The linen closet on the fourth floor of Sterling Medical was small, smelling of antiseptic and cedar. It was the only place Dr. Julian Sterling could pull Dr. Maya Khan without being seen.
“Let me go, Julian,” Maya hissed, trying to open the door. “I have rounds.”
“Not until you listen,” Julian blocked the exit with his arm. He looked ragged. “You asked why I pushed you away. You asked why I acted like a monster.”
“Because you’re a liar,” Maya shot back. “Because you’re Dominic Valerius’s brother.”
“Because Dominic is dangerous!” Julian whispered harshly. “It’s not just corporate sabotage, Maya. It’s money laundering. It’s blackmail. It’s leveraging people’s lives. If I stay with you… if he knows I care about you… you become a target. He will use you to control me.”
Maya went still. She looked at Julian’s face–the shadows under his eyes, the desperation in his posture. He wasn’t rejecting her; he was shielding her.
“So you broke my heart to save my career?” Maya asked softly.
“I tried to,” Julian admitted, his voice breaking. “But I can’t do it anymore. I can’t watch you with Kaius. It kills me.”
“Kaius is safe,” Maya said, stepping closer. “But safe is boring.”
She grabbed Julian’s scrub top and pulled him down. She kissed him–a defiant, reckless claim. Julian groaned, his resolve shattering as he wrapped his arms around her waist, crushing her against him.
“I’m not afraid of your brother,” Maya pulled back just an inch, her eyes fierce. “And I’m not afraid of you. We fight him together.”