Page 17 of Intense (Beneath The Blaze #3)

STEPHANIE

I ’m the last one to arrive at the bar and the party’s already in full swing.

Sliding into the booth beside Josh, I scan the room. Poppy’s letting her hair down, dancing with a couple of the other girls from the Chicago hospital.

It’s a shame Hallie couldn’t come, but she won’t be back for another couple of months after the birth of their son.

Which, I guess, makes him Finn’s nephew now.

Speaking of…

“Is Dr. Quinn here?” I ask Josh.

He clears his throat. I follow his gaze, straight to Poppy.

“I’ve already warned her not to fuck anyone at work, Josh.”

He straightens his tie and sits up.

“I—I don’t.”

I hold up a hand to silence him.

“She is your junior. You are training her. That, Josh, is an abuse of power that’ll get you fired. Leave her alone. Or, if you really want to pursue her... quit.”

“Jesus. We’re not at work now.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose.

“I’m your supervisor. I’m always watching.”

Christ. I sound like Finn.

“What’s up your ass, Steph?”

My eyes go wide.

“A fucking butt plug? Why?” I try to sound serious.

“Nice.”

He knocks back his drink and turns to face me.

He’s a pretty boy—dark hair, dark eyes, designer clothes.

But he’s not my type.

“So does that mean, because you’re my boss, the power is balanced now and we can…” He trails off, wiggling his brows.

I open my mouth, but before I can speak, electricity bolts down my spine.

A man clears his throat behind us.

Shit.

I cringe internally, plastering a smile on my face as I cross one leg over the other.

“Dr. Quinn. Nice of you to join us,” I say, turning to face him.

He’s glaring at Josh.

“Yeah. Glad I came.”

He takes the chair next to me and sits. Josh looks at us like we’ve both grown horns.

“Please, continue what you were about to say, Dr. Miller.”

I scowl at Josh. Like I need more ammo for Finn.

“Fine,” I say lightly.

“No, Josh. It’s still a no. Anyone with an asshole that works in the department is a no-go. Sorry.”

Josh taps his fingers on the table.

“You got it.”

I swear Finn growls under his breath.

Josh excuses himself and heads to the bar. I keep my mouth shut.

“Very professional answer, Stephanie. I’ll be sure to jot that one down. Cannot fuck anyone with an asshole in the cardiology department.”

My cheeks burn. I feel his stare like it’s dragging heat down my spine.

“Asshole covers men and women. Thought I’d cover my ass. Literally.”

He chuckles. A real laugh. Not sarcastic. Not cruel.

Like he actually finds me funny.

That’s new.

So I look at him to confirm.

Yep. Laughing.

“What?” I smile.

“I think I’ll pass that new rule to HR. It’s a very vivid description.”

“Gets the point across. ‘Don’t fuck your colleagues’ also works.”

Finn’s gaze drops to my lips, and my heart races.

“Rules can be so…”

His eyes flick to mine.

“Boring. Really sucks the fun out of life.”

I nod.

“Well, some people need them,” I say.

“Hmm.”

“Or they need to be better at hiding when they break the rules.”

He looks back to the dance floor, where Poppy’s now in Josh’s arms, swaying to the beat.

“Or some men just need to learn to keep their dick in their pants,” I counter.

“Yes. Some men don’t understand the word ‘no’.” His voice is dry. Too dry.

We sip our whiskeys in a very uncomfortable silence. Until a group of men walk in, like something out of a movie. Their skin inked, their eyes dark. They’re trouble.

One of them is covering his face with a balaclava.

And holy shit, they’re walking straight toward us with their eyes locked on Finn.

“Uh. Finn?”

He places his palm on my thigh, and I nearly shoot out of my chair. He snatches it back, like my skin burned him too.

“Shit. I’m sorry. I—I strangely got comfortable with you there. Won’t happen again. Trust me.”

Is the infamous Dr. Quinn… stumbling on his words?

I smile. Loving this.

“I’ll jot it in my own notepad. Dr. Quinn touched me,” I tease.

His eyes burn into mine, and my breath hitches.

“I would never touch a woman without her consent. Not like that. Never.” His voice holds fury, but his face is expressionless. Still, any light behind his eyes dies right then.

“I was joking,” I whisper.

He exhales and nods, steadying himself.

“I mean it. I’m sorry. I don’t like being touched. I shouldn’t have done it to you either.”

I lean forward, resting my chin on my hand.

He doesn’t like being touched?

Is this cold, hard-as-nails man… damaged?

It explains a lot.

“Noted. Don’t touch Dr. Quinn. But can you protect me from that scary group of guys heading our way?”

He smirks, nodding toward them as they approach.

“Well, piss me off enough and they might become your problem.”

I frown as he stands. But then he leans down, and my body is on fire.

“Don’t forget to take your butt plug out before bed.”

I ignite like a furnace. Of all the things my boss could have caught me saying out loud, this one will go down as one of the most embarrassing.

“You jot that one down, and I will punch you so hard in the throat that you won’t be able to do a speech when you win tomorrow.” I smile sweetly as I deliver my threat.

He chuckles. This time not with me, but at me. His eyes darken as he leans in.

“If you’re going to hit me, you’re going to want to make sure you knock me the fuck out so I can’t come after you for punishment,” he whispers.

My mouth drops open. The punishment I want makes a blush spread up to my cheeks. I shake my head, willing away the filthy images of me and Finn in my brain.

He strides away, greeted by the four scary-looking men. Tattoos. Killer eyes. And not a single person in this club stepped foot near them, except Dr. Quinn.

Somehow, our Head of Cardiology fits right in, like he belongs with them.

Maybe there’s more to this man than I thought.

But right now? I need another drink to forget the burning pulse still radiating from where he touched me.