I’ll have to get the nurse for you. I’m just supposed to sit.” Sit? What did that mean?
He paid little attention to her hasty exit, and tried to get some sort of reaction out of Sabrina. Lifting his hand to stroke her cheek, he tried again. “Sabrina? It’s Jason. What’s going on?”
A little sigh escaped her mouth and she leaned into his touch. Anyone who walked into the room this very second might have assumed they’d interrupted an intimate moment. He almost believed it himself.
The skin of her cheek was soft, fleshy and a flash of memory reminded him of her smile. The way her cheeks rounded and pulled a similar smile from him. For a second he thought about tracing over her cheek and running his fingertip over her ear. Maybe cup her head between his hands and stare into those beautiful hazel eyes.
In this moment, she looked young. Innocent.
Beautiful.
On one hand that thought surprised him, but on the other, didn’t. Yes, he’d given in to a kiss with her, another intimate moment taken advantage of. But in retrospect, he realized he couldn’t be certain if he truly found her attractive. Of course some men would, but she wasn’t his type. For one, she was black. Dating outside his race had never crossed his mind, the reception they would receive by his family questionable.
The thing about it was kissing her just about blew him away. But that night, it had been natural. She pressed her mouth to his and he just let himself enjoy it. His body responded in the only way it knew how around a woman who stoked his lust.
Her lips moved, bringing him out of reverie. Leaning closer, he tried to listen. The words escaped him and he leaned closer still, bringing his ear so close to her mouth, the hot brush of her breath sending a shiver through him.
“Home,” she whispered softly.
He pulled back. “I’ll take you home. Let me find the nurse, okay?” Nothing in her glazed eyes indicated she heard him. Her lips continued their insistent movement. Now he recognized the single syllable they formed. The same word, “home”, repeated over and again.
As if on a cue, a gaunt woman with a horselike face pushed through the curtain.
“Are you Mr. Raines?”
“Yeah, I’m Jason. Laura?” He rose and extended his hand.
She nodded, gripping his hand in hers. The young girl in black entered and resumed her previous post across from Sabrina. “Can you tell me what’s going on here?
She won’t tell me what’s wrong,” he said.
Laura’s eyes narrowed. “How well do you know Sabrina?” For some reason, her tone put him on the defensive. “How well do you?” 35
Dee Carney
Her eyebrow arched, but she ignored his question. “Sabrina’s been off her meds again.”
What kind of…ah. The voices. So all the rumors about her hearing voices had a ring of truth to them after all. Maybe “hearing the dead” actually related to a medical diagnosis.
Who to believe though? Sabrina or the nurse?
“Listen, we need to know if there’s someone who can guarantee she’ll be taking the meds prescribed to her. One day something bad’s gonna happen, and she’ll end up in jail or worse, instead of here where we know her.” Her hand slipped into her pocket and retrieved a slip of paper. “She’s got to take these medications. Can you convince her?”
He glanced at the prescription she just passed to him. “I…” Don’t know her like that.
Did he really want to take on this woman’s problems? Out of the clear blue someone expected him to ride up like some kind of knight on a white steed and rescue her. But that wasn’t him.
Shit. Wasn’t this the same thing he’d asked of Sabrina over a week ago? “I’ll get her home. That’s where she wants to go.”
Laura stopped short of rolling her eyes. “That’s always where she wants to go.
Before getting her there, please stop and get those meds filled. Follow the directions and make sure she’s taking them.”
Sabrina paid no attention to their
He paid little attention to her hasty exit, and tried to get some sort of reaction out of Sabrina. Lifting his hand to stroke her cheek, he tried again. “Sabrina? It’s Jason. What’s going on?”
A little sigh escaped her mouth and she leaned into his touch. Anyone who walked into the room this very second might have assumed they’d interrupted an intimate moment. He almost believed it himself.
The skin of her cheek was soft, fleshy and a flash of memory reminded him of her smile. The way her cheeks rounded and pulled a similar smile from him. For a second he thought about tracing over her cheek and running his fingertip over her ear. Maybe cup her head between his hands and stare into those beautiful hazel eyes.
In this moment, she looked young. Innocent.
Beautiful.
On one hand that thought surprised him, but on the other, didn’t. Yes, he’d given in to a kiss with her, another intimate moment taken advantage of. But in retrospect, he realized he couldn’t be certain if he truly found her attractive. Of course some men would, but she wasn’t his type. For one, she was black. Dating outside his race had never crossed his mind, the reception they would receive by his family questionable.
The thing about it was kissing her just about blew him away. But that night, it had been natural. She pressed her mouth to his and he just let himself enjoy it. His body responded in the only way it knew how around a woman who stoked his lust.
Her lips moved, bringing him out of reverie. Leaning closer, he tried to listen. The words escaped him and he leaned closer still, bringing his ear so close to her mouth, the hot brush of her breath sending a shiver through him.
“Home,” she whispered softly.
He pulled back. “I’ll take you home. Let me find the nurse, okay?” Nothing in her glazed eyes indicated she heard him. Her lips continued their insistent movement. Now he recognized the single syllable they formed. The same word, “home”, repeated over and again.
As if on a cue, a gaunt woman with a horselike face pushed through the curtain.
“Are you Mr. Raines?”
“Yeah, I’m Jason. Laura?” He rose and extended his hand.
She nodded, gripping his hand in hers. The young girl in black entered and resumed her previous post across from Sabrina. “Can you tell me what’s going on here?
She won’t tell me what’s wrong,” he said.
Laura’s eyes narrowed. “How well do you know Sabrina?” For some reason, her tone put him on the defensive. “How well do you?” 35
Dee Carney
Her eyebrow arched, but she ignored his question. “Sabrina’s been off her meds again.”
What kind of…ah. The voices. So all the rumors about her hearing voices had a ring of truth to them after all. Maybe “hearing the dead” actually related to a medical diagnosis.
Who to believe though? Sabrina or the nurse?
“Listen, we need to know if there’s someone who can guarantee she’ll be taking the meds prescribed to her. One day something bad’s gonna happen, and she’ll end up in jail or worse, instead of here where we know her.” Her hand slipped into her pocket and retrieved a slip of paper. “She’s got to take these medications. Can you convince her?”
He glanced at the prescription she just passed to him. “I…” Don’t know her like that.
Did he really want to take on this woman’s problems? Out of the clear blue someone expected him to ride up like some kind of knight on a white steed and rescue her. But that wasn’t him.
Shit. Wasn’t this the same thing he’d asked of Sabrina over a week ago? “I’ll get her home. That’s where she wants to go.”
Laura stopped short of rolling her eyes. “That’s always where she wants to go.
Before getting her there, please stop and get those meds filled. Follow the directions and make sure she’s taking them.”
Sabrina paid no attention to their
Similar Books
