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My heart skips a beat.

I’ve never done a nurse. Or have I? No, I don’t think so.

The realization hits me like a soft, relaxing breeze. Iknewthere was going to be some benefit to visiting this place.

9

Kaiden

“Anurse?” I can barely control the enthusiasm seeping into my tone.

“Yes.” She draws out the word.

“Cool.” I lean back, eyeing her. “Must be interesting to see lots of naked people.”

“I don’t, really. I work in an elderly home.” For the first time, I can see a hint of a smile on her face. “Bet that’s not your kind.”

“I don’t have a kind.”

“Right.” Her gaze moves away from me as she begins to play with something in her hand.

It’s a black Darth Vader keychain.

“Nice accessory,” I say pointing to her hand. “Can I see it?”

She hesitates for a moment before she stretches out her hand, long enough to let me get a better look, but not close enough to let me touch it.

“It was a gift from my little brother,” she says almost apologetically and pulls back again.

“He has a great taste.”

“He’s nine.”

She offers me a soft, almost apologetic smile. Her hand brushes over the length of her skirt. It’s impatience, I assume, but I can’t be sure.

She’s unlike any other woman I’ve met before—cagey, almost hostile.

Judging from her posture—all rigid, her gaze glued to the rug beneath our feet, her perfect teeth gently chewing on that full lower lip of hers—I can sense there’s something she wants to say but doesn’t know how to say it without sounding rude.

“What?” I prompt.

She looks up, and her eyes meet mine again. “Are you really a sex addict?”

“Why are you asking?” I cock my head to the side. “Is it because I asked you out? You know it was a joke, right? Something that people laugh about and don’t take seriously.”

“I know. It’s just…” She takes a deep breath and waves her hand, looking for words. “In spite of your obvious preference to run around naked, you don’t look like a sex addict to me.”

“You don’t look like a love addict, either, and yet here you are, stuck in this place with me.”

She nods her head. “Fair enough.”

I regard her amused. “Out of interest, how do you think a sex addict should look like?”

She shrugs. “Bald. In his forties, I guess. Maybe someone with a few divorces behind him, because no woman is good enough for him so he feels unloved and has channeled that emptiness into his sex life. Definitely someone older than you.”

“You seem to have a very clear picture of a sex addict. Who’s judgmental now?” I grin at her. “To answer your question, you don’t have to worry that I’ll come running to your bedroom door in the middle of the night and force myself on you. I’m not that kind of guy.”

She looks embarrassed at my insinuation. “I wasn’t worried about that.”