Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 98561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
“She was wearing stilettos.”
I winced.
Gabriel started to chuckle, then full-on laugh: a big, honest laugh that I really liked. “She’s screaming in joy, I’m screaming in pain…then her husband runs in, sees me on his wife, grabs this antique sword off the wall and comes at me with it. He’s yelling in French, she’s yelling in French, I’m running around naked trying to keep away from him…”
I clamped my hand over my mouth. “Oh my God! What happened?”
Gabriel gave a wry grin and shook his head. “She kisses her husband and makes a big speech about how he’s the only man for her, he kisses her, they fall onto the bed and…well, I became surplus to requirements. Like I said, their relationship was complicated. I grabbed my clothes and made myself scarce. They came downstairs a half hour later with their arms around each other and I did the deal I came there to do.”
I slowly shook my head, amazed. My face had flushed and my groin had tightened, imagining him having sex. I was self-consciously aware of how inexperienced I was, compared to him. I’d had boyfriends, but not many: the combination of three big, overprotective brothers and my awkwardness about my body meant I hadn’t dated much in high school. Then at college and med school, I’d buried myself in my studies, unable to switch off, while everyone else was hooking up. I was inexperienced in life, too, compared to him. He’d had adventures in Kazakhstan, Italy, New York… I’d barely ever left Arizona. We were so utterly different: he didn’t care about the rules, whereas I diligently obeyed every regulation, checked every box…
And look where that got me. Anger and shame made a hard knot in my stomach. The job I loved had been ripped away from me and I was stuck here, barely able to make a difference.
Most of the time, I don’t let what happened at the hospital get to me. I can’t, or I won’t be able to function. And however much I hate the prison, I have a job to do. But right then, it did get to me. I missed my old life. I missed the ER, I missed all my friends, I missed being able to actually help people…
All the stuff I kept crushed down inside me rose up. I felt my eyes go hot and quickly looked away.
“What’s wrong?” His voice had changed completely. He wasn’t teasing anymore. “What happened?”
I shook my head and blinked furiously, willing my eyes to stay dry. I needed to stay in control, be professional. But I could feel the memories threatening to break free—
With one stride, he closed the distance between us. Then his cuffed hands came down over my head so that his arms were around me. He gently pulled me to him, his joined hands snuggling into the small of my back, and suddenly I was full-length against him in a hug.
“What—What are you doing?!” I said into his chest.
“Making you feel better,” he told me. His cuffed hands ran lightly up and down my back. And—
And it did feel better. It wasn’t sexual, despite this being Gabriel, despite the fact my cheek was pressed to his bare chest, despite the fact that the only thing stopping his jumpsuit falling all the way to the floor was the press of our bodies. He wasn’t being cocky or teasing. The embrace was warm and kind, like he…cared. The memories slowly settled back down into the darkness and my eyes cooled. Just for a second, I allowed myself to relax against him and a feeling swept over me, so strong it took my breath away. I felt so safe, so protected…I never wanted it to end.
Then I came to my senses. I was pressed up against a prisoner, against one of my patients. I shook my head and ducked out of his arms, and he reluctantly lifted them so I could escape.
I turned from him and walked away. “You’re done,” I told him. “I’ll get you back in for another wound check in a week. I’ll get the guard.”
“Olivia!” His voice was low, so as not to be heard by the guard, but there was an urgency to it that made my chest ache.
I kept walking.
Behind me, I heard the jangle of the handcuff chain as he reached for me, then the metal clink as the chain snapped taut: I heard him curse under his breath and his footsteps as he hurried after me. “Olivia!” he hissed.
The open door to the hallway was down at the far end of the infirmary and I kept going, focused entirely on it. I’d get the guard, Gabriel would return to his cell and life would go back to normal.
Gabriel muttered something behind me and then there was a strange noise, a metal scratching, and his footsteps slowed, as if he was preoccupied with something. A click. Then his footsteps resumed.