She clicked her tongue. “Your ego is showing, Dr. Vaughn.”
“Whatever. I almost made you cry.” I kissed her, soft and lingering, my hand gentle on the back of her neck. “I really am sorry I didn’t text you. I hope I made it up to you.”
“You did. I had no plans to chase you, but the phone does work both ways.”
“I’d like for us to both do better. Any chance you want to come home with me tonight?”
“I’m tempted,” she said, looking a little sad. “I really am. Thing is…I’m not supposed to tell you this, but the meeting with the Hart family is tomorrow. I want to look everything over one more time.”
Reality crashed back in. The investigation. Diane Hart. The fact that I was potentially about to lose my career.
And I’d just fucked the woman who was supposed to be facilitating the review. In a supply closet. At work.
“Tomorrow?” I repeated.
“Dr. Rice called me this morning. I spent today prepping.”
“Okay. They don’t want me there?”
“No,” she replied with a sigh. I knew what it meant. “They’re keeping you out of it. For now.”
“I wish I thought that was a good thing.” I pushed out a hard breath. “Thanks for the heads-up.”
“I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.”
“Okay.” I hesitated, then decided to go for it. “Harper, we…this?—”
“I know. We shouldn’t have, but we did already, so…” Harper shrugged her shoulders. “For now, let’s just enjoy the afterglow.”
She unlocked the door, checked the hallway, then slipped out. I waited ten seconds before I followed her.
“Hey,” I whispered.
She turned. I was still standing in the doorway of the supply closet, looking as wrecked as I felt.
“For the record,” I said, keeping my voice low, “that case is the last thing I’ll be thinking about tonight.”
She beamed a smile at me. “Good. I’d prefer it if I were dominating your attention. I’ll text you after I finish prepping. I may have further thoughts to share.”
I watched her walk away, tracking the bounce of her ass cheeks under her skirt. Then I remembered…
I went back to the closet, found her panties, and shoved them in my pocket.
I forced myself to check on a few patients, then bullshit with Banks for twenty minutes before leaving the hospital. Thatwasn’t the smartest thing I’d ever done. It was, quite honestly, the definition of reckless.
That was why I’d enjoyed it so much.
As soon as I got in the car, my phone buzzed with her name lighting up the screen.
Harper:
Just pulled in at home. I feel great.
Me:
Me too. By the way, I picked up your panties. Very nice.
There was a pause that I read as breathless.
