wanted more. There was a tigress beneath all that prim-and-proper work ethic, and releasing her would be an interesting, not to mention enjoyable, challenge. He was always up for a challenge. He smiled.
There was a knock on the door. His assistant had left for the day and because he’d just spoken to his staff, he doubted it was one of them. He smiled as a stray thought crossed his mind—Shauna Banks. Perhaps he’d have the opportunity to start his little challenge right now. It would be just like her to show up unannounced. He stood up, crossed the room and opened the door.
His brother stood at the door smiling. “Hey.”
The expression on Dominik’s face was far less than thrilled to see him. “Hey, come on in,” Dominik said as he turned and headed back to his desk. He sat down and looked at the computer monitor and then began typing. “I’ll be ready in ten minutes. I just have to finish up a few things.”
Mikhail strolled in after his brother and took a seat. “No problem. So, who were you expecting?” Mikhail asked.
“What? No one. Why?” Dominik said, answering an email and reading through the daily E.R. medical report.
“Well, because the deliriously happy smile on your face turned around as soon as you saw it was me at the door. Ergo, you were expecting someone else—a woman, I’d gather.”
“Yeah, I guess I was, kind of.” He shook his head. His brother was good. Most times he’d put both Sherlock Holmes and Watson to shame. The scary part was that deduction and reason were the least of his many talents. “It’s this woman. I don’t know what kind of game she’s playing, but I swear she’s getting to me.”
“What do you mean?”
“She comes into the E.R. at five o’clock this morning and sits in the waiting room talking to one of the patients about the staff. She’s dressed in jeans and a top with a baseball cap on. I thought she was a reporter, so I toss her butt out. The next time I see her, it’s hours later and she’s back in the E.R. waiting room. This time she’s totally professional, wearing a dress and heels. Then later Gilman calls me up to her office and she’s in there waiting for me. She works for the Cura Medical Group.”
“You mean the company trying to buy the hospital?” Mikhail asked.
“Yeah, she works for them as a consultant. Her job is to check us out and perhaps make the final decision.”
Mikhail shrugged. “Reconnaisance. It’s all good. It’s not like we’re talking Harris Bowman. You’ve turned the E.R. department completely around one hundred percent in just a few months.”
“Yeah, I know. The department is on point. That’s not the thing. So, we’re alone in Gilman’s office and we’re discussing the Cura Group, and she’s trying to defend them when she turns around and knocks some files off the desk. We pick them up and she kisses me.”
Mikhail laughed out loud. “She what?” he said.
“Yeah, you heard me. She kissed me.”
“Whoa, I did not see that coming. I like it—unpredictable.”
“And I’m not talking about some ‘thanks for helping me pick up the papers’ peck on the cheek. I’m talking about a full-frontal, hot-and-heavy, about-to-clear-the-desk-and-throw-down-serious-lip-locking kiss till the end kiss. Bro, I gotta tell you, she took me completely by surprise. I had no idea it was coming. And I gotta say she had me one hundred percent.”
Mikhail continued chuckling. “Well, it’s about time you get out of that self-imposed celibate groove you’ve been in lately.”
“I’m not in a celibate groove. I’m selective and you know I’ve been too busy for all the drama. And truthfully, the women I’ve been meeting lately are just too clingy. They want all or nothing right up front. You gotta put a ring on their finger on the first date. I can’t do that.”
“You know it’s the doctor title that gets them, don’t you? So, I hope you locked the office door and got busy.”
“Nah, nothing
There was a knock on the door. His assistant had left for the day and because he’d just spoken to his staff, he doubted it was one of them. He smiled as a stray thought crossed his mind—Shauna Banks. Perhaps he’d have the opportunity to start his little challenge right now. It would be just like her to show up unannounced. He stood up, crossed the room and opened the door.
His brother stood at the door smiling. “Hey.”
The expression on Dominik’s face was far less than thrilled to see him. “Hey, come on in,” Dominik said as he turned and headed back to his desk. He sat down and looked at the computer monitor and then began typing. “I’ll be ready in ten minutes. I just have to finish up a few things.”
Mikhail strolled in after his brother and took a seat. “No problem. So, who were you expecting?” Mikhail asked.
“What? No one. Why?” Dominik said, answering an email and reading through the daily E.R. medical report.
“Well, because the deliriously happy smile on your face turned around as soon as you saw it was me at the door. Ergo, you were expecting someone else—a woman, I’d gather.”
“Yeah, I guess I was, kind of.” He shook his head. His brother was good. Most times he’d put both Sherlock Holmes and Watson to shame. The scary part was that deduction and reason were the least of his many talents. “It’s this woman. I don’t know what kind of game she’s playing, but I swear she’s getting to me.”
“What do you mean?”
“She comes into the E.R. at five o’clock this morning and sits in the waiting room talking to one of the patients about the staff. She’s dressed in jeans and a top with a baseball cap on. I thought she was a reporter, so I toss her butt out. The next time I see her, it’s hours later and she’s back in the E.R. waiting room. This time she’s totally professional, wearing a dress and heels. Then later Gilman calls me up to her office and she’s in there waiting for me. She works for the Cura Medical Group.”
“You mean the company trying to buy the hospital?” Mikhail asked.
“Yeah, she works for them as a consultant. Her job is to check us out and perhaps make the final decision.”
Mikhail shrugged. “Reconnaisance. It’s all good. It’s not like we’re talking Harris Bowman. You’ve turned the E.R. department completely around one hundred percent in just a few months.”
“Yeah, I know. The department is on point. That’s not the thing. So, we’re alone in Gilman’s office and we’re discussing the Cura Group, and she’s trying to defend them when she turns around and knocks some files off the desk. We pick them up and she kisses me.”
Mikhail laughed out loud. “She what?” he said.
“Yeah, you heard me. She kissed me.”
“Whoa, I did not see that coming. I like it—unpredictable.”
“And I’m not talking about some ‘thanks for helping me pick up the papers’ peck on the cheek. I’m talking about a full-frontal, hot-and-heavy, about-to-clear-the-desk-and-throw-down-serious-lip-locking kiss till the end kiss. Bro, I gotta tell you, she took me completely by surprise. I had no idea it was coming. And I gotta say she had me one hundred percent.”
Mikhail continued chuckling. “Well, it’s about time you get out of that self-imposed celibate groove you’ve been in lately.”
“I’m not in a celibate groove. I’m selective and you know I’ve been too busy for all the drama. And truthfully, the women I’ve been meeting lately are just too clingy. They want all or nothing right up front. You gotta put a ring on their finger on the first date. I can’t do that.”
“You know it’s the doctor title that gets them, don’t you? So, I hope you locked the office door and got busy.”
“Nah, nothing
Similar Books
