Intrigue Me (6 page)

He wanted to shout for her to run, but they’d finally quieted Mrs. Washington. The calmer the junkie stayed, the better off for everyone. Including Lisa. Jesus. Why now? Why hadn’t she seen the gun through the window and turned around? Daniel couldn’t let himself be distracted by her.

She dropped her purse. Loudly. “What’s going on?”

The gunman did a 180, pulling a crying Daryl along with him.

Daniel rushed forward, but came to a halt when Lisa held up her hands like stop signs instead of surrender. If that prick hurt one hair on her head, Daniel would tear him apart like only a doctor could.

“Get over there, Barbie.” The gun waved, wobbly again. “’Fore I mess up your pretty white shirt.”

Daryl cried louder.

Lisa kept walking. Her eyes were wide, her hands in clear sight. “Use me,” she said, in the gentlest voice. “Take me instead of the boy, okay? I’ll be good. I’ll be so good. I’ll do just what you want.”

Daniel’s heart nearly burst out of his chest. He couldn’t see the gun from where he was standing. Jumping the son of a bitch was out of the question.

He was on the brink of coughing to call attention to himself when Daryl ran as fast as he could toward his grandma. When Daniel looked back at the junkie, Lisa was so close to him, Daniel couldn’t see what she was doing. Jesus, he had no way to tell where the gun was. He had to find a way to get Lisa and everyone else to safety. Now.

Just as he took a step closer, praying he wouldn’t get Lisa killed, he heard a loud grunt and suddenly the gun was skittering across the floor and the junkie hit his knees. Daniel froze when Lisa stopped the man’s fall. Thin as he was, the guy still outweighed her by a good forty pounds, but she twisted his arm up behind his back and pushed him to the floor. On his way down he briefly met Daniel’s gaze, looking like a man who’d just gotten spanked
hard
by Barbie, and she hadn’t broken a sweat.

Another grunt came when his hands were yanked together and Lisa planted a knee on his back. “Daniel, can you get the gun? Did anyone call the police?”

He just stood there. He still wasn’t sure what had happened, only that it had happened in less than a minute.

“Daniel?”

He nodded, picked up the gun.

“I’ll take it if you don’t mind.”

As if he would disobey her now. He gave her the gun, then moved back when she told him to. With one hand on the prostrate junkie’s neck, she did something with the gun that made the magazine fall out.

She was a hell of a lot more at ease than when he’d checked out her paper cuts. One thing was for certain: she hadn’t learned those moves pushing paper for her brother’s security and investigations firm. Or perhaps she’d had a more personal reason to learn self-defense.

His musing was interrupted by two screaming cop cars parking right in front of the building, and more immediately by Mrs. Washington, who marched up to Lisa and the junkie, then whacked the guy in the head with her purse.

“Don’t you go messin’ with my baby.”

He only groaned. Whether his body was ready for it or not, he was now in the crash stage of meth addiction, which wasn’t a place anyone wanted to be, let alone for a long time.

“How’d you do that?” Mrs. Washington stared at Lisa with curiosity and awe. “You some secret agent?”

Lisa shook her head, but couldn’t explain because the police were now inside, trying to figure out what had happened and how the tiny blonde had ended up on top.

As Daniel made sure the nurses and med students were taking care of the witnesses, he kept stealing glances at Lisa. The way she was talking to the cops made them relax. Nod a lot. She’d already proved she had everything under control.

The minute she turned from the cops, she pointed at Mrs. Washington but spoke to the group at large. “Every one of you needs to learn self-defense. No excuses. You hear me? You never know what you’re going to walk into. Or what’s going to fall on your head. Protect yourselves.”

Lisa walked past Daniel, giving him the slightest dip of her head. He followed her, and it was interesting how the folks still in the hallway parted to clear the path. It wasn’t hard imagining her in one of those skintight superhero costumes. She sure had the skills for it.

When she got all the way back to exam room 4, she walked in the open door.

He followed her right in, turning the lock behind him.

6

L
ISA
PRESSED
HER
lips together as she stared at Daniel. Adrenaline screamed through her body and it was all she could do to be still. She wanted him. Now. When this hot-white heat burned away everything she’d been afraid of and every inhibition.

“You were...” Daniel took a step away from the door. “I have no idea how you got that bastard to his knees but, God, it was—amazing.”

Her arms were bent at the elbow and her tightly fisted hands rested against her clavicle. She shook them out, trying to temper the fire inside. “I know.” She was panting now. Why was he by the door? She wasn’t going anywhere.

“You’ve done this thing a lot, then?” he asked, but there was no hiding his dilated pupils, the way his nostrils flared.

“Not for a long time.”

“It must feel—”

“Amazing. I was on fire.”

His breathing had accelerated, lifting his chest higher and faster. Those black eyes were a warning. A promise? God, she hoped so.

Daniel moved closer. “How long does this part last?”

She shook her head, barely blinking, watching, watching everything. “Don’t know. Twenty minutes, maybe?”

“That’s not too long. The drop will be epic.”

“Depends.”

“On?” He took another step.

“What I do to expend my energy.”

His smile was cautious. “Anything I can do to help?”

“There is. But it’ll be risky.”

“Really?”

She didn’t answer in words, just gave him a very louche shrug. Which was an effort, considering she could probably run all the way to Brooklyn. “You do realize I’m not going to be able to keep this up. I’m wound tighter than a Swiss watch, and something’s gonna give.”

“Can I do something real quick first?”

“Like what?”

“Take your pulse? Make sure you aren’t hurting yourself?”

She didn’t uncurl her fists yet. “Yes, you may. And it would be extra nice if you could fill me in about what happened before I arrived at the scene. You were going for him, weren’t you?”

He picked up a blood pressure cuff. Shaking his head, he said, “That’s some disguise you wear. It fools everyone, doesn’t it?”

“Not everyone.” She could barely stay still long enough for him to check her out.

He finished, tossed the cuff on the exam table, then pulled her into his arms. “You were magnificent,” he whispered. “Like a superhero.”

“More like someone who knows her strengths.” She relaxed just enough to hug him back. “I have a feeling you were pretty super yourself. I mean, you were right there, in range.”

“I was just stalling until the police came. But you got here first.”

She laughed. “Beats filing.”

He laughed with her, and his eyes grew darker. The way he held her was a bit sideways so she only felt his thigh. As if she didn’t know he was as turned on as she was. When he sniffed her hair, she pressed into him.

“You smell like honey.”

“I don’t. My shampoo does.”

“Well, I like it. Damn,” he murmured when she moved her thigh. “You’re a very distracting woman.”

That smile of his. It was wonderful. And so was the hand that rubbed her back. If she got on her tiptoes, and he met her halfway, she could kiss him.

He read her perfectly and lowered his head. The kiss was glorious. A stroke of his tongue at the front of her upper palate, a nip on her bottom lip. Then he pressed against her as he thrust into her mouth, their rhythm perfectly in sync, possessive, unguarded and hot as hell.

She moaned when he brought his hand between them and cupped her breast.

“Shh,” he whispered. “Don’t make a sound.”

Okay, this was getting even more interesting. Silence wasn’t big on the list of things she was good at. Not during sex. “I don’t know if I can.”

“You can do anything,” he said, and how was he already unzipping her slacks?

She grinned. “So it’s going to be fast, quiet, with dirty tricks thrown in?”

“We keep condoms in all the exam rooms. But that means moving next to the sink.”

She was so wired, she could probably start electrical fires. They were marching toward danger, which made her want him all the more. The door might be locked, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be discovered. Public sex wasn’t her thing, but this? Her breathlessness was a sure sign that she was up for the challenge.

He kissed her again, then literally danced her around until they stopped at the sink. When they had to take a breath, he held up a red packet in triumph.

“Bravo. I guess we each have our secret skills. I didn’t peg you for a dancer.”

He dipped her so quickly she gasped, then grinned. “Why not?” he said, his lips just shy of hers. “Dancing is a lot like making love.”

“Not the way I do it.”

They both laughed, his deep and sexy, hers a quiet giggle. Then she was standing again, right by the exam bed.

He was quicker than she was. He’d opened the top button of her pants, and he was starting to push them down her hips.

She couldn’t reach between them yet. But once her behind felt nothing but air, she made her move. He put his big hands on what he’d uncovered, then gave each cheek a squeeze she’d remember for a while.

It was time for him to drop ’em, and when she saw an opening, she took it. She slipped straight down into a crouch, eye level with the prominent bulge in his finely tailored trousers. All things being equal, she gave him a little squeeze back, enjoying the muffled moan only she could hear.

Quickly she had his belt open, button undone and zipper down. She stood up again. “The rest is up to you, Dr. Cassidy.”

He took her mouth in a savage kiss, and that was the end of chatting. They’d spent too much time in the room already, so he’d have to move fast. She had a feeling a quick rub in the right place would send her right over.

He got off to a good start by lifting her up until she sat at the edge of the exam bed from the side. Her butt made the paper beneath her crackle. When he released his cock from those snug boxer briefs she got to see his pre-orgasmic bliss face. A moment and a quiet hiss later, he ripped open the condom, and then his hands disappeared once again.

She loved that he still had his lab coat on. If only he’d been wearing his stethoscope, she could have stored enough doctor fantasies for years to come.

A cocky grin told her he was ready, and a surprise finger inside her told him her condition in return. He didn’t waste another second.

When he entered her, she’d been prepared for hard and fast, but what she got was hard and achingly slow. Enough for her to want to kick off the pants that dangled from her left ankle so she could kick him into gear. He had to know that she was in no mood for slow, but it clearly didn’t matter.

“Come on!”

“Shh,” he whispered. “We’ll get there. I promise.”

“When? Next year? Hurry. Before someone comes.”

His eyes narrowed. “I’ve been watching the clock since I locked the door,” he said, his whisper a lot more controlled than her own. “I know precisely how long we’ve been in here.”

He pushed into her and in her attempt to be quiet she’d bitten her lower lip so hard it was amazing it didn’t bleed. Besides, she was distracted from the pain by the way Daniel was revving up, making her work for it.

He thrust again, harder. Another, one nearly lifting her from the crinkly paper she was destroying. Holy hell, three in a row.

“What are you doing?”

“You can still speak? I need to take it up a notch.”

She moaned into his chest, liking his smell. She doubted it was his body wash, either. It was too real for that. No, it was the man she was smelling. Big, strong— “Oh, God.”

One slow, four fast and now his thumb was on her clit. She pretty much stopped breathing because—his thumb. It was— Oh, God. She was resting most of her weight on one hand, the other was on his back, and the way he was hissing reminded her to keep her nails to herself.

The only way she managed to stay quiet as she was masterfully taken apart was by smashing her face harder against his chest. But this time, she licked him. Bit him. Not hard. Well, not too hard.

He was going to bruise like crazy tomorrow. But that didn’t stop him. He kept working her clit, his thrusts coming at a punishing pace, and she was on her way to a spectacular orgasm.

“Oh, Christ, I’m going to come,” he said, his voice wrecked and sexy as hell.

“Me, too,” she mumbled before she let her head loll back. “Right there, right there, God, mphhh...”

He came as she was still jerking around like a badly strung marionette.

At least she was only panting now. Panting as if she’d just run ten miles.

“You okay?” he asked, his breathing as deep as her own.

“Great. Now I have to learn to walk again.”

“Can’t help you there. I’m barely able to take care of...things.”

“You’re a good man, Daniel. Thanks for that. What’s our time?”

“Twenty-two minutes.” He pulled out and then made sure she was sitting far enough back that he could bend over and rescue the lower garments still dangling off her left foot. On his way, he nipped her inner thigh, and she might have blown the whole deal by squealing.

It wasn’t easy, but she managed to dress while he washed up. She wasn’t about to ask what he was going to do with the condom. Frankly, she didn’t give a damn. She was swimming in endorphins and euphoria.

“Can you stop grinning like the Cheshire cat for a moment and tell me if I look like a professional physician?”

She cleared her throat. “You look very good. For a day when you were almost shot.”

“You, I’m sorry to say, do not. But you can stay a little longer in the room. You might want to check your hair. Maybe stop smiling so hard?”

“Fine. I’ll make myself presentable, but I don’t see why I can’t be happy for the rest of the day. I mean, I did just take out a gun-wielding maniac without a single shot being fired.”

His smile was much softer than it had been earlier. This one was safer, closer to the one he used for patients. “You’re right. Smile all you want. Besides, as soon as you’re done in here, I’m shipping you home.”

“What, you’re embarrassed about me already?”

“No.” He sounded highly insulted. “For God’s sake, I am a real doctor, and you’ve been through a traumatic event. You need to go home. Take it easy. Maybe you have a therapist...?” He paused to study her and she wondered if he thought she’d learned the defense moves because she’d been victimized. But no, then sex would’ve been off the table. “This isn’t something to treat lightly, despite, well...” He waved between them.

“I don’t need therapy, thank you. And I don’t know about going home.” The adrenaline ride had reached its peak. “I’m fine.”

She could see exactly how much he disagreed with her plan. “I’m calling a cab for you. No arguments.”

“Oh, all right. Although I’ll have nothing to do at home except work.”

“Improvise.”

She hopped off the table, fixed her clothing then went to the mirror. Behind her, Daniel was tidying up. She looked ravished. “Oh, my God.”

“What?” He was at her side in seconds.

“We had sex.”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t... It’s just...”

“Are you sorry?”

“Not at all. Surprised. But I guess that’s appropriate. Although, I had sort of thought we’d start by meeting for coffee?”

He kissed the side of her head and smiled. “I think we can still manage that.”

Now that she was getting back to normal she’d have to think about it. God, she’d actually had sex with him. She finger combed her hair, but it still looked pretty crappy. “You might consider a therapist.”

He reared back. “Are you serious?”

“You’ve been through a traumatic experience yourself.” She turned to him, pulled him close by his lab-coat pockets. “My advantage is that I’ve been trained in martial arts. I know how to calm myself. No one got hurt, so that’s another plus, but I’m guessing you haven’t been faced with something like this before.”

“Uh, medical emergencies?”

“Not the same. Your life was at risk. It’s a big deal. Don’t play it down. Having expertise in one area doesn’t mean you can ignore a trauma. I’m sure if you diagnosed you, you’d agree.”

“Yet you don’t need a therapist,” he said, looking entirely too curious.

“I have someone if I need to talk.” She went on tiptoe to kiss him. She couldn’t deal with questions about herself, not now. Maybe never. “Now, I need to leave this room, and so do you. We should walk out as if we hadn’t...”

“Right. Together. But check again. Do I have your lipstick on me?”

She looked, tempted to kiss him again. “Nope. Do I look appropriate for the circumstance?”

“Yes. Does it smell like sex in here?”

She winced. He bent at the sink, pulled out a fragrance-free air cleaner, which actually did have a fragrance, but since it wasn’t sperm, it was fine.

“Just, before we go out, please note that I’d like to have that coffee at your earliest convenience.”

“Me, too.” She sighed and touched his face. “I’ll remember this for a long time.”

“Me... Okay, now we’re looping. Let’s head out.”

He opened the door for her, and she left the room to find a very appreciative and concerned group of staff and patients in the waiting room. Mrs. Washington was still there, and she was holding Daryl’s hand. “You all right?”

Lisa nodded. “I was rocketing with adrenaline and shock, but Dr. Cassidy was right there for me. So, I’m going to go home, and get some rest, but I’m fine. How about you?”

“We’re good. Mostly ’cause of you. But there’s a pediatric therapist coming here shortly, and she’s gonna talk to Daryl.”

Lisa crouched in front of the somewhat clingy young man. “You were so, so brave,” she said. “I am so proud of what you did. I bet your grandma is, too.”

“Granny,” he said.

“Right. Good to know. Do you have any questions for me?”

He looked down, then up again, hiding a little behind his granny’s arm. “Do you know Spider-Man?”

She put on a thoughtful face and then shook her head sadly. “No, I don’t. I wish I did, though. He’s a great hero.”

Daryl nodded.