Page 166 of Wicked Little Thief

She set her fork down and stared at him for a beat before finally muttering, “Wow. I wasn’t expecting that. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me too soon, baby. I’m going to make you pay for it later.”

“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Utah

Their playful banter over lunch had felt like old times, and her mood was light through the entire repair that was next on her list—a malfunctioning keyboard in the radiology department.

After a quick connectivity fix, she left x-ray with a pep in her step that got even peppier when she saw Liam’s name after receiving a text notification.

Liam: You forgot something in my office, little bee.

Utah: I did? What?

Liam: You forgot to leave me your panties.

She glanced around as she felt her face break out in a broad smile.

Utah: How careless of me!

Liam: Indeed. If you want a favorable report with the board tomorrow, you better rectify that within the hour.

Utah: I just have one more stop, then I’ll be on my way, Sir.

It felt like they were themselves again. It was nice.

Next on her list was a computer in the surgery department’s admitting office.

That took a bit longer to diagnose, but once she ran a scan and updated some software, it was another easy fix.

She practically bounced toward the door.

Outta my way, world! I have panties to deliver!

As luck would have it, as she was walking out, a man she recognized from the awards ceremony was walking in. He stopped and did a double take, then loudly proclaimed, “Hey! I know you! Aren’t you Liam’s girlfriend?”

She slowly turned around and gave the anesthesiologist a tight smile. “Hi, Dan. No, I’m not Liam’s girlfriend. We’re just friends.”

His brows furrowed. “Really? It seemed like you were more than that.”

“I think you were just caught up in the pageantry of the night with everyone dressed to impress.”

He narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “No, I don’t think that was it. You two definitely had a vibe going between you.”

Utah couldn’t even be mad at the dude. He wasn’t wrong. She and Liam vibed on almost everything except the one thing that meant the end of their relationship.

Thanks for the downer, asshole.

She shook her head. “Nothing but a friendship vibe. I have to run. It was nice seeing you.”

Not really.

As she approached the elevator bank, she gave herself an internal shake. She wasn’t going to let asshole Dan ruin her mood.

She sent Liam a text to let him know she was on her way.

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