My shift ended at ten-thirty, but I didn’t want Shane to know that. He still thinks I’m just taking a ten-minute break.

I take a shower in the employee locker room and fix up my hair and makeup. If I knew I was going on a date with my hot patient, I would have brought some sexier clothes to change into.

But I still look pretty good—tight jeans with a button-up blue shirt that makes my eyes pop. Shane still hasn’t seen me with my hair done up, and regardless, I’m still going to be better dressed than him. He’s wearing an old hospital gown to our date.

I’m actually excited. It’s been way too long since my last date, and even though this is just a ten-minute cup of coffee, I can’t stop smiling as I put on my mascara.

My pulse is speeding up, and there’s a lightness in my chest as I stand back and check myself out in the mirror.

“What are you doing?” I mutter to myself when I see my reflection. I shouldn’t be putting on makeup for a patient. I shouldn’t be getting excited about someone who’s so off limits.

Not only is he undateable because he’s a patient, he’s also all wrong for me because we’re so different. I’m an ambitious doctor who has to stay focused if I want to become the medical chief of staff like I’ve always dreamed of, and he’s a reckless, impulsive, playboy motocross driver who doesn’t think twice about flying off a ramp the size of a small mountain and flying through the air like a powerless superhero.

We couldn’t be more different.

But I can’t deny any longer that I’m attracted to him. My body is always quick to remind me with red cheeks, wet panties, and breathless lungs every time I’m in his presence. It’s been so long since I’ve gotten any action. So, of course, my body is reacting that way.

I stand back to check myself out, and the excitement I had a minute ago just fades away as I stare at my reflection. “You know the bad stuff that can happen when you date a patient,” I whisper to myself. “Do you want to go through that again?”

Maybe Anabelle was right, and it won’t be like Gavin. But then, do I really want to take the chance to find out?

My shoulders slump forward as I grab my purse off the counter. I’ll go cancel on him. I’ll tell him that it’s not a good idea.

And it’s not.

Personal lives don’t belong in these halls.

I’m feeling really shitty when I walk in at eleven o’clock on the nose and see him standing in the middle of his room.

“Oh, my God,” I gasp. He’s looking gorgeous—freshly shaven with his hair gelled and combed to the side. His hospital gown is tied securely around his muscular body like it was made for him. It’s fitted to his big arms and massive chest, and I have to admit that it looks really, really sexy.

He steps forward and hands me a single long-stemmed red rose.

“You look beautiful,” he says, stepping back to look me up and down. The excitement that was lost comes flooding back as his eyes sparkle on their way back up to mine.

Maybe just one date. I don’t want to let the poor guy down. He’s been through so much.

“Thank you,” I say, feeling the familiar glow in my cheeks that always comes when he’s around. “You look pretty good yourself. I didn’t realize we had fitted gowns at the hospital.”

He smiles as he looks down at his arm. The fabric is tight around his bicep, and I swallow hard when I look at his hot tattoos trailing down his thick forearm.

“One of the nurses helped me out with some safety pins,” he says with a grin.

I almost ask who so that I can get her a raise, but my voice catches in my throat instead.

“Where did you get the flower?” I ask, smelling it. “You better not have left the hospital.”

He smiles. “Mrs. Puzo next door,” he says with a laugh. “It cost me two servings of applesauce.”

This guy is all charm when he wants to be. The flower was a nice touch, but I can’t be seen walking around the hospital with a patient and a rose, so I place it on the counter and turn back to him. “Your ten minutes starts now.”

He smiles as he holds out his muscular arm for me to take. “Then we better get started.”

A rush of adrenaline flows through me as I slide my arm around his. The side of my breast rests against his bicep, but for some reason, I don’t move it.

“One coffee,” I remind him. “That’s all you get.”

“We’ll see,” he says, smirking to himself. “I have big plans.”

“What do you have planned?” I ask as we step into the empty hallway. “A five-course meal? A show? Dancing?”

“You’re just going to have to wait and see,” he says as he shuffles down the hallway. “But it’s going to be good.”

“Don’t worry, my expectations aren’t high,” I say with a laugh as I look down at his feet. “They rarely are when my date shows up in slippers.”

He looks down at me with his sexy grin, squeezing my arm with his. “Don’t judge a foot by its cover. These are my fancy slippers, which means I really like you.”

“Lucky me,” I whisper with my heart pounding as we arrive at the elevators.

He reaches forward to press the button, and my eyes roam over his muscular back, hoping to catch another glimpse of his nice ass, but the not-so-helpful nurse pinned the open back of his gown closed.

It’s late in the hospital, and the lights are dimmed low in the empty hallways. The patients are sleeping in the dark rooms, and the nurses are tiptoeing around, whispering in hushed voices.

I love this time in the hospital when the chaos has died down and I can finally hear myself think. It feels strange to be sharing it with Shane, but I kind of like it.

“After you,” he says, motioning to the elevator doors after they bing open. He slides his hand onto my lower back and guides me inside the empty elevator like a perfect gentleman. A perfect gentleman in slippers.

I step in and lean my back against the railing on the stainless-steel wall as I watch him enter. His intoxicating smell fills the small elevator, and I have to grab the railing behind me and hold on tightly so I don’t run over and start sniffing him like I’m a crazed puppy. He’s the best smelling patient I’ve ever had, but that’s not saying too much.

“So, how’s your back feeling?” I ask as he hits the button for the second floor.

“Oh, no,” he says as he turns to me. “This is a date, not an examination. Save the patient/doctor questions for tomorrow.”

It’s been so long since I’ve been on a date that I don’t even remember what people talk about on dates. TV? Movies? I’ve been working so much that I haven’t seen either for a while.

Maybe sports? Guys love sports.

“Did you see the latest football game?” I ask, resisting the urge to slap my forehead right after I say it.

“No,” he says, shaking his head. “Did we win?”

I gulp. “I don’t know,” I mutter. “I didn’t see it either.”

Maybe the weather? You can’t go wrong with the weather, can you?

“Beautiful day today,” I say, wanting to die. “It’s been so nice out lately, hasn’t it?”

He laughs playfully at me. “I don’t know,” he says with a grin. “I’ve been kind of locked up, remember?”

Luckily, the elevator doors bing open, saving me from my horrid attempt at small talk.

He steps into the doorway, holding the elevator open with his muscular arm extended. He turns to me and smiles so beautifully that I squeeze the railing behind me a little tighter in case my knees buckle. “You seem nervous,” he says softly.

“I’m not nervous,” I lie. I’m definitely nervous. My heart is racing, and my palms are sweating. For starters, I shouldn’t be doing this with a patient, but that’s not the main reason why the butterflies in my stomach are acting like they’re at a Metallica concert. This guy is gorgeous. Utterly gorgeous.

But it’s not just his knee-weakening, mind-altering, rule-shattering good looks that are making me word vomit all over him. He’s fun to be around. The nurses all love him, and so do the patients. I’ve been mostly cold to him, but I know that once we cross that doctor/patient line, I’ll be hooked.

He’s a pure alpha male with every word that he says and every sexy move that he makes. Ever since I saw videos of him being interviewed and flying around the motocross tracks on his dirt bike, I can’t stop thinking about him. I’ve always been so careful and safety oriented—as a doctor, I can’t help it—but he’s the complete opposite. There’s something so dangerously sexy about watching him take these insane risks while a huge crowd watches him and goes crazy. I don’t know why, but it gets my heart pumping every time I think about it.

“Don’t be nervous,” he says as he holds my eyes with his. “I won’t bite unless you ask me to.”

He drops his arm with a smile and holds his hand out for mine. “Come with me,” he says in a voice that’s irresistible. “I have to do something to repay you for saving my life.”

“One coffee,” I say as I slide my hand into his. One really long, slow-sipping coffee.

“I have a dinner planned for us too,” he says as we walk into the cafeteria. The lights are off except for the warm glow of the emergency lights by the exits. The security shutters are rolled down over all of the food, but we have access to the rows and rows of empty tables.

The workers are long gone, as well as everybody else. There’s not a soul down here but us.

“I think you’re a little late for dinner,” I say, glancing over my shoulder at the bars across the entrance to the food area.

He shakes his head. “We’re eating cuisine from all around the world tonight.”

“Oh, we are?” I say with a laugh. “And how are we going to do that?”

“Come here,” he says with a grin, “and I’ll show you.”

“This I have to see,” I answer as I follow him to the hallway. There are a half-dozen vending machines lined up against the wall next to the bathrooms.

Shane pulls a twenty-dollar bill out of his gown and slides it into the first machine. “First we’re going to be dining on Cape Cod’s finest cuisine—the best food that our east coast can offer.”

He hits a button, and I laugh as the large coils start moving and a bag of Cape Cod chips drops down.

“Next, we’re heading to beautiful Mexico where the delectable dishes will make your mouth water with an abundance of rich, spicy flavors.” He hits another button and a bag of Jalapeno Doritos comes tumbling down.

“My mouth is watering already,” I say with a laugh.

“Well, we’re not done yet,” he says, flashing me his straight white teeth. “After Mexico, our taste buds will be in heaven when we taste the heavenly flavors of France.”

“France?”

“Oui, ma cheri,” he says with a grin as he hits another button. A bag of French Onion flavored Sun Chips falls down, joining the other two bags.

Shane takes his change, picks up the three bags of chips, and then hands them to me.

“You definitely know how to spoil a date,” I say, watching him with wonder.

“Wait until you see our next dish,” he says, moving on to the next vending machine. “Exotic. Flavorful. Delicious. Japan.”

I scrunch my nose up when I see the soggy packages of sushi slowly turning around inside. I place a hand on his arm to stop him. “I love sushi,” I say with a shake of my head. “But not enough to eat it from a vending machine. And as your doctor, I forbid you to eat it.”

“Skipping Japan,” he says with a laugh as he moves on to the next machine, the one with the chocolate bars.

“For dessert, you’ll feel like you’re in the alps when you’re relishing the sweet savors of Switzerland.” He slides some change into the slot and then hits the button. The coils turn with a groan, and a Lindt chocolate bar falls down.

“I can’t wait for that,” I say with a smile. I love chocolate.

“Well, you’ll have to wait,” he says. “Because up next we’re headed to the cuisine capital of planet Earth: Ireland.” He pushes a button and a Clark bar falls down.

“How is that Irish?” I ask with a laugh.

“I knew a guy named Clark once, and I think he was from Ireland.” He shrugs when I laugh. “What? It’s my favorite chocolate bar.”

“Are we done traveling, because your ten minutes is almost up?” I say this to get under his skin, but now that I’m here and having fun, I’m willing to extend the date to fifteen minutes. Maybe twenty.

“We’re not finished,” he says as he stuffs more change into the machine. He hits a couple of buttons, and a Mr. Big pops out.

“What country is that from?” I ask, looking at him curiously.

He grins as he takes it and hands it to me. “That’s to bring home to remind you of me.”

I laugh as I shake my head. I grab some change out of his hand and stuff it into the vending machine. “I would have picked this one as a reminder of you.”

Shane leans forward, watching over my shoulder as I press some buttons. He laughs as a Crunch bar falls down.

“Was that the sound when you landed?” I ask.

“I don’t know,” he says with a chuckle. “I was unconscious the second I hit the ground.”

“Where to next?” I ask, enjoying the little game.

“Next we’re headed to the rich, sultry flavors of Colombia,” he says as he walks over to the coffee machine.

I scrunch my nose up. “I’ve been drinking that coffee for years,” I say with a shake of my head. “And it doesn’t taste like it’s from Colombia. The sewer maybe, but not Colombia.”

“Would you prefer a Coke?” he asks. “Or a Sprite? I can offer you any of the finest beverages that the Cherry Valley Hospital vending machines have in stock.”

“I’ll take a coffee,” I answer. He looks at me funny, and I shrug. “I said it wasn’t good. I didn’t say I wasn’t going to drink it.”

“You’ll drink it even though you hate it?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s a love-hate kind of relationship,” I answer. “Plus, I couldn’t get through these long shifts without it.”

He’s smiling as he puts some coins in the machine and gets the cup ready. “How do you take it?”

“Two milks,” I say, enjoying the view as he sets up my coffee and makes one for himself.

“I didn’t realize there would be chocolate bars on this date as well, so I’ll start my timer now,” I say, grinning at him.

“Not just chocolate,” he says as he walks to the vending machine and reaches for something on top. “Candles too.”

“Where did you get candles in a hospital?” I ask, staring at him in shock. They don’t sell those in the gift shop.

“Not an actual candle,” he says as he pulls down an ophthalmoscope. I laugh when he turns the light on. “But the next best thing.”

“Wow, Mr. Winters,” I say, nodding in approval. “Pretty slick. Although you’re not allowed to take those.”

He gives me a mischievous grin as he holds out his arm. “It’s just on loan. I’ll give it back once I give you back.”

I hook my arm around his, trying to stop my cheeks from burning as we walk to the tables. With his gorgeous smile, hard sexy body, and smooth words—he can have me as long as he wants.