Maxwell reached over, pulling her closer to him. He kissed her. Camille responded, matching him kiss for kiss.

Maxwell touched a finger to her chin. His eyes were bright with an emotion she could identify.

Lust.

His mouth curved up at the corners. His finger brushed against her skin, moving back and forth, making it difficult for her to think.

Desire ignited in her belly, causing her to pull away reluctantly. She didn’t want Maxwell to think that she was easy.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“Nothing. I just don’t think it’s a good idea for us to get carried away,” she murmured against his cheek.

Their gazes locked and both of them could see the attraction mirrored in the other’s eyes.

Maxwell pulled her back into his arms.

Camille drew his face to hers in a renewed embrace. He kissed her again, lingering, savoring every moment. Camille’s emotions whirled. Blood pounded in her brain, leaped from her heart and made her knees tremble.

“I have always been drawn to you, sweetheart,” Maxwell said. “From the moment I laid eyes on you.”

Dear Reader,

When people work closely together in a high-emotion environment like a hospital—sharing highs, lows, victories and losses—a unique bond forms, often bringing two people together as friends, lovers or both. I really enjoyed writing Case of Desire because of my excitement over the entire Hopewell General series. It is always a pleasure to be partnered with such wonderful authors as Brenda Jackson, Maureen Smith and Ann Christopher.

Public relations director Camille Hunter and Maxwell Wade, the hotshot attorney from New York retained to fight an unlawful-termination lawsuit, find themselves falling in love as they work together to protect the teaching hospital’s reputation. I hope you will enjoy getting to know them as you witness the birth of a love like no other.

As always, thanks for your support and please keep in touch. You can reach me at jacquelinthomas@yahoo.com.

Sincerely,

Jacquelin

Case of Desire

Jacquelin

Thomas

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Bernard, you are my best friend and the love of my life.

There are no words to adequately express how honored

I am to be your wife. Thank you for being my #1 fan

and supporter. Other men should follow your example

as a husband, father and friend.

Chapter 1

Alexandria, Virginia, the hometown of George Washington and Civil War General Robert E. Lee, attracted visitors from near and far, but Maxwell Wade wasn’t in the city to take in glimpses of Alexandria’s proud history. The last time he visited Alexandria, Maxwell had spent a day on the bustling waterfront on board a lunch and dinner cruise, and had visited several of the historic museums that preserved the city’s important heritage.

This time Maxwell was in town on business. He had been retained to represent Hopewell General, one of the largest teaching hospitals in the country, in a wrongful termination lawsuit.

He pulled up to a stoplight and waited patiently for the light to change from red to green.

Maxwell felt the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He glanced out the window, his eyes landing on the gorgeous woman sitting in the car next to him. Maxwell smiled and gave a slight nod.

She batted her long lashes and returned his smile.

The light changed and Maxwell was on his way. He harbored no regret at not getting her name and number. He was not lacking when it came to women.

Maxwell pulled into a parking space ten minutes later. He got out of the car, grabbed his briefcase and strolled confidently across the lot and into the lobby of Hopewell General.

“Here comes the East Coast equivalent of the late, great Johnnie Cochran,” a man announced as Maxwell approached the north elevator. “Congratulations on winning the Benson case.”

“Thanks,” Maxwell responded with a grin. “Ray, I hear your checkbook’s a little lighter after Judge Hanson fined you for suggesting that she recuse herself from your case.” He eyed his friend from law school for a moment, and then shook his head. “I heard that she is not one to mess with.”

Ray Graham shrugged. “Hanson really needs to put in for her retirement. I’m pretty sure that she went to college with Moses.”

Laughing, the two men stepped into the elevator when the doors opened. They rode up to the second floor, which housed the hospital’s legal department.

“Max, I really appreciate you helping us out with the Matthews lawsuit,” Ray said, leading Maxwell into his office. Dr. Terrence Matthews had been fired when it was discovered that he had a drug problem and now he was suing the hospital for wrongful termination.

“I’m glad you called. I understand that his family was the hospital’s largest benefactor.”

Ray nodded. “We have our annual fundraiser coming up this month. Maxwell, we really need to settle this lawsuit before then. The hospital needs funding for our new cancer research center. Rupert and Sarah Matthews are no longer donors and we could lose others because of their influence.”

Maxwell nodded in understanding. He followed Ray through a door leading into the legal offices.

Ray paused by his assistant’s desk and said, “Angie, this is …”

“Oh, I am very familiar with Maxwell Wade,” she quickly interjected. “Mr. Wade is the attorney who strikes fear in the hearts of all who oppose him.”

Maxwell smiled warmly. “It’s very nice to meet you, Angie.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” she responded, eyeing him hungrily.

He recognized the lustful gleam in her eye. At thirty-five years old, Maxwell had grown used to getting this type of reaction from women and it amused him.

Maxwell followed Ray into his office, closing the door behind him. They sat down to discuss more details of the Matthews lawsuit.

“I want to touch base with Camille Hunter at some point today,” he told Ray. “We exchanged a few emails, but I want to speak with her in person.”

“She’s worked hard to keep this lawsuit from being the focus of the hospital,” Ray stated. “The Matthews family, on the other hand, is doing everything in their power to discredit Hopewell General. They are in denial about Terrence’s drug problem.”

“They are claiming that he was set up,” Maxwell commented.

“Yes,” Ray confirmed.

Maxwell scanned through the documents of the case.

“Well, we will just have to prove that Terrence abuses drugs. I will bet that his parents have him stashed away somewhere in rehab right now. If we can find out where, maybe we can get this resolved quickly.” Maxwell was used to winning at everything he did, from the boardroom to the bedroom.

He loved his hard-charging, hard-playing life and wouldn’t change a thing. He found it incomprehensible that his good buddy Thomas Bradshaw recently married and was already a father. He had stunned Maxwell with the news that he had eloped with the mother of his son.

Ray made a couple of phone calls while Maxwell continued to read through the statements and documents of the lawsuit, jotting down notes here and there.

Maxwell pulled out his iPhone and sent a quick email to Camille Hunter, requesting a time to meet. He was looking forward to meeting the head of public relations for the hospital.

Camille Hunter pulled the folds of her coat together to ward off the winter chill as she walked briskly through the hospital doors. She loved her job as the director of public relations at the prestigious Hopewell General Hospital. At twenty-five years old, she had worked at the hospital for six years, beginning when she was a college student.

The moment she walked through the lobby doors of the hospital, Camille could feel a buzz of excitement in the air and it had nothing to do with the upcoming Christmas season.

She walked over to where a small group of interns were huddled and asked, “Hey, what’s going on?”

“I just met Maxwell Wade,” one of them responded.

“Oh, my goodness, that man is gorgeous. I’ve never seen anyone look that good.”

Camille laughed. “Isabelle, you make it sound as if he’s the only handsome man in the world.” She secretly believed that Isabelle Morales, a Jennifer Lopez look-alike, was on the hunt for a rich man to marry.

“He’s well over six feet tall and very muscular. You know how much I love tall men, and that suit he was wearing this morning looks like it was made just for him.”

“It probably was,” one of the other women interjected. “He can certainly afford to have a personal tailor on his payroll.”

“I just love his long lashes,” another cooed.

“Wait until you see him, then you’ll know what I’m talking about,” Isabelle told Camille. “That Maxwell Wade looks better in real life than in his pictures.”

A couple of the other interns nodded in agreement.

“He is absolutely yummy,” Isabelle stated. “I don’t know how I’m going to get my work done with that sexy piece of chocolate in this hospital.”

“Then maybe it’s best that I don’t meet him,” Camille joked. “With all of the stuff piled on my desk, I need to be able to focus on my work.”

“I heard he’s currently single,” one of the other interns interjected. “He and that model Kendra Dixon broke up a few months ago.”

“Is she the one with the reality show?” Camille asked. She recalled reading something about it in People magazine while getting a pedicure.

Isabelle played with a curling tendril. “Yeah, she’s the one. As for Maxwell Wade, he won’t be alone for much longer if I have anything to do with it.”

Camille chuckled as she shook her head. “Isabelle, I don’t know about you.”

“Hey, I have no problem going after what I want.”

“We know,” two of the other interns said in unison.

Camille laughed. “I’ll see you girls later.”

She stopped to talk with one of the pediatric physicians before heading to her office. The hospital was buzzing about the handsome multimillionaire Maxwell Wade. Camille had yet to meet the man in person, but she had read enough articles about him.

She and Maxwell had been exchanging emails for the past couple of weeks and his aggressive, confrontational style had rubbed her the wrong way from their first email exchange. He was a very handsome man, but she was not about to join the scores of women falling on their faces to worship him.

Humming softly, Camille sat down at her desk. The first thing on her agenda was to check her email. She was expecting an email with the menus for the annual holiday charity ball. Hopewell General’s charity ball was the grande dame of fundraising parties—a formal, black-tie dinner and dance dating back to the 1950s when the hospital was established.

Theme and décor had always been important elements of the fundraising event. Poinsettias and Japanese lanterns created the ambience for the first one, so Camille decided to recreate that very first charity ball by using ultra-modern silver and black décor with dramatic lighting. Entertainment for that night would include a series of living portraits telling the history of the hospital.

Along with dinner, dancing and great entertainment, Camille had planned a silent auction with some fantastic

prizes, which included fishing charters, hotel and resort spa getaways, and gift cards to local merchants.

She heard Dr. Germaine Dudley’s voice in the hallway and froze.

“Please don’t let him come in here,” she whispered. “My morning started off great and I don’t want it ruined.”

Camille had been avoiding Hopewell’s chief of staff since he made some comments to her a couple of days ago that made her uncomfortable. It was possible that she had misunderstood what he’d meant, but for now, she just hoped to remain out of his path.

“What’s up, girl?”

She looked up from her monitor to find Jerome Stubbs standing in her doorway. Jerome was her best friend and an O.R. nurse. She smiled at him and asked, “How was your date last night with Julie?”

He grinned. “We never made it to dinner. Julie’s a wild woman.”

Camille held up a hand. “Enough said.”

Jerome checked his watch, and then strolled into the office carrying a cup of his favorite coffee. He sat down in one of the visitor chairs facing Camille. “You mean you don’t want to hear about my night of passion?”

She laughed. “No, I really don’t.”

“Don’t want to get all hot and bothered, huh?” he teased.

“Jerome, don’t you have to be somewhere?” Camille asked.

He shook his head. “Nope. I came in early just so that I could spend some time with my best friend.” Jerome took a long sip of his delicious-smelling coffee. “I heard that Maxwell Wade is here in the hospital.”

Camille leaned back in her chair. “Why on earth is this big news? Jerome, I just don’t get it.”

Jerome laughed. “I hear you, but you know how it is. He’s world renowned and he’s handled some of the top high-profile cases in the country. Maxwell Wade is a celebrity to these people.”

“He’s a lawyer. One who was hired to help us with this mess that Terrence created.” Camille released a soft sigh. “I never thought Terrence would do something like this.” She liked Terrence and had been deeply saddened when she found out that he had been stealing drugs from the hospital.

“Honey, you believe that there’s good in everybody,” Jerome said. “You didn’t know that ol’ boy was abusing drugs—no one really did until he started flying over the cuckoo’s nest. He had it so bad that he was stealing the patients’ medicine. I heard that he was switching out the meds for placebos.”

Camille met Jerome’s gaze. “Why do you listen to the rumor mill? Half of what you hear isn’t true. I don’t believe he was stealing his patients’ medicine.”

“Girl, you need to take off those rose-colored glasses.”

Camille chuckled. “Jerome, you are so wrong.” She clicked open her email in-box to check her email.

He shrugged. “Hey, it’s true. You know that I’m right.”

“Hey, I have an email from Mr. Wade,” she announced. “He wants to meet with me today at some point.”

Jerome surveyed her face. “You sound like this is a meeting you want to avoid. What’s up with that?”

Camille had forgotten how well Jerome knew her. She had been at odds with Maxwell Wade since he was retained to represent Hopewell General. His arrogance had come through his email correspondence, irritating her. She had to deal with the arrogance of some of the male doctors on a daily basis and having Maxwell Wade around was just going to add one more sexist alpha male to the mix.

“Camille …” Jerome prompted.

“It’s nothing,” she said. “He just rubbed me the wrong way in a couple of his emails.”

“If anybody can handle Maxwell Wade, it’s you, Camille.” Jerome checked his watch. “Well, it’s time for me to start my day. I’ll catch you later.”

“Stay out of trouble, Jerome.”

He laughed. “Not hardly. Especially if ‘Miss Thang’ has anything to do with it.”

“You’d better not let Kayla hear you call her that,” Camille warned. Kayla Tsang was the head nurse in Hopewell General’s emergency room. Everyone called her Miss Thang behind her back. She was the one who kept a list of everyone’s wrongs and reported them to the chief of staff.

Her words didn’t faze Jerome. “Miss Thang knows when to back off me. Call me if you want to have a late lunch together.”

“I will,” she promised.

Camille checked her calendar. She then sent a quick email to Maxwell to let him know that she had some time before eleven to meet with him.

He responded quickly to confirm that he would come to her office at 10:00 a.m.

“Great,” she whispered. Camille hoped the meeting would go smoothly. She had always been very easy to work with, but she was not about to let Maxwell order her around like some second-rate employee. Camille could tell by his emails that he was used to issuing orders. However, she would stand her ground if necessary.

Camille was able to respond to emails and send out a few of her own before her assistant announced, “Mr. Maxwell Wade is here to see you.”

“Please give me a few minutes before you send him in, Lori.” Camille wanted some time to mentally prepare for her meeting with the attorney.

Lori nodded and walked out of the office.

Five minutes later, she returned with Maxwell in tow.

Camille rose to her feet and walked around the desk. Maxwell Wade was as devilishly handsome as his photographs suggested, perhaps even more so in person.

She released a soft, cleansing breath and said, “It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”

Camille took in his powerful presence and drank in the sensuality of his physique. The man was fine. And those sexy warm brown eyes of his …they could make a woman melt just from the heat of his gaze.

She affected an ease she did not feel, but Camille was not about to give Maxwell any hint of how much he affected her.

Maxwell smiled as he shook her hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Camille.” Her natural beauty had taken him by surprise.

Smiling, Camille gestured toward one of the visitor chairs in her office and said, “Please have a seat.”

Maxwell sat down in the leather chair. He could not resist admiring her slender frame and soft curves. Although he preferred women with long hair, he liked the way her light brown, naturally wavy hair framed her face. Camille wore it in a cute short cut that complimented her café-au-lait skin color and green eyes.

Unaware that he was observing her, Camille strolled around her desk and sat down. “I didn’t expect you here so soon, Mr. Wade. I was told that you wouldn’t be settling in until Monday.”

“I decided to come in a few days earlier so I can be here for Thomas’s wedding reception,” he responded. “Please call me Maxwell.”

She had forgotten that Maxwell, Ray and Thomas had all been friends since college. Camille felt the heat of his gaze on her and shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

“I wanted to meet with you to discuss Dr. Matthews and his lawsuit,” Maxwell announced.

“Because of the hospital’s relationship with the Matthews family, we had hoped the matter with Terrence could be handled in a discreet manner,” she responded. “We never expected a lawsuit to come out of the situation.”

“No one ever expects a lawsuit, Camille,” Maxwell stated bluntly. “In this case, I would have been more surprised if Dr. Matthews had gone away quietly.”

His tone rubbed her the wrong way. “What I meant is that Terrence was caught red-handed with the drugs. How can he defend himself against the truth?”

“He can’t,” Maxwell responded. “An employee who wishes to sue for wrongful termination must either show that his employment contract expressly or implicitly stated that he would not be fired without cause or that the employer fired him for a reason that violates a fundamental policy expressed in Virginia’s statutes. He could also sue if the employer committed some type of tort, like defamation, invasion of privacy or intentional infliction of emotional distress. But Dr. Matthews can’t prove any of these things.”

“Yet he’s filed anyway,” Camille commented.

Maxwell smiled. “Well, this is where I come in. From this point forward, all queries will be directed to me. No one here at the hospital is to talk to the media or anybody else.”

“I’ll forward a couple emails from reporters to you,” Camille said.

“Great. I want you to know that I really appreciate your assistance, Camille.”

His words warmed her. “Thank you.”

“I will let you get back to work.” Maxwell rose to his feet and headed to the door.

Up until recently, he and Camille had only exchanged a couple of pointed emails. He never expected to meet such a beautiful woman with a sinful voice and cute laugh. In her office, Maxwell had to concentrate hard just to keep his mind on business. Camille had made his temperature rise more than a little.

When Maxwell left her office, Camille leaned back in her chair and released a short sigh.

Maxwell Wade was gorgeous up close. She had to agree with Isabelle and the others. He did look even better in person. When he was in her office, Camille could barely concentrate and struggled to keep from staring at him.

There was a soft knock on her door, taking her attention off her thoughts of Maxwell Wade.

It was Jaclyn Campbell, the intern who had blown the whistle on Dr. Terrence Matthews.

“I just saw Maxwell Wade leaving your office,” she said.

“Are you okay?” Camille inquired, noting that her friend looked upset about something.

“I still can’t believe that Terrence and his family are suing the hospital,” Jaclyn said as she sat down in one of the visitor chairs. “How can he claim he was wrongfully terminated?”

“I know how you feel,” Camille responded. “I can’t believe it either, Jaclyn.”

“I just wish we could find a way to lay this lawsuit to rest. I overheard a couple of patients discussing it.”

Camille shook her head. “I’ve been doing everything I can to keep the hospital out of the news, but Terrence and his parents calling that press conference didn’t help matters at all.”

“I feel terrible that it’s come to this,” Jaclyn murmured.

“It’s not your fault,” Camille stated. “Terrence did this. And his claim that his termination was extreme is certainly not true.”

“His family is one of the richest families in all of Virginia.”

“And the hospital’s most generous benefactor,” Camille interjected. “The fact remains that there was sufficient grounds to terminate Terrence, and with Maxwell Wade representing the hospital, I’m sure he’ll sort out the whole mess.”

Camille got up to walk Jaclyn out of her office.

“So what do you think of Maxwell Wade?” Jaclyn inquired.

Camille met her friend’s gaze. “I think he’s arrogant, but maybe this is why he’s so good at his job.”

“He’s nice-looking, don’t you think?”

“Jaclyn, why are you asking me about him? The one you should be talking to is your former roommate. She’s already put her claim on him.”

“He’s not Isabelle’s type,” Jaclyn responded.

“I’m pretty sure she’d disagree with you,” Camille stated. “Anyway, your focus should be on Dr. Lucien De Winter.”

Jaclyn smiled. “He has all of my attention, I assure you.”

Camille was happy that her friend had found a wonderful man who loved her as much as she loved him. As for herself, she enjoyed her life as a single woman, but she was willing to settle down if and when the right man came along.

Chapter 2

Dr. Thomas Bradshaw and his new wife, Lia, mingled with their guests during the reception held in their honor. The couple had eloped, surprising everyone, including Camille. Lia radiated happiness as her husband embraced her lovingly.

Camille moved around the room, pausing to chat with friends and coworkers.

She walked over to where Lucien and his fiancée Jaclyn stood. “How come you two aren’t out there dancing?”

“Every time we head out there, Lucien gets sidetracked by one of the board members,” Jaclyn stated.

Lucien embraced her. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. When the next song plays, I’m all yours.”

“What about you, Camille?” Jaclyn asked. “Why aren’t you out there dancing?”

“My imaginary date is shy,” she responded with a laugh.

They were soon joined by Tamara St. John and her fiancé, Victor Aguilar; both were interns at Hopewell General. Camille talked with them for a moment before moving on.

She caught sight of Maxwell standing with Ray a few feet away. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him in the black suit that looked as if it had been designed just for him. It was obvious why he had so many women fawning over him. Camille couldn’t deny that Maxwell was a very handsome man.

Her eyes traveled across the room to where Isabelle stood with a couple of her friends. Camille noted that she had been watching Maxwell along with half of the other women at the reception.

“Camille, why are you over here in this corner?” Jerome asked, approaching her. “Wallflower definitely does not look good on you.”

His words cut into her thoughts of Maxwell.

She laughed. “Jerome, I’m not trying to be a wallflower.”

He set his drink on a nearby table and grabbed her by the hand. “C’mon, let’s dance then.”

“What about your date?” Camille inquired. “You know that I don’t do drama.”

“She’ll be all right. I told Julie that you were like a little sister to me. Besides, she’s not the jealous type.”

Camille loved to dance, so as soon as she heard the music, her body began to sway.

She and Jerome danced to two songs before his date joined them. Camille stayed on the floor for one more song, and then said, “Okay, I need to get something to drink.”

“You’re leaving?” Jerome asked. “I was about to drop it like it’s hot.”

She laughed. “I’ll leave that to you and Julie.”

Camille made her way over to the bar.

Someone walked up behind her.

“Hello, Camille.”

She turned around. “Maxwell, it’s nice to see you,” she managed casually. Camille could hear her heart pounding loudly over the music. His nearness had an arousing effect on her. “I hope you’re having a good time.”

“I am,” he responded in a deep baritone voice.

A new and unexpected warmth surged through her as he looked at her. The richness of his tone made Camille weak at the knees. She supported her weight by placing a hand on the edge of the bar.

She could feel Maxwell’s eyes still observing her. His gaze was intense and penetrating, almost as if he could see right through her. Camille chewed nervously on her bottom lip.

Jerome walked by and uttered, “Stop biting your lip.”

Embarrassed, Camille gave him a playful jab in the ribs. She prayed that Maxwell hadn’t heard him.

Her prayer went unanswered when Maxwell smiled at her, and then asked, “Do I make you nervous, Camille?”

“No,” she responded quickly. “Why would you think that?”

Camille couldn’t stand his arrogance. Did he actually believe that her actions were because of him?

“Most people bite their lips when anxious or nervous.”

Camille gestured to the dance floor. “Why aren’t you out there?” She wanted to take the attention off of herself.

“That’s one of the reasons I walked over here,” Maxwell responded. “I came over to ask you to dance with me.”

She caught sight of Isabelle standing a few yards away and was about to refuse, but he said, “I saw you out there with your coworker. You have some really nice moves. I thought maybe you could teach me a few.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Okay, now you’re just teasing me.”

He gave her a beautiful smile. “I’m serious. Come, let’s have some fun.”

Why not? “Sure.”

They slowly made their way to the middle of the dance floor.

She wasn’t surprised to find that Maxwell was a wonderful dancer. Camille smiled as she showed off her best moves, wanting to prove that he wasn’t the only one with skills.

“You enjoy dancing, don’t you?”

Smiling, she nodded. “You look like you love it as well.”

“I’m going to tell you a secret.” He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. His words made her grin.

Later when they walked off the dance floor, Camille couldn’t resist asking, “Were you serious about wanting to dance professionally?”

Maxwell nodded. “It used to be a dream of mine, but my parents insisted that I find a real profession. They didn’t believe that dancing would pay the bills.”

“Is that why you became a lawyer?”

He nodded. “My parents and grandfather are all lawyers, so I felt that I should carry on the family tradition.”

“Being a lawyer has served you well, wouldn’t you say?” Camille questioned. Maxwell was one of the top litigation attorneys in the country. He was licensed to practice in California, New York, D.C., Virginia and Georgia.

He smiled. “I can’t complain.”

She spotted Isabelle walking toward them and said, “Thanks for the dance, Maxwell.”

He smiled at her. “You’re quite welcome, Camille.”

“Mr. Wade,” Isabelle said, joining them. “Let’s dance. Camille, you don’t mind if I take him off your hands, do you?”

He shot a glance in Camille’s direction.

“Have fun,” she mouthed before weaving through the sea of people in attendance.

Camille watched as Maxwell allowed Isabelle to take him by the hand, leading him to the dance floor. She had mixed emotions as she watched the two of them dancing.

Even in a crowd, Maxwell’s presence was compelling. Camille stood there eyeing the numerous women vying for his attention.

“Isabelle’s really trying to latch on to him,” a woman standing beside her commented in a low voice.

Camille did not respond. She liked Isabelle, although she felt that Isabelle was all wrong for a man like Maxwell Wade. Not that she knew what type of woman was perfect for the millionaire attorney. Besides, he had been linked to a flamboyant supermodel for years, a woman who was rumored to be self-centered, hard to work with, and ill-tempered. She had earned a reputation for gaining attention through public tantrums, including an attack on her assistant, during her on-and-off relationship with Maxwell.

Camille allowed her eyes to linger on Maxwell, appreciating the strong lines of his well-formed cheek and jaw. But it was those beautiful brown eyes of his that arrested her—intelligent eyes that seemed to peer through to her very soul. She surveyed Maxwell with an artist’s sensitivity, taking in his naturally arched brows, the faint lines above his forehead and those sexy lips of his.

“What do you think about Isabelle and Maxwell Wade, Camille?”

She gave a slight shrug. “I think that Isabelle’s a big girl and she can take care of herself,” Camille responded. “Hey, I’m going to get something to drink. Want to join me?”

“My boyfriend just went to get drinks for us,” the woman replied. “Thanks though.”

Camille nodded, and then said, “I’ll talk to you later.” She was grateful for a moment alone. She struggled with figuring out what was drawing her to Maxwell. There was some type of invisible thread drawing them together.

I don’t know this man, she kept telling herself over and over. I’m not sure I even like him, so why should I care who he dates?

Camille shook off her thoughts.

She ordered and paid the bartender for a soda.

Just as she turned to leave, Camille bumped into the chief of staff’s wife. “Mrs. Dudley, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that you were standing behind me.”

“You’re fine, dear.” She placed a hand to her forehead. “I have such a terrible headache and this music isn’t helping. I can barely see straight, so I’m going home.”

She was genuinely concerned. “I’m sorry to hear that, Mrs. Dudley. Would you like for me to call you a taxi or something?”

“Germaine’s already taken care of it, dear.”

Dr. Dudley was in heavy conversation with another doctor, so Camille made sure that the woman made it safely to the waiting taxi.

Just before she reached the doors of the ballroom where the reception was being held, Dr. Dudley stepped into her path. “D-did my w-wife leave?” he asked. The dazed look in his eyes and the slur in his voice indicated that he had had plenty to drink.

“Yes,” Camille responded. “I walked her out to the cab myself.”

He reached over and grabbed her hand. “Thank you for being so kind to my wife.” Dr. Dudley was close enough for Camille to smell the alcohol on his breath—much too close as far as she was concerned.

Camille took a step backward and tried to remove her hand from Dudley’s viselike grip.

He stared at her a moment before saying, “I really love those green eyes of yours. It gives you an exotic look.”

She didn’t like the way he was caressing her with his eyes.

“Dr. Dudley,” Camille began. “Why don’t we go inside?”

“I’m actually en-enjoying myself out here,” he said in response. “There are too many people inside the party. I’ve wanted to just sit down and talk to you for a while, Camille. I like getting to know my employees.”

“I believe we know each other as well as we need to,” she stated firmly. “Dr. Dudley, we don’t want people walking out here and making assumptions. The hospital is under enough scrutiny, don’t you think?”

Camille tried a second time unsuccessfully to pull her hand away, but Dudley only held on tighter. A wave of apprehension washed over her. “Please let my hand go, Doctor.”

He continued to leer at her. “Hey, I’m just trying to get to know you—with your fine self.”

Camille had heard rumors that Dudley had an eye for the ladies, and on more than one occasion she had caught him staring at her, but she never thought he would be so blatant with it. Dr. Dudley was not only married, but a father of three and well-respected in the medical field.

“Why don’t we go get you some coffee?” Camille suggested. “You have been drinking all night and the alcohol’s making you do things I’m sure you will regret.”

He pulled her into his arms and tried to kiss her.

“No!”

Cringing, Camille struggled violently in his arms, and was relieved when he abruptly let her go. She opened her eyes and met Maxwell’s hard gaze.

Mortified, she looked away and straightened her dress.

“Dudley, I think Camille’s right. You’ve had enough to drink,” Maxwell stated coldly.

“I’m …I’m f-fine,” Germaine slurred. “Now …if you would excuse us, I’m try …t-trying to have a conversation with Camille.”

“I’m perfectly aware of what you are trying to do,” he countered. “It’s time for you to go home, so I’m going to call you a taxi.” Maxwell pulled out his cell phone. He gestured to a passing waiter and said, “Could you please bring this man a cup of black coffee?”

He glanced back at Camille. “Are you okay?”

“I just need to get out of here,” she murmured.

Maxwell nodded in understanding. He could tell that she was really shaken by what had just transpired. “I’ll see you to your car once I get Dudley settled.”

Camille sat down in one of the chairs across from where he and Dudley were.

She couldn’t hear what Maxwell was saying to Dudley, but from the expression on his face, the conversation was an intense one.

Maxwell stayed with Dudley until the taxi arrived. Just as she had done with Dudley’s wife, he escorted the chief of staff outside.

“C’mon, I’ll see you to your car,” Maxwell said when he returned.

“I didn’t drive. I came with one of the nurses. I’ll just call a taxi.”

“You don’t have to do that,” he told her. “I’ll drive you home.”

“Maxwell, I appreciate your help with Dr. Dudley, but you don’t have to go out of your way to drive me to my place.”

“I don’t mind,” Maxwell responded. “After the night you’ve had, I want to make sure that you get home safe.”

It wasn’t until Camille was inside her townhome that she allowed her tears to flow. She always enjoyed entering her home, where the pride of ownership was evident. Camille had paid great attention to detail in the remodeled kitchen, which included granite countertops and upgraded appliances. The hardwood floors throughout both stories gleamed to perfection.

However, tonight her efforts were wasted on herself. She rushed up the stairs and into her bedroom, where she quickly removed her clothes and stepped into the shower.

She felt dirty all over.

She scrubbed her hands until they were sore. Camille wanted to erase the memory of Dr. Dudley’s touch.

Afterward, Camille had hoped that watching television would help to ease her mind, but it didn’t. She couldn’t stop thinking about what happened.

I’m so glad Maxwell was there. I don’t know what would’ve happened if he had not intervened when he did.

A wave of anger coursed through her veins and she silently debated whether or not to have a conversation with the chief of staff on Monday morning.

Camille picked up a pillow and angrily tossed it across the room.

When did I morph into a knight in shining armor? Maxwell wondered as he drove back to his hotel.

Normally, he would’ve never let such a beautiful woman walk away without so much as a kiss. Most of his goodbyes ended at dawn. Maxwell hadn’t missed the pain and fear that shined bright in Camille’s eyes. She looked terrified of what she was facing and his heart felt for her.

Camille was in such a fragile state of mind, Matthew thought it better just to make sure she got home safe. He would never do what Dr. Dudley had tried to do.

A wave of anger coursed through Maxwell. He was furious with Dudley and planned to have a long conversation with him. The chief of staff was not only placing his career in jeopardy, but the reputation of the hospital as well. If he didn’t keep his hands or comments to himself, Hopewell General would find itself in the midst of a huge sexual harassment lawsuit. The hospital had enough legal problems already.

Fifteen minutes later, Maxwell strolled into the beautifully appointed lobby of Morrison House, a hotel surrounded by the historic neighborhood of Old Town Alexandria. He loved the classic American redbrick building that housed the four-star hotel where he would be staying during his time in Virginia.

Maxwell stifled a yawn. He was more than ready to dive into the four-poster bed in his suite. He unlocked and opened the door to a room decorated with a soothing color scheme of golds, creams and cranberry reds with accents of forest green.

He strolled to the adjoining parlor and laid his keys to the rental car on the writing desk. Maxwell’s thoughts traveled back to Camille and how stunning she had looked in her black dress.

His cell phone rang, cutting into his thoughts.

“Hello, Kendra.” Maxwell hid his irritation. Although they were no longer seeing each other, she still had a way of getting under his skin and not in a good way. He had finally had the good sense to end things for good.

“Hey, baby. How are you?”

“I’m fine,” Maxwell responded dryly. “Why aren’t you out somewhere with your posse?” he asked, referring to the camera crew that followed her around.

Kendra released an audible sigh. “Maxwell, I know how much you hate my doing this reality show, but, baby, I have to think about my career. I am worth so much more now because of it.”

“It’s intrusive.”

“I have nothing to hide,” Kendra stated. “I’m a celebrity supermodel. People want to know all about my life. At least I make money by inviting my fans into my world. Hey, the network is considering doing another reality show to help me find Mr. Right. I told them that I’ve already found the perfect man for me.”

“Kendra …” Maxwell began.

She cut him off by saying, “Baby, I love you and I know that you love me, too.”

“Now you’re telling me what I feel?”

“Are you saying that you don’t have feelings for me?” she inquired.

“Kendra, I care about you, but you know what we had is over. We’ve talked about this more than once.” He was growing tired of having the same discussion over and over.

“Maxwell, I don’t believe we’re over,” Kendra argued. “Don’t you remember how good we were together?”

He shook his head and sighed in resignation. Once Kendra made her mind up, there was no changing it.

“When are you coming home?”

“Not for another week or two.”

“I miss you, Maxwell.”

“I’m surprised you have time to miss me or anyone else. You’ve been pretty busy with the show and your public appearances.”

“We could be filmed while on a romantic date,” Kendra suggested.

“No,” Malcolm stated. “I told you from the beginning that I wanted nothing to do with that show of yours, Kendra, and I meant it.”

“People want to see me with the man I love.”

“I can’t help you.”

“You mean you won’t help me,” she countered.

“Kendra, I don’t want to argue with you. I’m tired and I have a breakfast meeting in the morning. I’ll talk to you later.”

She slammed the phone down in his ear.

Her actions no longer fazed Maxwell. He and Kendra had been in and out of a relationship for years and he was tired of the cycle. It was time for something new, as far as he was concerned. There were scores of beautiful women in the world—too many to settle for Kendra’s drama.

An image of Camille formed in his mind.

Maxwell was concerned about her, but he hadn’t thought to ask Camille for her home or cell number. He would just have to wait until Monday to see how she was doing.

Maxwell wondered how Camille would interact with Dr. Dudley after what happened earlier in the evening. From a legal standpoint, Hopewell didn’t need any hint of a sexual harassment lawsuit. However, harassment, in any form, was never to be tolerated.

The decision to file a complaint was solely Camille’s, but he hoped to avoid another scandal while dealing with the Matthews case. Ray had already consulted him on another pending lawsuit in which the hospital admitted fault in giving a patient the wrong medication. Yes, the last thing Hopewell needed was a sexual harassment lawsuit.

However, he vowed to support Camille in whatever she decided.

Chapter 3

Camille had planned to do some Christmas shopping that weekend, but after what happened last night with Dr. Dudley, she decided to stay home. She was still too shaken to be around a crowd of people. Right now she desired to stay in the security of her cozy two-bedroom townhome.

She spent most of the morning researching sexual harassment, although she wasn’t sure filing a complaint was the right move to make. Dr. Dudley clearly had had too much to drink last night, so most likely it was the alcohol talking. But then, this wasn’t the first time he’d made sexual innuendoes. She had heard comments from Isabelle and some of the other interns about Dudley, but she had chosen to believe that he was harmless until recently.

She had always been accused of believing that there was good in every human being. Camille wanted to believe it, but the actions of her chief of staff left her with doubt. She had heard the rumors about him and Nurse Tsang, but had dismissed them as nonsense, especially since Dudley had instituted a non-fraternization policy in the hospital. Nurses and interns—even the doctors themselves—often gossiped.

Dudley appeared to be a happily married man, although his wife and children traveled frequently to visit family. However, if the rumors were true, Camille could not understand why he would resort to extramarital affairs when he had such a lovely wife at home.

Camille was torn.

She didn’t want to say anything out of her affection for Mrs. Dudley and the children. Perhaps she should sit down with the chief and try to get him to see the error of his ways. Camille didn’t want to bring the hospital board into this or subject the hospital to more legal action.

By the late afternoon, Camille decided to go to the gym. Whenever she was frustrated, she liked to play a game of basketball. Usually on Saturdays, there was a co-ed game going on in her neighborhood.

Camille really needed to release some of the tension she felt. If Maxwell hadn’t come along when he did, she had no idea how far Dr. Dudley would have gone.

Even now, she wasn’t sure how she would handle facing her chief of staff on Monday. He had once been a man she respected. Now, whenever she thought of him, Camille felt repulsed.

Maxwell decided to get some of his Christmas shopping out of the way. He wanted to pick up a few gifts for his nieces and nephew especially. He spent the greater part of Saturday afternoon in Landmark Mall, and then met Ray for an early dinner.

“So what do you think of Camille Hunter?” Ray asked while they were waiting for their food to arrive.

“She’s a nice girl,” Maxwell responded with a slight shrug. “Why do you ask?”

“I saw you two on the dance floor last night.” He grinned. “The two of you looked pretty good together. Camille is a real sweetheart.”

He gave his friend a sidelong look. “You wouldn’t be trying to set me up with her, would you, Ray?”

Feigning innocence, Ray responded, “Naw …just thought you might be interested in her. That’s all.”

“She is beautiful,” Maxwell admitted. “But I didn’t come to Virginia to find a girlfriend or a wife. Once we get this case settled, I’m heading back to New York.”

Ray took a sip of his iced tea before inquiring, “Are you still in contact with Kendra?”

Maxwell nodded. “She refuses to accept that our relationship is over. I’ve told her over and over again, but it doesn’t seem to sink in.”

“Maybe it isn’t really over,” Ray suggested. “You two have broken up and gotten back together so many times, I’ve lost count.”

The waiter arrived with their meals.

Maxwell waited until he left before saying, “I used to believe that Kendra was the only woman for me.”

“What changed your mind?”

He met Ray’s gaze. “It took me a while, but I eventually realized that no relationship should be that hard or that dramatic. When Kendra doesn’t get her way, she goes out and does something crazy. Take this reality show for example. She wants to air our problems to the entire world and she expects me to be okay with it.”

Ray chuckled. “She does talk about you a lot on the show.”

“You actually watch it?” Maxwell asked. He sliced off a piece of his steak and stuck it in his mouth, chewing slowly.

“You’ve never watched it?” Ray asked. He wiped his mouth on the edge of his napkin.

Maxwell shook his head. “I don’t intend to watch the show ever, but then I am not a fan of reality shows. I actually find it strange that all of the celebrities I’ve come into contact with complain of not having any privacy—yet half of them are now starring in reality shows.”

Ray agreed.

The two men finished off their meals while discussing the Matthews lawsuit.

After Ray paid the check, he asked, “So what are you getting into this evening?”

Maxwell checked his watch. “I’m tired so I’m going to head back to the hotel. I’ll see you on Monday morning.”

“Bright and early,” Ray added. “We’re finishing up the depositions next week.”

“Good,” Maxwell said. “I’d like to review all of them as soon as possible.”

They parted ways with Maxwell heading back to the hotel to review the Matthews case file, and Ray on his way to meet his girlfriend.

Camille entered his thoughts once more. Maxwell could understand why Dr. Dudley found her attractive. He thought she was beautiful as well.

I really love her green eyes and her gorgeous smile.

Maxwell gave himself a mental shake. He and Camille were coworkers. He had vowed a long time ago to keep romance and work separated.

Monday morning arrived much too early for Camille.

For the first time in her career, she dreaded going to Hopewell General. Seeing Dr. Dudley and Maxwell Wade would only force her to relive one of the more embarrassing moments of her life.

Camille was thankful to Maxwell for rescuing her, but she was unhappy to be even a little in his debt.

She was glad that no one was around when she entered the hospital. She just needed some time alone before she started work. However, as soon as she stepped off the elevator on the second floor, she found Maxwell waiting for her inside the public relations off ice.

“Good morning,” she greeted him and pasted on a smile, trying to depict an ease she did not feel.

“Do you have a moment?” he asked.

She was acutely aware of her assistant watching her interaction with Maxwell. She nodded and responded, “Sure, come into my office.”

Maxwell followed her inside and closed the door behind them.

“How are you doing?” he asked.

Camille sank down in her chair. “I’m okay.”

He didn’t look like he believed her. She wasn’t acting her usual self, although what could she expect? “Are you sure?” he asked.

Camille nodded. “Dr. Dudley was drunk the other night. Otherwise he wouldn’t have behaved that way.”

“Has he ever approached you in that manner before?” Maxwell wanted to know.

“Not really,” Camille answered. “He has made some comments that I deemed inappropriate, but I’m sure he’s harmless.”

“Do you know if he’s done this with other employees?”

“Maxwell, I’ve heard a few comments here and there that he has an eye for the ladies, but that’s about it.”

“I am going to have a talk with Dudley because the hospital doesn’t need another scandal.”

Camille couldn’t read his expression, but his tone clearly indicated that Maxwell wasn’t pleased by the actions of Hopewell’s chief of staff.

“I don’t think he really means any harm,” she stated.

“Regardless, he needs to take precautions to protect the integrity of the hospital. No employee should have to deal with harassment of any kind, Camille. I just want to make sure that Dudley understands this.”

“Maxwell, I don’t want what happened at the party to get out.”

“Neither do I,” he confessed. “But I do intend to make sure it never happens again, especially on my watch.”

His words gave Camille comfort. She knew that he was sincere and it touched her. Maxwell was so good-looking and charming that it unnerved her. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Camille. If you need to talk, feel free to come to me.”

“I’ll be fine.”

The gesture was a sweet one, but Camille would never unburden herself on a man like Maxwell. It was not like they were friends or anything. However, she didn’t want to confide in Jerome where Dudley was concerned. Mostly because Jerome would go ballistic and she didn’t want him losing his job over her.

Maxwell eyed her for a moment, and then smiled. “I don’t doubt that for a moment.”

His smile warmed her all over. Camille forced her attention from his perfectly shaped lips that could only be described as kissable. She had a lot to do and with Maxwell in her office, all she could do was think about him. After a moment, she said, “Have a good day, Maxwell.”

She leaned back in her chair, secretly admiring the way his navy blazer fit his muscular build.

“You, too.”

When he left her office, Camille released a soft sigh. Why on earth did the man have such a strong effect on her?

Dr. Dudley appeared in her doorway, forcing her out of her reverie. Camille stiffened in her chair.

“Do you have a minute to talk?” he asked. The doctor looked just as uncomfortable as she did.

Camille nodded, unable to get the words out.

“I wanted to apologize for my actions the other night,” he said sheepishly. “I had a lot to drink and I guess I lost my head for a moment. Camille, I want you to know that what happened …well, it won’t happen again. I give you my word.”

“Dr. Dudley, your apology is accepted,” Camille responded with no emotion. She wanted to say more—to yell at him for his actions—but she held back. However, she vowed if he ever crossed the line again, she would file a formal complaint. The hospital was already under fire for the actions of another doctor. Camille wanted to spare Hopewell General of another scandal.

He gave a slight nod and walked briskly out of her off ice.

Although she appreciated the gesture, Dr. Dudley’s apology did nothing to relieve Camille’s apprehension. She wasn’t sure if she would ever feel safe around him again.

Maxwell had wanted to comfort Camille.

To tell the truth, he wanted to make love to her.

What is going on with me? Maxwell wondered. He hadn’t experienced such a strong connection to a woman in a long time. Camille was not even his type, which was why this was so puzzling to him.

She looked professional in her conservative, navy blue pant suit with a pair of comfortable pumps.

Ray had just arrived when Maxwell walked out of Camille’s office.

“Your office is set up and ready for you,” he told Maxwell. “We have a conference call scheduled with Matthews’s attorney at eleven.”

“Sounds good,” Maxwell said. He was more than ready to get this lawsuit settled so that he could return to New York. As far as he was concerned, this particular case presented no challenge to him, and would be resolved quickly.

Maxwell settled into his office.

He set down at his desk and made a few phone calls. The first was to his secretary in New York and the second was to his father. They were working together on a case that was due to go to trial in the spring of next year.

Maxwell made notes during his conversation with his father.

“Thanks, Dad,” he said. “Fax me a copy of the interrogatories when you get them.”

They talked for a few minutes more before hanging up.

“Knock. Knock.”

Maxwell glanced up from his notes. “Isabelle. Come in.” He remembered being introduced to her at the reception. He had to admit that Ray was right. She looked like she could be Jennifer Lopez’s twin.

She walked inside, carrying a medium-size plant. “I thought your office could use some brightening up.”

He smiled. “Thank you, Isabelle. That was very sweet of you.”

“It needs lots of light, so I’ll put it over here,” she was saying.

The scent of her perfume was distracting—mostly because it was the same scent that Kendra wore.

“How are you enjoying our city?” Isabelle asked.

“It’s nice,” he replied. “I’ve always liked Alexandria.”

Isabelle gave him a sexy grin. “Really?”

“It’s nice here and I love exploring the rich history, but I’m a New Yorker for life.” He noted a flash of disappointment in her eyes. Maxwell didn’t want to give her false hope.

“Ray mentioned that you were thinking about going into pediatrics,” Maxwell stated.

She nodded. “I love children.”

He leaned back in his chair. “Since you’re here, I’d like to talk to you about Terrence Matthews.”

“Okay,” she responded. “What do you want to know?”

“Did you ever notice anything that you considered odd behavior?” Maxwell asked.

“There were a couple of times that he didn’t seem quite himself, but I thought it was because he was tired. We work some pretty long hours from time to time. Oh yeah, he did miss a couple of staff meetings, but I’ve missed one before. Time can get away from you.”

Maxwell played with his pen. “So you never suspected that he was abusing drugs?”

“No, I didn’t. To be honest, I was shocked when I heard that he was stealing them from the hospital.”

Maxwell silently noted that almost everyone had the same sentiment. He’d read many of the witness statements over the weekend. Terrence Matthews was apparently a functioning drug user.

She ran her fingers through her hair. “Do you have any more questions for me?”

He went over his notes. “This is it for now.”

“Well, I’ve kept you from your work long enough,” Isabelle said with a short laugh. “I want you to know that we’re really glad you’re here. This hospital needs someone like you in our corner.”

Maxwell pushed away from his desk and stood up. He knew that Isabelle was vying for his attention, but he was not attracted to her, although he considered her extremely beautiful.

“Thank you for speaking with me, Isabelle. Everything we discussed will remain confidential.”

“I’m not worried,” she told him. “I like Dr. Matthews, but what he’s doing to this hospital is wrong.”

“Thank you for the plant as well.”

She glanced up at him, smiling. “It was my pleasure, Mr. Wade.”

“Call me Maxwell,” he told her.

“Sure thing.”

He laughed. “I’ll walk you out.”

Maxwell wasn’t sure what happened next, but the next thing he realized she was falling. Reacting quickly, he reached out to grab her.

Camille eyed the calendar and decided that since today was Maxwell Wade’s first official day at Hopewell General, she should do something nice for him. He had not only protected her from Dr. Dudley, but had gone out of his way to make sure that she was okay.

She left her office before she could change her mind about asking him to have lunch with her.

Camille’s pace halted at the presence of Isabelle Morales in Maxwell’s arms when she arrived at his office.

Camille was astounded. He had been in the hospital for less than a day and already had one of the interns in his arms.

She sent Isabelle a sharp look. Camille couldn’t believe that her coworker would behave so blatantly.

Without a word, she returned to her office in a huff.

The thought of Maxwell getting involved with Isabelle bothered Camille to the core, as much as she hated to admit it. She had to sheathe her inner feelings as a sense of inadequacy swept over her.

A few minutes later, Maxwell appeared in her doorway.

“You ran off before I could explain.”

“You don’t owe me any explanation,” Camille responded stiffly.

“What you saw back there …it’s not what it looked like.”

She met his gaze. “You really don’t have to explain anything to me. Who or what you do in this hospital is not my concern. However, you should at least close the door. Especially after the conversation we had this morning about sexual harassment. I can’t believe you would place yourself and Dr. Morales in a position to be gossiped about.”

“Isabelle …Dr. Morales was about to fall. There—”

Camille interrupted him by saying, “We need to block out some time to discuss the legal issues the hospital

is dealing with. If it’s okay with you, I’ll email you with a time to meet.”

“That’s fine,” Maxwell said. “Is that why you were coming to see me?”

“Yes,” she lied.

Camille picked up her phone, silently dismissing him. She was aware of Maxwell watching her, but pretended not to notice that his presence had overtaken her off ice.

He stood there for a moment in silence, then turned on his heel and left.

Camille waited until she was positive that Maxwell was gone before hanging up. She wasn’t really planning to make a call; she just wanted him to leave her office.

“Isabelle was right,” she whispered. “She said he wouldn’t be alone for long.”

She really liked Isabelle, but for some reason, Camille did not like the idea of her friend getting involved with Maxwell. After all, Maxwell seemed to enjoy his life as a bachelor. He was often linked with actresses or socialites when he and Kendra weren’t involved. Camille didn’t want to see Isabelle get her heart broken.

She didn’t want to consider that there could be another reason why she didn’t want to see Isabelle with Maxwell.

Chapter 4

Maxwell found his little exchange with Camille humorous.

He was delighted at the thought of her being jealous. He wasn’t sure why the thought pleased him, but it did. It thrilled him that Camille wasn’t immune to him like he had originally assumed.

He spotted his friend Thomas and another doctor, Lucien De Winter, talking in an office. Thomas gestured for Maxwell to join them.

“Lucien was just telling me about Dudley and how he’s trying to make life difficult for him and Jaclyn since their engagement.”

“He’s also harassing Victor Aguilar and Tamara St. John,” Lucien stated. “They just recently got engaged.”

“I’m not a fan of non-fraternization policies,” Maxwell interjected. “I think the workplace is one of the logical locations for people to meet and fall in love, as long as the employees engaged in the relationship follow common-sense guidelines.”

“I agree,” Lucien said. “The employees have asked him to remove the ban on fraternization for years, but Dudley refuses. He and his watchdog, Nurse Tsang, are making everyone miserable.”

“The only thing I’ve agreed with Dudley on is how he handled Terrence,” Thomas confessed. “Although I appreciate all he did for me and Lia.”

“Lucien, I’d like to speak with you about Dr. Matthews,” Maxwell said. “If you have another minute, I want to ask you some questions.”

“Sure.”

Thomas made his way to the door. “I need to make my rounds, so I’ll call you later, Maxwell.”

“What can you tell me about Dr. Matthews, Lucien?”

“He was a promising doctor with a bedside manner that all of his patients appreciated.” Lucien shook his head sadly. “If only we could have found a way to help him.”

“Did you notice anything?”

Lucien nodded. “He was no longer as reliable. For example, he used to be the first one to arrive at staff meetings, but then he was either late or a no-show. He was also the doctor who gave that patient the wrong medication. Because of his family, Dudley made sure that was never made public.”

“What steps did you take at that point?” Maxwell questioned.

“We had Terrence take a drug test, although we had a witness to him stealing the drugs. His test came back positive. Terrence maintains that we faked the results, however. He has had some independent tests done and the results show that he’s clean.”

“Do you think he paid someone to change the results?”

“Or take the test for him,” Lucien offered. “When I asked Terrence about the charges, he never denied them. He didn’t feel the need to deny them as his family was the hospital’s biggest benefactor.”

“He was offered the chance to go into rehab?”

Lucien nodded. “He flat-out refused. He would probably still have his job if he had taken a medical leave and gone into rehab. When he didn’t, we had no choice but to let him go.”

Maxwell opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get the words out, Lucien’s pager went off.

“I’m sorry but I have to leave.”

Maxwell opened the door to the office. “Thanks for your time.”

He walked out after Lucien and returned to his own office. For a split second, Maxwell considered going back to Camille’s office.

She was right.

Although he and Isabelle were innocent of any wrongdoing, had someone walked by his office, they could have easily drawn the wrong conclusions. Worse, Isabelle could accuse him of sexual harassment, although he doubted she would make such a claim.

Seated at his desk, Maxwell went through his list of witnesses. There were still several he wanted to speak with. He preferred doing his own interviews and not just relying on statements. Body language often presented the real story.

He tried to keep his mind on his work, but an image of Camille kept popping up in his head.

She was jealous.

It surprised and pleased him that she was attracted to him. However, Maxwell felt like he had been doused with a bucket of ice water when he realized that the attraction was mutual.

Camille tried to concentrate on her work, but couldn’t. She was furious with herself for allowing Maxwell Wade to get under her skin.

She picked up the apple on her desk and bit into it.

“Hey, there you are,” a woman’s voice called. “I came by here earlier and you were gone. I wanted to see if you had time to have lunch with me.”

Camille looked up and saw Tamara St. John walking into her office. “I didn’t know you were working today, Tamara,” she said. She tossed the apple into the trash. “Sure. This apple really wasn’t doing it for me.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Camille responded. “Why do you ask?”

“Something’s bothering you,” Tamara said. “You look upset.”

“I’m fine. I just need to get away from this place for a little while.” Camille rose to her feet and grabbed her purse.

They left the hospital.

Camille and Tamara walked across the street to the restaurant frequented by most of the hospital staff.

“So, you’re still not going to tell me what’s got you so preoccupied?” Tamara asked after they were seated.

Camille smiled at her friend. “I’m fine, really.”

“I hear we have the renowned Maxwell Wade helping the legal department. Have you met him?”

She nodded.

“So what do you think of him?” Tamara inquired.

“I don’t really have an opinion of Mr. Wade,” Camille lied. “I guess we’ll really have to wait and see if he’s as good as everyone says he is.”

“He’s very handsome from what I understand.”

“That seems to be the consensus,” Camille muttered. The last thing she wanted to do was spend her lunch hour discussing the arrogant Maxwell Wade. Changing the subject, she asked, “So have you and Victor decided on a wedding date?”

“We’re still narrowing down dates.”

Camille picked up her menu. “Just so you know …I don’t do pastels.”

Tamara laughed.

While waiting for their food, Camille scanned the dining area. The restaurant was a favorite of hospital employees and as usual it was filled with interns, doctors, nurses and other hospital staff. There were only a few people that she did not recognize.

The restaurant was not only convenient, it was warm and inviting. The soft lighting and beautiful artwork in vivid hues added to its charm. Fresh flowers on the tables welcomed every diner.

“Have you spoken to Terrence since the lawsuit?” Tamara asked in a low voice.

Camille shook her head no. “I thought he would contact me at some point, but he hasn’t.”

When their food arrived, Camille stabbed a fried shrimp and stuck it in her mouth. She loved shrimp.

“All my girl friends are engaged,” she said. “I hope when you and Jaclyn get married, we will still be able to have our monthly girls’ night out.”

“For sure,” Tamara said. “We’re just getting married—not going to prison.”

The two women shared a laugh.

“Seriously, though,” Camille said. “I’m going to be the only single one left.”

“Not for long,” Tamara predicted. She wiped her mouth on the edge of her napkin.

“I don’t know,” Camille responded. “I want a man who will treat me like a queen. I want a man who will adore me, and most of the men I’ve met seem to be lacking in those areas.”

Laughing, Tamara sliced off a piece of grilled catfish, piercing it with her fork.

Camille glanced across the room just as Maxwell and Thomas entered the restaurant.

Tamara turned, following Camille’s gaze. “He’s very handsome.”

She didn’t respond.

“You have to be blind not to notice that man,” Tamara said as she turned her attention back to her meal. “I noticed that he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off you.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked.

Tamara eyed her. “You didn’t notice the way he kept staring at you as he walked to his table?”

Camille shook her head. “He was most likely looking at you. You are more his type than I am.”

“No, I’m pretty sure he was looking at you.”

Shrugging, Camille responded, “It really doesn’t matter. Maxwell and I live in two very different worlds.”

“The thing that bothers me the most about the non-fraternization policy is that Dr. Dudley is a hypocrite,” Thomas was saying.

“What do you mean by that?” Maxwell picked up his menu and began scanning the entrées. He stole a peek over to where Camille was sitting with her friend.

“Dudley is sleeping with one of the staff nurses,”

Thomas announced in a low voice. “Kayla Tsang to be exact.”

Maxwell stiffened in shock. “Do you know this for sure, or is this just another hospital rumor?”

“This is no rumor,” Thomas responded. “I saw them myself one night in his office.”

“Apparently he’s not just having an affair,” Maxwell stated. “I know for a fact that he has been harassing some of the female staff. Just before lunch, an intern came to me upset. She asked me if she could pursue a legal case for harassment against Dudley.” He didn’t mention that the chief had practically attacked Camille the night of Thomas and Lia’s wedding reception.

“Are you serious?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I’m going to have a talk with Dudley this afternoon. It’s time to put a stop to this nonsense.”

Thomas agreed.

As he scanned the menu, Maxwell couldn’t help but glance over at Camille.

“She’s looking for donations for the silent auction,” Thomas told him. “It’s always a huge hit at the hospital charity ball.”

Maxwell smiled. “I might have something to donate.”

“I thought you would,” Thomas responded, a grin on his face. “I have to admit, I’m really surprised that you’d be attracted to Camille. She’s nothing like the other women you’ve dated.”

“I’m a little surprised myself,” Maxwell confessed.

Chapter 5

“I hear that you are looking for donations for the silent auction,” Maxwell stated as he strolled into her office.

Camille tried to keep her pleasure at seeing him from her voice. “I am,” she simply said.

“Well, I’m here to give a donation,” he announced.

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