going.”
“You look like you’re in a hurry. Is everything okay?”
“I’m late for a date.”
“A date? That would explain the sexy shoes. Thought those heels were impractical for doing rounds.” He grinned as he looked her up and down in a less-than-professional manner.
Alexis narrowed her eyes and prepared herself. Michael took a great deal of pleasure in teasing her, so she decided to beat him to the punch. “Yep. A date. Dinner, dancing and then kinky, fuck-my-brains-out sex until dawn. I can’t wait.”
Her words had the intended effect. They took the wind out of Michael’s sails. For about three seconds. “Is that how all of your dates go? Because if so, what are you doing tomorrow night? I’ve got a couple of tickets to a show…”
The jest hit her in a weak moment and she laughed. “Gross. Shut up. What are you doing on this floor anyway? Shouldn’t you be in the penthouse office sitting with your feet up at your desk pretending to work?”
The two of them had established this routine of trading barbs nearly a decade earlier and Alexis didn’t see the status quo changing any time soon.
“I’m late for a meeting myself. I’ll walk with you.”
It wasn’t until they fell into step next to each other that she noticed the tight lines around his mouth. Then he reached up to rub a kink out of his neck.
“Rough day?”
He nodded. “Yes. I had to fire an employee this afternoon and then watch him be arrested for stealing drugs from the pharmacy. And I just ran into an odd young man in the elevator who was very interested in where I got my ring.”
Alexis glanced at the signet ring. She’d never seen Michael wearing it before, but she understood why he wouldn’t want to field questions about it. The ring was emblazoned with the symbol of the Trinity Masters. It was one of the few pieces of information she’d gleaned from her invitation to join the secret society a decade earlier. Harrison wore the same ring.
Which meant Michael was a member as well. That realization hit her hard, despite the fact it made sense. He and Harrison had been best friends forever. Her thoughts whirled over what that meant.
She didn’t question him about the ring, though it was clear he’d pointed it out to her on purpose. “I…” She had no idea what to say, so she simply said, “I see.”
An uneasy churning began in her stomach.
Together they continued toward the conference room at the end of the corridor. When Michael matched her step for step, not bothering to turn, her suspicions were confirmed and panic set in. They were running out of rooms before they would hit the administrative wing, which meant…
“No,” she whispered, stopping in the middle of the hallway.
Michael looked around, taking in their surroundings. Only one RN sat behind the nurse’s station talking on the phone while typing on the computer.
Michael grasped her arm and gestured toward an empty hospital room. She let him drag her inside, her head swimming, white noise drowning out all conscious thought. Harrison wanted her to sleep with Michael? Her boss? The guy who drove her nuts on a good day?
Surely she was mistaken. Harrison couldn’t seriously believe this would work.
“Who did you say you were meeting?” she asked once Michael closed the door behind them.
“I didn’t.”
“Michael.” She was in no mood for games.
“You agreed to a month.”
She gasped. “No. No way. Not with you.”
He gave her a grin that was far too charming, revealing dimples she’d never noticed before. He was almost handsome when he smiled. That thought caught her unaware. Since when did Michael look like anything other than a stuffed-shirt bureaucrat? “Why not me?”
“Because you make me crazy. Because we fight all the time. Because you’re the Joker to my Batman.”
He chuckled. “Why do you get to be Batman?”
She rolled her eyes. “Will you be serious?”
“You started it.” He sobered up. A little. There was still
“You look like you’re in a hurry. Is everything okay?”
“I’m late for a date.”
“A date? That would explain the sexy shoes. Thought those heels were impractical for doing rounds.” He grinned as he looked her up and down in a less-than-professional manner.
Alexis narrowed her eyes and prepared herself. Michael took a great deal of pleasure in teasing her, so she decided to beat him to the punch. “Yep. A date. Dinner, dancing and then kinky, fuck-my-brains-out sex until dawn. I can’t wait.”
Her words had the intended effect. They took the wind out of Michael’s sails. For about three seconds. “Is that how all of your dates go? Because if so, what are you doing tomorrow night? I’ve got a couple of tickets to a show…”
The jest hit her in a weak moment and she laughed. “Gross. Shut up. What are you doing on this floor anyway? Shouldn’t you be in the penthouse office sitting with your feet up at your desk pretending to work?”
The two of them had established this routine of trading barbs nearly a decade earlier and Alexis didn’t see the status quo changing any time soon.
“I’m late for a meeting myself. I’ll walk with you.”
It wasn’t until they fell into step next to each other that she noticed the tight lines around his mouth. Then he reached up to rub a kink out of his neck.
“Rough day?”
He nodded. “Yes. I had to fire an employee this afternoon and then watch him be arrested for stealing drugs from the pharmacy. And I just ran into an odd young man in the elevator who was very interested in where I got my ring.”
Alexis glanced at the signet ring. She’d never seen Michael wearing it before, but she understood why he wouldn’t want to field questions about it. The ring was emblazoned with the symbol of the Trinity Masters. It was one of the few pieces of information she’d gleaned from her invitation to join the secret society a decade earlier. Harrison wore the same ring.
Which meant Michael was a member as well. That realization hit her hard, despite the fact it made sense. He and Harrison had been best friends forever. Her thoughts whirled over what that meant.
She didn’t question him about the ring, though it was clear he’d pointed it out to her on purpose. “I…” She had no idea what to say, so she simply said, “I see.”
An uneasy churning began in her stomach.
Together they continued toward the conference room at the end of the corridor. When Michael matched her step for step, not bothering to turn, her suspicions were confirmed and panic set in. They were running out of rooms before they would hit the administrative wing, which meant…
“No,” she whispered, stopping in the middle of the hallway.
Michael looked around, taking in their surroundings. Only one RN sat behind the nurse’s station talking on the phone while typing on the computer.
Michael grasped her arm and gestured toward an empty hospital room. She let him drag her inside, her head swimming, white noise drowning out all conscious thought. Harrison wanted her to sleep with Michael? Her boss? The guy who drove her nuts on a good day?
Surely she was mistaken. Harrison couldn’t seriously believe this would work.
“Who did you say you were meeting?” she asked once Michael closed the door behind them.
“I didn’t.”
“Michael.” She was in no mood for games.
“You agreed to a month.”
She gasped. “No. No way. Not with you.”
He gave her a grin that was far too charming, revealing dimples she’d never noticed before. He was almost handsome when he smiled. That thought caught her unaware. Since when did Michael look like anything other than a stuffed-shirt bureaucrat? “Why not me?”
“Because you make me crazy. Because we fight all the time. Because you’re the Joker to my Batman.”
He chuckled. “Why do you get to be Batman?”
She rolled her eyes. “Will you be serious?”
“You started it.” He sobered up. A little. There was still
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