Intrigue Me

by Leigh, Jo

  Before she did anything else, she emailed him the details. Thank God for spell-check. Once she hit Send, the reality of what she’d just done hit her. She’d guessed it would be bad, rekindling old connections, but that had been like ripping stitches from her tattered soul.

  Somehow, she managed to log off the computer and shut it down. Then she got out the Jack Daniel’s. She was allowed exactly two fingers. No more. The last thing she needed was to add an addiction to her broken life. She just hoped two fingers would be enough.

  * * *

  DANIEL NEEDED TO do something fast. Working in the clinic while Lisa was in the building wasn’t working out so well. Not her fault. She certainly wasn’t in his way. But she was a distraction. He had questions. Too many for a woman he’d barely spoken to, and yet they’d kept him up far too late.

  He couldn’t help wondering if she didn’t have to work. Temporarily unemployed? Maybe she worked at home, so coming to the clinic was a way to socialize. If he hadn’t interacted with her, he never would’ve considered she’d find volunteering at a free clinic rewarding. With her beauty and the cool reserve of a socialite, she looked more the fund-raiser type. Like his sister-in-law, for instance, only much prettier. He doubted Warren’s wife even knew how to file. But when she smiled and batted her lashes, men pulled out their checkbooks.

  Forget being flirty. All Lisa would have to do was walk into the room. But somehow he couldn’t see her in that role.

  And the staff seemed to like her. He didn’t really know the nurses or clerical personnel, but he overheard them chatting sometimes. They should’ve hated Lisa on sight. In his experience a woman that beautiful could stir up lots of trouble.

  Also, she didn’t wear a ring. Or any jewelry, in fact. Just a watch. He hadn’t gotten a good look at it, so he had no idea if it was a street-vendor special or something from Tiffany & Co.

  Her hair was different today. More casual. Straighter, with longish bangs that brushed her eyelashes. He liked it this way, and he liked that she looked so comfortable in a casual sweater and jeans.

  “Dr. Cassidy?”

  He blinked. Angie Weeks blinked back, only she was on the examination table wearing a paper gown, while he was holding her open file and daydreaming about Lisa. Yeah, that had to stop.

  He quietly cleared his throat. “Anything else I should know about?”

  She looked sideways then back, her gaze cautious. “Nope. I figured one STD was plenty.”

  Right. If he could have kicked his own ass around the block, he would have. “I’ll go find out where the nurse is. Then we can finish up quickly. I’ll be right back.”

  “Quickly. Yeah. Sure.”

  He left exam room 3. Lisa had been on his mind most of the day, but this was the first time he’d let it interfere with an examination. Not just the first time today, but ever. He was meticulous about patient care, and he never took his responsibility lightly. He would be damn sure it wouldn’t happen again. Right now, though, he needed a female nurse to sit in on Ms. Weeks’s exam. After his patient had been taken care of properly, he would do what he should have done earlier—wait for Lisa to have a break and then ask her to dinner.

  * * *

  IT WAS GETTING RIDICULOUS. After spending all morning working on the divorce case for Logan, Lisa had looked forward to coming to the clinic after lunch. But she’d been pulling files since one o’clock, which had sounded easy enough until she’d realized these weren’t the files in Valeria’s office, but in a storage room that smelled of dust with a hint of mildew. These were old files, patients who hadn’t been seen in six years or longer. The manila folders with the colored key tabs had been stuffed so tightly into rickety shelves that she hoped all the paper cuts she’d suffered didn’t land her in one of the exam rooms.

  Although if it was Dr. Cassidy doing the examining, she wouldn’t mind one little bit.

  “Ouch!” Lisa yanked back her hand, muttering a few cusswords that seemed to help the sting. Once again, the box of tissues she’d put on the counter came in handy.

  Okay, so it wasn’t just the tightly packed files turning her poor fingers into a battlefield that was the problem. She couldn’t stop thinking about Daniel. Not too smart since her interest in him might’ve earned her this hellish job. Apparently her exile was courtesy of Eve.

  She shoved another five files into the open box, still debating her next move. Valeria had asked if she would like to make another commitment to volunteer. Lisa hadn’t given her an answer.

  The easy thing would be to say no. That way, Lisa Pine would disappear into the city, end of story.

  The less easy thing would be to agree, but without a locked-in commitment. She had a full-time job with flexible hours, which was important for more reasons than her paycheck. Logan depended on her now. Mike, the only other employee, had transferred some of the office work to her so he could be of more help with the security side of the business. But she wouldn’t mind coming to the clinic when she had some free time.

  Since Tess had stolen her identity and everything else that mattered, Lisa hadn’t interacted with many people outside of work assignments. Her choice. She didn’t want to make friends. She’d barely wanted to make acquaintances.

  But the Moss Street Clinic had made her rethink a few things. Leaving aside the issue of Daniel, she liked working there. It had been only two and a half days, yes, but there was a vibe to the place that let her breathe. It felt safe. Bangers from different gangs could sit in the waiting room without killing each other. Homeless people weren’t harassed, and sex workers were treated with respect and courtesy. Everyone was cared for, regardless of past mistakes and bad choices.

  So, yeah, she could see making this a part of her life. A few hours here and there.

  And then there was Daniel.

  Now that Cory’s email had given him a thumbs-up, she felt reasonably certain that one night of sex with Daniel would not only be safe, but would cure a lot of what ailed her. It would be a very big step, but she didn’t know when she’d have another chance like this. If it worked out, then maybe she’d check into the trading-card thing for herself. But that would be later. Much later. Or maybe never if it made her feel this shaky. What were the odds of her picking the one psycho in the bunch. Pretty damn high.

  Besides, she was too busy fantasizing about Daniel Cassidy to even think about strangers on cards.

  The question now wasn’t whether to sleep with Daniel one time. But whether she could have both a single night of down and dirty sex and a semi-regular gig at the clinic.

  She could imagine volunteering as a form of long-term therapy. The clinic was an ideal place to learn how to function now that she had her new armor in place. The idea of actually helping people instead of finding evidence of adultery or embezzlement or tracking down deadbeat dads would help her feel more productive.

  Having sex with Daniel would be the first step to embracing her new definition of intimacy. Feeling pleasure? Fine. Getting sweaty and wearing herself out? Fantastic. Letting herself trust or feel or care? Never again.

  After a heartfelt sigh, another five files went into the box. Then another five.

  Even though her shift was over, she kept on working. There were still patients out there, and she hadn’t managed a moment alone with Daniel.

  A few minutes later he showed up and nearly got himself a knee to the groin. She let out a breath and shifted to give him room. “You scared me.”

  “Sorry. Wasn’t sure you’d be here.” He looked good. Tired, but good. “In fact, what are you still doing here?”

  “I wanted to finish the row of files I was working on.”

  His smile increased her already rapid heartbeat. “Don’t you know they multiply the moment you turn your back?”

  He’d taken off his lab coat, leaving him in jeans and a blue shirt. When he le
aned back against the table where the finished boxes went, she moved closer to identify the weird marks on his tie. Viruses, maybe? Bacteria?

  “You getting hazard duty pay for this?”

  “What?” She looked up, then at the stacks of files still left to do. “Oh, right, I really should, huh?”

  “How did you end up with this job?”

  Lisa shrugged. “Somebody has to do it,” she said and jerked with a start when he touched her cheek.

  “Dust,” he said, holding up the smudged pad of his thumb as proof.

  “Oh, yeah, I’m sure I’ve got dust in all kinds of places.”

  Daniel’s look of amusement faded as his gaze lowered to her hands. “Jesus.” He caught her wrist and inspected her fingers.

  Self-conscious, she drew back and pulled out the tissue she’d been using. “They’re only paper cuts,” she murmured.

  “You should be wearing nitrile gloves. That’s one thing we’ve got plenty of in the clinic.”

  “I hadn’t thought of it but you’re right.” She stared down at her hands and then at his, stunned at how much she wanted him to touch her again. Her cheek, her fingers, she didn’t care—she just wanted to feel his warm skin against hers. It had been so long.

  She cleared her throat.

  Searching her face, he gave her a gentle smile. “May I?”

  Wadding up the tissue, Lisa stared down at his extended palm. She laid her hand on his much larger one and didn’t even blink when he cupped her elbow and drew her closer.

  His hands were solid, comforting and everything she needed. He studied her fingers, but his other hand moved from her elbow to her back. When he stood, they were close enough to kiss.

  Looking at him, she could see her own hunger in his gaze. He’d started breathing faster, which made her pulse race.

  “I’ve thought about you all day.”

  “That’s...nice,” she said, wondering whether she was supposed to make the first move. Or if him pulling her almost against his body was the first move, and now she was supposed to react.

  “And last night.”

  “Oh,” she said, understanding perfectly. “I hope I didn’t keep you up late.”

  He inched forward. There was no longer any shred of doubt that he wasn’t just inspecting her paper cuts. This was it. Her big chance. With a man she’d wanted from the moment she’d seen his picture. One night of down and...

  She took a step back as panic ripped through her.

  5

  DANIEL HAD FELT her tense several seconds before she backed up. Something had changed. She seemed...frightened. He got the feeling that with one wrong move, she’d bolt. At least, after his own step back, he could look at her hand properly. A scar near her thumb caught his attention. It must have happened a few years ago, definitely not more than ten. Someone had done a bad stitching job. The mark could have been barely visible with just a bit more care.

  Lisa sighed, and Daniel noticed he was petting the scar with his thumb as if he could fix it. “No more filing for you,” he said. “Doctor’s orders.” He relaxed a little when he saw her smile.

  “I’ll be sure to tell Valeria you said so.” She drew her hand back, but before she turned away, she rubbed her scar.

  “Valeria sent you back here?”

  Lisa nodded. “Apparently Eve left her a note.”

  Of course word had spread about the lounge incident. That was inevitable. But Daniel would have a talk with Eve. Find out what the hell she was thinking. Now, though, he took the box from Lisa and stacked it on the others. “So, this is it? Your last day?”

  “I’m not sure,” she said, wiping her hands on another tissue and then looking around the room as if she’d forgotten something. “Valeria asked me to come back.”

  He was of two minds about her returning to the clinic. It would be a lot easier to ask her out if she was finished, but the clinic needed all the help it could get. “I’d say no, if they’re just going to stick you back here.”

  “If everyone did that, the files would never get done.”

  He shrugged. “You’re right. It’s late. I’m hungry.”

  “Oh?”

  “Are you?”

  The look she gave him made his heart beat faster. Her eyes lit up with pleasure, and he was certain she was going to say yes. But the joy vanished as quickly as it had appeared. “I’m not...” Her sudden interest in his tie sent his hopes plummeting. “Avian flu viruses?” she asked with a laugh.

  He glanced down. “Hey, this one’s my favorite.”

  “I have to admit, you didn’t strike me as the novelty-tie type.”

  “Eve bought me a couple the first week I started here. I thought she’d lost her mind. Then I had three more made.”

  “I think they’re great.” She checked her watch. “Wow, I have to get moving. Grand Concourse gets crowded this time of day.”

  “That’s right. You live on the Lower East Side?”

  She shook her head. “Close, but not quite. Bed-Stuy.”

  “You know, we could get some dinner. If you wanted. Just dinner.”

  She sighed, looked at the floor. “Maybe next time.”

  “Fair enough,” he said, keeping things light. “Would you mind some company to the subway?”

  “No, not at all. I’d like that.”

  Her response seemed earnest. He was glad he hadn’t pushed. Soon enough they were headed down Moss Street. It was still light out, which was a pity. Everything was more romantic at night. “I’ve been curious,” he said, as he let the bustle of the city settle around them.

  “About?”

  He slowed his pace to match Lisa’s. “I know you came in at one today. Yesterday, you were here in the morning.”

  “Are you asking if I work?” she asked. “I have a job, but I do it mostly from home. I choose my own hours.”

  “What do you do?”

  “I work for my brother’s company. He does security and investigations. I do a lot of paperwork.”

  They passed a bar that was notorious for blaring hip-hop from their rooftop. The ongoing battle between the police and the owners had started in the ’70s and never quieted down. “Sounds interesting,” he yelled.

  She laughed and waited until Lil Wayne faded to a bearable level. “Paperwork is rarely interesting.”

  “Then you come to the clinic and get asked to do filing. That has to suck.”

  She looked as if she was holding back a laugh. “I like helping out.”

  He wanted to make her smile all night.

  “To tell you the honest truth,” she said, “I’m about as boring as they come.”

  “Somehow I doubt that. When do you catch your train?”

  “In twenty minutes.”

  He’d hoped for more time with her. “We could share a cab.”

  “We live in opposite directions, remember?”

  He opened his mouth to lie about forgetting something he had to do in Bedford-Stuyvesant, but Daniel couldn’t even recall when he’d last been to that part of Brooklyn.

  They walked a little more slowly and a little closer together. At just past seven, there were a lot of people around, but not half as many as there would be in another hour or so. All the guys eyed Lisa, but she ignored them. Otherwise, no one paid them much attention as they passed a bodega, a pawnshop, Blimpie, a tattoo parlor and another bar. This one kept the music mostly inside.

  “Have you always lived in New York?” He pushed his left hand into his pocket to stop from touching her.

  She met his gaze again. Their steps slowed to a crawl, but she didn’t seem to mind. “Born and raised in Brooklyn. What about you?”

  “Also a native,” he said. “Upper East Side.”

  “Did you always wan
t to be a doctor?”

  “Yeah,” he said, and then someone bumped his shoulder. Daniel angled himself in front of Lisa, but the man kept walking, cursing him in Spanish. Easing back to her side, he didn’t settle into his stride again until their shoulders brushed. “My father was a doctor. I used to go to his practice when I was a kid. I liked looking at all the books and the big anatomy pictures on the walls. Come to think of it, I was pretty creepy. Destined to end up as a doctor or a zombie hunter.”

  “I think doctors earn more than zombie hunters, so I’d say you made a great choice.”

  “Yeah, but I would have had an awesome business card.”

  She completely stopped before she looked at him this time, her eyes so bright with amusement, he changed his tune about the night. He’d never have seen the gold flecks in her irises if he hadn’t walked with her in sunlight. The moment stretched and neither of them blinked.

  After a quick nod, she said, “Go for it. Not too late to switch careers, right?”

  Surprised, he laughed. “This from the woman who thinks she’s boring?”

  “Or you could just have the cards made up. Pass them around at parties.”

  “That would make me a head case, not a neurologist. But I can see how people might get confused.”

  “Best to keep them guessing, don’t you think?” A tiny twitch at the corner of her mouth ruined her attempt at a straight face.

  So did the mischief in her eyes. He could stare into them for hours. That blue. Was it cerulean? What the hell? He had no idea what cerulean looked like. All he knew was that they were beautiful, just like the rest of her. Damn it, he wanted her. Screw the clinic, he hoped she decided not to come back so he could take her to every great place in Manhattan. Right now, he’d settle for touching her hair. Letting it sift through his fingers. A prelude to the moment it brushed against his bare chest.

  “Come on, keep it moving. You’re blocking the damn sidewalk.” A bodybuilder nudged Daniel’s shoulder as he pushed his way in front of them.

  Daniel tried to recapture the moment, but the idiot had blown it. Lisa walked faster, which wasn’t a tragedy in itself, but still.