“That’s not the point.”
“Then what is the point?”
I open my mouth and then snap it shut.
She tilts her head. Waiting. The cap she’s wearing has slipped slightly to the left, there’s a strand of hair across her cheek, and she looks annoyed.
“The point,” I say, “is professional boundaries.”
She stares at me. “Professional boundaries?” she repeats.
“Yes.”
“You,” she says slowly, “are lecturing me about professional boundaries.”
“I am.”
“You had me pinned against a locker a week ago.”
“That’s different.”
“How?” Her eyes go wide. “How is that different?”
“You weren’t part of the team then.” I cross my arms, smirking. “Now you are. I’ll send them out when they’re decent. Give me ten minutes.”
She makes a sound that sounds like she’s being strangled. “What is your problem? I came to deliver information abouta blood draw. I wasn’t in there for ten seconds before you manhandled me out the door.”
“I didn’t manhandle you.”
“You grabbed my arm.”
“Gently.”
“Grayson.” She says my name like a warning, low and pointed, and I feel my wolf sit up in attention. “I have a job to do. Your coach hired me to do it. Either let me do it or call Ramirez right now and explain to him why his new medical staff can’t access the team.”
I hold her gaze. She holds mine right back, chin up, not giving an inch.
“Wednesday,” I say finally. “Seven a.m. I’ll make sure they know.”
“I already told them.”
“The ones who heard you before I pulled you out.”
Her jaw tightens. “Fine.” She flips her clipboard shut and points at me. “And next time, when I knock and no one answers, I’m coming in anyway.”
“Over my dead—”
“Daddy!”
The shout comes from the end of the corridor. I turn, and Ethan is sprinting full-tilt toward us, his sneakers squeaking against the floor, arms pumping. Linda is trying to keep up, but I can see she’s out of breath.
He bypasses me entirely and hits Miranda at full speed, wrapping both arms around her legs, face pressed into her thigh.
She catches him automatically, one hand dropping to steady his shoulders, and the sharp look she’d been aiming at me vanishes.
“Hey, you.” Her whole voice changes. Softer. Warmer. She crouches down to his level. “What are you doing here?”
“Linda brought me.” He pulls back to look at her with those enormous eyes. “I wanted to see Daddy.”
