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Heavenly closed her eyes. Her voice shook. “Don’t make me lie to you.”
“Then don’t,” he growled. “Tell me what’s going on.”
She scrambled for something to say. Nothing came to mind, and she braced herself to endure the terrible lash of his frustration.
The phone at his side trilled, saving her. He cursed, then ripped the device from its clip and glared. As soon as he scanned the screen, his head popped up. “Wait here.”
Now he was angry. She saw the fury all over his face, heard it in the warning of his tone. “All right.”
With a nod, he spun around and charged for the security door between the waiting room and the unit. With a swipe of his badge and a shove against the handle, the portal flew open.
Then Seth walked in. Why was he here? Heavenly sucked in a breath. Their gazes met and locked. He looked a little rough, like he hadn’t shaved or slept. But he also looked determined.
Her heart tilted, nearly skidding to a stop.
“Are you sure?” Beck asked beside him.
Seth held up his phone. “This look right?”
Beck grabbed the device and studied the screen, then gave Seth a decisive nod. And a dark smile. “Absolutely. Do I need to loop anyone in?”
“All done.” Seth sounded supremely satisfied.
What on earth were they talking about? She watched them both stride by, blinking after them.
“Hi, angel.” Seth nodded her way. “I’ve missed you.”
She’d missed him, too. Terribly. Like there was a hole not only in her heart but her life.
“Eat something,” Beck demanded.
Then they disappeared together around the corner, heading for the supply room that held the nurses’ lockers.
Okay, this was just getting weirder.
Slowly, Heavenly settled the tray on the counter beside her, grabbed the apple off her plate, and followed.
To her shock, Beck appeared once more, striding back toward her with an unexpected grin. He wrapped his hand around her elbow, his eyes gleaming. “Stand here and listen. You’ll like this.”
Heavenly leaned around to glance into the supply room, see who was inside. She caught sight of something really unexpected and gaped. “Why are Seth and Kathryn—”
“Shh.”
Jennifer and Marcella dashed into the hall, purses over their shoulders, glancing behind them as Seth, now smiling at Kathryn, sauntered her way and kicked the door half-closed.
“Well, hello there.” Seth’s drawl sounded surprisingly seductive.
He’d spoken in that same voice the night of Raine’s holiday party, when he’d whispered all those deliciously naughty suggestions in her ear and made her shiver. Why would he talk to Kathryn that way?
“Hello yourself, hottie,” Kathryn cooed. “You don’t work here. I would have noticed you. Got a name?”
“Seth.” He chuckled. “I’m just here for the afternoon. The hospital hired me to check the security in the unit, eliminate any vulnerabilities in the employee locker area.”
“Really?” Kathryn sounded surprised. “We don’t have a problem.”
“They tell me one of the lockers has been tampered with.”
Suddenly, Heavenly understood. She turned to Beck with a wide-eyed whisper. “He’s trying to get her to confess?”
“Just wait.”
“That’s a rumor,” Kathryn dismissed Seth’s reply. “I heard it, of course. I know everything around here, but there’s no proof.”
“Huh. Well, if it’s nothing, maybe you could help me. A sweet thing like you must be trustworthy. After all, you can’t be that sexy for nothing.”
“You think I’m sexy?” Kathryn purred.
Heavenly pictured the woman batting her lashes and rubbing against Seth. Her whole body tensed.
“Mmm,” Seth moaned. “Absolutely, baby.”
Suddenly, Heavenly felt Beck wrap his palms around her fists. She was shocked to find them clenched, her nails biting into her skin, as fury pinged through her system.
Gently, he unfurled her fingers. “Easy, kitten. Pull your claws in.”
How could she? Every word Seth spoke was downright painful, even if he was manipulating Kathryn for a good cause.
Beck squeezed her hand. “Trust me, he’s no more interested in that bitch than I am.”
“Well, flattery will get you everywhere.” Kathryn’s flirty laugh set Heavenly’s teeth on edge again. “How can I help you, stud?”
“That’s very kind of you, Nurse… I didn’t catch your name.” Seth’s drawl sounded low, almost intimate.
Another pang threatened to cave in Heavenly’s chest. She’d let him go, so she had to accept that, someday—probably soon—he’d move on. Even if this performance was for show, it was killing her.
“Kathryn Hitch, but you can call me Kat.” She dropped her voice to a throaty murmur. “I love to scratch my nails down a strong, sturdy back like yours.”
Did the woman think that was flirting?
“Do you, now? Well, maybe you’ll help me so I can get my work done quicker. The sooner I do, the sooner I can persuade you to show me exactly how you earned your nickname. What do you say?”
“I’d love to.” There was Kathryn’s grating laugh again. “What do you have to do?”
Heavenly heard the rustling of paper before Seth spoke again. “I’ll check out these two lockers over here. This one is yours, right?”
