Doctor Love

Chapter 11

KATE'S POV

Time froze and my mouth went dry, a strange heat flooding my cheeks that had nothing to do with the steam filling the room.

"Dr. Stanley," he said finally, his voice lower than I'd ever heard it. "This is unexpected."

My brain finally kicked into gear, hands clutching my towel tighter against my barely-covered body. "I—this is the women's locker room!"

His eyebrows shot up as he glanced around. "No, it's not."

"Yes, it is! The sign said—" I turned toward the door, suddenly remembering Rita's laughter, the whispering nurses. "Oh my God."

David's eyes followed mine, understanding dawning on his face. "Let me guess. Our friendly welcoming committee?"

"The signs," I said, mortification washing over me in waves. "Someone switched the signs on the doors."

A small, infuriating smile played at the corners of his mouth. "That would explain why you're standing here in your underwear."

"I need to go." I turned to flee, but before I could move, David crossed the distance between us in two quick strides, his hand closing around my wrist.

"Not so fast," he murmured, spinning me back toward him with enough force that I collided with his chest, water soaking into my skin where our bodies met.

"What are you doing?" I gasped, pushing against him, my palms slipping on his damp skin. "Let me go!"

Instead, he backed me up until I hit the row of lockers, the metal cold against my bare shoulders. His arms caged me in, droplets from his hair falling onto my collarbone.

"Did you come here to seduce me?" he asked, his voice deceptively soft, blue eyes scanning my face with an intensity that made my heart race.

"Are you insane?" I tried to sound outraged, but my voice emerged breathless. "I told you, someone switched the signs. Why would I want to seduce you, of all people?"

"I don't know." His gaze drifted lower, then back up to my eyes. "But here you are."

I pushed against his chest again. "Let me go, David. Now."

"You know what's interesting?" He leaned closer, his scent—clean soap and something distinctly male, enveloping me. "You've been here less than forty-eight hours, and already everyone's talking about the tension between us."

"There's no tension," I snapped. "Just your oversized ego and my growing desire to punch you in the face."

He laughed at that, the sound vibrating through his chest against my palms. "Keep telling yourself that."

"You're delusional," I hissed, trying to ignore the hammering of my pulse, the heat radiating from his skin. "And still just a spoiled rich daddy's boy who thinks he can do whatever he wants."

Something dangerous flashed in his eyes. He moved one hand to grip my chin, tilting my face up to his. "And you're still just a small-town doctor trying to play in the big leagues."

We glared at each other, neither willing to back down. I was acutely aware of every point of contact between us, his fingers on my face, the brush of his legs against mine, the damp towel at his waist precariously close to slipping.

"I hate you," he whispered, his gaze dropping to my lips.

My breath caught. "Me too. The feeling is mutual." I struggled to keep my voice steady. "Can you let me go now?"

Instead of releasing me, his grip on my chin tightened slightly. "You don't want me to let you go."

"You don't know what I want."

"Don't I?" His thumb brushed across my lower lip, sending an electric current racing down my spine. "Your pulse is racing. Your pupils are dilated. Your skin is flushed."

"That's anger," I insisted, even as something entirely different pooled low in my belly.

"Is it?"

The question hung between us, heavy with implications I wasn't ready to face. David leaned closer, his lips a whisper away from mine, and despite myself, my eyes began to flutter closed, and the locker room door banged open, followed by a chorus of male voices.

"Man, that trauma case was insane!" "Did you see how fast Bennett moved?" "Hey, is Villa still in here? I need to ask him about—"

Reality crashed back with brutal force. I shoved David hard, catching him off guard enough that he stumbled back, nearly losing his towel in the process.

"Kate—" he started, but I was already moving, grabbing my scattered things and bolting toward the door.

"Whoa!" A group of male residents stood frozen in surprise as I burst out, clutching my towel and clothes to my chest like a shield.

"Wrong locker room," I muttered, face burning as I pushed past them.

Behind me, I heard their confusion, someone asking David what was going on, his low response that I couldn't make out. I didn't stop to listen, didn't turn back to see his expression. I just ran, bare feet slapping against the cold tile floor, with my heart pounding so loudly in my ears.