Roommates with Benefits

New York, twenty years prior….

“Give me your word, Harry!” Ethan McCrery barked at his long-time friend.

Harold Henry watched as Ethan held out his hand for him to take. The Irish man was in a black mood. He claimed to have been betrayed and although Harry couldn’t understand it, he had to go along with it. It had always been him and Ethan, they were the old money—the ones brought up in private boarding schools. They had each other’s backs. If Ethan got into a fight, Harry punched first then got the details later. He guessed this was one of those times.

Who would have thought a self-made man like Adrian Ross would fall for a maid.

And who would have thought Ethan would fall for the same maid? He should have learned his lesson about falling for women who weren’t tailored for him.

Harry hadn’t bothered dating outside his social level. His father had picked his wife, his mother had made the wedding and marriage arrangements. He had, as expected, turned up both at his wedding and in his southern bride’s bed. He hadn’t failed his family. His first-born son Harry Junior, or Duke, was the product of his honeymoon as a dutiful son and husband.

Harry watched as Ethan broke into a new rant cursing his college friend, calling him every profanity heard on Earth or in the fire pit of Hell.

“How could he do that to me? He knew I was interested in Rosalinda.” Ethan stopped his pacing, and his face took on an awe-struck look. It was as if he was in a dream state. “She’s so beautiful, so soft. And her wild raven hair just begs to be touched. It kills me that I haven’t touched her hair or kissed her sweet red lips. Dear God, I would have taken in her brat. I would have even let the little lass call me ‘papa!’”

“Ethan.” Harry cleared his throat. Fear of his friend’s Irish temper deterred him from asking, but his duty as a friend pushed him on. “What about your wife? How do you expect to marry Rosalinda when you are still married?”

“Do you think that’s a problem?” Ethan sneered, a calculating expression on his face. “I’ll serve the woman divorce papers today if it means I would get to have Rosalinda. My beautiful rose.”

“Elizabeth will not allow it. Her father left everything to you. Everything she owns you control. And what would happen to Ethan Junior? Think of your son, my friend.”

“I am. Rosalinda would be such a wonderful mother to him. And as for Elizabeth,” he waved his hand in the air as if anything to do with her didn’t matter. “I’ll settle her with a large fortune. She’ll sign Ethan’s custody to us without a problem.”

Harry took his phone from his pocket when it rang. When he listened, it was a message from Dennis, and it wasn’t good. He dreaded telling Ethan, but there was no other way around it. “Ethan, there’s news.”

“What? Speak up man!”

“Adrian and Rosalinda—”

“What about them?”

“They are married Ethan. It’s done. You’ve lost her.”

“Never!”

Harry took off after his friend as he ran out of the building, he worked in. He sat in the passenger seat as Ethan pushed away his driver and got into his seat.

“Maybe I should drive?”

“Shut up.”

Ethan pulled out of the driveway like the devil was on his heels. The car’s tires skidded along the road. Every couple of miles it protested at being abused. Harry had never feared dying in a road accident until today. Ethan barked at the other drivers on the road, swearing at the traffic lights whenever they turned red, picking up a cop car as a tail.

“Ethan, the police.”

“Shut up.”

Harry took in a much-needed breath of relief when they skidded to a halt in front of Adrian Ross’s apartment building. Ethan left the motor running as he rushed past the door man and into the lobby. He gave up on the elevator when it took too long to arrive and headed for the stairs, taking them three at a time, barging into the house. They walked into silence. Not the atmosphere to expect at a wedding reception.

“What’s going on?” Dennis walked in, his toddler scurrying behind him.

“Where is the rat? Where is that slimy excuse of a man? Only a coward would marry another man’s woman behind his back.”

The toddler began to cry, and Dennis cuddled him. His momentary distraction gave Ethan way to the garden balcony. They found the party there. Adrian Junior and Rosalinda’s daughter played as Isadora and Rosalinda watched. Adrian was nowhere to be seen.

“Rosalinda!” Ethan barked as he marched to her. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind him as he headed for the exit.

“No!” Rosalinda screamed as she tried to loosen Ethan’s shackling grasp. “Adrian? Mi amor?”

“Mi amor?” Ethan sneered as he turned around to face her. “That man is not your love. I am. Do you hear me? We will get this farce of a marriage annulled. Then after my divorce from Elizabeth—we will get married.” He grinned, triumphantly. “Adrian Ross is not winning this one.”

“I already have—not that I knew there was a contest to win.” Adrian emerged from a back room; his fingers balled into fists at his sides. His six-foot-four frame towered over Ethan’s five-nine. The African American man would be well suited for the role as the black Hulk if it ever came about. “Release Rosalinda. I am asking you nicely, McCrery. I don’t want any trouble.”

Ethan barked out a sardonic laugh. He pulled Rosalinda against him, his hands possessively locking her in his grip. “Never. Why would she want you when she has me?”

“But—I don’t love you.” Rosalinda squirmed to get away, but the more she tried the tighter Ethan held her.

“You never gave us a chance, lass. I can love you.”

“What about Elizabeth!” Isadora shouted as she retrieved her wailing baby from her husband. “What about your son, your family, your obligations?”

“Hah! Dennis didn’t even want to marry you. You should be thanking me, or he would be in Hawaii with that island girl and—”

“Ethan!” Dennis warned.

“Ethan, let go of my wife. You are hurting her.” Adrian took a step toward them, and Ethan warned him off with a growl.

“Adrian,” Rosalinda whimpered. “Nuestro bebe…”

“Ethan, Rosalinda is pregnant. You are hurting her. She’s scared for the baby.” Adrian’s desperation etched his voice.

Harry thought it was a good time for him to step in. He rested his hand on Ethan’s shoulder. What was intended as a comforting gesture only irritated Ethan further.

“I can’t believe you did this to me, Ross.”

“I didn’t do anything. She chose me. Rosalinda and I have been through a lot. Our pain brought us together, our love for our children and our love for each other. We are building our family, Ethan. I suggest you go back to yours.”

“I will never forget this, Adrian Ross.” Ethan turned his rage to Rosalinda as he pushed her out of his hands. Luckily for her Adrian was there to catch her. “That should be my baby. You watch your back. I swear I’ll get you back for this. I swear.”

Harry was chasing after Ethan for the second time that day as they rushed out of the house.

“Promise me something, Harold.”

“What?”

“Make sure our paths don’t cross with those two. From now on, Adrian Ross and Dennis Kent are dead to us. Promise me—give me your word of honor.”

“I promise.” It was a bitter promise to make, but Harold swore he would do his best to keep it, for what were the odds their personal lives would ever collide again?

He chuckled as he tossed in the narrow bed again. AJ’s dreams were usually vivid, as he only dreamed of his two favorite things, surgery and sex. Lately he hadn’t been able to kick the beautiful blonde with blue eyes from his dreams. It was frustrating because he couldn’t see the rest of her, and plus, AJ wasn’t monogamous in real life, so he hated the fact that his dreams were. His lips caressed her creamy shoulders as his hands held onto her curvaceous body. AJ assumed it was her body because he couldn’t see the rest of her.

“Ross,” she called out his name as would a mermaid seducing a sailor.

“Paging Doctor Ross to The Nurses’ Station.”

“Paging Doctor Ross to The Nurses’ Station.”

AJ startled awake as the voice of the on-call nurse’s voice rang in his ears. He groaned, he moaned, he let out every protesting voice he could master. He grabbed the pillow from the bed, in the on-call room, and covered his head. “I’m technically not a doctor yet. Get someone else,” he shouted in the darkness.

“How about you shut up!” He heard the groggy voice of a female on the top bunk.

He threw the pillow to the foot of the bed and sat erect, moving so fast that his forehead came into contact with the bed frame. “Shit! Can this day get any worse?”

“I promise you it will, if you don’t shut up and let me sleep,” she grizzled.

“Sorry.” Adrian began to apologize, but when he touched his forehead, he winced in pain. His fingers were coated with the warm crimson of his blood. “I think I cut my head on this bed frame.”

“Are you bleeding?”

“Yes.”

“Are you a doctor?”

“Yes.”

“So, get up, go stitch yourself up, and let me sleep. I am begging you. I am ready to pay you anything for some peace and quiet.” The girl’s voice got a little harsh as she thrashed on the bed.

AJ jumped to his feet, afraid that all her movement would send the bed crushing down on his head. “What’s your problem?”

“You are my problem!” She raved as she leapt off the bed, landing inches away from Adrian. Both of them were stunned by each other. They stood in silence for a couple of seconds before she said, “You’re a big guy.”

“So, I’ve been told.” AJ drawled as he wiped the blood rolling down his forehead.

AJ studied her. Her long blonde hair was in a ponytail at the back of her head, her eyes were a swirling blue-gray color. She almost resembled the woman haunting his dreams. But then her stubborn chin reminded him so much of his sister Lisette, any fantasy which had started hatching in his dreams died instantly. He groaned inwardly, disappointed. He would have loved to kiss her pouty lips, caress her full body, and weave his fingers into her hair, but that stubborn jaw put him off—with his two younger sisters, he didn’t need another aggressive woman in his life.

“Do you mind helping me with this?” AJ smiled, slowly and sexily. Lisette had described his smile as wolfish, as if he was about to chomp down on Little Red Riding Hood. AJ knew his smile was his best wing man and it always got him the response he wanted, so this time should be no different.

Katherine’s hands shook as she raised them to his forehead. It took all of AJ’s self-control not to wrap his hands round her tiny waist and pull her against his aching body.

* * * *

Katherine Henry watched as the hunk of a man stared at her with indifference in his eyes. At first, she thought she had caught a hint of desire, but something she had done put him off. He was a big guy. His hard muscled frame, oozed with sexiness. She wanted to reach out and smooth her hands along his body, just to feel his hardness.

“Do you mind helping me with this?”

Katherine licked her lips as she was torn out of her fantasy. “What? Help you with what?” Her raw throat made her voice sound like a scratchy whisper.

AJ chuckled and the sound washed through her like a warm cup of cocoa. “Can you help me with the cut on my head?”

“Sure, I am a doctor!” Katherine bit her tongue, holding back from saying anything else stupid. Internal heat surged her cheeks when his lips pulled into a disgustingly sexy smile. “Of course, I’m a doctor that’s why I’m here. So, are you, you are a doctor too? And—I’m going to shut up now.”

“How about we go to the nurses’ station, and you can look after me there.” AJ lips curled into a sly grin as laughter claimed his brown eyes. Katherine noticed his lips must be his best asset, his secret weapon in getting women to go home with him. Hell, she was ready to leave with him and he was a bloody mess.

“Of course,” Katherine snorted. “Do you use that line a lot?”

“That wasn’t a line. I just want you to stitch me up. If you, can’t I’ll get someone else to do it.” He turned toward the door.

Katherine reached and grabbed his arm before he left. She cursed herself as her fingers barely wrapped themselves around the bicep in his arm. She desperately wanted to feel his strong arms around her, even for a second. But when Adrian opened the door and let the world in, she had no other choice but to step out. As she did, Katherine noticed a lot of eyes staring at both of them suspiciously, and for a second, she thought she saw a sad look in one nurse’s eyes before they turned into pure rage.

“I think that one likes you,” Katherine said as she pointed at the disapproving nurse.

“If my memory serves me right, she likes me a lot.” Adrian shot her a grin.

“Oh brother, you are bad news, aren’t you?” Katherine chuckled. “It’s not bleeding too bad. A band aid will do just fine. Take a seat on the gurney and I’ll be right back.”

Katherine arranged her tools on a sterile tray and slipped on a pair of gloves. She turned toward Adrian just in time to see him wink at a nurse who was walking by. She was mad, enraged at how ignorant he was behaving. She was standing in front of him, and she was yet to see a flicker of recognition. But he seemed to remember all his other conquests. Was she that unmemorable? She felt like taking a scalpel and cutting off his lips.

“Try and control your hormones for five minutes, Doctor Ross,” she hissed through clenched teeth. Now she had managed to still her own hormones she was in control of the situation. “Do you want something for the pain?”

“No, I have to keep a clear head, I’m on call tonight.” He grunted when she put in the first suture.

Sexy and he can withstand pain too? Katherine wanted to kick him in the nuts.

Being so close to him reminded her of the night they had spent together in the back seat of his Range Rover. It wasn’t very romantic, but it was exciting. The thought that someone could catch them having a tryst in a public place made the sex more exciting. But here, now, she was standing between his strong thighs—thighs she knew so well it pained her—as she treated his wound.

‘Take care of me.’ Those were the words she had used that night. She had been at the bonfire with her younger brothers who had dragged her there, saying she needed a bit of fun—and it had been fun. But that was almost two years ago. Maybe that was why he didn’t remember her.

“I think you might just live long enough to seduce all the nurses on this floor, Doctor Ross,” Katherine said.

“Thank you, Doctor…” He was asked, his embarrassment at not knowing her name showing in his smile.

“The name is Katherine Henry, but my patients call me Doctor Henry.” She had given him her name and was eagerly waiting for some indication of familiarity. But there was none. Not surprising, really—I don’t think he remembers the names of nurses he’s slept with this week. How could he remember the name of a girl from a bonfire almost two years ago?

“I don’t seduce them,” he was mumbling. “They just seem to come to me.”

“Cum with you or by you?” Katherine spat out with a steel tongue. “Sorry,” she quickly said when she saw the hurt look on Adrian’s face. “They flock to you because you are a sexy guy. One look at you, and they want to gobble you up. You are like sex on legs.”

“You mean that?” The smile was back on his lips, the laughter in his eyes.

“I rarely pay any men compliments. My three brothers taught me that. So…you should take what I said as a compliment and run with it.”

“I have two sisters. When I saw you stick out your stubborn chin I wanted to turn in the other direction and run.”

“Siblings, they ruin your life, but living without them is unimaginable.” Katherine said. “There, you’re done. You’d better go figure out why they’re paging you.”

“Uh-huh, thanks. By the way…could I get your number?”

You already have it, you jackass. Katherine wanted to say. But instead, she smiled, shook her head, and started to walk away.

* * * *

AJ couldn’t help but chuckle when the ‘friendly’ doctor walked away from him. He had picked up on her annoyed attitude, plus her desire for him. That was hard to miss, because as the sliver of steel on her tongue slashed through him, the hard tips of her nipples stared him in the face. She wanted him, and although the feeling was mutual, he couldn’t add doctors to his list of medical conquests, even though her touch did seem familiar.

“Hi.” Adrian’s view of Doctor Henry was cut into by a short red-headed nurse.

AJ groaned inside, his chest rumbling with the sound. If there was one thing he loved, it was red heads. Each girl represented a sexual ‘something’ to him. He didn’t believe in the stereotypes attached to blondes. But that might be because he only engaged with ones with medical training. He loved them tough and smart.

But women with red hair, at least, the ones with whom he had come into contact, did almost anything in bed. That was the only reason why all the blood had left his head and shot southward.

AJ stood up and had the pleasure of seeing the redhead’s eyes widen as he showed his full length and size. You’re a big guy. He chuckled at the memory. But when he saw the redhead’s pink tongue sweep over her full lips, every memory of Katherine flew out of his head as the redhead drew all his attention.

“Maybe we can get a drink later,” she said in a breathy tone.

“Maybe. But if you can convince me, you’ll get a definite ‘yes’.” AJ lowered his head and whispered to her.

“I am a gymnast,” Red said through pouted crimson lips.

AJ chuckled. He could feel his groin chuckle with him. This night, no matter what happened in the hospital, would definitely have a great end.

“Name and number, and I will pick you up at the end of the shift.”

He watched as she quickly scribbled her details down. She was an eager one, he could tell. AJ could feel someone watching him, and when he lifted his head, he caught the dagger-like glares nurses were shooting in his direction. He turned away and was unlucky enough to catch Katherine’s disapproving frown. Her stubborn chin was out again. AJ felt his body shiver with censure. There was no way he was going to invite another woman in his life, who was so opinionated and critical of what he was doing. That was what he had Catalella and Lisette for.

* * * *

“What are you staring at?”

Katherine jumped, startled by the baritone echo in her ear. She watched helplessly as the charts which were next to her, crashed to the ground, announcing to everyone around the nurses’ station how clumsy she was. She bit back an oath and ducked behind the desk when AJ’s gaze swung her way. She was down on her hands and knees, the charts already gathered in her arms, yet she gave herself five seconds more, hoping AJ would have left by then.

“Hi.”

“What?” Confused, Katherine lifted her gaze and noticed the doctor squatting beside her. Doctor Kenneth Lyle was her attending. He was the cardiologist who she was shadowing, and for the longest time Katherine had thought he had the hots for her. “Oh! Hi Doctor Lyle. I was just picking this up.”

“After you were caught drooling over Adrian Ross,” he snickered.

Katherine snorted as she jumped to her feet. She dumped the charts on the desk and began rearranging her hair—anything to distract her from the uncomfortable ache at the bottom of her belly. AJ was still watching her, an amused smirk on his lips. The redhead was still chatting away at him. But he was watching Katherine over her head, nodding, and not exactly paying attention.

“You’re starting again,” Kenneth chuckled. “Don’t tell me you believe he is an Adonis. I thought nurses were the only people susceptible to his charms.”

“I am not falling for his charms,” Katherine scoffed. She turned her back toward AJ, but still watched him over her shoulder. Katherine bit on her lower lip, while her tongue swept over her plump lips. Her back straightened when AJ’s eyes darkened with desire. She watched as he stepped around the redhead and took a step toward her. To Katherine, he seemed to be floating toward her. Her heart crashed to her stomach when he winked at her, his lips spreading into a sly smile.

“Oh, dear God,” she swore when she felt the moisture pool between her thighs.

“Katherine?”

“Mmmh?” She turned toward Kenneth, the whole time her body whined from being denied the view of the subject of its desire. She smiled, beside herself. Katherine willed her mind to take over her body—she took a deep breath trying to control the out of control pitter-patter her heart was doing.

“Maybe I could give you a heart transplant. Replace it with a man’s heart,” Kenneth laughed. “Oddly enough he has some men swooning over him, others wanting to be him and the rest—emasculated whenever they are around him. He makes men feel ugly being around him.”

“What about you?” She was curious which category he put himself in. There was no way he could compare to AJ. Kenneth was cute; his blonde hair cut short, his green eyes smiling, while his talented hands worked magic on any ailing heart. He was a seasoned heart surgeon. But she knew he was also threatened by AJ. Everyone in the hospital was talking about AJ’s talent. The departments were already fighting over him. The Neurology and Trauma were the last departments standing. She knew Kenneth was glad AJ had taken his interests elsewhere.

“My knees are steady. I don’t quake under the glare of his toothpaste commercial smile.”

“What about his surgical talent?” Katherine wished she hadn’t said anything the moment the words left her mouth. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“That’s alright. But just because he’s talented doesn’t give him an excuse to be a jackass.” The steel in Kenneth’s tone sliced through her. Kenneth had been the wonder kid before AJ. But now Kenneth was thirty-five, and AJ was ten years younger than he was.

“He’s not a jackass, he’s just…” Katherine looked over her shoulder again. A swarm of women surrounded AJ. Weren’t there any sick people needing nurses to take care of them? But if AJ wasn’t a jackass, he was just—what? Katherine felt a need to find out who the true AJ was—she had to. She couldn’t live with herself, knowing she had given up her virginity in the back seat of a Range Rover Sport to a jackass. She needed to find something good in him, or she needed a do-over. Since the latter was close to impossible, she would have to work on the former.

“He’s just what?” Kenneth sneered. “Let me guess, he pitched his tent in your panties. Now you can’t see him for what he really is.”

“And maybe you are just pissed off that someone ten years younger than you, barely out of medical school, beat your time at replacing a heart valve. A final year intern, who by the way isn’t specializing in Cardiology. Who only got the surgery because they were trying to use it as a bribe to lure him to the specialty?” She couldn’t control the steel at the tip of her tongue. “I heard you didn’t have any Heads of Departments fighting for you either.”

“Wow, you’ve really got a hard-on for this guy.”

“I haven’t—I just…I just—” She just what? Katherine had offended her attending and couldn’t come up with a reason why.

* * * *

Katherine snapped her gloves on as she walked up beside AJ at the Emergency Room arrivals bay. They were expecting the results of a six-car pile-up. Facing a dozen mangled bodies wasn’t as daunting as being in AJ’s presence. She looked up at him and could see the serious set on his face. He was in the zone, and for a second didn’t look like the Lennox Hill Lothario.

“Why can’t you be this way, every minute of every day?” She raised her voice to speak above the sirens of the oncoming ambulance.

“I don’t know what you mean,” he said as he turned toward the sirens.

Katherine tossed her head. It was as if she wasn’t there. As if he hadn’t been flirting with her five minutes earlier. Or had she misread the signals? She breathed a sigh of relief when AJ turned a cold shoulder to his admiring redhead.

“What I mean is,” Katherine began as she stepped in front of him. “When you are in this “doctor zone”, you don’t flirt or make sexual innuendos with your body language.”

AJ threw his head back, his laughter occupying the cold air of November. She’d never thought she would have heard laughter which sounded so appealing. It was low, throaty, an exhibition of life. Katherine noticed that everyone around them had stopped looking for the ambulance and were now staring at him. She even caught the flirty smiles of the emergency room nurses, but also Kenneth’s disapproving glare.

“There is this verse in the Bible that says there is a time for everything.” He winked at her. “I can still turn you on while I’m elbow deep in someone’s chest. But I choose to give my full attention to my patients. It’s the respectful thing to do.”

“It’s not that you can’t multitask?” Katherine’s eyes were glued to his smile, and she didn’t realize her lips were aping his.

“I can definitely multitask. I would like to show you, but duty calls,” the throaty, velvety baritone held warning and promise. Of the Pied Piper had a flute, AJ Ross had his sexy voice.

Katherine stilled for a second trying her best to shake off the lust that had instantly claim her and focus on the job at hand.

Katherine realized the ambulances had arrived as the doctors and nurses rushed past her, almost knocking her to the ground. When she got her senses back and her feet moving, she raced toward the ambulance Kenneth had charge over. But his scowl made her make an about turn. The only other ambulance available was the one AJ was working. She took an uncertain step toward him, half expecting his attending to turn her away. But the trauma surgeon had taken a step back, a smile curled on his lips as he watched AJ at work.

“I need hands!” Katherine’s head lifted to AJs at the sound of his bark. It was more like a command from an officer, and like a good soldier, Katherine volunteered her hands, applying pressure on the patient’s chest. Before she knew what was happening, AJ’s hands were around her waist, hoisting her onto the gurney. She found herself kneeling over the patient.

“Don’t worry, you won’t fall. I got you.” His voice was now calmer. Katherine felt as if she could trust him. She shot a look at his attending, and his proud grin had curled the corners of his mouth. With AJ around the old goat didn’t have to do anything.

Katherine fought to stay steady as they pushed the gurney into the hospital door. Once or twice, she thought she would fall, but AJ’s grip that held her in place.

“We are going to need to open his chest up.” Katherine nodded feverishly, her hands still applying pressure as AJ lifted her off the gurney. She caught the sigh her excited body was about to whimper as he settled her on the ground. “Do you think you can do it?”

Katherine could hear him barking out orders. But her mind could only focus on two things, applying pressure to the chest wound, and keeping her body from crying out for AJ’s touch. She realized he was talking to her when a dozen eyes turned to her.

“What?”

“I asked if you could open him up.” His brow furrowed with intensity. “This is your area of expertise.”

“B-but I’m just an intern.” Katherine head whipped to her right, and there stood Kenneth his hands folded on his chest, watching, doing nothing to help. “Doctor Lyle?”

Kenneth stood back, not answering her plea for help. The corners of his lips curled in a smirk, and she knew—he was setting her up. She shouldn’t have praised AJ so much, implying Kenneth was second best. Now he was playing his hand. Katherine could feel her body shiver with fear and uncertainty. She could try going it alone, but risk killing the innocent patient, or proving to Kenneth she was better than he was. She stared at her bloodied hands. The patient had already lost too much blood. Her eyes flicked to the monitors and watched his vitals plummeting with each wasted second.

After looking at the patient’s face, her eyes caught sight of AJ’s confident gaze. He gave her an encouraging smile and a nod, and for a second Katherine thought she could do it on her own. That was all she needed—her back straightened in confidence. “Let’s crack him open.”