Friend, Fling, Forever?

From hidden attraction…

To a lifetime of love!

Career-focused nurse Kami Clark knows better than to get caught up in Dr. Gabe Nelson’s whirlwind dating world. When Gabe asks her to help him by bidding for a date with him at a charity auction, she can’t say no. Kami cherishes their friendship, but his request ignites a mutual passion neither can resist… And now Gabe must convince her that he wants her in his life—forever!

JANICE LYNN has a Masters in Nursing from Vanderbilt University, and works as a nurse practitioner in a family practice. She lives in the southern United States with her husband, their four children, their Jack Russell—appropriately named Trouble—and a lot of unnamed dust bunnies that have moved in since she started her writing career. To find out more about Janice and her writing visit

janicelynn.com

.

Also by Janice Lynn

Flirting with the Doc of Her Dreams

New York Doc to Blushing Bride

Winter Wedding in Vegas

Sizzling Nights with Dr Off-Limits

It Started at Christmas…

The Nurse’s Baby Secret

The Doctor’s Secret Son

A Firefighter in Her Stocking

A Surgeon to Heal Her Heart

Heart Surgeon to Single Dad

Discover more at

millsandboon.co.uk

.

Friend, Fling, Forever?

Janice Lynn

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08980-7

FRIEND, FLING, FOREVER?

© 2019 Janice Lynn

Published in Great Britain 2019

 by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins

Publishers

 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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 www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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To Samantha Thompson,

who puts together the best fundraisers ever!

Thanks for your big heart and all you do for others.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE

“BUY ME AT the charity auction.”

Nurse Kami Clark didn’t look up from the computer screen where she keyed in vital signs on the patient in bay two of the Knoxville General Hospital’s emergency department.

Doing her best not to let her eyes veer in Dr. Gabriel Nelson’s direction, she made a nurse’s note on the normal results. “Not happening.”

Wearing his favorite blue scrubs, Gabe moved into her peripheral vision. She didn’t have to look to know the color paled in comparison to the brilliant hue of his eyes.

“You know you want me, Kam. Here’s your chance.”

“Right,” she snorted, keeping her voice flippant despite how his accusation almost sent her into a choking fit. “Keep dreaming, lover boy.”

Most straight women did want Gabe. Not that he typically encouraged their desire. He didn’t have to. Not with his looks, personality, and quick intelligence. The fact he was a successful emergency-room physician didn’t hurt. Women flocked to him.

But not Kami.

Oh, she thought he was all that and more. The man had the biggest heart of anyone she knew and seemed to always be able to make her laugh. But she knew better than to get caught up in his revolving-door love life that left a long line of broken hearts. She was immune to his love-’em-and-leave-’em charms. Mostly.

“More like I’m trying to escape a nightmare in the making.” He gave a frustrated sigh that was almost believable as he plopped down into the chair next to hers. “Debbie is planning to buy my date.”

Ah. Debbie. The latest ex-girlfriend who didn’t want to admit it was over and had been finished for a month or so.

No wonder Gabe was in such a tizzy. Debbie had stuck like glue even after he’d told her point-blank on several occasions that their relationship was finished. The poor woman must be hoping to rekindle a spark. Good luck with that.

Gabe never dated the same woman for more than a couple of months and never went back to the same one. Not once. He was a move-on-and-never-look-back kind of guy.

“You have to rescue me.”

“Says who? You got yourself into this mess,” she reminded him, fighting back a small smile at her friend’s overly dramatic tone. She could almost buy into his angst. “It’s only right for you to face the consequences.”

“I was roped into this charity fund-raiser and you know it. Not only do you know it—” he leaned close enough so that his words were just for her “—you’re the one who convinced me to say yes.”

“I meant the Debbie mess, not the auction,” she clarified, fighting the urge to look his way. Better not to look into Gabe’s eyes when he was trying to convince you to do something. Staring into those dazzling blues got women into trouble. Immune or not, she wasn’t taking any chances.

“Besides,” Kami continued, “even if you had to spend a

week

with your beautiful and persistent ex, if it raised money to help Beverly’s family and others like her, then so be it.”

Anything any of them could do to raise money for their coworker’s seriously ill infant daughter needed to be done. Although their medical insurance was covering many of the expenses, there were still co-pays and deductibles. Not to mention Beverly had been out of work since giving birth, as had her husband, most of it as unpaid leave of absence. Even after Lindsey got her heart transplant, months would pass prior to Beverly leaving her baby’s side to return to work. Their friend had enough worries without having to be concerned about how she and her husband were going to pay their bills.

“Easy for you to say,” Gabe pointed out. “You aren’t on the auction block.”

Yeah, as one of the fund-raiser’s organizers she’d dodged that bullet.

“I’ll be working the night of the auction, but not by being auctioned.” Thank goodness. Kami would have been a statue. Not her scene at all.

“Not the same,” he pointed out.

“You love the attention and you know it,” she accused, closing out the patient’s chart. Fun-loving Gabe would work the stage and have a blast.

She glanced at him for the first time since he’d barged into the nurses’ station located across from the patient bays.

Her incorrigible playboy friend actually looked a little frazzled.

“Fortunately for you, it’s not a week, just one night where you have to show Debbie—I mean, whoever wins your date—a good time.”

Okay, that was bad but she couldn’t resist teasing him. It was so rare to see him off his game. Actually, she couldn’t recall having ever seen him off his game. Not during any crisis that came through the ER doors. Given he was such a goofball at times, Gabe was one coolheaded dude.

Plus, she wasn’t buying his woe-is-me-buy-my-date-package-so-Debbie-can’t act.

“You’re real funny, Kam.”

“Come on. That was a good one.” Kami had thought so. He didn’t look convinced. “I’m sure you’ll manage one night with Debbie if needed.”

After all, he dealt with situations and people a lot more intense than the Z-list television actress he’d been involved with still obsessing over him. Debbie might be crazy over Gabe, but the woman didn’t have any real psychiatric problems.

“And risk encouraging her nonstop calls and texts continuing?” He winced. “Thanks anyway.”

Kami raked her gaze over his six-foot frame. “You’re not

that

 bad, Gabe.” She patted his hand as if reassuring a small child. “There will be other bidders.” Faking a look of uncertainty, she shrugged. “Well, hopefully.”

One side of his mouth cocked upward. “Gee, thanks for the compliment,

friend

.”

“Anytime,” she assured him, her lips twitching. “What are friends for?”

Eyes sparkling, he gave a pointed look. “To rescue each other when one’s relentless ex plans to buy her way back into your social life.”

He had a point.

If Kami believed he was in real need, she’d probably empty her house-deposit fund to bail out his butt. Good thing he wasn’t because she’d been hoarding every spare penny for years, had a hefty down payment saved, and would hate to have to start over to make her dream of owning a home come true just as she finally had enough saved to actually start looking for the perfect house.

“Just because Debbie plans to bid doesn’t mean she’d be the winner,” she said on a more serious note. “Stop worrying.”

He didn’t look assured. “Debbie doesn’t like to lose.”

Kami gave a semi-shrug. “Who does?”

He raked his fingers through his hair. “Come on, Kam. Place the winning bid and I’ll show you the night of a lifetime.” He waggled his brows. “We’d have fun.”

Kami laughed. As if. “You must have me mixed up with one of the other women running around the hospital who actually wants you to show them a ‘night of a lifetime.’ I’ve better things to do than mess with the likes of you.”

Looking as if she’d said exactly what he’d expected her to say, he chuckled. “Or maybe I want you to buy my bid because I know I can ask this huge favor and not worry about you freaking out down the road when I break things off.”

Yeah, there was that. She wouldn’t freak out over a man. Never had. Never would. She’d watched her mother do that one time too many.

This time it was she who gave the pointed look.

“If I ever gave you the privilege of dating me—” she stared straight into his blue eyes, held her chin a little higher than normal “—who says it would be

you

 to break things off?”

Although she adored his friendship, his arrogance irked. Then again, was it arrogance if it was true he’d been the one to end every relationship he’d had during the time he and Kami had worked together? Probably his whole life?

Gabe chuckled, then surprised her by tweaking his finger across the tip of her nose.“You might be right, Kam. Only a fool would break things off with you. Speaking of which, how is Baxter?”

Ha. Talk about turning the table.

“Our breakup was a mutual decision,” she reminded him, not that she hadn’t already told Gabe as much a dozen times previously. “We aren’t talking much these days, but he’s fine as far as I know.”

Just as she was. Baxter had been sweet, only she’d realized continuing their relationship was pointless. When he kissed her, she felt nothing. No sparks. No butterflies. Nothing.

Kami wasn’t so delusional she thought someone would come along, sweep her off her feet, and give her a fairy-tale romance. But she wasn’t going to settle for

nothing

, either.

Good friendship and sparks—it could happen.

Not that it had, but she was only twenty-seven. There was plenty of time for someone special to come into her life.

And, if not, she’d rather be alone than like her mother and with the wrong man over and over.

“Keep telling yourself that he’s fine. Dude was devastated last week when I bumped into him.”

Baxter hadn’t been devastated. When she’d broached the subject of their relationship not working, he’d seemed relieved. Obviously, he hadn’t felt any sparks, either. On paper they were a good match. In reality, there had been little chemistry beyond their initial attraction.

“When did you run into my ex?” Baxter, an accountant for a law firm, and the usually laid-back man in front of her didn’t exactly move in the same social circles.

“At the gym.”

Kami’s jaw dropped. “Baxter was at the gym?”

She shook her head to clear her hearing because she couldn’t have heard correctly. Not once during the time she’d known Baxter had he ever gone to the gym. To her knowledge, he’d not even had a membership.

“Pumping the iron in hopes of winning you back.” Gabe’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Too bad you aren’t up for grabs at the auction ’cause he could buy a night to remind you of all you’re missing out on. You, him, Debbie and me could go on a double date and reminisce about the good ole days.”

Kami rolled her eyes.

“Baxter is a great guy,” she defended the man she’d dated for over six months. He truly was. He’d been steady, quiet, dependable. She’d wanted to feel something, had tried to convince herself she did because he’d make a good husband and father someday, but

nada

.

“Just not the guy for you?”

“Exactly. Now, was there a reason you interrupted my work other than to whine about Debbie?”

“As if she isn’t enough of a reason.” He gave an overly dramatic sigh that should have put him up for an award or two. “I can’t believe you’re refusing to help, Kam. You know I’d do it for you.”

“I wouldn’t want you to.” She curled her nose and shuddered at the mere thought. “Can you imagine the rumors that would start around the hospital?” She gave a horrified look. “Uh-uh. No way. I can, however, put out word you’re hoping someone outbids Debbie at the auction. I’m sure there’ll be a few takers.”

He shook his head. “I’m disappointed in you, Kam. I was sure I could count on you to save me.”

“You have the wrong girl, but no worries. You’ll find someone over the next few weeks to outbid Debbie.”

* * *

Gabe disagreed. He had the right girl. The perfect girl.

Kami wouldn’t get happily-ever-after ideas. He always had fun when she was around. And, best of all, she already knew the real him. The him who had no intentions of settling down anytime in the near future.

But he changed the subject instead of pursuing the topic further. As she said, they had a few weeks before the fund-raiser. A lot could happen during that time.

Like his convincing Kami to buy him.

Not that he couldn’t deal with Debbie. He’d just rather not have to.

She was great, but had gotten too clingy too fast and he’d started feeling claustrophobic in their relationship by the end of the first month. At the end of the second, he’d been done. Too bad Debbie hadn’t been.

“How is Racine Mathers tonight?” he asked to change the subject.

Apparently, the fragile elderly woman had arrived by ambulance in hypercapnic respiratory failure earlier that day. Yet again. She’d been admitted to the medical floor, which neither Gabe nor Kami had anything to do with, but he knew Kami would have checked on the woman prior to clocking in for her shift. She cared about people and that big heart was one of the things he liked most about the perky little blonde who’d quickly become one of his closest friends.

At the mention of their patient, her green eyes filled with concern. “Her arterial blood gases are still jacked up. Her CO2 level remains in the upper fifties.”

“I was hoping once they got her on BiPAP her numbers would improve.” He logged in to the computer, began scanning messages in his inbox.

“That makes two of us, but apparently she hasn’t wanted to keep the mask on and the day-shift nurse caught her with it off several times.”

He shook his head. “Racine knows better than that.”

Kami nodded.

The woman did. This wasn’t her first respiratory failure rodeo. Then again, Gabe suspected the elderly woman was tiring of her inability to breathe and the medical community’s failure to do much more than Band-Aid her back together until the next episode.

“I’m going to swing by and see her. If I’m needed before I get back, page me.”

She arched a brow. “You think I wouldn’t?”

Gabe grinned. No, he never doubted that his favorite nurse would do the right thing and get him where he needed to be when he needed to be there. Kami was an excellent nurse. There was no one he’d rather spend his shift working with. Fortunately, their schedules were on the same rotation and he got to spend several nights a week in the emergency department with her.

Whether it was busy, slammed, or on the rare occasion slow, he was never bored. Not with Kami around to keep him entertained with her quick wit and sassy mouth.

Which was yet another reason she should be the one to rescue him from Debbie. Not only would Kami not get the wrong idea, but Gabe would truly enjoy their “date.” Not that they’d ever gone anywhere just the two of them, but when the work gang gathered, he gravitated toward Kami and they almost always ended up paired off.

There was just something about her that made him feel good on the inside.

She needed to buy his auction package and he intended to make sure she did.

* * *

“That is the most exciting thing I’ve heard in weeks.”

While dropping in a urinalysis order for bay one, Kami curled her nose at the woman who’d been her best friend since they’d bonded during nursing school. “You would say that.”

Mindy gave her a

duh

 look. “The man is gorgeous and I saw that once-over you gave him. I think you should go for it.”

Kami shook her head. “You misunderstood. That once-over was a joke and Gabe doesn’t want me to buy his date so we can go on a

real

 date. He wants me to save him from having to go on a date with someone else. Either way, no, thank you.”

Mindy leaned against the desk. “I’m just saying, the most eligible bachelor in the hospital asked you to buy him at the fund-raiser. I think you should see that as a sign and go for it.”

Go for it? Her friend had lost her mind.

“A sign of what?”

Mindy waggled her brows. “Your good fortune. Do you know how many women would kill for Gorgeous Gabe to ask them to buy his date package?”

Kami made a bleh motion with her tongue. “They can have him. He’s too stuck on himself for my taste.”

Mindy didn’t look convinced. “That’s not how I see him.”

Kami didn’t, either. Not really. Gabe was gorgeous, but he didn’t seem to get caught up in his looks other than that he took care of himself and worked out regularly. Nothing wrong with trying to stay healthy.

Gabe was the picture of good health.

Great health.

Health at its finest, even.

Yeah, yeah. The man was easy on the eyes. No big deal.

“He’s got a big heart and you know it,” Mindy continued, oblivious to Kami’s wayward thoughts—thank goodness. The last thing she needed was Mindy pushing her toward doing something she knew better than to do. She might be immune, but you didn’t rub your face in germs to tempt fate, either.

“He doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. He’s the first to jump in and help when someone needs something. I’ve never known him to pull the doctor card.” Mindy gave a pointed look. “I’d be hard-pressed to name someone, male or female, who didn’t like him.”

“Since you’re a walking, talking advertisement of his virtues, you bid on him,” Kami suggested and wondered at the slight twinge in her belly at the thought of her friend buying Gabe’s date.

Her two friends getting together would be a good thing, right? Well, except that Gabe would eventually break Mindy’s heart and then Kami would have to bust his chops for hurting her bestie. That was what the issue was. She didn’t want to have to dislike him for breaking Mindy’s heart.

But Mindy’s eyes lit at Kami’s suggestion and a smile slid onto her face. “I might do that.”

Kami’s brow shot up. Her mouth opened, but she didn’t comment as Gabe came strolling back into the emergency department.

“What have I missed?”

“Not much. Been a slow one so far,” Mindy told him, all smiles and looks of all sorts of possibilities.

“Bite your tongue,” Kami and Gabe said at the same time.

“Listen at you two,” Mindy said, giving Kami a mischievous glance that said maybe her friend hadn’t really veered from her original mission after all. “So in sync.”

“Not wanting you to jinx our evening is common sense. Nothing in sync about that,” Kami corrected, hoping her friend caught her warning tone. “Now, Dr. Nelson.” She turned her attention to Gabe, ignoring his curious looks between her and Mindy. “Bay one is a urinary tract infection. Onset earlier today. Her urinalysis results are in her chart. Bay two is a fever and sore throat. I’ve swabbed for strep, but the results are pending. Both are pleasant, stable, and accompanied by their significant other. You want me to go with you while you examine them?”

Bay one was given an antibiotic, a bladder antispasmodic, a handout on the preventions of UTIs, and was sent on her way. The woman in bay two, however, looked worse than she had a few minutes before when Kami had last checked.

Her temp was just over one hundred and three, her throat beet red, and her conjunctivae injected. The woman was also now complaining of a severe headache, which she hadn’t mentioned during triage or when Kami had done her nursing assessment.

The woman shivered as if she were freezing and looked miserable.

“Can you get her a blanket or something?” her husband asked, looking frustrated that his wife was getting worse.

“She doesn’t need to cover up,” Kami reminded him. She’d intentionally not given the woman a blanket. She directed her next comment to her patient. “It’ll hold heat to your body and you’re already too warm. We have to get your fever under control before we can even consider giving a blanket or doing anything that might make you worse.”

Wincing with discomfort, the woman tightened her arms around her body. “I’m so cold.”

They had to get her fever down and stable. Once they did, then she could possibly have a lightweight blanket. Certainly not before.

“When did the headache start?” Kami asked.

“She had a headache when she got here. It’s just gotten a lot worse,” the husband clarified. “It wasn’t bad enough to mention.”

Apparently not even when Kami had directly asked about a headache. Ugh. She really didn’t like when patients said something completely opposite when the doctor was present than what they’d told her during their assessment. It happened almost nightly.

Gabe ran through a quick examination of the woman. “Some swelling in the cervical nodes and neck stiffness. I want a blood count and a comprehensive metabolic panel on her STAT, and has that strep finished running?”

“Should be. I’ll log in and check.” Kami signed in on the in-bay computer and the test result was back. “She’s negative for strep.”

“Ache all over,” the woman told them, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. “Cold.”

Gabe gave some orders, which Kami turned to do, but stopped when the woman said, “I’m going to throw up.” Then did exactly that.

Gabe was closer than Kami and got an emesis pan in front of Mrs. Arnold just in time.

“Give her an antiemetic IM now.” He named the one he wanted given and the dosage. “Then let’s get a saline lock on her.”

Kami drew up the medication and injected the solution. The woman was shaking and looked much worse than she had when they’d entered the bay.

“Do something,” the husband ordered, sounding worried, as he hovered next to his wife’s bed, gripping the woman’s pale hand.

Gabe sent Kami a concerned look. “Get phlebotomy to draw blood cultures times three and the previous labs I mentioned. It’s off season, but run an influenza test, just in case. Let’s get a CT of her head, too. I’m probably going to do a lumbar puncture.”

He was thinking a possibility of meningitis. Rightly so, given how rapidly her status was changing.

“Let’s put her in isolation. Just in case,” Gabe continued in full doctor mode.

The husband was talking, too. Kami didn’t want to ignore him, tried to answer his questions while she worked, but he continued to fret.

Gabe gave an order to get IV antibiotics started and told her which he wanted. Kami rushed around making things happen. Although she’d really not looked like more than a typical sore throat patient, Mrs. Arnold had gone downhill scarily fast. In case she continued on the decline, they needed to act fast to get an accurate diagnosis as quickly as possible.

* * *

Linda Arnold’s blood count came back showing a significantly elevated white blood cell count with a bacterial shift. Her headache and neck pain had continued to increase and the woman refused to even attempt to move her neck. Her strep and influenza were negative.

Lumbar punctures weren’t Gabe’s favorite things to do as there was always risk, but his concerns over meningitis were too high not to test her spinal fluid. As soon as he had the CT scan results back, he’d pull the fluid so long as the scan didn’t show any reason not to. He didn’t want to risk brain herniation by not following protocol.

From all indications, the woman had meningitis. Gabe needed to know the exact culprit.

He cleared out two other patients who’d come into the emergency department. Then, protective personal equipment in place, he went back to Mrs. Arnold.

The woman was now going in and out of consciousness and didn