MATT

It’s late. My brain is fried. Bailey’s slumped against the couch, asleep, and I’m tempted to join her. I need to get some rest before tomorrow, but with her huddled up, she’s hogging most of the couch. For a small person, she really knows how to spread out. I kick off my shoes and set my laptop on the ground. She stirs and snuggles farther under the blanket. Any hope of wrestling some of it away from her flies out the window.

I could sleep on the floor, but I know my body will hate me for it in the morning. The couch is big enough. I shift her so she’s a few inches closer to the edge and then I fill in the space behind her. Now her feet are near my head and vice versa. It’s the only arrangement that will work. I keep expecting her to wake up, but apparently, she’s a heavy sleeper.

I’m scared she’s going to roll off, so I wrap my arm around her knees and prop my other arm up under my head like a pillow. It’s not that comfortable, but it’s…nice. It’s the first time I’ve felt some semblance of calm since I agreed to take on this case.

I have a meeting with the hospital’s legal team in the morning. Apparently, they caught wind of the situation and have a few issues they’d like to discuss before things go any further. There’s a pretty good chance I won’t like what they’ll have to say, but I’ll worry about that in the morning.

Bailey stirs and sits up, wiping her eyes.

“Matt?” she asks sleepily.

I hum.

“Are you comfortable? Here.” She takes the blanket and splays it out over me. “This isn’t big enough for us both. I should go home—”

She starts to move off the couch but I keep my hold on her legs. “Don’t.” She pauses and my attention drags up from her mouth to her questioning gaze.

It’s late. I have no business thinking about kissing her, but I am. I’m imagining what it would feel like if she put her lips on mine, how easy it would be to untie those scrub pants and tug them down her legs.

“I won’t stay if you keep looking at me like that.” I quirk a brow and she shakes her head. “Fine, okay, but I’m going to flip around so we’re both lying that direction. My feet probably smell.”

I smile, but I don’t protest. I lift the blanket and help her shift around so her head is only a few inches below mine. She plays at keeping a little distance between us, but the couch isn’t big enough for that. I reach out and tug her close. Now she’s nestled against my chest. Our legs are tangled. Our bodies are molded together and whatever need for sleep I felt moments ago is gone. Her soft curves and the feel of her hand pressed against my heart sends a shot of adrenaline through me. My palm rests against the small of her back under the guise of keeping her on the couch, but it brings her hips against mine and now she can feel how she affects me. We’ve done nothing but touch and I’m starved for her.

Her nervous gaze shifts up to mine and there’s apprehension there.

If this were any other time, if she weren’t half-drugged with sleep, she’d pull away and insist on putting space between us. I almost feel like I’m taking advantage of her, but she’s here, isn’t she? She’s the one who insisted on staying and helping. Even though the temptation is killing me, I won’t seduce her. My hands will stay exactly where they are and I’ll only drop one chaste kiss against her forehead before telling her to go to sleep.

“Good night Matt,” she says, her voice soft and sweet.

I stay awake a long time after her eyes flutter closed, studying her features and letting the rhythm of her heart steady my own. It’s enough to have her in my arms. It’s the peace I’ve been craving, the quiet calm that’s been missing from my life since those early years with Victoria, and maybe not even then. I wasn’t in need of a partner when I was younger like I am now. I was so focused on proving myself as a student and a resident, and then as a fellow. I regret the way I handled things with my ex-wife, but I don’t regret that we went our separate ways. I can’t recall ever lying awake and appreciating Victoria’s presence like this, feeling grateful just to be near her.

Bailey’s ponytail is loose and most of her blonde hair spills out around her. I can smell her shampoo. It’s feminine and sweet and makes my stomach ache with need. I hate that tomorrow is an important work day. I want to jostle her awake and ask her about her life, about the hardships of the last few years and the fear she must have felt when she took on the role of Josie’s guardian.

In sleep, she looks so innocent and young, her freckles dotted across her cheeks. I have the sudden need to care for her like she’s cared for her sister.

Who takes care of you, Bailey?

Who’s your guardian?

Bailey’s awake before me the next morning and when I blink my eyes open, she’s hurriedly trying to fix her appearance in front of my office’s large windows. I chuckle and close my eyes again, craving a few more minutes of sleep.

“You can use my shower,” I offer.

I don’t have to look to know her head jerks in my direction. “You’re awake!”

I hum and burrow deeper under the blanket. “Not willingly.”

“Wait…you have a shower in here?” She scoffs. “You surgeons are seriously spoiled.”

I groan and force myself to finally sit up. “Hurry if you’re going to use it. I need to rinse off before my meeting with legal.”

“What about your clothes? They’re all rumpled from sleep. I think someone—er…not me, but someone definitely drooled on your shirt a bit.”

I smile despite myself. “I keep a spare suit in the closet. This isn’t the first time I’ve slept here.”

I sweep my feet off the couch, prop my elbows on my knees, and rub the heels of my hands against my tired eyes.

“Oh.” I look up to see her looking down at herself. “Any chance you keep a spare pair of women’s underwear in there too?”

Laughter spills out of me before I can help it.

She throws up her hands in defeat. “Oh well, I’ll deal with that after I shower. Would you mind running down to grab me a new set of scrubs? I don’t want anyone to see me like this.”

She looks adorable, but I don’t think that’s what she wants to hear at the moment.

“Sure. Child-sized, right?”

“Ha ha ha,” she mocks, making her way to the bathroom. “For that, I expect you to bring me back some coffee too.”

I get her a new set of scrubs and grab two cups of coffee from the doctors’ lounge. When I get back, Bailey’s still in the shower.

I knock on the door. “Hey, I got your scrubs. I’ll set them right out here.”

“Thank you!” she shouts back. “Oh and I hope you don’t mind—I’m using your soap! I’m going to smell like a rugged mountain man too!”

In an instant, desire burns up any last vestiges of sleep. Bailey’s in my shower, rubbing my soap all over her naked body. In another life, I’d open the door and join her. She’d turn to face me and her pale brown eyes would widen in shock. She’d blush from head to toe as I stalked toward her and pressed her back against the cold tile. She’d be shy, but we’ve kissed before and I know she’d come alive for me with a little coaxing. She’d meet me in the middle, grind against me, wrap a leg around my hip, hot and needy for more. I’d kiss her endlessly, tease and worship her until a single touch could push her over the edge.

My dick stirs to life just from thinking about it. I’m going mad for a woman who’s made it clear she wants to keep things platonic and professional. I’ve respected those wishes up until last night. Sleeping on that couch together wasn’t professional in the least, and I wonder if she regrets it now.

The shower cuts off and a few moments later, the door opens an inch and one of her hands juts out, searchingly wildly for her scrubs. Considering she isn’t brave enough to crack the door open a smidge more and actually look for them, she doesn’t have an easy time finding them. Her fingers catch nothing but dead space and I hear her groan.

“A little to the left,” I say, amused.

Her hand finally lands on them.

“Got ’em!” she shouts triumphantly.

While she gets dressed, I move to my desk to drink my coffee so I don’t look like I’m lurking around like a weirdo. I’m doing a very good job of pretending to be occupied when she steps out of the bathroom fully dressed with damp hair and a fresh face. She runs the towel through her hair and shakes it out. I sit with my coffee midway to my mouth long enough for her to scrunch her nose in confusion.

“What?” she asks.

My gaze drags down her body and catches on her bare feet. Her toenails are bright pink and she wiggles them when she notices me staring.

“Do you need socks? I have a spare pair.”

Socks. Nothing sexual about socks. At least that’s what I try to tell myself.

She eagerly accepts the offer and once I hand them off, careful to give us about three feet of breathing room, I disappear into the bathroom for a shower of my own. I turn the valve so cold the pipes are liable to freeze. The water shocks my system and douses my desire. I tell myself to think of ice-cold water and not Bailey’s hot mouth. Fuck. I lather myself and rinse off quickly, in a hurry to get to work. I have more than enough to keep myself occupied today.

Of course, I’m the idiot who forgot to bring his clothes into the bathroom. Usually, I’m the only one in my office so I don’t have to worry about it.

I move to the door and open it, about to warn her when I catch a hint of conversation. She’s on the phone.

“Yes, I slept here…We had a lot of work to do…No, I didn’t sleep with him! We ordered pizza and worked. It was nothing…Yes. I know you’re on winter break, but try to do something productive today. What’d you have for breakfast?” She groans. “Eat some kind of vegetable with your lunch, will you?”

I decide it’s as good a time as any to retrieve my suit. Her back is to me and she’s distracted by her conversation with her sister. I step out and move to the wardrobe.

“I promise I’ll be home in time—”

Her voice suddenly cuts off and I glance over my shoulder to find her staring at me with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. I look down to check and yes, my towel is still slung around my hips. I’m not flashing her, though she’s looking at me like I am.

Her sister’s voice carries through the quiet room. “In time for what? Hey! Are you still there?”

Bailey can’t close her mouth. Shocking her wasn’t my intention when I came out of the bathroom in only a towel, but it’s a convenient side effect. Yes. Good. I shouldn’t be the only one going crazy here.

Her gaze sears my skin, jumping from my biceps to my abs to my chest. Her tongue is in danger of rolling out of her mouth. My workouts are intended to keep me capable in the operating room, but I appreciate them even more now that Bailey can’t take her eyes off me.

I offer her a little wave, and it’s enough to shake her out of the spell my partial nudity put her under. She whips back around to face the wall and I finish grabbing my clothes.

“HELLO ARE YOU DEAD?” Josie shouts through the phone.

Bailey clears her throat. “No! I’m not dead. Sorry. I was…busy there for a second.” She sounds flustered. “What was I saying? Oh right, I’ll be home in time to make dinner. I have to go now, bye.”

She hangs up as I head back into the bathroom. Though it’d be fun, I think changing out here would push her over the edge. I’m not trying to cause permanent damage.

“Everything okay?” I ask when I’m finished.

She doesn’t turn to face me. She tosses a thumbs-up over her shoulder and adds a, “You betcha.”

“You seem flustered.”

“Just maybe warn a girl next time you’re going to prance around in nothing but a towel,” she says, her tone high-pitched and strained.

“You were on the phone. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Okay, well,” she says, continuing to address the wall instead of me. “If I can’t meet your eyes the rest of the day, don’t take it personally.”

What started out as a pretty great morning takes a sharp turn for the worst when I arrive for my meeting with our in-house legal team. Four sour-faced old men with thick glasses, starched shirts, and deep-set wrinkles line one side of a conference table while I sit across from them. I haven’t had much exposure to them over the years. They’re employed to protect the surgeons and staff at the hospital, but right now, they’re standing between me and my patient. Their counsel has droned on and on:

“This case is a legal nightmare.”

“The liability isn’t worth the potential benefits to your patient.”

“We can’t ensure that the hospital’s malpractice insurance would cover this lawsuit in the event of a negative outcome. Your other colleagues have voted against the surgery.”

Ah, yes—the three other assholes who are supposed to have my back. Dr. Goddard, Dr. Richards, and Dr. Smoot want to leave my patient permanently paraplegic on the advice of a few scrooges in bad suits.

They’re in the room too, sitting to the left of the lawyers in their white coats, though at present they don’t exactly deserve to wear them. They’re unable to meet my eyes when I glance over at them. If I could, I’d wring their fucking necks.

“I wasn’t aware my colleagues had reviewed the case as thoroughly as I have,” I bite out. “Not to mention, a case like this isn’t exactly their specialty. I could get a dozen reputable surgeons who specialize in scoliosis fusions on the phone who would back me on this.”

“Dr. Russell, you aren’t thinking clearly.”

The accusation comes from Dr. Richards. He’s finally worked up enough courage to speak for himself, but the glare I shoot in his direction makes him turn his gaze right back to the conference table. He doesn’t say another word.

“C’mon, Dr. Russell,” Dr. Goddard says, sounding exasperated as he takes up the charge for his friend. “There’s what, a 10% chance you’ll be successful in this case? What about the other 90%? What if you injure her further, or worse?

“Think of how that would look for the practice. We don’t need publicity like that. The local news has already picked up this story. They’re touting you as the hotshot surgeon, a hero, but when you fail, what will they call you then? Huh?” He shakes his head and looks to the doctors on either side of him for backup. “You think we’re telling you no because we’re heartless, but you’ve lost sight of your own limitations. You’re foolish if you think you’re going to help that girl.”

“Not to mention the cost of the surgery itself,” Dr. Smoot chimes in. “You’re talking about a figure well over a hundred thousand dollars. Our department has a certain amount set aside for pro bono cases, and you’ve maxed that out, Dr. Russell. How exactly do you plan on covering this case?”

I’m seething. I knew there might be some resistance from my colleagues, but I didn’t think they’d take it this far.

I stand up and offer a tight-lipped smile to the room. “Thank you for the information, gentlemen, but my patient and her parents are due to arrive any minute. If you’ll excuse me, I don’t want to keep them waiting.”

“Dr. Russell!” Dr. Goddard shouts, but I don’t pay him any attention.

I’m still shaking with rage when I finish climbing the stairs back to the sixth floor. I slam open the door to the stairwell and storm into the hallway. Bailey’s pacing a few yards away and when she catches sight of me, she beams.

“They’re here! They just arrived! Patricia has them set up in the conference room.”

As I step closer, the hope twinkling in her eyes only makes me angrier.

“Good,” I reply dryly. “They’ve arrived just in time for me to inform them there won’t be a surgery.”