Nyc Angels: One Night In Manhattan

By Janice Lynn

No one at Angel Mendez Children's Hospital understands why Brandon Bishop, the talented, charismatic head of neurosurgery, wants to give up his position–and life in New York–for a research job in California. But Brandon has his own, deeply personal reasons for pursuing brain injury research on the West Coast. And so, with a month left in Manhattan, Brandon's not looking to get attached.

Yet when he meets Olivia Bowen at the local bar, neither can deny their attraction…or resist spending the night together. They both agree it's a one–time deal–no strings attached. Until Olivia reports for her first day of a nursing placement at Angel's. In Brandon's department. Suddenly, sticking to "one night" seems impossible, and "no strings" is a promise neither can keep…

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Jun 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781488740176

Janice Lynn

Janice Lynn has a master's in nursing from Vanderbilt University and works as a nurse practitioner in a family practice. She lives in the southern United States with her Prince Charming, their children, their Maltese named Moxie; and a lot of unnamed dust bunnies that have moved in since she started her writing career. Readers can visit Janice via her website at: www.janicelynn.net

Book preview

Chapter One

Don’t even think I haven’t noticed you checking out the brunette at the bar.

Dr. Brandon Bishop grimaced. Had his inability to keep his eyes off the dark-haired beauty from the second she’d stepped into O’Malley’s been that obvious?

Probably.

Even now he struggled to tear his gaze away from where she sat at the long mahogany bar, studying a menu, and looking as if she’d walked straight out of a fantasy.

Not that he had the time or inclination for fantasies that involved anything other than the neurology department at the Angel Mendez Children’s Hospital. He hadn’t, but all that was about to change.

A month from now everything about his life would be different.

Forcing his attention back to his friends, Brandon took a sip from his soda and met Ryan’s amused blue eyes. She’s a lot better view than looking at you.

Laughter broke out around the table and a few of their coworkers jabbed Ryan in the side.

He does have a point, one of the other neurologists pointed out.

Ryan rolled his eyes. Yeah, yeah, but he better be taking a long look because very soon he’s going to miss this ole mug of mine.

I just can’t believe you’re really leaving, Becky, a nurse, said with a long sigh. How could you leave Angel’s?

A twinge of guilt hit Brandon.

A twinge? More like being shot in the chest, but he wouldn’t let that get to him. Not now. He wouldn’t let his friends see even a glimmer of doubt about his decision to resign as head of neurology to take a research position in California.

Year round sunshine and an ocean breeze? Brandon went for flippant. No way was he going to tell his coworkers about what had really triggered his decision to leave New York City.

Not to mention all those tanned California girls, another of their coworkers teased.

Brandon’s gaze shifted back to the bar. He seriously doubted any California girl could compare to the woman pointing to an item on the menu and smiling at the bartender. Her smile lit up the entire bar and grill. Her smile lit up his insides like Times Square on New Year’s Eve.

Why don’t you just go talk to her?

Good question. Why didn’t he?

A thousand reasons to Ryan’s question registered at once, but that didn’t keep from Brandon pushing back his chair.

Ryan laughed and slapped him on the back. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.

***

Can I buy you a drink?

Not even glancing up at the husky male voice, Olivia Bowen gestured in front of her. A not yet touched diet soda rested on a napkin on the bar’s sleek mahogany surface.

At a bar, but not drinking? the owner of the voice tsked. Where’s the fun in that?

Wondering if perhaps she’d have been better off waiting for a table to empty, she shook her head. She’d not meant to set herself up as a target for some barfly hoping to get under her skirt. But she’d been hungry. Her contact at the nursing agency had told her O’Malley’s served the best food around and just happened to be on the bottom floor of the building where her apartment was. They must be serving something right, because the place was packed. Only the bar had been open for immediate seating.

I’m not thirsty, she replied, her gaze fixed on the laminated menu in front of her. Maybe if she ignored him, he’d take the hint and go away. She was in New York City to work, take in the sights, and further her nursing skills, not to get up close and personal with a one night stand or even to start a relationship. Bleh!

Or perhaps you just haven’t found the right drink to quench your thirst, the man continued, his nice strong voice oozing self-confidence. I’m just the man to help. I’ve tried several of the house specialties and would be more than happy to make suggestions if you’ll allow me to buy you another drink.

Just the man to help her? Ha. Who said she needed a man to help her? She didn’t. Not now. Not ever.

Annoyed by his persistence, she lifted her gaze to tell Mr. Over-Confident Barfly that she wasn’t tempted by anything he had to offer and for him to go buzz off. Even if she had been tempted by his offer, she’d learned never to give in to temptation a long, long time ago. It wasn’t a lesson she was likely to ever forget.

But when her gaze collided with the brightest sky blue eyes she’d ever seen fringed with to-die-for lashes, she fell mute, which was better than falling off her bar stool. The man smiling at her with all the charm of the devil himself was enough to knock her right off her tush and onto the barroom floor.

But it wasn’t just the way he looked. It was more. It was the intelligence in his eyes, the assured way he held his body, the magnetic appeal that drew her in as if she had an iron core. Buzz. Buzz.

No wonder he oozed self-confidence. He should be the national spokesman for barflies. Women would be lined up with picket signs reading Pick Me.

I don’t bite, he promised, those mesmerizing eyes lowering to her lips, then slowly lifting to reconnect with her gaze.

Lightning jolted through her entire body.

Wowzers. He was hot. Hot enough her skin instantly drenched and her nerve endings were doing some major buzzing of their own. Hot enough that she almost reached out to touch him to see if he was real. Instead she touched her lips, wondering at how full and sensitive they felt beneath her fingertip.

But as a single woman who traveled frequently, she knew men who offered to buy a woman a drink at a bar generally only wanted one thing. She never, ever, ever did that. Hottie or not, she just needed to tell him to shoo.

That’s too bad.