To me, they had to be the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen.
Until their owner spoke. “Can you move?” he said, shaking me from my out of body experience.
Looking over my shoulder, I realized I was still partly in the way of the doors—rendering them unable to shut. “Oh, yeah,” I said, taking another step inside. I quickly turned around, embarrassed for acting so awestruck. However, I wasn’t feeling too charitable at the moment. “You could have held the doors for me,” I said as the elevator pinged.
He cleared his throat. “I’m in a hurry.”
“Aren’t we all?” I asked, the tone of my voice sounding catty even to my ears. Still, I wasn’t about to let him off the hook just because he was late to get somewhere.
A loud sigh accompanied by unintelligible mumbling rumbled behind me. “Pardon?” I turned my head around to find his eyes staring directly at me. Crap. He took my breath away again. My heart began beating erratically inside my chest. No matter what I did, I couldn’t will myself to look away.
Tall, dark, and handsome didn’t even begin to describe him. His thick, lush hair laid in perfection as though he’d just had it professionally styled. That was no cheap-ass haircut like Maya and I got.
Greek gods were surely jealous of his chiseled cheekbones and jawline.
I wondered what his arms looked like underneath that white coat. Those wide shoulders of his more than hinted he rarely missed a workout.
“I said that I doubted you were in the same kind of rush I’m in.”
The bastard. Did he really just insinuate he had more important places to be than I did? Not much made a great-looking guy sour in my mind than a big, huge ego. The elevator came to a jarring stop—much like our conversation. “Right. I’m sure you’re off to save the world. By all means, go ahead of me, sir.” I swung my arms to the side like a model on a cheesy gameshow.
“Actually, I am off to save the world,” he said snidely, stepping passed me. What a jackass. Gazing up at the floor number, I realized this was my stop as well. Dammit. Before the doors closed on me, I hurried out. Looking at the signs on the walls, I followed the arrows.
As luck would have it, elevator guy was going in the same direction. Even though watching him move down the hall was highly enjoyable, I crossed my fingers, hoping he’d keep going straight instead of turning left.
Fantastic. He hung a left. As I rolled my eyes up to the heavens above, I bit my lip. Please make him not be attending the meeting I was going to. I’ll give up—movies. And candy. For a month. Okay, that was probably a lie. But I’d try really, really hard. Just don’t make me sit in the same room with this pompous ass.
As though he could hear my thoughts, his head swiveled around. His eyes narrowed on me while that gorgeous, strong jaw of his dropped. “Are we going to the same place?” he asked, stopping abruptly.
I slowed my pace. “More than likely,” I answered as I sighed in resignation. “That’s just how my luck goes.”
“You’re joining the meeting for Mrs. Maxwell?” His eyes traveled down my body, making me feel almost naked in front of him. I shivered in response, inwardly cursing the unwanted physical reaction I was having toward this very annoying, very hot, man.
My breath quickened and I swear I felt lightheaded being this close to him. I cursed silently at my long-neglected nipples as they tightened.
“Mmhmm, that’s right.” Stopping a few feet away from him, I took the opportunity to take a thorough gander over his body. Lord, he was much taller than me. A hint of his cologne wafted up my nose and I had to hold back a groan. It was a spicy, manly mixture that made me lean closer to him.
My brain yelled, “Stop!” while an aching sensation in my lower belly yelled, “Go!”. I swear red light warning, alarm bells went off in my mind. Stay away. Stay far, far away from this one.
He held out his hand. “I’m her son.”
3
Chloe
Florence’s son. Of course, he was. Who else would I find to scrap with in an elevator?
Somehow, I was able to stop myself from making any further combative comments. For now. “Ah, I see. Yes, she’s mentioned you before, I think.” His hand practically engulfed mine—the heat from his skin seeping into me. I nearly whimpered at the tingling sensation as it traveled up my arm and down to my lower belly. God, it had been a long time since a man had so much as touched me.
Nobody had held my hand—other than Maya—in well over a year.
Apparently, my nipples had still not received the message that we were not into this jerk. No matter how devastatingly handsome he was. “Shall we?” he asked, letting go of my hand as he gestured to the door on the right.
I was a bit confused by his mood. It was like he’d hit a switch from jackass to all business. Whatever. I wasn’t going to have to deal with him much except for this meeting. Once this was over, I’d never have to see him again. Perhaps the odd phone call would be required but certainly nothing more than that.
One hour. That I could do. This wouldn’t take long. Nodding at him, I took his cue and sauntered through the open door. I caught another whiff of his scent as I passed by, causing my knees to wobble.
Sixty minutes. Then I’d be home free.
At least a dozen people sat around a large table, all their eyes shot directly to me as I entered the room. The only open seats were further to the back. A round of applause sounded, causing me to frown briefly as I walked. They surely weren’t clapping for me.
“There’s our hero of the hour,” a larger man near the front said, standing as he continued to clap. The rest of the room stood, giving the jackass some kind of standing ovation. What was going on?
When I found a chair, I remained standing while everyone congratulated Flo’s son and took turns shaking his hand. “Thank you,” he said, pulling out his chair. “That really isn’t necessary.” He sat down, taking his phone out of his pocket and depositing it on the table.
“Not necessary? Dr. Maxwell, you set a new record for heart transplants at this hospital. And with such a difficult case?” the same man said incredulously as he lowered his sizeable self back into the chair.
Jackass was a heart surgeon? Inwardly I groaned. Of course, he was some kind of rock star surgeon. It would be my luck not to piss off anyone, but a top-notch doc, and the son of a friend.
“We were lucky it turned out how it did. Not going to lie, it was touch and go there for a while,” the jackass said rather more humbly than I expected.
“Johnson said you used a new procedure?” the woman beside me asked, picking up a pen.
The jackass shrugged. “I did what I had to and luckily the patient is a real fighter. Anyway, we’re here to discuss my mother’s care.”
For the next half hour or so they all discussed Florence, her operation which occurred a month ago and her ongoing progress. I was fairly quiet, only having spoken to introduce myself in the beginning. That’s when I’d learned the jackass’ name was Rhys.
He even had a perfect name.
“And Chloe, this brings us to your part in Florence’s homecare plan,” said the woman beside me, whose name I’d learned was Darlene. “You are able to help her out at her condo, I understand?”