Page 279 of Under Her Skin

BLAINE

I can’t stop looking at those green eyes. They’re so dark, it brings to mind emeralds. Her fiery-red hair is pulled back into a sensible ponytail and her deep-green scrubs actually make her look evenprettier.

Moving further into the hospital room, I lean against the counter I’m sure she’s going to have to come to in order to get something for the poor, sick boy sleeping in thebed.

She’s so beautiful. She has to be married, so I search her quick-moving hands for a wedding ring and find her fingers without a single ring on any of them.Good!

“So, how long have you been a nurse?” I askher.

She looks over her shoulder, but not directly at me. “Five years.” Her words are short and I have the distinct sense she’s judgingme.

The sound of a voice comes over the hospital’s PA system, “Nurse Richards, you’re needed in the neonatalunit.”

The gorgeous nurse looks up and sighs, parting her naturally ruby red lips as she does. “Okay. Either I’ll be back to finish him up or another nurse will come in to do it.” As she turns away from the kid in the bed, she looks at me for a second, then hurries out of theroom.

I find myself watching her as she goes and wishing she didn’t have to leave so damn fast. Then Kent takes my attention as he snaps his fingers in front of my face. “Earth toBlaine.”

“Huh?” I ask, then blink and shake my head, then look at Danny and his father. “You two fellas want to come with me to the cafeteria to grab something to eat? Mytreat.”

Danny nods and his father shakes his head. “I’ll stay with Sammy. I don’t like to leave himalone.”

Kate steps up to the plate. “Mr. Peterson, I’d be more than happy to sit with him while you go get something to eat. I work at a daycare. I’m really good with kids. And I don’t think he’s about to wake up, but if he does for some reason, I’ll call my brother, and he can let you know,okay?”

“Come on, Dad. You haven’t left this room since you brought him here,” Danny tells hisfather.

“Come on, Mr. Peterson,” Kent tells him. “I saw peach cobbler when we walked past there on our way up. It looked good. And I saw one of those ice cream machines there too. I bet some of that cobbler with some ice cream would really hit thespot.”

The man nods and gets up. “It does sound good.” He looks at Kate, who goes to take his place. “You will call if anythinghappens?”

“I promise,” she says as she pats him on his shoulder. “Now, go eat something, Mr. Peterson. It’s important to keep your strengthup.”

As we leave the room, I see the pretty nurse talking to a doctor. Her hands are on her hips and she seems to be irritated at the man. I eavesdrop as we pass them and hear her say, “Look, that’s not cool. I was with a patient. You can’t have me paged just to talk to me. It’s over and done with, Paul. I’m not playing your head games. I’m a grown woman with a good head on my shoulders. You still want to see other women, and that’s cool. Only thing is, I don’t want to be one of many—I want to be theone.”

Purposely, I hang back behind the others so I can listen to what they’re talking about. The doctor says, “And you might be. I have to have something to compare you to in order to make thatdecision.”

“And there you go,” she says. “We just aren’t meant to be, Paul. So, I’m going to get back to work after I grab a much-needed fourth cup of coffee, and you are going to stop yourshenanigans.”

“Fine, Delaney. But you’re going to be the one who regrets ending what we have. You’ll see,” he tellsher.

I hang back even more, in hopes of letting her catch up to me, since she said she was going to get coffee. And now I have an in with her, as I have something to offerher.

Her footsteps are soft but fast-paced as she walks up behind me. I hear her stepping off to one side and take a step that way too. A huffing sound comes from behind me and I stop. Turning around, I act surprised. “Oh, sorry. I thought I was getting out of the way for the person coming up behind me so fast. Seems I managed to get right in your way. Where are you off to in such a hurry, NurseRichards?”

She narrows her beautiful eyes at me, the long, dark lashes nearly touching her high cheek bones as she does. “How do you know myname?”

“They called you over the speakers only moments ago,” I say and place my hand on her elbow to steer her forward as I start walking again. “So, where is it you wereheaded?”

“The cafeteria,” she says, then looks at my hand on her arm. “Andyou?”

“Same place,” I say with a smile. “Allow me to get you something. Name yourpoison.”

Her tone is sharp as she snaps, “Coffee, and no, thank you. I can get my own coffee. I don’t need your charity, Mr.Vanderbilt.”

“Call me Blaine,” I say and move my hand from her elbow to the small of her back as we turn into the doorway of the cafeteria. “And may I call you by your first name,Delaney?”

She stops and glares at me as if I’ve called her a bitch or something other than her name. “How the hell do you know my name? That didn’t come over the PAsystem!”

“As I passed you talking to that doctor in the hallway. I heard him call you that. It’s such a pretty name,” I say as I escort her to the coffee machine and see the case of pastries beside it. “Donut?”