phone as if it woul

e. For hours, she struggled with what to say. Should she wait a few days? Should she be cool,

, the way he looked at her like he was starving for something he wasn'

texte

's Lily.

Safe.

ame two min

been thinkin

screen, heat spread

very doctor-

r paus

. It'

retending I don't fee

wasn't flirting. This was something more. Something they weren't cert

oo,* sh

as suf

oo much too fast. But it grew-brick by brick, spark by spark. He asked her about her job at

is routine, his past-although he ne

ere sti

of the early morning hours, sh

et over seei

r

ys with me longer

on

think I'd do if

replied to

't sure that she

-

ctive. Long, late-night calls filled with vulnerability neither of t

understood* her. Even when he didn't say

had forgotten her laptop in the staff lounge, and Li

t seeking

idn't care wh

r when she heard his voice-deep, steady, calm.

the corne

ad him, his white coat hung back over his shoulders, showing a chiseled chest beneath the fabric. His hair was slightly messy

arsh and controlled

en he

eanor of his p

ing with hers like a storm half-

hed once

else, but Adrian did not hear

a small, wonky smile and

s before she heard h

il

tu

ed aside into an empty alcove against the wall, her back against the chill of a

did not

is ey

uff. But his eyes were warm, starving, full o

ng to see you

d y

. Caught up in that unsee

is," she adm

sed

ounding. "The way you look at

his nose, steppin

n invisible," he

eath c

her cheek. The tips of his fingers brushed her sk

her nerve

both

ose the distance. To kiss her lips to his an

n took a

nough to make

e murmured, "I'm not goin

lowed. "T

uiet lingered

to his side. "Hav

inked.

ere far from here. N

tated. "

ldn't. But I need to see you witho

him. Her thr

about it," s

-like she'd al

he said. "But

tal corridor and some remnant of him still

er, her skin still buzzing fr

-

ght, her phon

o see you outside of th

the screen f

rep

*Y

-

y on a quiet corner. He was already seated when she arrived, looking neat in a dark grey button-do

aid the moment she step

ck dress with a subtle slit up one leg and a silver

talk about t

bout patients and

bout music. M

his wine. "When I was young. Before I

r head. "Why

me. "Something broke. And I di

let her fingers brush his. Just a touch. B

nk so," she

aw ha

en you'r

the cool spring air. The street was qu

od besid

f them ma

ed, low and rough. "But once I

dged f

rose up to

only thing that

don't