How could he have seen her feet and high-heeled sandals on Saturday night? She’d gone out of her way to avoid him the rest of the night at the charity event.
“Cookie?” he offered.
Chocolate—who could resist? She accepted and nibbled.
Chloe and Jezebel came sniffing around and he made them sit and shake his hand with their paws before he gave them their biscuits. She caught herself smiling and put a quick end to it.
“I hope you realize that this evening doesn’t qualify for the date I purchased.”
She lifted a brow in mid-bite.
“I bought a special date. You have to get dressed up. Wear those sexy shoes. And we’ll go to a fancy dinner by the ocean.”
Fighting a sudden urge to run for the hills, she sipped some tea. “Listen, Rick.” She swallowed the rest of her cookie. “You don’t have to take me out and drop a lot of your hard-earned money. I’m just grateful you contributed what you did for a great cause.”
“Sorry, no can do,” he said, with determination in his dark brown eyes. “I bought a date, and I expect a date. Besides, I want to get to know the real China Seabury. The one you keep locked away behind your crusader façade.”
His gaze sent a shiver to her core.
She tensed.
“I bet you didn’t think I knew ‘façade’, did you?”
She smirked, wondering how he knew exactly what she’d been thinking.
“I’m just talking dinner,” he said. “Don’t worry.”
“Why do you want to do this?” He was totally out of her league. Did he have some twisted bet with someone or, worse yet, a vendetta to repay? What had she ever done to him, other than ignore him?
“In case you haven’t noticed, China, you’re an interesting woman.” His dark, knowing gaze startled her. “I think you work too hard, fundraise too much, crusade non-stop, and, hell, you deserve a break. You’re moody and tough to get along with, but I think there’s something you’re hiding, and I’m curious to find out what it is.”
China tensed. She’d spent years skillfully concealing her guilt and shame. Was she that transparent?
“And, to be honest, I think we’ve got a lot in common.”
She sputtered in mid-sip of tea. “Us?”
A taunting smile spread across his face. “Yes, us.”
“I don’t mean to be rude, but I think you’re nuts. We couldn’t be more different if we tried.”
Her negative attitude didn’t faze him. He just grinned, annoyingly.
“I like a challenge,” he said.
He’d gotten under her skin enough for a lifetime, and now was the time to make her break. She stood up. “Thank you for dinner and the tea. I almost enjoyed myself.”
There was no need to be rude, but she was scared.
Why had she started to retreat? A strange disappointment niggled in the back of her mind. The thought of snuggling on Rick’s couch and watching a DVD seemed oddly appealing. What the hell was she thinking? Snuggling led to closeness, and closeness led to heartbreak. She’d traveled down that road already. Not to mention the constant knowledge of how little she deserved that factored into her every thought, in every moment, of every day. Never again would she be open to any kind of personal relationship, especially with someone like Rick.
There seemed to be two Ricks—the brazen charmer at work, and the unplugged home version, definitely the more appealing of the two. What was a girl to believe? Did he really want to get to know her? Or just have her and run?
China searched for her purse, totally bewildered.
Rick strolled to the front door and pushed it open. He stared at her with a thoughtful gaze, as if calling her bluff. His warm brown eyes almost melted her resolve to dislike him.
She followed his lead, and walked toward the door, wishing things could be different yet utterly torn between her natural instinct to protect herself and good judgement. Was she making a mistake by leaving?
She sensed his desire when she reached him. Chills started at the crown of her head and fell like a waterfall down her spine to her toes. Using all of her resolve to ignore the lure, she stepped passed him. Just when she thought she’d made it home free, he reached for her arm and turned her around.
“You’re a terrible actress.”
Looking into his eyes, she saw intensity and longing that matched her own. It frightened her. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t want to leave any more than I want you to.”
In that instant she knew he intended to kiss her and, surprisingly, she wanted to kiss him back. Her pulse tripled its beat, and her breathing went haywire.
He grasped her arms and tugged her close. Now the thought of resisting didn’t cross her mind. An odd excitement sent a shiver to her bones as his mouth covered hers in a warm, inviting kiss.
Her lips softened and welcomed his in a fashion she hadn’t felt for many years. Her hands crept up his shoulders and around his neck, absorbing the wondrous sensation of heat and strength. His fingers splayed across her back and shoulders, keeping her snug in his embrace. She relished the sensation, and took a deep, relaxing breath before teasing and inviting his tongue into her mouth. The soft, velvety feel and herbal tea taste took her breath away.
Was it wise to kiss a man who wanted to know her secrets? What was she doing? Oh, hell, who cared? This was too good.
She gave in, went woozy, and the earth stirred beneath her feet. Amazed, she shook while braced in the deep, luscious kiss. The floor shifted under her.
Wow.
It wasn’t her imagination.
They parted lips and discovered, much to their surprise, a genuine earthquake. They locked into a surprised stare, testing reality in each other’s eyes. The doorway shook and rattled for a few seconds, then settled down.
Fear enveloped her, as her pulse bounded through her chest.
“That was one hell of a kiss.” He tried to sound casual, but fell short. “We made the earth move.”
She gave a nervous laugh. Edgy, she held onto Rick. He embraced her protectively, and comforted her with a peck on the top of her head.
“Don’t worry. It’s just a small one.”
No sooner had he said it than a rumbling started in the distance and grew until it rolled through the house, jiggling and shaking everything inside. The gyrating earth turned quickly to jackhammer vibrations, banging fiercely on the foundations of his house.
China felt as if a giant was trying to shake her out of a box. And a loud eerie sound, something she’d never heard before, assaulted her ears, as though a roaring locomotive drove through Rick’s yard.
Lights flashed. Glass broke and shattered. Furniture fell into the center of his living room.
Crashing.
Banging.
Shaking.
They were thrown off his front porch to the ground.
Fear grabbed hold, disorienting her, making her stomach go queasy. She screamed.
He covered her body with his own to protect her from flying debris. They scrambled to their knees, ran and huddled together in his front yard, watching out for falling branches. Her heart quivered and her palms went damp with alarm.
The shaking and trembling continued for what seemed like an eternity. And then, as quickly as it had begun, it stopped.
Haunting stillness.
An odd silence replaced the chaos.
China looked at Rick, who scanned the yard and house. He pulled her to her feet and gave her a reassuring look. Cautiously, she returned a half-hearted smile, though her pulse still raced.
Neighbors ran out of their houses and into the streets, talking fast and calling to friends.
“That felt like a 6 or more,” one neighbor announced.
China agreed. The tumbler had seemed to last close to a minute. She knew the longer an earthquake went on the higher the Richter scale reading.
Jezebel and Chloe rushed out of the house to find Rick. They barked, terror in their eyes. He held them and trie
d to settle them down while checking if they had any injuries. Holding onto their collars, he whistled through his teeth and called to his next-door neighbor.
“Hey, Nick. You okay?”
“Yeah,” Nick said. “Everything OK with you?”
“We’re OK. Hey, man. I need to ask you a favor.”
“Shoot.”
“Once I’ve turned off my gas and water, I’m going to have to report to the hospital. Can you keep the dogs for me?”
“Sure, you know I will.” Nick strode over, bent down and petted both of the panting dogs. They seemed to respond to him, as though they knew him well.
China could read the hesitation in Rick’s eyes about leaving his pets so soon after something as stressful as an earthquake, but she also knew, as well as he did, that it was necessary.
She thought about Timmy, Sierra, Lance, and her mother. Were they OK? What damage had their houses sustained? Was anyone hurt?
A million thoughts rushed through her head, not the least of which was a mystified realization that Rick Morell wasn’t at all what he appeared to be. But there was no time now to ponder what that meant.
Any dedicated medical professional worth their salt reported to work after a natural disaster. With power outages and broken glass, the number-one injury would be cuts and lacerations, not to mention broken bones from people stumbling through the dark, or having furniture fall on them, and much worse injuries. She shivered at the thought. The ER would be crawling with patients. And the hospital would be on Code Orange disaster alert.
Counting her blessings for avoiding a close call with a deviously attractive man, she pretended not to be disappointed. She brushed herself off, and prepared for the long night ahead.
“After I shut things up here, we’ll go by your house and turn your gas and water off, OK?”
She nodded, following him, numbly wondering what damage she’d find at her apartment, glad to have Rick at her side.
“Then we’ll report for duty.”
She agreed wholeheartedly with him.
He turned, and with a tug on her hand he pulled her forward to look squarely into her eyes.
“And after everything is over, and things have settled down, we’ll get back to you and me.”
She stopped dead in her tracks and thought she felt the earth move again.
CHAPTER FIVE
CHINA and Rick pushed through a crowd of stunned and animated people gathered in front of Mercy Hospital. Boisterous with anxiety, the throng pressed onward, impatiently waiting for casualty triage. They made their way up to the entrance where a temporary command post had been erected in the hospital lobby.
Spotting the night-shift nursing supervisor, who manned one of the tables, China waved and navigated through more people, edging closer to the front. The nurse was busily assessing a misshapen forearm.
“Looks like a fractured radius. You need to go to Radiology, the orange station.” She pointed in the direction.
China and Rick inched closer to the table.
“Excuse me,” China said to the annoyed man blocking her path. “I work here.”
“We’re reporting for duty,” Rick added, using a warm hand on the small of her back as he protectively guided her around the unmoving male.
The nurse looked frazzled. “Hi. I’m so glad you’re OK. I got picked for first-line triage,” she said quickly, with wide, adrenaline-washed eyes.
China could barely hear her over the noisy crowd.
“Are you OK?” China had never felt particularly close to the woman, but under the circumstances wanted to reach out and hug her.
The nurse nodded as they briefly touched hands. Someone pushed against China, and Rick stepped between her and the rest of the crowd.
He raised his voice. “Everyone, please, be patient. We’ll evaluate your injuries and send you to the proper areas for treatment as quickly as possible.”
Several other hospital managers and administrators lined the long table, walkie-talkies in hand.
“Please, folks,” one said. “Stay calm and be patient. We’re doing the best we can. You will all be seen tonight.” His voice was assuring and authoritative. “Be patient.”
“Can you believe what a mess things are?” China grasped the nurse’s hands and clung tightly. The nurse blinked back a trace of tears. “It was horrible. I thought the hospital was going to collapse.”
China remembered the shocking sight of her apartment. Nothing had been left standing. Everything she owned seemed to have been thrown into a pile in the middle of the living-room floor. Her kitchen was a heap of broken dishes and rapidly defrosting food. She avoided the thought of eventually going home and dealing with it. Remembering feeling like the earth would swallow her up at Rick’s house, she could imagine what the hospital must have been like during the earthquake.
She glanced around the lobby, normally clean and functional. Everything was in disarray. Clean-up crews worked efficiently sweeping up debris. Several engineers scuttled around, large flashlights in hand, calling out orders to each other, and taping a big orange “X” across the elevators.
“I guess the earthquake retrofitting we did sure paid off,” China said. “Things are messed up, but at least the hospital is still standing and functional.”
“Yeah,” Rick said. “It could have been a lot worse. Looks like things are getting under control.”
“As long as the back-up generator holds up.” The nurse forced a smile. “Thanks for coming in, guys.”
China opened her mouth to respond when the hospital administrator appeared.
“Listen, China, we can use you in the ambulatory station.” She scanned her clipboard. “That’s the green station in the urgent care area.” She glanced up. “It’s for minor lacerations, minimal treatments. Any impaired function goes to the ER. If the UCC overflows, we’ll use the conference room down the hall.”
Her eyes fell on Rick. “Oh, great. We can use you in the goldenrod station. Immediate stabilization in the ER.” The walkie-talkie she held squawked.
China glanced at Rick, preparing to say goodbye. He offered a reassuring smile and rubbed her shoulder. The gesture, though small, gave her confidence that she could handle whatever lay ahead.
“Oh, hey,” the administrator broke in. “First, can you two help out with patient movement?” The short, stout woman didn’t waste any time changing assignments. “The fifth floor has suffered extreme damage and we need to evacuate the remaining ventilator patients.”
The confidence that she could handle whatever was thrown at her wobbled a little.
Rick grabbed her wrist with a strong hand. “We’re on it.”
Just before they left, a very pregnant lady appeared at the head of the line. “She’s in labor,” the man beside her said in a loud and strained voice.
“Get a wheelchair,” the commanding administrator said to one of the assistants. “Take her to the purple station, obstetrics, first floor.”
“Down this way,” Rick said. “Follow us.”
China and Rick crossed the foyer, dodging some overturned vases and potted plants. The dim back-up lighting forced them to move cautiously. China followed Rick’s sure-footed path past the elevators to the stairs.
“It’s right down this hall,” he said, smiling encouragingly at the husband and pregnant wife.
A temporary purple arrow pointed the way to the assigned obstetrics triage area.
When Rick opened the door to the stairwell, China focused on his boots and denim clad legs and followed suit. Taking the steps two at a time, she managed to keep up with him until the third floor. She yanked her hand free, bursting for breath.
“Hold on,” she gasped. “I won’t be able to help if I die first.” Her thighs were already tightening up, reacting to Rick’s athletic lead up the stairs. She placed her hands on her hips and worked to steady her breathing. The air was stuffy and the stairwell hot.
He stopped abruptly. “I’m sorry, I guess I got too focused. It’s l
ike a war zone here. I slipped into military mode.”
Too many months of planning meetings after work, instead of time at the gym, had left her out of shape. But eager to help, she inhaled the stale air and sprinted up the next flight of stairs, leaving Rick in her wake.
They reached the fifth floor to find it eerie and darker than the lobby. A solitary stressed-out nurse with a flashlight greeted them. “We’re over here.”
Two orderlies rolled portable oxygen tanks across the deserted nurses’ station.
Rick burst on the scene like a tornado. “How many patients are left? Where are they?”
“Two,” the nurse replied. “Rooms 5003 and 5007, the private rooms.”
“Who is the sickest?”
“5007.”
Rick ran to the entrance. China padded quickly behind. The room housed a comatose young female patient who must have weighed close to three hundred pounds.
“We’ll move 5003 first.”
Rick ran to the bedside of the first patient, a frail old man, just as an aftershock rocked the floor.
China tensed and stood perfectly still. Fighting a surge of terror, she scanned the hospital ward, searching for a safe place to take shelter, deciding to dive under the nurses’ station desk. She didn’t breathe until a few seconds later when the shaking stopped. She ventured back to the room in time to hear Rick console the patient.
“We’re going to move you down to the ER holding area. You’ll be safe there.” He’d padded the man’s head with a pillow to protect him from any fallout during the shaker.
She stepped up to the bedside and saw a gaunt face and dark eyes dart anxiously from her to Rick and back. She stroked his bony hand.
“We’ll take good care of you. We promise.” She smiled, first at the patient and then at Rick.
For a millisecond their eyes met, and he gave an appreciative smile, one you’d expect from an old friend, an old, sexy friend, causing a quick burst of adrenaline in her chest. She looked away rather than deal with her awakening feelings.
Her L.A. Knight Page 5
