“It’s a new drug. Experimental. But the results are staggering. For people like Annabelle, it could be life-changing. Some patients have even beencured.”
Her whole face lights up at that word.
“I don’t want to get my hopes up,” she says, as if trying to convince herself. “But if my sister responds well, she could gain years back. She could live to an old age. It offers a chance of remission and survival that nothing else does.”
“How much does it cost?”
Her eyes sharpen as she looks at me. “Don’t even think about it.”
“I’ve already thought about it. You might not want my help, but I’m not letting you spend every penny you have on your sister when I could pay for it with pocket change.”
“Half a million dollars is pocket change to you?”
I smile with satisfaction. “No. But now you told me how much it is.”
“That’s an estimate, and you are not paying for this, Lucas! I absolutely refuse. No!”
“You don’t have a choice in the matter.”
She scowls at me, a reaction I confess I wasn’t expecting, and I raise my eyebrows as she steps forward, one finger pointing at me.
“If this is your idea of a severance package, forget it. I saw you pull away from me during the trip, and I know you only ever stick with the women you hire for a few weeks. You are not paying for my sister’s treatment so that you can fire me without guilt. Forget it.”
My anger flares, and I step forward, so there is only an inch between us. She doesn’t back down, her eyes a furious, blazing green. It’s a side of her I haven’t seen often, and just like everything else about her, it turns me on like nothing else.
“Who said I’m bored with you?” I demand.
“We had a silent flight home, didn’t we? The only time you spoke to me was to tell me you’d fuck me so well no other man would ever measure up.”
“And I stand by that,” I say darkly. “Maybe you just need another lesson on who’s in charge here,” I growl and grip her upper arms, yanking her toward me and crushing my mouth over hers in a molten kiss that almost blows the top of my head off.
She melts against me with a little moan of surrender, and as her mouth opens, I push my tongue against hers. But after a few seconds, she pulls back, pushing me roughly away from her.
“I don’t want your money, Lucas. I needed it to begin with, and I’m not too proud to admit that without the job, I wouldn’t be standing here. But this isn’t your responsibility. It’s mine and I will manage it.”
“How do you plan to do that?” I ask.
“I’ll think of something.”
I plan to beg her to allow me to help her. The words are on the tip of my tongue to tell her that at this moment, I would do anything,anythingto be able to make her life that much easier. I would pay tens of millions just to see her smile again.
But what I hear come out of my mouth is quite different.
“I’m paying for it. You don’t have a choice.”
Chapter 47
Amelia
Lucas doesn’t wait for me to say anything more. He turns on his heel and walks back into the hospital, his sweater soaked from the rain that’s been falling around us, drops of it adhering to his hair.
I pursue him back to Annabelle’s room, but before he can go inside, her doctor, a wonderful hematologist called Lisa Monroe, storms out, her eyes wide with alarm.
“Amelia, why has Annabelle been moved? I wasn’t informed,” she says, marching toward us, her eyes alert and irritated.
Lucas stops in front of her, blocking her path, and Dr Monroe’s eyes narrow at him. She’s only five feet tall, but intimidating as hell.
“And who are you?” she asks, her eyes darting between Lucas and me.
