The Match

by Jillian Quinn

  My sexual history with Sloan creates a serious conflict of interest, one that could cost us both. The hospital strongly frowns upon doctors dating their subordinates. We even had to sign and initial a no-fraternizing clause in our contracts. After our spiel from human resources about workplace behavior, I’d say what I did with Sloan is more than just frowned upon.

  When I reach Sloan’s office, a pretty blonde, with cleavage that’s spilling out of a tight blue top that hugs her petite frame, greets me. I’m sure Sloan will forget all about me with Barbie as his secretary. I have no doubt she can tend to his every need. And now, I am jealous of his secretary. Just great. The last thing I need is to feel anything for this man, yet the second I laid eyes on him in the conference room, my nipples hardened and the memory of everything we did came flooding back to me all at once.

  “I’m here to see Dr. Hart,” I say to the woman behind the desk.

  She lifts the phone to her ear and covers it with her hand. “What did you say your name was?”

  “Dr. Roberts. Dr. Hart is expecting me.”

  She nods and taps a button on the receiver. “Dr. Hart, I have Dr. Roberts here to see you.” They have a conversation that lasts for a few seconds before she says, “Okay, I’ll send her in.”

  She hangs up with Sloan and points to the closed door behind her. “He’s ready for you.”

  Oh, I’m sure he is.

  Walking past her desk and to the door, my hand stills for a second as I grip the knob. I want to puke from the thought of what will happen once I step inside. All of this is unfamiliar territory for me. I have no idea how to act around my new boss.

  Treat him as you would any other doctor, I remind myself, but that doesn’t help to shake the nervous energy rushing through my body.

  “Now or never,” I whisper and push open the door.

  Sloan has his back to me when I enter, which provides me a few seconds of relief, before he spins around and pins me down with one look. His gaze is so intense that I look away from him. But I can feel him watching me, studying every move I make. It’s intimidating but also exciting. At least I can be the first resident from my class to say I had a piece of the sexiest doctor to ever wear scrubs, even though I can’t speak a word of our previous encounter.

  Staring around the room, I try to compose myself, as I take in his office. The walls are white with dark gray carpets and furniture to match. The usual diplomas are on the wall behind his desk along with inspirational medical sayings and quotes placed sporadically around the room. Throw pillows with the hospital logo cover most of the two small couches that face each other.

  “Dr. Roberts,” he says, staring at me as if I am a piece of meat and he’s ready to sink his teeth into me.

  I wish he would right about now. He strips each piece of fabric from my body with his lecherous gaze.

  The way Sloan eyes me up makes me feel naked, even in dark blue scrubs.

  Sloan points at the leather chair across from his desk. “Sit down. We need to get better acquainted. I feel like I know you already.” He says the last part with a smirk.

  Cocky bastard.

  I want to run. But I won’t. Not when I’m standing face-to-face with the man who gave me six orgasms before I left his apartment this weekend. If you can even call his place an apartment. It’s more like a mini-mansion inside of a waterfront condominium.

  I take a seat across from Sloan, unable to peel my eyes off him. He leans back in his chair and stretches his arms above his head, drawing my attention to how tight the dark blue scrubs fit across his muscular chest. Even under the lab coat, it’s not hard to see that Sloan is in fantastic shape. I touched every part of him. Felt every part of him. My mind wanders to a dark place, full of lust and need. Of all the people to be in charge of my future, it had to be Doc. I should have asked more questions. But I didn’t care. Why would I? I wasn’t planning to see him ever again.

  I lick my lips, thinking about his well-defined abs and the thickness of his cock. I pleasured myself more than a few times since I left his apartment, all while thinking of his best asset.

  “Are we going to have a problem, Dr. Roberts?” His voice is so deep and smooth that it rumbles in the quiet air.

  A beat passes between us before I get up the nerve to respond. “No, I don’t see why we would have a problem,” I choke out.

  He sucks me in with one look that goes straight between my thighs, killing me without even touching me. This man oozes sex appeal. His dark hair sweeps over his forehead in waves, not a single hair out of place. He’s so manicured and perfect and my motherfucking mentor.

  Why is this happening to me? As if my sex life didn’t suck enough before I met Sloan, this situation is not making it better. What was I thinking? I meant what I told him about random hook-ups not being my thing. But seeing Sloan again changes everything. His position of authority also changes everything.

  Sloan leans forward with his hands folded on his desk. “What are the chances, huh?”

  Feeling the need to explain myself, I get nervous and mumble. “It’s not like I wanted this to happen.”

  He frowns at my words. “This situation is less than ideal for me, too. Imagine my surprise when I saw you. I’m the Residency Program Director for the next three months, and as your teacher, I can’t risk anyone finding out what we did this weekend. Understood?”

  “Yes, I completely understand. The only person who will ever know is Stacey, and she won’t tell anyone. So what do we do about us?”

  “There is no us.” His voice is so cold and firm that shivers run through me. “You are my employee, and I am your boss. I have rules, and I stick to them for a reason.”

  “Sorry,” I mutter. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  “Well, it means something to me. I live a very controlled life, all with good reason. I’m on track to become Chief of Surgery. I don’t need any distractions or scandals. I know how needy and clingy women can be. I need you to understand that nothing can happen between us ever again. I am an attending. You are my intern. That’s it. That is all we will ever be. Understood?”

  I nod, feeling like an asshole for doing anything with this man, let alone all the dirty things I did and allowed him to do to me. Now, I feel as though I need a shower to scrub him from my skin. I also hate myself for wanting him, despite his attitude that makes him less attractive by the second.

  “Should I look for another residency? Would that make you happy?” I need to clarify after his speech.

  “Do you not want to become a surgeon?” He asks the question as if commanding the answer from me.

  His voice is so deep and controlled, yet soothing to my ears. Why does he have to be so damn sexy? I hate and like him all at the same time. And I hate myself for liking him.

  “Yes, I want to become a surgeon,” I tell him after a long pause. “It’s all I have ever wanted to be. I’m just afraid that our past will affect our working relationship.”

  He stares out the window for a few seconds before he peeks up over me from beneath his long, dark lashes. “I’m a professional. What happened between us was a one-time thing.”

  My breath hitches, the nerves caught in my throat in the process. I was never this uncomfortable, so unsure of myself around another doctor. Sloan has an aura he gives off, combined with his ridiculously good looks, that is throwing me into an emotional tailspin. Sickened by the fact that he has me wet and wanting more, all while he’s telling me the opposite, I want to run from his office. He doesn’t want me. That much he made crystal clear. But I want him. Even though I shouldn’t feel a single thing for this man.

  “Our past will not interfere with our future, Dr. Roberts. As long as we have an understanding, I shouldn’t have to…discipline you.”

  I cower beneath his gaze. Why does his dominance turn me on? Is there something wrong with my body for reacting this way?

  He watches me intently, studying every feature from my face down to my chest. Once his eyes land on my
breasts, he bites his bottom lip. He knows I am watching his every movement, yet he does something incredibly unprofessional on purpose.

  “Discipline,” I say, sitting up straight.

  He smiles as if he won a prize. He already had me, so he can wipe that stupid smirk from his perfect face. For however long Sloan is my boss, he will always win when it comes to work.

  “Yes, discipline, Dr. Roberts. If you get out of line, someone will have to punish you.”

  Leaning back in my chair, I cross my legs, giving him my undivided attention. He checks out my thighs for a few seconds before he locks onto me once more. Even in scrubs, he makes me feel sexy. When Sloan looks at you, it’s as if he’s staring through you, trying to extract every thought from your mind.

  I was nervous when I first walked into his office. Now, my body is on fire from all the emotions hitting me at once. Most of them are wrong on so many levels. I shouldn’t want my boss, but I do. I want him so bad I have to fight the urge. Running my hands up my sides, I push up my bra to adjust my breasts, wondering if he will take the bait.

  Neither of us speaks for several minutes. The air is thick with tension. Make up your mind, I want to scream at him, because he says one thing but does another. He unfolds his hands and sinks back in his chair. Then, he does something unexpected and places his hand over his crotch.

  Sloan stands up, smoothing his hands down the front of his dark scrubs, bringing attention to his massive erection. I think I might be imagining this until he comes around to my side of the desk and stands behind me. He bends down to whisper in my ear, his length digging into my arm.

  “Sloan,” I say, clearing my throat. “I mean Dr. Hart. What are you doing? This violates your rules.”

  “You make me fucking crazy, Ava. I know I shouldn’t fuck you again, but I can’t stop thinking about your tight pussy. Seeing you here was the last thing I ever expected. I have rules. We already went over them, yet you defy them.”

  “I didn’t do anything other than show up to work today.” I swallow the lump in my throat and look up at him. “I hate your rules.”

  What Sloan and I had a few days ago was explosive but dangerous. Our personalities do not mesh well together. We only work well together in the bedroom. While I’m looking forward to seeing what sparks fly between us this time, I’m not so sure we should pursue anything further.

  Holding onto the arm of the chair, I push myself up to my feet, a little wobbly from the adrenaline coursing through my veins. It doesn’t help that Sloan makes my entire body tremble from the nervous anticipation of what is to come. I want him to make me come again so bad.

  He slides his big hands on my shoulders and presses down to keep me in place, sending chills down my spine in the process. I suck in a deep breath, surprised by his sudden gesture. After giving me his bullshit speech about how we can’t be together, he does something so contradictory that it makes no sense to me.

  Make up your mind, I scream on the inside, even though Sloan should hear it from my mouth.

  He stares down at me the entire time I squirm under his grip, aware of the effect he has on me. My panties are soaking wet, the thin material barely enough to keep my juices from spilling down my leg. While Sloan can’t see the magic he’s working on my pussy, he can see my nipples protruding through the scrub material because they’re like daggers pointed at him. And he doesn’t miss a thing. He knows I want him so fucking bad.

  He licks his lips once more. “I wish you weren’t a doctor at this hospital. You are too distracting.” Sloan releases me from his grasp.

  “So are you,” I counter. “I shouldn’t be wet for my boss right now. This is so wrong, yet when I look at you, it feels so right. I want the man who can give me multiple orgasms to give me one on this desk right now, but we can’t do this. We both have our careers to think about.”

  Finding the courage to leave, I get up from the chair and head toward the exit. He catches up to me by the time my fingers wrap around the cool metal knob, and I still from his breath on my neck.

  Sloan doesn’t speak. He doesn’t even touch me. Sucking in a deep breath, I turn the doorknob and get the fuck away from my way-too-tempting boss.

  Chapter Eleven

  AVA

  My body still trembles with need as I power walk out of Sloan’s office and into the hallway. Even though we didn’t do anything, I feel like some cheap hooker who met him in a hotel room. If he would have pushed me up against the door and fucked me right there, I would have let him. I am an idiot for even considering another hookup with Sloan.

  With his good looks and swagger, I couldn’t resist Sloan—just as I couldn’t resist him today. I wanted him inside me again from the second I saw him this morning. As if he isn’t already sexy enough, the lab coat with Dr. Hart sewn into the pocket paired with the navy scrubs molded to his muscular frame was enough to make my legs quiver in anticipation for more. I wish he had fucked me again, this time with his lab coat on. And nothing else.

  I suck in a deep breath and let it out, trying to act nonchalant. But Sloan is a hard man to shake. For a second, I take in my surroundings, looking both ways, and make a beeline to the elevator bank. While there are some people in the hall, I don’t look at any of them. I don’t want to make eye contact.

  By the time I reach the elevators, I run into Stacey. She has her back pressed up against the wall, chatting with a man in his twenties who looks like one of the residents I met at orientation this morning. His name is Barry Wilson, I think.

  “Ava, what are you doing up here?” Stacey gives me a strange look and then steps away from Dr. Wilson, dismissing him without words. Lowering her voice to a whisper, she moves toward me. “Doc’s office is at the end of the hall. Did you two get it on again?” I roll my eyes at her, and her face brightens with delight. “Oh, my God. Please tell me you did.” She claps her hands together like a child and squeals. “I want all the juicy details.”

  “Will you be quiet?” I drag her into the crowded elevator with me and hit the button for the first floor. “We’re expected in the emergency room to meet with Dr. Ward.”

  Stacey stands at my side, flashing a curious look in my direction. She can be such a pain in my ass sometimes. I didn’t interrogate her about her threesome with Sloan’s smoking hot friends. Not like I had to ask. Stacey poured me a cup of coffee on Sunday morning and dished out every disgusting detail.

  Once the car comes to a stop and everyone shuffles out of the elevator, Stacey clamps her bony fingers around my wrist and drags me toward the emergency room. “Spill it, woman. What happened with you and Doc?”

  “Nothing happened,” I spit back to shut down the conversation. “Can you stop interrogating me until after we get home? If someone overhears you, I will be looking for another residency program.”

  She rolls her eyes at me and snorts. “You’re such a bore. At least Doc blew the cobwebs out of your vagina. I thought for sure you were going to dry up after that long ass break you were on. Jeez, how long was it? Like two years?”

  I smack her in the arm and shake my head. “You are the worst friend ever.”

  The ground floor is chaotic, with paramedics flying by with patients on stretchers, some of which are being transported from other hospitals. If you’re an action junkie like me, then the ER is the best place to learn. They call the emergency room The Pit for a reason. But I love the intensity of it all. I love the adrenaline that rushes through my veins. You never know what kind of case could stroll right through the door.

  “Dr. Carlyle, you are with me,” Dr. Ward says to Stacey. He looks me over for a second until realization sinks in that he knows me. We’ve met several times over the years through my father. “Oh, Dr. Roberts. Nice to see you again. I believe you are with Dr. Hart today. He should be down in a few minutes.”

  “Nice to see you too, Dr. Ward.” I force a smile to hide the nerves bubbling up inside my chest.

  He gives me a polite nod and then motions for Stacey to follow hi
m out of the emergency room to where a small group of residents are waiting for them. I needed a break from Stacey. Her constant grilling in public was driving me insane. The last thing I need is for one of my father’s old friends to catch wind of my sexcapades with Sloan over the weekend. Who would they remove? Him or me? This is a conflict of interest neither of us saw coming when we made a deal to have sex with no strings attached.

  By the time I reach the nurses station, located at the center of the vast room, Sloan already has a crowd around him, as if he’s a king holding court. I don’t miss the women who eye him up like a piece of meat, and the men who are glaring at him, all of them hoping to one day take his job. This business can be cutthroat. There are only so many vacancies to be filled, which makes every person in my program a threat—my best friend included.

  Surrounded by at least seven doctors, Sloan has never looked so in his element. He stands tall and confident, projecting his voice with authority. My nipples swell against my scratchy scrub top, poking through the fabric at him. A brush of fire spreads to my chest once his eyes lock onto me. The corner of his mouth turns up into a cocky grin that dampens my panties.

  I take my position at the back of the group, afraid to give him the slightest indication that I am interested. Sloan knows I am, but that doesn’t mean I have to give him an even bigger head than he already has. Clearly, by the way he carries himself, he knows he’s the shit. So does everyone around him. This man oozes confidence and sex, both of which make it harder for me to resist the urge to throw myself at him.

  “Looks like everyone is here,” Sloan says, keeping his eyes pointed at me. “Now, we can get started.”

  The intensity of his gaze sends a chill down my spine that hits me right where I want him most—my aching core. He turns on his heel, with the group following behind him, leading us deeper into the room. Between the commotion at the desk, the front door, and the patients crying or yelling in some of the bays, a cacophony of sounds assaults my eardrums.