“Last time I checked, all the meds keeping my patient stable while I slice a huge tumor out of his brain are dripping through that tubing. It’s a huge fucking deal,” Chase roared then snapped over to my direction. “Blue, you ready?”

Shit, he just called me Blue. On a scale of one to ten, the tensity of the room was teetering on a twelve point five, so I doubted anyone noticed. Chase was so angry, his heavy breathing suctioned his mask to his face with each inhale. I kept his gaze, hoping to calm him. Wet Noodle was about five seconds from being tossed against a wall.

“I’m going to wake him up now. If Dr. Jennings thinks he can handle doing his fucking job.” Chase’s eyes bored into Wet Noodle before looking back at me. “Just keep him calm, Lili, but keep him talking. Just like you did in the other cases. You with me, Blue?” He softened, I loved that I did that for him.

“With you, Chase.” With you. For the first time I didn’t think twice about who was listening. I had no idea what we had or where it was going, but I needed him as much as he needed me right then.

The rest of the case went off without a hitch. The whole time the boys remained quiet and focused. I was thankful for small favors, no more talk of birth control or sexual frustrations.

Chase dismissed Jackson and Guy, while he took his time teaching Sam how to close. Or staple, or sew the patient’s head. Something crazy like that. Methodical and patient, he was an amazing teacher.

“Nice work, Dr. Petit,” Chase said sincerely. “Why don’t you go help Guy and Jackson with post-op checks. I’ve got this.”

“You’re sure?” Sam sounded shocked that his attending wanted to stay behind and transport the patient to recovery.

“Yes. Go,” Chase instructed. “Ms. Porter. Walk with me.”

My stare wandered down his sick body, imagining every hard curve. Flashes of our first night together in my hallway against the glass ran through my head.

Catching me in my seductive act, his devilishly sexy smirk appeared. “Um ... Ms. Porter, would you like to ... come?”

“Um ... of course,” I muttered, not even sure if it was comprehensible. Please, please don’t let there be a wet spot on these damn paper-thin scrubs. I needed more than a pantiliner around this man. The two older nurses in the room shot each other a knowing look, before blushing themselves. Sure—they completely ignored the boys’ shenanigans, but now they were completely tuned in. My luck.

“Shall we?” Extending his hand toward the door, Dr. Playful made his first public appearance at work. The nurses looked like they might have wet their pants too, he was just that damn sexy.

After arriving at recovery and before I embarrassed myself further, I left him with his cockiness to finish some paperwork. I chatted with Kate, who seemed in a much better mood today. Things must have improved with CJ for now. It was hard to keep up with their saga.

Suddenly, a strong presence slipped in right behind me. Incredibly close behind me. So close no one saw the firm hand that slid its way down to rub my ass. I held my breath. One wrong move and there was no more hiding anything from anyone. Definitely not Kate.

“Hi, Dr. Colton,” Kate said meekly. She didn’t know Chase all that well. No one at the hospital did. Hell, I barely knew him and I was sharing his bed. Aside from being new, he gave off a very intimidating, distant vibe. Add that to being hurt-your-eyes gorgeous, most of the female staff were easily flustered by him. Present company included.

“Nice to see you’re back, Kate.” After the last CJ fiasco she took a couple of much needed “mental health” days. “Now that you’re feeling better, tell me who I need to speak to—I’ll make sure you’re assigned to all my cases from now on.”

She looked a little green with Chase’s acknowledgement of her impromptu hiatus after seeing her hot mess display. “Umm, why? Did anything go wrong this week?”

“No. Just not a fan of people rotating. That’s when mistakes happen. I need to know who I’m leaving my patients with … that they’re on my page, doing things my way. I understand residents need to rotate as part of their training, but otherwise, I want my own team. Jackson’s got it covered in the OR and I want you in recovery. So again, who do I need to speak with to make that happen?”

Kate looked like she just won the Golden Globe for Best Nurse, if such existed. Meanwhile Chase’s assault on my ass continued, as if I needed reassurance. There was nothing suggestive in his tone, only professionalism. Dr. Sexy was all mine. I had no doubt.

“Probably the recovery room coordinator. But I’m not sure how that would work. It’s always been the nurse who is free takes the next patient. I don’t think you can choose.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. Yes, I can.” Dr. Bossy was very matter of fact. “Just do me a favor. In the future, give me some notice before you take time off so I don’t schedule any of my high risk cases then.” Coming from a world-renowned neurosurgeon, the compliment was huge. Her personal life was circling the toilet, so a professional boost couldn’t have come at a better time. And it was well deserved; she was a kickass nurse. Clearly Chase was stacking his team with the best.

“Sure. You got it.” Kate looked adorable, smiling ear to ear.

“I’ll make it happen.” Of course he would. Who was going to say no to this man? Brain surgeon, inventor, sex god. “But if you don’t mind, Ms. Porter and I have some details to bang out.” He grabbed my ass harder, pressing his fingers low between my cheeks. Kate was too distracted by the new company standing next to Chase to notice my gasp.

“Your patient’s stable, told you there was nothing to worry about.” The awful expression on Dr. Jenning’s face mimicked the strained sound of his voice.

Kate, visibly uncomfortable by the hostility between Chase and Carl, retreated to the supply closet. If Chase’s hand weren’t now snaked down the back pocket of my shit brown scrubs, I would have done the same.

Chase shook his head in disgust. He had zero tolerance for incompetence and clearly thought the dry anesthesiologist sucked at his job. I half expected him to berate Carl Jennings right there for existing, but Chase was too professional for that. Without another word, Carl strolled away, leaving Chase and I standing uncomfortably close in a room full of people.

“Um ... that was awkward.” I widened the space between us. Chase’s hand slipped from my pocket.

“No. He’s a fucking moron. Awkward…” he said, parting his lips into a one-sided half smile that stirred my butterflies. “Awkward was hearing my team talk about my girl’s clear skin.” His accentuation of “clear skin” made me bite my bottom lip. No argument there. That was definitely awkward.

“Um, trust me. Just be glad you walked in then and not before. That would have redefined awkward.” The heat hit my cheeks a-freaking-gain.

Chase tipped his head back and snickered. “I don’t think I want to know. I’m sure you realize, baby, I won’t be leaving you alone in my OR with the boys again.” Welcome back, Dr. Possessive. The humor behind his eyes turned sultry. “Now I’m pretty sure, you agreed to ... come with me. Or do you need our OR nurses to remind you?”

Mortified, I chewed my lip harder. “You, Dr. Colton, are an Asspuck.”

“Well you, Ms. Porter, are beautiful. And if you keep biting that lip, our little secret is not going to be a secret anymore when I kiss that sassy mouth right here.” His volume was two decibels higher than I would have liked, but the sexy sweetness in his eyes melted me. I almost wanted him to kiss me. Almost. “Let’s go back to my office. We’ll pound out those details and I’ll order us some food. Sushi?” He was so just one of the boys.

Luckily, we left the recovery room without any PDA and pressed for the elevator. Remembering the new piece of Chase’s puzzle I discovered today, I hoped his playful mood might open him up to me a little, so I went for it. “Hey, when did you have the time to invent that equipment you were talking about? You were one of those child prodigy kids, weren’t you? I should call you Doogie Howser, hmm.”

“You can call me anything you want, as long as it’s my name you’re moaning when I’m between your legs.”

“Chase!” I squealed and scanned the hallway to make sure no one heard him.

“That’s more like it, baby.”

His amusement was infectious, and damn, those bedroom eyes killed me. It was a welcomed change to see him this relaxed and playful at work.

“No, really. Why didn’t you ever mention inventing equipment before—was that the Boston company Asher was talking about that night at dinner?”

His demeanor shifted ever so slightly, but it shifted. “Never came up. Let’s get back to what you want to order. I already know what I’m going to eat.”

As much as Chase’s flirting turned me on, he was avoiding the topic. I understood not wanting to talk about his dead sister, but why dodge a career question? Chase was passionate discussing all things medicine. It made no sense. Before I could press the issue, the steel stair door swung open and Guy walked out looking content with himself.

“Hey, case all done? I’m looking for Petit, got some scut for him to finish.” Thankfully, he wasn’t interested in asking where we were headed.

“No you don’t, I want you both rounding on the kid hooked up to the KimCore. He should be in the ICU by now.” Chase easily snapped back into business mode.

“Why? He’s not our problem. He’s on the trauma service. You just showed them how to put the catheter in, right? That doesn’t make him a neuro case.”