Page 74

“You said I don’t know what I want,” he starts, making a move toward me. Each step he takes toward me, I match with a step backward. “But I don’t think that’s true. I think it’s you that doesn’t know what you want.”

I blink up at him, backing away until I’m pinned between Graham and the counter, the edge digging into my lower back. I grip the edges tightly, knuckles turning white. “I know what I want,” I snap back.

“Do you?”

His closeness sends my body into overdrive. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end and goosebumps erupt across my skin. “I want this job,” I grind out through my teeth. “And I don’t want some egotistical billionaire fucking it up for me.”

“You know what I think?” he murmurs, placing his hands on either side of me, caging me in.

“What?” I regret the question as soon as it leaves my lips.

“I think you’re being immature because you’re scared,” he says softly, his eyes blazing into mine.

My heart hammers in my chest and my vision blurs as my anger burns through my system. “You think I’m being immature?”

“Yes,” he responds simply, the corner of his lip twitching. “I do. This whole thing between us.” He gestures between us. “You’re twisting it and making things more complicated than they need to be.”

“I’m making it complicated?” I nearly shout in his face. “You are at least two decades older than me, and you are my boss!” I hiss, shoving my palms into his chest, trying to push him back. His scent envelopes me with each shallow inhale, driving me to the brink of madness.

My eyes dart from side to side, desperately trying to search for an escape route, but there isn’t one. My heart hammers against my ribs as I battle the urges churning inside me. Part of me wants to knock some sense into his thick skull with my fist. The other part of me wants to press my lips to the side of his neck, right where the vein is pulsing rapidly.

“You’re acting like we aren’t two consenting adults, Bellows. It doesn’t matter how old you are to me.” He flexes his biceps, knuckles tightening on the counter, and I can see the tension in his shoulders. “What does matter is how you handle these situations, and so far you haven’t handled them well.”

I arch my brow, trying to calm my racing pulse as my anger simmers just beneath the surface and wait for him to continue.

“If you want something from me, all you need to do is tell me.” His voice is soft as he leans closer. “I’m not a mind reader, Ana, and I’m not playing games here. I know what I want now. The question is, do you?”

“I shouldn’t have to tell you how to be a decent human being!” I argue, shoving my open palms against his chest, trying to push him back. He doesn’t budge, but I can feel his muscles flexing under my hands. “You should just know!”

“Yes, from my vast experience of letting people in,” he snaps bitterly. “I’m not used to wanting to have people close to me. I’m not used to needing people.”

I fold my arms across my chest, pressing my closed fists tightly against my sides to keep from reaching for him. I’m not sure what I would do at this point. Slap him? Strangle him? Either way, I can’t murder the owner of the team, it’d be bad for PR. “You’re good with words, Callahan, it’s how you’ve gotten this far. But I want you to show me.”

“What about you,” he growls, his voice dipping lower as he straightens his spine and towers over me. “Your actions haven’t really shown me that you’re mature enough for this.”

My nostrils flare again and my fingers twitch. I can feel the heat of an angry blush spreading across my cheeks and down my neck. “How’s this for an action,” I mutter through clenched teeth.

He catches the movement a second too late. His shoulders tense and he flinches back as my hand flies up to his face, but instead of my palm connecting with his cheek, my fists clench the front of his shirt and pull him down.

Our lips collide into an angry kiss. For a moment he’s motionless, too stunned to respond. I take the opportunity to nip his bottom lip between my teeth as my hands tighten on his shirt.

Graham pulls back, blinking down at me in surprise. “You’re going to be my ruin, aren’t you, Doc?”

I shrug slightly, pulling his lips back to mine. Our kiss turns rough, a clash of teeth and tongue as we both fight for dominance. “Like Juliet to Romeo,” I whisper with a devilish smirk. My palms flatten against his chest again, and this time when I shove, he takes a few staggering steps back. I brush past him without another word, the ends of my lab coat fluttering as I stalk out of the room without looking back.

I clutch the handle of my suitcase with a tight fist, staring at the back of the billionaire asshole that booked a private car to ride to the airport. His shoulders shake as he laughs at something that Dominique says to him, and my stomach clenches. As if sensing my eyes on him, Graham turns his attention to me. His expression sobers and he pats Dom on the shoulder before heading toward the front desk.

“Hey, Doc!” Finn calls from the front doors.

I turn to find him waving with his free hand, the other arm is firmly secured in a sling. “Hey, Finn! How are you feeling today?” I ask as I stop beside him.

“Much better today,” he admits with a sheepish smile. “Thanks for the pain medication you dropped off last night.”

“No problem. I figured you could use an anti-inflammatory.” The truth was, I spent several hours using his record as a distraction to keep myself from knocking on the door to the adjoining room.

“Are you ready to get on the bus?” Finn asks, nodding to my bag.

“Yep. I’m heading out the door now. I’ll see you on the bus.” I give him a small wave as I walk over to the front desk and deposit my room key into the box.