the book onto the bed. “I’ve heard of Gujarati. I’m sorry. I’m not feeling very well.”
She fingered her bangles. “Uh, maybe some water would help?” It would certainly give him an excuse to raise his hand to his mouth.
He nodded and padded to the sink, gripping the white porcelain with one hand, his shoulders blocking the front of his body. She could hear water running. When he turned back and went to the bed, his hand appeared empty, but she knew the kit was there. He snagged the book. “You know, I think I’ve read this.”
He thrust the hand with the book through the bars. The large, hardcover book seemed smaller in his capable hand, as if it’d shrunk when she’d passed it over.
She moistened her dry lips with her tongue. Almost done.
Now all she had to do was take the book and the collection kit from his hand.
Her hand swung up from her side. The memory of his lips on her wrist heated her cheeks, spurring the dhol in her chest to greater heights. The sensation that she watched her body from the outside overwhelmed her. Calm down, Anjali . Dropping the kit would be like waving a red flag in front of the camera. There was no way Anders would miss it. She’d be fired.
“You gonna take this?” Jake’s glance darted toward the camera.
“Of course.” She stepped closer. Her hand closed around the book, the plastic kit, and his fingers. Afraid to move too quickly and fumble, she slid her hand forward, the pads of her fingers and her palm gliding along the back of his hand. Tiny hairs and warm, smooth skin tickled her palm. His scent enveloped her. A heady mix she could never describe but seemed exactly like a man should smell. She almost closed her eyes in pleasure.
His gaze came up to hers, and she could see his pupils had widened, leaving only a golden ring of iris and knew her own were just as wide, as if her body longed to open to him in every way.
She hung there, suspended in the amber of his eyes, knowing she was taking far too long, knowing if Anders was watching the monitor, he’d see them in essence holding hands, and would be there any second, but unable to wrench away.
Flecks of blue formed in his irises and merged, until all the gold was gone. She swore she could feel his heartbeat in her hand and it beat in time with hers.
He tugged her toward him until she could feel his body heat through the bars. His head lowered. His lips parted. She waited, every nerve on overload.
“Get out,” he said. “Get out now.”
Chapter 10
Anjali barely made it back to the safety of her desk in her office before she collapsed. Raising a trembling hand to her head, she realized she still held the plastic kit.
She grabbed the mail-in envelope she’d prepared earlier, dropped the kit in, and stuffed the package into her purse to put in the mail on her way home. She marshaled her rioting nerves, ruffling through her papers and trying not to think about what had happened during the exchange.
How could the touch of a man’s hand have upended her like that, driving all thoughts of her plan straight out of her head?
Her phone rang and Anjali picked up, thankful for the distraction. I’ll take normality for one hundred. Thank you, Alex.
“Dr. Mehta?” The soft female voice with a slight foreign cadence was unfamiliar to Anjali.
She blinked. “Yes?”
“This is Dr. Xa.”
Why was her new doctor contacting her? “Hello, Dr. Did I forget to fill out a form?”
“No. The RN labs called about your blood work.”
“My blood work?” The workup should have been routine. Anjali’s heart caught an edge, snowplowing into a faster rhythm. This couldn’t be good.
“Yes.” The other woman paused. “I’d like you to come in as soon as possible. Your CBC shows an elevated white blood count. Probably nothing to worry about. As you know, leukocytosis could be a result of a bacterial infection or even stress.”
“Or leukemia,” Anjali said, thinking of a childhood friend lost to the
She fingered her bangles. “Uh, maybe some water would help?” It would certainly give him an excuse to raise his hand to his mouth.
He nodded and padded to the sink, gripping the white porcelain with one hand, his shoulders blocking the front of his body. She could hear water running. When he turned back and went to the bed, his hand appeared empty, but she knew the kit was there. He snagged the book. “You know, I think I’ve read this.”
He thrust the hand with the book through the bars. The large, hardcover book seemed smaller in his capable hand, as if it’d shrunk when she’d passed it over.
She moistened her dry lips with her tongue. Almost done.
Now all she had to do was take the book and the collection kit from his hand.
Her hand swung up from her side. The memory of his lips on her wrist heated her cheeks, spurring the dhol in her chest to greater heights. The sensation that she watched her body from the outside overwhelmed her. Calm down, Anjali . Dropping the kit would be like waving a red flag in front of the camera. There was no way Anders would miss it. She’d be fired.
“You gonna take this?” Jake’s glance darted toward the camera.
“Of course.” She stepped closer. Her hand closed around the book, the plastic kit, and his fingers. Afraid to move too quickly and fumble, she slid her hand forward, the pads of her fingers and her palm gliding along the back of his hand. Tiny hairs and warm, smooth skin tickled her palm. His scent enveloped her. A heady mix she could never describe but seemed exactly like a man should smell. She almost closed her eyes in pleasure.
His gaze came up to hers, and she could see his pupils had widened, leaving only a golden ring of iris and knew her own were just as wide, as if her body longed to open to him in every way.
She hung there, suspended in the amber of his eyes, knowing she was taking far too long, knowing if Anders was watching the monitor, he’d see them in essence holding hands, and would be there any second, but unable to wrench away.
Flecks of blue formed in his irises and merged, until all the gold was gone. She swore she could feel his heartbeat in her hand and it beat in time with hers.
He tugged her toward him until she could feel his body heat through the bars. His head lowered. His lips parted. She waited, every nerve on overload.
“Get out,” he said. “Get out now.”
Chapter 10
Anjali barely made it back to the safety of her desk in her office before she collapsed. Raising a trembling hand to her head, she realized she still held the plastic kit.
She grabbed the mail-in envelope she’d prepared earlier, dropped the kit in, and stuffed the package into her purse to put in the mail on her way home. She marshaled her rioting nerves, ruffling through her papers and trying not to think about what had happened during the exchange.
How could the touch of a man’s hand have upended her like that, driving all thoughts of her plan straight out of her head?
Her phone rang and Anjali picked up, thankful for the distraction. I’ll take normality for one hundred. Thank you, Alex.
“Dr. Mehta?” The soft female voice with a slight foreign cadence was unfamiliar to Anjali.
She blinked. “Yes?”
“This is Dr. Xa.”
Why was her new doctor contacting her? “Hello, Dr. Did I forget to fill out a form?”
“No. The RN labs called about your blood work.”
“My blood work?” The workup should have been routine. Anjali’s heart caught an edge, snowplowing into a faster rhythm. This couldn’t be good.
“Yes.” The other woman paused. “I’d like you to come in as soon as possible. Your CBC shows an elevated white blood count. Probably nothing to worry about. As you know, leukocytosis could be a result of a bacterial infection or even stress.”
“Or leukemia,” Anjali said, thinking of a childhood friend lost to the
Similar Books
