Throughout the night, Kellen worked with experience beyond his years, despite his youthful appearance. “How long have you been a nurse?” I asked later in the day when he handed me another chart.
“For a while,” he said, and then changed the subject, “Mr. Rollings is waiting in Room Six.” He pointed to the door and I nodded.
When I turned around, my breath caught at the sight of Lance Steel walking in our direction with Drake Summerfield. Shit! I had successfully pushed him out of my mind for most of the day and now here he was, a Greek god in all his glory, walking toward me. I headed to the examining room and pulled the chart from the tray outside the door, pretending not to notice. Why did he have such an effect on me?
“Leila,” Drake called out to me, then corrected himself, “Dr. Reynolds, do you have a minute?”
I looked up from the chart casually, even though my heart was doing flip flops in my chest. “Dr. Summerfield?” I asked. Drake had a doctorate in administration and, even though he wasn’t a physician, he was still my boss. “Mr. Steel.” I gave him a curt nod.
“Lance, please,” he corrected.
I rolled my eyes then turned my attention back to Drake, once again glad I had a good poker face.
“Would you kindly show Mr. Steel around the hospital?” Drake asked, and then rushed to explain further. “Lance is curious as to the
work we do behind the scenes.”
“Surely you can find someone else who can show him around,” I said, and then looked at Lance. “No offense, but I have patients to attend to.”
“You haven’t had lunch yet, have you, Dr. Reynolds?” Drake observed. “Why don’t you show him around the hospital and then you can get both of you a bite to eat … on me.” He said it in such a way that closed the subject. Obviously, Mr. Steel must be a generous benefactor.
“Kellen, can show him around …”
“Nice to see you again, Mr. Steel,” Kellen said, then suppressed a smile when Lance gave him a warning look. Obviously, they knew each other. “I’ll see you later, Dr. Reynolds,” Kellen said casually as he took the chart from my hands and walked away. Obviously, Mr. Steel was used to getting his way.
“May I speak to you privately, Dr. Summerfield?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even.
“By all means,” Drake said then turned to Mr. Steel. “We’ll only be a minute.”
“Of course,” he said in his buttery British accent, never taking his eyes from mine.
My heart stuttered a beat. I pulled Drake off to the side and said in a low voice, “Drake, I have better things to do than to babysit one of your benefactors.”
“Is this the way you speak to your boss?” Drake reminded me in a not-so-subtle way.
“Drake, I have patients …” I said in a huff. Over his shoulder, I thought that Lance suppressed a smile, but I couldn’t be sure.
“He only wants a tour,” Drake scoffed. “Look, just show him around the hospital and then go home … as a favor to me.”
I took a deep breath and gave him a slight nod, frowning. “Okay, but you owe me big time.”
“Agreed,” he said, then handed me a credit card. I looked down and it was one linked to a hospital expense account. “Now, have fun and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
I pulled away. “Remember, you owe me.”
Drake laughed as he walked away.
“Nice to see you again, Mr. Steel,” I said, forcing a smile as I extended my hand to him, but instead of shaking it, he lifted it to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss, never taking his eyes from mine.
“The pleasure is mine, indeed,” he returned, his green eyes smoldering as a lock of his dark brown hair fell lazily across his forehead. I suddenly wished that other parts of me were my hand, but I quickly pushed my dirty thoughts aside as I pulled my hand away.
“Well, what would you like to see first?” I asked as Lance tried not to smile.
“The cafeteria, maybe?” Lance asked. “Drake said that you haven’t eaten anything today.”
I made a mental note to kill Drake later. “Are you hungry?” I asked, just as my stomach growled.
“I could eat,” he said as one side of his lips curled into a mischievous smile. “But it sounds like you’re famished.”
“I could eat,” I returned casually as we walked.
“Good. It’s settled, then,” he said in a buttery voice, reaching for my hand, but I quickly pulled it back.
“Look, cut the bullshit, Mr. Steel,” I said, glaring at him. “Keep in mind that I’m married and keep your hands to yourself.”
“I will if you will,” he teased seductively, turning the full force of his sexy green eyes on me as he ran a finger gently up my arm. Then, he leaned in close and said, “But I think you want more.”
Without thinking, I reared back and let my hand fly across his face, landing on his cheek, but he didn’t even budge.
“Do you slap all of your benefactors?” he asked, undeterred.
“Only the ones that get out of line,” I said, then turned away. “Look, I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but leave me alone. I’m not some bimbo who will bow down to you.”
Lance gently but firmly grabbed my hand before I could walk away. “I’m sorry,” he said and the sincerity in his eyes couldn’t be denied. “Let me take you to dinner to apologize.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me …”
“I think you owe me a dinner after slapping me.”
“I don’t owe you anything,” I said, turning away, but he grabbed my hand again. He was strong, but I pulled back and he let go.
I stormed to the back of the hospital, passing Drake on the way. I stopped in front of him and glared into his eyes. “Don’t you ever ask me to do your dirty work again! I’m a doctor, not some floozy that you can pimp out to your benefactors!”
“What happened?” Drake asked, but I kept walking as tears stung my eyes.
I walked quickly past Kellen and didn’t look at his shocked face. I pulled off the lab coat and threw it down in a laundry hamper, grabbed my purse, then stormed out of the hospital through the back way. I needed to get out of there before I did something stupid.
Outside, the cool night air rushed to me, clearing my head. Why did I let him affect me like that? I took a deep breath, letting the cool September air fill my lungs. Although it was night, bright moonlight washed over the earth, casting a blue hue over everything. Suddenly, I realized that I had parked on the other side of the hospital, so I tucked my purse under my arm, got out my car keys, and headed toward my car. If I hurried, maybe I could catch Steven.
Suddenly, a male figure stopped in front of me and I froze. The man was in silhouette and I couldn’t see who it was. All of the self-defense classes that I had taken over the years rushed into my brain as I tightened my grip on my car keys. I could ram them into his jugular vein and it would be over in seconds, or shove the heel of my hand into his nose …“Dr. Reynolds, it’s me, Lance Steel,” he said, almost reading my mind.“Oh, you scared me …” I said, taking a deep breath.“What are you doing out here alone?” he asked, suddenly angry. “Anything could happen to you …”“I’ll be fine,” I said, trying to walk past him. Actually, at this point I would rather take my chances with a complete stranger.He grabbed my arm, not letting me pass. “I’m walking you to your car.” It wasn’t a question.“I beg your pardon?”
The rest of the day passed uneventfully until sundown. Rosa, Kellen, and I worked throughout the day, making a good team. Kellen was so young—probably fresh out of nursing school—that I was surprised he was as knowledgeable as he was about nursing. He performed as if he were a seasoned veteran—just as good as Rosa, and she had been a nurse for over twenty years. I pushed the thought aside, deciding to go home early, or on time, actually.“I don’t believe it. The sun is just setting and you’re going home,” Rosa teased with a twinkle in her eye. “The days of miracles aren’t over.”“Love you, too!” I said, knowing it would irritate her.“You know …”“I know, your boat don’t float that way,” I teased as a smile curled my lips. “But if you ever change your mind …”“I won’t let you know,” Rosa returned. She had
I stepped in line to buy my ticket inside the theater when I heard a voice that shouldn’t be so familiar. “Dr. Reynolds! What a surprise to see you here!”Oh, shit! Why did I have to run into Lance Steel? “Mr. Steel, what are you doing here?” I asked, donning my best poker face.“It’s nice to see you, too.” He looked me up and down, his eyes lingering over my light blue blouse and heels a bit too long. “You look nice today.”“Thanks.” I chose a movie and stepped up in line, trying to ignore him.“What movie are you seeing?” he asked, stepping up behind me.“Why? Are you going to the movies, too?” I asked, suddenly surprised. He was dressed in blue jeans with a sexy button down black shirt, open slightly at the neck and black leather boots. His usually coifed, sexy dark brown hair was falling lazily across his face, accentuating his bright green eyes.
Although it was a movie that I really wanted to see, I paid no attention to it. As the love story unfolded on the screen, I studied Lance more than the movie, taking note of his chiseled features, piercing green eyes, and testosterone overload. The electricity in the air was so thick between us that you could cut it with a knife. I took a deep breath, forcing my eyes back to the screen without really seeing what was happening, forgetting momentarily that I was married. Then, the lights came up, bringing us both back to reality.“Thank you,” I said as we walked out of the theater.“For what?” he asked, amused.“That was the most fun I’ve had in a very long time.”“My pleasure,” he returned as we left the theater and walked into the darkness of the night, when he stopped abruptly. “Do you want to catch a bite to eat while we’re here? There’s a restaurant around the corner.”
“What did you tell him?” Lance asked, trying to calm down. He took a sip of his water, but made a face and set it back on the table. “After he told you to ‘play nice.’”“I told him that I would slap any man who deserves it, including him,” I replied, taking a sip of my water, as well.“Good girl,” he said as a smile spread across his face.I lifted an eyebrow, questioning.He shrugged. “I deserved it,” he replied, holding my hand a bit tighter, forcing me to look into his eyes. His hands were cold, but I pretended not to notice. “You should feel free to slap any man who deserves it … including me.”I smiled, suddenly feeling awkward when the waiter approached to take our order. “Good evening,” he said, and then proceeded to tell us the dinner specials and his recommendations.Lance nodded to me.“I’ll have the Shrimp Alfr
I drove home in the dark, trying to steady my heart. What am I doing? I wondered as I pointed my car toward home. I had so much on my mind that it practically drove itself home. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. What the hell am I doing? But there was something about Lance that I just couldn’t describe. Besides his incredible good looks, there was something else about him … I felt secure, treasured … like a princess around him. It was as if he had already placed me on a pedestal, treating me like royalty. I had never been treated like that before, and I knew that I could easily get used to it.When I got home, Steven was gone. Obviously, he had already left for work—if he even came home at all—even though it was Saturday. I should be off from work the next day, but I really had no desire to have a confrontation with Steven, even though I knew that we needed to talk soon.I took a deep breath to steady myself, pulled the car
“I’m taking a break,” I told Rosa after the family left.“Why don’t you go home?” Rosa asked, knowing how hard I had worked to try to save him and she had worked just as hard by my side. We made a good team.“No, not yet,” I said, dead on my feet. “I just need a break and maybe some coffee.”“And some food,” Rosa added, picking up a chart. “Eat something.”“Yes, Ma’am,” I teased, walking away as she scowled.I walked into the waiting room before walking to the cafeteria to see how many more patients that we had and my breath caught. Lance was sitting on a chair, casually reading a magazine. For a moment, I almost walked the other way, but something inside me pulled me to him. My heart beat erratically within my chest as I approached, noticing how handsome he was. The air of confidence about him almost reminded me of a medieval knight, but I quickly
When we were walking down the hallway and safely out of earshot, I said, “You were amazing. Did you see the way that she came alive when you spoke to her in her own language? I haven’t see her this excited since she came here.”Lance’s face fell and his expression suddenly turned serious. “How long has she been here?”“For two months now.” I looked down at the linoleum floor and sighed. “She’s no longer responding to treatment.”Lance nodded. “I didn’t think so,” he said, and then he turned his attention to the hallway ahead of us as his eyebrows pulled together. “How much time does she have?”I let out an exasperated breath. “I can’t be sure. That’s one thing that I don’t like about being a doctor. I wish I could save all of my patients, especially ones like her, young with her whole life ahead of her,” I said, as we walked toward