“Sure.” I smile at her then turn to look at Dr. Hofstadter, and mutter, “Sorry, I gotta work.” I drop my gaze from his, lock up my cart, and head down the hall toward Mimi, who doesn’t move until I’m at her side. “Thank you,” I murmur under my breath once I’m close.
“I see you’re having trouble staying off his radar,” she whispers back, and I let out a sigh. “What did he want this time?”
“He asked me out,” I tell her as we enter her patient’s room, and she takes hold of my arm, stopping me along with her just outside view of her patient.
“You should tell HR about that.”
“Tell them what? That he makes me feel weird and that he asked me out?” I shake my head.
She looks over my shoulder toward the open door before meeting my gaze once more. “I think you should make a formal complaint so it’s in your file. That way, if anything happens, you’re protected, and it’s not his word against yours.”
“I just started working here. I don’t want to make enemies,” I explain gently, and she shakes her head, reaching out and grabbing my arm again.
“Promise you’ll go to HR if he doesn’t stop.” She pleads.
“Is there something I should know?” I ask, seeing the look in her eyes, and she shakes her head.
“I’ve just heard rumors about him,” she whispers, holding my gaze. “What I’ve heard, I don’t like very much.”
My heart plummets. “What rumors?”
“Just that he’s played a few nurses and they’ve ended up losing their jobs while he kept his.”
“Really?”
“We’ve been here the same amount of time, which isn’t long. I don’t know any of those nurses or if those rumors are true. All I’m saying is be careful when it comes to him.”
“I’ll be careful,” I promise her, and she nods, still looking worried, but there is nothing I can do right now to assure her that things will be okay. “Did you really need my help?”
“Yeah, I need to start a catheter,” she mutters, and then without another word, she leads me into the room and introduces me to her patient. Once I’m done helping her, I go back to my cart and finish passing out meds. After that, I finish up my charts until it’s time for me to go home, and thankfully, I don’t see Dr. Hofstadter again.
***
Pulling up in front of Harlen’s apartment at twenty after eleven, I park in the empty space next to his bike, and before I even have a chance to shut down the engine, I watch Harlen come out of his apartment on the first floor. The moment our eyes lock through my windshield and I see the look in his, my stomach fills with butterflies and my mind swirls with doubts about my play this morning. I should have kissed him before I left. When he opens my door, I hold my breath as he reaches across me, skimming my nipples with the back of his hand before unhooking my seat belt.
“Hand me your bags,” he orders, keeping his eyes locked on mine.
I swallow from the intensity in his stare. “Harlen—”
“Hand me your bags, baby.” Blindly, I reach over and grab my overnight bag, purse, and lunch sack from the passenger seat, handing all three to him. “Come on.” He holds out his hand toward me and I hesitate. “Harmony.” I hear the warning in his tone, so I place my hand in his, allowing him to pull me from the car. The second I clear the door, he slams it closed and drags me with him toward his apartment.
“Harlen, I…”
I stop speaking when his eyes come to me, and he growls, “You made your choice this morning. Now I get to play.” He opens the door to his apartment, and before he even has it shut behind us, he presses me against the wall, his big body pinning me in place. Absently, I hear my bags hit the floor as his mouth crashes down on mine, and I whimper as he takes hold of my wrists, dragging them high above my head, so high I’m forced to stand on the tips of my toes. Taking both my wrists in one of his big hands, he holds them there while his mouth devours mine. His free hand squeezes one breast then the other before sliding down my stomach, straight into my panties.
The moment two of his fingers thrust into me, I whimper into his mouth, “Please.”
“Haven’t even gotten my mouth on you and you’re already drenched and begging for it.” He nips my chin, then my neck while working me over, two fingers thrusting deep while his thumb circles my clit. My head thrashes and my legs start to give out from under me as my pussy starts to convulse around him. “No,” he growls, removing his fingers and cupping my sex, and my eyes fly open.