My instinct to fight gnaws at me, as I sit next to Sloan and wait for our punishment. There’s no way we are getting out of this room without at least a slap on the wrist. Susan flips through a folder in front of her without a word. She doesn’t move an inch until the door to the room opens and the doctor who Sloan choked steps inside.
Sloan’s jaw clenches at the sight of the man who would have done who knows what to me had Sloan not come to my rescue.
“This is bullshit,” Sloan hisses under his breath and balls his hands into fists on his thighs.
Susan looks at the bastard who takes his place next to her, the man staring across the table at us. “Dr. Hart,” she says, turning to face Sloan with her hands folded in front of her on the table. “Dr. Sully is accusing you of sleeping with Dr. Roberts in the on-call room. As you are aware, these are serious allegations that violate hospital policies. Have you had sexual relations with Dr. Roberts?”
Sloan grinds his teeth together, glaring at the doctor as if he’s about to leap across the table and rip out his eyeballs. But when he speaks, his voice is level and with more control than I had expected, though I should have known better. “The allegations are true.”
My mouth opens shock, his comment taking me by surprise. What the fuck is he doing? I stare at Sloan in horror of what he has done. Our reputations will be trashed once the staff get wind of this. Nothing in the hospital, even sensitive matters like these, go unnoticed. We will be the talk of Penn General by lunch. Fuck.
Susan gasps at Sloan’s confession, and so do I, because I am in shock by how forward Sloan is about our relationship. I had expected him to deny the charges and fight back against the man who would have done awful things to me if given the chance. What about our careers? What the fuck is Sloan doing?
“I see.” Susan uncrosses her hands to sink back in her chair. Her eyes travel between us, as if deciding how to handle the situation. “So, you don’t deny having sexual relations with a surgical intern who was under your direct supervision while you were both on the clock.”
“Ava and I are a couple. We are together. But we were not having sexual relations during our shifts.”
At least he lied about that part. This situation is awkward enough without having to talk about all the fucking we did while we were working.
“Dr. Sully has made several reports to our office. He claims you choked him in the on-call room on the third floor of this hospital two months ago. On several occasions, Dr. Sully has witnessed the two of you leaving the on-call room with your clothes and hair messed up. He even indicated in his report that you were holding hands a few times.”
“What he thinks he saw and what actually happened are two different things,” Sloan says, matter-of-fact, sitting up straighter in his chair. “We were using the on-call room to change our clothes. The night I allegedly choked him, Ava brought new scrubs to me since she was off for the evening and was not expected in the O.R. until the morning. I spilled coffee on my scrubs. It’s that simple. Dr. Sully saw me leaving the room in my cap and mask, on my way to the operating room to observe a procedure. I was in a rush. When I reached the elevator bank and saw that Ava wasn’t behind me, I went back to see if there was a problem, and that’s when I found Dr. Sully sexually harassing my girlfriend. If I hadn’t come back to save her, I have no idea what would have happened to her. The person you should be investigating is this resident and not the interim Residency Program Director.”
“It’s my job to ask questions and determine if there is any wrongdoing,” Susan says. “I can’t speak to what you saw Dr. Sully doing with Dr. Roberts, and I have no physical proof as to what you and Dr. Roberts were doing together in the on-call room.” She turns to look at Dr. Sully and says, “Do you have anything to say for yourself in regards to the allegations that you were harassing Dr. Roberts?”
“I did nothing wrong,” he says with fire behind his words. “I went in to the on-call room to get some sleep before my next shift, and I found Dr. Roberts alone, right after she had finished having sex with Dr. Hart. I told her she was in the wrong place and to leave, but I never laid a hand on her. The allegations are nonsense. I’m a doctor, not a pervert.”
“That’s a lie,” Sloan growls. “You have some nerve reporting a situation to HR when you were the one who was in the wrong.”
“She wasn’t wearing a uniform,” Dr. Sully counters. “How was I supposed to know she was a doctor?”
“That was because she was off-duty,” Sloan hisses.
“Okay, gentlemen,” Susan says, pushing her hands out in front of her to silence them. “I think we have said enough. Dr. Sully you are free to go.”
“What about the charges? They should be fired for breaking hospital policy.”
“And you should be arrested,” Sloan retorts.
“Dr. Sully, please leave,” Susan says, irritated. “I’ve heard enough from you on this matter.”
He gets up from the table with a scowl on his face and stomps across the room, slamming the door behind him. Sloan slides his chair out from the table, as if we are also excused, but Susan stops him.
“Dr. Hart, we are not finished here. Please stay seated.”
“What is left to say?” He scoots his chair forward and leans his elbows onto the table. “You can’t prove what we were doing in the on-call room. There are no cameras to validate Dr. Sully’s story, and I just told you what happened. That man is disgusting. I am going to recommend his removal from the residency program. He has no business treating patients in this hospital.”
“While I can’t do anything about the situation Dr. Sully reported to my office or the one you are complaining about, I have to speak with both of you about the nature of your relationship. As you know, hospital policy states that doctors are not allowed to have sexual relations with employees under their direct supervision.”
“Yes, I am well aware and that is why I was going to suggest an alternative that would work best for Ava and I.”
“What do you suggest?” Susan asks, her gaze shifting between us.
“I have two more days as Dr. Roberts’ teacher, at which point Dr. Foster will resume his position, and I will go back to general surgery. Now that you are aware of our relationship, I understand that Dr. Roberts cannot remain on my service. But what about different shifts as an alternative?”
“To some extent, Dr. Roberts will still be under your supervision. You’re being considered for Chief of Surgery. If Dr. Roberts wants to be a surgeon in this hospital, the two of you will eventually cross paths. We cannot allow you to work in the same department.”
I brush my fingers along Sloan’s forearm to get his attention. “It’s okay. I can work for another doctor.”
“No, it’s not okay, Ava. You are a surgeon. Who am I to take that away from you?”
“If that’s true about you being up for Chief, then who am I to take that from you?”
Sloan covers my hand with his and gives it a squeeze. At first, he doesn’t say anything, with a beat passing between us. Then, he shifts in his chair to look across the table at Susan. “A few of the doctors in this hospital are in serious, committed relationships. Some of them are married.”
Susan closes the folder in front of her and holds Sloan’s gaze. “Yes, this is true, but they work in different departments.”
“How would it look to investors if Penn Gen fired the daughter of Lawrence Roberts over a consenting relationship she’s having with an attending? Her father’s name goes a long way in this city and in this hospital. I’m sure you would hear from his lawyer if you even consider disciplinary action.”
Susan holds up her hand to silence Sloan. “No one said anything about disciplinary action, Dr. Hart. Please don’t get ahead of yourself. All I am saying is that it is inappropriate to sleep with your subordinate while you are supposed to be teaching her how to become a surgeon.”
Sloan folds his arms over his chest, his lips pursed in anger. “My relationship with Dr. Roberts has in
no way disrupted her training.”
“While that may be true, the hospital frowns upon fraternizing with employees. Allowing Dr. Roberts to take a surgery over another doctor could cause some issues with other residents who see your relationship as a threat to their training. I never said your involvement with each other was grounds for being fired.”
Sloan pushes his chair out from the table and comes to a standing. “So, I guess we have nothing left to talk about. I will do my best to ensure I am not on the same shifts as Dr. Roberts and that our working together in no way interferes with the residency program. She will receive the same treatment as everyone else. Not that I was giving it to her. Every time I chose Dr. Roberts to scrub in with me, she had earned the right to work alongside me. I wasn’t handing it to her because of my feelings for her.”
“Understood, Dr. Hart. I’ll speak to Dr. Foster about Dr. Roberts’ schedule, and we can plan accordingly.”
“Can you please not tell my father about this?” I ask Susan, my voice somewhat pleading. “He would be less than thrilled if he knew any of this.”
She gives me a quick nod, before lifting the folder in front of her from the table. As Susan exits the room, Sloan helps me up from the chair. His fingers thread between mine, sparking a wave of heat that shoots throughout my body.
“Why would you ask her that?” Sloan’s voice is devoid of any emotion. “Are you embarrassed to be with me? Am I not good enough for your father to know we are together?”
I scrunch my nose in confusion. “No, silly. I would rather tell my dad about us in person, over dinner at a steakhouse, not through the rumor mill. You know how fast news travels around here. He should hear it from me and with you at my side. I’m proud to call you my man, but for months, I haven’t been able to tell a soul other than Stacey. Some days, I am so overcome by emotions, all of them hitting me at once, that I want everyone to know I am with you. But our little secret had to be kept. Now, we are free to tell whoever we want.”
“I wouldn’t tell anyone in the hospital unless they ask, especially not the first-year residents. They will all hate you and assume every surgery you get is because of me. I don’t want anyone to take away from you what you have earned.”
I stand on my tippy toes and lean forward to kiss Sloan. He braces me by placing his hands on my shoulder, holding me against his chest, as his lips part for me. His tongue sweeps into my mouth with a fury, each movement a silent promise for more. Sloan makes love to me with his mouth, as if he’s been holding back on me after all these months. He possesses every ounce of my body, dampening my panties in the process. We stay that way for a few minutes, before Sloan peels his lips from mine, leaving me dying for air.
“I love you, Ava,” he whispers against my lips. “Don’t ever think for one second that I gave you anything that wasn’t owed to you. I am so proud of you.”
“Thank you.” I smile so wide my jaw hurts. “I love you, too, Doc.”
He laughs. “You stopped calling me that a while ago. How come you’re bringing it back?”
I shrug. “It just felt right.”
After work, I head outside and wait for Sloan at his Mercedes. I lean against the window of the sports car with my arms crossed over my chest, loving the fact we no longer have to hide our relationship. But I can’t go rubbing it anyone’s face either.
Ten minutes after I get comfortable against his car, Sloan strolls toward me, dressed in dark scrubs that fit his muscular frame perfectly. Sloan looks like a million bucks. He looks like the next chief of surgery. Sloan oozes sex and power. And he’s all mine.
“Hey, beautiful.” Sloan grabs the back of my head and presses his lips to mine. He invades my mouth with his tongue, showing me just how much he loves me.
Once our lips separate, I am lightheaded. That feeling never goes away with Sloan. “Thanks for making me wet before I even get in the car.”
He laughs. “You are always wet for me, Ava, and I love it.”
I cannot deny what he says because it’s true. This man is a walking orgasm.
“We really dodged a bullet earlier, huh?”
He shrugs, reaching behind me to open the door. “If you call having our shift changed a victory, then I guess so. But I would have preferred another alternative.”
“We had no other options, Sloan.”
I get into the car, and he bends down to slide the seatbelt across my chest. “I’m sure we could have worked something out with human resources.”
“We did,” I remind him.
“It’s not the same without you on my service.” He leans forward to plant a kiss on my cheek and sinks back, still hunched over and at my eye level. “I wish things could have turned out differently for both of us, but there’s no denying that she was right. We can’t have people knowing we are together while you work under me.”
“I’d like to be under you alright.” I wink at him. “And I don’t think we have anything to worry about. Getting caught gave me some clarity. I can learn from someone else just as much as I would have from you.”
“We both know that’s not true,” he says with a frown. “You would have learned a lot from me, under my supervision. My biggest regret is that I took advantage of the time we had together and used it for my own selfish reasons instead of teaching the things you needed to know.”
“I’m choosing cardio. That’s where I belong. My dad was right.”
“If I made chief, I would still oversee surgeries. Technically, I would still be your boss.”
I rub his jawline with my thumb and smile. “I learned plenty from you, Sloan, and I will continue to do so whether or not you are my boss. Now, get in this car. I want to go home and spend the night in bed with you.”
He scans the parking lot with a devious look in his eyes. Then, he tugs at the strings of my scrub bottom and slips his hand down my panties. I moan when his thumb rolls over my clit and he slides two fingers inside me.
“You weren’t lying about being wet.” Sloan licks his lips. “Fuck, Ava.”
“What are you doing?” I tilt my head back against the seat and close my eyes, biting down on my bottom lip. “Someone could see us out here in the open.”
“We are already out in the open. There’s nothing left to hide.” He pushes another finger inside me, causing me to scream out in pain. But the pain quickly turns to pleasure the more he works his magic on me. “Come for me, my love.” He whispers the words in my ear, his breath sending a chill through my body.
I nod, just as my body grows warmer, the heat spreading from my cheeks to my chest. “Yes, sir.”
The corner of his mouth turns up into a wicked smirk. “Now, do as I say and come on my fingers.”
Closing my eyes, I allow the orgasm that rocks through my body to take over, consumed by Sloan and this moment. I moan his name, as if he is exorcizing it from my body along with my orgasm.
“Good girl,” he says under his breath.
I open my eyes long enough to see him give me one of his signature smirks, reminding of me of how much I love this man.
Chapter Twenty
SLOAN
Three Years Later
“What are you doing, Sloan?” Ava gives me a pouty face as I take my tie from around my neck, cover her eyes with the silky fabric, and fasten it behind her head.
“It’s a surprise, my love. Be patient and don’t ruin the moment, okay?”
She smiles in response, stretching her hands out in front of her.
“Have I ever steered you wrong? Trust me.”
“Yes, Chief,” she deadpans.
Over the course of the last three years, Ava and I have built a life together. I made Chief of Surgery nine months after Ava chose cardio as her specialty. While I am technically still her boss at work, we keep our distance. But I’ll always be Ava’s Chief in the bedroom.
With my hands on her shoulders, I lead her out of our apartment and into the stairwell. She sucks in a deep breath, as though she’s nervous about where I
am taking her. If anyone should be terrified of what is to come next, it should be me. But my girl worries enough for both of us.
“Careful,” I say against the shell of her ear. “Take each step one at a time.”
“Now that I know where you are taking me, why don’t you remove the blindfold so I don’t fall on my face.”
“I would never let you fall, because I will always be here to catch you.”
“Why do you have to be so…you?” she asks with laughter in her voice.
“It’s part of my charm,” I spit back.
Moving my hands from her shoulders to her waist, I get a firm grip on her hips and help Ava climb the stairs to the roof. Once we get there, I push open the door and guide Ava to the table I set up at the center of the roof.
Her nose wrinkles, and then she licks her lips. “I smell food. Mmm…”
Running my hand up her stomach, I pull her against my chest and remove my tie from her eyes. She presses her back into me, digging her ass against my cock. I wasn’t hard before, but just the thought of sex with Ava has me wanting to bend her over the circular table.
Her eyes and mouth widen in shock once she takes in her surroundings. I had Del Frisco’s deliver steaks with all the side dishes Ava freaks over every time we go to the restaurant. It’s her father’s favorite restaurant and has been hers as well for as long as I have known her.
“Sloan, this is so sweet. I can’t believe you did all of this for me.”
“I would do anything for you, Ava. Anything.” I dip down to kiss her, threading my fingers through her hair. “You should know that by now.”
Once our lips separate, I stare into her eyes, a beat passing between us. She’s still the most gorgeous woman I have laid eyes on and is the love of my life.
“So, what’s the occasion?” she asks, surprised by what she assumes is a sudden gesture, when she is the one who doesn’t remember the importance of this day.
The Match Page 12
