---- Chapter 14 Erin Calhoun POV: My apartment was tiny. The bathroom was even smaller. The water pressure was weak, and a cold draft slipped in through the poorly sealed window. But Harvey was there, holding me close, his body a furnace against the chill. His warm hands moved through my wet hair, his fingertips massaging my scalp, my earlobes, as he tilted my head up for another deep, soul-stealing kiss. | closed my eyes and let go of all my inhibitions. "Doctor," | murmured against his lips. "| think you need to check me again." | took his hand and guided it slowly to my chest. A low growl rumbled in his throat. He wasn't waiting for the bedroom this time. We made love in that cramped, tiny shower, water and steam enveloping us as our bodies moved together. Afterward, utterly spent, | fell asleep curled in his arms. When | woke up, he was still there. | blinked, rubbing my eyes, half-convinced | was dreaming. ---- He was in my small kitchen, his sleeves rolled up, placing a plate of scrambled eggs on the tiny table. "You're hungry," he said. It wasn't a question. "Why didn't you leave?" | asked, my voice soft. He put down the plate and looked at me, his eyes searching my face. "Because | was afraid if | did, you'd disappear on me again." He had his glasses on, his hair still damp and falling across his forehead. He looked warm, approachable, achingly handsome. | loved him with his glasses on. But | loved taking them off him even more. | walked over to him and looked straight into his eyes. "| have nothing now, Harvey," | said, my voice barely a whisper. "I'm about to lose my job. I'm not who you think | am. My family... they're not my real family. | was adopted. An orphan they picked up to use for a business deal." | took a shaky breath. "I'm selfish and vain and I'm a complete mess. You shouldn't want me." He pulled me into his arms, holding me so tight | could barely breathe. "I have never cared about any of those things," he said, his voice fierce. "| only care about you." "Why?" | choked out, the word muffled against his chest. It didn't make sense. Why would a man like him want someone ---- like me, so broken and complicated? "There is no why," he said, pulling back to look at me. "I just do." He lowered his head and kissed me, a soft, tender kiss full of unspoken promises. Maybe it had started back then, after | became Carlton's girlfriend and we started seeing each other at family functions. Maybe he had forced himself to endure that suffocating social circle, to watch me with another man, just to be near me. Maybe he had felt a secret, pathetic joy that day in the car, when my knee had brushed against his. He couldn't control it. He had become the kind of man he despised most, coveting his cousin's girlfriend. But he had never regretted it. His only regret, he told me later, was that he hadn't been more shameless, more proactive. That he hadn't stolen me away sooner. A week later, | was fired | packed my belongings in a small cardboard box and walked out of the office building for the last time. Carlton was there, leaning against his car, waiting for me. The passenger seat was empty. Brande was nowhere in sight. Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!