Taken By Ezra Read online

  “I’m gonna get one too, guys,” Claudia pipes up, her glass empty like mine. “Plus, we may go dance for a bit. This is a club, after all.”

  Scott nods like he doesn’t mind, his gaze zeroing in on a tall, leggy blonde on the right side of the room, and I know we won’t have to return now that he has a new victim to bore. James doesn’t look too sure about us leaving, but we don’t give him time to answer.

  Oh, thank God. I breathe a sigh of relief when we’re out of eyesight. I shudder, wiping at my leg where he had touched me and calming myself down before Claudia asks me what that was all about. I lean against the bar and wave over to a bartender to order.

  “I’m sorry, but apparently James has grabby hands. I didn’t mean to freak out.”

  “No problem.” Claudia’s gaze is trained on me, and I’m sure she is gauging my mood. “I’m kind of bored with the doctor. I didn’t realize how dumb his jokes were until now.”

  I laugh. “I know. I almost spit out my drink when you made that little giggle.”

  Claudia rolls her eyes. “Oh lordy, I’m sorry I dragged you into this. I think we’ll get a drink and then dance.”

  “Agreed.” I clink my glass with hers and slowly follow her through the room in the opposite direction of her doctor friend. I know she won’t give him a second thought once we are out on the dance floor. I’m just happy I don’t have to be near James any longer.

  * * * *

  I’m having a blast after the third margarita I’ve drained. The two of us are on the dance floor, moving and grinding our bodies to the loud beats pumping out of the speakers. There are guys and girls all around us dancing, but I don’t feel compelled to shrink away at an accidental bump from them. My anxiety in large crowds and at being touched is being squashed by the tequila shots we have taken. I laugh happily when Claudia squeals from excitement over the next song that comes on, her hips moving faster to the beats as a guy with sandy-blond hair moves up behind her.

  I love the happiness she exudes, wishing I could be that carefree when the guy touches her hips. He pulls her closer while Rihanna belts out vocals to her newest hit. I see Dr. Morgan and his friend not too far from us, but I’m having too much fun to worry about them. I decide I need a drink while my friend is busy moving with her new dance partner.

  I find an opening at the end of the bar and wait patiently for the bartender to see me. I close my eyes and sway my hips to the new song that blends into the previous one, giving a slower and more seductive feel to my mood as the music fills me up. I really do love dancing and music. I love the way it touches all the way down to your soul without a thought.

  “Wanna dance with me?” someone asks close to my ear, and I freeze, opening my eyes in alarm because I know it is James, and he is way too close to me.

  My breathing increases when he surrounds me with his arms, his hands resting on the counter as he presses into me. The shuddering in my body has nothing to do with desire, but he wrongly takes that as the signal to move his lips to my neck.

  Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

  “Get your fucking lips off her,” a strong voice booms when I gag from the sensation of James touching me.

  One minute I’m being surrounded by James, and the next I’m looking into Ezra’s eyes. The icy-blue glare isn’t directed at me, but I can’t help but flinch when he touches my face. My heart is pounding, and I feel light-headed now that James is no longer near me.

  “I’m with her, buddy,” James slurs, trying to step close to me again.

  I can’t utter a word, so I shake my head faster, ducking behind the towering man who has come to my rescue again. I’m not this weak normally, but the alcohol has thrown me off balance. I don’t like touching that isn’t necessary, and James’s was definitely unnecessary.

  Ezra advances toward James, but I grab Ezra’s shirt in my hands. “D-don’t, Ezra. I’m f-fine. I just got caught off guard.” I hate the way my voice trembles when I talk to him.

  “What is going on?” Claudia asks, stepping up to us, and I could just die all over again. This is getting out of hand, and now my friend is here to help save me.

  “This guy was manhandling your friend,” Ezra says angrily, his body tense where I’m pushed against him. He looks to James, his features tight as he tells him to get the hell out of his bar.

  James mumbles something and storms off in the other direction, and I sag against Ezra’s back. Everything had been going so smoothly, and then I had to screw it up with my stupid issues again.

  Claudia looks at me like I’m about to freak out, her brows slanted down when she finally speaks. “Do we need to go home?”

  “I’m fine, Claudia. I…” I didn’t have to finish because she probably knows what I am going to say. She knows I only freak out when someone is crowding me.

  “I’m going to take her upstairs to clear her head,” Ezra says, reaching back to grab my hand gently in his big one. He doesn’t wait for her to answer, and I just nod as I glance back at my friend who is staring at me with her mouth wide open.

  I mentally cringe. I know I will have to explain this to her later, but I need to get out of this place for a moment. I want to tell Ezra that I could go outside, but with his back to me, he isn’t giving me a chance to talk. I see some people watching us with curiosity, but I keep my eyes down the whole time.

  With the memory of our almost kiss, my heart starts to pound. It pounds harder the closer we get to his office. I glance at his ass like I did last time, and I know my head didn’t play tricks on me when I was here before. This man truly is a fine specimen with perfect facial features and large muscles stretching his short-sleeved shirt as he pulls me behind him.

  His office is dimly lit, and I notice more monitors on the wall than I saw last time. On one monitor, a frame is frozen showing my first meeting with James hours ago. The look on my face is one of pure fear, and I hate that Ezra was here watching this. Then it dawns on me that he has been watching me since I came in tonight.

  I’m not sure if I should be more scared of him or flattered that he was there to save me again. When I hear the door lock, I turn to look at him. My breathing picks up as he steps up to me in three long strides, and I have to look up at him. “W-why were you watching me?” I stutter out, his woodsy smell invading my nostrils.

  Ezra doesn’t answer me. Instead he leans down, cupping my jaw, and his hot minty breath fans my lips when he breathes. His icy-blue eyes are softer as he takes in my reaction, and then he graces me with the sexiest smile I’ve seen on a man. “I’m gonna kiss you now, Lanee,” he rasps out.

  I swallow and lick my lips before he brings his to mine, my body lighting up with excitement at the feel of him against me. I clutch his shirt tightly, his tongue slipping past mine slowly, and his arms coming around my waist to lift me up higher. I should be freaking the hell out right now, but I’m not. I’m surprised at myself when I wrap my arms around his neck, moving my tongue languidly with his and earning a moan from him.

  Holy hotness! I never knew kissing could feel like this. It’s warm and erotic, sending tingles of desire rushing through my limbs to my brain. My hands go into his soft, long hair at his neck, and I love the silkiness through my fingers. This is new to me, this sensation of touching someone and having them touch me.

  Ezra falls back to the sofa, pulling me down so I’m sprawled out over his body and he can reach my mouth without bending down. He moves his hands from my waist to my face. His fingers reaching my hair send delicious chills running through me, and I grind my pelvis down on him. “Oh, fuck,” he says, thrusting his hips up to cause a sweet friction between my thighs.

  I shift again, my skirt hiking up higher, feeling weird sensations happening inside my body, refusing to break his deep kisses and loving the way it causes him to groan into my mouth. It is a powerful feeling that I can make him make those sweet noises. For once it doesn’t scare the hell out of me.

  He moves his hands down my body, running them up and down my thighs.
The trembling returns, but it’s different from fear this time. My body is on sensory overload when he kisses along my jaw, nipping and kissing until he reaches the soft flesh of my neck. His hands slowly raise my skirt.

  “Ezra,” I moan, leaning back while he pushes up so we are both in an upright position, his erection bumping against my now soaked panties. I tilt my head back when he moves his lips to my chest, his hands cupping my breasts through my dress, and I rock harder against him. I want to feel him touching my skin because I’m burning up on top of him. All the fear I used to have at someone’s touch is extinguished. I need him right now. This is new to me, and I don’t understand why I feel so needy with desire like this.

  I feel his hands pull down the straps of my dress, tugging it so my white lacy bra is exposed to him, and I see the dark desire in his icy-blue eyes. Our breathing is coming out in small pants. He licks his lips before taking my mouth in another deep kiss that I feel to my toes, cupping my heavy breasts in his hands and rubbing my nipples gently.

  I never dreamed this could feel so good. I never knew that touching was not supposed to hurt. My mind is in bliss with each tug he gives my nipple until I feel his wet tongue there, and I start to tense up.

  He must feel the tension in my body because he looks at me with so much lust I can’t remember why I was starting to panic, his fingers still stroking my soft skin. “Relax, baby,” he whispers between sweet kisses to my lips.

  My body obeys his command, and I lose part of myself right there on the couch as he takes my nipple into his mouth, his hand kneading the other the whole time he sucks and nips me. The sensations are overwhelming, and I find myself moving my hands down his stomach and not knowing what to do with them. I slip them under his shirt, feeling the hard flesh hidden by his tee, and I yearn to see the muscle beneath.

  Ezra pulls back instantly, taking his shirt off quickly and throwing it to the floor, his gaze turning back to my exposed breast. “Beautiful,” he murmurs, his voice coming out huskier than I’ve ever heard it.

  I lick my lips and bow my head, noticing that I’m naked from the waist up. I feel shy suddenly and want to cover myself, but he stops my arms gently with his hands. I still my breathing as he drinks me in for a moment until he decides to put his mouth back on me. The little jolts of excitement are getting stronger with each tug of his mouth on my breast, and I grind my pelvis against his, eliciting wonderful friction there.

  Thump. Thump. Thump.

  It feels like my heart is about to explode out of my chest, but I know that it isn’t the source of the thumping raging through the door. Ezra groans against my skin when loud yelling accompanies the next set of knocking.

  “Lanee! Lanee! Are you okay?” Claudia’s voice booms over the loud knocking.

  “Oh, God,” I groan, my face feeling hot at the idea that my friend is on the other side of that door, probably going out of her mind with worry.

  Ezra moves quickly, dumping me onto the sofa. I let out a squeak, cursing when the door bursts open and two bodies step into the room, one of them being my best friend and the other another carbon copy of Ezra. I cover myself in horror when I realize I’m half naked, and Ezra shields me from their eyes.

  “Jesus Christ, Ez!” the carbon copy says angrily while my friend is glaring at Ezra. “What the fuck are you doing to her?”

  “Levi, what are you doing bursting into my office?” Ezra’s voice is fierce as I scramble to put my bra on and fix my dress. My heart is still pounding, and my cheeks feel like they are going to burn off when I step up next to him.

  “I saw this girl coming up the stairs looking for her friend. I told her I had a key because she was worried about her,” Levi says, shrugging his shoulders casually. “Apparently we came just in time.”

  “What the hell kind of club are you running here?” Claudia is still seething, and I shrink behind Ezra when she jabs her finger into his solid chest.

  “Um…Claudia, we need to go,” I say, grabbing her hand, my gaze landing on the tribal tattoos Ezra has on his shoulders.

  “Was he hurting you?” she asks me.

  Oh, hell. I shake my head and pull hard on her hand to get her to follow me. I need to get her out of here before she embarrasses me even more. I quickly glance at Levi, Ezra’s brother, and he winks at me slyly. I could groan at this situation if I wasn’t trying to get my friend out of here before she was kicked out for decking the owner of the club.

  I finally get her outside where we are hailing a cab, and the things I did with Ezra in the office kick in, sending me into mini panic all the while Claudia mutters about Ezra taking advantage of me in my vulnerable state. I sit in the cab next to her, wondering what the hell I am going to tell her about the situation she walked in on.

  My mind is going over the things he did to my body, but I can’t help the wide grin I have on my face. Kissing him was great, and I can’t stop thinking about the way his lips felt touching my skin as I rub my lips, deciding to ignore my friend’s ranting and raving next to me. I sigh with contentment, leaning back in the seat, wondering if this is what intimacy is supposed to feel like.

  Maybe I’m not broken if that felt wonderful. I continue to smile the whole drive back to our apartment, imagining what it would have been like if Claudia hadn’t interrupted us.

  Is kissing and touching like that always supposed to feel so blissful?

  I know Claudia has shared some of her sexual experiences with me, and I’ve read hundreds of romance novels, but something felt so calming about the way Ezra touched me tonight. It felt like it was meant to happen, but it will never happen again now. There is no way I’m going to be able to show my face after the way I let him gawk at my body. Claudia and I will have to find a new nightclub to go to now that I was so intimate with the owner.

  But…ah…it was so wonderful…

  Chapter Six

  Stab Wound in Exam Room One

  “Are you daydreaming about your hottie again?” Claudia asks me a week later at work.

  It is almost midnight, and thankfully the emergency room is quiet for a change—unlike last week—but then it gives me time to think about Ezra. I haven’t seen him since that night, but I really want to. I’ve told Claudia all about what happened in his office, and even the way he made me feel safe in his arms when James freaked me out at the bar.

  Surprisingly, Claudia was completely embarrassed for interrupting us, apologizing several times over the first few days until I begged her to stop already. She seemed to think this was a breakthrough in my healing process but cautioned me to be careful with him. Her opinion matters to me, and she still has this inkling that Ezra was just using my vulnerability. I know how over-the-top protective she is of me.

  “Dr. Morgan at ten o’clock,” Jill, one of our coworkers, calls out, passing the nurses’ station Claudia and I are sitting at.

  Dr. Morgan has been different toward us since we ditched him the night at the club. His advances toward Claudia have been more constant, and he has been scheduled in the ER with us the last few days. He apparently thinks she is still interested, but I know my friend. He is getting on her nerves more than anything.

  “Well, well, how are my beautiful nurses doing?” he says when he finally reaches the station. His hair is perfectly gelled to stay in place, and he is wearing his signature smile, his incredibly white teeth on display.

  Gag me, I think, shuffling the papers in front of me so I don’t have to look at him. I get up when I see one of the patients has their call light on and needs help, but not before I see Claudia stick her tongue out at me.

  I smile widely and scurry away from the desk before she can intercept me. That happened the other night. She left me at the desk with Dr. Morgan, and I refuse to let her leave me alone with the creepy doctor again. I help an elderly woman to the bathroom and return to find Jill and Claudia waiting for me.

  “How was Dr. Creepy?” I ask quietly, waggling my brows at Claudia.

  “I swear to God, Lanee. I’
ve told him several times I’m not interested in him, but he doesn’t get it,” she says in exasperation, her voice rising an octave.

  “He just wants to give you a check-up, girl,” Jill teases her.

  “Eww.” Claudia’s face pales, and she pretends to gag into the garbage can.

  “I’m right there with you, sister,” Jill says, giggling.

  “We’re going to go take a quick break. You going to be okay for a bit?” Claudia says to her, stifling a yawn.

  “Yeah, I’ll be good. It’s been a quiet night for a change.” Jill smiles at us as we get up to leave. “Bring me back some coffee from the crappy cafeteria, please.”

  “Will do,” Claudia says.

  “Did Dr. Love Muscle wear you down with his sweet nothings?” I joke as we head out of the ER and down the hall to the cafeteria.

  “Oh God, please stop calling him that.” She narrows her eyes at me. “I didn’t sleep well last night. I think I’m wearing out at twenty-four. These long overnight shifts are killing me.”

  “I know. I wish we would switch like Ramona did. I talked to her the other day, and she really likes days now,” I tell Claudia.

  The cafeteria is empty except for a few orderlies who are mopping the room, giving us the chance to talk secretly about Ezra while we drink stale coffee from the vending machine. The two of us sit at an empty table far enough away from the two men so they can’t catch what we are saying.

  “Do you think it would be wrong if went to the club to see him?” I ask.

  “Um…why?”

  I sip my coffee carefully, scrunching my nose up at the bitter taste that assaults my mouth. “I don’t know. I just want to see him when I’m sober and see if I feel the same way about him.”

  Claudia sighs softly. “I think you should just write it off, Lanee. I mean, he is hot as hell, but I’ve heard things about him.”

  My eyes widen, and she shrugs at me while I wait for her to explain more to me. “Spill it,” I blurt out.