a silver platter if she
found out I needed help and didn’t ask for it.
“Please. Don’t report me,” I begged softly. “I’m sorry for
my unethical behavior, and I swear it won’t happen—”
“ Shhh ,” James murmured as he
pressed his fingertip against my lip.
His touch—like a low-voltage live wire—sent a tingling surge
straight to my sex. His dark eyes grew wide with a look of surprise. I knew he
had felt it too.
“I’d never do that to you, Liz.” His whisper was suffused in
compassion and his expression brooked absolute sincerity.
Unable to peel myself from his benevolent gaze, that electrical
something he flipped inside me vibrated and hummed. My mouth grew dry and my
heartbeat raced, just as it had done when we’d talked on the phone. But now
with him standing so close—his masculine scent tickled my senses, and his
decadent body heat wrapped around me—only served to amplify my sexual
attraction to him. My pussy wept, my clit swelled, and my nipples tightened in
a sublime and hopeless ache.
James inched his mouth close to mine as if he intended to
kiss me.
That couldn’t be right. He was—
“Ah-hem.”
The sound of a feminine interruption made me jump. James
jerked upright and I snapped my head to find Cindy standing in the corridor.
She arched one dark brow in question and a slight smirk of approval was curled
on her lips.
“Um, Sorry to interrupt,” Cindy lied. “But they’re ready for
Trevor in OR.”
She turned to walk away, then stopped and narrowed her eyes,
pinning me with a dissecting stare. Every twinkle of humor evaporated from her
ebony face. “Are you all right? You look like you’ve been crying.”
“I’m fine.” I nodded, rubbing my eyelid. “I had an eyelash
stuck in my eye. James was trying to see if I rubbed it out.”
As far as lies went, mine was pathetic, and Cindy’s
skeptical expression all but confirmed that.
“Uh-huh.” she replied in a tone that screamed
Bullshit.
“Surgery?” James echoed in a panicked tone. “Trevor has to
have surgery? What for?”
Raising my palm to stave off his questions, I shook my head
at Cindy. “He can’t go yet. Daddy…um, I mean Drake just arrived. Dr. Reynolds
is still in trauma three and no one’s talked to Trevor about surgery yet.”
“We could use a few more doctors around here when it’s this
crazy,” she groused with a perturbed sigh.
Darting another suspect glance between James and me, I knew
once Cindy had me alone she’d bombard me with a barrage of questions.
“I’ll snag Reynolds away for a few minutes,” she announced.
“Then call up to OR and let them know Trevor will be up shortly.”
“Thank you.” I nodded.
“No problem.” Cindy turned to leave but stopped abruptly.
“Take care of that eye,” she added with a mocking grin before walking away.
James wrapped his hand around my elbow and pulled me in
close. That strange current sang up my arm, then arced south like a thunderbolt
between my legs. His clean, masculine scent grew even stronger. I wanted to
lick him just to savor the taste of his flesh on my tongue. The dazzling man wrecked havoc with my hormones. With an inward curse, I
reminded myself he had no interest in my vagina, and that was a crying shame.
“What kind of surgery does Trevor need?”
The command in his deep, rich voice plowed through me like a
freight train. The level of lust he conjured bothered me.
Before I could answer, Dr. Reynolds dashed into the hallway.
“Is Trevor’s family still with him?” he asked, jerking a glance at James’ hand
on my arm, which he quickly removed.
“Yes.”
“Where’s the report?” the doctor barked.
“On the foot of his bed.”
“Ruptured spleen, right?”
“Yes.” I nodded.
“Shit,” James muttered under his breath.
“Grab the consent forms. I’ll inform the family,” Reynolds
instructed, blatantly sizing up James.
When