Damn men and their egos. Even after almost face planting into the ground, he’d still been dead set against going to the hospital. He’d just started walking toward his lab and she’d had no choice but to follow. She didn’t want to push too hard. For all she knew he’d had some traumatic experience in the hospital as a child, but if they hadn’t been able to get the bleeding under control she was prepared to take drastic measures such as knocking him out and dragging him to the hospital against his will. Or doing the one thing he’d begged her not to do.
Tell his mother.
“See now it’s fine. It’ll probably be scabbed over by the time Grant even gets here.”
Katie rolled her eyes. After calling several times, she’d finally gotten the elusive Grant on the phone and his annoyed voice had changed immediately when he heard Bennett was hurt. She was glad someone seemed to be taking this seriously. Her eyes slid over to Bennett sitting up at the stainless steel worktable, looking for all the world like he was actually impatient that he couldn’t immediately go back to work.
“Does it hurt a lot?”
He shrugged. “It’s not as bad as the time I fell out of the old hayloft. I fractured my arm that time.”
Katie shook her head. “You’d think I’d be used to this by now after having two boys. But you just scared the hell out of me.”
That got his attention. “I’m sorry I scared you.”
Although she’d wanted his attention, it was more than a little overwhelming now that she had it. The past few weeks she’d tried to do the modern, casual thing and just live in the moment. But every day that got harder and harder. How did you pretend that you weren’t getting attached to someone? There were times when he’d look over at her in the lab and the next moment, they were wrapped around each other. They could go from screwing each other’s brains out to working in complete silence easily. Well, it was easy for Bennett anyway. She’d observed the way he worked and he was a master at compartmentalizing. Katie couldn’t do that though. She didn’t know how to love him just a little or only at the appropriate times.
She feared that she was quickly becoming addicted to him and these stolen moments in the middle of the day weren’t going to be enough.
“Knock, knock,” a deep voice called out.
Katie jumped at the unfamiliar voice but Bennett just raised his uninjured arm in a half-hearted greeting.
“Hey Grant.”
His voice sounded slightly slurred and Katie suspected the effort of fighting off the pain was taking its toll. Not to mention the strain of appearing calm so he didn’t freak her out. Damn it, she couldn’t help that she got a little frantic at the sight of blood! Wasn’t that some sort of biological emergency instinct? You were supposed to freak out at the sight of blood.
“What’s this I hear about my cousin almost losing an arm?”
Bennett looked at Katie. “This is my cousin, Grant. Grant, this is Katherine Mason. Mrs. Katherine Mason.”
Katie furrowed her brow. Katherine? He’d never called her that before. Why was Bennett suddenly acting so formal?
She held out her hand in greeting. “Hi, Dr. Alexander. I’m Bennett’s assistant, Katie.”
Grant was tall with honey colored skin and curly dark hair. He also looked a little like Bennett except his eyes were as dark as his hair. Then he smiled and Katie could have sworn she heard angels singing in the heavens above.
“Jesus. Aren’t there any ugly Alexanders?”
At Grant’s snort of laughter and Bennett’s scowl, Katie realized what she’d just said. “Oh god, I’m sorry. That was rude.”
Grant set a black bag on the stool next to Bennett. “You’re fine. And yes, there are definitely a few of us who got the short end of the stick aesthetically. Poor Bennett here must not have been around the day the gods were giving out looks.”
Katie’s mouth fell open at the mean comment. What the hell was this guy’s problem? Then she saw that both of the guys were chuckling and figured it must be an old joke between the two of them.
“I mean, really. Ole’ green eyes here is really a hideous sight.”
“My eyes are hazel,” Bennett interrupted.
Grant held out his hands in surrender. “My apologies.” Then he turned back to Katie. “As I was saying, Hazel-eyes here has always been the ugly duckling. I don’t know how Aunt Julia does it. This is truly a face that only a mother could love.”
Katie crossed her arms. “Okay I’m not getting in the middle of whatever this is,” she said, gesturing between the two of them.
“You sure?” Grant’s brown eyes held a naughty twinkle. “Because according to my ex-girlfriend, being between two Alexanders is a common fantasy around these parts.”
Embarrassment made her stutter. “You don’t … I can’t even talk to you right now.”
“Leave her alone, Grant.” Bennett looked murderous and like he was a second away from slugging his cousin, hurt arm be damned.