ack to her office before

ead light cut across his cheekbones and left his eyes dark. His presence filled the corridor with the

ntimidation. His blue eyes, narrowed and intense, were fixed on hers, tryin

when you're not in surger

ull of germs. An

ate. His long fingers reached for

Pure instinct took over. She leane

ngertips brushed against the

e brought up the metal clipboard she

wa

he cold, unyielding metal. His adv

me again," she said, her voice a low, menacing hiss, "I will make sure your ne

a timid doctor, but a fighter. A flicker of something, amusement or respect, danced in his eyes. This woman

of surrender, but the dangerous curve of his lips betrayed his true feelings

laparoscopic surgery. It is not an emergency, but it should be handle

to wait for you

medical scheduling, sterile preparation, a

ned. "You enjoy

keep providing

e nurses' station. She walked away without a backward glance, the

w, humorless chuckle escaped his lips. In twenty years of running a global empire, no one had ever dared to physically stop him from taking wh

ious. Instead, h

psed against the steering wheel, her body wracked with tremors. Deep, ragged breaths filled the s

hospital garage, running two yellow lights on the way hom

rest. She pulled out giant black trash bags from

their family, just the three of them, taped to the refrigerator. The tw

k, accusing squares. The apartment was stripped of its joy

g the door with two heavy-duty padlocks. Leaning against the cold metal door, exhausted and hollowed out, she finally allowed h

stared at the surgical recommendation as if

n cut me open and then make Sterling grate

ised knuckles and thinking about the heat in Dr. V

traction and hat

ooke

y, tears gathering on

g went to her, but some part of him remained in that corridor, standing inches from a woman who smel