Page 44 of Embrace
They smirked at each other until the chief shook his head.
He flung up a hand. “All right, then. Bugger off.”
I had just gotten my first view of how close they were as friends. They were two people who could communicate without words—that was pretty close.
“Penina, let’s go,” Asher said with the sort of gusto reserved for someone who was assured he would get what he wanted.
I took a moment to finish processing what I thought about Asher demanding I go with him. First, the previous night, he’d let me leave and never even called to make sure I’d gotten to bed okay. That was a dick move. Secondly, and most importantly, I was in the middle of helping a patient.
“Excuse me, Dr. Christmas, I presume.” I said “presume” because referring to him as Dr. Sparrow still rested on the tip of my tongue.
Asher put his mouth close to my ear. “I’m sorry about last night.” He kissed my cheek.
“Um,” I said, touching where his lips had left their mark.What was I going to say?
“Where’s the patient, Dr. Ross?” the chief asked.
I couldn’t take my eyes off that hypnotic but cocky grin on Asher’s face. He looked different, too—more relaxed and happier.
“First floor, exam room 38,” I said finally.
Next, I had to send Greg a text letting him know that, just as he’d snuck into the hospital and kidnapped me out of the hallway, he should be discreet when making his way to the eighth floor, room 809, and Chief Brown would be waiting for him there.
Greg replied quickly.And you?
Asher scowled at his reply. “Don’t answer that,” he said.
I glanced at the chief. I’d never been so casual while in the room with him. It felt odd, and perhaps that was why I was embarrassed to be sitting next to my jealous boyfriend. And the more I thought about how he’d abandoned me the previous night, only to show up the next morning looking as fresh as a powder puff, the more I was sure he had definitely landed himself in the doghouse.
“I can’t just ignore a patient,” I said, typing out,Later. I have a consultation.
“Okay,” I said and slipped my phone into my white medical coat then stood up.
My phone dinged again, and without considering how upset answering it would make Asher, I looked to see who it was.
Then I’ll wait.
Suddenly pissed, I hit the microphone button and said tersely, “You can’t wait. Go meet the chief. Now.” I pressed send.
Chief Brown and Asher looked at me as though I had lost my mind.
* * *
I’d thoughtwe were going to Asher’s office and had no uncertainty about what we were going to do next. The anticipation made me sensitive down there. He still looked unhappy about my communication with Greg, but that was for him to work out within himself. Greg was my patient. I couldn’t just ignore him or pass him off, not yet anyway.
I followed Asher into a stairwell. It was the less populated route to wherever we were going. People would be looking to see us together after the previous night. For a number of reasons, Asher’s being a famous Christmas included, we were the spectacle of the day.
“About last night,” I said as we climbed the stairs.
“Penina, I said I was sorry,” he said as he stopped in front of a door that always remained locked.
Asher took a ring with six or seven keys on it out of his pocket, found the one he wanted, and unlocked the door. I raised my eyebrows, surprised he already had that level of access.
“If you’re apologizing for leaving me wanting you last night, so much so that I gorged on a pint of ice cream—”
He smirked. “You wanted me?”
My eyes grew wider.Did I confess that out loud?
