Beat of the Heart (6 page)

he was having way too much of an effect on me in such a short amount of time. It was time to send him

packing. “That’s a very sweet sentiment, but now can you see why I’m not able to take you up on your

offer?”

“Actually, I think that’s all the more reason for you to go out with me.”

With a sigh, I shook my head. “I’m sorry. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to my

patients.” Side-stepping him, I grabbed a chart and powerwalked away from him. The whole way

down the hall until I disappeared into room 410, I could feel his heated gaze searing into my back.

Part of me wanted to whirl around and tell him I’d love nothing more than to go out with him. But the

more dominant side of me—the one who was still licking its bloodied and beaten wounds—wouldn’t

let me.

After putting more distance between us and making a few rounds, I returned to the station to find

Dee waiting for me. By his expression, I knew exactly what he was going to say, so I held my hand

up. “Please, don’t go there.”

“Oh girl, I’m
so
going there.”

“Dee, he is the last thing I need right now.”

“Bullshit. He is exactly what you need and then some.” When I stared down at my shoes, he gently

pulled my chin up so I would be forced to look at him. “Mimi, he was a hot piece of male flesh who

was totally and completely jonesing for you. He just worked harder for a chance at your snatch than

I’ve ever seen a guy—straight or gay.”

I smacked Dee’s hand off my chin. “
Snatch
? You know I hate that word. And I don’t think gay

dudes are working hard for the….,” I gulped before whispering, “
snatch
.”

“You are such a difficult, stubborn ass!”

“Guys like him…they don’t date women like me.”

“Oh, and just whom do they date?”

“Stick figures with no souls—you know the type, size zeroes with fake tits who make great looking

arm candy.”

“Please, lawd in Heaven, tell me you just didn’t turn that guy down because of your damn self-

esteem issues? Must you make a stop in negative town, rather than booty town?”

“Dee—”

He wagged his finger in my face. “Uh, uh. Don’t pull that one on me. I know AJ wanted you in all

your thick, junk in the trunk glory.”

“Whatever,” I grumbled.

“Mimi, you need something—better yet, someone—to get you out of this funk.”

“You call the aftermath of having your entire world implode around you, leaving you symbolically

bloody and barely breathing ‘a funk’?” I demanded.

Dee’s shoulders sagged a bit. “That was six months ago. Dev’s moved on, and it’s time for you to

move on, too.”

“It all makes sense up here,” I said, tapping my head. “But it just doesn’t seem to get here.” I then

covered my heart, which ached beneath my fingertips.

“Hell, I’m not saying you need to marry the dude and pop out ten children. I’m just saying he could

be a good distraction—a way to help you see you’re a beautiful, amazing woman that any man would

be thrilled to get to bang.”

Although I tried fighting it, the corners of my lips curved up at Dee’s final words. “Thanks for the

compliment that was in there…somewhere.”

“You’re welcome.”

“We should probably get back to work now, don’t you think?”

“Oh, I think you’ve definitely got some work cut out for you.”

“What are you talking about?”

Dee stared past me with a curious expression. “He’s baaaack,” he said, mimicking the little girl

from
Poltergeist
.

I whirled around to see AJ striding down the hall with a giant bouquet of colorful wild flowers and

roses in his arms—a determined expression etched across his handsome features. When he ambled up

to me, I shook my head in disbelief. “You seriously never get turned down, do you?”

“No, I don’t.” He grinned and shifted the flowers in his arms. “But there’s another reason why I

came back.”

“Oh?”

He bobbed his head. “Listen, I figured that we got off on the wrong foot with you drying my junk,

and I thought maybe for you to truly consider going out with me, we needed a do-over.”

“Wow,” I murmured. Holy shit, was this guy for real? I fought the urge to glance around to see if

there were some hidden cameras, and I was totally being Punked. He wanted me to go out with him

enough that he’d not only come back, but he’d brought me flowers. I had a weakness for men bearing

flowers.

A beaming smile lit up his face. “So, Mia Martinelli, I’m Alejandro Joaquin Resendiz aka AJ, and

it’s a pleasure meeting you.” He then handed me the bouquet.

“Thank you.” I brought the flowers to my nose and inhaled the sweet fragrance. “These are

beautiful.” My eye caught the card poking out, so I reached for it.

“Um, wait!” AJ cried, but I had already jerked it out.

“Get Well Soon,” I read aloud. When I glanced from the card with its smiley face beaming loud

and proud over to AJ, I couldn’t help laughing. “Nice.”

For the first time ever, AJ’s swagger receded a bit. He ducked his head and rubbed the back of his

neck furiously. Finally, he peered up at me with a sheepish expression, which made him even hotter

than before. “Okay, I’m busted. I bought them downstairs in the gift shop.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but Dee beat me to the punch. “I don’t know what Mimi’s problem

is if she doesn’t appreciate the fact you went all the way downstairs to get her some flowers.”

“I didn’t say I’m not appreciative,” I countered.

“Then maybe don’t bust my balls so hard by giving me shit about some gift shop flowers?” AJ

suggested with a small smile.

“Okay, I won’t.”

“Thanks.”

“And I did mean it when I said they were beautiful. I haven’t had a man bring me flowers in a very

long time.”

“It was a nice gesture, huh?”

I smiled. “A very nice one.”

Dee’s neck had been bobbing back and forth between AJ and me like he was watching a tennis

match. “I think it’s time I leave you two to talk.” As he started off, he glanced at me over his shoulder.

“Don’t worry about your patients. I’ll cover for you.”

“Yeah, make sure the boss lady doesn’t find out.”

Dee snickered and gave me a wink before heading down the hallway. I glanced at AJ, trying

desperately not to let the anxiety bubbling within me show through. I knew he was the type of guy who

could smell fear and use it to his advantage. I shifted uncomfortably on my feet in the awkward

silence. “So, how old are you?”

His brows shot up in surprise. “Wow, that came out of nowhere.”

With a shrug, I replied, “I thought we should get to know each other a little. Age is pretty basic.”

“Fine then. I’m twenty-five. How old are you?”

My nose wrinkled a little. “I’m twenty-eight. I don’t usually date younger men.”

AJ rubbed his palms together. “Then let me take your cougar virginity.”

I laughed. “You’re not letting this go, are you?”

“Nope. I’m going to keep on and on until I wear you down, and you finally go out with me.”

“Seriously?”

“Mia, Mia, Mia, what am I going to do with you?”

“I’m sure you have several NC-17 rated scenarios running through your mind at this moment.”

Throwing his head back, AJ laughed heartily. “Yep, I do actually. But all joking aside, do I really

need to continue pleading my case? I just brought you gift shop flowers for Christ sake!”

“That’s true.”

“Can I shoot straight with you?”

Tilting my head thoughtfully, I replied, “I think after I gave your junk a rubdown, we can be pretty

honest with each other.”

AJ groaned. “Don’t remind me of that.” When I opened my mouth, he wagged a finger in my face.

“And before you can demean it, I did enjoy it.”

“Fabulous.”

“Anyway. Here’s how I see it. We’re both young, single people needing a ‘date’—be it a romantic

interlude or hot, sweaty sex.”

I turned a strangled cry into a cough. “That’s certainly not beating around the bush.”

“The time for subtlety has gone, Mia.”

“I see.”

AJ closed the gap between us. I stepped away from him until my back banged against the wall.

Looming over me, AJ’s dark eyes twinkled with intensity. “You were totally shit-on by a major

dickhead and need to get back in the game. The easiest way to do that is no-holds bar, uncomplicated

sex. Don’t you agree?”

That statement got my blood up and thrumming through my veins. “Yes,” I whispered.

“Finally we see eye to eye on something. It’s a win-win situation for both of us. You get to fuck that

douchebag of an ex-fiancé out of your system, and I get laid in the process.”

“How generous of you.”

AJ laughed. “I’m a very giving person—of myself, my time…of
orgasms
.”

“I’m sure you are.”

“Then it’s a date?”

“It’s a maybe right now because I have a few conditions.”

“Such as?”

“Being a famous musician, I would wager you’ve gotten around a lot.”

AJ’s lips curved up into his signature smirk. “Regardless of your comment back in Frank’s room,

you don’t have to worry about my stamina, cariño. I’ll give you a night you’ll never forget.”

I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. “Yeah, that’s not what I was talking about.”

“Then what?”

Leaning closer to him, I said, “If I were to take you up on your offer, I would want you to get tested

before I slept with you.”

AJ’s jaw dropped to his chest. “Are you serious?”

“Dead serious. You wanted to know if I was free this weekend, and the major tests only take forty-

eight hours to come back.” When he didn’t respond, I replied, “I’ll be happy to do the same.”

A curious expression replaced the scowl on AJ’s face. “Does that mean I’ll be riding bareback if

my tests come back clean?”

My brows furrowed in confusion. “Huh?”

“You know, sex without a condom.”

“Um, no, I don’t think so.”

“And why the hell not?”

“Well, if you must know, I can’t take birth control because of the migraines I have. So we would

need the protection.”

“Ah, I see. Bummer.”

“Take it or leave it, big boy.”

AJ grinned. “I’ll take it.”

“Good.”

“So we’re on for Friday night?”

My heartbeat accelerated in my chest while I fought to catch my breath. Was I actually going down

this road? Sex with a stranger? Well, a man who was basically a stranger to me but well known to

everyone else—lots of females included. I thought of Mama Sofia and how dead inside I’d been since

her passing. That coupled with Dev’s infidelity had crippled me. I wanted—no I needed—to feel

alive again.

“Yes,” I finally replied.

AJ clapped his hands together. “All right then. How about I pick you up for dinner around seven?”

My brows furrowed. “Oh, you actually want to go out?”

He snickered. “You really think I’m a ‘wham, bam, thank you ma’am’ kinda guy, huh?”

I lifted one of my shoulders. “I just figured since this date was about sex—”

“First of all, I’d never take you straight to bed—only assholes with no game do that. Second, for

you, this is about experiencing life again.”

“And that includes dinner?”

“Yes, ma’am it does, along with something else thrown in just for kicks.”

I found myself smiling. “Okay, then. That sounds nice.”

“Gotta pen?”

“Sure.” I reached into my pocket and handed him one. He took the Get Well Soon card from my

other hand. “What’s your number?” Once I gave it to him, he grinned. “I’ll text you for the directions

to pick you up, okay?”

“Okay,” I replied as he handed me back the pen.

“Mia, I’m glad you finally decided to take me up on my offer.”

“Me too,” I replied honestly. Of course, I sounded a lot more sure of myself than I felt. Inside, I

was on a Merry-Go-Round of emotions.

When AJ leaned closer to me, an intense fire burning in his eyes, I jerked back. He grinned at my

reaction. “Easy girl. Just a chaste good-bye kiss,” he whispered, his breath fanning over my cheek.

“Sorry.”

His warm lips pressed a tender kiss on my cheek, rather than my lips. When he pulled away, he

winked. “I’ll make sure to ply you with a little alcohol on Friday night to make sure you’re not so

skittish.”

Shaking my head, I pushed him playfully. “Whatever.”

“I’ll be back to see Frank, so maybe I’ll see you before then.”

“Maybe so.”

Walking backwards down the hall to Frank’s room, he wiggled his fingers at me. “Bye Mia.”

Shifting the flowers, I waved back. “Bye AJ.” Once he disappeared back into Frank’s room, I

exhaled the breath I’d been holding. As I walked into the station, Dee greeted me with a grin that

stretched from cheek to cheek.

“Hellz to the yes! Mama Mia’s gettin’ back in the game!” he exclaimed, before doing a little happy

dance.

“Yeah, nothing like extreme peer pressure from your bestie along with an overly persistent guy to

make it happen.”

“This is going to be epic!” Dee gyrated his hips as he danced over to me. “You need to make an

appointment for hair and nails ASAP.” His gaze dropped below my waist. “And I’m thinking a bikini

wax as well. Don’t wanna be welcoming Mr. Latin Lover to the jungle.”

“You ass!” I cried before smacking his shoulder. My outrage only fueled him on, and two of our