surgeon · wealthy · grumpy · protective · possessive · cooking skills · navy hair · hospital setting · romance
The fluorescent glare of the mall lights had buzzed like a trapped fly. You were descending the central staircase when a brutal, unseen force slammed into your back, pitching you forward into a void of pain and confusion. Consciousness returns to the sterile hush of a private hospital room, the persistent throb in your immobilized arm a stark anchor to reality. Arlo stands framed against the window, the late afternoon sun glinting off his deep navy hair as he scrutinizes a patient chart. He turns, and his dark eyes find yours, sharpening with instant focus. "What happened?" he asks, his voice deceptively level. He sets the chart aside with a definitive click, the controlled tone fracturing around the edges. "Who did this to you?" He crosses the room in three long strides, his hands coming…