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“What happened?” he demanded, stepping in closer.
Angela moved back, well out of his reach. She reached up, making sure her turtleneck was back in place. “It’s nothing.”
“Is that a bite mark?” Brian persisted with a frown.
“It’s nothing, Brian,” she told him in a no-nonsense tone.
“Ah, I see.” His dark blue eyes lit up and a raunchy grin curved the corners of his mouth. “I didn’t realize you were seeing anyone.”
“Not that it’s your business, but I’m not.” She did her best to smile to soften her words. She really didn’t want to discuss her hickey, Roman, or the fact that her clit was still sensitive after last night’s one-sided sexcapades.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to imply...” He paused, looking sheepish, then repeated, “Sorry.”
Angela smiled a little, telling herself not to be so touchy. Brian was a very good doctor—one she had been working with for over five years now. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bite your head off. It’s been a long day.” She winked at him, trying to lighten the mood. “Even though nobody died.”
He laughed a little. “I know how you feel. My heart valve surgery ended up going for eight hours.”
“Complications?” Angela queried as they continued to walk. She paused when she made it to her car, noting his black Mercedes was right next to hers.
“Yes. A few,” Brian admitted, placing his briefcase on the ground next to his car’s front wheel. “Which is why I wanted to talk with you, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all,” Angela assured him.
They stood by their cars for twenty minutes discussing arrhythmias and genetic bleeding disorders and how open-heart surgery was not a good time for them to be discovered. They were just saying goodbye when a familiar voice spoke from the darkness.
“Angel.”
She squinted in the direction of Salvatore’s voice. The handsome man had a boyish smile on his face as he made his way to her, but Angela was not amused. “Sal. What are you doing here?” She asked nicely enough, but gave him the stink eye behind Brian’s back.
“I was just in the area. Jogging,” Salvatore explained, gesturing to his workout wear. “You know I often jog by the hospital.”
Angela’s smile was strained. “Of course. You jog by here most days, don’t you?”
“Sure do,” Salvatore confirmed happily.
The smile on his face was wide, and the glint in his eyes was mischievous. Angela wasn’t fooled. He was there to watch her. Roman wasn’t having her followed twenty-four seven anymore, but a select few, including Abel, Sal, and apparently Morrigan, still randomly checked in with her. As if she could forget about any of them, or the deal she had made with Roman.
Both men were looking at her, and she realized one—or both—must have asked her a question. “I’m sorry. What?”
Salvatore moved a little closer. “Everything okay?” he asked.
“Of course. Sorry, I’m being rude.” She laughed a little, gesturing between the two men. “Salvatore, this is a colleague of mine, Dr. Brian Cosgrove. Brian, this is Salvatore. He’s a friend.”
The two men shook hands, holding on longer than was typically polite. She saw Salvatore squeeze and Brian wince before he quickly let go and stepped back. She frowned. She was surprised by the power display because Sal was very laid back and secure. She knew he could be lethal if the occasion called for it but wasn’t aggressive without cause. And right now, he was looking at Brian like he wanted to punch him in the face.
“Nice to meet you,” Sal told Brian, staring him down. He turned to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her on the temple. “I better keep moving. Let’s do dinner again soon, okay?”
Angela smiled with genuine warmth this time. Luca was very physically affectionate, and she soaked it up like a sponge. Sal was a little less so, but his hugs felt just as good. Not as good as Roman’s, her brain saw fit to supply. She gave herself a mental slap, agreeing to dinner with Sal before he jogged off.
“He calls you Angel?” Brian asked as soon as Salvatore was out of earshot.
She laughed lightly, doing her best to dismiss her colleague’s clear curiosity. “A nickname. It’s no big deal.”
“But you hate nicknames,” Brian pointed out with a frown.
She arched a brow. “Do I?”
“Well, I mean, you’ve never offered any alternative to Angela before. But if you prefer Angel...”
