“You’re doing great, Ethan. Just relax,” Emma said, her voice soft but steady as she adjusted the IV line. Her dark hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, and her scrubs hugged her figure in a way that was professional but impossible to ignore. Her lips curved into a reassuring smile, her green eyes locking onto his for a brief moment before she turned to check the monitor.

Ethan blinked slowly, the sedative already making the room feel hazy. He’d been coming to this dental office for years, but Emma was new—or at least new to him. She had a way of making even the most mundane tasks seem deliberate, her movements precise and confident. The faint scent of her perfume, something floral and light, cut through the sterile smell of the office.

“Alright, Ethan,” she said, leaning in slightly, her hand brushing his arm. “You’re going to feel a little sleepy, but I’ll be right here the whole time.” Her tone was calm, but there was something in the way she lingered, her gaze lingering on his face just a beat too long, that made him wonder if this was going to be a very different kind of appointment.