The Forbidden Throb Chapter 165

Emma's POV:

The overhead lights dimmed.

I felt my breath catch as the sudden darkness swallowed the lecture hall, leaving only the stage bathed in a single spotlight. The murmur of the crowd fell to a hush, anticipation crackling through the air like static electricity.

From my position behind the registration desk, I had a clear view of the front row.

*He's here. He's really here.*

My fingers trembled slightly as I straightened the stack of registration forms for the third time, trying to look busy, trying to look like I wasn't hyperaware of every molecule of oxygen between us.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the Dean's voice boomed through the microphone, crisp and commanding. "Tonight, we have the extraordinary privilege of hosting Dr. Daniel Prescott, who at thirty-one, is already the youngest Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital..."

A spotlight tracked Daniel as he rose from his seat and walked toward the stage.

The technical crew had clearly gone all out—the beam followed him with Broadway-level precision, illuminating him like he was the star of some impossibly elegant production.

"Damn," Olivia whispered beside me, her voice tinged with awe. "Even the tech crew is totally simping for him."

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.

Daniel reached the podium and adjusted the microphone height with the same meticulous care he brought to everything. When he spoke, his voice was low and magnetic, carrying effortlessly through the packed auditorium.

"Good evening, everyone. Thank you all for being here tonight."

That was it. Just a simple greeting. But the effect was immediate—a collective intake of breath rippled through the crowd, followed by enthusiastic applause that seemed disproportionate to such a brief introduction.

A girl in the row in front of me leaned toward her friend, her voice pitched low but not low enough. "See? This is exactly what I mean. Thirty is literally peak male evolution. Young enough to still be gorgeous, experienced enough to have that whole 'I've completely mastered life' energy."

Her friend nodded fervently. "Agreed. He's aging like a fine Bordeaux."

I felt a flutter of something warm and possessive in my chest.

I knew things about him they never would. I knew he liked his coffee black in the morning but with cream after surgeries. I knew he hummed Chopin when he thought no one was listening. I knew the exact sound he made when I kissed the hollow of his throat.

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

I pulled it out discreetly, angling the screen away from Olivia's line of sight.

**Daniel:** *Didn't get enough of looking at me at home this morning?*

Heat flooded my face instantly. I felt like I'd been caught red-handed, doing something I absolutely shouldn't have been doing. My fingers fumbled with the phone as I typed back, keeping my head down.

**Me:** *How did you even know where I was sitting?*

The response came almost immediately.

**Daniel:** *I saw you the moment I walked in.*

I frowned at the screen, skeptical. That couldn't be right. We hadn't made eye contact even once—I was certain of it.

**Me:** *I don't believe you. Prove it.*

A pause. Then:

**Daniel:** *You've been staring at me since I entered the hall. Like you were about to drool.*

My mouth fell open slightly.

**Me:** *Everyone in this room is staring at you like that. I'm not special.*

I could almost see the smile on his face as his reply came through.

**Daniel:** *But you're the only one I'm paying attention to.*

My heart did a complicated flip in my chest, and I had to press my lips together to keep from grinning like an idiot at my phone.

**Daniel:** *Focus on your work, Mrs. Prescott. *

I stared at the message, my face burning, trying to formulate a response that wouldn't make me combust.

**Me:** *Then maybe YOU should focus on preparing for your lecture, Dr. Prescott. You're still on the big screen, and everyone's watching.*

I saw him glance at his phone—just the briefest flicker of movement—and then his mouth curved into the faintest smile. He slipped the device back into his jacket pocket with unhurried grace.

But then he did something that made my heart stop.

His hand moved to his cufflink—the one on his left wrist—and his fingers brushed over it in what looked like an absent gesture. But I knew better. I knew that cufflink.

Silver. Small sapphire inlay. Tiffany.

*My gift.*

I'd given him those cufflinks last month, agonizing over the choice for weeks.

*"I'll wear them when I need to remember you're mine,"* he'd said quietly, *"especially in rooms full of people who don't know it yet."*

My breath hitched. He'd worn them today on purpose.

I touched my own wedding ring, feeling the distinctive shape of the yellow diamond.

*We match now.*

"Emma?" Olivia's voice cut through my thoughts. "You okay? Your face is really red."

"Just—" I cleared my throat. "The heating. It's warm in here."

She leaned closer, grinning wickedly. "Oh please. Looks like even married women aren't immune to Dr. Prescott's charm."

She nudged my shoulder playfully. "Though I guess you can go home and stare at your husband all you want, right? Lucky you."

I nearly choked on air.

"I—that's not—" I stammered, feeling my face burn even hotter.

Olivia laughed, clearly enjoying my flustered state. "Relax, I'm just teasing. "

I ducked my head, pretending to organize the registration forms again, desperately trying to hide the smile that threatened to break across my face.

On stage, Daniel had moved on to discussing post-operative care protocols. His voice remained perfectly level, professionally detached.

A volunteer appeared at the registration desk, slightly out of breath.

"Excuse me, Emma Johnson?"

I looked up, startled. "Yes?"

"Someone asked me to deliver this to you." She held out an elegant paper bag.

Inside was a cup of their signature sea salt caramel hot chocolate, topped with handmade marshmallows, still warm. A small card was tucked beside it, the handwriting unmistakably Daniel's.

*Thought you might need something sweet and hot. *

"Ooh, secret admirer?" Olivia leaned over, eyes bright with curiosity, then her expression shifted to teasing recognition. "Girl, he's going to get jealous if he finds out Blake was hovering around you earlier."

I felt my lips curve into a smile despite myself. "It is from Daniel, actually."

Olivia's eyes widened. "Seriously? He's not even done with his presentation and he's already making sure you're fed?" She let out a low whistle. "Okay, so he's gorgeous AND thoughtful? Emma, I'm officially jealous now."

I laughed softly, taking a sip of the hot chocolate. "Your boyfriend is pretty great too, you know."

That made her pause, and a dreamy expression crossed her face as she thought about her high school sweetheart. "You're right. He is." She grinned, bumping her shoulder against mine. "Guess we're both lucky, huh?"

*More than you know,* I thought, wrapping my hands around the warm cup.