Like I suspected, there was nothing wrong with my heart. After the checkup, Edward whisked me into a small, intimate local restaurant with nice wooden chairs, linen tables - with floral arrangements strategically placed in the spaces between- and bright yellow walls. Music played in the background softly.

His gaze scraped me all over. Appreciation replaced the anticipation sparkling his eyes. My breath caught and suddenly my dress felt tight around my warm neck. Heat filled my body despite the nip in the cold air.

"I can't eat with you looking at me like that. What's wrong?"

I placed my spoon down, next to the gravy bowl, pushing my half-full plate away. He didn't say anything and continued to glare at me for a few more seconds. Reluctantly, I lifted my knife and fork and sliced into my steak.

"I don't know, trying to figure out a few things about you."

"And you think by staring at me a light bulb will go on?"

His mouth pressed into a hard line. He ran his hand through his hair, placing his elbows back on the table. "I want to ask you a question, but don't be offended."

"Meaning you're going to offend me worse than you've offended me before."

He laughed. "It depends on the perspective you look at my question from."

"Ask." I shrugged. "It might surprise you, but I'm not easy to offend."

"I can guess a few things about you. You grew up in a well-off family with parents who probably did everything they could to take you to the best schools. An only child, pampered and spoiled by your mother. Your vocabulary and demeanour tell me that you started struggling recently. What happened to your family?" 

I stiffened. The breeze lifted my hair away from my face It was the last question I expected from him. "Just like you, I had a family and I don't anymore."

"What happened?"

"If I tell you will you tell me what happened to your wife and kids?"

He gazed at me impassively. "Does it have to be a game of tit for tat?"

"No, but if I'm going to bear my soul to you about my past then I'd require reciprocity from you. I think that's a decent request."

A slow smile started in his eyes and spread to his mouth. The combo of gleaming brown eyes and white teeth stole my breath. I leaned back in my chair, putting as much distance between us as possible without leaving the table.

"There is something about your doctor I don't like," he said, changing the topic.

I smothered a growl of frustration. "You're jealous?"

"I don't know you enough to be jealous, Maria. So, no. I'm not jealous. I, however, can read people very well given my line of work. There is something off about him."

I glanced around nervously, debating on whether to respond to his atrocity with honesty or to be smug about it. "Men don't get any better than Ken. If there is something wrong with him, it's that he cares too much about other people and not enough about himself."

"I'd take your word for it if you were objective, but you're not. How long have you been in love with him?"

"My personal life is none of your business."

"He doesn't feel the same way, does he?" he asked. "At least that's what you think because you haven't told him about the way you feel. Why? You seem to have a personal relationship with him."

"Because women like me don't get men like him," I blurted out.

The silence between us stretched as stared. I shrugged off the wasted emotion.

"You're a smart, beautiful woman." His voice was laced with latent danger.

"Can we just eat and leave. This conversation isn't..."

"You don't believe me?"

"No, I don't."

"You're very beautiful. It blows my mind why you would think that you aren't."

A quiet breath whistled through my teeth. I looked at my half-empty plate. How long before they could leave? I shoved a big bite into my mouth. The pepper, stuffed with creamy cheese and steak, was one of the best dishes I had ever tasted, but I suddenly wasn't in the mood to eat. "You're good with words."

"I don't play games, Maria. I'm not well equipped for them."

"I'm not comfortable having this conversation here."

"Okay," he said. "I won't pry anymore. Finish your food and we can leave."

Edward summoned the waiter, paid for the bill and we left the restaurant after I finished my food. In no time, we were back in the house, standing at the foot of the stairs.

"Thank you for taking me to the hospital," I said. "Even though I was right when I said nothing was wrong with me, but you insisted either way."

He laughed. "I'm sorry. I can be a little pushy."

"A little?"

"A lot?"

"A smidgen above a lot."

Alternating between hard exhales and sharp inhales, I looked away and tried to find something else to focus on, something that didn't make my heart feel like my skin was on fire. How was it possible to feel all these emotions from just a look?

"You're going to work?

"For a while." He scratched his beard. "Then I have to go for drinks later with a few friends. You want to come with?"

"No," I chuckled. "Edward, you don't have to do that. It's okay."

"What do you mean? I'd like to have you. Please."

"No, I don't think it's a good idea."

He looked at me like he was looking into the depths of my soul. Like he could see right through me and he knew each one of my secrets.

"I haven't said this, but I'm trying to have some fun, keep my mind off things. Things that normally made me happy lately have ended up making me sad, you know. But having you around, that makes me smile."

His tone dazzled a laugh out of me. I eased upright, smiling, dishevelled and looking a little bemused. A lock of hair had come loose from a hairpin, I pinned it back. "Same, but I'm just not in an entertainment mood tonight."

"Okay."

Just as I limped past him, Edward held my hand to stop me. He grabbed my face between his hands, forcing me to look up into his ardent, determined face. He mumbled a curse and I gasped, as his mouth swooped down. Briefly, our teeth clashed, then his tongue was forced into my mouth. Desire exploded like fireworks through my body and I kissed him back, matching his fervour.

Again, he was the one who broke it off. His eyes were a dark shade of brown, filled with desire and something else I couldn't tell. In seconds, all those emotions disappeared, replaced by a familiar coldness. He tried to move back, and I immediately felt panic. Without thinking, I grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him back to me.

"You said you were not well equipped for games."

He leaned forward and cupped my chin, tilting my head back. His mouth hovered over mine and closing his eyes, he took my mouth into his again. In that moment of my distraction, he managed to pull out of my grip.

"I'm not."

"So, the fact that you're kissing me, and looking at me with indignity like it's my fault that you're attracted to me is not a game?"

"No. This is me scolding myself for disrespecting your boundaries."

"What if I want you to?"

"That's the problem." He cleared his throat. "Because, knowing the little that I know about you, once you get to really know me, you'll regret it. I don't think I can handle that."

"You can't make all the decisions for me. I'm responsible for myself."

He looked ready to argue but sighed instead. "True. But I can make this one for both of us."

Watching him walk out, I leaned against the staircase, panting, trying to control the riotous reaction in my body, trying to find some sort of equilibrium. Moments later, I picked up my crutches and somehow manage to make my way to my room.

***

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