Was it mandatory for all SEALs to be over six feet, built like a brick shed and so good looking that they could be on the cover of a men’s magazine? Even though Robot was good looking with his piercing blue eyes, broad shoulders and closely cropped dirty blonde hair. He didn’t make her heart race like one look from Riley Ash Ashland did. Nor did Robot make her want to throw every rule she had about not getting involved in a relationship until she was done with her residency out the window.

Relationship.

What the hell was she thinking? Her life was in danger and here she is thinking about investigating the possibility of a relationship between her and Riley. Maybe she had hit her head when she’d passed out.

“I ordered some Chinese for dinner.”

“That’s fine.”

Food was the last thing on her mind. She kept her back to him, knowing if she turned she’d be tempted to walk over to him and ask him to hug her again. Not the smartest thing to do.

“Are you okay, Doc?” He asked the question so quietly she was surprised she’d heard it.

Doc. No one has ever given me a nickname. Why did he have to be my first?

She gave up keeping her distance and turned around. He stood a foot away from her. Concern darkened his eyes until they looked almost black.

“Do you really think it’s possible I can breakaway from my father’s hold?”

Maria held her breath as Riley closed the distance between them. She fought the urge to let her head fall forward onto his chest. As it was, when his fingers brushed her cheek to hook a lock of hair behind her ears she swayed toward him.

It had to be the intense situation she found herself in for her to be this needy around a man. But she was tired as well. So tired of having to worry about her father and the consequences his lifestyle could rain down on her.

“Anything’s possible, Doc. I’ll do whatever I can to ensure you have a life free from your father’s hold.”

How she wanted to believe him. She really did. But this was the Mob they were talking about. After her mother’s disappearance, she’d held herself back from getting close to anyone because she’d been scared her father would make the next person she cared about disappear. She’d alienated herself from the friends she’d made in school and had concentrated on her studies. The same when she’d been gone to college. Not only were her studies intense and required her whole focus, her relationships had been kept to a minimum. She’d go on the occasional date and if she liked them she’d sleep with them, but she never let them get close. It was safer that way.

The sound of a phone ringing jarred her and she took a step away from Riley.

“That will be the food. I’ll be right back. If you want to freshen up, there’s a bathroom right there.” He pointed to a closed just to the right of the entrance to the living room.

While he dealt with the food, Maria washed her hands, grimacing at the sight of herself in the mirror. The dark circles under her eyes were more pronounced against the paleness of her face. Her hair was a flyaway mess and she had a smudge of dirt on her cheek.

How the heck had Riley wanted to kiss her when she looked liked this? She splashed water on her face, washing away the dirt. She smoothed her damp hands over her hair. There was nothing she could do about her clothes. She’d lived in scrubs for the last five or so years of her life.

She had nothing to wear. She couldn’t stay here.

Maria burst out of the hallway bathroom and strode into the living room. “You have to take me back to my place.”

Riley looked up from where he’d been putting their meal out on the dark wooden coffee table. “We’ve already been over this more times that I like. You’re not going back to your apartment. It’s not safe.”

“But I have to work in the morning. I need underwear. A pair of clean scrubs.”

“Sit and eat. I’ll get someone to go to your place and pack for you.”

“I will not sit down. And I don’t want some stranger going through my apartment, not to mention my clothes. If it’s not safe for me to go there, how can it be safe for someone else too?”

“You need to start trusting me, Maria, because I’m not going to argue with you over every little thing.”

“But.”

“No. Enough. Now eat.”

As if to emphasize his point, Riley grabbed one of the white square cardboard containers and a set of chopsticks and started to eat.

The aroma of the food wafted to her and her stomach grumbled in appreciation. It had been a long time since she’d eaten and it was well after nine in the evening.

“Fine.”

* * *

A soft knock on the door penetrated the blissful sleep Maria was having. She rolled over and stuck her head under the pillow. She didn’t remember her bed feeling this soft.

Another knock and then the door opened a crack.

Who the hell was coming into her room?

“Doc.”

The whispered word had her bolting upright in bed. Everything from the night before came flashing back to her.

The car.

Riley.

Passing out.

Riley.

Chinese food.

Kissing Riley.

Her life in a mess.

Kissing Riley.

“What?” she grumbled.

“I take it you’re not a morning person?”

Maria sighed, normally waking up wasn’t an issue. She loved the anticipation of a new day and what surgeries she might be assisting with or performing herself. Of course, that was before her life hit the shit pile.

“It’s okay, Riley. Come in.”

Her frustrations disappeared when she spied the red coffee mug in his hand. He reached her bedside and placed the mug on the nightstand. She reached out and grabbed it, inhaling deeply.

“The elixir of Gods,” she murmured as she took her first sip of the hot liquid. The richness of Brazilian coffee beans coated her tongue. “Damn, this is good coffee.”

Riley chuckled. “Glad something meets your approval. I’ve got your clothes here.” He slung a bag off his shoulder.

Maria knew better than to question how he’d done it. “Thanks.”

“It’s five now, you need to be at work at six thirty, right?”

She took another drink of her coffee. At this moment she didn’t want to go anywhere. She wanted to savor this magnificent beverage.

“I can put more in a travel mug for you?”

“It’s that obvious is it?” she said laughing.

“Kind of.” Riley joined in her laughter and she thought he was going to sit on the bed next to her, but he stopped.

“In comparison to the coffee at the hospital, this is black gold.”

“Well why don’t you get yourself ready and I’ll fix you that travel mug. We’ll need to leave soon so we get you to work on time.”

Nerves bubbled in her belly at the thought of walking into the hospital. Would she be putting her colleagues in danger as well?

“Whatever you’re thinking, stop it. Everything will be fine. It will be just like it’s been for the last week, only today I’ll drop you at the door and then Tex will take over like he’s done every day. What I’ll need you to do is text me when you’re finished for the day. If you want, I can meet you for lunch as well.”

“What will you do while I’m working?”

“The less you know the better. Now, you’d better get moving.”

He walked out of the room before she had a chance to question him further about what he was going to be doing. Hopefully he would be looking at ways to get her away from her father. Maybe she should call her father herself? Talk to him and reason with him.

Of course, there was also the Feds and their investigation into her operating on her uncle. It was a mess. A tangled web that whenever she tried to extract herself from it the silky, sticky threads clung to her, trapping her deeper and deeper until escape was impossible.

Stop it.

Never before had she let her father and his actions affect her as much as she was letting them right now. She was thirty-one. No longer a child. He couldn’t control her. And no matter what Riley or even Robot thought—she knew deep down her father would never harm her.

She’d gone to college. She lived by herself in one of the busiest cities in the United States. She was no shrinking violet. When she’d decided to train as a surgeon, she’d vowed she was going to be the best she could be. This little setback wasn’t going to alter her goals.

Flinging the covers back she got out of bed, headed to the attached bathroom ready to start the day.

An hour later, travel mug of Riley’s amazing coffee in her hand, Maria released her seatbelt in preparation to exit the car.

A hand on her arm stilled her movements. She looked over to Riley and raised her eyebrow in a silent question.

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a slim black phone. He held it out to her. “Here I want you to use this phone now.”

“Why? I’ve got a perfectly good one.”

“A phone which your father knows the number of and, no doubt, is able to trace.”

“Oh, okay.” She grabbed the phone but Riley tightened his grip and tugged her close. His free hand came up and wrapped around the back of her head.

“This is the first step in keeping you safe. The only numbers programmed into the phone are mine, Tex’s and Robot’s. If you need anything call any number at any time.”

Any time? What did he mean by that?

“Does this mean I’ll be going back to my apartment?”

As much as she’d wanted to go back to her home last night, after spending the night at Riley’s, the thought of returning to her apartment didn’t appeal. If that wasn’t a red flag that she was beginning to rely on Riley she didn’t know what was.

“No. Until I know for sure that nothing is going to happen to you, you’re staying with me. I’ll arrange to get more clothes and other personal items moved to my place today.”

“Okay, thanks.”

The left side of his mouth rose in half a smile. “No argument?”

“What would be the point?” she responded with a grin. “It would only fall on deaf ears.”

The half grin became a full blown one and her heart skipped a beat. “Doc, is learning. Now, have a good day and if you want to have lunch, call me.” He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. The connection was too short for her. If the car behind them hadn’t sat on their horn, she would’ve wrapped her arm around his neck and deepened the kiss.

“Guess I’d better go.”

“Yes you should.”

Her hand grasped the handle and she opened the door. “Have a good day, Ash.”

With his laughter ringing in her ears, and a lightness in her step she entered the hospital ready to face whatever the day would bring.

If someone told her twenty four hours ago that she would put her life in the hands of a man she’d met once, she would’ve laughed in their face. Was it wrong to give her trust over to Riley so quickly or was it the best thing she’d ever done?