Chapter 5
5
LEXI
L exi had spent her day off thinking about nothing but Catherine—illicit thought after illicit thought. She wanted her so badly, but Catherine was straight and married—and not just married, but married to the very powerful surgeon, Dr. James Spencer. Lexi screwed up her face. This was just a big mess waiting to happen. Sleeping with straight women was never a good idea, especially when things could get complicated. She already had enough on her plate.
Lexi had received an email from Josephine’s secretary asking her to meet Josephine in her office at 9 a.m. on Thursday. The email was short and to the point, and Lexi felt like if Josephine had really wanted to welcome her new sister, she would have contacted her directly instead of through her secretary. As much as Lexi wanted to see Josephine and talk about everything, she was worried about how Josephine would react now that she’d had time to process everything over the past couple of days.
But even worrying about her sister couldn’t keep her mind off Catherine for long. There had been a moment that night at the bar when Lexi had touched Catherine’s hand and their eyes met. Catherine’s big amber eyes suddenly looked questioning, curious, and Lexi knew the attraction wasn’t just one-sided. But Catherine had pulled away, wisely so, because Lexi wasn’t sure she would have been able to.
As Lexi drove to the hospital Thursday morning, ready for her meeting with Josephine, anxiety ran through her. She wanted to see Catherine so badly. She wanted to talk to her about her situation and ask for advice. Suddenly, Catherine was the friend Lexi had always wanted, even though they’d only just met. Could they be friends? Was it possible to be friends with someone you were so drawn to, so attracted to? Lexi had never really tried that before. In the past, she was more inclined to have sex first and deal with the consequences later. But lately, she was trying to take things slower, and was mostly succeeding.
Still, Catherine’s allure was strong. Images of her kept flashing through Lexi’s mind—big eyes, smooth tan skin, that glossy brown hair falling in waves over her shoulders. Lexi smiled to herself when she thought of Catherine walking to her truck last night, immaculate as ever in smart pants and a sheer blouse that revealed the lace of her bra and the curve of her breasts. When she looked closely, she could even make out the outline of her nipples. It had seemed like a sexier outfit than Catherine would normally wear, but Lexi suspected Catherine hadn’t really noticed how sheer the fabric was or how the lights of the bar would highlight it. That top was probably something she’d usually pair with a suit jacket. But Lexi wasn’t about to forget the sight anytime soon.
The office door opened, and suddenly Josephine was there—Dr. Josephine Mars, Lexi’s half-sister, the head of the hospital, and an intimidating woman despite her small frame. Even though Josephine was smaller than Lexi, her age and position gave her a lot of authority. This morning, she didn’t look happy. She nodded at Lexi.
“Dr. Mars,” Lexi said in acknowledgment, standing and walking into the office. She sat down across from Josephine’s desk. Josephine’s blue eyes were hard and cold today.
“Do you want to tell me what the hell this is all about? This Benjamin is my father nonsense?” Josephine said bluntly.
“Thirty-six years ago, your father had an affair with my mother in New York. By the end of that summer, she was pregnant,” Lexi stated, choosing to stick to the facts.
Josephine looked at her quizzically, as if sizing her up and trying to decide if Lexi’s face looked enough like her own for this to be the truth.
“Are you sure?” Josephine asked sharply.
“As sure as I can be,” Lexi said. “My mother has always told me she’s certain, and that’s all I have to go on.”
“So you’re not sure,” Josephine snapped. She linked her hands together on the table. Lexi knew it must be stressful for Josephine to discover she had a half-sister at this stage of her life. Lexi wasn’t sure how old Josephine was now, but it seemed she might have been a teenager when Lexi was born.
“We’re scientists, Dr. Bond. We go on facts, not what someone’s mother remembers,” Josephine said harshly, almost as if implying Lexi’s mother had been promiscuous and couldn’t be sure who fathered her child. But Lexi knew her mother well, and Rebecca said she hadn’t been seeing other men when she’d gotten pregnant.
“Have you spoken to Benjamin?” Lexi asked. “He’s been paying my mother all these years. He’s been paying for me, including my education through med school.”
Josephine’s eyes flashed with surprise. Clearly, she hadn’t expected that. Even she knew Benjamin wouldn’t be paying for a child that wasn’t his.
“Have you ever met him?” Josephine asked.
Lexi shook her head.
“So again, you only have your mother’s word to go off, regarding the payments,” Josephine said.
Lexi nodded. It was clear that Josephine was clinging to any shred of hope that Lexi wasn’t actually related to her. It made Lexi uncomfortable.
“I’m not making this up, Doctor,” Lexi said, her voice just as sharp as Josephine’s. “This is a big deal for me. I’ve wanted to meet you my whole life. This isn’t my fault. This is something your father did. I’m sorry it’s such a surprise to you, but this isn’t my fault, and I won’t allow you to accuse me of lying about who I am.”
Anger bubbled up inside Lexi. She stared at Josephine, her expression unyielding.
“Get out, Dr. Bond. Get to work. I don’t have time for this. I have a hospital to run,” Josephine said coldly, standing up and quickly guiding Lexi out the door.
Lexi stormed down the corridors toward the elevator. This was fucking ridiculous. Josephine was being outrageous. The least she could do was acknowledge her and validate her existence. Lexi was fuming when she rounded the corner and nearly ran right into Catherine. Catherine’s eyes softened as she recognized Lexi.
“Lexi, are you okay? What happened?” Catherine asked, placing a gentle hand on Lexi’s arm as she noticed her panicked state.
Lexi didn’t know what to say. She wanted to crumble into Catherine’s arms, and the moment Catherine put her arm around her shoulders, Lexi felt the urge to let go.
“Come with me,” Catherine said. Lexi appreciated her taking charge. Catherine guided Lexi through the corridors and into a small staff room with a sofa, soft lighting, a fridge, and a kettle on a small counter.
“Sit down,” Catherine said, and Lexi flopped dramatically onto the sofa. Catherine filled a glass of water at the sink and handed it to Lexi. “Take a sip,” she said gently. Lexi obeyed.
“What happened?” Catherine asked softly as she sat next to her. Their closeness made Lexi want to reach out and touch Catherine, but she resisted.
“Josephine—Dr. Mars—she basically called me a liar. Denied that Benjamin is my father. She doesn’t want to accept it, doesn’t want to listen. I knew this was a possibility, but I…I thought maybe we could have something—a friendship, some kind of sisterly connection. But it didn’t go that way. And I snapped at her, too. She told me to get out. I don’t even know if I’ll have a job by the end of the day.”
Lexi sighed, feeling defeated. Everything was falling apart. Nothing about this situation was going how she’d hoped.
Suddenly, Catherine’s hand was on her leg, just above her knee, and Lexi jumped at the intensity of the connection. Catherine’s touch wasn’t hot, but it felt like it burned into her skin.
“Everything will be okay,” Catherine said softly. “Think about it from Josephine’s point of view. This is a lot for her to take in. If she’s defensive, it’s probably not because she doesn’t believe you—it’s because she does, and she’s struggling to accept it. She’ll need time to get used to this and time to get to know you.” Catherine paused, her warm, whiskey-colored eyes locking onto Lexi’s. Lexi wanted to dive into them, to devour Catherine. She leaned in, ready to kiss her, to claim her…
But just then, two nurses walked into the room, and the moment was broken. They quickly pulled away from each other.
Lexi leaned her head back against the sofa and closed her eyes. This was too much. She’d nearly kissed Catherine—what the hell was she doing? Preying on James Spencer’s wife? That was a really bad idea.
“I’ve got to go, Catherine. I have a craniotomy to prep for,” Lexi said quickly, standing up and rushing out the door without looking back.