Don't Tempt The Boss

CHAPTER FIVE

LENA.

“Abel!” My voice was loud and unfamiliar as I rushed into the hospital. “Where’s my brother? What’s happened to him?”

A nurse rushed forward, her face etched in slight panic. I was probably being far too hysterical, but I didn’t care; I needed to see my brother.

“Miss Moreau…please, the doctor will be out with you shortly,” the nurse hissed, trying to calm me down.

I opened my mouth to yell something else, but a familiar hand gripped my arm and whirled me around. Sharp grey eyes stared down at me, familiar lips drawn into a thin line.

“Calm the f**k down.” Sébastien hissed, “You’re making a scene.”

Anger flared in me, fueled by my panic. “Calm the f**k down?! Don’t f*****g tell me to calm the f**k down.” I growled, pulling away from his grip. “Who are you to tell me to calm down? You’re not even supposed to be here!”

“Lena—”

“Miss. Moreau?” A voice called. We both turned around to face Dr. Sanchez. The older man’s gaze pinged between us both with a mixture of curiosity and worry.

Relief washed through me at the sight of the doctor. “Dr. Sanchez,” I practically sobbed, “Please tell me what’s wrong with my brother.”

“Miss. Moreau, you need to calm down. Your brother has been stabilized; he’s out of the woods for now.” His gaze shifted to Sébastien. “I’m guessing you must be their uncle?”

I felt every muscle in Sébastien’s body stiffen at those words, and if I wasn’t so f****d up with panic, I might have laughed. The man did look like he was old enough to be my father.

“He’s my boss.” I offered when the silence dragged on awkwardly.

“I drove her over because she was panicking too much to get here safely,” Sébastien growled stiffly from behind me, his grip on my arm tightening slightly.

“Oh. Of course.” Dr. Sanchez said, good-naturedly, like emergency contacts came over with their bosses all the time.

“Can I go in to see Abel?”

“He’s fresh out of surgery, so he might still be loopy on painkillers, but you can go in if you want. But only for a few minutes.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

I didn’t wait for another minute. I shrugged Sébastien’s grip off and took off in the direction of Abel’s room. As soon as I got there, that familiar shroud of sadness came over me.

My brother was once the brighter of both of us, the more outgoing twin, the life of the party, a handsome boy full of life.

Now he was a pale, thin figure constantly covered in tubes, and surrounded by machines that beeped nonstop.

I stared at him for a long moment, noting how there was not much difference in his color and that of the stark white sheet he was lying on.

The door slid shut behind me, and the noise stirred him awake. As soon as he recognized me, a smile split his lips wide, and for a moment, he looked like the brother I’d grown up with.

“Lenny,” he croaked, “Gosh, look at your eyebags.You haven’t been sleeping well have you?”

I sniffled and blinked back my tears as I forced a smile. “This is the second time this week you’ve almost died, and you’re worried about my eyebags?”

“Eh,” he shrugged noncommittally. “Job hazard, it comes with the situation. You have to live with the fact that one day, they’ll wheel me into that operating room, and I won’t come back out alive.”

“Don’t talk like that.” I hissed, smacking his knee. “I got a new job, and the money is stable enough to afford your chemotherapy. Isn’t that great news?” I tried to force a smile in the face of my brother’s bleak acceptance.

Abel blinked slowly, his gaze raking over me. “Does the job involve working with wild animals? Who went to town all over your neck?”

I blushed as I realized that I hadn't put my scarf back on. And my hickeys were in full view.

Oh God. Dr. Sanchez had seen them. Celine had seen them. Everyone in that lobby had seen me walk in covered in my boss's marks like some—

I went hot all over with shame. “That’s not important.” I hissed, “Focus on your recovery.”

“I’d rather focus on you,” he wriggled his eyebrows, trying for humor as much as he could. “Was it a gift from that sexy silver fox you waltzed in here with?”

He nodded at the clear screen of his room door, where he had a clear view of the hospital reception. “He looks rich.”

“Stop,” I scolded, “Sébastien’s my boss.”

“Sébastien…” he teased, “That’s old money sexy. When I die, will you ask him to get me a solid gold casket? I might as well just go out in style.”

His voice weakened with each word until, eventually, his lids lowered, and the room went quiet, broken only by the beep of his heart monitor.

I watched the slow, steady rise and fall of his chest as he slept. Various emotions warred inside my chest, but I shoved them all down.

I stayed in his room for five more minutes before I had no choice but to leave.

Sébastien was waiting in the lobby.

I froze, shocked. “You’re still here?”

He stuffed his hand in his pockets and shrugged. “Someone’s gotta drive you back.”

“It’s fine, you really didn’t have to.”

“You don’t decide what I do with my time.” he grumbled, c*****g a brow. “I’m the boss here. If I say I’m driving you back, then I am.”

I bit down on my smile as something warm unfurled in my chest. When was the last time someone had just...taken care of me? Without expecting anything in return?

We stood there staring at each other in silence, something simmering in the air between us.

He turned and broke the spell. I had no choice but to follow.

The drive back to Vale Biotech was silent. Sébastien didn’t ask any questions, and for that I was grateful. I stayed in a blurry haze the whole ride, even as we arrived at the office, and walked past a shocked Celine to the dim elevator; it was like I wasn’t really there.

It wasn’t until the elevator zoomed past the 68th floor that I came to my senses. I turned to Sébastien in alarm. “The elevator didn’t stop at your office.”

He nodded, keeping his gaze ahead. “It didn’t.”

“Why?” I asked, “Where are you taking me?”

He turned to face me finally, those grey eyes pinning me in place.

“My penthouse. You’re spending the night with me.”