“Walter, what are you doing here?” I ask, even though I know in my gut why he’s here, and I’m not happy.

“We needed to talk, Skye.”

I look at him, I mean really look at him. He’s not bad looking. He’s actually pretty good looking. He’s forty-two and with just a hint of gray in his hair. He’s clean-shaven and looks impeccably put together in his suit and tie. He’s everything I should probably want and look for in a man, but he leaves me cold. That’s the real reason I’ve never returned any of his offers to date. That’s the reason I’ve tried to keep my distance personally from him. I will admit I had weakened in that stance a few months back. I toyed with the idea of making a stable home for Matty. Walter was the lead candidate, because of his profession, and his understanding of the hours of dedication it takes to be a good doctor. There would be less adjustment with Walter. On paper, it all made sense. I was so close to accepting a date with him.

Then a man walked into my exam room and reminded me of the feelings a woman has when she is attracted to a man. He was all wrong for me, and I should never go there with him—logically. But Bull’s right. There’s a fire between us, a raging inferno of attraction that I’ve never felt before with anyone else. Realistically, I miss sex. I miss it bad, and even with the long drought I’ve had, the thought of sex with Walter leaves me feeling…cold and maybe a little nauseated. Looking at him now, that feeling only intensifies. He might be right for me on paper, but he’s nowhere close to it in person.

“It’s late Walter, and I’ve not had a break in over two days, I really…”

“It’ll only take a minute.”

I sigh. It’s apparent he’s not going to leave quietly. I close the door, unlatch the chain, before opening it back up to let him in. I close the door, leaning against it to shore up what little energy I have left. I’m so tired. I want nothing more than to crawl into my bed, and sleep. Finally, I move away, leading Walter to the sofa. I sit first and he follows.

“What’s between you and that man? Mr. Kane?” he asks, getting straight to the point.

“I don’t think that’s something you really have a right asking, Walter.”

“You know I have feelings for you Skye. We’ve been getting closer these last few months, working so near each other. There are feelings between us.”

His hand trails down the side of my face and it sends chills through me—but not the good kind. These are cold. I resist the urge to turn away from him, but I do pull back.

“I wasn’t aware you felt like that Walter,” I lie. “You never said so directly. I assumed your invitations were merely offers between professional colleagues, with likeminded interests.”

I’m a little amazed at how easy the lies roll from my tongue. It’s easier to pretend though that the times he has asked me out, I have misunderstood. I’m hoping he might let it go with that and let me out of this horrible conversation.

“You were mistaken then, Skye. You’re a beautiful woman. We have much in common, I admire your heart, and how much you have achieved in your life. I want to get to know you better, on a more personal level.”

So much for getting out of the conversation.

“Walter, I wish I had known, but now…”

“You can’t be seeing that hoodlum, Skye. Surely, you can see you are far above his reach,” Walter says, interrupting me.

I think that was supposed to be a compliment from him, but it doesn’t feel like one. It sits wrong. It upsets me. It pisses me off. I might not think Bull is a good risk, but hearing Walter talk as if we are better than Bull, makes me want to lash out. The insinuation is there in Walter’s words, and it’s extremely clear he feels he is far and above Bull.

“That’s not true, Walter. In fact, Bull has been very good to me.”

“Please, Skye. I understand hormones, but for you to lower yourself to that man’s level, is preposterous.” His statement leaves me speechless. I’d love to say what I really think, but I’m trying really hard to remember that this is my boss.

“Walter, I’m upset that you would insinuate such a thing. Further…”

“Surely, you see that it is what it seems like, Skye. To allow that filthy…”

“I think you should stop there. I happen to like Mr. Kane.”

“You can’t feel anything for him, you’re too different. And what about your son? How can you find this thug a respectable role model for him?” He hits on the one thing that worries me the most, but right now, all I can think is what an asshole Walter is. I want him out of my house.

“I think you’ve said enough tonight. I need some rest,” I tell him—intent on nothing more than getting him to leave.

He stands, but he doesn’t go to the door like I expected. Instead, he pulls me into him, with a strong hand on my neck. Then, before I can stop him, he kisses me. The first thought I have is that his kiss is nothing like Bull’s. No, Walter’s kiss leaves me cold. His taste is slightly acidic. I can even taste the hint of onions. My insides recoil. This is proof-positive that there is no way I should ever encourage his attentions. On paper, he might be the better choice for stability with Matty, but in reality, he is all kinds of wrong for me. Something tells me the same would be true for my son.

His tongue pushes into my mouth, and I want to gag. I push against his shoulders, trying to break free. His hand is at my chest, and I feel it dive inside my shirt to cup my breast. I push harder, finally getting my mouth away from him. He starts biting on my shoulder, and I suck in air to keep from vomiting.

“Walter stop! I don’t want this!” I growl. Apparently, the full moon tonight has caused him to lose his ever-loving-mind.

“Give us a chance, Skye. We could be good together. This could be so good,” he says, but even his voice sounds cold to me. His head goes down, and before he can lay his lips anywhere else, I push him hard.

“I said…No!” I growl. He goes back a couple of steps when I shove him. My shirt tears—just slightly, but I feel cold air hit my body. I pay no mind to it though, just relieved because Walter’s hand is no longer on my breast.

“What the fuck is going on here?”

My head jerks up, and I look at the front door. Suddenly, I get the name behind the man, because in this moment, he is a bull seeing red and ready to charge. Crap.