The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 401

At the triage desk, a nurse spotted a man striding directly toward the private offices and quickly intercepted him. "Sir, I'm sorry, but morning consultations are over. If you need to see a doctor, please return this afternoon."

Pierce stopped and shot the nurse a cold look. "I'm not here for an appointment. I'm looking for Riley."

"Dr. Vance squeezed in one extra appointment. She is currently with her final patient. If you're here to see her, you'll have to wait. Interruptions are strictly prohibited during consultations."

Pierce gave a tight nod. He had originally planned to wait until she got off work so they could grab lunch and discuss Sebastian. But after sitting in the lobby for nearly an hour with no sign of her, his patience had worn thin. Since there was only one patient left, he figured he could wait a little longer.

He turned and walked over to the waiting area. As he sat down, his eyes absentmindedly swept across the digital queue monitor. The name of the final patient was listed in bright letters: Sebastian St. John.

His brow furrowed sharply, and he whipped his head toward the clinic corridor.

Why on earth would Sebastian need to visit the psychiatric and psychological department? He was obviously using it as a pathetic excuse to pester Riley.

Pierce shot up from his chair and marched aggressively down the hall.

"Sir!" the nurse called out, stepping in his path. "The consultation isn't over yet. You cannot go in there."

Her sharp tone brought Pierce to a sudden halt. She was right—he couldn't just barge in. But what if he opened that door and caught them doing something? What if he forced the situation past the point of no return? What was his next move?

Go to war with Sebastian?

He couldn't win that war.

Pierce's fists clenched until his knuckles turned stark white. A few agonizing seconds ticked by before he slowly forced his hands to uncurl. Swallowing the toxic bile of anger rising in his throat, he turned back to the nurse's station. "Since she's busy, I'll take off. There's no need to mention I dropped by."

The nurse gave a curt nod, thinking to herself, You didn't even give me your name. How was I supposed to tell her anyway?

Pierce walked away, but he didn't leave the hospital. Instead, he tucked himself into an inconspicuous corner down the hall, keeping his eyes glued to her door.

Inside the clinic.

Riley finished her questioning and pulled up the blank medical record. Before she could type, Sebastian spoke up. "My actual condition could easily be weaponized against me by my enemies. Just write that I'm suffering from stress-induced insomnia."

Riley instantly thought of Victoria. If that vicious woman found out Sebastian had been battling severe insomnia for fifteen years, she would undoubtedly use it to destroy him. He was right; she couldn't document the truth. Even with hospital security, a determined hacker with deep pockets could access patient files.

Sebastian noticed her hesitation. "Does that put you in a difficult position?"

Riley snapped back to reality and shook her head. "Not at all. Protecting a patient's privacy is a fundamental ethical duty."

She kept the notes vague, saved the file, and shut down the computer. As she tidied up her desk, she asked, "Where are we going for lunch?"

"Let's just find a nice place nearby. You still have your afternoon shift, so we shouldn't stray too far."

He really was incredibly considerate.

A warm, fuzzy feeling blossomed in Riley's chest. "Okay. You go ahead and wait for me in the underground parking garage. I'll head down in a few minutes."

Sebastian watched her acting like a secret agent and let out a helpless, amused sigh. "When you asked the triage nurse to squeeze me in, what exactly did you tell her?"

Sebastian simply took her hand and guided it down to rest against his waist. He didn't break the kiss. Instead, he parted her lips, his tongue sliding inside to claim every inch of her mouth with absolute authority.

As the kiss deepened into something intoxicating and demanding, the fingers Riley had resting against his waist curled tight, gripping the fabric of his coat.

When the breathless, lingering kiss finally broke, Riley's face was burning bright red, and her legs felt like jelly.

Sebastian kept his arms securely wrapped around her waist, supporting her weight as he pressed her against his chest. His voice was a low, gravelly whisper. "Why are you always so soft?"

Riley was speechless.

His kissing technique was getting dangerously good. One second he was dominating and fierce like a raging storm, and the next he was tender and coaxing like a soft spring rain. She stood absolutely no chance against him.

It took her a moment to catch her breath. "Why did you kiss me out of nowhere?"

Sebastian lifted a long finger and gently wiped the glistening moisture from the corner of her lips. "Because I wanted to." He held her in a quiet, comforting embrace for a few moments, letting the heated rush in both their bodies slowly simmer down. When the tension had passed, he finally stepped back. "Let's go. Time to eat."

"Okay."

They walked out of the clinic together.

Riley ducked into the nearby staff room to change. She emerged a few minutes later, having swapped her pristine white coat for a stylish, lightweight black Chanel-style jacket paired with elegant, wide-leg trousers of the same color. The outfit made her look tall, graceful, and impossibly chic. It perfectly accentuated her impossibly tiny waist. She looked completely different from the strict, serious doctor from moments ago, yet she was every bit as captivating.

Sebastian's gaze darkened as he took her in. He instantly wanted to kiss her again. Forcing his desires back down, he allowed himself to admire her for exactly two seconds before strictly tearing his eyes away.