Chapter 16
Amelia’s POV
His hand closed around mine before I could escape, sending an unwanted jolt through me. My breath caught in my throat. and for a moment, it felt like my body betrayed me. I leaned into the warmth of his touch instead of pulling away like ! should have.
“Edmund,” I warned, my voice coming out far less convincing than I intended.
He didn’t let go. His grip was far from pain, it was electric and insistent, as though he was reminding me he still had the power to make me stop in my tracks.
His dark eyes locked onto mine, and I hated how familiar that look felt. I’d seen it before, the same look he’d given me years ago, when I wasn’t his doctor and he wasn’t my patient, when I was his wife- a contract wife, but still.
But all that had changed.
“Why are you acting like this?” he asked softly, his thumb brushing against my knuckles in a way that sent shivers down my
arm.
I swallowed hard, tugging lightly at my hand, but he tightened his hold. My heart drummed faster. “I’m acting like a professional,” I managed, though my voice cracked slightly.
He let out a low chuckle, one that made my stomach twist deliciously. “Professional? You think calling me ‘sir‘ and avoiding my eyes makes you professional?” He leaned closer, his breath warm against my skin. “You’re running, Amelia. But then again, you’ve always been good at running.”
I stiffened. That stung, mostly because it wasn’t entirely false. My chest tightened, but I forced myself to steel my expression. “I’m not running. I’m doing my job. That’s all this is.”
His smirk deepened. “Then why can’t you even say my name? He asked, “why are you making a big fuss about it?”
My eyes snapped to him, filled with frustration. “Because you make everything complicated!” I hissed before I could stop myself.
The words hung between us, sharp and heavy. His gaze softened, just slightly, and for a dangerous second, I almost saw regret flicker across his face. But I couldn’t afford to go there. Not now. Not ever.
I sighed. “Look Edmund, you’re an injured married man,” I said, “and my job here is to make sure you get better quickly, that’s all there is to it.”
I pulled my hand free with a sudden jerk, forcing distance between us. He let me go this time, though his eyes followed me like a shadow I couldn’t shake.
Taking a deep breath, I straightened my shoulders. “Enough. We’re not doing this. You’re my patient, Edmund. That’s it. So either sit down so I can examine you, or I’ll leave and have another doctor assigned to you.”
The way his jaw flexed told me he didn’t like the ultimatum, but to my relief, he silently agreed and sank back onto the couch. “Fine,” he muttered, running a hand down his face. “Do your job, Dr. Amelia.”
The sound of my name on his lips made my stomach flip, but I pushed it aside. I wasn’t going to let him rattle me again. Not when I was struggling so hard to push back my feelings for him.
I set my bag down on the glass coffee table and pulled out my stethoscope, gloves, and antiseptic wipes. My hands shook slightly, but I focused on the motions, clinical, detached.
1/3
1965 pm p P M4 #4
Chapter th
he lead hark and the couch like he was daring me to come doser.
Ireathewed and stepped brward, napping on my gloves. “Let’s start with the forehead‘
the ruled fus head toward me, his dark hair falling slightly our of place, exposing the small but deep cut above his brow. I icaned in carefully, inspected the wound.
It’s healing pretty fast,” I said as I dabbed the wound with antiseptic. He winced but didn’t move, his eyes staying on me instead of the ceiling like a normal patient.
“There’s no swelling, so you’re good Does it hurt?” I asked quietly.
“Only when you’re not touching me,” he murmured.
I froze for a split second, my heart slamming in my chest, before I forced myself to ignore him and continue cleaning the cut. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that,” I muttered.
His lips curved into a faint smile. “You can pretend all you want, Amelia. But you can’t deny what’s still here.”
I swallowed, refusing to answer. My fingers worked quickly, applying a small bandage to the wound. “That should heal fine in a few days. Just keep it clean.”
“Next?” he asked, almost teasingly, as if this was some kind of game.
“your chest please,” I replied, keeping my tone neutral.
He didn’t hesitate. He simply tugged at the buttons of his shirt, undoing them one by one infuriatingly slow, his eyes never leaving mine.
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself not to react, not to let my gaze linger on the smooth expanse of his toned chest as the fabric fell open.
I scoffed. “Really, Edmund?” I asked dryly, arching a brow, “You could at least try to act like a patient instead of…” I trailed off, biting the inside of my cheek.
“Instead of what?” he prompted, smirking.
“Instead of this,” I muttered, gesturing vaguely at his half–open shirt and smug expression.
He chuckled. “You used to like this.”
I ignored him, focusing on the bruises and scratches scattered across his chest. Some were already fading, but a few still looked fresh. I placed the stethoscope on his chest, my hands brushing against him despite my best efforts to avoid contact.
“Deep breath,” I instructed.
He inhaled, his chest rising under my hand, and for a moment I had to force myself to remember I was supposed to be listening for lung sounds, not remembering how it felt, lying against that same chest at night.
“Again,” I said, clearing my throat.
He obeyed, slower this time, almost deliberately dragging out the moment. His eyes locked on mine, and the air between us thickened with something unspoken.
I quickly lifted the stethoscope away and stepped back, tearing the gloves from my hands. “You’re fine. Nothing is affected. You will be alright in about a week or two.”
2/3
3:55 pm P P M M
Chapter 16
“You sound disappointed,” he said.
“I’m relieved,” I corrected. “Which is more than I can say about your behavior”
His smirk softened into something else, something dangerously close to being vulnerable. And Edmund was never one to show his vulnerability.
“What? Why are you staring at me like that?”
“You still care,” he murmured.
I swallowed hard. “I care because you’re my patient, Edmund. That’s it.”
He leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on his knees. “You can lie to yourself, Amelia, but you can’t lie to me. Not when I can still see it in your eyes.”
I inhaled sharply, gathering my things and shoving them back into my bag. “This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have agreed to this.”
His voice dropped, softer now. “Then why did you?”
I froze for just a second, my back to him. The answer was tangled somewhere between duty, guilt, and the feelings I didn’t want to accept. They still existed. But I couldn’t let him see that. Not when he belonged to someone else.
“I’ll see myself out,” I said quietly.
As I walked toward the door, I heard him exhale heavily with something I didn’t dare to turn around and acknowledge.
My chest tightened as I reached for the handle. There was no way this was going to work. Not with him. Not with the past between us still alive in the present.
And worst of all, not with the little precious secret I was hiding.
AB
Comment
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
