Page 6 of Getting Off

“I, for one, am glad he brought out that sense of humor,” Lucas said. “It has been an interesting and delightful conversation.”

A fancy way of saying it, but hell, Dylan would take it.

He found himself reluctant to get tossed out of here.

He was having fun. And Brooklyn was quite stunning.

And yeah, Lucas wasn’t half bad either. Was he mistaken, or was there a bit more than casual interest in the guy’s dark eyes when he looked at Brooklyn and looked at Dylan?

Wishful thinking? Maybe, but Dylan was eager to find out.

Lucas was watching him intently. “Tell me a little more about what you do.”

Dylan wasn’t going to pass up a chance to talk about one of the things he loved most in life. “I’m an amateur racer. I’m close to the point where I can turn pro.”

“A pro racer, huh? I think one of my companies sponsors a few of those or maybe racing teams. I have no idea if it’s off-road or stock cars or what. I’d have to check.”

“You should come out to the off-road club sometime,” Dylan urged.

He could see Dr. Brooklyn from the corner of his eye, staring at them as if they’d both lost their minds.

“We have a driving school. It’s a hell of a lot of fun.

We’ve got tourists out there doing laps in dune buggies.

You haven’t lived until you’ve rolled something you’re driving. And you can pay by the lap.”

Lucas Fox began to smile. “You know, I think I might enjoy that.”

Dr. Brooklyn’s derisive snort drew their attention. She held up a hand and took an actual physical step back from the conversation. “Oh, don’t let the neurologist rain on your parades. You two go ahead and make plans to indulge your adrenaline rushes. I’ll be busy patching you up in the aftermath.”

“Don’t worry,” Dylan said easily. “You’re invited too, Doc. I wouldn’t forget my favorite physician in the world, now would I?”

Brooklyn was going to throttle them both. She might have if she hadn’t taken an oath to do no harm.

She wanted to turn on her heel and march away and leave the boys to their adrenaline-fueled babbling. But she didn’t.

Why? Maybe she was determined to stand her ground. Both men seemed to have reached some unspoken agreement that she was the killjoy here. That she didn’t know how to have a bit of fun.

So they thought they had her number, did they? The two of them had no idea who Brooklyn Foster really was.

“Thank you for the invitation,” she told Dylan, keeping her tone formal.

Formal was best, because she found the energetic man rather likable, despite herself.

Likable…even attractive. And that was dangerous territory.

Especially standing next to two gorgeous men.

It was a wonder she could speak without getting tongue-tied.

“I’ll keep it in mind if I ever feel the desire to leave the roads and go roaming in the desert.

That said, I’ll be happy to give you a thorough exam at the time it is actually scheduled.

And now…since you crashed the party, maybe you should go before there’s trouble. ”

Dylan gave a careless glance around the ballroom. Throughout their conversation, the three of them had been getting looks from the rest of the guests. She was mortified…and irritated about it too—but not irritated at Dylan. Or Lucas. Not this time.

Because these stuffy, stick-up-their-asses snobs should mind their own business in her humblest of humble opinions.

“I don’t see any bouncers headed this way yet,” Dylan said. “I’d hate to be the first one to leave. I’m the life of this party.”

Lucas flashed that half-smile, his eyes twinkling. She swore Lucas Fox delighted in encouraging Dylan’s worst behavior.

She would never admit it, but part of her found Dylan’s expressions, his vibrant personality, fascinating.

There was something utterly devil may care about the man.

As if he could not be bothered to feel fear or apprehension or anything else that a normal person might experience when confronted with his own mortality—or awkward social situations.

Didn’t he worry about getting hurt or being killed for heaven’s sake?

Lucas glanced at her. “I say, let him stay for the fundraiser. He sounds healthy to me. Then again, I’m not a doctor.”

She eyed Lucas coldly. “That’s right. You’re not a doctor.” She turned her ire on Dylan again. “Are you having any dizziness, nausea, or difficulty focusing?”

“Nothing like that. No headache, either.” Dylan looked almost boyishly hopeful.

“How about insomnia or ringing in your ears? Any irritability?”

“Do I seem fucking irritable?”

She stared at him, and so did Lucas. Then Dylan broke up laughing.

“The looks on your faces. Priceless,” Dylan teased. “But seriously. No irritability. I’m fine. I feel totally normal.”

“Without examining you, I can only make assumptions.” This man was such a pain in her ass. So how did he manage to be more endearing than obnoxious? “But since the initial concussion was mild, there’s a high chance you’re fine.”

Dylan grinned and pumped his fist. “ Yes !”

“But I’m not officially signing off on you yet. So you still won’t be able to race for your club.”

That deflated him some. A dose of caution would do this man a lot of good. And yet she couldn’t help but admire his zest for life. He was so…so… likable. And good-looking in a very raw, unpolished, very male way. Too much testosterone. Too much courage. But still…

Brooklyn shook her head. She didn’t want to think about how attracted she was to either of these men. It would be wise to forget about men in general and just go on about her daily life.

Although…she hadn’t felt awkward once since Dylan had burst in here, making a scene. That didn’t make sense, because Dylan had disrupted the entire event and had these glitterati and stuffy old snobs whispering to each other behind their hands.

How amazing was that?

Lucas couldn’t recall the last time he’d enjoyed a conversation so thoroughly.

And it wasn’t only Dylan Pierce either. Or maybe it was.

Dylan had somehow managed to annoy Brooklyn without driving her off.

He’d somehow made her open up a little. Or connect a little.

He wasn’t sure how to describe it exactly.

She was still formal, but she’d warmed to them. Perhaps she felt more comfortable now.

Her attitude toward Dylan—at least what he picked up from her—was interesting. It was as if she admired him in spite of her determination to disapprove of everything he did.

As for him, he liked the other guy. True, they’d had a bit of a rocky start, doing a little posturing and the back and forth about sports cars and off-road vehicles.

But the guy was his type of male. Lucas never fooled around with men from his “social class,” whatever the hell that was supposed to mean these days.

He wasn’t drawn to artists or creative types either.

He didn’t like melodrama with men. But Dylan was the type of guy that drew his eye.

Full of life. Fearless. Direct. Simple. Had a sense of humor and a bit of cockiness to him. Someone who wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. Someone who knew how to live life on a gut level, all nerve-endings and excitement.

Lucas wanted to see how this played out. And to think, he’d expected tonight to be boring beyond belief.

It had turned out to be anything but boring.

Suddenly, Dylan’s handsome face lit up. “I’ve got the perfect idea.”

“What is it?” Brooklyn asked.

Was that dread on her face? How amusing. That only made Lucas more eager to hear this perfect idea.

“You’ll love it,” Dylan continued. “Let’s ditch this boring scene. I’ll take you out to the club, Dr. Brooklyn. You can get behind the wheel and take something out for a spin. That way, you’ll know exactly what it is that I do when I’m out on a regular run. After that, you can sign my form.”

“Are you completely out of your mind?” Dr. Brooklyn looked so horrified by the idea that Lucas had to fight back laughter. “You want me to drive one of your off-road trucks over a dirt track with a patient beside me? A patient who was injured rolling one of those trucks over?”

Dylan’s grin was nearly ear to ear. “It sounds even more awesome when you say it.”

“Absolutely not.”

“It’s better than this stuffy shindig. Did you see the food? Nothing has cheese.”

Lucas chuckled. “He has you there. On both counts.”

Brooklyn shot him a look of annoyance. Dylan’s raw enthusiasm touched something inside Lucas.

Dylan Pierce seemed like one of those rare individuals who had a simple and powerful love of life, excitement, and challenge.

That love permeated every facet of his personality until there was no room for the petty and frustrating everyday issues that most people drowned in.

Dylan nodded. “That settles it. I win. So let’s go.”

Dr. Foster reached out and snagged Dylan’s arm before he could march off. “No way, Dylan. I’m not going to let you get behind the wheel just because I’m in the vehicle. That’s unethical. And I’ve never driven a truck before. It’s an accident waiting to happen.”

Dylan seemed nonplussed. “Okay. No jumps. We’ll head into the desert.

” He glanced at Lucas, and his eyes lit up again.

“Another perfect idea just hit me. We’ll let Lucas pop his off-road cherry.

That way, you both get a chance to see what I’m talking about.

You can’t knock it until you try it, right? ”

“Now you want Mr. Fox to drive in the desert?” This seemed to throw her for a loop. “But…it’s dark out!”

“That’s part of the fun. The trucks have all kinds of lights for night racing.”

Lucas felt a jolt of real excitement. The first he’d felt in days. He was surprised by Dylan’s offer to include him in this outing, but he found himself grateful.

“I’m in,” he said.

“So you’re encouraging this,” Brooklyn snapped.

He shrugged. “Chances like this don’t come along often. Something new and exciting. You have to take them when they come, or you’ll miss out on something that could be life-changing.”

“Spare me your motivational-poster platitudes,” she griped.

That made him smile. He liked it when she wasn’t so coldly professional, even when she was pissed. “Think about it. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be out in the desert with nothing but the lights on the truck and the stars overhead and all that open space.”

“See?” Dylan was so excited that he looped his arm over Lucas’s shoulders. Lucas felt a thrill run from that point of contact all through his body. “Lucas gets it. Just come and try it, Dr. Brooklyn. I want to show you a good time. Don’t judge a book until you’ve read it and all of that stuff.”

“Oh, I see. Instead, I have to risk my life joining a live-action, low-budget movie remake of the book before I can judge it?” Dr. Foster was now glowering at both of them. Strange, but it actually made her appear even more beautiful. Maybe it was how her eyes flashed with emotion.

“Come on, Dr. Foster,” Lucas chided gently. She wanted to go. At least he was ninety percent positive she did. The woman couldn’t possibly be all business all the time. “You want funding for a trauma center? Then come with us and have some fun.”

Her mouth dropped open in shock. “That’s…that’s blackmail !”

“No, it’s encouragement.” He gave her his most charming smile.

“I was already going to fund the trauma center. But we both know you need to score some points with Harvey Gibson, and if you prove you can loosen up enough to enjoy yourself and have fun, I’ll tell him you’re the only reason he’s getting the funding.

It should make you an even better candidate for that top position. ”

Lucas felt a niggling doubt about pushing on her like this.

He knew she was qualified for the position, but he kept getting the sense from Dr. Gibson that the man was opposed to her getting it.

But money could pull a lot of strings. She would thank him later.

Besides, he was going to donate the money whether she went with them or not.

This would simply make the whole situation more satisfying.

And if she hated it, she could pin the blame on him.

She eyed him, but he had trouble reading her expression. “I don’t need your help with Gibson, thank you very much. But fine. I’ll go. It’s crazy, but I’ll go.”

“Yes!” Dylan pumped a fist.

“I’m only doing this because I do have an open mind. I want you both to realize that I’m not against people living their lives and doing things that they enjoy. I only think they need to be more conscientious about it. That’s all.”

Lucas bit back a smile. After all, he had won. Again. “Admirable.”

She glared at him as if reading his mind. “And if I get hurt, I’m suing you, Lucas Fox.”

He chuckled. God, she had some fire once you got past that wall of ice she’d built around herself. “You wouldn’t be the first.”

“Great!” Dylan said and grabbed hold of Dr. Foster’s arm. He towed both her and Lucas toward the exit. “Now that we all agree on who to sue, it’s time to have some real fun!”