The Jaxon Effect Read online

  Jenny rolled her eyes. “The dreamboat behind curtain three. Don't even try to deny it, Kate.”

  “I don't know what you’re talking about Jenny.”

  “Oh no?” she accused putting her hands on her hips. “Then tell me why you just added an enema to your pile here?”

  Kate's eyes widened as she stared at her growing pile of—mostly irrelevant—supplies. She had all kinds of things she didn't need. She picked up an IV bag of infant Pedialyte from the pile and dropped it again. She couldn't even think straight.

  “Kate, it's okay, in fact it's more than okay. I must admit I was getting a little worried about you. I’m happy to see that someone has finally gotten a rise out of you.”

  “Come again?” Kate was confused by Jenny’s comment.

  “I hope I'm not out of line, but I have watched some of the most eligible bachelors in this hospital do everything short of back flips to get your attention. Either you are playing really hard to get or you really haven’t noticed. Either way I am thrilled you’ve finally noticed someone. There is hope for you yet.”

  Kate’s jaw dropped as she gaped at Jenny. She hadn’t realized that her personal life was such a well thought of topic with the people she worked with. Her mother had an opinion, okay that was understandable. Her best friend Jade, she could see that too, but the staff at the hospital? True there had been many men who tried to get her attention. Kate had noticed but she wasn't playing hard to get, she just wasn’t interested. It was just easier to pretend not to notice. The fact that Jenny picked up on that was disconcerting.

  “My life is fine how it is. I’m not willing to complicate it with a relationship.”

  “Your life is fine? There are a lot of “F” words you should be using to describe your life but ‘Fine’ isn’t one of them. How about Fantastic or Fabulous? That’s the kind of life you should be living. Fine is just so, well—forgive me for saying this—sad.”

  Kate was blindsided by the comment. She had no idea others considered her life as sad.

  “Uh maybe I shouldn't have said that,” Jenny said regrettably. “I'm sorry Kate, but you are a beautiful young intelligent doctor and you need to start living your life before it passes you by. If you ask me I think you're afraid. Something is holding you back and whatever it is, you need to let it go.”

  Kate was astonished by the sincerity and honesty, and above all else, the truth in Jenny's words. The words cut deep because she knew Jenny was right. Her life was sad and something was holding her back. She was scared to ever go down that relationship road again; been there—done that, and she carried all of the emotional scars to prove it. The scars that she always thought she kept hidden, until today.

  “You're a good person, Jenny,” she said pressing a light friendly squeeze to Jenny’s arm. “I think you watch a bit too much Dr. Phil and I have to go take care of my patient now.”

  With the proper supplies now gathered in her arms, Kate went back to curtain three. Before she entered the room again she was determined to put her defensive walls back up. It was because she was tired and caught off guard that she allowed this man’s charming sex appeal to penetrate through those walls earlier. As far as what Jenny said to her, she could re-evaluate her sad life later. Right now, she needed to put it all out of her mind. If she focused on his ankle rather than every other part of him she could finish treating Mr. Remington without any further indecent thoughts regarding his incredibly sexy body. She might have been able to believe that was a possibility if she wasn’t still carrying a nervous feeling in her stomach, which grew in intensity the closer she got to the room. No, I can do this.

  It seemed like forever since Dr. Sims had left. The anticipation he was experiencing, as he waited for her to return, was something that was foreign to him. With deliciously rugged bad boy looks by day and well put together charming GQ looks by night; a body that belonged on the cover of maxim, and a bank account men kill for, Jaxon always had ladies by the dozen fighting for his attention. He appreciated an attractive woman as much as the next guy but his focus has always been his business—from the first business he opened several years ago to the multimillion dollar empire he owned today. Work has always been his only priority, with one exception; his twelve year old son, Grayson.

  Jaxon had met Grayson's mother Elise, a couple years before he started his empire. They were never a couple, or in love. It was a complicated story that most people wouldn’t understand. It was all a part of his screwed up past. Even though his thoughts took a serious turn he couldn’t help but smile when Dr. Sims walked back into the room. He wondered what her relationship status was. There weren't any rings on her fingers. Maybe doctors weren’t supposed to wear jewellery at work. He wasn't sure but he wanted to know. The fact that he wanted to know anything about her confused the hell out of him. He didn’t have many personal relationships outside of business. He had his brother, Jason— who was also his live in personal assistant—but really he couldn’t think of any relationship he had with anyone that wasn't on his payroll. Technically Elise wasn’t one of his employees but he did pay her a hefty sum of money each and every month. Their relationship was far from optimal. Even though they had Grayson in common they barely spoke to one another. He didn’t begrudge her for it but it was just the way things were.

  Doctor Sims didn’t seem in the mood for questions or idle chatter since she came back carrying an armload of supplies. She remained tight lipped as she pulled a stool over from across the room and sat directly in front of him. Normally that was exactly how he liked things—conversation to a minimum.

  “This might hurt a bit,” she finally spoke very matter of fact, as she held up a sterile package containing a needle. “I’m going to inject this directly into your wound to make sure the entire area is frozen before I begin to stitch you up. You might want to brace yourself.”

  Jaxon braced himself on the bed to satisfy her request, although he wasn't nervous at all. He could ignore the pain if he kept his mind focused. He wouldn’t even flinch when she poked him with the needle. In fact, he welcomed it. Beautiful women inflicting him with pain happened to be his thing. The problem was that her hands were shaking.

  “Hey, are you okay doctor?”

  Kate had been preparing to stick him with the needle containing anesthetic when she noticed her hand had started to shake—not a lot but enough to take her by surprise. She was normally so steady. Today she felt like a fish out of water. This man was causing her to lose it and of course he had to notice.

  “Yes of course I am,” she reassured him, wiping her brow on her forearm; now she was even breaking out into a sweat. This had to be a nightmare and she was going to wake up soon. She had lied to him. She wasn't okay and likely he knew it.

  “You look a little shaky.” Damn! She probably also looked like an incompetent female to him right now; all because her libido was in overdrive. If she was being truthful with herself, she was incompetent at the moment. Get a grip, Kate!

  “Do needles make you nervous, Mr. Remington?”

  She felt bad putting her unexplainable reactions back on him, but she couldn't think of anything else to say plus the moment gave her a chance to get herself under control.

  “No, but you seem a little on edge and that does make me nervous.”

  A moment was all she needed to calm herself enough to stop the shaking. She pierced his flesh with the needle and squeezed in the liquid.

  “See, nothing to worry abo—she was confounded when a smile crossed his lips while she was still sticking him with the needle; it was an unusual reaction from someone who was just given a needle directly into a gaping wound. For some reason his comment about pain tolerance came back to her mind and she was beginning to think there was more to that answer than she originally thought. There was something dark about him and for some reason that drew her in even more.

  “Okay well it’ll be a few minutes before the freezing takes effect.”

  She remained seated in front of him che
cking her watch regularly, willing the universe to speed up time so she could begin stitching him. She looked down at the floor and up at the ceiling, she looked everywhere except at him.

  “Doctor, I had a chest cold recently. I think it's all cleared up, but since we are waiting anyway would you mind checking it out for me?”

  “Take off your shirt,” she replied almost immediately.

  As the words came out of her mouth she wanted to step on her own foot, she sounded like a predator waiting to pounce. If she didn't get a hold of herself, he might want to sue the hospital for sexual harassment. God, she was an idiot! She was pretty sure he was used to this type of reaction from lots of women. Women with bodies built for sin; experienced women who looked like supermodels, nothing like her—a plain Jane with crazy hair and a small chest.

  In one swift movement, Jaxon removed his shirt. It was almost as though he had practiced that very motion many times before. In fact, he did it so skillfully he made it look like art.

  She really was losing it. She had never admired a man for how he removed his shirt before. Then again, she had never treated someone like Jaxon Remington before either.

  Trying to pretend she wasn’t looking at him like he was dessert, Kate held the end of her stethoscope between her fingers. Moving carefully—as if touching him was dangerous—she placed it on his chest, barely letting her finger tips touch his skin. His skin was soft and smooth, and his muscles were toned. She really did want to touch more of him, but under the circumstances, it was not such a good idea.

  “Take a deep breath,” she told him, thinking she should follow the order herself. She was becoming short of breath and was pretty sure her voice might have cracked a bit. Shit!

  As soon as Jaxon heard the crack in her suddenly deeper voice, he smiled. There was an undeniable chemistry between them and he knew she felt it too. She moved the stethoscope to a few more areas, asking him to breathe for her each time. He wanted to feel her hands on him but he noticed there was very little skin to skin contact. He wondered if she was doing that on purpose. She moved to his back and repeated the process. Again she avoided any skin to skin contact, but he could feel her hot breath on the back of his neck and his groin hardened again in return. This was not good. In his loose shorts there was no way he could hide that from her. His plan was suddenly back firing. Instead of him affecting her, she was affecting him.

  “You sound clear as a bell. How long ago was this chest cold?”

  “Actually, come to think of it—just never mind. I think it’s gone anyway.” He needed her to back away from him quick.

  “You can put your shirt back on then,” she said rather abruptly.

  He frowned at her curt reply. Then again he had no business having inappropriate thoughts about Dr. Sims. He was sure she was far too good for someone like him. He would be better off if he kept that fact in the forefront of his brain. Too bad his other head hadn’t gotten the memo.

  Kate moved around to the other side of the narrow bed to stand in front of him and then she stopped. She appeared to be frozen in place like a statue. It took a minute for Jaxon to register what was wrong. Fuck! His manhood was waving hello to her and there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop it. He wasn't embarrassed as much as he was pissed. At first glance the doctor appeared horrified but soon after he noticed she was blushing.

  “Sorry Doc. He has a mind of his own." His usually cocky, confident self was finally making a reappearance.

  “It happens all the time.” She shrugged it off as if it was nothing special but her rosy cheeks and lingering eyes told him a different story.

  Jaxon could have a gaggle of beautiful women every night of the week if he wanted. What was it about her that felt different? She put him off his game when he was usually so in control. It was probably a good thing that they would part ways in just a few minutes. The last thing he needed in his life was a woman especially one that had a power over him that he didn't understand.

  Kate was reeling and she wanted to crawl into herself and disappear if that were possible. Her eyes had lingered on it a little too long for her to pretend she hadn’t noticed. She hadn’t lied, sometimes it did happen but it had never caused her to blush or make her secretly pleased that she had that sort of effect on a patient.

  He finally put his shirt back on, which was a good thing because she would never be able to concentrate on his stitches if he hadn’t.

  “I think it's been long enough. You should be frozen by now. I’m going to stitch you up so you can go home.”

  She was beginning to feel desperate to get away from this man before she did something she would regret—like kiss him. She somehow knew that kissing him would be earth shattering. She shook her head, as if to clear her mind, then picked up the needle and thread and began the process.

  Kate slowly and carefully completed the final stitch without any major hiccups. Thank God! It was finally over. Tossing all of the used tools in a tray for the porter to pick up later, she spared him one last look. “Take it easy on the ankle, Mr. Remington. I suggest no jogging for a while.”

  “So that's it?” he asked. “I’m done?”

  “You are free to go,” she said trying to remain as expressionless as possible.

  “Great,” he said. “Thanks doc."

  He held out his hand for a handshake. It wasn’t an abnormal gesture so she didn’t think twice about it but as she put her hand in his her world felt like it tilted on its axis. The powerful masculine feel of his rough palms against her skin ignited something inside her. Maybe he felt it too because his eyes became dark and he smiled at her. It wasn’t a sweet smile of gratitude that most patients offered. It was sexy and seductive. So seductive that it caused an electrifying jolt that rocked her to the core. Her strange reaction to him scared her and she dropped his hand as if it was a hot flame.

  “I have to go. I have other patients.”

  Jaxon climbed off the bed slowly. He wasn’t sure what had just happened between them but he knew he didn’t imagine it because whatever it was, it was enough to send Doctor Sims flying out the door. There was definitely something about the lovely Dr. Sims that he would not forget for a long time to come. It was just as well that she ran out when she did. He was seconds away from doing something really stupid like kiss the daylights out of her. Someone like her would have no business getting tangled up with him. The thought of never seeing her again sat heavy in the pit of his stomach but he knew it was better that way.

  ***

  CHAPTER 2

  Kate opened her eyes, feeling like she hadn't really slept at all. After falling into bed that morning she tossed and turned all day thanks to the visions of Jaxon Remington that invaded her mind while she slept. She could have done with a few more hours of sleep but since it wasn't going to happen, because Kate had somewhere she had to be, she forced herself out of bed and into the shower. The hot spray was welcoming against her tired and tense muscles.

  In keeping with the traditional duties bestowed upon a maid-of-honour, Kate was taking her best friend Jade, out on the town for some girls only fun. Although Kate wasn't completely sold on the idea, she had decided to take Jade to a male strip club. She could count on one hand the number of times she had been to a club herself, and none of them were of the stripper variety. She was apprehensive about the idea but the females at the hospital—whom she had sought advice from—unanimously said that Jade would love it. With no other great ideas of her own Kate had booked them a reservation. For the life of her, she couldn’t remember the name of the place, but she knew exactly where it was located. She knew because it was directly across the street from a hospital where she did some training during her last year of med-school.

  Most of Kate's wardrobe consisted of scrubs and yoga pants. Since her options were fairly limited, choosing her evening's attire was a quick process. She pulled out a fitted black dress, nude stockings, black pumps, and a thick red belt that she thought could add a splash of colour. She checked h
er ensemble in the mirror. It was sophisticated and chic, with a side of sexy. She loved that black dress. It was the one item of clothing she owned that made her feel like a woman.

  Kate dusted her face with a loose powder that gave her a hint of bronzed shimmer. Since she had been blessed with the same clear complexion as her mother she didn’t require much help. Deciding that any more bronzer would make her look like she’d spent one too many sessions in a tanning booth, she picked up her barely used pallet of blush. She chose a dusty rose and applied it in a circular motion to the apples of her cheeks and then she lined the edge of her eyelids with a liquid pencil and swiped some loose grey powder over the remainder of both eyes. She finished the look off with midnight black mascara and a clear lip gloss. Satisfied with the results, she dumped the contents of her everyday purse onto her bed and transferred a few items into a red beaded evening clutch; her driver's licence, a pack of gum, her lip gloss, some cash, and her cell phone.

  “I can't believe I let you talk me into this!” Jade exclaimed, looking around the room with wild appreciation.

  “Ah Jade,” Kate playfully noted, “I think maybe you should close your mouth before you trip on it, or worse, before I trip on it.”

  Both ladies giggled and Jade covered her face with her hands as though she was embarrassed—they both knew she wasn't.

  “You love it, admit it!” Kate said as she squeezed a lemon wedge into her soda water.

  “Okay I do, I really do, Kate!” Jade giggled again before taking another long sip of her second martini.

  Kate had reserved them a table near the back of the room. The room was dimly lit and Kate actually felt more like she was in a beautiful old theatre than a strip club. Large plush black-velvet wing chairs, edged with red piping, were placed around each table. Soaking in her surroundings, Kate glanced upward to see a stunning display of crystal chandeliers that glinted from the reflection of the light. A massive replica of the famous Vitruvian Man by Leonardo di Vinci had been hand-painted on the dome shaped cathedral ceiling above the chandeliers. It was romantic and it was sophisticated, and it was nothing like what she had expected. She pictured something stark and cold maybe even outdated but this club was sleek and modern yet warm and inviting, somewhat regal. She felt so comfortable that she almost forgot where she was. Well, until she saw the large stage at the front of the room.