Possession by Linda Mooney Page B

contents—milk.
    One of the nurses must have seen her exploration and gave a little gasp of surprise.
    “You’re blind?”
    J threw her a partial smile. “Sorry. No one told you?”
    “It’s not noted on your chart. I’ll go fix that right away.”
    “No need to. I’ll be leaving in a while. But I would appreciate it if you’d put my clothes at the foot of the bed so I can find them.”
    “Sure thing, honey. My name’s Amber. Call me if you need anything else.”
    “I will. Thanks, Amber.”
    “Another nurse will be in in a sec to take the IV out.”
    “Okay.”
    J continued to eat as the nurses finished whatever they were doing and finally left.
    The moment the door closed behind them, a soft chuckle came from the far end of the room. “Just when things begin to get interesting between us, we get interrupted.”
    Grinning with the fork pressed against her lower lip, J replied, “Just wait until tonight, buster. Once I lock that front door, ain’t no body gonna come in and interrupt us.”
    She froze, shocked by the words that had come out of her mouth. She hadn’t meant to say them, at least not out loud. But she knew as well as he did that what had occurred between them a few minutes ago had only been a prelude to something more. Something grander and far-reaching. Just like his touch had led to their first kiss, the kiss to their admission of love. The admission to his first bold, albeit gentle molding of her breast in his hand. Their next step was as certain as day following night.
    Her face felt as hot as if she had sunburned. Lowering her head, J picked at her food and waited for what he would say next. Instead, Kiel walked back over to the side of the bed and lifted her chin. His hand remained cradling her face and cheek as he gave her another long kiss, pausing slightly as he pulled away.
    “Mmm. Now you taste good enough to eat.” A heartbeat echoed between them, then Kiel leaned back. “I’ll go call Sam and see if he’s up yet. We’ll take you home so you can rest.”
    “No. I need to go back to the apartment complex, Kiel. We need to stay on this case.”
    “ I need to stay on this case,” he corrected her in a firm voice. “ You need to rest.”
    “You need me, Kiel Michael,” she argued. Her tone made it clear she had no intention of resting today, and if she was left behind she would find some way to follow them.
    Kiel crossed his arms across his chest in irritation. “You’re a damn hardheaded woman, you know that?”
    “Yeah, well, get used to it quick because I’ve got stubborn all but tattooed across my butt,” she snapped back, then smiled when Kiel broke up laughing.
    “That’s one area I intend on examining,” he managed to get out.
    The implication bathed her face in another hot flash of embarrassment.
    “Don’t you need to go call Sam while I get dressed?”
    “Why can’t I stay and watch?” he teased.
    Somewhere in his voice she heard the echoes of passion. It was an emotion she wasn’t familiar with, but it made her insides flutter with the thought of what was going to happen between them.
    “Because I’d prefer you were out of the room for now.”
    There was a few seconds of silence, then he casually remarked, “You have a beautiful body, J. Why do you hide it underneath those ugly dresses? They look like houserobes on you.”
    A nervous giggle escaped her. “How would you know what my body looks like?” She started to say more, to suggest he might have some special ability as a spirit to look though her clothes like an x-ray machine, when it hit her. Yesterday when the nurse had undressed her and had helped her put on the hospital gown.
    Her hands flew to her face, only to have his gently pry them away. “J, listen to me.” He sat on the edge of the bed and took her face in his palms. “We’re about to do something that has never happened before. Or at least we’re going to try. I’ll go ahead and go out to the nurses’ station to call Sam. I