Page 53 of Embrace

Greg would not quit askingme why I’d taken a shower. All I had to do was tell a lie to make him stop, but I was up to my eyeballs in lying by keeping secrets, both Asher’s and mine, so I just shrugged and said, “Because I wanted to.”

We were at the entrance of the carpool when Greg frowned at the line of white sedans, vans, and trucks.

“What are we doing here?” he asked.

“I’m checking out a car so I can drive us to the medical facility.”

“I’m a big guy, and those are small cars,” he groused. “We’ll take my SUV.”

“I thought you wanted to be discreet.”

“I do, but come on.” He waved me away from the chain-link fence that surrounded the carpool. “My car. Let’s go.”

My feet remained posted to the concrete. “I can’t. You’re a patient and one who woke up this morning and couldn’t remember his name. You’ve already endangered everyone—”

“Okay. I heard you. Then you drive. I ride.”

He tossed me the keys. Thank goodness I had good reflexes, because I caught them.

Still, I pressed my lips together, feeling anxious. Driving Greg’s car felt as if I was crossing a line from professional to way too personal.

“I’m not sitting in anything behind that fence. So make up your mind. Are you coming with me or not?”

* * *

I didn’t needto program the navigational system, since I’d been to the private facility a dozen times over the course of my residency. The place was high tech and the people that worked there highly skilled. They worked fast too. Whatever was wrong with Greg, I would have a good indication of what that was before we left the facility.

However, I’d never understood why anyone needed or wanted a car as enormous as Greg’s SUV. It was a Hummer, and driving it made me feel as if we were part of a military coalition with orders to seize the city. But goodness, driving it sure was fun. It was as if I were sitting on top of the world, and the wheels rolled down the street smoothly, just like we were riding on butter.

“So, who did you take a shower with? Dr. Christmas?” Greg asked.

I jerked my head around to glance at him then quickly put my eyes back on the road. “What?”How the hell does he know Dr. Sparrow is Dr. Christmas?

“Surprised I know who your boyfriend really is?”

“Very surprised.”

“It’s all over the news. He’s big time. The Christmases are like the Kennedys. I’m surprised we don’t have a motorcade following us right now. I think it’s because you’re with me. I’ll keep you safe.”

“Why would I need a motorcade?”

“Aren’t you married to Asher Christmas?”

I sniffed. “No.”

“Oh,” he said as if he was titillated by my answer.

“Then you’re his girlfriend and not his wife. You know what that means, don’t you?”

“The fact that I’m not married to him?”

“You’re fair game.”

That we were having that conversation felt surreal. “What brought all this on, anyway?” I asked.

“Brought all what on?”

“Last night at the party, you showed no interest in me. Now you’re claiming I’m fair game?”