Playing for Keeps: Finding Love Beyond the Lies - Chapter 33: Chapter 33
You are reading Playing for Keeps: Finding Love Beyond the Lies, Chapter 33: Chapter 33. Read more chapters of Playing for Keeps: Finding Love Beyond the Lies.
The next afternoon, Sloane arrived right on schedule to pick me up after my shift. As we passed Harrison's office, she practically yanked me inside.
"Big brother! Burning the midnight oil?"
Harrison glanced up from his screen. With his tall frame, sculpted features, and that perfect Roman nose, he looked like he'd stepped out of a luxury fashion campaign. His steel-blue eyes, though distant, had that magnetic quality that made half the hospital staff "accidentally" take the long route past his office.
He gave me his signature arctic look. "No."
Dr. Parker, sitting across his desk, started to protest. "But Dr. Astor, weren't we supposed to—"
One laser-focused look from Harrison, and Dr. Parker suddenly found his papers fascinating.
"Dinner plans?" Sloane pushed.
Harrison considered this with his trademark Oxford-educated restraint. "Yes."
He stood, methodically organizing his files.
Sloane's face lit up. "Perfect timing! I'm taking Aurora to the mansion for dinner. She'll be way more relaxed without your brooding presence filling up the place."
Harrison went still, then slowly raised his head to give Sloane the kind of look usually reserved for particularly difficult board members.
"Le Bernardin exists for a reason. Our kitchen isn't exactly known for its culinary prowess." His expression could've curdled milk.
Their housekeeper, Mrs. Watson, had transitioned from gardening to cooking when her arthritis acted up. Her specialty was what could generously be called "aggressively healthy" cuisine.
Sloane bounced on her toes, stage-whispering: "I'm introducing her to Daddy dearest. How does a smoking hot stepmom sound? Surprise!"
Harrison drew himself up to his full height, fixing Sloane with his best attending physician death stare.
In one fluid motion, he grabbed her arm and started steering her toward Radiology.
"Time for a brain scan. They must have scrambled something during your last procedure."
Sloane's protests echoed down the corridor. "My brain's functioning perfectly! Listen to the perks of having a stepmom!"
"One: Dad will finally stop playing matchmaker with every socialite's daughter!"
"Two: I'll sweet-talk her into convincing Dad to hand over Astor Industries! You can keep playing with your scalpels, I'll run the empire – everybody wins!"
"Three: She's young, gorgeous, and by next Christmas, we could have a baby brother! No more pressure on you for heirs. Hell, you can get snipped and— OUCH! Stop with the pinching! That's assault, Dr. Astor!"
"Big brother! Burning the midnight oil?"
Harrison glanced up from his screen. With his tall frame, sculpted features, and that perfect Roman nose, he looked like he'd stepped out of a luxury fashion campaign. His steel-blue eyes, though distant, had that magnetic quality that made half the hospital staff "accidentally" take the long route past his office.
He gave me his signature arctic look. "No."
Dr. Parker, sitting across his desk, started to protest. "But Dr. Astor, weren't we supposed to—"
One laser-focused look from Harrison, and Dr. Parker suddenly found his papers fascinating.
"Dinner plans?" Sloane pushed.
Harrison considered this with his trademark Oxford-educated restraint. "Yes."
He stood, methodically organizing his files.
Sloane's face lit up. "Perfect timing! I'm taking Aurora to the mansion for dinner. She'll be way more relaxed without your brooding presence filling up the place."
Harrison went still, then slowly raised his head to give Sloane the kind of look usually reserved for particularly difficult board members.
"Le Bernardin exists for a reason. Our kitchen isn't exactly known for its culinary prowess." His expression could've curdled milk.
Their housekeeper, Mrs. Watson, had transitioned from gardening to cooking when her arthritis acted up. Her specialty was what could generously be called "aggressively healthy" cuisine.
Sloane bounced on her toes, stage-whispering: "I'm introducing her to Daddy dearest. How does a smoking hot stepmom sound? Surprise!"
Harrison drew himself up to his full height, fixing Sloane with his best attending physician death stare.
In one fluid motion, he grabbed her arm and started steering her toward Radiology.
"Time for a brain scan. They must have scrambled something during your last procedure."
Sloane's protests echoed down the corridor. "My brain's functioning perfectly! Listen to the perks of having a stepmom!"
"One: Dad will finally stop playing matchmaker with every socialite's daughter!"
"Two: I'll sweet-talk her into convincing Dad to hand over Astor Industries! You can keep playing with your scalpels, I'll run the empire – everybody wins!"
"Three: She's young, gorgeous, and by next Christmas, we could have a baby brother! No more pressure on you for heirs. Hell, you can get snipped and— OUCH! Stop with the pinching! That's assault, Dr. Astor!"
End of Playing for Keeps: Finding Love Beyond the Lies Chapter 33. Continue reading Chapter 34 or return to Playing for Keeps: Finding Love Beyond the Lies book page.