by Tina Beckett
His gaze slid across her cheeks. Touched lower. “I’ll take good care of you, Chloe. I give you my word.” He balanced the helmet on his leg again then reached out his hand, palm up.
She licked her lips, then, as if hypnotized, she put her fingers in his and let him tug her a few steps closer until his knee touched the side of her thigh. Another shiver went through her, this one having nothing to do with fear but something even worse.
Could she really ride on that thing, behind him? She’d balked once before. Not just because of her fear but because of how unpredictable her reactions to him were. And the feeling that she’d be betraying Travis if she let her guard down, even for a second.
Knowing what she did now, that naïve sentiment was laughable.
Travis was no longer a part of her life, and he never would be again. So shouldn’t she get out and see exactly what she’d been missing?
But … on a motorcycle?
Why the hell not?
Lifting her chin, she grabbed the helmet from his leg, turned it round and jammed it on her head. The sense of claustrophobia was immediate, as was the urge to claw the thing back off again.
It’s supposed to cradle your head, dummy, how else is it going to protect you?
Maybe he noticed her panic because Brad put down the kickstand and hauled the bike back onto it, before swinging his leg over the seat and standing in front of her. Placing his hands on her shoulders and turning her to face him, he took hold of the straps on either side of the helmet and fastened them, adjusting the fit, his warm fingers grazing her throat repeatedly. He pushed her visor up and tilted her head so he could peer in at her. “How does it feel?”
Oh, baby. Did he mean the helmet or his touch?
Don’t be ridiculous. Of course he’s talking about the helmet.
“Tight. Hot.”
His Adam’s apple dipped, and he stared at her for a moment, before answering. “It’s supposed to be snug.”
His voice was a little rougher than it had been a moment ago. Had she said something stupid? Or maybe he was having second thoughts about riding with her. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
He gave a low laugh. “I thought so up until a few seconds ago.”
“How long will it take to reach the hospital?”
“Depending on traffic, about fifteen minutes.”
“Okay. Let’s get this over with.”
He nodded, handing her the second jacket and waiting until she’d zipped it up. His warm scent clung to the leather, and it was all she could do not to close her eyes and breathe it deep into her lungs. The fact that it was there, surrounding her, gave her a dose of courage that had been sorely missing a few seconds ago. He’d promised to take care of her, and Brad had never gone back on a promise that she knew of.
Getting back on the motorcycle, Brad pushed it forward and eased up the kickstand. “There are footrests just behind mine. So climb up and hang on.”
Tightening her resolve, she walked the couple of steps it took to reach him then steadied herself by putting a hand on his shoulder. Pretending she was mounting a horse, she swung her leg over the back of the seat, trying to sit as far back as possible—which proved impossible. The thing was angled so that she slid forward until her tummy was pancaked against his back.
This was going to be the longest fifteen minutes of her life.
“Can you hear me?” The low voice in her ear made her jerk, until she realized it was coming through her helmet. Brad must have some kind of built-in walkie-talkie system that let him communicate with whoever was on the back.
He’d ridden double like this before. Often enough to buy special helmets. Why did the thought make a warning hiss go off in her head?
“Chloe?”
She forced her lips to move. “I can hear you.”
“There should be a mike below the strap. Swing it up to the front.”
Finding a hard plastic object coming off the side of the helmet, she adjusted it so that it was in front of her mouth. “Better?”
“Yep.” He rolled the motorcycle forward a few feet and Chloe scrambled to put her hands on his waist. “When we start moving, you’re going to want to hang on tighter than that, okay?”
Tighter than she already was? She felt like her fingers were digging into the firm muscles of his sides as it was. “Got it.”
Feeling around for the footrests, she planted her feet on them, just as Brad turned a key and the motorcycle rumbled to life beneath her. With the helmet on, it wasn’t nearly as loud as she’d expected it to be.
“Okay. When the garage door opens, we’ll be on our way. Keep your feet up, even at stops, and lean into the turns.”
“Check.” She couldn’t stop a little giggle. She knew he had to instruct her on how to ride, but she’d never dreamed that three days after her disastrous trip to Travis’s hotel room she’d be on her way to a new job and the start of a new life. Even the shuddery fear she felt about riding with Brad couldn’t erase her elation. This was the right decision. She felt it in her bones.
The garage door to the apartment building slid up, and Brad revved the engine and rolled through them at a reasonable speed. Nothing like the showy skids and hot-dogging he’d once done to impress the high-school girls. Still, her heart jumped into her throat as he turned left and entered the morning snarl of traffic—the sounds of car engines and buses periodically rupturing the bubble of silence created by her helmet.
On the first real turn she instinctively wrapped her arms around Brad’s waist, realizing he was right. She needed to hold on and try to lean when he did. The best way to do that was to be physically connected to him, in much the same way as she’d moved with the horse she’d had years ago. Her hips slid forward even more, pressing intimately against him, her thighs squeezing his in order to maintain her balance. Every inch of her was aware of every inch of him. At first she put it down to basic survival instinct, but that weird tingle down low had nothing to do with survival.
Then Brad turned another corner, wiping away every thought except hanging on, probably much tighter than necessary.
During the first few minutes she was too afraid to move, but once she got used to the vibration from the engine beneath her and the easy way Brad handled the big bike, she began to loosen up a bit and enjoy the ride.
They stopped for a red light. Brad’s feet hit the ground to keep them stable, and Chloe drew in a deep breath, noticing the claustrophobia she’d felt earlier was almost gone.
“You okay back there?”
“So far, so good. It’s not as bad as I thought it would be.” It wasn’t quite a lie.
A soft laugh came through. “And I never thought I’d see the day when Chloe Jenkins would agree to ride on my bike.”
A reference to her refusal years ago? She smiled, her heart lightening for the first time. “The times are a-changin’.”
“Hmm. Want to learn to ride one?”
Her stomach did a back flip. “Yeah, well, the times aren’t changing that much. I think I’m going to stick with being a passenger. A bad one.”
He reached back to squeeze her leg. “You’re doing great.”
The light turned green, and Brad revved the engine enough to take off. Her arms instinctively wrapped around him once again, the fingers of her left hand gripping her other one in a vise. It was better than having her palms splayed across his rock-hard abs—a position that seemed far too intimate. Sure, they’d horsed around when they’d been younger and had done plenty of touching. But this was different, although Brad didn’t seem affected by it at all.
Despite the concern he’d shown on the night of her arrival, he’d soon reverted to type, viewing the world through a lens of amused cynicism.
Although traffic was bumper to bumper, they were moving at a fairly steady pace and before she knew it they’d cleared Central Park, where green gave way to a pristine white building. Even from her perch Chloe could see the hospital off to their left. “Is there underground parki
ng?”
“There is for our patients. There are a couple of lots near the hospital where we can park, which is what I do on the days I drive to work.”
“Isn’t that expensive?” Chloe had assumed everyone parked on hospital grounds. But things in New York City were evidently different than they were in Connecticut.
“Staff gets a discount.” There was a pause as Brad pulled into a lot across the street from the hospital. “I sometimes take the subway to work, but I didn’t think you’d be too anxious to get back on it.”
She blinked. “How did you know I rode the subway?”
“My doorman said you had that shell-shocked look of first-time riders.”
Little did he know that the shock had been from something very different. Although the fact that Brad had ridden to work just for her touched her. “Thank you. But I’ll be okay. Let me at least help with the parking costs.”
A suited valet came forward, eyes wide as he looked from them to the bike. He quickly found his professionalism, reaching out a hand to help Chloe off. Her legs were shaking, much to her chagrin, but she smiled at the man anyway. When she glanced at Brad, she noticed his frown, even through the shaded visor. He put down the kickstand and yanked off his helmet, taking the keys from the ignition.
When she fumbled around for the catch to her own helmet, both men moved forward, but the valet stopped almost immediately when Brad handed him the key and held up his hospital ID. “We’ll be here until around seven.”
The valet nodded, glancing one last time at Chloe before handing Brad a ticket.
Once the man had started the motorcycle and driven into the lot, Brad turned back to her and unsnapped her helmet. She squinched her nose. “I don’t even want to think about what my hair looks like. I’m not going to make a very good first impression.”
Before she had a chance to do anything about it, warm fingers were brushing damp locks from her forehead and her cheeks and restoring order to her side part. “You could never make a bad impression, Chloe.”
That’s what he thought. He’d never had her in bed.
Her brows tightened. That was all behind her now. It was time to move on, and she intended to do just that. Maybe she’d even flirt with the first attractive man who came across her path.
Her glance went to Brad and then skipped away. Yikes! Just the thought of flirting with him sent a zing of panic shooting through her chest. Along with a dangerous sense of anticipation that left her breathless. Yep, dangerous was a good word for what she was feeling.
She’d promised herself she’d ask him some pointed questions about men and how their minds worked, but could she really go through with it? Especially after the way she’d felt on the back of his bike?
Maybe she’d test out her theory with the second attractive man who came across her path. Just in case. Until she could finally work up the courage to look Brad in the eye and demand he tell her everything he knew.
CHAPTER SIX
“CHLOE, THIS IS Layla Woods, head of our general pediatric department.”
The slender blonde standing just inside the hospital lobby held out her hand with a friendly smile. “Nice to meet you. Brad says you’re joining his team on the fourth floor.”
Chloe wasn’t sure how to answer that question. Brad had made it pretty clear he was still looking for someone to take the previous nurse’s place. Besides, she’d be going back to her old job at the end of her vacation. “I’m helping out. Temporarily.”
She took a moment to glance around. Not only was the lobby big, with glossy marble floors and brightly painted walls, it was also refreshingly cool. Chloe welcomed the chilly air blowing across her heated body. Part of the warmth was due to the city streets, but some of it was also from riding behind her new boss. The crowded subway was sounding better and better.
A red-wigged Raggedy Ann stood a few feet away, cheerfully directing patients and visitors to different wings of the hospital. Well, that was different. But she liked the upbeat, bustling atmosphere of the entryway. Almost a reflection of the city itself.
“Well, it’s good to have you,” Layla said, bringing her attention back. “I’m new to Angel’s too, so if you have any questions, holler. It’s probably something I’ve already asked.”
Brad’s phone went off, and he glanced down at the readout with a frown. “I need to get this, sorry. As Layla said, we’re up on the fourth floor, if you want to make your way there. They’re expecting you.”
The other woman tutted at him. “You can’t just abandon her. I’ll show her around and then take her up myself.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.” He punched a button on his phone. “See you in a few.”
“Okay.”
Standing next to Layla, Chloe suddenly felt big and clunky, even though she was only an inch or two taller than the other woman. But where the pediatrician was made up of subtle curves and well-defined angles, Chloe’s hips and boobs were definitely rounder. In shoe terms, Layla was a graceful strappy sandal, while Chloe was a sensible pump.
She sighed. No wonder Travis had gone looking elsewhere.
“You ready?” Another wide smile accompanied the question, and Chloe relaxed. There was nothing snooty or haughty about Layla. Just kindness that shone through her eyes. Along with a strange tinge of sadness.
Everyone had their own problems, she supposed.
The hospital was huge, and Layla’s tour took a little longer than expected. When Chloe glanced down at her watch, hoping she wasn’t going to get in trouble for being late, the other woman touched her hand. “It’s okay. I’m sure Brad’s let them know that you’re with me.”
Chloe nodded and peeked inside the washroom door that Layla had pushed open. “Are you from New York?” she asked.
“Texas. You?”
“Connecticut.”
“That’s closer to home, at least.”
Too close. Chloe gave a pained laugh, horrified to feel the prick of tears. “You know, right now I wish home was in Tex as.”
Layla pulled her into the restroom, peering beneath the stall doors to make sure they were empty. “Are you okay?”
Shaking her head in exasperation at herself, she said, “Not really. But I will be.”
One gentle squeeze to the arm later Chloe found words tumbling from her mouth that she had never dreamed of telling anyone. Certainly not her brother or Brad. But something about the other woman—maybe the wise eyes that seemed to see everything—drew the festering poison from her inner wounds like a healing salve. She finished her story with, “I’m filing for divorce.”
Layla gave her a quick hug. “It seems we’re alike in more ways than one. Remind me to tell you about it some time.” She sighed and shook her head. “But for now I think we need to get you upstairs.”
When Chloe peeked at her watch again, she was horrified to see an hour had passed since Brad had left her. “I’m so sorry. I’m sure you have other things to do.”
“I’m glad I was here when you came in. I haven’t …” Her words trailed off. “Well, that’s for another day. If you want to, we can get together for drinks some time. O’Malley’s is just round the corner. It’s a regular haunt for those of us at Angel’s.”
“Thank you. That sounds great.” Maybe starting over wouldn’t be as hard as she’d feared. If the job worked out, Brad might consider keeping her on. Surely Layla or someone could point her in the direction of a reasonably priced apartment. Or someone in need of a roommate.
Because Brad wasn’t going to want her to live with him for ever. And she shouldn’t want that either. Not after all that weirdness she’d felt on the back of his motorcycle.
If that feeling grew …
She rolled her eyes as they made their way to the elevator.
She would just ask him those questions she’d thought about earlier and then get out of his life. And sooner was looking a whole lot better than later.
It made his blood boil.
Maybe that old expression was tr
ue after all, because where there’d been one irritated bubble floating around a moment ago, there was now a steady stream of them rolling up and down the veins of his arms. Filling his chest. Gathering in his skull.
He scowled at the nurses’ desk, where Cade Coleman stood talking to none other than Chloe. His Chloe.
Okay, she wasn’t his. But she was under his care—which was something he never thought he’d say about a woman. And there was something about the way she looked at Cade from beneath her lashes. The ready smile that curved her lips. The color blooming along her cheeks.
His eyes narrowed when she took a strand of hair and twirled it round her index finger.
He’d been on the receiving end of plenty of hair twirls. It usually meant one thing.
Surely she didn’t find the guy attractive.
Well, she sure as hell hadn’t looked at him that way.
As for Coleman, what was he doing, making a move on one of his nurses? One who had only been here for three days.
Whatever it was, he was going to nip it in the bud because Jason would be crawling all over him if he let someone take advantage of Chloe.
“Is there a problem here?”
Chloe’s glance went to his, and she jerked upright, the lock of hair falling from her fingers to join the rest of the glossy strands. “I was just … just …” If her cheeks had been pink before, they were flaming now.
What was going on?
Cade, whose elbow had been resting on the counter, casually raised a brow. “No problem. We just hadn’t been formally introduced yet.”
An oversight Brad hadn’t even attempted to rectify. There was something about the surgeon that made his hackles rise. In all honesty, it was probably because they were both stubborn and opinionated and used to being in charge. Tensions had been high ever since he’d joined the team, but Brad had figured as long as they each stuck to his own job and didn’t get in the way of the other, they’d be able to coexist peacefully. Not if Chloe’s well-being was at stake, however.
“Chloe?”
She shrugged, her hands clasped on top of the desk. “Like he said, we were just getting to know each other.”