Poison Read Free

older than her thirty-three years. She didn’t smile. She didn’t seem to even comb her hair. The change in her looks and style was drastic and dismal.
    Almost as drastic was her strange need to be a receptionist at his clinic. Why was she so desperate to keep this job? Why had she not turned and fled all on her own, at the sight of him?
    He shook his head. If only he could shake out Cassie and the memories she stirred up. He grabbed the phone to call Sarah. He had to do something other than think about Cassie. Sarah answered, her sexy, low voice perking up when she recognized his. His gut started to untwist as Sarah chatted, and finally some of the stress from Cassie’s presence eased. Sarah asked to come over. John agreed, because anything was better than being alone with memories of a girl he’d spent too many years getting over.
    ****
    John swore under his breath the next morning when he arrived at work and realized Cassie had beaten him there. She said a pleasant hello and asked if he wanted coffee as she flashed him a syrupy smile. He didn’t say a word of response, nor did he glance at her as he walked by and slammed the door to his office. He’d be damned if he’d be civil to her.
    The rest of the day, he ignored her. She simply wasn’t there to him. If she spoke, he didn’t answer. If she was in a room, he left it. If she came into a room he was in, he turned and walked out no matter what he was doing. He frowned at her, scowled at her, and only spoke directly to her when he was forced to by the proximity of patients or other employees. She was barely tolerated, and he made sure she knew it.
    It was a small office. The chill would get to her sooner or later.
    Unfortunately, she didn’t utter a word in protest but went about her work quickly and efficiently. In reaction to his rudeness, Cassie simply avoided him.
    John spent a week with her in the office and managed to almost completely avoid speaking to her. Until he looked up one afternoon and his brother was standing at Cassie’s desk.
    ****
    “Cassie Reeves?”
    Cassie turned in her chair, startled to hear her name. Her heart froze for a second, until she realized who was addressing her; Luke Tyler. He smiled at Nurse Bishop, then returned his gaze to her, his eyebrows furrowed.
    “Hello Luke,” she said, smiling. “My name is Cassie Reynolds now.”
    “What are you doing here?”
    She straightened. “I work here.”
    “Really? John didn’t mention that. I wonder why he didn’t let me know you were in town and working for him.”
    Cassie opened her mouth to answer just as John come out of one of the exam rooms. He was with a young couple who were holding their infant. He smiled and nodded at them, until he noticed Luke. His gaze sharpened, and his mouth turned down. He finished speaking to the couple then came toward them.
    Cassie sighed. She recognized John’s angry walk. He managed to look as if he wanted to punch the floor when he stepped.
    Cassie noted with annoyance that his navy slacks were perfectly creased and that they contrasted sharply with the white of his doctor’s coat. Dammit. He looked good. As always. Even though he looked at her like he hoped she’d swallow a jug of anti-freeze, it was impossible to deny how handsome the good doctor John was.
    “John, why didn’t you mention that Cassie was in town? That she was working with you, for Gods sakes?” Luke asked without preamble.
    “She works for the office, not me, and I didn’t realize you’d care.” John waved goodbye to the couple and set their file on Cassie’s desk. He wrote on the folder, then clicked the pen shut and put it into his pocket, pushing the file toward Cassie without looking at her. She took it and sighed. His cold dismissal of her was painstakingly obvious.
    Cassie looked up at Luke and smiled sweetly. “John’s trying to get Harry to fire me so he was hoping I wouldn’t be around long enough for anyone to actually know that I was here.”
    Luke