Page 3 of One Reckless Night

“Are you here to watch your dad get an award, or…?”

She nearly choked on her wine, her eyes widening in surprise before she burst out laughing. “My dad?” she said, still laughing. “God, no.”

“Who are you here with?” I asked. “Are you an assistant or…”

I left the question hanging. There was no shame in being a mistress.

“I’m a doctor. Research, specifically.”

I blinked, caught off guard. She didn’t look like any researcher I’d ever met. Most of the scientists I knew were hunched over microscopes, their noses buried in data. This woman looked like she belonged on a runway, not in a lab.

“Research, huh?” I said. “That’s interesting.”

“Interesting? My least favorite word.”

“Not typically my type,” I said.

“Oh no. What shall I do?”

She was a smartass. I liked that. “What brings you to this little gathering of the medical elite?”

She shrugged, her expression unreadable. “Networking, mostly. Though I have to say, your speech was… memorable.”

“Memorable, huh?” I said, leaning in closer. “Is that your way of saying you were impressed?”

She laughed again, but there was a sharpness to it this time. “Impressed isn’t the word I’d use. But it was certainly entertaining.”

I couldn’t tell if she was flirting with me or mocking me. I wasn’t sure which I preferred. Either way, I was hooked. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a card. “If you’re not busy tonight, maybe we could continue this conversation over a nightcap.”

She took the card, her fingers brushing against mine in a way that sent a jolt of electricity through me. “Sorry, I have a flight to catch.”

And just like that, she was gone, disappearing into the crowd before I could say another word. I stared after her, my mind racing. No one had ever walked away from me like that before. It was infuriating.

I ordered another drink, trying to shake off the strange feeling she’d left me with. I found myself scanning the room, hoping to catch another glimpse of her. There had to be something wrong with her. There wasn’t a ring on her finger, not that it ever stopped other women from flirting with me. She didn’t look like a researcher, but maybe she had the personality of a potato.

Who was I kidding?

She was hot and fiery, and I needed to know more.