He released her jaw. In one fluid motion, he slid one arm under her knees and the other behind her back. He lifted her off the floor as easily as if she weighed nothing.

Hope gasped, her eyes flying open. Her hands instinctively flew up, her fingers gripping the lapels of his crisp white coat. Her face was pressed against his chest. Beneath the sterile smell of the clinic, she inhaled the deep, intoxicating scent of cedarwood and clean male skin. The heat radiating from his body was overwhelming.

Corbin carried her to the examination table, which was covered in a soft, heated blanket rather than the crinkly paper from before. He laid her down gently, adjusting a pillow under her head.

He turned his back, opening a climate-controlled cabinet. He pulled out a pre-filled syringe and a tourniquet. He pulled a rolling stool to the side of the bed and sat down, his knees brushing against her hip.

He wrapped the rubber tourniquet around her bicep, his long fingers tapping the inside of her elbow to bring up a vein.

"This is a broad-spectrum antibiotic mixed with a heavy analgesic," Corbin said, his voice entirely different now-low, soothing, almost a purr. He swabbed her skin with alcohol. The cold air hit the wet spot.

Hope flinched as the needle pierced her skin.

"I know. Just breathe. The pain will be gone in thirty seconds," he murmured, his thumb gently stroking the skin of her forearm as he slowly pushed the plunger down.

The effect was instantaneous. A rush of icy coolness flooded her veins, followed by a heavy, numbing warmth that spread directly to her lower back. The agonizing, twisting knife in her kidney dissolved into a dull, distant throb.

Hope let out a long, shuddering sigh, her head falling back against the pillow. The strong medication brought a wave of dizzying euphoria. Her muscles turned to liquid.

She opened her eyes. Corbin was pulling the needle out, pressing a small cotton pad to her arm, and taping it down. He disposed of the syringe, stripped off his gloves, and walked over to the sink. He washed his hands methodically, the sound of the running water filling the quiet room.

He dried his hands with a paper towel, tossed it in the bin, and turned around.

The soft, doctorly demeanor vanished. The predator was back.

He walked slowly back to the bed. Instead of sitting on the stool, he placed his hands flat on the mattress on either side of Hope's waist, leaning over her. He trapped her completely within the cage of his arms.

He lowered his face until he was inches from hers. Hope could feel the warmth of his breath ghosting over her lips. Her heart, previously calmed by the drugs, started to race again, hammering violently against her ribs.

"Now," Corbin said, his voice a dark, dangerous rumble. "The pain is gone. Let's talk about why you blocked my number."

Hope swallowed hard. Her brain felt fuzzy from the painkillers, making it impossible to lie. She turned her head away, staring at the wall. "It was an accident. I hit the wrong button."

Corbin let out a sharp scoff. He moved one hand from the mattress and caught her chin, his fingers firm but gentle, forcing her face back to him. His thumb slowly stroked the sensitive skin just below her jawline. The touch sent a jolt of electricity straight to her core.

"An accident," he repeated softly. "Just like acting like a vulgar, money-hungry brat at the cafe was an accident?"

The lie was dead. He had seen right through her. Between the humiliation at work, the near-death pain, and now this relentless interrogation, the dam inside Hope finally broke.

She slapped his hand away from her face. "Because I hate you!" she yelled, her voice thick with tears. "I hate that you saw me like that! I hate that I had to spread my legs for you on this table, and then sit across from you trying to pretend I had any dignity left!"

Tears poured down her face. She couldn't stop. "I have nothing! My boss treats me like garbage, my mother looks at me like an ATM machine, and I am suffocating in this city! I just wanted to hide from you!"

She covered her face with her hands, sobbing uncontrollably, her shoulders shaking violently against the mattress.

Corbin didn't move away. He stayed leaning over her, watching her break down. The anger in his eyes melted into a profound, fierce protectiveness.

He reached out and gently pulled her hands away from her face. He used his thumbs to wipe the wetness from her cheeks. His touch was incredibly tender, a shocking contrast to his massive frame.

"No one can take your dignity from you, Hope," Corbin said. His voice was absolute, carrying the weight of a command. "Unless you hand it to them."

Hope stopped crying. She stared up at him, her breath hitching. The words pierced straight through the fog in her brain. Unless you hand it to them.

She looked at Corbin's steady, unwavering eyes. A sudden, reckless surge of adrenaline flooded her system. The painkillers stripped away her fear.

She sat up abruptly, her forehead nearly colliding with his chin. She reached into her purse on the side table and pulled out her phone. Her fingers flew across the screen as she opened her corporate email app.

Corbin watched her in silence, his eyes tracking her movements.

Hope hit Compose. In the "To" field, she typed Franklin Finch. In the subject line, she typed in all caps: RESIGNATION.

She didn't write a formal letter. She didn't thank him for the opportunity. She typed one single sentence: I quit, you abusive prick.

She stared at the screen for one second. Then, she slammed her thumb onto the send button.

The little swoosh sound echoed in the room.

Hope dropped the phone onto her lap. She stared at the blank screen, her chest heaving. A massive, crushing weight lifted off her shoulders. She felt light. She felt insane. She felt free.

She looked up at Corbin. A tear was still clinging to her eyelashes, but a wild, breathless smile broke across her face.

Corbin stared at her flushed cheeks and shining eyes. The air in the room suddenly grew thick, heavy with a raw, undeniable tension. His gaze dropped to her lips.

He leaned in closer, his nose brushing against hers. "Good girl," he whispered, his voice rough and thick with suppressed desire.

The heat between them was explosive. Hope's breath caught in her throat as she stared into his darkening eyes, realizing she had just set her entire life on fire, and this man was holding the matches.

Chapter 5

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