Chapter Seven: Sparks in the Lab

The hospital was quieter than usual that afternoon, but for Iris Moore, it felt like the walls themselves were charged. Her heartbeat refused to slow, each step toward the cardiology lab echoing in her chest.

Nathaniel Hale was already inside, reviewing patient charts, his sleeves rolled up just enough to reveal the strength in his forearms. Every movement was precise, deliberate, and for reasons Iris didn’t yet fully understand, magnetic.

“Ready for today?” he asked, eyes locking on hers. There was no hint of playfulness, no smile—just intensity.

“Yes, sir,” she breathed, clutching the stethoscope like a lifeline.

“Good. We’re going to run a series of echocardiograms and stress tests. Follow my instructions exactly, and focus on every detail.”

They moved together from room to room. Nathaniel’s instructions were crisp, clinical, but when he leaned in to adjust her hand on the patient’s chest, the warmth of his proximity made her pulse spike uncontrollably.

“Steady your hand,” he murmured, voice low. It was meant to guide her, but the closeness, the heat radiating from him, made her knees feel weak. She forced herself to concentrate, to focus on the patient’s heart, on the monitor, not the way Nathaniel’s presence left her breathless.

Halfway through the rounds, Selena appeared again, striding in like a storm dressed in heels. Her eyes locked on Iris instantly, sharp and calculating, as if she had memorized every detail of her competitor’s posture, her expressions, her very breath.

Nathaniel stiffened. He stepped between them immediately, placing a hand lightly—but possessively—on Iris’s shoulder. The touch was subtle, protective, grounding her in a way that made her stomach twist and pulse.

“Selena,” he said firmly, his voice low enough for only the two of them to hear. “You’re distracting her. You’re not part of this training.”

Selena tilted her head, a dangerous smile curving her lips. “I just wanted to see if she could handle the pressure… and clearly, she’s doing… okay.” Her gaze lingered on Iris with a mixture of challenge and veiled threat.

Iris’s chest tightened. She didn’t want to be in the middle of this, yet she couldn’t ignore the way Nathaniel’s presence made her feel—safe, yet dangerously alive.

“Focus on the echocardiogram,” he whispered, guiding her hand again, fingers brushing hers deliberately. Heat spread through her body, and she struggled to breathe normally, struggling not to notice how close he was, how his eyes held hers with unspoken intensity.

The procedure required precision. A patient’s heart rate spiked unexpectedly. Nathaniel’s hands were suddenly on her wrists, steadying her as she adjusted the transducer. His voice was low, urgent, yet laced with that same protective warmth.

“Steady… keep the pressure even… you’re doing fine,” he said, and the words sent a shiver through her. His proximity, his touch, the subtle brush of his fingers—it was intoxicating.

Selena, meanwhile, lingered in the hallway, watching. Her presence was a silent, sharp reminder that Nathaniel’s life was complicated, and Iris was walking into dangerous territory.

By the time they finished the rounds, Iris felt drained—not from the work, but from the tension, from the closeness, from the heat radiating from Nathaniel whenever he was near.

Nathaniel guided her to the office to review notes. His fingers brushed hers again as he handed her the charts. This time, the touch lingered just slightly longer than necessary, intentional, and it left her heart hammering.

“Good work today,” he said quietly, his eyes dark and intense. “You’re learning faster than I expected.”

Her cheeks flushed. She wanted to say something, anything—but words failed her. She nodded, heart hammering, pulse erratic.

“Now,” he said, lowering his voice to almost a whisper, “we need to discuss… boundaries.”

Iris’s stomach flipped. “Boundaries?”

“Yes,” he said, stepping closer, so close that she could feel the warmth radiating from him. “This hospital, this training… everything here is professional. But that doesn’t mean my attention to you won’t… create complications. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” she whispered, though the words felt weak against the pull of his gaze.

The air between them was thick, charged with something neither of them could name. Every nerve in her body screamed in response to his proximity, his intensity, the unspoken promise of something forbidden.

Then, a knock shattered the tension.

Iris jumped. Nathaniel’s jaw tightened. He moved toward the door, then paused, eyes dark, almost dangerous.

“Stay,” he commanded, voice low, husky. “You don’t need to see this.”

Selena’s voice came from outside: “Nathaniel… are you ignoring me?”

Nathaniel didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked at Iris, a silent question in his eyes: Are you ready for what’s coming next?

Her breath caught. She didn’t know what he meant. She didn’t know what was coming. All she knew was that the tension, the heat, the danger of this forbidden connection, had only just begun.