Page 57 of The Love Operation

I blink, dazed. My breath is unsteady. I hadn’t realized how far I’d let myself fall into it—into him—until he stopped me.

Then he smiles, slow and knowing. “Good night, Dr. Wren,” he says, voice thick with what just passed between us.

Then he’s gone, leaving the air humming behind him.

I close the door, pressing my palm to the wood, like it’s a floodgate, holding something back or me in. Not sure which. The ache in my chest is unfamiliar. It shouldn’t be there. I shouldn’t care this much. It almost makes me angry. No, it does make me angry.

Why now? Why him?

I push the feeling down, press it into a tight little box, and turn on my heel.

I need something else to focus on.

I stride into the kitchen a little too briskly. “So, let’s talk about Mom and Dad.”

Everett’s casually leaning against the sink, popping a yellow M&M into his mouth, and Maggie’s got a small bowl of rice casserole in her left hand, a spoonful of deliciousness heading to her mouth. She looks like a raccoon, caught mid–dumpster dive.

Apparently it’s raccoon analogy day.

“Are you going to explain Isaac?” Everett asks.

Maggie gives me the same expectant look.

I prop a hand on my hip. “I already did.”

Everett snorts. “Ha! No, you didn’t. Are you getting into trouble?”

I roll my eyes so hard I see my own brain. “Probably.”

I swipe a handful of M&Ms and hold up a red one, turning it between my fingers. Vibrant and bold. Thin shell, smooth chocolate, solid nut at its core. I feel its existence, then crush it between my teeth, savoring the little shards.

Then I lean over the counter, at first bracing on my elbows, but that feels like too much effort. I let my arms sprawl. M&Ms scatter across the counter and bounce on the floor like confectionery rain.

Face pressed to the cool granite, I lay it all out. “Isaac is the COO at Lockewood. He’s on the Chief Selection Committee. Ever since I met him, we’ve had this . . . thing. He wants to date. I said no. He wanted to talk, see if we had something worth taking a risk on. I jumped him.”

Everett groans. “Did not need to hear that.”

Maggie grins.

“Then we agreed to talk,” I continue. “I like him. A lot. But I can’t date him, right? If I did, we’d have to keep it a secret because—”

“Everyone would assume you got the job by sleeping with the boss,” Maggie finishes, pressing her lips into a tight grimace.

“Bingo.” I push up. “He thinks we could keep it quiet until after the chief is chosen, and no one would be the wiser.”

I bend down, pick up a misshapen blue M&M, and pop it into my mouth. Floor candy. Mmm.

“So,” I say, rolling my wrist in invitation. “Tell me what a terrible idea this is.”

“Dating Isaac?” Maggie asks.

“That I’m considering dating Isaac.”

“I think you should do it,” Everett says, as if he approves of secret relationships all the time.

“What? Why would you say that? It could ruin my career.”

Everett doesn’t even flinch. “You’ve been looking for someone for a while. If you like this guy, it’s worth seeing where it goes.”