She shook her head. “I only moved here a few months ago.”
“Ah.” Manning smiled, pretending to give a shit. “Well, you’ll have to let me take you to dinner there as a welcome to the city. The ambiance is almost as stunning as you. Let’s go Friday night. I’ll pick you up around seven.”
Beck wanted to throttle the asshole, especially when Heavenly lowered her lashes and pink climbed up her cheeks. Was she actually buying this sack of shit’s polished lines?
“Well, I—”
“Heavenly, don’t disappoint me again. We’ll have a good time. I’ll open doors for you…”
Beck nearly crushed the sandwich container in his grip. It was either that or bash the bastard’s head in.
Instead, he stepped up behind her and tossed his sandwich on the table between them. When she gave a startled jump, he cupped her shoulders and positioned himself in Manwhore’s line of sight. “Hey, Manning. I don’t usually see you in the cafeteria. Oh, but you’re here because you’re trying to sweet-talk Ms. Young into bed. Don’t you think it’s a little soon after the last nursing student you banged? I heard you gave her the clap.”
Heavenly gave a startled gasp.
Manwhore smiled acidly. “You’re a better surgeon than a comedian, Beckman.” He tossed Heavenly a placating stare. “He’s joking, of course. And doing it very badly.”
Heavenly stiffened. Beck had no idea what she was thinking. Hell, he might be overstepping boundaries, but unless she told him to fuck off, he wasn’t backing down.
“Actually, I’m not joking at all,” Beck said. “Since Ms. Young has already turned you down, you should leave her alone. But hey, I’ll bet Kathryn would do you in the janitor’s closet again. Sounded like you two had fun. The whole floor thought so, anyway.”
“Beckman!” Manning glared at him while maintaining a smile for Heavenly’s sake. “Ms. Young doesn’t appreciate your sophomoric humor. If you’d like to belittle our feminine co-workers and stoop to the maturity level of fart jokes, we can no longer be friends.”
“Oh, we were never friends, tool.” He maintained an affable smile, voice low. “I simply want Ms. Young to understand who’s asking her out.”
“She’ll get to know me on our date. Now we’re having a private conversation…”
“Were. It’s over.” Beck bent lower, barely shuttering the rage in his eyes. “If you’re having trouble comprehending the word no, I’ll spell it for you: N-O. It means she’s not interested.”
Manning stiffened. “If that’s how she feels, she has a mouth. She can use it.”
“Not on you. Maybe you should try thinking with the head up top for a change.”
The other doctor leapt to his feet, chair scraping against the tile. “This is absurd, and I’m highly insulted.”
“Stop harassing her, or I’ll insult you more by slamming my fist in your face.”
Manwhore’s mouth opened and closed in silent shock. “Are you threatening me with violence? I’m sure the hospital administrator would love to hear about this…”
“Now I’m joking.” He flashed Manning a smile that said one thing: Not.
“I can only think of one reason you’d tell Ms. Young these lies about me. You want her for yourself.”
Well, aren’t you perceptive, asswipe? Someone get the guy a prize…
For the last two weeks, Beck had masturbated to thoughts of Heavenly—all dimples and pigtails, big eyes and sweet pleas. What he wanted from her was probably far dirtier than anything Mr. Missionary-Position fantasized about. Sure, that made him a hypocrite. But he’d protect her from the skirt-chasing pricks of the world, even Seth, whom Beck had liked until the shitbag’s eyes had glued themselves to Heavenly’s ass.
“Don’t you?” Manning goaded.
In her chair, Heavenly turned and studied him. Was she interested in his answer? The possibility made his dick stir and stretch.
“Of course you have nothing to say, Beckman,” Manning challenged. “Because I’m right.”
Beck scowled. “I’m just not dignifying your sexist bullshit with a reply. Try acting like an adult and a professional. Stop treating the workplace like a meat market and the nurses like pieces of ass.”
Manning’s eyes narrowed in silent threat. The dipshit wasn’t scared, which was both stupid and regrettable. Beck had mad skills, honed over nearly two decades, at inflicting pain. God, he’d love to unleash those on the prick right now.
“You’ve got everything wrong. I provide guidance to the nurses.” Manning puffed up. “I help them.”
Yeah, out of their panties and onto their backs…
“If Heavenly needs help, she’s got me. Don’t speak to her, look at her, or even think about her. Or I’ll tell HR everything about you.”
And it was plenty.
Heavenly’s lush mouth formed an O of shock. For a blinding moment, Beck itched to sink his fingers into her bun, cover her lips with his, and kiss her until she forgot every other man existed.
Manning pinned Beck with a deadly glare, then thrust his shoulders back with an infuriated huff at Heavenly. “I suggest you take your guard dog to the vet, Miss Young. He needs a rabies vaccination.”
When the plastic surgeon whirled away, Beck couldn’t resist an acidic parting shot. “Woof.”
As soon as Manwhore had gone, silence fell.
With a sorry-not-sorry grimace, he slid into the chair across from her. “I didn’t mean for that to get out of hand.”
“Oh, my gosh. I’m so glad it did.” Heavenly snickered. “That was funny, and I needed a laugh. Is everything you said about him true?”
“All of it.”
“Really? He and Kathryn?”
Beck nodded. “Marcella, too.”
“And the nursing student?”
“Oh, yeah. You’re hardly the first he’s offered to ‘open doors’ for.”
She shuddered. “What a slime! I told him four…no, five times that I wasn’t interested and I don’t have time to date, but he just wouldn’t get a clue.”
Beck understood. Her excuse wasn’t going to stop him, either. But dating? Hell, what did he know about that? With so many pain sluts willing to have no-strings sex, he’d never bothered.
“Manning isn’t a very bright bulb,” Beck drawled. “I’m not sure how he passed medical school.”
“Maybe he got by on bluster and…” She bit her lip, as if she didn’t want
