LITMIR.BIZ

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Her own situation with Brad seemed to have turned some kind of corner, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it any more.

      Immersing herself in her work seemed to be the only thing keeping her sane at the moment. The more patients she saw, the less chance she had to think about tonight. About what was going to happen. Brad had made it clear he wanted her. The sooner, the better.

      It’s what she wanted as well, right? Somehow, though, she’d expected him to balk at the idea. Or at least put up some kind of token argument. Instead, he’d dragged her against him with the talk of ground rules and wanting to start immediately.

      He could have any number of women who were infinitely more experienced than she was. And yet he was agreeing to sleep with her in what she’d come to see as a cold-blooded arrangement that she’d been stupid to even suggest.

      So why did he seem so eager?

      She wasn’t that beautiful. Men didn’t swoon at the sight of her. So what was he getting out of it?

      Maybe he pitied her. Was trying to help out the next poor sucker who got involved with her.

      That explanation didn’t seem to fit either, although that could just be because she was too mortified to think it might be true.

      Swiveling her attention back to her patient, she nodded at the gown on the end of the bed. “Our fashion designer is dying for you to try out her latest creation. While you’re getting dressed, I’ll page Dr. Coleman and let him know you’re here.” She squeezed the woman’s shoulder. “We’re all pulling for those little ones.”

      “Thank you. They’ve got a lot of family and friends praying for them too.”

      “I’m glad.” She picked up the chart and headed for the door. “See you in a few minutes.”

      Chloe went to the nurses’ station to call Cade. Before she could do that, he appeared in the flesh. “Clara Serrano is here.” She handed him the chart.

      “Everything look okay with her?”

      “Her vitals are all normal. She’s feeling movement from at least one of the fetuses. Dr. Morris wants to see if the size ratio has changed at all.”

      “Sounds good. I’ll take a look.” He tapped the counter with the chart. “Have you seen Dr. Davis, by any chance?”

      She had. Quite well, actually. But that’s not what Cade was asking. “I haven’t seen him since this morning.” Not since he’d dropped her off at the hospital entrance and then revved up his bike and rounded the corner on his way to the parking garage. He hadn’t touched her as she’d unsnapped her helmet and shaken her hair loose, but his smoldering look had spoken volumes. She was getting some tonight.

      The thought made the corners of her lips curve much higher than they should have.

      Cade evidently thought so too, because his brows went up and he leaned his elbows on the desk, bringing him a little closer. “Very nice. Is that smile for me?”

      “That’s what I’d like to know.” The low voice came from beside them, making Chloe jerk to attention and spin to face it.

      Brad. And although his tone was calm and reasonable, his expression was anything but. Narrow-eyed, with lips in a tight hard line, he studied her face—from which her smile was now gone.

      Cade, on the other hand, straightened. “Is it against hospital policy to comment on someone’s pretty smile?”

      “I’d prefer that you both do your jobs instead.”

      A thread of anger ran up her spine, replacing the warm anticipation of a few seconds ago. “I think we both were. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go and check on one of my other patients.”

      She stalked toward the nearest room, having no idea which patient it belonged to. All she knew was that her irritation was out of proportion to the situation. But if Brad thought he could use their little agreement to his advantage at work, he was going to find out he was dead wrong.

      A hand on her arm stopped her before she made it halfway to the door. She came to a halt, already knowing who it was but unable to bring herself to look at him. Not with the way her chin and everything inside her was trembling.

      “Hey, hold up a second.” He turned her round. “Sorry to step on your toes, but I don’t trust the guy. Something’s going on with him.”

      “He was just trying to be nice.”

      His gaze trailed over her face, stopping at her lips. “Maybe I’m afraid he’ll make a move on you.”

      “And if he did? I’d think you’d be glad.”

      His palms slid down her arms, creases forming between his brows. “And why would you think that?”

      “It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Her voice dropped to a whisper, not wanting anyone to hear what she was about to say. “Poor little Chloe needs a tutor. Who wants to be stuck with that kind of duty?”

      Certainly not her ex, who’d made his exasperation plain.

      The corners of Brad’s eyes crinkled as he continued to look at her. “You make it sound like a death sentence.”

      Chloe shrugged. “You said it, not me.”

      There was a pause, then his fingertips stroked across her cheek. “You’re a beautiful, sexy woman. Any red-blooded man would give his right arm to be in my position. Even Coleman. It’s why I don’t want him hanging around you.”

      “He’s not hanging around me.”

      “Maybe he’d like to.”

      Chloe tried to decipher his meaning. “And that would bother you.”

      His eyes darkened, his smile fading. “Oh, yeah. It would bother me a whole lot. Because you’re all mine. At least for now.”

       CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

      THE BATHROOM DOOR wasn’t locked.

      As strange as she found his aversion to keys, in this instance it suited her purposes. Brad had said he was going to take a shower, and Chloe had stood there undecided. Her irritation about the scene at the hospital had faded, and anticipation had wormed its way back into her head.

      Should she wait for him to get the ball rolling or try to hurry things along? Their last time together had been all about her—he’d seen to her every need. Maybe this time she could return the favor. After all, she knew the mechanics of it. And instead of waiting for Brad to ask for what he wanted—something she’d never had to worry about with Travis, because he always had—she could beat him to the punch.

      Maybe this way she wouldn’t feel like a receptacle—there to be used at someone else’s convenience—like she had during her marriage.

      She eased the door opened and slid inside, the dense moist fog from the shower enveloping her. The clean scent of shampoo filled her senses, and she relaxed, a smile working its way up from her chest.

      Things were about to get interesting.

      Pulling a towel off the rack beside the door, she padded over to the shower on bare feet and set the towel down on a nearby stool. She paused at the curved entryway that led to the interior of the stall and tried to plan her first move. Before she had a chance to do anything, a hand reached round the corner and snagged her wrist, hauling her through jets of water—which came at her from all angles—until she smacked into a bare, muscular chest.

      She screeched as the warm spray continued to pelt her hair and her scrubs, plastering them to her body.

      “What are you doing?” she spluttered. “How did you even know I was out there?”

      “I have my ways.” He reached around her and adjusted the spray until it was

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