“She’s lying. You should fire her.”
“On what grounds? That she’s a liar? Right.” Shane rolled his eyes. “Underestimating these women is going to cost you. Do you honestly think Jazlyn doesn’t have e-mails, texts, and more to back-up some of her claims?”
“It’s impossible. It never happened.”
Shane was skeptical. “So, you weren’t sleeping with her?”
“I mean, yes. I was but—”
“Then, at the very least she could create a scandal. If you haven’t noticed, I’m already in the middle of cleaning one up.”
Noah rubbed the back of his neck. “What are we going to do? It could potentially come back on me?”
“I’m having Sky’s e-mails scrubbed, and I just need you to sign this.” Shane handed him a pen and pushed paperwork in front of him.
“Those are not my notes. They are Sky’s.” Noah hesitated.
“Do you want to keep your job?”
He wasn’t going down over that Kneeland girl. Noah reached for the pen and signed his signature on the bottom line.
Shane smiled. “Great. Now, all that’s left is to release my statement. Hopefully, in a week or two, this will all blow over, and we can get back to our lives.”
Cassie Meadows had stopped by Dr. Shaw’s office to discuss the open Sr. Surgical Nursing position. She had no idea anyone was in his office until she heard voices. She had planned to turn around and come back later, but once she heard Sky’s name she quieted and remained outside the door and listened.
*****
Somewhere in the recesses of Sky’s sleep clouded mind, she heard her phone buzz. For a few seconds, she ignored it. Instead, she lay nestled inside the warm crook of Remington’s arms. Even in twilight, a small smile played around the edges of her lips as she thought about the incredible night they’d had.
Her phone continued to buzz.
No, not yet. Sky groaned.
Not that it was possible, but she tried to snuggle even closer to him while breathing in his manly scent. Unfortunately, the bubble they had created for themselves was about to burst. Still, Sky was not ready for the outside world to intrude on their moment, but she had no choice.
Bzzt Bzzzt! Bzzt Bzzzt! Sky reached up and answered the phone.
“Dr. Kirby.” Her voice was groggy from sleep.
“This is Madison Holly from the Chicago Daily News. I wanted to get a statement from you regarding your involvement in the Charlie Kneeland cover-up.”
Sky pushed herself up. “What? What cover-up? Is this a joke?”
“No. We are running a story in our morning paper about your relationship with Kane Langston and his abuse of Charlie Kneeland.”
Sky started to choke.
The noise roused Remington from sleep. His eyes opened just a crack until they were fully open. Sky held the silky sheet they slept under crushed to her chest. It may have covered her front, but it didn’t do a damn thing to cover her naked body from the back. He stared in admiration at her smooth, caramel-colored skin, thinking about how he had tasted every square inch of it. If by some miracle he had missed a spot, Remington planned to rectify that mistake as soon as she got off the phone.
His hands slid up and down her spine as his fingers caressed her soft skin. Remington had a strong desire to brand Sky as his, and after making love, he felt as if he had done just that.
Remington hadn’t been this invested in a woman in years. The feeling was surprising because he didn’t think he would ever again. But, there was something special about Sky. Remington didn’t know if it was because neither of them expected much from the opposite sex, or because Charlie’s accident set the stage for them to share their deepest secrets with one another. Remington couldn’t call it. He just knew they had been fighting a losing battle of attraction that had bubbling underneath the surface for too long.
“There has got to be a mistake.” Sky’s body tensed.
Remington hadn’t realized it before because he was caught up in his own thoughts, but something was wrong.
The reporter continued to grill Sky. “So, you deny the cover-up or the relationship?”
“Both! Nothing could be further from the truth. What you are about to print is both slander and defamation. If you do it, I will own the Chicago Daily News!”
“Our sources are pretty solid.”
“Then, why call me just a few hours away from running the story for a statement?!”
“Due diligence, ma’am.”
Sky was going to be sick.
“We received a statement from the Chief-of-Staff, Dr. Shane Shaw. Since it appears as if you are hearing all of this for the first time, I’ll read it to you. ‘St. Lucia’s Hospital is unaware of any rumored relationships between Dr. Sky Kirby and anyone associated with Charlene ‘Charlie’ Kneeland. However, if there were any signs of abuse the night Ms. Kneeland was admitted, Dr. Kirby was the attending physician. She had a duty—No, a responsibility to report any suspicions. In her report, there was no mention of abuse. Therefore, based on these new allegations from Bella Lord-Langston, we are launching a full-scale investigation into the matter. And until it is resolved, Dr. Kirby will be placed on administrative leave.”
Sky was speechless.
The reporter continued. “Would you like to change your statement? Did you not report any abuse suspicions due to your rumored romantic relationship with Kane Langston?”
“No comment.” Sky disconnected and slowly lowered the phone.
Concerned, Remington sat up and massaged Sky’s shoulders. “Everything
