When Staci Takes Charge (Leave Your Shoes On 2)

Staci Kay certainly didn’t pose any sort of physical threat to him, so no worries there. Evan had studied martial arts after being bullied through his formative years. During his junior year at Harvard, he’d begun working out at the gym several times a week with a trainer and had buffed up over the past decade.

He didn’t flinch at awkward situations such as a woman showing up repeatedly at his speaking engagements. He did, however, find it incredibly difficult to keep his mind off of running into her in the middle of the night for another go round.

Damn it. Not something to be thinking about.

A long breath blew through his parted lips.

“What’s wrong, Evan?” his mother instantly asked. “Are you ill? What is it, dear? Have you seen a specialist? If you need a referral, I can—”

“No, Mother.” He chuckled at her tenacity. If he did suffer from a serious health condition, he could rest assured she’d likely find a cure. “I’m just exhausted from the schedule. I’m about to call it a night.”

“Yes, you do that. Get some rest. You have to operate in a few days. You need to be fresh and alert. I can send something over to help you sleep.”

“I’ll be fine, thank you.”

Too bad he already knew that, when he closed his eyes this evening, he’d be seeing the stunning woman from the Four Seasons in her sexy lingerie. Or completely naked.

He fought a groan of frustration, said “good night” to his mother, and disconnected.

Evan finished his scotch while he prepped for a couple more invitation-only lectures coming up. He was pretty damn certain Staci Kay wouldn’t be able to score access to them, no matter how much she batted her long, sooty eyelashes.

And he really needed to be fine with that.

Chapter Eight

Staci noted a break in Evan’s lecture schedule and surmised he’d returned to New York—likely for surgery.

She phoned Tanya at precisely eight a.m. on Wednesday. “Good morning, Tanya. This is Staci Kay.”

“Good morning, Miss Kay.” The assistant greeted her in a patient tone.

“Is Dr. Hart in the office today?”

“Yes, he is. However, he’s currently—”

“Thank you so much,” Staci interjected. “You’ve been most helpful. Have a wonderful day!”

An hour later, Staci was on the train from Baltimore to Manhattan. She caught a cab to Mount Sinai. After consulting the directory, she took the elevator up to the floor where Evan’s office was located—though it was barricaded behind glass doors. No worries. She settled into a chair to wait for him, not bothering Tanya because Staci knew she’d only get the runaround.

She flipped through Time and Forbes magazines. Was glad she’d skipped coffee this morning and had grabbed snacks at the train station because she didn’t dare dash off to the ladies’ room or the cafeteria, fearing she’d miss Evan coming from or going to his office.

She used the free time to call her sister to say they could still make the cruise if they booked that evening. Jen hemmed and hawed, then said she’d think some more about it.

“Valentine’s is right around the corner,” Staci reminded her. “Like, next Monday.”

“Yes, I know when Valentine’s Day is, Stace. I’m just not all that interested in acknowledging the holiday that shredded my life.”

“That’s precisely why you should acknowledge it. To let go of the past and embrace the future.”

“You’re one to talk,” Jen said. “You’re still anti-romance because of what that slug Jeremy Markson did to you in college.”

“I don’t have time to be anti- or pro-romance. I have a company to run. Now, the cruise—”

“I don’t know,” Jen cut in. “B

ig doings over here. I’m not sure I have the time.” She rambled on about some events she needed to bake for—weddings and more church and school functions. Eventually, she said, “I’ll let you know tonight.”

“Okay, I lied,” Staci admitted. “The travel agent said we can still book tomorrow before noon—I just didn’t want you to backburner the decision. But that’s it, so…Think hard. Sleep on it. Call me in the morning or let Mom know. Whatever.”