Nathan sat at the far end of the panel table, staring blankly ahead as the discussion continued without him. Words were spoken, questions were asked, agreements were made—none of it registered.
All he could think about was her.
Dr. Isla Wells.
The woman who had just gone head-to-head with him in front of hundreds of people, challenging him in a way no one ever had. The way she argued—fearless, razor-sharp, unyielding—had ignited something in him that he couldn’t shake.
The moment she called him handsome, everything changed.
It had been an offhanded jab, meant to insult, but the way she said it, the fire in her eyes—it had taken root in his chest.
He clenched his jaw, shifting in his chair as the discussion dragged on. He didn’t give a damn about the rest of this panel. He had one goa
