Silent Love(4)

Her vision went blurry. Not used to people treating her kindly, she had  to look away so he wouldn't see her tears. Trying to be discreet, she  swiped under her eyes. She would have never looked up if he hadn't  knocked on the table to grab her attention.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his dignified stature softening.

"I'm fine," she whispered. "Saturday afternoon is good," she said  quickly before he asked any more questions. Glancing at her watch, she  noticed she only had ten more minutes for her untouched lunch. "I should  go back up to my cubicle." She'd take her lunch with her so she  wouldn't have to eat in front of him yet.

"I'll walk you up," he said.

"Oh, no. Doctors aren't seen on my floor," she said while gathering her food.

"Beth," he said.

"Sean," she returned.

A little smile curled his lips. "I'll let you win this one, but I'm not a man who likes to be told no."

She snorted. "I bet."

That arrogance personified on most men would be a turn off, but on Sean  it worked as confidence. An assuredness that couldn't or wouldn't be  deterred. She'd never met a man like him. More than likely his  personality was due to his age. Crap, the entire time she hadn't  considered their age difference. How old was he? Was that what he saw in  her? A young woman he could tote around on his arm.         

     



 

"How old are you?" she blurted.

He scowled. "Does age matter to you?"

"Are you only asking me out because I'm a young woman to have on your  arm? Or did you find out about me and think I'd be easily fooled?" she  spat. "You wouldn't be the first." She jumped up from her chair, grabbed  her purse and the rest of her food, and rushed away from the table. She  didn't want his answer.

Only feet away from the elevator, a hand grasped her bicep and spun her  around. The look of fury on Sean's face spoke volumes, though he didn't  say a word. Instead, he crushed his mouth onto hers. Hard. She wanted to  push away but didn't have it in her. Hands filled with food, purse  hanging off her shoulder, she was essentially trapped by his looming  frame and his firm grip on the nape of her neck.

He swiped his tongue against her lips, wanting her to open for him. If  she hadn't been so angry, she might have complied. Frustrated, he yanked  back. Taking her face into his hands, he scanned her eyes. She refused  to look away. She'd been a target of too many men at the hospital to  allow herself to become a victim again of what they considered a game or  a "sure thing."

"I'm thirty-nine, Beth," he said. "Thirty-nine and single. Thirty-nine  and know what I want. I don't play games. Never have and not about to  start. What am I to know about you that would have me toying with an  intelligent, beautiful young woman, instead of trying to wine and dine  her?"

He didn't know?

"Please." She tried to push away, but the man was strong as hell.

"Beth," he said, but released his grip.

She turned and rushed down the hallway, away from the lunch crowd  onlookers. She could manage to embarrass herself all on her own without  the help of an extremely handsome doctor.





4



Sean stood dumbfounded, like a complete idiot, by the elevators. What  the hell just happened? They were having nice conversation. Things going  smoothly. Then...freak out. Were all women crazy?

"Well, that won't have rumors flying," his younger, smartass brother said from behind him.

He groaned and closed his eyes. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Got called in. Thought I'd stop by to see if you wanted to grab lunch  before I started. Court's gonna be piiiisssed. It's all on you tonight."  A firm hand landed on his shoulder.

"Great, I'll get to hear her bitching all night that you stood her up," he moaned.

"Yep." Ryan had the audacity to laugh. "What was that about?"

"I don't know," he answered and rubbed the back of his neck.

Three male nurses leaving the cafeteria approached.

"Hey, Doc, you hitting that?" the youngest one said. What the hell was his name? Sean scanned for a tag.

"I hear she's a firecracker in bed," the taller one said and waggled his  brows. "Though she'd never hear herself." He then laughed at himself.

"What the fuck does that mean?" Ryan huffed and went into his natural defense mode of women.

"She's deaf," the middle nurse said. "That's Elizabeth Connors. She's  known around the hospital for how gorgeous she is, but she can't hear a  damn thing. You should listen to the men in administration talk about  her when her back is turned. Man, it's a good thing she can't hear. Can  you say sexual harassment?"

It was like an out of body experience. How it happened, he didn't know.  One second Sean was listening to the three idiots talk about the  loveliest woman he'd met, and the next, the middle man was lying on the  floor with a bloody nose. Now his brother had him in a bear hug, holding  him back from ripping the other two throats out. Literally. He'd done  that once while he served as a SEAL. Saved his and Ryan's life.

"Get the fuck out of here before I let him loose," Ryan barked.

At that point, hospital staff, security, and visitors gathered around to witness the scuttle.

"You talk about her like that again, you'll be talking through a fucking  tube," Sean snapped. He was hot. And not in a good way. Killing anyone  who spoke about Beth in a derogatory manner wasn't beyond his  capabilities.

The three young douches scampered away after picking their friend off the floor.

"Calm down, Sean," Ryan said evenly into his ear. "Before security  decides to step in. They're only leaving you alone because I have you."

Sean shrugged out of his brother's hold and jabbed the elevator button.

Ryan stepped in his path. "What are you going to do? Go up and confront her? At her job? Humiliate her?"

"I want … I … " What the hell did he want? Beth owed him nothing. They  didn't know each other. So demanding answers to his numerous questions  was out. Fuck. Was she deaf? His mind rattled, there was only one way to  get clarification.         

     



 

The elevator doors opened, Sean stepped inside and punched the  administrative floor button. The crowd that had formed started to  disperse.

"Should I come with you?" Ryan cocked a brow.

"No," Sean spat.

His brother smirked knowingly. "I'll see ya later."

The doors closed.





When Sean reached the administrative floor, one of the two blonde  receptionists greeted him. "Hi, Doctor Millen. What can I help you  with?"

"Where can I find Beth Connors?" he growled.

"Is there a problem?" she asked concerned.

"Nothing for you to worry about," he said, toning down his inner beast.

"Um … she's straight down the hall, the first door on the right, then head  towards the back of the room on the left," the woman answered.

"Thank you," he gritted out, not in the mood for pleasantries.

Sean stalked the direction he was told, and a long two minutes later, he  found Beth, her back towards him, seated at her cubicle desk. Her  thick, coal black hair laid in beautiful waves, and her slender  shoulders were hunched over while her body slightly shook. Was she  crying?

"Beth?" he asked, testing what information had been snarkily tossed at him.

No answer.

"Beth?" he asked again, louder this time.

Nothing.

His heart started to pick up its pace.

"Beth," he said firmly, his military tone seeping out.

Nadda. His stomach dropped to his feet. How had he missed it? Or had he?  She did focus on his mouth when he spoke. He'd arrogantly thought she'd  been attracted to him. She'd been lip reading. When he had to knock on  the table to get her attention earlier, he hadn't thought twice. He  figured she'd been embarrassed over her tears.

But did it matter if she was deaf?

Hell, no. All it did was make her even more attractive. She was living  life and blending into her world to the best of her ability. She wasn't  allowing her hearing loss to hold her back. Good lord, she was  phenomenal.

He went to take a step towards her, but hesitated. How did he approach  her without frightening her? A delicate sniffle shot straight to his  heart. In all of his life, he'd never wanted to scoop up a woman and  hold her tight to comfort her like he did at that very second. Screw it.  Stepping up next to her, he knelt down and lightly touched her  shoulder. She startled with the cutest squeal he'd ever heard.

"Sorry," he said softly.

A red nose and puffy eyes didn't deter from her looks. He brushed her  hair off her face to see her beautiful features more clearly. High  cheekbones, a cute nose, full lips. She was striking.

Gently he wiped her tears.

"Don't cry," he said softly.

"I'm sorry," she said.

He shook his head. "No reason to be."

"I don't date, Sean," she said quietly. "I just...can't."