I smile at the visual. “Sure, sounds great.”
When he rises and turns to climb out of the hot tub, I absolutely do not ogle his ass; instead, by some miracle, I remain focused on the night sky. Gold stars for me.
With a towel wrapped around his waist, he disappears into his bedroom through the sliding glass door.
The mechanical whirring of the jets overpowers the sound of nature, but it soothes me nonetheless as I soak in the peacefulness of the moment.
Asher returns, passing me a generous pour of what is basically fizzy juice. I wouldn’t mind taking the edge off with the real stuff, but that’s not in the cards. Maybe Jessica will take a night shift for me here and there. I’ll have to ask.
He settles back into the water and holds his beer in the air. “To your first week.”
I return the sentiment and take a sip, welcoming the effervescent taste as it slides down my throat.
“So, Doc. Why was your first week boring?”
I slink down until the water hits my ears. I was hoping he’d forgotten I said that.
“It’s not that it was boring, per se,” I tell him. “Just a lot slower than what I’m used to. In the city, I worked a lot. Long hours, back-to-back patients.”
“Did you like it?”
With a sigh, I survey the lake. It feels like I’ve lived an entirelifetime since I worked for Dr. Elliott, even though it’s only been a few weeks.
“I thought I did,” I admit. “I loved my patients.”
We’re silent for a moment, but eventually he prods, “What happened?” Though as if thinking better or maybe reading into my body language, he quickly adds, “You don’t have to tell me. That’s personal. I’m sorry I asked.” He drowns his apology with a swig of his beer.
I shift in my seat. “No. I mean, yes, it is personal, but I don’t mind. The question just caught me off guard.” I sigh. “It turns out the doctor that was coming on board is the same man who sexually harassed me in med school.”
He sits ramrod straight, water sloshing over the side of the tub. “For fuck’s sake, Claire. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
He studies me while I take a generous swig, wishing even more desperately that it was the real stuff.
“Honestly, I’d rather forget the whole thing happened. He didn’t physically hurt me or anything. It was an icky situation that happens to millions of women.”
He opens his mouth to respond, but I raise a hand, stopping him.
“And before you lecture me on how I handled it, I’ve already heard it once from my brother. Then a second time from Ezra.”
“Wasn’t gonna.” His jaw ticks like he most certainlywas gonna. “God,” he grits out. “If anyone ever did that to my daughter, I’d fucking kill them.”
His passion warms my heart. And maybe does things to the sensitive place between my thighs.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he says. “I’d never let that happen to you.My staffwould never let that happen.”
I dip my chin, appreciating that he isn’t lecturing me. If Icould go back and handle things differently with Leo, I would, but rehashing it is exhausting. I’d rather shove it all behind me.
“You know,” he says after another quiet minute, “you don’t have to stay in the clinic all day. As long as you have the radio with you, you can pretty much do whatever. And if you’ll be without it for a bit, say, if you’re swimming, just shoot Brenner or me a text so we know where to find you.”
“Really?” I raise a brow, a little bolt of excitement zipping through me. Maybe I’ll even get my hands messy in the art room.
“Of course. There will be days when not a single person comes into the clinic—not even for a Band-Aid. Seems like a waste to sit inside.”
“That sounds wonderful. There are only so many ways to reorganize asthma nebulizers, glucose monitors, and EpiPens.” I laugh. “You do realize you have enough epinephrine to revive the dead, right? Should I be worried? Some of it was expired, by the way.”
“Did you throw them out?”
