DanaGoing on a date with Talon was the last thing I wanted to do, but of course the guy called shortly after I got off the phone with Brandon. He didn't even ask, but simply assumed I was willing to go seeing that my brother already made the confirmation with him.I grumbled all the way to work the next morning. My evenings were my time to soak in a hot tub, drown myself in ice cream and wine and cry until I had no tears left inside of me.It was becoming a tradition. A very fucked up, nightly tradition."Dana. You have a minute?" Dr. Lewis stood beside the ER reception desk. "I apologize about having to miss our meeting yesterday. Something came up with my wife.""Sure. No problem." I readjusted my backpack on my shoulder and moved up beside him as we walked down the hallway. "I hope your wife is okay.""She's undergoing cancer treatments." He glanced over at me, the worried expression on his face shooting an arrow through my heart."Oh. I'm sorry." I tried to think of something bet
Dana"That was fun." Talon glanced over at me from the driver's side of his beat-up pickup truck. "You want me to take you back to your Mom’s or do you maybe wanna-""My Mom’s." I gave him a shy smile, feeling like shit for pretending to have a good time. The date wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. It felt like going out with a stranger that I never planned on seeing again. Weird. Awkward. A lie."Oh okay." He chuckled nervously. "I was just going to see if you wanted to have a drink back at my place.""Maybe next time." Fuck. Had I just agreed to a next time? It wasn't happening. I'd have to tell Brandon to let his friend down softly. He'd set the poor guy up with his broken-hearted sister, he could let him down.I was an idiot for agreeing to it."Oh yeah. For sure. Next time." He snorted and pulled up in my mother's driveway. "You want me to walk you to the door?""Nope." I opened the door and got out, turning back toward him. His spiky blond hair had enough mousse to last a we
Kendal"Why is this fucking me up so much? My stomach is a wreck and I can't get my heart to stop racing." I paced the floor in my office late Friday afternoon. I had a few minutes before I needed to head over to help set up for the Beta Alpha Psi Fall Festival.College kids just used Halloween as an excuse to dress like hookers, naughty nurses and vampires. And I remember loving it when I was younger. My cock twitched at the idea of seeing Dana in any of those costumes. Hell, a T-shirt and jeans would have me crippled if I wasn't careful."Because you're in love, man. Go with it." Damon cleared his throat. "What are you dressing up as?""Nothing." I snorted and pressed the phone tightly to my ear. "I'm there as the Chaperon. I'm not dressing up. I'd look like an idiot.""Go as something, dude. Bethany is going to kill you if you come in slacks and a button down.""Why aren't you coming? Bethany is a post-grad student. She should be chaperoning with me and Dana.""She's trying to help
Kendal"No! Not me." I handed her the phone. "I was on the phone with Damon. We were talking about... fuck it. Never mind. You talk to him."She rolled her eyes, took the phone and walked toward the door. The conversation behind me where she was trying to convince him that she thought it was Dana on the phone and we were making her jealous was almost comical. She was in trouble. About as badly as I was."Well. Thanks a lot." She handed me the phone back and growled. "He's in alpha ass mode now.""Nothing new." I put the phone in my pocket. "Are you guys dressing up for this tonight?""Yes, and you are too." Dani Bruce moved in front of me, her voice soft and teasing, her eyes filled with the promise of a long night of spreading her legs for the right man."I didn't bring anything, but good try." I smiled and turned back toward Bethany and Jake. "I was talking to you two.""Yeah. We're dressing up. I'm a pirate and Beth is Little Red Riding Hood." Jake grinned like a Tom-Cat."And I'm
DanaA sad sound left me as I dropped the call with Kendal. Were things going to be awkward between us now? Without a doubt... Yes.I parked outside of my apartment and sat there for a few minutes, trying to decide if I should just cancel. Nothing good could come of us having our first meet up at a large University event. The school was half the reason we couldn't be together.He moved past that... remember?"Yeah, but now I get to move past him dating my sister?" I got out of the car and walked to the front door as my mind spun a long trail of lies. My hands were shaking by the time I got myself undressed and stood in front of the mirror in my bra and panties.I wanted so badly to feel beautiful in front of him, and I was getting there... slowly. But knowing that he'd been with my model-like sister? Who was I kidding.After turning around and making a few disgusted sounds at myself, I finally gave up, put on a clean pair of nursing scrubs. I wanted to see him, and that trumped everyt
Dana"Anything is possible." She released me and walked over to pick up a small name tag. "Here you go. Wear this with pride as you'll be asked to hold hair and cart sick students out of the building before the night is over.""Thanks?" I laughed and put it on as she excused herself and walked back into the gym. After I got myself situated, I moved to stand in the doorway and let my eyes move across the spooky decorations and bright lights strung everywhere."Like it?" Kendal walked up and stopped in front of me. The delicious scent of his cologne washed over me and I breathed in deeply, not caring if he noticed all of a sudden."Yes," I breathed out.He reached out and touched the side of my face. "Why haven't you picked up my calls? You know I wanted to make sure you were okay."I pulled his hand down from my face carefully. Nothing too dramatic. We didn't need it. "Dr. Lewis took me in his office yesterday and asked that you come to dinner soon. His wife's cancer treatments aren't
KendalThe rest of the evening was a blur. I didn't even have the balls to text or call her after we finally shut everything down. Bethany cornered me as we were working through clean up and asked where Dana had been all night. I lied and said she was sick and had to go home. Something she ate.My thoughts raced from showing up on her doorstep, to asking Ana to help me, to moving to another country and giving up on having love in my life.I didn't want Ana or any other woman. I wanted my woman.After sleeping like shit that night, I woke up just before sunrise and changed into jogging clothes. I needed to release some of the pent-up frustration tearing me apart. Dana wasn't going to be mine again. It wasn't as simple as showing her how much I wanted her. She didn't seem to buy that shit, though there was a moment the night before where I could feel how much she wanted me too.But she wasn't going to move past me and Ana. And I really couldn't blame her.Anger burned through my belly a
Kendal"No." I reached out and brushed my fingers down the front of the phone absently. "I mean, I was in shock for sure, but overwhelmed? No. I'm in love with Dana. I want her to be the mother of my children, my partner in life. Hell, I was thinking about leaving UT for her.""Wait. Why would you have to leave UT?"I glanced up, hating how dirty it made me feel to break the rules. "She's a nursing student, and is a double major in business.""Oh, no. Kendal. Please tell me she's not in one of your classes.""No, but she was going to take one next semester. When I found out, she dropped the class and I backed up. Remember, I met her at the fucking hospital. I didn't know." I flinched. "Sorry for the language.""No, it's fine. It's the weekend and we're not professors. Here, we're just friends.""Thank you. I need a friend right now. I have no clue how to fix this. I've been running from women for six years, and now I'm supposed to run to one?" I growled softly under my breath."So, do