Rescuing Dr Ryan

by Caroline Anderson

  'Hello?' she said softly, and he felt suddenly sick with fear.

  'Lucie, it's Will. Let me in.'

  'Come on up. Third floor.'

  The buzzer sounded, and he pushed the door open and ran up the stairs, his heart pounding, and there she was, standing in the doorway with a wary look on her face.

  'Is everything all right?' she asked, and he pushed past her and swept through the flat, throwing the doors open, searching...

  'Will?'

  'Where is he?'

  'Who?'

  'Don't play games with me, Lucie. Fergus, of course. You said you were coming up here to see him. You said you'd see him on Friday.'

  'No, I didn't.'

  'Yes, you did, quite clearly—in your diary—'

  'My what! You've been reading my diary?' She flew at him, her fists flailing, and he grabbed her wrists and held her still, wincing as she struggled.

  'Yes, I've been reading your damn diary,' he growled. 'Only tonight, not before, but it was on the floor when I let the cat out, and I saw my name—'

  'Where?'

  'Rescuing Dr Ryan. In capitals. And for your information, it wasn't just amazing sex,' he bellowed. 'We did make love.' His voice softened to a whisper. 'We did make love, Lucie—didn't we?'

  Lucie looked up into his eyes, and her own filled with tears. 'I thought so.'

  'You were right. It was just, with Fergus in the background, somehow it seemed wrong, making love to another man's woman—'

  'Hey, hey, stop! I'm not Fergus's woman—'

  'Don't go feminist on me, Lucie, you know what I mean.'

  'Yes, I do,' she said, 'and I'm not. I'm not Fergus's woman! I've never slept with him—'

  'Never?'

  'No, never. I never will.'

  He stared at her, stunned, unable to believe his ears. 'But...you said yes—didn't you?'

  She frowned. 'Yes?'

  'I don't know. You had to give him an answer.'

  She started to laugh, and he let go of her hands and stalked across to the window, bracing his arm against the bar. His stomach was churning, and all she could do was laugh. 'It's not funny, Lucie,' he warned.

  'Oh, Will, it is! He wanted to know if I wanted concert tickets for tonight. I said yes, but not for me, for my flatmate and her partner. That's where they are—they've gone to a rock concert in Hyde Park. He wanted me to go with him, but I wouldn't, so he offered me the tickets anyway. Said maybe I'd like to go with you.'

  'He did?'

  Will turned to face her, and she smiled and walked towards him. 'Uh-huh. He's on your side, Will. I can't imagine why, he's not into Neanderthal behaviour, but he's very magnanimous.'

  'Witch,' Will muttered, and Lucie tutted and put her arms round him.

  'Don't. No more fighting. I've had enough of it.'

  'Me, too,' he said with feeling, and drew her closer. 'I love you, Lucie Compton,' he said softly. 'I'm sorry I didn't say so, but I really thought you were just toying with me, and Fergus was the love of your life, and I didn't want to make a fool of myself.'

  'That stubborn pride of yours again,' she teased, and he groaned and dropped his head onto her shoulder.

  'Very likely. Will you forgive me?'

  She took his face in her hands and stared up at him, and her eyes were like luminous green pools. 'Oh, yes, Dr Ryan, I'll forgive you—just so long as you promise never to jump to conclusions again, and remember to tell me you love me at least three times a day, just so neither of us can forget.'

  'You have to do the same.'

  'Of course. I love you, I love you, I love you.' She smiled impishly. 'You're two behind.'

  He kissed her, just the lightest brush of his lips. 'I love you,' he murmured, and kissed her again.

  Then much later, after she'd agreed to marry him, he lifted his head and said again, 'I love you...'