"Dr. Graves, I’m sorry, I didn't realize…" He looked between us as the words died on his lips.
"It's fine," Harper said, voice impressively steady for someone who'd been seconds from letting me mark her. "Mr. Maddox was just leaving."
I looked at her, at the flush on her cheeks and the way her hands shook slightly as she smoothed her blazer.
"Tomorrow," I said. "Same time?"
She nodded, not meeting my eyes. "Don't be late."
I pushed past Morrison, who pressed himself against the door frame to avoid touching me.
Smart bastard.
But as I walked away, I could still feel Harper's fingers in my hair, could still smell the moment her suppressants had started to fail again.
Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.
And I had a feeling it was going to be even harder to keep my hands to myself.
Chapter 5
Harper
I'd specifically chosen seat 32C was pure perfection. Last row, aisle seat, as far from first class as possible on the team charter. I was out of the way and practically invisible.
Knox was sitting in 2A, first row, window, sprawled out like he owned the entire front cabin.
Perfection.
Thirty rows between us should have been enough.
It wasn't.
I could feel his eyes on me the moment I boarded, tracking me down the aisle like a predator watching prey. My skin prickled with awareness, and I kept my gaze firmly on my seat number, refusing to look toward the front of the plane.
"Dr. Graves!" Morrison waved from row 20. "There's a seat up here if you want…"
Hell no,I thought immediately.
"I'm good, thanks," I replied as I practically dove into 32C, yanking my medical bag into my lap like a shield.
The suppressant patch behind my ear itched. I'd doubled up this morning, one behind each ear, and taken an extra oral supplement. Away games were always risky. Enclosed spaces, heightened Alpha testosterone, nowhere to escape if things wentsideways. But this was my job, and I'd be damned if Knox Maddox was going to make me bad at it.
Peterson limped past, his jaw still heavily bruised from Knox's fists. He flinched when he saw me, probably remembering what had triggered the beating. I wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault, that Knox was just unhinged, but that would require acknowledging what was happening between us.
What couldn't happen between us.
The plane filled quickly. Players, coaches, support staff. The energy was different than usual, tighter, nervous. Tonight's game against the Colorado Eagles was crucial for playoff positioning, and the forecast was calling for severe weather. Everyone was on edge.
Everyone except Knox, who looked perfectly relaxed in his seat, head tilted back, eyes closed.
At least he wasn't watching me anymore.
I pulled out my tablet, trying to focus on player medical files. Chen's ribs were still tender. Mitchell had a recurring groin strain I needed to monitor. Normal, boring medical stuff that definitely didn't require thinking about how Knox had looked two days ago in my office, eyes black with want, one breath from fucking me up against my office wall.
God girl, you were gonna let him take you, I shook my head.
"This seat taken?"
