Page 9 of Diavolo

"As you wish,angelo."

Elyse wrung out the towel and handed it to him.

"Grazie."

"You're welcome," she mumbled.

He wiped his face first. He dragged the towel across his neck, his shoulders, his chest. Every movement was painstakingly slow, almost to the point of being sensual, and she suspectedthat he was doing it on purpose. Abruptly, Elyse stood up. Time to make her exit. Let him finish up on his own. She tried to walk away. But he called her back. "I cannot reach my legs. You must help me."

Elyse considered his request with suspicion, but, admittedly, it was a reasonable ask. The man was still in recovery. With an accommodating sigh, she sank back down to her knees next to him. Elyse snaked an arm around his back and helped him into an upright sitting position before moving away again. He dipped his towel back into the basin, wrenched out the excess water, and continued washing up.

At last, he seemed settled. She directed at him, "Need anything else?"

"No."

Elyse prompted, "In that case, I still have work to do. Can I leave you to it?"

"No."

Her brow creased. "Then what can I do for you?"

"Nothing."

She scowled at him. "Now you're being difficult."

His smile was all innocence. "No,angelo, I am not. I simply crave your company."

Her heart tripped over a beat. Elyse ignored the sensation and declared, "I have no interest in being your friend."

A wicked gleam entered his eyes. His gaze traveled appreciatively up and down her body. "I have no interest in being your friend, either."

She swallowed,hard, under his penetrating stare. It was becoming increasingly difficult to dismiss his advances. Elyse didn't understand the lure he held over her. Normally, she was a pro at evading male attention. At work, there was a handful of colleagues who plagued her on a regular basis.

I thought Latinas were supposed to be fun? You're always so fucking serious.

Elyse had no trouble shutting them down. It was a known fact that her surgical department was an unapologetic boys' club. The pricks who lorded over it were the reason why Elyse became such a stone-cold, unsmiling bitch.

You should smile more, sweetheart.

There was a time when Elyse wanted to get along with her fellow surgeons.

Come on, señorita, quit playing hard to get.

Elyse tried to earn respect and build camaraderie. She focused on doing her job and doing it well. She laughed at locker room jokes. She did her best to side-step advances without damaging egos. Elyse remained a team player until one of her colleagues cornered her in the break room and tried to shove his hand down her pants.

Don't be a bitch about this, okay?

That was the moment Elyse finally snapped.

I know you want it, Romero.

In response, she'd threatened to stab him with surgical scissors if he touched her again. Elyse had kept her anger in check and smiled at him.Sweetly. Just like he asked. From that point on, she became a bigger prick than the pricks around her. Otherwise, the harassment would never end.

For some reason, however, in front of her patient, she didn't feel the need to distance herself. He was annoying. But self-aware. It made him tolerable. Maybe even likable. The bastard knew exactly how to push her buttons and precisely when to back off. It seemed to be a game to him. Just how outrageous could he be before she threw herchanclasat him? The thought of flip flops bouncing off his head made the corner of her mouth twitch. She quickly suppressed the smile. If Elyse was being honest, she kind of enjoyed his antics. A bit too much.

She feigned a sigh to hide her soft spot for him. "Please stop."

The half-assed plea did nothing to deter him. He probed, "But why? Do you have a boyfriend?"

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