Chapter 10 #2
Apparently, I hadn’t stopped the glare.
With a sigh, I went to get another glass of champagne from one of the servers.
“There’s a bloke near the piano who’s been watching you,” Jensen said. “Turn right and wander. Look lost.”
I did what he suggested and turned, then looked around while I took a few more steps.
I caught sight of the man he meant. Jensen was right.
He was watching me. Was that Julian? He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him.
If he lived in town, he might have been someone I saw out and about.
Or maybe he’d been a patient. That was always a possibility.
I tended to know who people were based on their medical emergencies.
“Do you notice what’s different about him?” Jensen asked.
“No.”
“That Brioni suit he’s wearing probably cost ten grand.”
“Seriously? I didn’t know they made suits that expensive.”
“It certainly makes a statement. Especially here. He wants to show off.”
The man in the expensive suit moved toward me, and I glanced away, pretending not to notice. My heart raced with excitement. What if that was him, and I was about to break Jensen’s case wide open?
“Natalie?” an all-too-familiar voice said behind me.
A surge of dread swept through me as I turned to find Tucker Ross—my ex-boyfriend.
He was dressed in a tux with a silver bow tie. A few years before, I’d made the mistake of falling for his charm and breaking my rule to never date coworkers. And it had gone spectacularly wrong.
“Hi.” My tone was a bit chilly, but I couldn’t help it. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“I didn’t know you’d be here, either.”
“It was kind of a last-minute thing.”
He looked me up and down with an appreciative smile. “You look great.”
I drew my eyebrows in. What was he doing? “Thanks.”
“I haven’t seen you in a while. How have you been?”
Haven’t seen me in a while? More like you stopped noting my existence. We work in the same hospital, dumbass. “Fine.”
“It’s kind of strange that you’re here,” he continued. “I’ve been thinking about you lately.”
“Who is this?” Jensen asked in my ear, his tone suspicious.
I wasn’t sure how to answer him with Tucker standing there, so I took a sip of my champagne. “Why would you be thinking about me?”
Glancing away, he shrugged. “You know, life goes on, but we can always look back and wonder if we did the right thing.”
“Oh god, he’s your ex, isn’t he?” Jensen asked.
“Mm-hmm,” I said.
“You were always one of the good ones, Natalie,” Tucker said.
“One of the good ones? What does that even mean?” I asked.
“I’m just saying, you’ve been on my mind. And seeing you tonight feels like fate.”
“Fate? We weren’t pulled apart by the tides of history. You cheated on me with one of the medical assistants at work.”
“All right, he’s done,” Jensen said in my ear.
“I know, I made a mistake. But you can’t hold that against me forever.”
“Actually, I can.”
When he opened his mouth to say something else, Jensen’s hand slipped around my waist, and he drew me close.
“There you are, darling. So sorry to leave you alone.”
Looking up, I met his eyes. He gazed at me with an intensity that made my breath catch and my heart flutter.
“It’s all right,” I said.
He turned slightly to look at Tucker. “And you were just leaving.”
It wasn’t a question or a mere suggestion. Tucker’s eyes narrowed in anger, and for a second, I wondered if things would get ugly. Jensen moved his hand from my waist and took a subtle step in front of me. But his body remained relaxed. If he was worried, it didn’t show.
With a glare, Tucker turned and stalked off.
To my surprise, he didn’t head for the bar or find someone else to talk to. He walked right out of the ballroom as if Jensen’s command held the force of law.
“Well, that was unpleasant.” Jensen softly brushed a strand of hair off my face. “Are you all right?”
His gentle touch made my skin tingle. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“Good.”
The piano player began a new song—“White Christmas”—and it seemed to catch Jensen’s attention. He slipped his arm around my waist, drawing me closer, and took my hand in his. With his eyes on mine, he shifted his feet, and we started to dance.
“Would you like me to ruin his life?” he asked. “After all, it’s almost Christmas, and I hardly know what to get you.”
I laughed. “Tempting, but no. Guys like him usually make themselves miserable enough.”
“The bloody prick actually cheated on you?”
“Yep. One minute he was all, let me whisk you away and give you an amazing new life. And the next, he was bending some MA over his desk.”
Jensen shot a glare toward the door. “Now I really want to ruin him.”
We swayed to the music and the feel of his body against mine was intoxicating. I’d wondered what it would be like to be this close to him, and it was headier than I’d imagined. I wanted to lean into his neck and get lost in his scent. Maybe even let my lips graze that tempting stubble on his jaw.
His eyes moving around the room as he turned me in a slow circle brought me back to reality.
We’re here for a job, Natalie. A job.
But with his hand splayed on my lower back, pressing me to him, it was hard to keep my head.