Page 23 of Wildflower Hearts
She felt her face flame red, refusing to look at either of them, and bit her lower lip. “I wouldn’t know.”
“Two months, and you don’t know?”
She looked up to see them staring at her in shock. “Why would I know? I haven’t slept with him.”
“Damn it.” With a sigh, Melissa handed the money back to Nurse Cook.
Chapter Nine
Elias turned up the car heater and shot her a look as his truck rolled down the street. “What’s wrong?”
She shifted in her seat to make sure the seatbelt was secure. “Nothing. It was a long shift, that’s all.”
“Did you get more patients or something?”
“No, it was more like certain people were riding my ass all day kind of thing,” she grumbled.
“Who?” His eyes narrowed. He glanced between her and the road. “Was it people that work with you? They got names?”
She couldn’t help but giggle. “Of course, they have names.” She crossed her arms and relaxed in her seat. “Melissa and some other nurses have been asking me things about you.” She swung her head toward him. “Damn it, Elias. I told you not to do that stuff at work!”
“Whoa, Babe,” he chuckled and threw up his free hand as if in surrender. “Not that I don’t think you’re smoking hot when you’re angry, but hold up a minute. I didn’t see a problem with giving you a hug in front of them. They’re family to you. It’s not like they cared.”
“They’re taking bets on how long until we sleep together, and….”
“Wait, what’d you tell them?”
“What’d I tell them? I told them the truth!”
“You tell them how long my-”
“Elias!”
With a grin, he moved his hand to grip the back of her neck, massaging her skin with his fingers in slow circles. “I’m teasing you. So what if they’re curious? They tease you like I do my brothers.”
She relaxed against the warmth of his hand. “I don’t see where it’s any of their business. I doubt they’ll ask now that I told them you have an erection problem.”
He slammed the brakes right in front of his house. “My what?”
She gazed at him with wide eyes. “It’s okay; they understand, they’re nurses. It happens a lot, especially with men your age.”
“Lyla, I’m about to turn this car around. I’ll prove that I don’t have an… a problem to all of ‘em. I swear!”
She couldn’t hold it any longer, peals of laughter escaping. She fanned her face and laughed every time she looked at his insulted expression.
He watched her for several minutes before realization dawned on him. “Very funny, Tinkerbell.”
“Turnabout is fair play, and don’t call me that.”
“Why?” He grinned and cut off the engine. “You look like the cute little pixie from Peter Pan.”
They climbed out of the car, and he came to her side, throwing his arm around her neck to pull her close and press his lips against her temple.
“Watch yourself,” she grumbled with a smile.
He chuckled, and they climbed the steps, a shower of voices greeting them as he shut the front door. He shrugged off his jacket. He took hers to hang up, and she smiled at Debra, the woman fussing at Elias for tracking snow in the house. He began to argue with her playfully.
Shaking her head, Lyla stepped into the living room. Her gaze fell on the back of Noah’s head as she approached from behind him, the television playing a music video. She moved around the couch to take a seat beside him. “I like Smells Like Teen Spirit, but that wasn’t their best song.”
