Page 69 of Yours to Keep

“Anyway,” Liana said, narrowing her eyes at me. “Don’t change the subject. We weren’t actually talking about me. We were talking about you and whatever that was.”

I sighed and glanced around the cafeteria, suddenly very aware of how many ears were attached to too many nurses. “Come on.”

Abandoning my coffee and croissant, I steered her down the hall and into a small, family consultation room that was blessedly empty. When she was inside with me, I shut the door behind us and crossed my arms like that might keep anything from spilling out.

She waited until I scrubbed a hand over my face and finally just came out with it. “I’m into Bree.”

Her eyebrows lifted, but she didn’t look surprised. If anything, she looked smug. “You don’t say.”

“You knew?”

“Of course, I knew.” She scoffed, her head shaking lightly as she wheeled a chair back from the table and sat down. “You practically start drooling every time you see her and you get, like, these heart-eyes. It’s so cute. I swear⁠—”

“Okay, that’s enough. I think I get the picture.” I blew out a breath through my nostrils, pushing my hand through my hair as I tried to get my thoughts into some kind of order that wasn’t just about sex and sinking into her wet⁠—

“Sullivan?” Liana’s voice snapped me out of my rapidly spiraling thoughts and she laughed when I refocused on her. “Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so far gone for a woman before. Actually, scratch that. I know I haven’t.”

“Yeah, well, she doesn’t want anyone to know we’re seeing each other.”

Liana tilted her head. “You’re seeing each other?”

“Whatever,” I muttered. “We’re sleeping together. Talking. Something.”

“Right.” She studied me for another long beat. “Okay, well, have you considered that maybe you should just be the kind of man she won’t be embarrassed to date in public?”

The question hit hard, but not because it was cruel. Simply because it really was that simple to her.

I let out a sharp laugh. “Gee, thanks.”

“I’m serious,” she said. “You’re brilliant, you’re successful, and you’re also kind of a nightmare at work. If I didn’t know you, I’d hate you.”

“That’s reassuring.”

“I’m not trying to reassure you,” she said. “I’m just being honest. If you were less of a dick around here, maybe she wouldn’t mind being seen with you so much.”

“I’ve never cared about being likable,” I said, but even as the words were coming out, I knew how lame they sounded. “But I’ve also never met a woman like her before. That’s the point you were trying to get to, isn’t it?”

She nodded. “Bree isn’t the kind of woman who’s going to throw herself at your feet just because you’ve got some money.”

“I have a lot of money.”

“Yeah, but she doesn’t care,” Liana said firmly. “In her case, you’re actually going to have to work to be the kind of man she can respect. The kind of man she can be proud of.”

I frowned. “What exactly are you suggesting?”

“It wouldn’t kill you to be nicer to people around here.” She shrugged. “To listen to what they say and to be more approachable. Bree would appreciate that. She would see it for the effort it would be. An effort she’d know you’re making for her.”

“Yeah, I can’t do that.” I straightened to my full height. “I can’t change my plans just for her, Liana. My personal feelings can’t factor into my business dealings. They never have and they never will.”

She grimaced. “Well, then you’d better invest in some disguises because you’ll be sneaking around a lot.”

I stared at her, unsettled in a way I didn’t like. Rattled, even. “You think I’m the problem?”

“I think that if you want something real, you might have to be real too.” She said it gently, but then she stood up and gave me quick, small smile. “It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to treat these people and their hospital a little better, Sullivan. Just think about it, okay?”

She left me there with that, the door clicking shut behind her. An orderly opened it a moment later, physically jumping with shock when he saw me inside. He pulled it shut again so fast that I hadn’t even seen his face.

I let out a heavy groan, planting my hands on my hips as I tried to pull myself together. None of this was like me at all, and it was going to drive me nuts.