Dr. Harding’s gaze slices back to me and the darkness within them has me shrinking back. This isn’t a man I want to cross, and unfortunately, this whole situation makes me fear that I may already have.
He glances between us as though he’s about to accuse us of having some absurd, unprofessional relationship, and after a long, silent moment, he steals his stare away and stalks out of Dr. Mayson’s office with a sharp grunt. He thankfully keeps his mouth shut, and when the door slams behind him, Dr. Mayson lets out a deep sigh. “I'm sorry you had to witness that.”
I shrug my shoulders, attempting to shake it off. “It’s fine,” I tell him, pretending that just the thought of the meeting doesn’t send chills down my spine. “You really didn’t need to stand up for me like that. I don’t want you putting yourself in a bad situation for me.”
Dr. Mayson scoffs and turns to face me, putting himself right in front of me, closer than he’s ever been before. “Nobody is going to get away with talking to you like that. It was inappropriate, and I wasn’t going to stand by and allow him to take advantage of you.”
“I … thank you,” I finally say, my voice low as something stirs within my chest and the need to throw myself at him comes over me.
Words fall short, and we’re left standing in front of each other, the tension between us growing by the second. A softness spreads through his features and his hand flinches at his side, almost as though he’s trying to convince himself not to reach out and touch me, though I would give everything I had just to feel his fingertips brush over my skin.
I bite down on my lip and raise my chin, my eyes becoming hooded as I watch him struggle to control himself. This man is quickly becoming every thought inside my head, and the fact that I’m standing here right now, trying to convince myself not to crush my lips to his, couldn’t be good for my career, but I can’t deny how good it would feel.
Damn it. What is wrong with me? I only kicked Brandon out last night. How stupid could I be to jump straight back into another mistake? Though, Dr. Mayson would be a different kind of mistake … a very, very different mistake. He’s the kind of mistake that might even be worth it, but that’s not a risk I’m willing to take just yet. I have to be smart about this.
“I should go,” I murmur, fearing the trouble that I’d undoubtedly get myself into if I was to stay. “It’s getting late and I’m sure you have other stuff you need to be doing.”
He nods, a strain creeping through his gaze. “I think that’s a good idea,” he tells me, taking a hesitant step away from me. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I give him a tight smile as I reluctantly walk back around his desk and find my bag lying in the middle of the floor. “I’ll umm … yeah. I’ll see you then.” I physically have to force myself to move my ass to the door before I allow myself the chance to ruin everything by running into his strong arms.
I quickly glance back at him as I head for the door, and with his eyes glued to mine, heavy and full of desire, I know that Dr. Mayson and I will never have a professional relationship, no matter how hard either of us tries.
CHAPTER 10
AUTUMN
I lean over Patricia’s desk as she goes over some paperwork with me, pointing out exactly what I need to do. The last student who submitted paperwork to her ended up wasting three crucial hours because of one missed number, and I refuse to fuck up like that. Hell, from now on, Patricia refuses to allow us to.
I scan over the paperwork and am just about to ask a few more questions when Patricia’s phone rings, cutting me off before I have a chance to even speak. She scoops up the phone as if whoever is on the other end is far more important than me. “Nurses’ station,” she says, keeping it short and simple, which I’ve come to learn is just the way around here.
Patricia’s gaze instantly sweeps toward me, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Yes,” she says, “She’s right here.” There’s a short pause before her eyes seem to narrow further, instantly making me fear that Dr. Harding has somehow dropped me in a bucket of shit after what happened last night in Dr. Mayson’s office. “Of course,” Patricia continues. “I’ll let her know.”
With that, the phone is slammed down, and Patricia meets my curious gaze once again. “Your presence is being requested in room 215.”
My eyes widen. “But that’s one of the birthing suites,” I comment. “The woman with the twins.”
“Yes, it is,” Patricia confirms, her gaze still narrowed and filled with suspicion. “So, I suggest that you hurry before you miss witnessing a natural birth of twins.”
Well, shit.
I take off like a fucking rocket.
My feet race through the halls as I try to remember everything there is to know about natural births. I’ve seen every medical video there is to see, and of course, delivered November’s baby girl. But it’s not going to be the same as seeing it done in person by a doctor who will hopefully answer all my questions as we go. Hell, right now, I can’t even remember which doctor this patient was assigned to. Hopefully it’s not Dr. Harding. I don’t think I’m ready to stand by his side, assisting him while knowing what a douche he is.
My eyes scan over the numbers on the passing doors, searching for room 215. In the last hospital I worked in, I had every single one of them memorized on every damn floor, but I’m not quite there yet. This hospital is all twisty, and the room numbers don’t go in the natural direction that one would assume, which only makes moments like this so much harder.
I admitted this patient early this morning, but since then, I’ve had nothing to do with her and haven’t had a chance to familiarize myself with her case. I’m sure there is another midwifery student who’s been slaving over this woman all day and is going to have the shits that I get to step in but screw it. I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to learn and be the best that I can be. I’m not going to skip up on this opportunity.
If only I’d done a little more homework during the day. I could have skipped lunch and become familiar with every patient on the ward. At least that way I’d have felt a little more confident going into this, but in the end, there will be other midwives around and a doctor overlooking everything. Nothing could possibly go wrong.
I’ve got this. Though, that’s probably overthinking things. If anything, I’ll be standing in the back and struggling to get a good view.
Room 215 finally sneaks up on me, and I go skidding into the birthing suite, having to grab hold of the door frame to fling me around the corner. The room is a mess of people, more than I had expected, but this is twins we’re talking about. It only makes sense to have twice the amount of staff. A handful to watch over baby number one, some for baby number two, and the rest left to take care of the mom once she’s done pushing.
“That was quick,” a familiar voice says from across the room.
My gaze snaps across to the man who has done nothing but live rent-free in my mind for the past three days. “What can I say?” I laugh, instantly sanitizing my hands and pulling on my gown. I grab a pair of gloves before walking deeper into the room. “I’m nothing if not prompt.”