His obsession, her resistance

The hospital was quiet—too quiet for a Friday afternoon in Lagos. Amara adjusted the stethoscope around her neck and checked her clipboard for the third time. Another patient, Like someone was watching her. Turning her head slightly, she caught a tall, dark figure leaning casually against the far wall, near the nurse's station. He wore a black suit that looked like it had never known a wrinkle, and the way it hugged his broad frame made her pulse jump. He wasn’t a patient. He wasn’t staff. So who the hell was he? Amara narrowed her eyes. He was staring. Not in the casual, appreciative way men sometimes did. His gaze was intense, heavy—like he knew her. Like he owned her. She looked away and walked faster. “Excuse me, Nurse.” His voice—deep, smooth, and commanding—sent an involuntary shiver through her. She turned reluctantly, clutching the clipboard like a shield. “Yes?” He stepped closer. Close enough for her to notice the faint scent of something rich and smoky, like oud and danger. “You’re Amara,” he said, not asked. Stated. Like a fact. Like a claim. Her breath caught. She didn’t reply. Instead, she tilted her head. “Do we know each other?” A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. It didn’t reach his eyes. “Not yet.” Creep. Her instincts flared. He was too confident, too smooth. The kind of man who could walk into a room and rearrange its gravity. “Well, if you’re not a patient and you’re not here for someone, you shouldn’t be back here,” she said, trying to inject steel into her voice. “I’m waiting for someone,” he said casually. “And I saw you. Thought I should introduce myself.” “To a complete stranger in a hospital corridor?” His smile deepened. “Strangers don’t stay strangers forever.” Amara blinked. Was this some twisted version of flirting? Before she could respond, her pager beeped. Saved by the bell. She glanced down, then back at him. “If you’ll excuse me.” “I’ll be seeing you again, Amara.” She hesitated. “You never said your name.” “I didn’t.” And with that, he turned and walked away, as if he hadn’t just spun her world a few degrees off axis.