Mindy had seen so many pictures of her but hadn’t really paid attention to this famous landmark when she’d arrived in New York just over a month ago. Now close up to her she could see why people loved her. Mindy leaned over the rail, smiling.
“When you smile like that, you’re really quite stunning,” Sam said.
“You really shouldn’t flatter me like that.”
“Why?” he asked.
“I might let it go to my head and forget myself.” Then she blushed, the heat rushing to her cheeks, even though it was cold. Why was she flirting with him? He was off-limits. Only she couldn’t help herself. It was easy around him.
Too easy.
Sam’s eyes twinkled, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he leaned over the railing beside her and though she was kind of hoping he would say something, she was glad that he didn’t. She hadn’t meant to say what she had, but she really had forgotten herself for a moment and who she was with. It was nice.
It had been so long since she’d been at ease around a man.
She’d forgotten how good it felt to have that kind of intimacy with someone and she really missed it.
Sam was surprised by what she’d said.
“I might let it go to my head and forget myself.”
He’d momentarily forgotten who he was with, but when she’d said those words his blood had heated with desire. Mindy looked so delectable all bundled up. Her soft purple knitted hat and infinity scarf set off the color of her eyes against her dark, rich red hair and he fought the desire to pull her up against him and kiss her, because at this moment all he could remember was the taste of her lips.
They had been so sweet.
All he could think about was her body naked with his. His lips on her ivory throat, his hands in her silky hair.
Get a grip on yourself, man.
So he didn’t say anything in response to her, just leaned over the railing and tried to focus on their approach to Liberty Island. He was hoping the cold wind biting at his cheeks would take away the lust singing in his blood.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted a woman like this. Other than the first night they’d met, but even then if she hadn’t initiated the kiss, if she hadn’t asked him back to her apartment, he probably would’ve done nothing.
Vixen that she was, he was absolutely lost to her and he knew he was so weak that if she asked him now to take her in his arms, he would without hesitation.
She’s off-limits.
And he had to keep reminding himself of that fact.
They were friends and nothing more. He wouldn’t walk down the same path his mother had. He wouldn’t sleep or have a relationship with a doctor who was his attending before he was. If she was still available when his fellowship was over, and he was an attending in his own right, then perhaps they could revisit their night of passion.
But, really, who was he kidding? He still had a couple years of working in the pediatric field before he became an attending. By then she would have moved on. A beautiful, funny, compassionate and talented surgeon like Mindy would have no problem finding someone. If only she would open up.
There were a few walls she’d carefully constructed around her.
It’s why he had a feeling she didn’t have many friends and he couldn’t figure out why she was keeping people out of her life. Why she was so closed off.
Any time they had come close to talking about something personal her walls had gone up. Of course, the same applied to him. His personal life was just that. Personal, and very few people knew his secrets. He preferred it that way. Fewer rumors that way.
“You hear about Dr. Hanley? The only reason she got that spot was because she slept with her attending, Dr. Langley.”
“Yes, and it totally destroyed her marriage. I feel bad. She has a son. Poor kid.”
The problem was the “poor kid” had been him, and he’d heard every word those other surgeons had said about his mother. It still stung to this day and he refused to be lumped in with his mother, even though he seriously doubted Mindy was as much of a jerk as the professor was. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Dr. Chang was at West Manhattan Saints he would never have applied to the surgical program.
He avoided Langley as much as he could, because he was one of the reasons his parents had split up. Why his mother had a reputation that followed her brilliance. Why people admired her, lauded her, but talked behind her back.
Sam didn’t want that.
“Thank goodness!” Mindy exclaimed, breaking through his morose thoughts. “We’re finally going to be on dry land.”
Sam chuckled. “There, now the sharks can’t get you. Unless I push you off the island.”
Mindy turned toward him. “You do that and, like at the subway station, I’m going to take you with me. You’re bigger, they’ll eat you first.”
Sam grinned but didn’t respond as he took her outstretched arm and they headed down to the lower deck to get off the boat and check out the Statue of Liberty.
He tried to keep his mind off the fact he was with one of the most beautiful women he’d seen for a long time and instead focus on the interesting museum in the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.
Okay, the museum was not that interesting and he’d been to it before, but Mindy seemed engrossed in looking over everything.
“You’re absolutely and utterly bored, aren’t you?” Mindy asked, peering over a display, not looking at him.
“How can you possibly know that? You’re not paying attention to me at all.”
She smiled to herself. “I know when someone is bored. You’ve been shifting your weight on the balls of your feet, whistling and just trailing behind me.”
“Okay, the museum isn’t my cup of tea. I’ve been here before.”
“I figured as much,” she said. “I do appreciate you bringing me.”
“Not a problem.”
“Should we race to the top?” she teased.
“Are you kidding? It’s like over two hundred stairs to the top.”
“It’s three hundred and fifty-four, to be precise, but of course you would’ve known that had you read what I just read.” And for good measure she made a superior face.
“Why, you little…”
Mindy laughed and raced to the stairwell, taking the stairs quickly while Sam chased her. They didn’t run the whole way, they took breaks and stopped their mad chase when they came across others who were tackling the spiral staircase at a more leisurely pace and probably thought they were out of their gourds, racing
