All Chapters of Collide: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Zane was in his cubicle dictating his notes after his morning rounds at the hospital when his phone buzzed. He glanced down and saw it was from Carol at his office. It was odd for her to be calling as she normally handled everything with only minor feedback from him. “Carol? What’s up?”“Dr. Savage. You need to come back to the office right away!”Zane’s spine stiffened and his body went immediately on high alert. Carol was the calmest and least dramatic person he knew. For her to sound this upset, something truly terrible must have occurred. “Are you alright, Carol? What’s wrong?”“That woman was back,” Carol said, her voice shaking. “I caught her going through your office.”“What woman?” Zane asked even as he had a sinking suspicion about who it was.“The woman with the big, blonde hair and the...” Carol paused, uncomfortable about describing anyone in a derogatory way even after what happened. “Well, the one who wouldn’t make an appointment I told you about a few weeks ago.”“Shaw

While letting the tub warm up, Maggie turned her attention to getting Zane ready for their bath. She slowly undid his belt buckle, button and zipper and let his slacks fall to the floor. His black boxer briefs were next, giving her an unobstructed view of exactly how much he wanted her. She stepped into his arms, her hands gripping the taut curve of his ass and pulling him flush to her body. He chuckled and lifted her petite frame to wrap her around his waist. She giggled as she readjusted her grip. “We should probably turn off the water or it’s going to overflow,” Maggie commented looking over Zane’s shoulder. He started to lean over the tub when she stopped him. “Wait! Take me over there a minute,” she said, pointing in the other direction at the built-in shelves. He looked at her inquisitively. “Bubble bath!” she explained.“Oh, well, can’t have a bath without bubbles, can we?” Zane said with playful sarcasm and dutifully carried her to the shelves to retrieve the pretty pink bott

Zane sat in his club chair, Jameson in hand, staring at the city lights from his window. He had picked up a book to read but couldn’t focus. He'd hated to have to leave her after her weekend together. The Shawna situation made him want to wrap Maggie in bubble wrap and lock her in his apartment where nothing could get to her, but maybe she was right. He had always been the one Shawna followed and harassed. He'd casually dated a couple of other women after her and nothing had happened. Maybe all these new and intense feelings he had for Maggie were just making all his protective instincts go into overdrive. Hell, he hadn't even really been aware he had protective instincts before Maggie. He sipped the smooth scotch and tried to convince himself that Maggie was right. She would be fine. He had to make himself believe it. It was the only way he could get anything else done. He glanced at his watch and saw he had two hours before Maggie would be done with her catering event and he could

Saturday came before she knew it and Maggie found herself rushing to pack for the weekend before she was late. Her thoughts were unusually scattered and she couldn't seem to get her things together. Her current dilemma included her boots taking up too much room in her weekender bag causing her to not be able to get the zipper closed. “Aren’t you coming back tomorrow night?” JT asked, leaning on the door frame to her bedroom and watching her attempt to get her bag closed with amusement.Maggie glared at him over her shoulder. “Yes, I am, but we’re going to Mama Tried to see Morgan Wallen and I have to get.these.boots.to.fit,” she said punctuating her last words with the effort to get the teeth of the zipper close enough to catch.JT chuckled and went to her side, pushing her away from the bag with a hip. “Here let me fix it.” He reached in the bag, removed the boots and easily zipped up the case. “There, fixed.”Maggie stared at him, hands fisted on her hips. “I could have done that,”

Zane sat for a long time, holding Maggie’s hand and watching her sleep. He wanted to memorize every detail of her, her beautiful rosy skin, those plush pink lips that drove him to distraction, the way her silky chestnut locks spread out across the pillow. Her eyes were closed but he could visualize the chocolate brown orbs that changed to dark expresso when she wanted him. The unfathomable look in them when she told him she loved him. And her hands, the wonderfully small hands that were so soft but competent and graceful. Those hands that had the power to drive all his worries away and make him feel whole. He wished he could see her smile at him one more time. His eyes shone with unshed tears. He wondered if you could truly die from a broken heart. When he was sure she was sleeping soundly, he let go of her hand carefully placing it under the starched white blanket on her bed. He leaned over and let his lips brush her cheek, careful not to wake her. He took a deep breath filling his