NYC Angels: The Wallflower's Secret

by Susan Carlisle

  “There’s a group called Care Ride that helps patients with transportation to and from appointments. They either send a car or see that the family has a subway pass for X number of times. I’ve already signed up Miguel’s family and they have been approved.”

  “Excellent.” Ryan smiled at her. “Then I think we’ll send the young man home the better for his visit to Angel’s.”

  The group standing around him chuckled and he winked at her.

  Lucy’s heart leaped and did a somersault. He’d included her. A warm feeling washed over her. She was starting to belong somewhere, even if it was just at her job. She was a part of Ryan’s team.

  Twenty minutes later, with purse in hand, she was on her way to meet Nancy in the lobby. Her co-worker needed to deliver some paperwork to a different department so they had decided to meet downstairs. Lucy circled by the nurses’ station on her way out. Ryan sat behind the desk.

  He rolled the chair back when he saw her and smiled. “Hi.”

  She tingled all over at the sight of him. It happened so often around Ryan she’d begun to think of it as her body’s normal reaction. She’d given up fighting it and settled for not letting it be on display.

  “It’s more like bye. See you next week.” She kept walking.

  He stood and met her at the end of the long nurses’ desk. “Hey.” He scanned the area as if looking to see if anyone was paying attention to them. His blue gaze met hers. “How about we have some Volpentesta’s pizza together tonight?”

  She wasn’t sure she could handle being alone with him again after last night. He was well aware of her loneliness and vulnerabilities. Would he take advantage of that? Could she trust him? She certainly couldn’t rely on herself to stop him if he kissed her. Wanting to belong so badly, would she recognize it if Ryan didn’t feel the same? Could she survive if he treated her like he had before? She was a basket of nerves.

  With a sense of relief she said, “I’ve got plans.”

  His look of surprise, then disappointment, made her heart flip. Ryan didn’t get turned down.

  “I want someone to be interested in eating with me for me, not for the pizza my landlord makes.”

  “That has nothing to do with it. I…I—”

  “I’m kidding Ryan. You’re not the only one who can make a joke.”

  He looked around again before his gaze came back to bore into hers. This time the crystal blue held a sauna-warm intensity. “I thought I proved last night that I like you. You taste better than any pizza I’ve ever had.” His voice had softened.

  Heat filled her and she looked away.

  “What’re you doing tonight?”

  “Hey, Lucy, I thought you were going to meet me in the lobby?” Nancy said as she approached them.

  “I was on my way. Sorry you had to come back up.”

  Nancy looked from her to Ryan and grinned. “Ryan, we’re on our way to O’Malley’s for a drink. Want to join us?”

  Only with supreme self-control did Lucy suppress a groan. No way would she ever relax with Ryan in the group. It was all she could do not to act like she had a schoolgirl crush around him as it was. She certainly didn’t want anyone else to notice. Nancy was already too suspicious for Lucy’s liking.

  “Sure. I’ve got a couple of other things to see about here. I’ll meet you there.” Ryan grinned at Lucy.

  “Great. We’ll save you a seat,” Nancy said.

  O’Malley’s Pub was loud and busy when Nancy and Lucy arrived. Lucy was grateful for all the noise because it made it more difficult for Nancy to quiz her about Ryan. The questions had been free flowing since she and Nancy had left the hospital and during the short walk to the bar.

  Nancy waved at a group in the corner. Lucy followed her as she weaved her way through the mass of people to the table. They settled in and Nancy introduced her to everyone. Some of them Lucy recognized, but others were completely new to her.

  “We need to save a seat for Ryan,” Nancy announced.

  Those that heard Nancy turned to look at her in surprise. “Dr. O’Doherty? He never comes out with us. What gives?”

  As popular as Ryan was with the staff, Lucy was surprised he’d not spent more time socializing with them. As she thought about the man, in he walked. Had she been watching for him? Even across the crowded room he’d managed to zero in on her. He smiled and headed her way.

  Ryan had changed from his ever-present scrubs into worn jeans and a light blue sweater. The collar of his button-up shirt showed above the neckline. As he approached, women turned to watch him. Her insides trembled.

  “Room for another?” he asked, standing between her and Nancy.

  “Sure.” Nancy scooted over and Lucy did also. Ryan squeezed between them on the wooden bench. The tight space meant Ryan’s firm body was sandwiched against hers from hip to thigh. His heat branded her along the length of her leg. She squirmed, trying to put as much room between them as possible.

  He looked at her, which brought his face much too close for her comfort, and whispered, “If you continue to wiggle like that, I might think you’re issuing an invitation.”

  She sucked in a breath and jerked her head around to look at him.

  He grinned.

  The waitress circled by them and took their order.

  “I’ll get this round,” Ryan said, smiling at Nancy then her, “just for asking me along.” His look said he knew Lucy would have never invited him.

  The conversation flowed around the table. She mostly listened. Ryan told a story and everyone laughed. He really was fun. Despite all his story-telling and jokes, he rarely shared anything personal about himself. What little she’d learned he’d been forced to tell her in order not to appear rude. Even his story tonight was about someone else.

  Was he hiding something or was he just so closed off he couldn’t share?

  At one point, he leaned forward to hear what someone was saying farther down the table and Lucy had a wonderful view of his broad shoulders and back. The muscles across his back rippled beneath his sweater as he reached for a basket of peanuts. His hair brushed against the top of his collar and there was a line around the back of his head where his surgical cap had been tied. It looked like he’d tried to get rid of ‘cap hair’ by running his fingers through it, leaving it with a mussed look that had a boyish appeal.

  Lucy folded her hands tightly in her lap, stopping if not completely relieving the desire to touch those irresistible locks.

  He leaned back and looked at her. “Is something wrong?”

  People were always asking her that when she thought about him. She was going to have to work on not showing her emotions so much. In answer to his question, yeah, she was beginning to feel too much. She didn’t trust herself. Didn’t trust him.

  “I’m fine. Just tired, I guess.”

  “We’ve both had a long day. Come on, I’ll see you home.”

  “That’s not necessary. I’ve learned to manage on my own. I wasn’t late but once this week.”

  He leaned closer. “My, that is an improvement. Still, I’d like to see you get home safely.”

  She wouldn’t have thought it possible but Ryan moved further into her personal space. Somehow it seemed safer to take her chances on her own.

  Glancing away from his compelling look, she found the others at the table watching them. Did they think he was going to kiss her, like she was afraid he would? “Uh, sure.”

  He stood, stepping over the heavy bench, and waited for her to do the same.

  “I’m going to see Lucy home. She isn’t feeling well.”

  There were mummers of concern around the table. Lucy smiled at them weakly.

  She couldn’t refute Ryan’s statement because it would make her look silly. Waving a hand, she murmured, “Goodnight.”

  The table quickly returned to their discussions. Ryan led the way, taking her hand. He used his big physique as a wedge through the crowd of people and pulled her along behind him. They picked their coats off a p
eg by the door and put them on. Soon they were out on the sidewalk, standing in the cool, windy night air. Ryan let go of her hand and she felt the loss immediately. She hefted her purse strap over her shoulder then stuffed her hands into her pockets in an effort to contain the warmth he’d left behind.

  Lucy faced him. “You know that they all think something is going on between us.”

  “Isn’t there?” He cocked his head to the side and gave her a slight grin.

  “Not that I know of.” She started down the sidewalk. He fell in beside her. “A week ago you treated me like I had the plague. You weren’t even speaking to me. Why would I think anything has changed?”

  “Maybe because I kissed you and you kissed me back.”

  “You think just one kiss is going to make a difference?”

  He stopped and she did too. “I’m shocked that the tender-hearted, make-everyone-feel-better woman is really a skeptic at heart.”

  “You can’t turn a cute phrase every time you don’t like the subject matter.”

  He grinned. “I’m pretty sure I can.”

  “I wished I could stay mad…” she muttered.

  “I heard that.”

  They fell into silence by mutual agreement as they walked. All the lights in Manhattan had been switched on. Lucy missed being able to see the stars in the sky but there was also something intriguing about living in a techno show. “I’m always amazed at all the lights and sounds here,” she breathed.

  “Yeah, it’s pretty fascinating. And noisy. You should see the lights from my place. I think you’d be impressed.”

  “You sure that isn’t some come-on line, like ‘Would you like to see my etchings?’”

  His deep-throated laugh made her think of hot fudge over a brownie. Sinfully wonderful. He really had a magnificent, heartfelt laugh. She needed more laughter in her life. Ryan being the source both flabbergasted and unnerved her.

  “Well, it could be but actually it’s the truth.”

  They walked slowly down the street, occasionally dodging people. “So is that how the great Dr. O’Doherty lures women into his wolf’s lair, by saying come look at my view?”

  “I don’t invite just anyone to my home.” His voice had turned serious.

  “Really? Why?”

  “Because I like my privacy.”

  When the wind picked up and a light drizzle began to fall he said, “I’ll get us a cab.”

  “No, I can get home from here. I’ll take the subway.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay?”

  “Yeah, okay. I’ll ride with you.”

  Lucy didn’t try to argue. She’d figured out it wasn’t worth the trouble. They found the subway entrance and used their passes to go through the turnstile. The station was crowded with the evening after-work foot traffic. As they waited, they were pushed closer and closer together.

  Was everyone and everything conspiring to keep her shoved against Ryan? No matter where they went it seemed like his body was in contact with hers. She loved the warmth and security he provided but it was hard on her already edgy nerves. Maybe she should’ve agreed to the taxi. At least it would have allowed a foot of space between them.

  When the train came, Ryan pulled her back against him, wrapped an arm around her waist and held her close as the car unloaded.

  “Let’s go.” He nudged her forward as the last person stepped off the train. He moved her in and down the car to stand next to a pole. All the seats were taken. “You’re going to have to learn to be aggressive if you ride at this time of day,” he whispered next to her ear.

  He made the words sound far more suggestive than they should have been. They had her thinking of firelight, him, the floor. She shook her head. That was no place for her mind to wander. She searched for a hand-hold on the bar to steady herself for when the train launched out of the station. None were available.

  “Brace yourself against me,” Ryan said from behind her.

  “I’ll manage.”

  “Yes, and fall. Maybe hurt yourself or someone else.” He widened his stance and again wrapped his solid arm around her. “Remember I offered a taxi.”

  “I think you’re just using this crowd as an excuse.”

  “Excuse for what? To hold you? Come to think of it, it is working to my favor.”

  “Ryan, don’t tease me. I don’t need this.”

  She tried to pull away but he tightened his embrace fractionally before the beep sounded to notify everyone that the doors were closing.

  “I’m not teasing. Give me a chance to make it up to you.”

  She sure wanted to. Would he treat her just the same again? This time she was afraid she’d have more invested. It could hurt worse.

  They rode in the same intimately close position until they reached her stop. Since when had a ride on a dirty, hot, packed subway car become sexually exciting? Even with a crowd of people around them her world had narrowed down to just Ryan and the effect he had on her body.

  “Isn’t this your stop?” His breath brushed her ear.

  “Uh?”

  “You get off next.”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “Where has your mind been?” His chuckle was low and suggestive.

  Darn the man. He knew exactly what he was doing to her. The cold damp of the outside was a blast to her hyper-sensitive system. A welcome relief from the heat. It woke her from the blissful Ryan-filled trance and jerked her back to reality. She stepped away from him, putting as much distance between them as she could. Her body had reached overload and she needed to regain her perspective. He didn’t leave her side or touch her as they walked the block to her apartment. She stopped at the foot of the stairs and faced him.

  “Thanks for seeing me home, even if it wasn’t necessary.”

  “My pleasure. I enjoyed it.” He had a wicked look in his eye.

  “I’ll see you next week.”

  “You’re not going to invite me up?”

  “No.”

  “That hurts.”

  “I don’t know what’s going on here. What I do know is that you’re playing at something. After tonight at the bar, all the tongues will wag about us. I need as little emotional upheaval in my life as possible. I have no interest in becoming part of the O’Doherty harem.”

  “The woman speaks her mind. For starters, I don’t have a harem. Nice idea, but I work too many hours to keep a group of women happy. Second, you’ve been doing too much thinking. Why don’t we just try being friends again? I don’t have to take calls tomorrow so how about I show you around New York? Is there any place that you’ve never been but would like to go?”

  “I thought we were friends—”

  He put up his hands as if to warn her off. “Okay, I’ll say it. I’m sorry. I messed up. Tomorrow will be no strings attached. No expectations, just two people enjoying a day off. How about that?”

  She took so long to answer that his uncertainty that she would say yes started to show.

  “Okay, then I’d like to see the Statue of Liberty.” When she’d visited New York as a child her parents had been planning to take her and Alexis out to see it, but instead they’d gotten into a huge fight and that part of the trip had been forgotten. It would be nice to see the statue and share it with someone instead of going by herself.

  “Perfect. I love the old girl. How about we sleep in and I pick you up around eleven?” He made it sound like he was issuing an order in ICU. As if Lucy would dare defy one of his directives. “Wear your fun clothes and something warm. It’s cold on the ferry over to the island this time of year. See you tomorrow.” He turned and raised a hand for the taxi that was passing by.

  Had she just been sucked into the vortex that was Ryan O’Doherty?

  Ryan couldn’t remember looking forward to a day off more. At least, not since the time his father had surprised him with tickets to a Yankees game when he’d been a kid. It had been more than he could do to concentrate on his schoolwork that week, with thoughts of going to
the big game. Thankfully he didn’t have a week to contemplate spending the day with Lucy.

  He’d asked her to his house. He took his solitude seriously and didn’t share outside his family. He dated—after all he was a red-blooded man and had needs. He’d had his share of women but had never let them get too close. For some reason, Lucy had slipped under that barrier. He wanted her to see his place, wanted to share his home, his special view with her.

  Most of his days off he spent with his sisters and their kids. In fact, they’d been shocked then pleased when he had told them he was taking Lucy out to the statue. There were far more questions than he was willing to answer about Lucy but they accepted for the time being what few he gave. He knew they weren’t done. They worried about him and he didn’t like that.

  Ryan knocked on Lucy’s apartment door right at eleven. There was a scuffle of movement before she opened the door. “I’m not quite ready. I’ll only be a minute.”

  “Mind if I come in?” he asked.

  Lucy paused longer than he would’ve liked to give her answer.

  “I guess.” She opened the door wider and he followed her into the small but neat apartment. The first thing that struck him was the lack of personal items. Even as a bachelor he had family pictures around his home. It was very telling. There was nothing there to indicate she had any family that she cared about, and he knew differently.

  She wore jeans that fit her slim figure perfectly, not leaving a single curve untouched. Lean and fit, she looked lovely. He wished the bulky cream-colored sweater didn’t hide her luscious breasts. He had told her to dress warmly so he only had himself to blame. She’d pulled her hair up and through the back of a baseball hat and braided it. She looked like a woman-child instead of the competent, mature woman he knew her to be.

  After slipping her arms in to a pea jacket and looping a bright pink scarf around her neck that hung below the hem of the coat, she said, “I’m ready.”

  “Great. I think we’ve got a perfect day to visit. The sun’s shining and the wind isn’t up too high. We need to hustle to make the ferry. I managed to get us tickets on the one o’clock. We were lucky. They take reservations and there were only two left. Otherwise we might have had a long wait.”