Page 31 of Seduction
“What?” I asked.
He coughed to clear his throat and readjusted in his seat. “Tell me, why did you choose to become a neurosurgeon?” He sounded so formal. It was clear we were on a date without him officially asking me out on one.
“Because it’s the top of the food chain and I had to prove I’m worth a damn,” I replied. Jeez, I sounded bitter. As soon as those words left my mouth, I pressed my lips together. I’d never revealed that to anyone. It wasn’t the whole truth, of course. It was just the answer that came out of me because of exhaustion.
I cut a plump scallop in half with my fork and shoved the delicate and sweet meat into my mouth. As I chewed, I wondered why he was looking at me with such a severe frown.
“You’re worth a damn,” he finally replied.
“How do you know? You barely know me.”Shit… again, wrong thing to say, Pen.
He smirked sort of naughtily.Whoa, my panties are melting some more.
“I asked around. Deb says you’re her best resident. She’s anxious about you finishing the program. She’s used to counting on you,” he said.
I was watching him with that faraway look in my eyes. I was choked up. I hadn’t known Deb felt that way about me.
“Then you saved Trey Sharp’s life. He’s been asking about you.” He cracked a smirk. “His friends want your number.”
I chortled. “I’ll take a date.” I’d said that because I wanted to see his reaction.
“You’re on a date,” he said.
We grinned at each other. My head felt floaty and my heart, light.Say something.
I ripped my gaze from his face and put it on one of the perfectly browned scallops. “What about you? Why did you become a neurosurgeon?”
“Same,” he said.
I looked at him again. “Same?”
“Same as you. I wanted to prove I was worth a damn.”
“To whom?” It was probably a question he should’ve asked me, but I’d thought of it first.
“Myself,” he said. “What about you?”
Why am I smiling?“To my mom, who is MIA, and to a father I never knew.”Shit. Why so fatalistic, Pen. Stop!I took a drink of the glass of bubbly mineral water next to my plate. “Sparkling water,” I said with surprise.
“Room service informed me that’s what you like to drink,” he said.
I snorted cynically. “So what is this?” I turned my head slightly. “Like a chase?”
“A chase?” he asked. I suspected he was feigning ignorance.
“You know, you’re the guy who likes the chase, the catch and release.” I could already feel the dread of him releasing me after fucking me, because I was certain I was going to let him fuck me.
“I’m not a chaser, Penina,” he said.
I wanted to fan myself, but I couldn’t show him how flustered I was by the way he said my name. I had always hated the sound of my full name but not anymore. He had just made it sound as sexy as hell.
“You’re not a chaser?” My high-pitched tone had gotten away from me—to bring it back, I took another drink of water.
“I’m not. I like you.”
“What do you like about me?” I asked, not believing him at all.
“You’re classy. You have a natural elegance. You’re smart. Kind. My patients rave about you.”
