JULIE

I'm barely soaking up my last word against Sylvia in my office when my telephone rings.

“Ms. Demetri,” Myra says. “The boss wants to have a word with you in his office.”

I throw my head up to the ceiling and let out a noiseless scream before clearing my throat.

“I'll be there shortly,” I say sweetly before hanging up.

I step out of my office and into Hunter's across from mine; Myra says there's no need to knock. Inside, Hunter is leaning over his pool table, in the middle of hitting cue balls with a pole.

“You called?”

He looks up after knocking most of the balls into the pockets. “Yeah, Dr. McKnight wants us to come to dinner. Tonight.”

Ignoring the fact that he just addressed his father with a formal title, I shoot Hunter a look of surprise.

“What?!”

He lifts an index finger to his lips and walks toward me, drawing me further away from the window. “Myra has catlike ears.”

I blink furiously, yanking my hand away. “Excuse me, I have a lot of designs to review tonight!” I say in a quick whisper.

“It can wait; my father, on the other hand, can't,” Hunter replies. “Which is exactly why I told you we had to learn things about each other beforehand.”

I drag my fingers through my thick hair in frustration. “Never mind, we'll wing it.”

Nine hours later, Hunter and I are standing before his father's door; his house is a mansion at the end of a private road.

“You look a little tense,” Hunter whispers to me.

He was right; my fingers are digging into my green dress, and I can barely breathe.

“Of course not,” I lie.

“How about a joke?” Hunter offers. “What do you call a horse that runs at night?”

I shut my eyes and exhale. “Let me guess, a nightmare?”

He chuckles. I look at Hunter; his sheer innocence forces a small laugh out of me right at the moment the door swings open, revealing Ted, who smiles at us.

“Welcome,” he greets.

“Hi,” I stretch my hand, but Ted hugs me instead and pats Hunter on the back.

I meet with Hunter's sister, Alyssa and her husband, Jim, who, unsurprisingly, is a doctor.

What I hadn't expected was for dinner to be so quiet; the McKnights are so focused on eating, the only time someone spoke was when Ted asked Alyssa to pass the salad.

Were they expecting me to start a conversation? They'll be disappointed because I'm loving the lack of questions.

Until Ted speaks up.

“So, is working together challenging?” He asks.

“Uh, no,” I answered flatly.

Ted holds my gaze as if expecting more than two words from me.

“Fascinating,” Ted remarks. “I think it's more natural to be with someone who shares your passion, even if it's picking the right shade of blue paint for a room.”

Ouch.

I sneak a look at Hunter, who keeps poking at his meal.

“It's a lot more than that; there's surveying and...” Something hot begins to grow on the side of my stomach; my hand reaches for it as a small moan involuntarily escapes my lips.

“Julie!” Hunter grabs me the second I fall off my seat. “What's the matter?” he asks desperately.

I can't answer because the pain is soaring through my back as my breathing quickens.

“Can't you see she's in pain?” Ted barks. “Alyssa, get the med kit!”

I stare up, trying to find some sense of relief, but it doesn't come.

“Listen to me, Julie, do you have any allergies?” Ted calmly asks.

My mouth quivers. “No...S...surgery.”

I felt so stupid for rushing through the steak without considering my diet.

“She has one kidney.” Hunter relays to Ted.

The next few minutes pass in a blur; someone checks my pulse, another gives me pain relief, but Hunter speaks kindly to me through it all until I finally fall asleep.

* * * * * * * *

The first person I see when I wake up is Hunter, softly snoring on a couch, with his muscle-toned arms folded across his broad chest.

“What the hell?” I whisper, but my mouth feels dry.

I sit up, rubbing my tired eyes, and frown at the alarm clock reading seven a.m.

I was here the entire night?

After drinking the water on the bedstand, I crawl out of bed and tiptoe towards Hunter.

I stare at his peaceful expression, reaching to push the hair away from his forehead, only for Hunter's eyes to pop open at that second, making me look like I'm trying to strangle him.

“Oh, good, you're awake.” Hunter murmurs. “Are you feeling better?”

My body feels lightweight; I pull my hand back as he stands.

“Yeah, I do.”

“I was so worried, because I kept replaying all the worst-case scenarios in my head about you...the company.”

The company?

I press my lips together while a cold shudder passes through my skin.

“Well, I'm glad you're safe from legal problems,” I say.

Hunter's face fell. “Oh, I didn't mean it in that way—”

“It's fine,” I say sharply. “Where's your dad? I need to thank everyone else.”

I see my purse on the bedstand and pick it up.

“He had an early morning shift. I'll drop you off at your apartment,” he offers.

“I don't want to be an inconvenience. I prefer to call a cab.” I decline.

The ride home is numbing. I know I shouldn't feel this upset over what he said; he has a company to protect, but those were words that didn't need to be vocal.

My phone chimes a text. I tap on the screen, and the ID is Hunter.

HuntCEO: Ted says you need lots of bed rest; take the rest of the coming week off. ASAP.

I groaned a little. Less work isn't the best prescription right now. But I respond.

Me: Three days. See you on Thursday.

“You're the Angel, right?” The middle-aged driver asks.

Our eyes meet in the rearview mirror.

“I'm not an angel,” I say, while he laughs.

But as we approach my building, someone catches my attention. At the top of my lungs, I yell at the driver. “Stop!”