Page 35 of Yours to Keep

I stopped, clenched my jaw, and tugged at the neckline. Bree watched every move I made as if she was waiting for it to happen, and a minute later, it did.

“Okay,” I snapped. “That’s it. They’re terrible.”

She grinned like she’d just won an Olympic medal, entirely too pleased with herself. “I don’t really hate to say it. In fact, it gives me great, great pleasure to be able to look you in the eyes and say, I told you so.”

I glanced down at the paper gown one last time as it rasped against my ribs, my skin buzzing with irritation, and I couldn’t take another second. I grabbed the thin material and tore it straight down the middle, the sound loud and violent in the quiet conference room as it came off.

“Thank fuck,” I growled. “Those things shouldn’t be legal. Whoever manufactures them should be arrested and sentenced to a life wearing nothing else.”

Laughter burst out of her, bright and victorious. “I knew it. I knew that as soon as you actually put one on, you wouldn’t be able to deal. No one can. It’s inhumane.”

I tossed the shredded remains of the torture device onto the table, finally understanding what all those calls were about and even agreeing with the accusations I’d faced. “We’ll go back to the old ones. Today. I didn’t have them thrown out or anything. They’re just in storage.”

I paused for a beat before I added, “This was a test. A failed one. Obviously.”

She crossed her arms, practically vibrating with satisfaction. “Would you look at that? The mighty Sullivan Crowne actually listening to nurses. Growth looks good on you, boss man.”

“Can’t you be a gracious winner?” I asked, moving into her space before I could stop myself.

She tipped her chin up, her eyes flashing. “Oh, absolutely not. You were so confident and sure, but look at you. You didn’t even last ten minutes.”

When she gestured vaguely at my bare chest, something feral curled low in my gut. I took yet another step closer, my eyes locked on hers. “I admitted I was wrong. Isn’t that enough?”

“Nope.”

I leaned in closer, my voice dropping without conscious intent to lower it. “You really enjoy pushing your luck, don’t you?”

Her breathing hitched just slightly. “Someone has to.”

As our gazes clashed and held, I saw a flicker of heat in hers that melted my restraint. I didn’t even try to fight the impulse to lift my hand to the side of her neck, my mouth already descending to hers. I took her lips in a kiss that wasn’t gentle or careful.

This was weeks of tension snapping all at once, a culmination of frustration, heat, hate, and want. Her lips parted in surprise, but then she was kissing me back just as hard, her hands sliding into my hair and pulling me closer. Her fingers closed into fists around the strands like she’d been waiting for this as long as I had and wanted it just as much.

There was no hiding the effect she had on me now. I was practically naked, my front sealed to hers while I stood wearing only my underwear. My hands went to her waist, holding her tighter against me until she was so close that I knew my body would remember her shape.

She tasted like coffee and something sweet, and when she made a small sound against my mouth, my control slipped another inch. We backed into the table, knocking into it, the world narrowing to the press of her body and the way she kissed me like she was done holding back too.

It all happened in the space of seconds, but then she froze, her hands stilling in my hair as she pulled back. Breathless with her eyes wide, she stared at me like she’d just woken up.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “No. This can’t happen.”

“Bree—”

She stepped away fast, putting distance between us so abruptly that I almost stumbled forward. “This is a terrible idea.”

“Bree.”

She didn’t stop moving, spinning toward the door without missing a beat. “I shouldn’t have come in here.”

Rushing out before I could say another word, she shut the door behind her while I stood there with my chest heaving and the silence crashing down around me. After a long moment, I dragged a hand through my hair and swore under my breath, grabbing my shirt and tugging it on with less care than usual, my thoughts a mess of irritation and regret.

Despite telling myself earlier that I couldn’t cross that line, I’d stampeded right through it. I knew that, but alone in that conference room, replaying the way she’d kissed me back, I couldn’t decide if that was the huge mistake I’d made, or if the real mistake had been letting her walk away after.

15

BREE

The hospital was a big place. Six floors, endless corridors, and a maze of stairwells that smelled like disinfectant. All of which meant I’d successfully managed to avoid running into Sullivan Crowne for three whole days since the kiss that should never have happened.