considering the way he’d ached—still ached this morning—it was probably for the best.
Chase took a long, deep drink of coffee, closing his eyes and moaning softly as the rich flavour hit his tongue. His skin prickled and he opened one eye to find Josh staring at him. A pink flush tinted Josh’s cheeks and his mouth was parted slightly. He licked his lips, then grinned as he chuckled softly.
“You make drinking coffee sound like a sexual experience. Looked kind of close to an orgasm, too.”
Chase nearly sputtered, but that would have wasted the coffee and that wasn’t going to happen. Instead he swallowed a big gulp, then gasped at the burn. “It’s like a mouthgasm,”
he finally rasped out, wondering if it was possible that he was blushing. His skin sure felt warm all over.
“Well, at least you’re having some kind of ‘gasm’. That’s always a good thing.” Josh winked and turned around, heading back towards the door. “I’m going to bring your
breakfast, then help you to the bathroom and get you dressed. Be right back.”
Chase closed his eyes and went back to sipping his coffee, letting himself enjoy it
without worrying about the way he looked when he did so.
Xavier was in a foul mood by the time he got to the hospital. Guilt at having failed Billy and Randy was eating at him, burning away at his insides like acid. He walked up to the information desk and waited a good five minutes while the nurse there nailed him with a www.total-e-bound.com
A BIT OF ME
Bailey Bradford
37
defiant look while she chatted away to someone about some soap opera. By the time she got off the phone and deigned to speak to Xavier, he was almost ready to scream.
“Can I help you?” Rachel—as declared by her name tag—asked in a bored tone.
Xavier gave her his coldest look, which didn’t seem to faze her at all. “I’m here to pick up Billy Burke.”
Rachel huffed and glanced down at something, tapping her finger on the desk. “Well,
he can’t go home yet, so you’ll have to wait.”
Xavier groaned internally. “The doctor said—”
“Yes, Dr Nichols had said Mr Burke could be released this morning, but there are
extenuating circumstances that have come up.”
Xavier’s first thought was of Billy’s health. He clutched the edge of the counter until his bruised knuckles throbbed. “Has his condition changed? Is he—I need to see him!”
Rachel’s expression shifted and she actually looked like a compassionate person instead of a bored, irritated nurse. “No, honey, nothing like that, so just calm down.” She gestured for him to lean closer as she darted glances about the room. Xavier bent, expecting the worst despite what she’d just said. “There’s an FBI agent here and he’s insisting Mr Burke be held until he can finish up interviewing another patient.”
Xavier sagged with relief before irritation had him standing up and stiffening his spine.
It would have been nice if someone had told him that before he’d come over here. Maybe he should make sure Liam knew that Xavier didn’t appreciate both his high-handedness or lack of courtesy. “Thank you, Rachel. I’ll just go check on Mr Burke, then.”
Xavier stormed down the hallway only to be stopped short by a dark-haired male nurse with piercing green eyes. The guy didn’t seem to have an ounce of fear in him as he stepped in front of Xavier and slapped a hand to his chest.
“Where do you think you’re going?” the nurse demanded, giving Xavier a look that
might have caused a lesser man to back down.
Xavier merely shoved the hand off his chest and stepped around the guy. Except that
didn’t work, because the dark-haired man side-stepped as well, and soon Xavier found himself doing that stupid side-to-side dance two people do when they are trying to get around each other.
www.total-e-bound.com
A BIT OF ME
Bailey Bradford
38
The nurse grinned cheekily and held up his arms. “Want to
Chase took a long, deep drink of coffee, closing his eyes and moaning softly as the rich flavour hit his tongue. His skin prickled and he opened one eye to find Josh staring at him. A pink flush tinted Josh’s cheeks and his mouth was parted slightly. He licked his lips, then grinned as he chuckled softly.
“You make drinking coffee sound like a sexual experience. Looked kind of close to an orgasm, too.”
Chase nearly sputtered, but that would have wasted the coffee and that wasn’t going to happen. Instead he swallowed a big gulp, then gasped at the burn. “It’s like a mouthgasm,”
he finally rasped out, wondering if it was possible that he was blushing. His skin sure felt warm all over.
“Well, at least you’re having some kind of ‘gasm’. That’s always a good thing.” Josh winked and turned around, heading back towards the door. “I’m going to bring your
breakfast, then help you to the bathroom and get you dressed. Be right back.”
Chase closed his eyes and went back to sipping his coffee, letting himself enjoy it
without worrying about the way he looked when he did so.
Xavier was in a foul mood by the time he got to the hospital. Guilt at having failed Billy and Randy was eating at him, burning away at his insides like acid. He walked up to the information desk and waited a good five minutes while the nurse there nailed him with a www.total-e-bound.com
A BIT OF ME
Bailey Bradford
37
defiant look while she chatted away to someone about some soap opera. By the time she got off the phone and deigned to speak to Xavier, he was almost ready to scream.
“Can I help you?” Rachel—as declared by her name tag—asked in a bored tone.
Xavier gave her his coldest look, which didn’t seem to faze her at all. “I’m here to pick up Billy Burke.”
Rachel huffed and glanced down at something, tapping her finger on the desk. “Well,
he can’t go home yet, so you’ll have to wait.”
Xavier groaned internally. “The doctor said—”
“Yes, Dr Nichols had said Mr Burke could be released this morning, but there are
extenuating circumstances that have come up.”
Xavier’s first thought was of Billy’s health. He clutched the edge of the counter until his bruised knuckles throbbed. “Has his condition changed? Is he—I need to see him!”
Rachel’s expression shifted and she actually looked like a compassionate person instead of a bored, irritated nurse. “No, honey, nothing like that, so just calm down.” She gestured for him to lean closer as she darted glances about the room. Xavier bent, expecting the worst despite what she’d just said. “There’s an FBI agent here and he’s insisting Mr Burke be held until he can finish up interviewing another patient.”
Xavier sagged with relief before irritation had him standing up and stiffening his spine.
It would have been nice if someone had told him that before he’d come over here. Maybe he should make sure Liam knew that Xavier didn’t appreciate both his high-handedness or lack of courtesy. “Thank you, Rachel. I’ll just go check on Mr Burke, then.”
Xavier stormed down the hallway only to be stopped short by a dark-haired male nurse with piercing green eyes. The guy didn’t seem to have an ounce of fear in him as he stepped in front of Xavier and slapped a hand to his chest.
“Where do you think you’re going?” the nurse demanded, giving Xavier a look that
might have caused a lesser man to back down.
Xavier merely shoved the hand off his chest and stepped around the guy. Except that
didn’t work, because the dark-haired man side-stepped as well, and soon Xavier found himself doing that stupid side-to-side dance two people do when they are trying to get around each other.
www.total-e-bound.com
A BIT OF ME
Bailey Bradford
38
The nurse grinned cheekily and held up his arms. “Want to
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