Page 41 of If Cain Were Able

“Tell me we can do that again tonight when I get home.”

“My flight leaves at six,” I tell him.

“You’re only here for one day?” he pouts.

“Technically, it was two. We met with your boss yesterday,” I tell him, rolling to my back now that he’s pulled out of my body.

“What did they hope to accomplish in one day of meetings?”

“It’s a process, Cain. Everyone meets, we hear both sides, we look at what can be amended and what is already set in stone, and we try to make both parties happy. But my company doesn’t want to pay for three hotel rooms over the weekend and into next week while we sort through everything.”

“When are you coming back?” he asks, and as much as I want to rib him about the tables being turned and him suddenly being the needy one, I’m afraid of spooking him…or causing it to stop.

“Two weeks.”

“Stay through the weekend,” he says. “I’m on call, but it would be really nice to know you’re in my bed, keeping it warm while I’m moving between operating rooms.”

I shouldn’t even consider it.

But I’m starting to care less and less about what I should do.

Liam’s words from before I left come back to me.

‘Maybe it’s time you stopped punishing yourself for the past.’

“Okay,” I hear myself say.

“Good. I’ll go pour the coffee,” Cain says, rolling away from me. “I’ll meet you in the shower before you have to leave.”

I swear to God, I’ve stepped into the Twilight Zone.

Concentrating on anything during this meeting other than the way Cain’s scrubs somehow accentuate his jawline will be impossible. The fucker sat directly across from me and keeps ‘accidentally’ rubbing my shin with his foot every time he shifts in his chair.

I’m in a gray business suit with a black button-down, which admittedly, he seems to be appreciating as much as I’m loving his scrubs, and if we don’t stop eye-fucking each other across this table, we’re going to be in trouble.

“Dr. Rosemont, you’ve been selected as the group leader, no doubt due to your outspoken nature and distaste for change,” Dan Rutledge begins in that condescending tone I hate so much.

I should leave it alone. Cain is a big boy and can certainly handle himself.

But my job is to make both sides see eye-to-eye.

“Mr. Rutledge, moving forward, I’ll ask that you treat this like a courtroom by only stating facts. Inserting your personal opinions on why Dr. Rosemont was selected is neither relevant nor helpful to the conversation.”

I hold Dan’s gaze until he gives me a slight nod of his head.

I don’t dare look at Cain. I can feel his fucking smirk.

“The facts are that Solace Health feels OR time should be spread evenly among the surgical specialties. Dr. Rosemont alone currently has more OR time than all the urologists combined.”

Cain snorts.

“That’s because I make this hospital thirty times the amount of money that the urologists do,” he argues.

I hold my hand up to silence him and pin him with a glare.

“Not helping. Now listen, I’ve been brought onto this team because both of you refused to play nicely with my staff.” Rising from my chair, I move to stand at the front of the small conference room. “So, now you’ll listen to me.”

Cain’s eyes darken, and he licks his lips.