I agreed and started walking the maze of the hospital.
Although we all got to the hospital at the same time, the others in my class did not work on the same floor as me.
I was destined to have lunch all by my lonesome, and I was grateful.
They all knew me too well, and they’d see through my lies instantly, unlike my nurse preceptor that I’d spent the morning with.
I walked down the steps, and circled around the main floor before I finally came upon the cafeteria.
Lucky for me I was one of the first ones in, and the lunch crowd hadn’t yet descended.
Otherwise I would’ve gone mad.
“What would you like to eat, honey?” The lunch aide wanted to know.
I looked at my options, and frowned. None of them looked appetizing.
However, knowing I had to eat whether I wanted to or not, I pointed at the red beans and rice.
She served up a large helping, and scooped it into a to-go box before handing it over to me.
I took it from her, thanked her, and grabbed a Coke on the way to the checkout.
“That’ll be four twenty-five,” the attendant said, sounding bored.
When I went to reach for my wallet, I found a large, muscular forearm handing the attendant a twenty.
I followed that forearm up, heart starting to race, as I recognized the tattoos, and then the shirt, before coming to a stop at Keifer’s face.
“Hey,” I breathed.
Keifer smiled. “Hey, baby girl.”
Shivers rocked down my spine as his words, and the rasp of his voice poured into me.
And all the pent up heat and need I’d been repressing for the last two hours burst free of me, and poured into him.
He visibly took a step back, and then closed his eyes as if to gain his composure.
“Here’s your change, sir,” the woman sounded much more upbeat this time.
I didn’t spare her a glance as Keifer took my hand and started to lead me down the hall.
He dumped my food into a trash receptacle as he went, and came to a stop at the elevator.
Once inside, he pressed the top floor, one that wasn’t even finished yet, and turned to stare at me.
“This was a bad, bad idea,” he murmured, eyes going dark and stormy.
I blinked.
“What?” I asked breathlessly.
We both stayed on opposite sides of the elevator car, both of us knowing that if either of us moved, we’d be doing something in the elevator that would singe the eyes of even the most sinful of people.
“Coming here. I couldn’t stop myself though. It’s like I can sense your need. Your body calls to me like a fucking fire I can’t put out,” he groaned, glancing up at the numbers, watching them as they went at a turtle’s pace.
I chose not to say anything, knowing he knew I felt the same way.
It was as if he were under my skin, permanently there for eternity.
He knew my wants, needs, and desires.
Finally, the elevator made it to the top, and the doors opened to emit us into a dark opening.
“What’s up here?” I asked. “And how’d you get it to come to this level? I thought it was under construction?”
I hadn’t even realized that we were able to get up here. Not that I would’ve tried.
I had no reason to be on this level, and I wasn’t one to break the rules, whether they were stated or not.
He smiled, sending another shiver racing down my spine.
“I got some powers back,” he hedged, holding his hand out at eye level.
Then formed what amounted to a fireball in the palm of his hand, lighting the way.
He turned, holding out his opposite hand for me, and we walked.
I took in our surroundings, eyes very aware of the fact that, wherever we were was a fire hazard, as well as a work in progress.
The hospital had run out of money, and had temporarily halted renovations on this floor.
Tools, trash, and building supplies lay discarded.
Saw horses periodically littered the middle of the floor, creating a cluttered maze that Keifer had to slowly maneuver us around, less I trip and break my face.
“How long’s your lunch break, Blythe?” Keifer asked into the darkness.
I closed my eyes and groaned. “Less than thirty more minutes, I’m sure.”
He growled low in his throat. “That’s enough…for now.”
Then I was whirled around and slammed into a concrete pillar before Keifer’s lips met mine.
It was completely dark, so dark that I couldn’t see a thing.
But oh, could I feel.
Keifer’s hard, muscular body held me up against the pillar, and with his hands he started to shove my pants down.
They fell to my ankles, stopped by my shoes, with a soft clink as my hemostats and scissors hit the floor, causing me to gasp in surprise.
“Keifer,” I groaned in disappointment. “We can’t do this here.”
“Oh, fuck yes, we can,” he growled, his scratchy jaw going to my neck as he started to suck lightly.