Page 56 of Rogue

“Don’t worry, Doctor,” she says once I’m already at the door. Whatever’s bothering you isn’t such a big deal. At your age, nothing is. But that’s something you only learn once you get to my age.”

“I can’t even begin to tell you how much I hope you’re right,” I tell her as I leave the room.

And run smack into Rogue’s wideness.

“We need to talk, Melody,” he says, his hands on my arms holding me steady, sending rivers of pleasant warmth straight to my core, and his glowing green eyes-today the color of jade as candlelight hits it—enveloping me whole and making it hard to breathe.

“I don’t think we have much to talk about,” I say and extricate myself from his arms, the lie tasting like fruit going bad in my mouth.

We have a lot to talk about. We have a lifetime of talking to do if we let ourselves have it. But that doesn’t change anything about the here and now. Here, all of that is still impossible.

“I called you a bunch of times yesterday, Melody,” he says.

“And I said goodbye to you the night before last,” I counter.

“It’s gonna take a little more than that to chase me away,” he says, the glint in his eyes telling me all I need to know about the truth of that statement.

The passionate look in his eyes is also making me wish he’d just grab me and bend me over the nearest gurney. Show me the truth behind those simple words.

“We’re not doing this here,” I say and open the door to the dark exam room we don’t use because the ceiling is cracking, making plaster rain down every time someone closes the doortoo hard. The hospital doesn’t have the funds to fix it right now. Or ever, as most of the lifers around here agree.

He follows me into the room but won’t let me get far from the closed door before placing his arms on mine again. Somehow even in the dimness, his eyes seem to glow. I’ll never figure out how they can do that. I’ll never get the chance.

“You’re not big on taking hints, are you?” I ask as I back away from him, missing his touch as soon as his arms slide off mine. “Or take no for an answer.”

He shakes his head. “I can do both those things just fine. But not with you. And you can’t stand there and tell menois your final answer. You’re not fooling anyone. Least of all me.”

“You don’t really want me,” I say. “Believe me, you don’t. It’s better we say goodbye now, before?—”

“I don’t want to do that,” he says and narrows his eyes at me. “I’m pretty good at knowing what I want. And who. And it’s definitely you.”

He’s confident, I’ll give him that. And sure of himself. But I already knew all that.

“You won’t,” I say. “Not after you find out all about my past.”

He grins. “Come on, shock me.”

That’s exactly what’s gonna happen. He just doesn’t know it yet.

I look away, focus on a section of cracked wall to his left just so I won’t have to remember that shock and disappointment that’s about to enter his eyes for the rest of my life.

“I’m not just friends with the guys from Devil’s Nightmare MC. I was their club girl for nearly a decade.”

The room suddenly went very quiet and I feel like all the air got sucked out besides. I dare not look at him.

“Some would call me a club whore,” I add. “I never thought of it that way. It was just a bit of fun and a place to belong… but…well, not everyone would see it that way. And they wouldn’t be wrong.”

He’s still not saying anything and I don’t want to see the disappointment in his eyes, but I chance a glance at him anyway. He’s grinning at me, of all things.

“And you thought that would bother me so much I wouldn’t want to see you anymore?” he asks as our eyes lock. “I thought you were a smart lady, being a doctor and all.”

“Come on, you’re telling me it doesn’t bother you?” I ask. “Don’t lie. With your mom all set on you being a priest and everything? How’s she gonna take to me?”

He lays his hands on my arms again. “I knew you were no virgin from the start, Melody. And I also knew you go after what you want and need. It’s one of the many things that drew me to you. And honestly, these days my mom just wants some grandkids from me before she gets too old to play with them.”

I lay my hands on his waist, practically moaning in relief that I can touch him again. Thinking I might never get to again was akin to not being able to breathe.

“You’re just saying all that because you’re in lust with me,” I say and smile at him.

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