“What?”
“And, yes, it’s hard not to look at you when your clothes hug your body like Saran Wrap.”
I shoved at his side and he winced. “Quit teasing me.”
“You’re wounding an already-wounded man.”
I stepped into the hospital foyer, charging to the desk on a mission—a mission to get rid of this guy.
“I’ll make sure that you get checked in fine. And then I’m leaving,” I stated, mostly to myself. I pointed to the other side of the room, to a row of empty chairs. “Go there. I’ll check you in. Where is your insurance stuff, papers? I’m sure, given the special circumstances of who you are, I can check you in. If not, you’re on your own.”
He peered down at me, his eyes lighting up as though I were Santa.
“Stop looking at me like that. I know; I know. I’m too nice.” I slapped his chest, not his shoulder this time. “Your insurance card and papers?”
“I don’t have any papers, but my insurance card is in my wallet, in my front pocket.” He smirked, knowing I’d have to dig it out.
I nearly rolled my eyes. This guy was useless. I felt bad for the person who would have to nurse him back to health.
I stepped into him, into his space, into the oversize jacket that was too small for his huge frame, and reached into his front pocket.
You’d think he’d stink, as he was wearing the same clothes from yesterday, but the masculine scent of him hit me directly in the face. It was like he’d poured aftershave on himself because he couldn’t shower. The scent wasn’t overpowering unless you were in close quarters.
I plucked his wallet from his front pocket and tipped my chin to the corner. “Go. In the corner.”
“No one puts Austin in the corner,” he said with another damn smirk while he quoted the line fromDirty Dancing.
I ignored him and headed to the check-in desk. As I waited, I tried not to get too annoyed with the whole situation—being ripped from my to-do list along with Austin’s annoying cuteness. He needed to just walk away from me, but it seemed like that wasn’t going to happen.
Ugh. This morning was already beginning in the worst kind of way.
CHAPTER15
AUSTIN
I owed Sydney.Big time.
She’d checked me in, and she could have left already, but she had followed the nurse who wheeled me into the room.
A fan. Of course.
Another damn fan.
Maybe Sydney knew because I started getting hives and a nervous neck tic when the nurse spouted off baseball stats.
We were wheeled into an oversize hospital room—the pre-op room—where the nurse left a gown and a urine vial.
“Do you need help with anything?” the nurse asked, a hopeful look on her pretty, young face.
By the sound of her tone, I was sure “anything” meanteverything. I got the shivers.
“Why are they taking a urine sample?” I shot out, none too nicely.
Sydney placed a light hand on my back, which I was sure meant to shut me up rather than calm me.
The nurse cocked her head, almost flirty. “It’s part of the preoperative procedure to make sure you don’t have a urinary tract infection.”
I nodded, begrudgingly and chucked off Sydney’s jacket and hat, placing it on the empty chair against the wall.