“Despite our initial encounter?”
“I know you’re kind.You’re considerate.And you’re honest.Frankly, Miss Lockhart, finding even those three attributes in a woman these days is…rare.”
“Are you sure you didn’t hit your head when you fell?”She meant the question to be a serious one.Unfortunately, it sounded just the opposite.
The man pointed to the small notepad on her desk.“May I?”
Figuring it wouldn’t hurt, she shoved it in his direction.
Pulling it toward himself, he took the pen lying next to her hand and jotted something down.When he was done, he pushed the pad back to her.
“That’s my number.If you have a change of heart, call me.I work at the Cormorand Packaging plant, but today’s my day off.We don’t have to go anywhere specifically, if you prefer not to.Or if you do, just name the place and time.Or, if you’d rather not leave these premises for safety’s sake, we could stay right here at the hospital and chat over a cup of coffee.I saw you have a Stokin’ Joe on site.”
At that moment, Grace had an odd premonition.If she said yes, could their get-together be a one-and-done?Or, if she said no, would he stalk her until she relented?
Or would he stalk her regardless of whatever decision she made?
He noticed her indecision and, to her relief, didn’t press the issue.Instead, he sighed.“Look.I’m sorry if you feel like I’m pressuring you.I’ll let you go.But if you change your mind…” He indicated the notepad.
Grace felt her smile return to her face.“Thank you.”
The man looked down to see he was still holding the pen.
“Here.”Grace reached for it.Simultaneously, Roebuck moved to place the pen back on the desk himself.Their hands met, almost repeating their collision the previous day.Except this time, Grace gave a soft cry of pain and snatched her hand back to stare at the line of blood welling between her thumb and forefinger.
Roebuck gasped.“Are you all right?I’m sorry.I didn’t mean to scratch you like that.”If he didn’t sound so sincere, she’d almost believe he did it on purpose.
She answered with a soft chuckle.“Thank goodness I work at a hospital, right?”Getting up from her seat, Grace gestured toward door.“Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get a bandaid and get back to doing my job before my boss comes looking for me.”
Roebuck smiled and stood.“Thank you again for allowing me to speak with you.I hope you change your mind and at least agree to have some coffee together.”Bobbing his head, he left the cubicle and vanished around the corner as he headed for the front of the hospital and parking lot.
Grace took a deep breath to steady herself.“Just your luck,” she murmured.“You don’t get the guy you were hoping for, and attracted one you have no interest in.”
She examined the thin cut on her hand that had to have been from one of his fingernails.A little blood was smeared across her skin, and the fresh tiny bubbles rising from the cut were already starting to harden.Even so, she went to find the hydrogen peroxide and a bandaid from the back room to clean and cover the scratch.“Can’t be contaminating any paperwork or surfaces now, can we?Let’s hope the guy isn’t carrying around any dangerous germs.”She chuckled at the lame joke as she tore the top sheet off the notepad and dropped it into the trash.
Dismissing the guy, she left to tend to her wound.
* * *
Welsh waited until he was outside the hospital before stopping on the sidewalk.Lifting his hand to his face, he briefly stared at the smear of red on his fingertips and under his nails.Her blood.
He sniffed his fingers, and that sweet, sweet aroma that had haunted him from the moment he’d first met her filled his lungs.
“Oh, yeah.This alone makes that confrontation worth the effort,” he whispered and placed his fingers in his mouth to suck every molecule of hemoglobin from his skin.
The taste was unlike anything he’d ever experienced, and he closed his eyes to savor it as long as he could.
“I don’t know why she tastes like this, but I gotta have more,” he vowed.“Let’s hope she agrees to meet me again, or else I might have to take more drastic actions.”
Chuckling, he continued on his way to the parking lot with her essence dancing on his tongue.
CHAPTER11
Awakened
Rhyne pulled into the driveway.Dropping the kickstand, he left his bike to use the keypad on the side of the garage to open the door.Once there was enough room, he pushed his bicycle inside, careful not to scratch the side of the vehicle parked there.Setting the ten-speed next to Nash’s bike, he punched the remote beside the kitchen entrance to shut the garage door.
Since it was Welsh’s day off, the man had gone by to pick up their nightly allotment from Norris.Tomorrow would be his turn again since it was his day off, which would make the third time this week that he’d gone to the hospital.
