I barely paid attention to the fact that Vincent’s partner tugged him away to do some paperwork. But I tore my gaze away from the sexy doctor when a different one came over to evaluate me. Although I was happy Vincent no longer had a reason to stick around since I was being seen right away, I was disappointed that the man who made my heart beat faster wasn’t the doctor assigned to me.
I searched for him once the exam was done, my bottom lip puffing out when I didn’t see him anywhere. But my disappointment didn’t last long because a deep voice directly from my right asked, “Looking for me?”
He made my heart race for a different reason this time, and I pressed my hand to my chest. “You scared me.”
“Sorry, sweetheart. The last thing I’d ever want to do is scare you.” He tapped on the screen of the tablet he was holding, his expression turning serious as he read over whatever information he’d looked up. “How’d you get a concussion?”
Before I could answer, Vincent appeared on my other side. “She was mugged on her way to her car. Since she hit her head, we brought her in from the college campus on our truck.”
One dark brow arched as Dr. Dabney—if the name stitched on his lab coat was correct—shifted his attention to Vincent. “Was there something you needed me to sign before you leave?”
Vincent shook his head. “No, we just finished our paperwork.”
Dr. Dabney continued to stare him down, tension crackling in the air between the two men. “Then what’re you still doing here? Don’t you have a job to do elsewhere? Emergency calls to answer? Lives to save?”
Vincent leaned his hip against my hospital bed and crossed his arms against his chest. He didn’t look as though he was going anywhere soon. “I’m waiting to hear back from my boss. I’ve requested someone to cover the rest of my shift so I can stay here with Willa.”
“Willa,” Dr. Dabney echoed softly, his gaze bouncing between us as a muscle jumped in his hardened jaw. “Are you a relative of hers?”
“She’s a friend.”
I cringed at Vincent’s claim, which Dr. Dabney didn’t miss. “Is that true, Willa? Are the two of you friends?”
I avoided Vincent’s gaze as I answered, “Well…uh…Vincent is my neighbor.”
Some of the tension left his body, but that was the only hint he was pleased with my explanation. “Being neighbors isn’t the same as being friends, is it, Vincent?”
“I–”
Dr. Dabney didn’t give him the chance to make up an excuse. Instead, he focused on me as he asked, “Do you want him to stay and keep you company until you’re discharged?”
I wasn’t happy that he’d put me on the spot like this, but I wasn’t going to lie. Especially to the only guy I’d ever felt this kind of chemistry with just to spare Vincent’s feelings. I didn’t owe my neighbor that much…or anything really. “Not really. It seems silly to make someone pick up an extra shift when I’ll probably just close my eyes and rest a little. ”
Vincent reached for my hand, and a low growl rumbled up the sexy doctor’s chest. My neighbor shot him a hate-filled glare as he asked, “Are you sure you’ll be okay? It really isn’t a big deal for me to stay.”
“I’m fine,” I insisted as a stab of pain shot through my forehead. I let out a little whimper, squeezing my eyes shut and pressing my hand over my eyes.
“You heard the patient. Please step out so we can close the curtain and limit Willa’s stimulation.”
I heard the shuffle of feet and the glide of the curtain before Dr. Dabney assured, “Don’t worry, Willa. You’re in excellent hands now. Nobody will hurt you again.”
I could’ve sworn I felt the barest glide of his lips against the top of my head before he left the exam cubicle, but I had to have been imagining things. No way would a doctor kiss a patient like that, especially one he’d just met.
2
Patch
As a neurologist, I didn’t usually work shifts in the ER, but when you were on call, and they needed a doctor, you hauled ass to wherever you’d been requested. Which was why I had to leave my “brother” and his wife while they were having their baby. Not that I was their obstetrician or anything, but I was the doctor for the Silver Saints MC—both Bear and I were citizens—so I’d patched up Bear plenty of times. Hence my road name…Patch. Not to be confused with Doc, who was a “fixer,” and not in the medical sense.
I’d even treated his wife, Alyssa, from time to time, so I could understand why having me around would make him feel like she was in good hands. Besides, Bear had been a total wreck, which was funny as hell, and I would never let him forget it.