Page 76 of One Reckless Night

“Cheating on me really knocked some sense into me,” I said. “Teaches a guy that some women aren’t worth trusting.”

Gemma straightened. “Ouch. That’s harsh, even for you.”

I shrugged. “Just being honest.”

“Have you given any more thought to my offer? About coming back to the lab?”

I leaned back, my expression unreadable. “Still thinking about it.”

Her hands slid onto my shoulders, her fingers digging into the tense muscles. “You’re so stiff,” she murmured, her voice low. “You need to relax.”

I shrugged her off, my tone sharp. “Why the hell are you touching me?”

“You’re stiff. Let me work the tension out. I used to massage you all the time after a long surgery. Remember? I’d massage you with that special oil and then we’d both be so worked up we would fall into bed.”

“Those aren’t the parts of our relationship I remember. So stop before I make you stop.”

She pouted, but before she could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. I looked up, and there she was. Amelia. Standing in the doorway, her eyes wide, her expression unreadable.

Seeing her again was jarring. It felt like a physical kick to my gut. She looked different—but still beautiful. I wanted to tell her how good it was to see her. I also wanted to tell her she wasn’t seeing what she thought.

“Dr. Pritchard, you’re back?” I kept my tone dry.

Gemma smirked, pulling away from my desk and floating toward the door. She gave Amelia a catty onceover. “We’ll continue this conversation later tonight, Jared.”

Amelia’s eyes flicked to Gemma, then back to me, but she didn’t say anything. She stepped into the office, her hands clasped in front of her. She looked down at her feet. “I just wanted to let you know I’m jumping right back into work. And I wanted to thank you for the time off. I’ve kept in touch with my team and am up to speed.”

I nodded. “Good.”

She met my eyes for a moment. I felt a flicker of regret, longing. But I pushed it down, burying it deep. She turned and left, the door closing softly behind her.

As soon as she was gone, I ran a hand over my face, feeling absolutely defeated. I didn’t know what I was doing. Self-preservation told me to keep my distance. I had made peace with her absence. Reopening that can of worms didn’t seem like a good idea.

I pushed open the door to Room Twelve. The patient, a middle-aged man named Carl, lay propped up in bed, his face pale but alert. I scanned his chart quickly, my eyes flicking over the numbers. Everything looked stable. Good.

“Dr. Welch,” Carl said, his voice a little hoarse. “Wasn’t expecting to see you again today.”

I stepped closer, leaning against the edge of his bed. “Just making my rounds before I head out. How’re you feeling?”

He shrugged, wincing slightly as he adjusted his position. “Little groggy. But better than yesterday. That’s something, right?”

“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “It is. You’re recovering well. Just take it easy and let the nurses do their job.”

Carl chuckled, a dry sound that turned into a cough. “Easy for you to say, Doc. You’re not the one stuck in this bed.”

“True. Any questions? Concerns?”

Carl shook his head slowly, his expression turning serious. “Just, thanks. For everything. I know you took a chance.”

“That’s what I do,” I said, knowing it was only true when it came to work. When it came to my personal life, risks were not something I wanted to take. It only led to pain.