her.
That explanation didn’t seem to fit either, although that could just be because she was too mortified to think it might be true.
Swiveling her attention back to her patient, she nodded at the gown on the end of the bed. “Our fashion designer is dying for you to try out her latest creation. While you’re getting dressed, I’ll page Dr. Coleman and let him know you’re here.” She squeezed the woman’s shoulder. “We’re all pulling for those little ones.”
“Thank you. They’ve got a lot of family and friends praying for them too.”
“I’m glad.” She picked up the chart and headed for the door. “See you in a few minutes.”
Chloe went to the nurses’ station to call Cade. Before she could do that, he appeared in the flesh. “Clara Serrano is here.” She handed him the chart.
“Everything look okay with her?”
“Her vitals are all normal. She’s feeling movement from at least one of the fetuses. Dr. Morris wants to see if the size ratio has changed at all.”
“Sounds good. I’ll take a look.” He tapped the counter with the chart. “Have you seen Dr. Davis, by any chance?”
She had. Quite well, actually. But that’s not what Cade was asking. “I haven’t seen him since this morning.” Not since he’d dropped her off at the hospital entrance and then revved up his bike and rounded the corner on his way to the parking garage. He hadn’t touched her as she’d unsnapped her helmet and shaken her hair loose, but his smoldering look had spoken volumes. She was getting some tonight.
The thought made the corners of her lips curve much higher than they should have.
Cade evidently thought so too, because his brows went up and he leaned his elbows on the desk, bringing him a little closer. “Very nice. Is that smile for me?”
“That’s what I’d like to know.” The low voice came from beside them, making Chloe jerk to attention and spin to face it.
Brad. And although his tone was calm and reasonable, his expression was anything but. Narrow-eyed, with lips in a tight hard line, he studied her face—from which her smile was now gone.
Cade, on the other hand, straightened. “Is it against hospital policy to comment on someone’s pretty smile?”
“I’d prefer that you both do your jobs instead.”
A thread of anger ran up her spine, replacing the warm anticipation of a few seconds ago. “I think we both were. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go and check on one of my other patients.”
She stalked toward the nearest room, having no idea which patient it belonged to. All she knew was that her irritation was out of proportion to the situation. But if Brad thought he could use their little agreement to his advantage at work, he was going to find out he was dead wrong.
A hand on her arm stopped her before she made it halfway to the door. She came to a halt, already knowing who it was but unable to bring herself to look at him. Not with the way her chin and everything inside her was trembling.
“Hey, hold up a second.” He turned her round. “Sorry to step on your toes, but I don’t trust the guy. Something’s going on with him.”
“He was just trying to be nice.”
His gaze trailed over her face, stopping at her lips. “Maybe I’m afraid he’ll make a move on you.”
“And if he did? I’d think you’d be glad.”
His palms slid down her arms, creases forming between his brows. “And why would you think that?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Her voice dropped to a whisper, not wanting anyone to hear what she was about to say. “Poor little Chloe needs a tutor. Who wants to be stuck with that kind of duty?”
Certainly not her ex, who’d made his exasperation plain.
The corners of Brad’s eyes crinkled as he continued to look at her. “You make it sound like a death sentence.”
Chloe shrugged. “You said it, not me.”
There was a pause, then his fingertips stroked across her cheek. “You’re a beautiful, sexy woman. Any red-blooded man would give his right arm to be in my position. Even Coleman. It’s why I don’t want him hanging around you.”
“He’s not hanging around me.”
“Maybe he’d like to.”
Chloe tried to decipher his meaning. “And that would bother you.”
His eyes darkened, his smile fading. “Oh, yeah. It would bother me a whole lot. Because you’re all mine. At least for now.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE BATHROOM DOOR wasn’t locked.
As strange as she found his aversion to keys, in this instance it suited her