He wasn’t about to let her get away that easily. “Sure.” He walked to the entrance of the gym and pushed the door open for her, following her out. His plan was to invite her to dinner so they could catch up and, he hoped, dig deeper than the surface conversation she’d allowed today.
They stepped back into her office, and once again he was in close quarters with Willow, surrounded by the delicious scent of coconut, his favorite smell since she’d always favored that in shower gel and shampoo. All he had to do was inhale and his cock stood at attention, which gave him a reason to shrug his jacket back on and cover the evidence of his arousal.
Had he been with other women in the last two years? Yes. Did he remember faces or names? No. And he’d always thought of Willow and wished it was her he was with.
“So I was wondering,” he began, intending to ask her if they could get together, as a knock sounded on the open door.
Not ready to share her yet, Braden turned to see who needed her attention. A man he didn’t recognize stood in the doorway. A blond-haired, brown-eyed, well-groomed guy wearing khakis and a short-sleeve Polo shirt.
“Am I interrupting?” the man asked.
Willow blinked, a flush on her cheeks. “No, of course not. Braden Prescott, this is Cole Walsh, one of the team physicians. You’ll be working together.”
Stepping forward, Braden extended his arm and they shook hands.
“My new boss.” The man took Braden in, obviously sizing him up, and Braden did the same.
“Good to meet you and looking forward to working with you,” Cole said at last.
“Same here. I’ll be announcing an official meeting in the morning, after I’ve been introduced to everyone this afternoon,” Braden said.
“Great.” Cole smiled and turned to Willow. “Are you ready for lunch? I know we don’t have much time, but I made a reservation at your favorite place.” His expression as he turned to her was of a man smitten.
That flush in her cheeks deepened as she looked at Braden beneath lowered lashes before glancing at Cole. “Sounds perfect. We’re finished here, right, Braden?” Without waiting for a reply, she opened a drawer in her desk and picked up her handbag.
Shit. She was with another man, one he’d be working with. That was a hiccup he hadn’t anticipated, and jealousy rose fast and furious inside him.
“Have fun,” he said as she walked past him without meeting his gaze.
Son of a bitch. Now what?
* * *
“So I gave him a tour and we went back to my office and Cole interrupted and he and I went to lunch.” Willow took a sip of the wine she’d poured for both herself and Steffy, who’d stopped by on her way home after work.
When Steffy was hired, she’d also been looking for an apartment, and there had been one available in Willow’s building, so she’d mentioned the rental. Steffy had liked the area and the unit and rented it immediately. After they’d become friends, she’d often stop by Willow’s for a drink and a chat and vice versa.
“Hmm.” Steffy settled into the plush sofa in Willow’s living room.
“Hmm what?”
She shrugged. “Just hmm. And how was lunch with Cole?”
Willow glanced at her friend over the rim of her glass, taking another sip before answering. “I don’t know. I was distracted.”
“By a certain hot doctor? And not the one you went to lunch with?” Her friend gave her a knowing look.
“Maybe.” Willow blushed at the admission, hating that Braden had the ability to get to her on any level. “But only because I was in shock that he showed up again and I’ll be working with him, not because I still have feelings for the man.”
“Of course not.” Steffy walked into the kitchen, which was a pass-through from the family room, and poured herself more wine.
“You sound like you don’t believe me,” Willow muttered, knowing her friend was right but unwilling to admit it.
“Oh, that’s because I don’t. I saw the look on your face during that press conference, and it wasn’t just shock. You were drooling.” Returning from the kitchen, she settled onto the other end of the couch, tucking a leg beneath her.
Willow rolled her eyes. “I was not drooling.” Salivating was more like it, and she hated herself for still being attracted to Braden, never mind letting him ruin her lunch with a perfectly nice man.
“Does Cole know your history with Braden?” Steffy raised an eyebrow in question, and Willow’s grip on her wineglass tightened.
She shook her head. “No. I really want to keep my past out of the workplace. Cole and I don’t make a public display, and there’s no whispers about us. I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Which I understand. But that has nothing to do with telling the man you’re dating that the new doctor is your ex.”
She placed her drink on a coaster on the table and groaned. “It’s not an exclusive relationship. I really don’t think it’s a good idea to mention it and have that kind of mess between the three of us at work.”
Steffy narrowed her gaze. “So it’s not serious. And you couldn’t focus on him at lunch. You’re not sleeping with him! How long have you two been dating?” she asked.
“Casually for three months.”
“Well, if you haven’t slept with him before now, I can guarantee you won’t now that Dr. Hottie is back.”
She frowned at her friend, but again, Willow wasn’t about to admit Steffy had a point. Willow had been holding off taking that next step with him, and Steffy was right. Now she’d been reminded of what she was missing and why she hadn’t gone further with Cole.
None of that meant she was interested in rekindling things with Braden, who she could not trust.
* * *
The first week passed quickly, with Braden getting to know the players and the staff. He discovered he enjoyed the hectic pace of the season, keeping up with each man on the team and their chronic issues and those things that put them on the Injured Reserve List. He actually liked the job more than he’d thought he would, coming off humanitarian work.
Seeing Willow every day was a bonus, even if she treated him to her cool, professional persona that didn’t give him any way to break through her reserve. He didn’t think anyone noticed that they weren’t actually speaking to one another. Only Hudson had caught on quickly, but he knew their history. It was only a matter of time before Willow’s stiffness around him became obvious to others.
Today was Tuesday and the weekend on the road was fast approaching. He planned to travel with the team and be there on the sidelines. He didn’t believe in passing the buck, and though he had other general practitioners who could go, he wanted to show he had the chops for the job, not just Ian’s approval.
Dr. Daniel Barrett, head orthopedic surgeon for the team, had two orthopedists and one surgeon traveling with them, and Braden had tapped another GP to go with them. He hadn’t chosen Cole Walsh. He’d like to say he wasn’t biased against the man or that he didn’t want an open road to Willow, but that would be bullshit and he was man enough to admit it. By the same token, he wasn’t taking Hudson, either, because two new doctors who didn’t know the ropes wouldn’t be smart. He understood he needed to learn on the job and watch the people who’d been around longer than him for protocol. But once and if an injury occurred, his instincts would kick in, and he’d know exactly what to do.