Page 63 of Goodnight, Sinners

She barely noticed Jozef finish.

He gripped her hips so hard it would have hurt if she’d been even remotely cognizant of what was happening around her.

Finally, she was able to draw in a breath as his semen shot into her, flooding her with his warmth.

She would have collapsed backwards, but he grabbed hold of her and held her against him.

When they both landed from their respective orgasms, Shaun looked at him with what she knew was a stupid grin plastered across her face. There was an answering one on his.

“I think I’m definitely going to need more shooting lessons.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Shaun arrived at the hospital right on time with her team of bodyguards. Cooper had been cleared to stand outside of the surgical room, while the others would patrol the corridors outside of the surgery ward.

Walking into the hospital, knowing she was about to do the thing she loved most in the world was both heady and nerve-wracking. It was a different hospital, but the same feeling of exhilaration.

She knocked on Elisa’s office door and was greeted with a bright smile.

“Come in, I’m just finishing up a few things and then we can go to the patient’s room.” Cooper tried to follow Shaun through the door, but Elisa stopped him. “I’m sorry, you can’t come in. We’ll be discussing the details of this patient’s surgery, which is private.”

“I go where she goes,” he said gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest and showing off his impressive biceps.

Elisa didn’t look particularly impressed. “The door is made of glass. I’ll leave it unlocked. If, somehow, Dr. Patterson is attacked while she’s in my office, you can be by her side in under two seconds. Or shoot through the door. Whatever’s easiest.”

She didn’t wait for an answer, but closed the door in his face. Shaun smothered a laugh at his disgruntled expression.

“Have a seat.” Elisa waved Shaun to the guest chair. “I have a few things for you to sign.”

Shaun sat down, setting her purse on the floor. She’d assumed she would have to sign a non-disclosure agreement given the sensitive nature of the case. Elisa placed several documents in front of her with tabs where she needed to sign.

The two women worked together in comfortable silence. Elisa was concentrating on several files in front of her. As head of neurology, it was her responsibility to review the case files for the staff working under her.

Shaun read carefully through each document Elisa had given her before signing. Sure enough, one was an NDA from the patient. There was another from the hospital, as well as liability waiver. The hospital was not to be responsible for any injury to her person while on the hospital grounds. The last document was for the transfer of her fee for the procedure. She raised her eyebrows and looked up at Elisa.

“We didn’t discuss a fee. This is a sizeable sum that I don’t particularly need. Given that my fiancé is donating money to the hospital, it feels a little unnecessary.”

Elisa smiled. “We have to pay you. Paid staff are covered by our insurance. We don’t really have a volunteer program for surgeons.”

“But the amount.”

“Yes, I negotiated for that on your behalf.” When Shaun opened her mouth to argue, Elisa held a hand up and cut her off. “All women should be independent. This is your work, and you should be paid for it. You’re one of the best surgeons in the world. Had we borrowed you from your hospital in Montreal, this is what you would have been paid.”

Embarrassment flooded Shaun and she quickly signed the last document. Of course, she should accept the money. She was independent of Jozef. It rattled her that she was thinking in terms of a kept woman. She needed to have a stern talking-to with herself when she got home.

When Shaun finished, she pulled a file from her purse and passed it across the desk.

“What’s this?” Elisa opened the file, then laughed when she saw Shaun’s resume with the cover letter asking for a permanent position at the hospital.

“Consider this my formal request for employment.”

Elisa shook her head and set the file down. “This wasn’t necessary. We will consider it an honour if you accept a position with us. The hospital director is so pleased by the idea that I think he’s ready to offer you my position. He’s already printed your identification.”

Elisa tossed the ID badge across the desk toward Shaun. On it was the picture the hospital had taken of her when she’d first gone through security one week earlier.

Shaun looked carefully at Elisa. Her comment about Shaun taking her job was pointed. Though any position other than the head of the department would be a step down for Shaun, she had no intention of taking the other woman’s job. They inhabited an incredibly competitive field and there were few enough women who made it to the top that Shaun was unwilling to displace one as smart and driven as the woman sitting across from her.

If Shaun were to take a long-term position in the hospital, she would have plenty of room for movement. She was almost twenty years younger than Elisa, who would eventually retire or move on to a director position.

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