Dara Girard - Snowed in with the Doctor

She’d achieved all that she wanted and was a success in her career. Now she was ready to be a success at love.

Chapter 1

November

Dr. Justin Silver was knockout gorgeous. It was a shame he was such a jerk. Why, of all the labs in the entire world, had he come to work in hers? It had been a cruel twist of fate to have to see—let alone work with—a man she’d never wanted to set eyes on again. Lora had joined Ventico Labs to work under Dr. Shirley Coolidge, a former professor she’d adored, and to research sickle cell anemia. Then Silver had been hired to replace the former director who’d overseen the three lab teams at Ventico. The other two teams were run by Dr. Kevin Yung, who focused on juvenile diabetes, and Dr. Carla Petton, who focused on effective pain management for the elderly. She’d cringed at the thought of working with Silver, but because she hardly saw him and only heard his name once in a while, she had discovered that his presence hadn’t made much of a difference.

That was before the unthinkable happened. Dr. Coolidge left unexpectedly to take care of her sick mother, leaving a vacancy open that Silver had to fill until they hired a new manager. So for the past several months she’d had to deal with him, and now she found herself in his office for her performance evaluation.

When she’d first entered his office, for some reason the thought of desert sands and an ancient Mali palace came to her mind. He had the regal bearing of a king and acted as if he were lord and master of all.

Lora studied him as he sat behind an enormous glass-and-chrome desk, which was organized with military precision or obsessive compulsion, she didn’t know which, nor did she care. He was a difficult man to categorize. His large office, which was enviable in their small facility, had several large windows with a view of the office complex with its manicured lawns and lake. But he didn’t seem to take any pride in his status as director at Ventico Labs. His office was stark and about as welcoming as a broken-glass chair. No pictures were on display on the desk or on the walls; only a large erasable calendar and a Baltimore Ravens cap that sat on a chair in the corner stood out.

The one bit of whimsy was a small silver sculpture that sat on his desk. She couldn’t make out what it was supposed to be, but it looked like macaroni and kidney beans sprayed with silver paint. Something a small child would make. It was positioned next to a large thermos that looked like it could hold enough food for a family of four. The second incongruous item in the room was the chair she sat in. It was surprisingly—almost annoyingly so—comfortable.

Lora hadn’t expected that and wondered if the selection had been accidental. He wasn’t the type to care about the comfort of others, just about getting the job done. He was a man of precision.

Lora flexed her fingers, pushing the sound of his voice to the background as he continued discussing her one-year evaluation. She found his voice unnerving. It was alarmingly deep and almost soothing and as deceptive as an ocean’s wild undercurrent. His voice could make a person ignore what he was actually saying. It could lull a person into agreeing with him, even when you didn’t plan to. She could see why he was so successful as a director. No one argued with him. It was always “Yes, Dr. Silver.” “Of course, Dr. Silver.” But she wouldn’t be conned. Lora knew who he really was. She listened closely to each word and let them cut right through her while she silently planned her revenge.

He’d said that her lab notes, usually handwritten, weren’t always well organized or coherent enough. That, at times, she jumped to conclusions without stating adequate justification. But his most cutting assessment had been when he’d called her undisciplined. Undisciplined? She was one of the best researchers in the lab, and she wasn’t being modest.

She had always been the best. High school valedictorian, youngest student to graduate from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Research doctoral program. Upon her arrival at Ventico Labs, she’d quickly organized several systems there that helped it run efficiently. And not only that, but people actually liked her. Unlike him. Nobody liked Justin Silver, not that they’d say so to his face. He wasn’t someone to like. He was someone to follow, perhaps admire, even reluctantly respect because of his brilliance as a research scientist. But likable? Absolutely not.

She knew the moment she’d seen him again that it would be difficult, but she wouldn’t think about their first meeting right now. He couldn’t hold that against her, could he? They were adults—scientists—and they dealt with facts, not emotions. But with this evaluation Lora knew she wouldn’t be granted the transfer she wanted to work on a project with Dr. Petton. Not only would the transfer allow her to work under a new head, but collaborating on Carla’s project on the use of non-addictive pain medication would greatly advance her study of pain management and sickle cell anemia. Silver was halting her progress and stunting her career growth—and she couldn’t fight him.

“Dr. Rice?”

Lora blinked then cleared her throat. “Yes?”

“Do you have any questions?”

Plenty. Such as whether he had a heart or if he rusted in the rain like the Tin Man. She brushed imaginary lint from her lap. “No.”

“I’m surprised,” he said coolly.

Lora took care to keep her gaze lowered, pushing up her glasses before they slid down her nose. Avoiding his gaze was her best defense. The best way to remain civil. “Why?”

“It’s not like you to agree with everything I say.”

That was true. But what was also true was that he was trying to bait her. She knew she had to tread carefully. She needed to end the meeting and leave. “This is an evaluation. Whether I agree with your assessment is immaterial.”

Dr. Silver leaned forward. It wasn’t an aggressive move, but it put her on notice. “That doesn’t stop me from being curious as to your feedback.”

Lora nodded, straightening the cuff of her sleeve. No, she wouldn’t tell him anything. She’d let him wonder. “Most scientists are curious. That’s why we’re in this field.”

“You’re so angry you can’t even look at me.”

Lora stiffened, sensing the challenge. Not just in his words, but also in his tone. That deep, slow timbre held a hint of mockery. But she wouldn’t let him mock her. She was a different woman now. Different from the one he’d first met. She’d completed fourteen days of her 30 Days to Romance project. Her progress had been slow, but she was determined to succeed. This was going to be a new season for her. She’d no longer be the wallflower.

She lifted her gaze. The moment she did, she knew she’d made a huge tactical error. Silver’s voice was dangerous, but his eyes were lethal. They weren’t just brown—they were like petrified wood, as if any emotion that had once been there had been frozen in time. Nothing was left but cold stone. At that moment she realized that Dr. Justin Silver was one of the most coldly calculating men she’d ever met. Just being in his presence gave her goose bumps.

Again, the desert sands image came to mind. He looked as if he came from a legion of warriors. She could picture him riding into battle, his brown skin polished by the sun, and conquering whoever he deemed his enemy. He had a warrior’s arrogance and cunning. Aside from his steady brown eyes, he had a firm mouth that was solid like a blade and a ridged jawline. His eyelashes were the only problem. They were graceful and beautiful, and it annoyed her that they were wasted on such a man.

But she knew he was not a man to make either a friend or an enemy out of. Lora shifted in her seat. She was required to stay on his team and didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize her position. She boldly held his cold gaze, determined to keep her composure. “I’m not upset,” she said, pleased by the neutrality of her tone.