Page 5 of The Cauldronball Run
Instead, she read the ad more carefully.Must be comfortable with unconventional medical situations.
That could mean anything from supernatural patients to off-the-books treatment.Either way, it sounded infinitely more interesting than pretending she couldn't ease suffering with her bare hands.
Before she could talk herself out of it, Farrah typed a response.She stared at the message for thirty seconds, her thumb hovering over the send button.This was probably the stupidest thing she'd ever done.It was also possibly her only shot at financial stability and a job that might actually appreciate her unique skills.
The memory of Derek's final insult echoed in her head: "You'll never amount to anything, Farrah.You're too weird, too needy, too much trouble.Nobody will ever want damaged goods like you."
Fuck it, she thought, and hit send.
Her phone buzzed with a reply almost immediately.Holy shit.She got an interview.It was probably too good to be true.But she couldn't take the chance of passing up fifteen grand.
Sometimes the best opportunities come disguised as the worst decisions, Farrah told herself, and tried to ignore the voice in her head that sounded suspiciously like Derek laughing at her desperation.
***
MEL'S DINER LOOKEDexactly like every truck stop joint in America with its cracked vinyl booths, fluorescent lighting that made everyone look like corpses, and coffee that probably doubled as engine degreaser.It was the kind of place where conversations happened in hushed tones, and everyone minded their own business.
Farrah scanned the room for someone who fit the description in the ad, expecting maybe a slightly larger than average paramedic with an ego problem.
She was not prepared for the mountain of muscle occupying the corner booth.
The man sitting there wasn't just big.He was massive in a way that seemed to defy physics.Even seated, he towered over the booth, his shoulders so broad they filled the entire space.His EMT uniform looked like it had been custom-tailored, stretched tight across a chest that probably required its own zip code.Dark hair fell across a face that was ruggedly handsome in a way that made her stomach flutter, and when he looked up at her approach, she caught her first glimpse of small tusks protruding from his lower lip.
Zeus’s balls, he was an orc.
Farrah's steps faltered, her professional composure cracking.She'd worked with supernatural patients before, but she'd never been alone with someone who looked like he could bench press her car without breaking a sweat.Her witch senses were going haywire, recognizing him as something powerful and potentially dangerous.
He started to stand when he saw her, and her breath caught in her throat.Unfolding from the booth like some kind of mythical giant, he had to be close to seven feet tall, all solid muscle under that straining uniform.His hands were enormous, easily twice the size of hers, with calluses that spoke of hard physical work.She wondered what they’d feel like on her bare skin.
Where the heck had that thought come from?
She knew she was staring, but there was something hypnotic about the careful way he moved, like he was constantly aware of his own size and potential for destruction.When he gestured to the seat across from him, the motion was surprisingly graceful for someone so large.
"You must be F.Moonbeam," he said, and his voice was a low rumble that vibrated through her chest and settle somewhere much lower."I'm J.J."
Even his voice was sexy.
"Farrah," she managed, sliding into the booth on unsteady legs."F is for Farrah."
Up close, he was even more overwhelming.His eyes were dark brown, surprisingly gentle for someone who looked like he could tear through a steel door, but she kept getting distracted by those tusks.They jutted just slightly from his lower lip, not enough to be scary, but enough to make her wonder what they'd feel like scraping across her breasts.
What the hell is wrong with me?
She was here about a job, not to fantasize about her potential employer's mouth.But something about him was triggering every neglected hormone in her body, making her hyperaware of how long it had been since anyone had looked at her with anything resembling interest.
Derek had spent their last year of marriage looking through her rather than at her, treating her like furniture that occasionally made inconvenient requests for attention or affection.This orc looked at her like she was a delicious snack, and she was on board for it. Five days alone with this guy? Yes, please.
"Thanks for meeting me on short notice," J.J.said, settling back into his seat.The booth creaked ominously under his weight."Can I ask what made you respond to the ad?"
She forced herself to focus on his face instead of wondering if everything about him was proportionally large."Fifteen thousand gold for less than a week's work made me respond to the ad.The question is why you're paying that much for medical transport."
He smiled, and she got an eyeful of those fascinating tusks.Her stomach did a little flip that had nothing to do with hunger and everything to do with the way his lips curved.
What is it about dangerous men that makes my brain shut down?
"Straight to the point.I like that."He leaned forward, and she caught a whiff of a delicious scent that made her toes curl.Was it his aftershave or just the way he smelled? Either way, she wanted to bury her face in his neck."The patient has some unique medical needs that require discretion.Privacy is worth paying for."
"What kind of unique needs?"Farrah asked, trying to sound professional while her body was reacting to his proximity like she was a cat in heat.
