“I’m a widow.”
Gail Paxton sat behind the desk. “How did you hear about us?’
“I’m a student in the Master’s program at Grantley College in Eastlake and I’ve become acquainted with Mr. Bishop. He’s offered me a job so I decided to call and look into the possibilities.”
“You have a powerful friend. As president of the Board of Directors, he’s very involved in the company. You must know our Miss Wallace.”
Jenessa looked down. There was no way she could think about Sandra without distaste showing on her face. “We’ve met.”
“A most dynamic woman.”
“Yes, she is.”
“When do you graduate?”
“In June as a nurse practitioner.”
“Child or adult?”
“Adult. My specialty is in spinal cord and head trauma.”
“Excellent.” Gail Paxton took a folder from the corner of the desk. “These pamphlets will give you an idea of the potential we offer. Seventeen hospitals, a staffing agency and a group of home health agencies. Take the folder when you leave.”
“Just what are the possibilities?”
While the woman expounded on the chances for advancement, Jenessa fought the desire to shove the pamphlets in her briefcase, grab the newsletter and hurry back to Eastlake. All this plotting and subterfuge was contrary to her usual course of action.
Gail Paxton rested her hands on the desk. “You might be able to remain in Eastlake.”
“How so?”
“I’m not at liberty to make an announcement yet, but the odds are high for acquiring an eighteenth hospital. In fact, I’d like to offer you a job. Why don’t I call Mr. Bishop? His recommendation is all you’ll need.”
Jenessa lifted her briefcase. Her heart rate jumped a dozen beats. She felt her cheeks flame. All she needed was for Bishop to discover she was here. “I couldn’t accept or even make an application today. There are several other situations I’d like to explore. I wouldn’t want to make a snap decision.”
“I don’t think you would regret signing on with us. There are many opportunities for an ambitious nurse.”
Jenessa ruffled through the folder. “That seems to be the case, but I’d like to see what else is available.” She rose. “Thank you for your time. I’ll let you know one way or the other in...say three weeks.”
“And thank you for coming.” The brown-haired woman reached for the phone.
As Jenessa closed the door, she heard the woman ask to speak to Mr. Bishop. Run, don’t walk to the nearest exit, Jenessa thought. Expecting to hear Gail Paxton order her to halt, she grabbed the newsletter from the coffee table, shoved it in her briefcase and hurried down the hall. I’m not cut out for this kind of life.
She stopped at the end of the hall and swallowed a gasp. Eric was standing at the receptionist’s desk. She sucked in a breath and hurried past and out the door. Hoping he’d seen her, she waited near the elevators.
Moments later, he appeared. “What are you doing here?”
“Gathering information.” She grinned. “I’ve learned a lot.”
“So have I.” He pressed for the elevator. “When I saw you, I nearly blew my cover as Sandra’s college buddy.”
The elevator doors opened. Jenessa strode in and slumped against the wall. “I think I blew the whole game by using Bishop’s name as a reference. I found some hard evidence, though.”
“So did I.” He put his arm around her waist. “Meet you in Eastlake so we can share.”
She nodded. “Have you checked your answering machine lately?”
“No, why?”
“I left a message. The union’s holding a general meeting to discuss the contract we were offered and to vote for a strike.”
“What time?”
“At eight.”
He kissed her. “I’ll call Sam from here and have him set up a Board meeting for seven thirty.”
“Won’t he need our proof before he can persuade most of the members to agree?”
“He’ll think of something, especially after I tell him what I’ve learned.”
“Let him know Bishop’s chairman of the Board of Directors at MASCHCO.”
“And Sandra is president of nursing and on leave with pay.” The elevator doors opened and they got out. “I’ll meet you at my apartment.”
“Couldn’t we ride back together. You could leave your car.”
“Would you leave yours?”
“No way. See you then.”
Eric turned her to face him. He claimed her lips. “Until later.”
She sped to Eastlake, hurried upstairs to change clothes. Then, carrying her briefcase, she went down to Eric’s apartment. She stretched on the couch. The afternoon’s secretive activities had exhausted her more than a thirteen hour shift at the hospital.
What would happen when this was over? Eric would have accomplished what he’d come to Eastlake to do. He would be free to leave. If she told him how much she loved him, would he stay?
*****
At three thirty when Eric entered his apartment, he saw Jenessa stretched out on the couch. For several minutes, he studied her. His desire for her grew more intense every time they were together. What would happen when the problems stirred by Bishop and Sandra were resolved? Would she accept his love? Her relationship with her dead husband had wounded her. Had she healed? Or was fear of trusting any man festering beneath the scars?
He crossed the room and knelt beside the couch. With a finger, he traced her lips. He brushed his mouth over hers. “Jenessa.”
Her eyelids opened. She stretched out her arms and pulled him closer. He nibbled on her lower lip. Her tongue flicked against his mouth. His hands stroked her breasts. He felt her nipples tighten. Then knowing how little time remained until the evening’s meetings, he raised his head.
Her smile nearly made him forget their purpose. “What a wonderful wake-up call,” she said.
He rose. “Time to get to work.”
She stretched. Her breasts rose with the movement of her body. “I’d rather play, but you’re right. Who goes first?”
The gleam of excitement in her eyes convinced him she couldn’t wait. “Go ahead.”
She reached for her briefcase. “First the financial report. As you can see MASCHCO’s losing money. The broker said there’s a rumor they’re expecting an infusion of cash but he doesn’t recommend buying stock. We both know what that’s about.”
He studied the typed report. “I can use this. You know, besides the trust fund, he might be pushing some of his friends to buy stock. I’ll need a copy of this.”
“After we finish sharing information, I’ll use the copier at Dr. Carter’s office. If he’s in, I’ll show him some of the material. If Sam hasn’t been able to convince enough of the Board to meet, this should help.” She put a tape recorder on the table.
Eric listened to the interview with the nurse recruiter. “Shame we can’t use this.”
“Why not?”
“It’s called entrapment, or did you tell her you were recording the interview?”
“She wouldn’t have talked this freely if I had. Oh well, I have something better.” She pulled the folder and the newsletter from her briefcase. “This connects X-tra Hands to MASCHCO and here’s a picture of Bishop that identifies his role in the company.”
“That’s great. I’ve some stationary with the MASCHCO letterhead and Sandra’s name engraved beneath the logo and pictures of her office door.
Jenessa rose. “Let me make these copies and you call Sam. When I come back, we can decide how to proceed.”
Eric pulled her down beside him. His mouth found hers. A jolt of heat flooded him. He slid his hands under her shirt and stroked her smooth skin. “We don’t have time to finish but this is a promise for tonight.” He deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue into her mouth, tasting and plundering. Then he drew back. “Later, love.”
She winked. “Just be prepared. I’ll be back as soon as I f
inish making copies.”
“Jenessa.”
She turned. “What?”
“Later.” After she left, he stood in the middle of the living room and waited for his pulse to slow and the fierce desire to ebb. Then he reached for the phone to call Sam.
Chapter 13
The town hall clock struck the half hour as Jenessa entered Dr. Carter’s office. “He’s not in.” The nurse behind the desk spoke without looking up.
“Sue, it’s Jenessa. I need to make some copies.”
The motherly woman shook her head. “First Megan, now you. The pair of you are going to copy away our profits for the week. For school?”
“Not exactly. I need these for the union meeting tonight and I don’t want the gossips at the hospital to get a hint of what’s in them.”
“Are you really going to strike?”
“Not if I can help it.”
The nurse shook her head. “Megan acted like she’d found a treasure. Made her copies and then barged in on her father. He saw his last patient and left without completing his charts.”
Jenessa frowned. What had Megan found? She reached for the phone on the desk, dialed the apartment and put the first page she wanted to copy in place. The answering machine clicked on. “Megan, I’ll be at Eric’s. Call me there.”
When the last page slid out, she gathered the papers. “Thanks,” she called to the nurse. She dashed to her car and drove to the apartment. Three hours until the meeting. She opened the door to Eric’s apartment.
The aroma of cooking food lured her to the kitchen. Eric was standing at the stove. She put the papers on the table. “Smells delicious.”
He turned. “I figured you’d be hungry. Fajitas.”
“Great.”
He grinned. “Get busy chopping tomatoes.”
“Bossy.”
“Shared labor. That’s the way partnerships work.”
Her heart stuttered. Did he mean he wanted a permanent relationship? She nearly asked, but held her questions inside. Maybe he was speaking of the partnership they’d entered to prevent a strike at the hospital. “You’re right.” She opened the refrigerator and took out a tomato. “Did you talk to Sam?”
“He was out somewhere. Simone said the Board meets at seven-forty five. Oh, Megan called and said she’d see you before the meeting and it was important.”
“Did she say why?”
“You know Megan. By the time she finished, I wasn’t sure I knew who I was, let alone what she’d discovered.”
Jenessa plied the knife with short chopping strokes. “What do you think our chances are?”
He stirred the sizzling dish. “Maybe better for you than for me.”
“With Claire stirring the ranks?”
“And I have to face a Board that for the most part blindly accepts Bishop’s dictates.”
“You have Sam and Dr. Carter on your side. Once the other doctors learn what Bishop plans, they’ll support you.”
She scooped the tomatoes into a bowl. “I wonder if we’ll have jobs when this is finished? You know what happens to the bearers of bad news.”
He put a stack of tortillas in the microwave. “There’s something I’d like to tell you.”
Jenessa slumped on one of the chairs. He’s leaving. She stared at the floor.
“I received an interesting letter from University Hospital in Philly. Their Director of Nursing has resigned and they’re conducting a search for a new one. Seems they liked some of the papers I’ve published and I’ve been invited to submit my resume.”
She sucked in a breath. Philadelphia was his home town and University Hospital, a prestigious place. Though she wanted to be pleased for him, the news made her stomach knot. “Will you?”
“I haven’t thought beyond tonight.” He put the cast iron skillet on the table. The microwave signaled. “You’re right about the bearer of bad news, especially since they have the letter Sandra forged.”
“Surely they know you didn’t write it.”
“But Bishop might push the point, especially after his grand plans are ruined by the things we’ve learned.”
His answer deepened her sadness. He would leave. Though when she completed her Master’s, she could follow, would he want her?
She rose and put a container of sour cream and a jar of salsa on the table. After taking a tortilla from the stack, she assembled a fajita. Her appetite had vanished, but if she picked at her food, he would ask what was wrong. How could she tell him when he’d never offered her more than friendship and to be an ally in the fight to keep her colleagues on the job?
After they finished dinner, they made packets of the papers she’d copied for the Board and for her to take to the union meeting. She felt drained, not just from the stress of the day but because she knew she had lost again. She put the material in her briefcase.
“I’ll see you later,” she said. “Maybe I can find Megan before the meeting.”
He walked toward her. “Don’t go. We have other things to talk about.”
Don’t, she wanted to cry. She didn’t want him to confirm her suspicions that he would soon leave.
He caught her and drew her toward him. She had no will or desire to resist. “We’ve time.” He held her in a light embrace. “Is something wrong?”
“No. Yes. It’s been a strange day. I don’t know how anyone can be a spy.”
“Especially you.” He brushed a kiss on her forehead. “You were brilliant.”
She looked at him. In his eyes, she read the things he’d never said. Would he ever speak? When his lips touched hers, her question was forgotten. All the longing she felt for forever with him erupted. She nibbled. She tasted. Her hands caressed and stroked. He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. There, he let her slide down his body until her feet touched the floor.
Jenessa stepped back. With deliberate gestures, she unbuttoned her shirt. He followed her lead. Item after item of clothing was discarded. Her gaze never faltered. When they both had stripped, they moved toward each other and embraced.
She used her hands to memorize the feel of him, her lips and tongue to savor his taste. She inhaled his scent and knew she would always be aroused by the musky outdoor aroma that rose from his skin. She adored him with her eyes, storing every nuance of his body to have and to remember.
His hands, his mouth, his tongue initiated her explorations. When she touched his arousal, his groan vibrated through her, bringing a swelling cry from her lips.
“I’ll never get enough of you,” he whispered against her ear.
The words were ones she delighted in, and yet, she wanted other words. She wanted a promise. She wanted a confession. As she slid the protection over his erection, her admission of her love for him lay against her vocal cords, but she was unable to make a sound.
Slowly, he entered her. Words were forgotten as the slow burn of sensations became flames that consumed the barriers between them and created a single entity rising like a phoenix, bright and splendid.
*****
Eric caressed Jenessa’s abdomen. He planted a light kiss on each breast. “It’s time we were up and doing.”
In her eyes, he saw the aftermath of the pleasure they had shared. “I could stay here forever,” she said.
His fingers traced her lips. He wanted to believe she meant those words and yet, a single grain of doubt remained. Why hadn’t she protested when he had told her about the letter from University Hospital? If she had said, “Don’t go,” he would have shouted his love loud enough for everyone in Eastlake to hear.
“We have meetings to attend,” he said.
She turned and nuzzled his neck. “You’re right. I’ve first dibs on the shower.”
“What about sharing?”
She sat up. “Then we’d never get across the street and Bishop would win.” She slid from the bed and crossed the room.
He watched her. Her athletic grace made him recall the softball game. He had wanted her then and he wanted
her now. Tonight, he thought. After this mess was settled, he would tell her how he felt about her.
She emerged from the bathroom. “Your turn. I’d recommend a cold shower. Made me feel alert and I’m sure we’ll need to be. I think Claire believes she’s secured the job in staff ed.”
He grabbed his clean clothes. “Not as long as I’m Director of Nursing. Bachelor’s required. Master’s preferred. She has neither. Are you interested?”
“Maybe. I like the hectic pace of ICU, but in June, I’ll be over-qualified for bedside nursing.”
He stepped into the shower. “What would you like to do?”
Jenessa raised her voice to be heard over the sound of running water. “The nurse manager on ICU, but Bev’s entrenched.”
“She doesn’t have her bachelor’s.”
“She takes one class a semester. That keeps her qualified.”
He stepped from the shower and briskly rubbed himself with the towel. “Not forever. If all goes right, there will be changes made. Think about staff ed., especially if the grants come through. I’ll need someone tough to run the programs.”
She laughed. “Feeling kind of confident about a win tonight?”
“I have to be. Attitude counts.”
She laughed. “According to Sandra, it’s appearance.” She headed to the living room.
A few minutes later, Eric joined her. They collected their material and put on their jackets. As they crossed the street, they held hands. She walked with him to the stairs. He opened the door and pulled her inside. His lips claimed hers in a swift kiss. “Luck. Try to hold them until eight thirty.”
“I’ll do my best.” She kissed him. “See you later.”
She watched until he disappeared in the shadows. Then she hurried to the auditorium. A table on one side of the large room held copies of the contract Sandra had delivered. Jenessa put the items she’d copied in neat stacks beside the contracts.
Simone strode over. Her dark eyes widened when she saw the picture of Bishop and read the caption. “Is this for real?”
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