During the first half of the day, Gray finished her rounds and confirmed her upcoming surgeries. After being appointed as the chief of surgery, her list of duties increased but she didn't want to reduce her number of surgeries. Perched in her beige-colored, leather armchair, Gray took a sip from the still-warm cup of coffee in her hand. 

At the knock on her door, Gray looked up to find Wes standing there.

"Come in."

Wes stepped inside and took a seat. Pushing her beautiful chocolate hair behind her shoulders, she gave a smile. Gray was going through the appointments of Dr. Perez in the past two years and Gray wasn't happy with his recent decisions. Especially the one he made regarding the appointment of Dr. Cox as the head of cardio-thoracic surgery and Dr. as the head of general surgery. She also didn't approve his way of assigning VIP cases.

Gray glanced down at the files in front of her. "This is a mess," Gray muttered, rubbing her forehead. "Every appointment over the past two years needs to be re-checked."

Wes smiled. "I warned you that you won't like the medical director."

Gray sighed, her expression speaking volumes. "You did but I didn't expect it to be so bad and he has covered it up very well. If the issue with Matt didn't rise, I wouldn't have checked any of his decisions," she said, flipping the pages. "We have an assistant medical director?"

Wes nodded, blinking blue eyes. "Oh yeah, your uncle Ben had some doubts about Dr. Perez so he appointed Dr. Emanuel Foster as the assistant medical director. He was previously the head of pediatric surgery. Good man and I think the only reason why Dr. Perez has still not gone out of control completely."

"I didn't see either of them in the meeting. Where were they?" Gray asked, sighed and slumped against the back of the arm chair.

"They both had a meeting with the law firm handling our law suits," Wes replied.

"I don't like that firm either. The settlements are vague and ridiculous. Anyway, how come you know all this?" Gray questioned, placing her elbow on the arm of her couch.

Wes shrugged nonchalantly. "I like to keep an eye on things."

Of course he did and that's exactly why she insisted on appointing him as the chief of security. Very few knew this but Wes was Gray's right hand man. He did everything she ordered him to do. He was loyal to her, only to her and he owed her his life.

Gray sighed again. "I do not like this," she went on. "I want you to call Brandon and let him know that I need our legal group to send a team to the hospital. I need to talk to them. We need an administrator here. Someone who has some experience in dealing with such situations. I want to talk to the attorney myself and find anything you can about Dr. Perez. I want him out of here. I will not tolerate such atrocities in my hospital. Also, let Uncle Ben know about everything that's happening here. He'll handle the rest," Gray completed. The hospital administration has clearly been overlooked and that's not acceptable.

"You have something on your mind," Wes stated.

"I do but how do you know that?"

He shrugged again. "I have been working with you for the past four years. I know a thing or two about you."

Gray chuckled. "You certainly do. I'm planning to appoint this Dr. Foster as the medical director but only after I meet him. I don't want another Dr. Perez here anymore. I talked to Dr. Wilde and he's not interested in being the chief of surgery anymore. Everyone has the right to retire so how in the world can I ask him to come back as the chief of surgery. All this only means that I need to find a new assistant medical director and a chief of surgery so that I can get back to my job as a surgeon."

"You have someone else on your mind?" Wes questioned.

Gray nodded. Just when she about to answer him, she heard a knock on the door. She looked up to find Matt standing there. Wes immediately rose to his feet and walked out of the room without a word. Gray sighed. Apparently the chief of security also wants Gray to hookup with the great Dr. Matthew Evans.

Gray slowly stood up. Tingles of excitement raced across her senses as Matt moved towards her. "Is there a problem?"

"I have a confession to make."

"Oh?" There was a shift in the air. She felt her hair tease her face and she felt ridiculous as she tucked it behind her ear, her skin suddenly hot.

"I want you, Gray."

Her breathe hitches.

"I like you."

She sighed, logic wrapping around her head. "Matt, if it was some other time, I would have agreed but now..."

"Now what?" He stretches his hand and twists lock of her hair around his finger. She doesn't know what's happening here. Or maybe she does, but it doesn't fit with the plan she have. And suddenly the attraction she'd been fighting since he entered into her life isn't something she feel compelled to deny anymore.

"I can't, Matt. You'll loose your job and I know how much you like it," the truth jumped out of her mouth.

"Colleagues can date, Gray. There's no rule against it in our hospital." Confusion filled his face. She really wanted to tell him but she can't, especially now.

"I... I'm the chief of surgery and I have influence over the board so if we have a fling, that would undermine my authority and you'll loose your job. I don't want that."

"What if I want more?" Matt leans in closer, dragging his tongue across her bottom lip. She tracks the movement, wondering what she was doing. She couldn't help but feel perplexed when he ignored the part that she can be a reason for him to loose his job. She had been with few men before but this one is different, though. She's attracted to the man she'd gotten to know, the one who hated her guts. The one who challenges her in every way possible. The one who gets riled up and riles her.

She hitched a casual shoulder, the nonchalant gesture a contradiction to what's happening in her head. She still managed to come up with a saucy reply. "More? What're you saying? That's not possible. A fling is the only thing that is even slightly convenient."

What was she saying? She'd been trying to tell him that fling is a huge risk and now she's encouraging him? Gray, think straight.

He keeps leaning in, and she finds herself mirroring that movement, as if a magnetic force is pulling them together. "Sometimes when you check a patient, I deliberately stand near you."

"To irritate me," she pointed out.

"No, because I liked the smell of your body wash, or your shampoo, whatever it was—it was uniquely you. Orange. You like orange and you smell like them. You have sanitizers in your office that is orange flavored. Sometimes you smell like lavender but there's always the scent of orange lingering on you. And whenever I was close to you, you seemed to relax more, smile more. We both would make an awesome team."

Jesus, he knew the flavor of her shampoo, Gray mused.

Mere inches separate us, his fingers laced with hers, her heart beating a frantic rhythm, while anticipation makes her skin tingle and her mind hum with possibilities.

"You always have a pen on your hand. When you don't like what someone has to say on a particular subject, you'd either flip your pen between your fingers or bite the end and leave behind tiny teeth marks. It drives me insane." He caresses her cheek with gentle fingers. "Tell me I'm right."

"Right about what? What do you want Matt? I told you we can't have a fling. It's too risky." She's not putting herself out there first.

He sweeps his thumb across her bottom lip and edges closer.  "Big gray eyes," he murmured. His finger explored the slight dip in her chin. "I like it when you're all bossy."

"Dr. Evans."

He touched her cheek again, this time sliding his hand around until it cupped the back of her neck. "I like it when you're all hot for me."

She went rigid and lifted a hand to shove his arm away. He simply closed his fingers over her wrist. She could have had him flat on his back in a heartbeat - so she told herself. Still, she only stood there, the breath backing up in her lungs and her pulse throbbing hard and thick.

He wasn't smiling now.

"You're not just any doctor to. You mean more to me," he said it softly when his lips were an inch from hers. The kiss hovered there, a breath away until the hand she'd levered against his arm changed its grip. And she moved into him.

She didn't think. If she had, even for an instant, she would have known she was breaking all the rules. But she'd wanted to see, wanted to know. Wanted to feel. His mouth was soft, more persuasive than possessive. His lips nibbled hers open so that he could slide his tongue over them, between them, to cloud her senses with flavor.

She's falling and floating. Spinning out of control as he angles her head, deepening the kiss. Desire blossoms and takes hold. She wants it. Him.

Heat gathered like a fireball in her lungs even before he touched her, those clever hands molding over her hips, slipping seductively under her sweater to flesh. She give in to the ache of yearning. The explosion of senses; his smell, his taste, the warmth that grows hotter, igniting embers to flame. 

With a kind of edgy delight, she felt herself go damp.

Just once, he thought when he touched but as her lips touched his, he knew there's never going to be an end to the yearning he felt for her. 

His lips brush over hers and she latch on to his wrists, an anchor in a storm she want to be swept up in. The firm press of his mouth against hers fills her with longing. She was pressed against him and loved the way she fit there. Her firm breast weighed gloriously in his palm. The taste of her was consuming him, faster than he had ever expected or experienced. He wanted to forget everything and take her right here in her office. He would have dragged her to the floor if she hadn't struggled back, pale and panting.

"This isn't going to happen."

"The hell it isn't," he shot back.

The danger was shimmering around him now. There were men who negotiated when they wanted something. There were men who just took.

"We can't."

"Fuck the rules, Gray."

He stepped towards her. If she looked even slightly hesitant, he would pulled her to him and ravished her, like the hunter after the prey. But she stood still, her face determined and faced him squarely, her gaze met his and she shook her head.

"No." She shook her head again. "I said no, Matt. We can't." The warmth was gone from her voice and Matt had a fear of loosing before he even got close to her. Gray slips around him and head for the door. "I've already crossed the line, Matt."

"Hell with the line. I don't know what power you have over the board but I know you wouldn't do anything that isn't right. We could work this-"

"No, we cannot. At least not until I'm sure what I can do handle everything right. It's not just about me, Matt. It's about you and so many others. I can't take a risk."

She walked out of the room without sparing him another glance though her whole body screamed to get back to him.

-------------------------------

The next day Matt was on his way for his rounds. His mind still focused on Gray. She'd been honest with him—and damn, but he'd appreciated the way she told him how she felt and the straightforward way she met his gaze. He shouldn't have been surprised by her rejection. She was his boss, after all, and that certainly made things complicated. His life wasn't easy either. He cannot promise her that everything is going to be smooth because it definitely won't be. His professional life is a mess and he won't be able to keep her far away from it.

Damn, she'd been beautiful when she looked at him after the kiss. He loved her eyes, big and gray. He has never seen such a shade before and it suited her. It was lovely. Simply lovely. When her lips tilted up, he couldn't help remembering how she'd responded to him, his mouth...

His thoughts came to a halt when he saw Dr. Perez walking towards him. The guy was an asshole and Matt always tried to avoid him as much as possible.

"I heard you're waiting for the announcement of declaring you as the head of GS," Dr. Perez said, sarcasm filled his voice. "You don't get to mess with Mr. Flores daughter and get away with it? Did you really think it was possible?" Dr. Perez smirked. 

Matt tried to leave but Dr. Perez blocked his way. "It's time for my rounds," Matt said, looking at Dr. Perez.

"Dr. Campbell is the next head of GS. He was your resident two years ago. How does that feel?"

Matt's skin tightens, he rolls his head from side to side, trying to loosen the sudden tension in his shoulders. Dr. Tim Campbell of all people, Matt felt a sort of feeling which was filled with pain, anger and humiliation.

"Are you this arrogant because you think your mother can save you like always?" Dr. Perez asked. Matt gritted his teeth. His fists clench and he straightens up to his full height. "She's a pretty thing, your mother. Late fifties, yet sexy as always. Your dead father certainly didn't take care of her. I would want that piece in my bed and if you really want this job maybe we could make a deal," Dr. Perez's snarls with menace.

The back of his neck prickles with his hair standing on end and his face flushes hot. His eyes are fixed onto Dr. Perez and he sees something dark and ugly filter into his eyes.

Matt closed his eyes for a second. Anger filling up his whole body. "She would look damn good having my dick shoved down her thro-" Matt doesn't wait to hear more, he lowers his shoulder and plows into him.

Fury such as he has never known seems to take over his body. His eyesight dims along the peripheral edges of his vision. Then everything speeds up. He drive into him with every bit of his energy, right over the walls that are behind him and down onto the hardwood floor. He felt something hit his head. He felt a warm trickle of blood that slides down and along his jaw and that actually induces blood lust.

Dr. Perez lets out a grunt of pain as his lungs deflate from the force of the tackle and his weight coming down on top of him. But it's not enough pain. He get in two quick punches. He raise his fist for another, wanting to see blood splatter, but then he's being pulled backward with a solid arm locked around my throat.

"Matt, stop it." He heard Melinda's voice and few other familiar ones but that didn't stop him.

Suddenly he hear the noise all around him again, mostly Alex growling in his ear, "That's enough, Matt."

Zack helps Dr. Perez from the floor while Samantha presses something to the cut on his face. Dr. Perez glares at me. Matt's still consumed by rage and it hasn't been properly expelled, and the only thing holding him back is the throat-lock Alex has on him. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Evans?" Dr. Perez snaps in between pain.

And that right there sets him off again. He pull away from Alex's grasp so quickly he can't react. He breaks his grip and lunge at Dr. Perez, grabbing him by the throat. He gives a terrified squeak as Matt pull him toward himself.

"What in the world do you think you are doing?" He heard a familiar voice and that stopped him. He turned his head to the left only to find Gray standing there. Her eyes wide in horror.

He releases Dr. Perez and turn away from him. Gray's expression turned from horror to anger and disappointment. Disappointment in him, causing Matt looked away not wanting to see it. Pain clutched at him. He's going to loose his job. Mom is going to be so disappointed. Hundreds of thoughts ran through his head.

A hand touches his shoulder. "Let's go," Melinda says calmly.

Silently, Melinda and Matt head through the lobby and into the elevators. She follows him to his office and walks right in behind him.

"You need to have that cut cleaned," she says as he reach his hand up and it comes away wet with blood. He don't respond to Melinda but walk into the bathroom and grab a hand towel, pressing it to his temple. He don't even bother to look at it in the mirror.

When he walks out, Melinda was gone and he was alone. He find that in the few moments that it's taken to reach his office, he has calmed considerably. He realizes the impact of what he has done. He just practically submitted his resignation letter. He could only hope that this doesn't end his career.

------------------------

"Are you kidding me, Matt," Darius snaps, glaring down at him. "You hit the medical director? What the bloody hell is wrong with you?"

"He started it."

Darius sighs, settling beside Matt on the couch in his consulting room. "What are you? Five?"

"Dammit," Matt cursed, pulling his hair in frustration. "I know but I couldn't control when he talked about my mom." He was reacting like a teenager boy but he couldn't help it.

"Your mom? He talked about your mom?" To be truthful, Matt did hold back when he talked nonsense about his father but he'd damned if he let anyone talk trash about his mother. The woman who was the reason for all the success in his life, the one he loved the most in this world. Dr. Margaret Evans didn't deserve that, not from Dr. Perez or from anyone in this world. "If this reaches the disciplinary committee, you're going to get fired. You should have walked away no matter how bad it was. It's obvious that he was trying to rile you up and he succeeded."

Matt sighed. He knew that too. Dr. Perez wanted Matt to loose his shit and he most definitely aced the test.

Darius' phone rings. He checks his message. "Shit! You need to attend the meeting. Looks like Dr. Gray reported you."

Matt's heart clenched. He knew she had to report him but still hearing about it hurts. Why did it have to be her who saw him lose his control? He didn't want her to see that side of him. He knew now there's very less chance of getting close to her. Damn! She's not going to forgive him.

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