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“You might want to grab a sweater. Kathy, my assistant, often complains about how cold it is in the admin wing.”
“Oh, thank you for reminding me.”
She kicked off her high heels and dashed up the stairs, returning less than three minutes later with a matching pink cardigan.
“I still can’t believe how many outfits you bought me,” she mused as she slipped her shoes back on.
“Like I said, you’re a reflection of me, whether people realize who you are to me or not.”
“That’s one of our rules, remember? I will always look good so you’re proud to show me off.”
He didn’t think she realized he liked her best when she first woke up, without a drop of makeup and her hair mussed from sleep. That’s when he thought she looked the most vulnerable, and the most beautiful.
They walked toward the door leading to the garage, but he paused with his hand on the doorhandle and said, “And you’re a good girl who follows the rules… right?”
Yeah, it was a not-so-subtle reminder she needed to be on her best behavior.
She didn’t even try to disguise her smirk when she looked up at him.
“Well, yeah, except for when I didn’t.”
He opened the door and said, “But you’re making amends.”
The shrug of her shoulders when she walked past him and uttered, “I suppose,” didn’t instill a lot of confidence.
He closed the house door, hit the garage door button, then followed after her. “You suppose?”
She opened her own car door, something he’d have to talk to her about later, and looked at him over the hood as he walked to the driver’s side.
“Am I really making amends? I mean, I’m fixing the problem I exploited, but the hospital isn’t coming close to recovering what it lost.”
He put his briefcase in the back seat, then slid into driver’s seat of the Mercedes, and turned to face her.
“Honey, we were never going to see that money. At least nothing close to the amount. This might end up being a small price to pay to repair the problem before something more damaging happened to the hospital or our patient information.”
“Is that why you were willing to make a deal?”
“No, baby. If it would have been anyone else, I would have wanted Jerry to throw the book at him. Or her. You caused me a big headache, little bee.”
Utah put her hand on top of his and stared into his eyes. “I know, Sir, and I’m sorry. I’m trying to make amends for that, too.”
He slipped her hand into his and squeezed while he gave her a wink.
Starting the car, he murmured, “I know you are, sweetheart. And I promise, you’ll pay your penance in full.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Utah
The first thing she noticed when they approached the doors was a sign written in big letters that announced video and audio were in use in public areas. The second thing was as they walked through the hospital’s lobby together, how everyone from the receptionist at the information desk to the men and women in white lab coats with their names embroidered on them went out of their way to say good morning to Liam.
And how he knew each and every one of their names.
At the bank of elevators, he pressed the Up button, and they waited until a car arrived at the same time a second one did. Interestingly, the people waiting with them got on the other elevator, leaving them alone.
“Let’s stop by my office first so you know where to find me,” he said as he pushed the button for six. “And I’ll introduce you to Kathy. She’s the one to ask if you ever need help, and I’m not around. She knows everything that goes on in the hospital.”
Utah didn’t know if the cameras in the elevators really had microphones, so she tried to be vague when she asked, “Does she know about me? Why I’m here?”
