His eyes narrowed. “You would do that?”
“Yes,” Haley said, feeling in this moment that she’d do pretty much anything to keep this man talking to her.
He straightened a little, his gaze brightening. “You were going to say something, when I told her not to go.”
Haley looked at the floor. It wasn’t her place to tell him, if he didn’t know.
He cleared his throat and his next words were husky. “Am I right to expect that you wouldn’t have to help out for long?”
Haley had that lump in her throat again. “I’m not your mom’s doctor.”
“But you know.”
She nodded.
He sighed. “I talked to the oncologist today,” he admitted quietly, defeat in his tone.
Haley lifted her head and met his gaze. “I’m sorry.”
“Me, too.”
Their gazes clung for a long moment, one in which Haley was afraid to take a breath and risk breaking the spell.
Then he shrugged. “But that doesn’t change anything. We’d better get started if you’re going to be able to help.”
“Good idea.” Haley didn’t start until the evening the next day, so maybe they could meet in the morning...
But Damon had other ideas. His tone filled with purpose. “When does your shift end?”
“At two.”
He nodded and Haley felt like he’d taken command of the situation, leaving her behind. “I’ll still be here. Your place or mine?”
“Excuse me?”
He smiled just a little, the corner of his mouth lifting in a way that made him look unpredictable—and very sexy. “How were you planning to learn massage?”
“Well, I’ve studied books and there are mannequins in the classroom...”
“No,” he said flatly. “Hands-on is the best way. You have to feel it. I massage you, then you massage me.”
If she’d been blushing before, now Haley’s skin was on fire. Her voice rose. “I’m not certain that would be professional.”
“But it would be effective.” His smile broadened, his eyes gleaming. He was amused by her, which didn’t stop Haley’s blush—in fact, that only made it worse. “I didn’t think nurses were afraid to touch people.”
He was teasing her, just like her brother Brad did, but it was a thousand times different—since he wasn’t her brother. Worse, she thought he was very attractive and he seemed to know it. Haley was redder than a beet, feeling like she’d been caught in more ways than one, and found herself almost completely inarticulate.
“No, no, of course not.” She closed her mouth, hating the sound of her own nervousness, and flicked a glance at him.
“Oh, then you’re all about theory instead of practice.”
He was so sure he understood her—and he was right—that Haley wanted to surprise him. “Maybe I have been,” she conceded. “Maybe it’s time to change.”
He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall beside her, his eyes so dark and his gaze so knowing that Haley couldn’t look away. “Your place or mine?” he asked again.
“My place,” she said with a confidence she didn’t feel. “We’ll go to my place, but only for massage lessons.”
“You’re on.” He offered his hand to shake on it, and Haley felt her hand swallowed by his strong, warm grip. His touch sent a thousand shivers over her skin and awakened a yearning that she hadn’t indulged in a very long time.
She pulled her hand from his and took a step back, trying to regain her composure. “I have to get back to work. I’ll see you at two.”
He inclined his head. “Meet you in the lobby.” Humor still glinted in his eyes and Haley wondered what she’d gotten herself into.
Damon was going to teach her about massage. That was it.
At her apartment.
The prospect put a little quiver in her belly that Haley doubted would disappear anytime soon.
Damon had been sure the prim little nurse would turn and run when he made his offer.
He was intrigued that she hadn’t.
Maybe he hadn’t read her that well after all.
She was cute, in an uptight kind of way. That in itself invited an intervention. She had her hair pulled back tightly and her uniform was crisp. The way she blushed made him want to shake her up a bit. He wanted to unfasten her ponytail and push his fingers through her hair. It was dark blonde and long, with enough of a wave in it that her ponytail bounced when she walked. She was so perfectly groomed that he wanted to see her disheveled. He wanted to know how far that blush went—it looked like maybe it went down to her nipples.
Maybe further than that.
He was curious to know what else made her blush—besides him.
And what made her gasp.
He was very much looking forward to feeling her bare skin beneath his hands. She was tiny like his mom, but more curvy, with a resolve in her eyes that he found familiar. He’d bet she could move mountains when she wanted to. She’d be fierce, like his mom; she’d be stubborn and have opinions that were hard to shake.
All the same, there was a reserve about her that made him think she stood back and watched a lot. He’d caught her listening and she’d been so agitated that he knew she hadn’t expected to be discovered. She hadn’t expected to be noticed—though how anyone could overlook those curves and that steady blue gaze was beyond him.
Damon wondered if she knew her own capabilities, whatever they might be. People who stood back often thought they had fewer gifts. Helping those people find their strengths was one of the most gratifying aspects of coaching for Damon.
But surely a nurse knew her own competence?
She didn’t wear a ring, but that might not mean anything.
The idea of giving her a massage had been an impulse, a wicked idea that he’d expected her to refuse. He’d suggested it just to see her reaction. That she hadn’t declined made Damon very interested in what would happen later.
Would she stand him up?
Would she change her mind?
Or would she let him teach her? The idea heated Damon’s blood. He’d been focused on his mom for the past six months, ignoring everything except her needs. This cute nurse had reminded him of a very basic drive that had been unsatisfied for too long.
What if it was more than a massage lesson? It would have to be her choice, but Damon wouldn’t be the one to say no.
She’d disappeared down the hall before he realized he had over an hour to waste in the hospital before the end of her shift.
He didn’t even know her name, or what department she worked in. He’d assumed it was oncology, but then she’d gotten on the elevator.
Damon slung his jacket over his shoulder, peeked in on his mom one last time, then headed for the nurses’ station. He could put the time to good purpose and see what he could find out about Nurse Neat.
It was only fair, given how much she’d already learned about him.
“That was Haley,” the nurse said in response to Damon’s question. “Haley Slater. She’s been on staff here for years, if you’re worried about her coming by.”
“No, I was just curious. She seemed quite interested in my mom and I wondered why.”