We reach each other, and for a moment, neither of us moves. The air feels tight as I lift my hand, waiting to see if she’ll pull away, giving her time to stop this.
But she doesn’t.
My thumb grips her jaw, tilting her face up to mine, and her breath stutters at the contact. She looks back at me, eyes searching mine as though she needs me to make the call.
“Tell me you’re sure,” I say roughly, my fingers weaving into the hair at the nape of her neck.
Her hands glide up my shirt, and she fists the collar lightly. “I’m… If there wasn’t a power imbalance here, I’d be sure.”
“Power imbalance? Because of my surgery?”
“Yes.” She frowns, her eyes traveling down my chest. “You were technically in my care, and patient-doctor relationships are…” She blows out a breath. “They’re a big deal, Reid.”
“What about the fact I’m older than you? Surely that’s a power imbalance, too.”
That gets a small snort. “Probably. But that one doesn’t bother me.”
“No?”
“I’ve always been drawn to older men.”
That’s not something I want to unpack right now, though the relief flows through me, heavier than expected.
“The patient thing doesn’t bother me, either. I’m not your patient anymore. Moreno runs my care, and Heidi’s handling rehab. Surgery and post-op were months ago.”
Her eyes close for a moment. “That’s not really how it works, but I take the point.”
“So… we’re even?”
She tilts her head, the corner of her mouth tugging. “You think the power imbalance is neutralized?”
I let out a low laugh, my fingers flexing in her hair.
“I just really wanna kiss you, Havoc.”
Her throat bobs as she swallows, fists tightening in my shirt as she considers my words.
“Then kiss me already, Hutchison.”
And then we collide, the kiss landing hot and fast, all restraint finally burning away.
She makes a soft sound against my mouth, somewhere between a gasp and a moan, and it shoots straight to my cock. My hands cup each side of her jaw, unwilling to stop kissing her as I shuffle her backwards and press her into the wall. One hand flies up to brace above her head, the other travels down to curl around her hip, dragging her flush to me.
Fingers roughly dive into my hair, tugging me closer, and I know this kiss is going to fucking end me on the spot. She tastes like champagne, and every second this kiss keeps going, I stop pretending I’m capable of walking away.
Her body arches into mine, hips catching mine just right, and I can feel the tremble in her thighs when I nudge my knee between them.
A breath stutters out of her. “Fuck—”
The word barely clears her lips before I swallow it, chasing the sound for more just like it. I fist the hem of her dress, tugging it higher until my fingers skim her bare, silky thigh, but I don’t go higher. Not yet.
There’s so much between us here—so much fire, but so much risk. And before I devour her, I want to be fucking sure. So I tear my mouth from hers, gasping for air as I lean my forehead down to hers, leaving only an inch of breath between us.
I know I want more. Fuck, I probably want too much. But I want her to want it, too.
So I force the words out on a rasp, before I change my mind.
“Do you want me to go?”
