“You want me as much as I want you,” he clarified, causing her breath to lodge in her throat. “You want to know if we made love again if it would be as intense as in Miami.”
“You’re crazy.” Natalie shook her head. She didn’t want to know that. If it was she’d never be able to maintain a professional relationship with him.
She had to maintain a professional relationship with him.
“But my working here complicates things. My being your boss complicates things. I get that. Especially as making this cardiology program everything it can be is important to me.” He took a long breath, raked his fingers through his hair again. “I won’t let you or anyone keep that from happening. I need this position to work. For my sake and for Carrie’s.”
Natalie winced.
“If you think it’s impossible to work with me because of our physical attraction then we need to figure this out before it compromises the program.”
“I’d never do anything to compromise the program or any patient,” she adamantly denied, ignoring the rest of what he said. She’d devoted her professional life to Memphis Children’s Hospital. How could he question her loyalty?
“Great,” he said as if he’d just won a major argument, his entire demeanor relaxing and an easy smile flashing across his handsome face. “Then you’ll be fine with the fact that I’m assisting on your surgery this afternoon on the Givens baby, who’s being flown in right now.” His expression grew a little more serious. “I will also be in on the Harris case.”
* * *
Natalie could almost forget that Matthew stood across the operating table from her. Almost.
Okay, so not really.
Thus far, he had assisted, but otherwise hadn’t pushed for a more controlling role in the Givens baby’s surgery.
Andy Givens had been born in an outlying community hospital that morning and had quickly gotten into distress and been transported via helicopter to Memphis Children’s.
Being the surgeon on call that day, Natalie had been assigned the case and had shifted her clinic schedule to perform the repair of the baby’s tiny valve and vessels.
With Matthew working right along beside her.
It would be easy to get distracted by the efficient movements of his hands, of the skill with which he worked, but she kept her focus on the repairs rather than where Matthew worked on the baby’s tiny heart simultaneously via the robotic device that allowed such fine manipulation.
When they’d finished, Natalie scrubbed her hands, ignoring that Matthew joined her. He made a few comments, but she brushed them off.
Surgery with him was getting to her. Spending time with him was getting to her. His earlier claims were getting to her.
She didn’t want anything about him to get to her.
Her insides felt raw, her mind raced, her heart ached. She needed to be alone, to assimilate the evening’s events. The last thing she wanted was to get caught in conversation with him, but he seemed to have other ideas as he fell into step beside her. “You okay?”
“Ecstatic.”
“No regrets?”
Without slowing her pace, she cut her gaze toward him. “Regarding?”
“My being in there with you.”
“It’s not what I would have chosen, but everything seems to have gone well, so...” She let her voice trail off as she punched the elevator call button.
“Is my being in surgery with you that big of a problem, Natalie?” he asked as they stepped into the empty elevator.
She pressed the button for the floor where her office was located and wished he’d push another button indicating he was headed to another floor. Any floor but hers. Which wouldn’t make sense since his office was located down the hallway from hers.
Staring at the elevator floor indicator and wishing it would hurry up, Natalie said, “The surgery went well. That’s what’s important.”
The elevator dinged then the door slid open. Matthew stood back, letting Natalie exit first. Not that he had a long wait—she practically leapt out. They headed down a long hallway and entered the cardiology center, where an office complex was located. It being late in the evening, the corridor to their offices was eerily silent, and to get to his office they had to walk past hers first.
Sensing Matthew standing behind her, she punched in the security code that would unlock her office, and when the door clicked open she drew in a deep breath.