Chapter 2

2

HUGH

S he's like a nuclear bomb to my system, and when I look into her eyes, I forget everything else. All my many years of medical school, working in this damned hospital, and dealing with my chronically adrift-in-life son. It all narrows down to just her. The gorgeous, irresistible girl on the hospital bed.

What the hell is wrong with me? She's a patient, for fuck's sake, and I'm ogling her like I've never seen a woman before. What's worse, she's ill. Otherwise, Alex wouldn't have bothered bringing her here. The boy avoids me when he can because he knows how annoyed I am with his choices in life. The choice to bring this hot little thing in here though…I can get behind that one.

I can get behind her, too, if she'd let me. Jesus Christ. I need to get a hold of myself!

The girl is staring at me with this wide-eyed intensity that makes me wonder if she's feeling the same sort of shocking connection that I am. But past that, there are such obvious signs of illness that I automatically feel like shit for ogling her in the first place. There's no way in hell I'm going to be able to ignore this woman, whose mere presence is making my subconscious chant mine mine mine, but first, I need to make her well.

Just as this thought crosses my mind, she makes the softest sound, and I see her arms quivering for just a breath, and I know she's going to fall. I rush over, managing to get a hand behind her head before it hits the bed. It's an instinctual thing, but now I see how strange it must look. Especially to Alex. But there's something about the dazed way she's staring up at me that makes everything fade away.

"Easy," I tell her before I can think too hard about the words coming out of my mouth. "You're going to be okay. I've got you."

I can sense the confusion rolling off Alex behind, but who cares? My entire world is narrowing down to the woman whose head is in my hand. The dark, silky fall of her hair, her wide, bloodshot emerald eyes, and a sinfully full mouth that has parts of me that I usually ignore stirring.

Slowly, I lower her down and step back, clearing my throat as I go. I pick up my chart again, struggling to get myself back under control and handle this situation like the seasoned professional I'm supposed to be.

"Now, my name is Dr. Harvey…" I flip to the page the nurse has filled out for this room. "It looks like you're here for gastrointestinal issues, Miss Lyons?"

"Dad, she's–" Alex starts, but I hold up my hand to stop him.

"I think she's old enough to speak for herself, son. So, once again, you're having gastrointestinal issues, Miss Lyons?"

She nods her head, but her eyes are flicking between me and Alex distractedly. "Yeah…but I'm a little confused. Alex, he's your…?"

"My dad, yeah." Alex preens a little as if all of my accomplishments have anything to do with him. "I told you I knew how to take care of you."

The anger that roars to life in me against my own son takes me off guard, so I cram it down and try to keep my cool. "One more word, Alex, and you're getting kicked out of this room. Let me take care of my patient."

I motion for the woman—Haley, her chart says—to sit up. I start the exam, trying my damndest to remain, at least visibly, in control of myself. The poor thing is clearly dehydrated, her soft skin pale from it, but she's obedient with each command I give her. When I have her open her mouth, I clutch her chin between my thumb and forefingers. The touch is so reminiscent of what I want to do to her outside of this hospital room, opening her mouth and sliding inside, that I feel my cock hardening instantly. I breathe slowly out of my nose, jaw clenched, and finish the exam before stepping back. Thank God my doctor's coat covers my hard-on.

"Well, I could send out for some labs if you're really worried, but I think that you're just suffering from a 24-hour stomach virus. I can give you some anti-nausea medication, and with rest and fluids, that should be plenty to get you back to normal." I scratch down my findings on the chart paper. "But the most important thing right now is for you to stay hydrated. I'm going to have the nurse come in and give you an IV just for some fluids, and then you can head home."

Haley nibbles at her bottom lip but ultimately nods. "Yeah, okay. That sounds good to me."

There's so much I want to ask her, but even the things I could pass off as just doctor-and-patient talk would be noticed as odd by Alex. And if I'm not mistaken, he seems to think he has some sort of possessiveness about Haley that just isn't going to work. Not by a long shot. So I've got to get rid of him.

I make a show of checking my watch. "Since it's almost 10 pm, I'm going to have to ask you to leave, Alex. Family only after 9 pm."

He immediately protests. "But Dad, she's my girlfriend!"

Like hell she is, I think, but instead, turn back to Haley. "Miss Lyons?"

"He's not," she confirms, and I have to cough to hide the smile that's threatening to take over my face. "You can go, Alex."

"No way. I brought you here. I'm not going to leave you all alone!"

"I'm fine," Haley insists, even though it's obvious that she's far from fine.

Of course, I'm lying about the visiting hours. Any other time, I would prefer for my sick patients to have someone with them when they are discharged, but for Haley, I have different plans. I don't really give a damn if my son likes this girl or not. She's made it clear that whatever connection he's imagining that they have is all in Alex's mind, so I won't be stepping on his toes when I pursue her. Not that it would have stopped me either way. Alex has disappointed me plenty in his life. I think he'll survive just fine if I piss him off.

Alex looks thunderstruck, but I watch in satisfaction as he gathers his things and leaves the room, giving Haley a defeated, "Call me when you get home, I guess," before disappearing down the hall. I let out a long exhale of relief now that he's gone. Now Haley is all mine, at least in some capacity.

I'll have all of her later.

"I can't believe Alex's dad is a doctor," Haley muses out loud, curling up with the thin hospital blanket. "He's just…just…"

"A loser?" I finish for her, and she flinches at the harsh words. "You don't have to police your words around me, Haley. I know good and well what my son is. But I'm ready to be done talking about him, aren't you?"

"Yes. He's been breathing down my neck for weeks now. I'd like to stop thinking about him, if only he'd leave me alone."

Anger bubbles to the surface again. "I'll handle it. Don't worry about a thing."

"...Okay. I don't want to be a bother." Haley's voice is so soft and nervous.

An idea springs to mind, and I'm glad I haven't ordered the hydrating IV yet. I want to get her feeling better, but I can't pass up the chance to get my hands on her, just a little bit. I want her body to crave my touch the same way mine does hers.

"Never, Haley," I reassure her, rolling up the sleeves of my coat. "But let's get back to focusing on you, pretty girl. I just need to give you a quick physical exam before I call the nurse in. Just to make sure there isn't anything on your body that might point to something else being wrong."

Her eyes, like round jewels, go wide again. "Physical?"

"Yes. Just scoot to the edge of the bed there, and it will only take a second. Can you clasp your hands together and raise them above your head?"

She hesitates but is quick to follow my directions, bringing her arms up and making her full breasts push hard against the blue uniform polo she's wearing, emblazoned with the name of a local bookstore. My cock jumps behind the zipper of my pants at the sight of her nipples, barely visible under the cloth, and I have to clench my fists a few times so my touch is as professional as possible.

I start with my fingers under her chin, sliding down and pausing to see how quickly her heart is beating. I drag them slowly, so slowly, down her neck, and her breath catches when I glide my thumbs over her collarbone.

"Just checking for any swelling," I assure her, and Haley makes a small noise of agreement. "I'm just going to listen to your heart now."

Stethoscope in hand, I press the circle of it near her tit, unable to resist catching one of her nipples with my thumb as I do so. She gasps, but I know that if I go any further, then there's no way she's going to fall for the physical exam any longer. So after listening to her heartbeat, I take the stethoscope out of my ears and step back.

"All finished," I tell her, one side of my mouth quirking up. "I'll leave you in the capable hands of my nurse now, but I'll come check on you before you're discharged, alright?"

"Yup!" Haley chirps nervously, adjusting herself on the raised bed with a nervous laugh. I know I should feel worse about coercing a sick girl, but I don't.

I'm affecting her. A lot, if the flush on her cheeks is anything to go by. I have a feeling I could push her further, lure her into letting me touch her more, but I have to hang on to the threads of my professional status.

"I'll see you soon, Miss Lyons," I tell her, sinking all the warmth I can into my voice. She doesn't respond, but I don't need her to. All I need is for her to know that I'll be back for her.

As soon as I'm out in the hallway, I want to turn around and go back in. The thought of Haley leaving and never being able to see her again makes me want to tear the whole building apart. Breathing through it, I make my way toward the nurse's station and let them know what the plan is for our VIP patient in room 7.

With that, I lower myself into my leather chair in front of the doctor's computer terminal and sigh in sweet relief. I've been on my feet for almost twelve hours and was nearly out the door when one of the nurses grabbed me by the sleeve and told me there was a patient that had just arrived and was requesting me. When I asked who it was, they told me my son and my heart dropped to my feet, thinking something was wrong with him. For all that he's an annoyance, he's still my son.

But she had quickly added that my son was just with the patient, not the patient itself, and annoyance swept away any worry I might have been holding on to. Leave it to Alex to expect me to drop everything and cater to his whims.

I had expected one of his stupid friends to be in the triage room with him, maybe having blown a finger off lighting firecrackers or getting ill from drinking too much. What I hadn't expected was the most intriguing girl I've ever laid eyes on.

With Haley being my only patient, I have a little bit of time before I have to sign off on her discharge papers. I pull my phone out from my pocket, smirking when I see loads of messages from my son. I delete them without even reading, sending him a simple, I'll call you tomorrow. He's already assumed that my time was worthless once tonight, I'll be damned if I let him do it again.

The overhead hospital lights are harsh, and combined with the smell of the sanitizer and bleach and the constant sounds of alarm beeps and low voices, the hospital is definitely not a place that I ever expected to meet my match in. Yet, there she sits, just a few rooms away.

Haley might have a stomach bug, but I don't expect that to last too long. I'm not worried at all about her health. She's young and fit. If I had been concerned, I think I might have moved heaven and earth to get her well. As things are right now, though, sweet Haley just needs a few days before my seduction can really begin.

Discreetly palming my erection through my pants, I order the prescription for her anti-nausea medication and lean back in my chair for a moment to relax. Haley will be expecting me to tell her goodbye, and I need to think of exactly what words to use to make sure that I'm on her mind until I can see her again. I'm skirting a thin line between appropriate and inappropriate, but I find it hard to care much anymore.

Seattle Comfort Medical Center has never been my dream job, even as I passed my thirties and into my forties. Now at 41, I'm sure that my time here is finished. But the pay is damn good, and that has kept me here for quite some time. Being a doctor with a specialty in neurology means that I'm one of the highest-paid in the building, but it doesn't get me out of my monthly ER shift, which is why I'm here tonight. Soon, though, I expect to be leaving this rainy city and go work somewhere that is both warm and much more prestigious.

I've aced both interviews with Los Angeles Neurology Group, and I'm more than ready to leave Seattle and my overly coddled son behind. Maybe he'll become a real man once I'm gone.

I push aside any worries I might have about Haley still being in Seattle, though, even if they pull hard on me. She's mine—I knew it immediately—so something will work out. It always does.

My mind wanders, and it isn't until one of the aids is tapping me hesitantly on the shoulder that I realize I've fallen asleep in the comfortable leather chair. It really has been one hell of a long day for me.

"Dr. Harvey? Your patient in room 7 is ready to be discharged," the aid tells me.

I sit up and stretch before standing. My blood is already pumping harder at the idea of seeing Haley for the last time tonight. I hope she's well enough to pick up the hints I'm putting down. Hints that are meant to tell her I'm interested. More than interested, really, but I don't want to scare her off so quickly.

When I enter the room and pull the curtain aside, Haley looks worlds better than she did when I left her last. There's a bright blue bandaid on the inside of her right elbow, and her pallid skin is now rosy and bright with wellness. She looks up at me with wide eyes and smiles.

"I feel so much better!" Haley gushes. "I guess I really should have come sooner, huh?"

"Dehydration is nothing to mess with," I comment, coming closer to give her a quick once-over before deciding that she really is well enough to be discharged. "Don't wait next time. It's dangerous."

Nodding, she accepts the discharge paperwork I hand her and listens intently as I go over them with her. Then, I watch as she pulls her phone out and opens the Uber app once I'm done talking, and it makes me frown.

"Do you really think it's safe for a woman like you to be taking a cab home?"

Surprised, she looks up and blushes at the intensity of my gaze. "Well, um, I came here with your son. And we were still in an Uber, so I guess that's how I'm going to have to get home, too."

I exhale loudly, annoyed. "Absolutely not."

Now Haley bristles some, tucking her chocolate-colored hair behind her ears. "It's not like I want to Uber home, especially since it's an extra cost on top of this hospital visit, but–"

This gives me pause. Damn, I guess I didn't make it clear that she'll never owe a single cent as far as I'm concerned. "No charge for seeing me, Haley. And I'm going to drive you home."

I didn't think it was possible, but her eyes go even wider. "Is that…allowed?"

Shrugging, I tell her, "Once the two of us are out of this building, who cares? We're both grown adults."

Haley looks up at me, all 5'2" of her, and looks confused. "You're different from most doctors I've met before."

"Yeah, I've heard that before," I chuckle, giving her a grin that makes her blush. It's the truth, too. I've never fit into the mold that most doctors are forced into. I don't need to be stoic to be good at my job, and I also don't need to file down my rougher edges, either. I have the same degree that everyone in my position does, so who cares if my personality grates on the nerves of some of my colleagues? Frankly, it's none of their business. If there was ever an opportunity for my aloof nature to come in handy, it's now—when Haley needs a ride home and I just so happen to be off my shift.

"It just seems…" She gestures with her hands. "Too personal, I guess?"

"I don't mind personally, Miss Lyons. Do you?"

Haley blinks a few times but finally shakes her head. I knew I had her the minute I offered a ride. No one wants to pay for a cab or walk home after a bout of stomach illness. "I guess it's okay if you think so. You're the doctor here, not me."

"Damn right," I laugh. "Give me a few minutes and I'll meet you in the lobby, okay? That should give you time to go pick up your prescription from the pharmacy before we leave."

"Okay… Thank you, Dr. Harvey."

I stop in the doorway and turn, making sure that she's looking directly at me. "Haley, you can call me Hugh. I don't want to hear ‘doctor' on those pretty lips again, got it?"

If she blushes any harder, she might combust. "Got it!"