“Doctor Laurel.”
Maggie looked up to find Evie walking toward her, white coat crisp, stethoscope around her neck, looking every inch the competent physician she was.
They were alone.
Completely alone.
Maggie felt her body respond before her brain could catch up—the pull toward Evie as magnetic as ever, stronger for having been denied.
“Doctor Brooks,” Maggie said, keeping her voice neutral even as her pulse kicked up.
Evie stopped three feet away. Professional distance. Appropriate distance.
But her eyes said everything her body couldn’t.
“I was looking for the Martinez file,” Evie said. “Doctor Patel thought it might be in the overflow archive down here.”
“It’s not,” Maggie said. “That archive moved to the third floor last month.”
“Oh.” Evie didn’t move. “Thanks.”
Neither of them left.
The silence stretched, charged with everything they couldn’t say, couldn’t do, couldn’t have in this hallway where anyone could appear at any moment.
Maggie’s fingers tightened on her tablet. “You should?—”
“I know. You just look so good,” Evie said.
But she took a step closer instead of away.
Then another.
Until they were barely a foot apart, close enough that Maggie could see the pulse jumping in Evie’s throat, could smell the coffee on her breath, could feel the heat radiating from her body.
“This is dangerous. I can smell your hand cream. That means your too close and I might lose all self control,” Maggie said quietly.
“I know,” Evie repeated. Her hand lifted, fingers brushing against Maggie’s where they gripped the tablet. Just the lightest touch. Barely contact at all.
It felt like lightning.
“Evie—”
The sound of footsteps echoed from around the corner.
They stepped apart instantly, professionally, Maggie turning back to her tablet while Evie shifted to look at something on her phone. By the time Morrison rounded the corner, they were two doctors happening to occupy the same hallway, nothing more.
But Morrison’s eyes narrowed, gaze flicking between them, clearly trying to piece together what he’d almost interrupted.
“Doctor Laurel. Doctor Brooks.” His voice was carefully neutral, but Maggie heard the speculation underneath.
“Doctor Morrison,” Maggie said coolly.
“Morning,” Evie added, not looking up from her phone.
Morrison lingered for a beat too long, then continued down the hallway.
The moment he disappeared around the far corner, Evie let out a shaky breath.
