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He just stared at me.

“Say something,” I said.

“I don’t know what to say.”

“That’s a first.”

A small smile tugged at his mouth. “You’re staying.”

“I’m staying.”

“Not for me.”

“Not only for you.”

The distinction mattered to both of us.

He sat down on the treatment table beside me. “The research protocol.”

“League-wide implementation.”

“You’ll be published.”

“If it goes well, my name will be on methodology used by every team.”

Pride flooded his face. “That’s fucking incredible, Ellie.”

“Dr. Lundrig when we’re working.”

“We’re not working right now.”

“Aren’t we?”

Heat flared between us. The table. Our table. Two nights ago we’d⁠—

“So when you said you were very good at your job, that was the understatement of the century,” he said.

“I’m also very humble.”

“Obviously. That’s the first thing I noticed about you.” He shifted his weight. “Actually, the first thing I noticed about you was how amazing you looked in that yellow dress.”

“I stuffed it into the back of my closet.”

“I want to see you wear it again.” His voice dropped lower. “Then strip it off you.”

Heat pooled low in my belly.

Something had shifted between us. The power balance had equaled out. I wasn’t staying because I needed him. I was staying because I wanted him. And that changed everything.

“We need to talk about how this works,” I said. “You’re still my patient for another week.”

“Technically cleared but monitoring.”

“Exactly. Which means we can’t…you know what.”

His grin turned feral. “Say it.”

“No.”