Page 7 of Safe With You

“Let’s plan for Mrs. Abramson to be discharged tomorrow,” he says when we leave her room. “I’ll write new orders for the beta blocker changes we’ve made during her stay and a referral to cardiac rehab.”

I pull out my notes and scribble a memo to myself to print updated medication information. “If you put the cardiac rehab referral in today, I should be able to schedule her before she is discharged.”

He’s quiet long enough that I question if he heard me, or if I somehow overstepped, but then his body moves in, closing the space between us. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for a bull rider,” he finally says, only loud enough for me to hear.

My head jerks up to look at him, before frantically turning to each side of the hall, checking to make sure no one else heard that.

Those dark eyes glance once down the corridor, only to turn back to my face as he says, “But then again, tequila makes people do crazy things.” The corner of his lip flicks up in a teasing smirk, so effortlessly cool it makes my palms sweat.

Well, that confirms it. He remembers me.

My cheeks flush, sweat immediately covering my back, and I stammer, trying to recover. “Oh, I’m … um … not a bull rider.That was just a stupid idea my friend had. Jenna—she works here, too. She’s the tall one. Oh-ha, never mind, you’ve met her. She’s the one that asked if she could call you Doctor D.” I trail off, my nerves leaving me a blubbering mess.

A slow smile spreads across his lips as he looks down at my mouth.

“Can we, um … can we pretend you didn’t see my bare ass?” His eyes widen, and for a moment I second-guess if heactuallysaw my ass, or if I’m just continuing to dig myself deeper and deeper. “Anyways. If you did, thanks again. If not, forget I said anything. At least I can return your sweatshirt now.” I push out the last few words with an awkward laugh.

He finally laughs, a rich, vibrating chest laugh that unnerves me. He leans in ever so slightly and whispers, “You’ve already thanked me. And trust me, I didn’t mind the view at all. From where I was standing, you havenothingto be embarrassed about.”

He turns to leave, taking a few steps down the hall before turning again. “I’ll be seeing you around, Lainey.”

Chapter Six

Ryan

“Morning, Dr. Hendricks.” I lift my mug to gesture to Paul Hendricks, the hospital Medical Director and a long-time coworker and sort-of friend, as I walk toward the nurses’ station.

He breaks his gaze from the computer at the sound of my voice.“Ryan! About time you finally gave up nights to come join us in the real world.”

“Yup, ready to be done with third shift.” I’ve been working the night shift since I started as a hospitalist fresh out of med school. At first, it was ideal. I’d hit the gym in the mornings, sleep the afternoon away, then go to work. Weekends were spent partying with Jim, usually finding a friendly pair of blondes to spend a few days enjoying before moving on.

But lately, I’ve been feeling restless. The older I get, the hangover from staying up all night lasts longer than it used to, and the excitement that used to come with a night out and a new woman doesn’t have the same effect. My sister keeps nagging that I’m too old to keep up this lifestyle, and even though I’d never admit it to her, she’s right.

I take a seat next to Paul, pivoting my chair so I can see down the hallway that faces the entrance to our unit. Since that night at Lasso’s, I’ve thought of nothing else but a certain petite brunette. Those dark green eyes have haunted my dreams since the moment I saw her. She stunned me silent when I had her alone at the bar, which in my thirty-six years on this earth, has never happened before.

I was dumbfounded, unable to think of anything to say to her to keep her in my presence. I kicked myself the rest of the weekend, pissed off that I let a woman like her slip away. I barely held it together when I arrived at work Monday morning to find she worked here.

I’ve never considered myself a lucky guy. I’m successful because I’ve worked damn hard to get my career where it is, which is about all I have to show for the last fifteen years. I haven’t had a thing handed to me my entire life, and from the little I’ve been able to learn about Lainey since starting on this unit, there is a very trivial list of qualities I could offer a woman like her.

But I’m lucky to be able to see her again. I might only get as far as a little teasing, hopefully making her laugh once or twice, but dammit if I won’t try for more.

Paul leans in close. “Good choice. The night shift is easier to score, but there are hotter nurses on the day shift. Quite a few I’ve already gotten friendly with, but I’d be willing to share. There are a few I’d recommend for a good time.”

Now, I’m not anyone’s knight in shining armor. But judging by the gold band on his left hand, and the woman on his arm at holiday parties, Paul shouldn’t be getting “friendly” with the nurses around here. That’s why you don’t settle down. No sense in getting married, having kids, and having to deal withthatwhen you can relax and enjoy life with minimal nagging. If my non-existent dad and sorry excuse for a mom taught meanything, it’s that relationships are a waste of time. Besides my sister, there isn’t one damn thing about the first twenty years of my life that I want to remember.

Paul rambles on, but his words are just a faint echo once Lainey comes around the corner. She waltzes down the hall, no clue how stunning she is in a simple set of navy scrubs hugging her perfectly round ass, brown hair down and flowing behind her. Her eyes are on her phone, but briefly flick up and spot me before she turns away again, as if she can’t look directly at me. I like the thought that I might make her a little nervous.

Paul elbows me in the side. “I see you have good taste. That’s Lainey. She’s a sparky one, but don’t get your hopes up. I know quite a few guys around here who have asked her out, and she shoots down everyone. Do you know Dr. Brenner, the orthopedic God? The man is a member of one of the most elite country clubs in the city. He drives a brand-new Porsche Panamera. Hell,I’dbone him. He went after her the first week she arrived, and she shot him down cold. She didn’t even so much as pause to consider his offer. I don’t think she’s looking for a relationship.”

“Good thingI’mnot looking for a relationship,” I mutter, trying to ignore the unfamiliar churning of jealousy in my belly at the thought of her with another man.

“I hear you. But I don’t think she sleeps around, either. I’ve never heard gossip that involves her. Shame, she’s not only stunning, but she’s smart, too. You think she’s all shy and quiet but say the right thing and it’ll light a spark within her.” He takes another sip from his coffee mug before setting it down and positioning himself in front of the computer screen.

My eyes are trained on Lainey, following her as she tucks her purse away. Those puffy, pink lips blow the steam from her thermos of coffee before she takes a slow sip, and I find myself wishing I was that mug.

“The key is to choose girls from different departments. I’d recommend having one from ICU and one from radiology at the same time, or one that works inpatient and one from the clinic,” Paul raises his voice a notch, waiting to see if Lainey listens.“If you hook up with two nurses in the same unit, you are asking for trouble. Girls always talk about that stuff.”

I barely have time to register what he said when Lainey’s head whips up. She had been chatting with an older nurse before coming to use the computer next to us. Her cute little face scrunches, showing her utter disgust with Paul.

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