today was rough on you and I think you needed some time.”

“Thanks Justin. I’m only crying ‘cause that’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. Really.”

He nudged my face with his nose and smiled against my mouth.

“Really? You’re not just saying that?”

“No, I won’t ever just say that.”

His smile grew and he kissed me chastely. Then he rolled on his back and took me with him, snuggling me against him. I fell asleep in his arms, and woke up the same way in the morning.





CHAPTER ELEVEN





Justin



This is going to be a long weekend of call. Terri’s at my place so I’ll try to sneak home as often as possible to spend some time with her, but she also needs her space too. When she was upset over her brother, my world toppled too. Seeing her like that put an edge on my soul that I didn’t like. I don’t want it to return.

I’m thinking about hiring a private detective for her. I’m worried that brother of hers will come back and hurt her. She’s scared too but won’t say much about it...she’s trying to put forth a brave face. I’m proud of her but I swear to God, if he lays a hand on her, he’s a dead man. I’ll see to it myself. He won’t have to worry about a fix anymore, because he’ll be permanently fixed...by me.

Work has been a ball buster all morning with one case after another. We’re getting closer to the holidays and I can sure tell with all the car wrecks. And Destiny...her flirting has gone from mild to outrageous. Even the other nurses are making comments to me about it. I’ve told her to stop, and if she doesn’t, I’m going to file a sexual harassment claim against her. Just this morning, she came up to me and put her arms around me as I was scrubbing. Then she slipped a hand, or tried to anyway, down the front of my pants. I pulled away from her and made a point of telling her how inappropriate her actions were. She screwed up my scrubbing routine and I had to begin all over. I was extremely pissed off.

I stormed into the OR and the scrub nurse raised her brows at me. “Rough morning, Dr. Middleton?”

“Actually it was a great one until I had my scrubbing routine interrupted by a very unprofessional nurse.”

“You must be referring to Destiny. She has it bad for you. Talks about you nonstop.”

Cathy, the scrub nurse finished helping me with my gloves, gown and mask and I thanked her. Then I added, “Well, Destiny’s behavior is not only unprofessional, it’s harassing and annoying.” I stormed over to the patient and forced myself to calm down so the team could begin the procedure.

Every time I finished a case, I’d exit the OR and there Destiny would be waiting like a hawk, ready to swoop on her prey. I finally had enough and I ripped into her.

“I’ve had quite enough of this behavior of yours. First off it’s unprofessional. You can’t be touching me. Second, it’s harassment. Third, it’s annoying. STOP this now!” I was raging and continued to do so until I found myself at the door of the administrator’s office. Of course, he wasn’t there. There was an emergency number to call, but this wasn’t an emergency. So I headed back to the surgery floor. The red haze of anger had eased somewhat and I walked into the surgeon’s lounge.

Mike, a general surgeon I knew, was sitting at the table drinking some coffee and reading a text. He glanced up when I walked through the door. I’d opened it with such force, it slammed against the wall behind it.

“What’s eating you Middleton?”

“A pain in the ass nurse named Destiny.”

He laughed and answered, “Ah, I see.”

I swung my head in his direction. “No, you don’t. She’s harassing the hell out of me.”

“Seriously?”

“As an MI.”

“Hell, when you said that, I thought you were having issues with a love interest.”

“Hell no! The woman won’t leave me alone. She’s stalking me. Every time I turn around she’s in my face. I was scrubbing earlier and she tried to put her hand down my pants.”

Mike started laughing.

“This isn’t funny. I’m pissed as hell. She’s a damn lunatic.”

That wiped the grin off her face.

“You are serious.”

“That’s what I told you. I told her to leave me alone and she won’t. I told her that her behavior is unprofessional and bordering on harassment. She just gives me this crazed look.”