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I really andtrulyhadn’t meant it like that. I’d meant… I wasn’t sure. To be sassy. He’d left me hanging and I wanted to leave him hanging. Yes, it was games but more forcing him to wear the shoe on the other foot.

Not demean him.

Leaving the food at his door on Friday night was almostpainfulbecause I knew he would tend to every fucking need I had.

And several I didn’t even think to ask for.

So why did I hesitate and just leave it at his door? That hadn’t even been a game. I’d planned to have dinner with him and a few kisses.

Probably fear because I knew it wouldn’t stop there and I… I just kept replaying how mad he’d gotten when he’d found out I was a doctor. I had so many more and way worse secrets than that.

I didn’t want to get burned again.

Funny because that reaction and him ghosting me after hurt worse than maybe anything Tommy had done. Well, besides that last blowup, but that was probably because my eyes were finally open to what was really going on.

Ignorance wasn’t actually bliss, but it was less painful. That was for damn sure.

But Ha-joon did not let up on the full-court press to get on my radar.

Saturday he came in on his day off to help the emergency department and get some OR time… And made sure I saw him in a casual sleeveless flattering top along with black cargo pants that just—fuck, he was fine.

Like droolworthyfine.

Sunday I had a reprieve, but he picked up again Monday with his new running club. He wasn’t the only one shirtless then, but he was the eye candy of the group for sure.

Definitely the only one I checked out.

Though I did do a double take when I saw Alan in the group.

He simply shrugged. “I need to move my ass more.” He groaned and caught a bottle of water from someone. “That wasglaringlyobvious.”

“We’d love if you’d join us, Ms. Reed,” Ha-joon offered sweetly.

I snorted. “I don’t run.” I felt bad when people gave me a range of looks. “I mean, I’m not a runner. Some of us are—I get my cardio other ways.”

I swallowed a groan. EvenIcaught the innuendo and flirt there.

“She means swimming, you idiots,” Alan chuckled, helping me out. “Ellie’s vampire genes evolved from fish, she’s such a fast swimmer.”

“Maybe now that the board isn’t all over me constantly about bullshit, I can find time,” I muttered, accepting that we could all do better. “It would be nice.”

“You still need to keep your step count up, Ms. Reed,” a petty nurse who used to be all over Tommy said with fake concern.

I shared a look with Alan and we burst out laughing. I waved him off when he went to say something and unlocked my phone and pulled up what I wanted. I waved it at her when she frowned… Then her eyes flashed shock when she saw what it was.

“I race around here for atleastten hours a day putting out this fire or that one. I think the lightest day I’ve ever had was fifteen thousand steps and I had eaten something bad.” I smirked as I took my phone back. “And I do it all in heels.”

“Which as a doctor you know isn’t smart and something we should actually address,” Alan muttered, losing his amusement. “Admin is the only department wearing professional attire like that. I’ve gotten some good research from two hospitals in Europe that when they relaxed the dress code and allowed sneakers with business casual—”

My sigh echoed around the open space. I smiled at him with love when he chuckled but like… Come on. Give a woman a break. “Send it to me and add it to our next meeting’s agenda.”

“Yes, boss,” he teased. He glanced over at the nurse I’d shut down. “Plus she has a walking pad in her office for meetings.Ellie always does the best she can. She has the job of like six people.”

“That just makes me sound like I cannot delegate,” I said with a frown.

We both kind of shrugged. That wasn’t unfair, but also things had been too messed up to trust who to delegate to. Hopefully, that was going to change.

Hopefully.