Page 7 of Under His Guard

With a forced laugh, I try to just smile politely back at him.

“I’m a surgical resident. I don’t usually do this type of work. I’m sure the people at the clinic will treat you?—”

“Look.” Luke steps closer, dropping his gaze on me from his superior height. “I know I’d be taking you away from your regular patients, so I have no problem making it worth your while. Just while I heal up, of course. How’s…”

He flicks his stare to the side as he thinks, and I should speak up.

I should shut down this entire line of thinking, but the part of me that’s really hard up for money right now holds me back.

“Three hundred an hour?”

My mouth falls open when he drops that huge number, and I immediately think of Beth.

Regina could actually pay for Beth’s surgery co-pay. It wouldn’t crush her. Even just a few hours would pay for all the BS out-of-pocket fees.

It’s too damn tempting.

I’m still working on paying off my student loans, and knowing I could help my sister pay for everything hits me like a punch to the sternum, and the wind is knocked out of me.

“I…Mr. Shaw, that’s far too generous. And like I said, I’m not a physical therapist or anything like that.”

He just shakes his head, that grin still in place, and then his hand is on my arm. My heart races as my patient squeezes my bicep lightly.

My patient. Yup, you need to remember that.

“I’m sure you’d do wonderfully. I mean, surgeons have to know their way around a body, right?”

Say no. Say no right now and leave.

Except when I look into those intriguing hazel eyes of his, I feel a pull toward him in a way I can’t explain.

“All right.” I blink several times, refocusing. “But to be clear, this is just to assist with your injury. I’ll do my best to ensure you’re healing properly. Yes?”

Luke, who I should be calling Mr. Shaw even in my head if I know what’s good for me, smiles bigger and nods.

“Perfect.” Goddamn, his smile is gorgeous. “I’ll settle things up. Can you come by this evening?”

My jaw drops a little, and I fumble as I start to ask for more time when he steps in.

“Not available. Okay, well, I can try to be patient.” Something I’d rather not examine too closely flickers behind his gaze. “How about tomorrow, then?”

“Um…”

You are a terrible person. What are you doing?

This is entirely because you need money, though. It’s not the fact that he’s extremely attractive. Nope, not in the slightest.

“Sure. That should be fine. I have an early shift, but I could come over in the afternoon?”

Mr. Shaw puts a hand on the small of my back, walking us over to the nurse’s station for him to finish being discharged.

“I’ll take it.” He signs the last form necessary, provided by Denise again, and then turns toward the exit. “I’ll see you tomorrow, doc. And it’s still?—”

“Luke,” we both say.

My eyes go to the floor, and I nod before chancing a glance at him. It’s a terrible idea, of course, because the guy is too beautiful and too charming.

He’s your patient. Stop it.

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