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`` just what do you mean ? ''
`` you are not the type of man who does public displays of affection ... or i should say lust . ''
`` have n't we already established that you should n't try to typecast me ?
i do n't fit into any of the preconceived holes you have tried to put me in . ''
`` there is one hole that you remain firmly lodged in , and that is being a gentleman when it comes to women and sex . ''
as much as he hated to admit it , she had a point about him being a gentleman .
he touched her arm , urging her to stop .
`` yes , i am a gentleman both in public and private .
but let me address part of your assumption .
when i am committed to a woman and she is committed to me , there is never a time i would reject public displays of affection or lust . ''
megan 's lips curved up in a smile .
`` so what you 're saying is you would actually grab your girlfriend 's ass in public ? ''
`` yes , i would . ''
glancing around , he found them happily out of anyone 's earshot .
`` when i am truly committed to a woman , i have trouble keeping my hands off her regardless of where we are . ''
`` that 's good to know , '' she replied , with a wink .
he could n't help the silly grin that filled his face as she hurried down the hall to join up with kristi .
he was making progress with her , was n't he ?
surely megan had to be seeing how much she enjoyed spending time with him in the hospital and would soon decide that she wanted more .
his smile started to fade as he wondered if he was deluding himself .
with a resigned sigh , he made his way over to the reception bay to sign off on some charts .
he eased down on a stool and immersed himself in the paperwork , so he did n't have to think about megan .
`` alpesh ! ''
a voice across the room shouted .
he snapped his head up .
without even looking over his shoulder , pesh knew who the voice belonged to .
few people in his life addressed him by his full name , and no one in the hospital ever called him by his first name .
slowly , he rose off his stool and turned around .
his youngest brother , dev , stalked toward him with a stormy expression plastered on his face .
as the oldest of his three siblings , he had always felt a responsibility to look out for his two brothers and sister .
while arjan and shveta had never given him any trouble , dev , as the spoiled baby of the family , had been a challenge for both pesh and his parents .
after experiencing teenage rebellion and a wayward early adult life , he had managed to get his wild ways under control when he was twenty-five .
dev had set his sights on a beautiful nurse pesh had befriended when he was still a resident .
mia martinelli had been through hell with an abusive boyfriend , so pesh was reluctant to pair the two together .
but at dev 's continued insistence , pesh fixed the two of them up .
what followed was a three-year courtship and then engagement .
mia was accepted and loved by all of pesh 's family .
and then dev had gone and thrown it all away by cheating on mia .
in her heartbreak , mia had stayed close to pesh , and he wanted her to be happy more than anything else in the world .
pesh would have liked to have been surprised by his brother 's visit , but ever since he had been summoned to console mia a few days before , he had been anticipating it .
truthfully , he had been bracing himself for his brother 's wrath .
`` hello dev , '' he said , in a calm voice .
shaking his head furiously , dev said , `` i just got a f**king blow off text from mia .
when i tried calling her back to demand she explain herself , she could n't talk because she was in mexico .
with aj . ''
`` yes , i 'm aware of that . ''
dev 's dark eyes narrowed at pesh 's confirmation .
`` so it 's true that you went to talk to her ? ''
`` yes , it is . ''
`` i ca n't believe it . ''
he threw up his hands in frustration .
`` i did n't want to believe anything mia said , especially that it was you who helped her see that she should n't give me a second chance and take me back-that she should make things work with aj . ''
`` it 's all true .
you and i both know mia would never lie . ''
`` but how could you ? ''
dev demanded , in a strangled voice .
`` i 'm sorry , but i had to do what was best for mia . ''
dev 's brows shot up .
`` and what about me ?
i 'm your f**king blood . ''
with a sigh , pesh replied , `` i 'm sorry , my brother , but blood or not , i could n't stand by and let you hurt her again-she 's been through too much . ''
`` i love her ! ''
dev shouted , which caused several of the nurses to spin around in shock .
`` this is not the time nor the place to be having this discussion , '' pesh growled .
`` i 'm not going anywhere , so you better start explaining yourself before i really start a scene . ''
pesh shook his head .
`` fine .
you want the truth ?
here is it .
you only think you love mia .
you and i both know you can not be faithful to a woman . ''
`` i could have for mia . ''
`` you already failed her once .
she deserved better . ''
dev narrowed his eyes .
`` what , are you f**king her now ? ''
he grimaced at his brother 's choice of harsh words .
`` of course i 'm not .
there 's never been anything amorous between mia and myself .
thankfully , she 's back with the man she loves-the father of her unborn child . ''
`` but i need her , '' dev insisted , his voice taking on a plaintive tone .
`` i 'm sorry , but i think it 's best if you moved on .
most of all , baby brother , i think you need to do a lot of soul searching and maturing before you even think about getting in another relationship . ''
dev 's eyes widened .
`` you ... you f**king bastard ! ''
he shouted .
pesh was debating calling security to remove his unruly brother when he was knocked off his stool by dev 's right hook to his jaw .
he tumbled backward and crashed onto the floor .
before dev could do something like kick him when he was down , megan appeared and wedged herself between them .
`` i think you better leave before i call security , '' she demanded .
pesh struggled to his feet as megan came into dev 's line of fire .
he could n't bear if dev hurt her in his anger just because she had taken up for him .
dev stared down at megan with a smirk .
`` so my brother needs some pint-sized pu**y defending him now ?
word to the wise , sweetheart , do n't waste your time on him .
he 's only got a boner for his dead wife . ''
a deep growl erupted in pesh 's throat as he lunged for his brother .
but he never made it .
instead , megan 's fist cracked into dev 's jaw .
the impact did n't take him off his feet , but he did stagger backwards .