Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I stepped into the trauma department the next morning feeling nervous as hell. My leg still ached a little and my ribs were sore, but I needed to get back to work. Ethan had cleared me for light duty. The security he arranged dropped me off early, and I tried to act normal as I walked through the familiar halls in my scrubs.

The place was already busy. Nurses and doctors rushed around, machines beeped, and patients waited in the bays. I clocked in at the station and grabbed my tablet for assignments. A couple of the girls I knew gave me quick smiles, but I caught some whispers behind my back. “That’s her. The one Dr. Black saved.”

I ignored it and focused on my first patient, a guy with a broken arm from a car crash. As I checked his vitals, I felt eyes on me. I looked up and there was Ethan at the end of the hall, watching me with that intense stare. He looked sharp in his white coat, commanding as always. My body reacted instantly, heat pooling low even though we were in public.

He walked over like it was nothing. “Nurse Monroe. Good to have you back. I’ll supervise your cases today.” His voice was professional, but his hand brushed my lower back for a second as he leaned in to check the chart. The touch sent sparks through me.

“Yes, Dr. Black,” I said softly, trying not to blush.

The morning flew by with constant work. Every time Ethan came near, the air felt thick. During a quick break in the supply room, he pulled me inside and locked the door. No words at first. He pushed me gently against the shelves and kissed me hard, his hands grabbing my wide hips.

“Been dying to do this since you walked in,” he muttered against my mouth. His fingers slid under my scrub top, cupping my soft belly and squeezing. “This body drives me crazy all day. These curves are all I think about.”

I moaned quietly as he kissed down my neck and lifted my top higher. He buried his face in my heavy breasts, sucking on one nipple through my bra while his other hand gripped my thick thigh. “Good girl. Stay quiet for me.”

The risk made it hotter. Someone could knock any second. He dropped to his knees fast, pulling my pants down just enough. His mouth found me, licking and sucking until my legs shook. I had to bite my lip to stay silent as I came hard, my hands in his hair.

He stood up, wiping his mouth with a smirk. “We’ll finish this later at my place.” Then he fixed my clothes and we slipped out separately like nothing happened.

Back on the floor, things got complicated. Dr. Ryan Hayes from before showed up in trauma for a consult. He smiled big when he saw me. “Lila, you’re back. Looking good. Need any help with your patients?”

Ethan was across the room but I felt his stare. Ryan stuck around, chatting and helping me lift a patient. He was nice, flirty even, complimenting how I handled things. “You’ve got great hands. We should grab coffee sometime and talk shifts.”

I laughed it off politely, but the rumors started flying right after. One nurse pulled me aside during lunch. “Girl, Dr. Black has been watching you like a hawk. And now Hayes too? Be careful. People are saying stuff.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket. Unknown number again. I stepped into the break room to check it. A text: “We see you at work. Stop digging or your next shift ends in a body bag.”

Fear hit me hard. I deleted it fast but my hands shook. Ethan found me a few minutes later. He noticed right away. “What happened?”

I showed him the text. His face went dark. He pulled me into an empty on-call room this time, holding me close. “They’re not going to touch you.” His hands roamed again, comforting at first, then hungry. He sat on the small bed and pulled me onto his lap. “Ride my thigh, good girl. Let me feel you.”

I did, grinding against him while he praised my body. “Look at these perfect breasts bouncing. This soft belly. Fuck, you’re everything.” We kept our clothes on but the heat built fast until I came again, trembling in his arms.

He kissed my forehead after. “I have to tell you more about my father tonight. No more secrets between us.”

The rest of the shift had more tension. A rival doctor, one of the attendings, kept eyeing me during rounds. Whispers grew louder in the halls. Someone even asked if I was getting special treatment because of Ethan.

By the end of the day I was exhausted but buzzing. Ethan drove us back to his place after my shift. The second we got inside his fancy apartment, he pressed me against the wall carefully.

“Finally,” he growled. He stripped me slow, worshipping every part. His mouth on my thighs, belly, and breasts for what felt like hours. “You’re mine, Lila. Say it.”

“I’m yours,” I whispered, lost in the pleasure.

We didn’t go full yet because of my healing body, but he made me feel beautiful and wanted. Later, as we lay together, he started talking about the drug trials. His father pushed them for money, patients suffered, and my crash might have been cleanup because I saw the truck linked to his company’s drivers.

A new call came in while we ate dinner. The voice warned, “Richard Black says hello. Stay away from his son.”

Ethan took the phone and spoke cold into it. “Tell my father I’m done playing his games.”

The night ended with more touches and promises, but I couldn’t shake the worry. Work tomorrow would bring more eyes on us, more risks, and probably Sophia’s arrival soon. Our secret was heating up fast, and the danger was right behind it.

I fell asleep in his arms, wondering how long we could keep this fire burning without it consuming everything.