A dream in which a hotshot neurosurgeon falls in love with an administrative assistant. For real.
TWENTY-FOUR
DREW
“Thanks for coming with me tonight,” I tell Ally as we drive home from the gala. “And for the rescue on the dance floor.”
“Someone should have reminded Nina to dance with the one that brought her,” Ally grumbles. “She looked like she wanted to eat you for dessert.”
“Jealous, Ally?”
“I was, actually,” she admits.
My lips curve upward in satisfaction, but then she keeps talking.
“But it’s hardly surprising, right?” she asks. “I mean, we’re living together and pretending to be in a relationship.”
“That’s true.”
“So it’s probably some kind of placebo effect,” she muses. “All the pretending has tricked my brain into thinking I’m jealous.”
“Maybe.”
“That’s probably why a lot of arranged marriages end up working out,” she says thoughtfully. “If you tell two healthy adults they’re in a relationship and force them to live together, a lot of them will develop feelings for each other.”
Well, then. If I didn’t already feel guilty about suggesting a fake relationship, I sure as hell would now.
“You think so?” I ask.
“Sure,” she nods. “We must be biologically programmed that way, so the species will survive.”
“Could be, I guess.”
“But Drew?”
I glance over at Ally, who’s got a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
“Yeah?” I say cautiously.
“That wasn’t a placebo erection.”
A chuckle escapes before I can stop it. She’s right about that; the erection was definitely real. I shouldn’t have held her so close, but she looked so fucking hot in that dress and heels, I couldn’t resist. And once I brushed against the softness of her stomach, it was over.
I knew she noticed, and I gave her the chance to step back, but she didn’t. She moved closer, and I convinced myself that she liked it.
“Yeah,” I say, glancing over at Ally again. “Yeah, uh, about that . . .”
“Just a reflex, right?” she says with a grin.
“Actually . . .” I trail off and debate what to tell her.
“It’s fine, Drew,” she says. “I didn’t mind it.”
She didn’t mind it.I’d have preferred a little more enthusiasm, but I guess I’ll take that. “Really?”
“Sure.” Her tone is so casual, she could be discussing what she’s planning to cook for dinner tomorrow. “I mean, I’ve been curious about it.”
I wish she’d be more specific. This isn’t the time for vague pronouns likeit. “You’ve been curious about . . .”
