Rescue Me

by Anne, Melody

  “Maybe he has a crush on a nurse . . . or you,” Patsy said with a slight narrowing of her eyes. She’d discovered early in her career choice that faithfulness wasn’t considered mandatory in a lot of the students and doctors.

  “I’ve heard a lot of the nurses have a crush on him,” Kian said with a laugh, not offended by her tone. “And I’m not too worried he’s coming after me.”

  “I try not to listen to gossip,” Patsy told him, hoping he’d drop this conversation.

  “So the rumors I’ve heard about sparks flying between the two of you have been false?” Kian asked. “He was pretty protective the night of shooting.”

  Patsy’s cheeks heated, and she hated that she couldn’t blame it on the temperature, since it was so cold in this particular room.

  “I can’t control what people say or think,” Patsy said. “But I’d appreciate squashing any rumors. I have goals and an affair with my boss isn’t one of them.”

  His grin fell away as he took a step closer, understanding in his eyes.

  “I apologize if I’ve offended you. We work hard under stressful conditions, and sometimes a smile after a long shift makes the day a little better,” Kian explained.

  Patsy instantly felt like a horrible person. He was a highly successful doctor who’d been nothing but kind to her, and she was taking out her frustrations on him. Maybe she needed to lighten up a bit.

  “He makes me nervous. I’m a little defensive about it,” Patsy told him. “Please don’t think I’m some prudish female you need to be careful what you say around,” she said with a sheepish shrug.

  Kian’s smile returned. “I like you, Patsy. I think you’re going places. My wife likes you, too. Don’t think I’m easily offended. Why don’t you have dinner with us on your next day off?” he asked.

  “That’s a little intimidating if I’m being honest,” Patsy told him.

  Kian laughed, making Patsy’s own lips turn back up.

  “I’m definitely a bad ass doctor, but you’ll see how truly insignificant I am if you have dinner with us. My wife definitely runs our home,” he told her with a wink.

  “Now that I’ve told you I don’t listen to gossip, you’re going to know I’m a liar,” she replied with her own laugh. His brows rose. “Because I’ve heard the Forbes family is anything other than ordinary.”

  He laughed again. “I guess you’ll just have to come have dinner to find out,” he said.

  Before Patsy could say anything the pager on Kian’s hip dinged, and he looked at the message before letting another chuckle escape. His entire expression changed as a love so blinding entered his eyes it made Patsy feel as if she were intruding on a private moment.

  “That’s my wife. I’m late again,” he said.

  There was only a quick goodbye after that as Kian rushed off to the lucky woman he was married to. Patsy suddenly felt very alone.

  She’d seen amazing examples of love in her life. Her sister was cherished by her husband. Ryan loved her so much it was as if the universe revolved around Nicole. Her sister was a lucky woman. And Kian obviously loved his wife as she had witnessed several times.

  Her uncles loved their wives too. So Patsy didn’t understand why she couldn’t accept that love might really exist. Probably because it hadn’t always been that way for Nicole or her. Their childhood had been less than perfect. Patsy shook her head as she left the hospital. She didn’t want to delve into that right now.

  She’d had another successful day, and she wasn’t going to let her past haunt her. Not this time—not anymore.

  Chapter Eleven

  Kyle drove home, exhausted after a grueling week in the hospital. He smiled as he fought down a chuckle. It had been a long time since he’d worked as hard as he’d been working these past couple of weeks.

  He had no regrets giving up his practice. Money wasn’t a factor in his decision. He’d been at a crossroads of where he wanted to go, and he knew he’d made the right decision. The longer it went on, the more right he knew it was.

  Being with his family and in the thick of the grind was something he hadn’t realized he missed, but he had indeed missed it.

  If it weren’t for a certain spunky young doctor, he’d think he was happy. It had been a long time since he could say that about himself. But as much as he tried to avoid her in the large hospital, he knew he was lying. He’d told her they’d be together, then he’d run away scared of how she made him feel.

  If it was only sex, he could handle that. He’d desired women before—too many if he were being honest with himself. But with Patsy it wasn’t just sex. She made him laugh, made him yearn for more. She made him want . . . want things he had no business wanting.

  He’d sought her out earlier that day when he’d known she was assisting a surgery with Kian. She had true skill, a gift for her chosen profession. He wanted to teach her, wanted to be there as she realized her gift. Maybe he was being a fool to stay away.

  Yeah, he flirted with her, and yes, he wouldn’t turn her away if she dragged him into the nearest on-call room, but he wasn’t willing to give more than that, and he didn’t want to hurt her. Some people wanted casual—and some didn’t. Patsy definitely wasn’t a woman who fell into the casual territory.

  Kyle parked his car and sat for a few minutes. He hated his place. He’d chosen an apartment because it was easier. He wasn’t sure if he was staying in Seattle, and he didn’t want to buy a house and trap himself there, but after living on the beach in California and not having to deal with noisy people all around him, it wasn’t fun to come home to a cramped place.

  He lived on the top floor of the building, his apartment larger than most people’s homes, but he still couldn’t force himself to step inside. Instead, he walked out of the garage and made his way to the front of the building, looking at the vast park in front of him—the park where he’d first met Patsy.

  He wondered if she lived nearby. It made sense that she did, since they’d both been at the park. As he was thinking about that, he saw a bus stop down the road and noticed a petite woman step off it. His gut clenched. He’d recognize those legs anywhere.

  His mood suddenly improved as Patsy moved closer to him, her head down as she huddled in her jacket. It might be the end of summer and the days were still warm, but the nights cooled off quickly with breezes blowing in from all the water surrounding Seattle.

  She was almost to him, and he wondered if his luck was changing. It appeared she might live in the same complex he was currently in. With a satisfied grin on his lips, he waited for her to look up, to notice him.

  The moment she did, she stumbled as her step faltered. Her face was expressive as she looked at him then to the double doors behind him. Her eyes narrowed.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “Waiting for you to invite me in for dinner,” he easily told her.

  Her cheeks flushed, and her mouth opened and closed as if she was trying to figure out how to respond to his words. Kyle could see she’d been raised by someone who’d taught her manners, because she was fighting with how to respond to his invitation.

  “Are you serious?” she finally asked after a few long moments passed.

  “If you’re willing to feed me, I am,” he said with an easy smile. “I’m getting sick of eating takeout and TV dinners.”

  She looked completely unsure of what to say next. It made her that much more endearing. He had a serious crush on this woman who looked as if she’d rather be run down by a Seattle cabbie than have dinner with him. He wondered why. Their first dinner together had been in a cafeteria with terrible food, but the conversation had been good, and he’d walked away wanting more from her—if not terrified of how he felt at the same time.

  But her constant rejection was confusing because he knew he wasn’t hard on the eyes, plus he was a successful doctor. He was charming and made
sure his dates enjoyed their time with him. And though it had been a while since he’d had a woman in his bed, he was one hell of a lover. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been denied a date.

  She took a deep breath, and her shoulders firmed. “I think this is considered stalking,” she finally told him in that haughty voice that had his pants tightening as he began to throb.

  He could continue the act or give her a break before she said something she was truly embarrassed about. He didn’t want her to run from him—at the hospital or at their mutual residence. He had plenty of time to win this woman over. He was just surprised he wanted to. He wondered if he’d grow bored with the chase or grow more and more excited.

  “I moved here a couple of weeks ago,” he told her. “I assume you live here as well. I’m surprised we haven’t seen each other besides that day at the park.”

  Her expressive eyes widened a little, making her look slightly like an anime character. That comparison made his grin widen. He had a friend who would probably never settle down because those characters had given him an unreal expectation of what he wanted a female to look like.

  “You live here?” she asked, sounding hopeful it wasn’t true. His ego might’ve been bruised if he wasn’t aware she was fighting her attraction toward him.

  “Yep. It’s a nice place. If you don’t want to feed me, maybe I can talk you into joining me for some takeout. It’s not nearly as bad with company.”

  “Look, Kyle, I’m very busy. I don’t want to seem like a prude or rude or anything but I’m focused on my career right now, and I’m not interested in dating.” She couldn’t look him in the eyes. She was lying. No, she might not be interested in dating, but she liked him, and it couldn’t be easy for her to keep barriers between them. He’d break her down.

  “You aren’t looking for friends, either?” he questioned.

  Her eyes snapped to his. “Are you trying to be my friend?” she countered.

  He smiled again. “For now, if that’s what it takes to get you to have a meal with me,” he told her. He wasn’t going to lie and say that was all he wanted when he wanted so much more.

  “I’ve got friends,” she said, that haughtiness returning to her voice.

  “So what can I do to get you to quit avoiding me?” he point blank asked.

  Her cheeks flushed again. “I haven’t been avoiding you. I’ve told you, I’m very busy,” she said, the words trailing off as she looked at his chest. She obviously didn’t like to make eye-contact when she fibbed.

  “Hmm,” he said, his voice a low purr. “I’m new to the city and I could certainly use a friend. I thought Seattle folks were nicer than those in California,” he said. He’d do whatever it took to get what he wanted.

  Her eyes snapped back to his, and he could see the wheels spinning in her head as if she was trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not. She had compassion. He’d noticed that about her from the start. It was one of her most appealing traits. He’d use that to get to know her better.

  “We work long hours. It’s hard to have friendships,” she said. He could see he was finally getting where he wanted to be.

  “I’m not asking you to give me your firstborn,” he said, loving the flush spreading down her neck at his words. “Just asking for a meal.”

  He wasn’t sure if he wanted her to cave so easily or not. Of course, she’d been denying him for weeks, so this wouldn’t exactly be caving. She placed a hand on her hip as she studied him for several more moments. Then she let out a sigh.

  “I’ve eaten dinner—a huge dinner.” She looked as if she was struggling with something. But then she firmed her resolve. “I really have to go.” He didn’t want to let her leave. What was wrong with him?

  What he wanted was to pull her into his arms and kiss her. He wanted that more than he’d wanted anything in his entire life. It wasn’t a matter of if they kissed. It was a matter of when.

  The longer it took for it to happen, the less restraint he was going to be able to use. He was falling hard for this woman, which surprised him since he normally lost interest in the opposite sex after the first date. Maybe that’s why he liked this one so much more. He was actually getting to know her a little—and so far he liked what he’d learned.

  “I better let you go then,” he said before stepping to the door and holding it open.

  She skirted around him, making sure not a single inch of her touched him as she darted inside the building. Kyle thought about following her to the elevator, but he had to take baby steps. Maybe he should go for a run in the park. That might burn off some of his excess energy.

  He waited for the elevator to close with her in it before he pressed the button and waited for the next one. He was going to change and come back down. He’d get her off his mind before he climbed into bed. But knowing she was so close would wreak havoc with his sleeping pattern. That was for dang sure.

  Even with all of that Kyle was in a much better mood than he’d been in thirty minutes earlier. And it was all because Patsy Lander stirred him up, making him act and think about things he normally didn’t. He was falling hard for the girl, but that wasn’t something he was willing to analyze. He was simply going to enjoy how it made him feel.

  He was going to enjoy her. And he was going to make sure she enjoyed him.

  Chapter Twelve

  As soon as the elevator doors closed Patsy let out a shaky breath. She hadn’t dared inhale as she’d passed too closely by Kyle while entering her building. She couldn’t process that he lived in the same building as she did.

  Were the fates against her? She was already madly attracted to him no matter how badly she wanted to deny it. This wasn’t going to help at all. How close was his apartment to hers? How had they not run into each other sooner? How was she going to sleep knowing he was within touching distance? She was in serious trouble.

  Music played on the other side of her apartment door, and Patsy leaned her head against it and took a deep breath. She liked having a roommate for a couple reasons. One, she had help with her dog, so Eeyore wasn’t stuck inside all day. Amber loved dogs and they worked different shifts, so she had no problem taking him to the park and letting him run off some of his energy so Patsy didn’t have to board him when she worked ridiculous hours.

  Two, it was sometimes scary to live alone in the city. Of course Ryan had insisted on the expensive complex, wanting her as safe as possible since she refused to live at home with him and her sister.

  But there were times it wasn’t quite so nice having a roommate, and this would be one of them. Amber would take one look at Patsy’s face and know something was up. She was a cursed with an open-book face. Not only that, but Amber was fairly social. She didn’t often have people at the apartment, but it sounded like she had a few friends over tonight.

  Hopefully they wouldn’t stay too late. Patsy would exchange a few words, possibly grab a quick bite to eat since she’d lied to Kyle and she was actually starving, then she’d take Eeyore for a long walk to tucker both of them out.

  She turned the knob and stepped inside. The music wasn’t too loud, but the laughter seemed carefree. There were times Patsy wished she could ease up on her expectations and simply enjoy the moment like Amber did.

  It wasn’t like Patsy was an old lady. She was twenty-five, but while most women her age had lived a fairly exciting life, hers had been all about school and working harder and harder to achieve her goals. She wondered if one day she’d simply snap and go on a wild erotic binge.

  The thought didn’t sound unappealing.

  Patsy walked into the room to find three people sitting at the kitchen island, snacking on chips and dip with a lot of liquor ready to be mixed. Amber turned and gave her a brilliant smile, which began to fade as she took in Patsy’s expression.

  “What’s wrong?” Amber asked.

  “Nothing’s wr
ong. It was just a long day at work. I did get to be in the OR for six hours,” she said, hoping the excitement she’d felt at assisting with the operation was showing in her voice. It definitely should and would have for sure if she hadn’t been with Kyle only minutes before.

  She undid her jacket, giving herself an excuse not to look at her knowing roommate. She needed to change before she walked Eeyore. Just as she had that thought, her dog came zipping around the corner, sliding on the wooden floor as he smacked into her legs, his tongue hanging as he whined up at her.

  “Hello, beautiful,” she said, kneeling down and scratching his head. His eyes rolled as he wiggled in front of her. She didn’t need a man, she just needed her perfect dog. He was loyal, loving, and always happy to see her. He also snuggled and didn’t have high expectations. Hell, he’d even seen her naked and there was no judgment in his eyes. It was true love.

  “You look flushed . . .” Amber paused as if she was doing a math problem in her head. “From more than just the cold. There’s something in your eyes.” Her roommate was as bad as her sister. Patsy tried to figure out how to downplay this moment.

  “I was talking to one of our newest neighbors,” Patsy said. “He flusters me a little. That’s all. No big deal.” She hoped she sounded casual enough.

  Amber’s eyes gleamed. Her friends smiled. The dark haired one’s eyes lit up.

  “Oooh, you must be talking about Mr. Sexy. I ran into him this morning and decided I’m never moving from this complex. I can see why you’re flustered,” she said.

  “You think anything with a pulse is sexy, Mindy,” Amber said as she chucked a peanut at her friend.

  “Not true. I have high standards,” Mindy replied with a perfected pout.

  “Maybe that’s why you’re still single. No one is quite good enough,” the blonde girl said.

  “And maybe your standards are too low, Alexa,” Mindy replied.

  None of the girls seemed offended. Amber turned her attention back to Patsy. “You look like you can use a drink.” She began mixing a lemon drop, knowing it was Patsy’s favorite. “Tell me why the new guy has you so flustered.” There wasn’t a chance Amber was dropping this so Patsy had to give her something.