After the Christmas Party(21)

Chase sure hadn’t worried about the physical getting in the way.

Sex had gotten in the way of their relationship.

Big time.

Not because they’d rushed into a physical relationship. They hadn’t, despite Chase’s constant pressure to do so. Perhaps she should have held out longer. When she’d finally given in, it had been the beginning of the end. She’d flopped in bed.

Chase had had no qualms announcing that juicy little tidbit to the world.

So a man who put emphasis on getting to know her rather than on her bedroom performance was good. Raised her odds of success, right? Or just set up her expectations to where her failure would sting all the more?

“Trinity?” Riley interrupted her thoughts. “We are going to eat after work today?”

She blinked, thinking him too good looking for his own good. He was so used to getting his own way that she almost said no just to be difficult. But that wasn’t any way to start a relationship. Or to maintain one.

A relationship. Was that what they were doing? What she wanted?

“Yes,” she agreed, knowing she wasn’t going to deprive herself of spending the evening with him, even if she still didn’t trust him. “Just as long as we don’t do anything Christmassy.”

For answer, he just grinned. “Would I ever ask you to do that?”

“Never.” Trinity couldn’t keep a smile from curving her lips. She tried. Really, she did. After all, she had sworn off men, but there was something about Riley that couldn’t be ignored. Okay, so everything about him refused to be ignored.

Karen stared back and forth between them. “So the gossip is true?”

Trinity blushed.

Riley grinned. “If they’re saying that I’m pursuing the hottest nurse at Pensacola Memorial then, yeah, it’s true.”

Had he really just said that? Trinity’s face caught fire and her mouth dropped. Chase had always been so private, not wanting anyone to know how much he cared about her, saying that with them both working for the hospital they should keep their relationship on the quiet. Ha, he’d sure blown that at the end.

Then again, had he really cared about her at all? She’d certainly thought so. They’d dated for nine months. She’d thought she was going to get an engagement ring for Christmas. Instead, she’d gotten a horrendous public humiliation and a reminder about why she disliked the holiday so much. Or perhaps it was Christmas that disliked her. Maybe she should ask Riley for a rain check until New Year.

Karen smiled. “I’ll be sure to let everyone know you’re off the market, Dr. Williams.”

“I didn’t know I was ever on the market. But you do that. My free time is definitely going to be occupied by this little lady so long as she’ll let me hang around.” Riley winked and nodded towards the cardiac care patient rooms. “How’s Mr. Ryker this morning? Holding his own?”

Still not quite believing how he’d just essentially given Karen permission to tell everyone that he belonged to her, Trinity shook her head in wonder.

Take that, Christmas party trio who’d called her “tonight’s lucky pick”.

She was this week’s lucky pick.

Or something like that.

Then again, she had to wonder just what he had to gain by hanging out with her. Why he’d want to. Ultimately, how much did they have in common? Was he so used to women chasing him that he had to dazzle her so she’d follow suit?

Sure, she’d enjoyed talking to him into the wee hours, but everything was different when you were bone tired, right?

Still, she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t enjoyed spending time with him the evening before, despite what he’d had her doing. She’d definitely be fibbing if she said she hadn’t derived deep pleasure from falling asleep to the sound of his voice, to his breathing on the other end of the phone, to him asking her thoughts and dreams.

No one had ever asked her those things.

“Oxygen sats are staying at 97-98%, but he’s still on two liters per minute,” she told him, referring to the patient she’d just finished checking prior to Karen’s inquisition. “Cardiac monitoring is normal. His vitals are stable. Ins and outs are normal. A physical therapist had him up walking not long ago.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

It’s what she liked to report. No nurse wanted to deliver bad news regarding a patient.

“Come round with me?”

He was her superior so of course she’d go round with him if that’s what he wanted. Based on the past couple days, she’d do a lot of things with him if that’s what he wanted. If he could get her to decorate a Christmas tree, she was pretty much at his will to command.