Lightning Strikes Part 2 (36 Hours) (5 page)

She was lost, swept up in a tide of raw desire that she had no wish to control.

“My Amanda,” Noah whispered, his lips sinking deeper into hers while his hands moved up and down her back.

His smart phone buzzed. As he grabbed it Amanda could see the incoming text. He was needed in ER.

The moment of insanity was instantly shattered. Amanda wrenched herself out of his arms.

“Amanda—”

She held up her hands, her eyes huge in her pale face. “Please, don’t say a word.”

His mouth tightened. “You—”

“Shut up!”

She turned and fled the room, his colorful expletives following her.

“I
f anyone else comes in here throwing up, I’m—”

Liz Roberts quirked an eyebrow, stopping Amanda’s tirade. “I know. You’re going to go on strike.”

Amanda smiled a limp smile. “Yeah, right.”

“Maybe in another lifetime, huh?” Liz replied.

Amanda sighed. “If I’m lucky.”

She and Liz had just finished administering to a young woman who had been rushed in by her parents. The woman had been about as sick to her stomach as anyone Amanda had ever seen. Food poisoning. Spoiled potato salad had been the final diagnosis. Although she’d admitted the patient for further observation, Amanda felt she would be all right.

She wished she could say the same for herself. She shuddered as she and Liz plopped their tired bodies on the couch in the lounge.

“Would you like a Coke?” Liz asked, the spark no longer visible in her green eyes. They were dull with fatigue, which Amanda didn’t often see. In spite of Liz’s age—of course, fifty-five wasn’t old—her energy level never seemed to wane. This siege of accidents had changed that. ER had become a war zone, and after almost eighteen hours, Liz was feeling the strain along with everyone else.

“Maybe I will indulge myself and have that Coke,” Amanda finally said. “Hopefully it’ll give me what I need to survive.”

Liz’s features turned as grave as her eyes. “What you need is sleep.”

“You’re right,” Amanda said, rolling her head around, hoping to work out some of the kinks. “But that’s not going to happen, and we both know it.”

“I’m surprised you’re able to keep body and soul together after what happened in that room.” This time Liz shuddered.

“All in a day’s work.”

Liz made a strangled sound. “Not in my day’s work, it isn’t. Granted, there’s been some kooks come through that door, but that guy took the cake.”

“I won’t argue that he was a sicko.”

“Weren’t you scared?”

“Yes and no.”

Liz nodded. “That makes perfect sense.”

Amanda smiled another lame smile. “Actually, it does, because I knew that Noah—”

“Would handle things,” Liz interrupted, finishing the sentence for her.

“That’s about the size of it.”

“Well, you were right, though what you did took guts. If you hadn’t pretended to faint, Noah might not have been able to take the guy down.”

“Yes, he would. You don’t know Noah. Once he makes up his mind, he’ll—” Again Amanda broke off.

“He’ll battle the devil before he gives in.” Liz cocked her head to one side, her eyes having come back to life. “It surprised me when you two broke up. In fact, the way he was looking at you during that brouhaha made me think—”

“Forget that,” Amanda said with more force than she intended, then tempered her next words so as not to hurt Liz’s feelings. “Noah and I are past history.”

“I certainly wouldn’t want to see him hurt you again.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

There was a short silence, then Liz changed the subject back to the weather. “If this rain doesn’t let up, Grand Springs will qualify for federal relief.”

Before Amanda could reply, Liz got up and walked to the machine.

“I don’t doubt that.” Amanda frowned. “I keep thinking it’ll stop.”

“That makes two of us.”

Amanda nodded her thanks for the drink and was quiet while Liz sat back down, crossing one knee over the other. Amanda envied that move, certain her muscles were no longer that flexible. Besides sleep, she needed to run about three miles. That would do her more good than anything. She couldn’t count the mornings she and Noah had met in the park and jogged.

Noah.

Oh, dear Lord, that kiss…

“What’s wrong?”

Amanda met Liz’s concerned eyes. “Er…nothing. Why?”

“For a second there, I thought you might be getting sick. You turned white, then green. Of course, food poisoning’s not contagious—” Liz’s voice played out on a questionable note.

“Maybe it’s a delayed reaction to that wacko,” Amanda lied.

“It’s that, along with this godawful storm. You wouldn’t be human if it didn’t take its toll. If you don’t rest for a while, you’re going to crash and burn.”

“Let’s hope not, since I’m the chief cook and bottle washer in ER.”

Liz took several long pulls on her Coke, stood, then tossed her can in the trash. “Speaking of ER, I better head back that way.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“Oh, no you don’t. I’m ordering you to stay right where you are.”

“And do what?”

“Rest. Put that blond head of yours back on that cushion and drift off to another planet. Or whatever. Believe me, if you’re needed, you’ll be the second to know.”

Amanda hesitated, but only briefly. “Oh, all right. You win.”

“Good.” Liz smiled. “Doris will be proud of me.”

“You two are going to have to stop ganging up on me, you know.”

“Someone has to. You’re the best doctor in this hospital, and we don’t want to lose you.”

“Get out of here.”

Liz’s smile spread. “Rest, and that’s an order, Dr. Jennings.”

Once Amanda was alone, her head automatically hit the back of the cushion and her eyes closed. But she couldn’t sleep. Her mind was in high gear, especially after she put her hand on her forehead and smelled Noah’s cologne. It had clung to her hands, for heaven’s sake.

How could she have dropped her guard and let Noah touch her, much less
kiss
her?

Had she lost her mind? Yes. Oh, she’d have liked to blame her actions on the danger she’d encountered in the ER, on that wacko. But she couldn’t. Upset or not, she should’ve been stronger, kept Noah at arm’s length. There was no excuse for allowing that hot, hungry passion to erupt between them.

Closing her eyes again, Amanda grabbed her stomach, thinking she might be sick, after all. If the phone hadn’t interrupted them, no telling how far things might have gone.

She had been
wet.
He had been
hard.

Both had been left aching with an unfulfilled need. Damn him for arousing her to such a point that she wasn’t capable of working. Damn her for letting him. But she had been shaken to the core by that crazed druggie, and Noah’s arms had felt so comforting, so secure, so
right.

Still, those feelings were no excuse for letting him knock a hole in her carefully placed shield around her heart, especially when guilt was now playing a role in this self-flagellation.

Gordon’s sweet face filled her vision. She had never let him kiss her like that. She had
never
wanted him to kiss her like that.

So what now? she asked herself.

How did she repair the damage done to her own emotions? More important, how did she look Gordon in the eye with a clear conscience?

* * *

“Ah, Pitser, I was wondering when I’d get this call.”

Noah hadn’t been in his office long. He had gone there after he’d left Amanda, needing time alone to get himself back in shape. He’d even dropped to the floor and done a hundred push-ups, certain that would release the ticking bomb inside him. He’d wasted his time.

His hard-on was still very much with him.

“Noah, can you hear me?”

He swallowed another curse. “Just barely.”

“I’m not surprised about that. I tried to reach you earlier, and the static was so bad I couldn’t get through.”

“I know. I tried to call my mother.”

“Any word on your sister?”

Noah gave Pitser a quick update.

“Damn, what a mess.”

“I know, but this call’s not about Randi, is it?”

“No. I just spoke to Dr. Riley.”

Noah stilled himself for the hit. “So, this is the kiss-off call, right?”

“Dammit, Noah, you sure don’t make things easy on yourself or me.”

“Riley really got to me. What more can I say?”

“That you’re sorry would be a good start.”

“Only I’m not sorry.”

Despite the unclear line, Noah heard Bowman’s deep sigh. “If you want the job, keep your hands to yourself. Okay?”

“Are you saying I haven’t axed my chances?”

“As far as I’m concerned, you haven’t, bad attitude and all.”

“Thanks, Pitser.”

“Don’t thank me yet. Meanwhile, don’t let another burr get in your butt. And stay the hell out of Riley’s face.”

“Gotcha.”

After he’d hung up, Noah hoped he could indeed manage to put his temper on a long leash. Maybe getting out of this office would help. The walls seemed to be closing in on him.

Pausing, he took a moment to catch his breath, fighting off his fatigue. Life was definitely not cooperating. While he had no control of the eroding events around him—his sister’s disappearance, the weather, the blackout—he did have control over his growing hunger for Amanda.

Again, why had he kissed her? As far as she was concerned, he was on the same level with pond scum. If that were so, then why had she returned his kiss with such fervor? He knew the answer. He’d played dirty pool and caught her unawares.

The last thing he needed right now was to get emotionally involved with any woman. His career should be his
only
mistress. However, he wasn’t thinking with his mind, dammit.

A cup of strong, black coffee was what he needed. The instant he walked into the lounge, he pulled up short, holding back a groan.

Amanda was sound asleep on the couch.

His mind told him to turn and get out of there. His lower anatomy told him to stay. His anatomy won.

The term “tame the savage beast” jumped to mind, something he’d give his eyeteeth to be able to do. Yet he didn’t move, except to go closer.

She looked as exhausted as he felt, which in no way detracted from the sheer beauty of her face. In fact, she was the epitome of female sensuality with her moist, parted lips, which he’d just recently tasted, and her succulent breasts, with their torrid nipples, that he wanted to massage.

But it was the slender line of her legs visible from under her skirt that held his attention. The urge to run his hand up those tantalizing limbs was almost irresistible. He threw back his head and sucked air into his lungs, stung by the renewed vengeance of his arousal.

He had to stop punishing himself and her like this. Even if she were to forgive him, he wasn’t sure he could forgive himself.

He had screwed up, and he would have to pay for it for the rest of his life. His sins would die with him.

He wouldn’t touch Amanda again.

* * *

“Dr. Jennings hasn’t made it yet?”

Liz Roberts was staring at Noah out of suspicious but respectful eyes as they stood outside of trauma one.

“I called her,” Liz said. “I’m sure she’ll be along shortly.”

“I’m not,” Noah said, more bluntly than he intended.

Liz’s eyes widened. “What makes you say that?”

“She’s in the lounge, asleep.”

“Oh, great. I was hoping that would happen, though I can’t believe it did.”

“I was in there when you called her. She didn’t so much as flinch.”

“So you left her asleep and came instead.” Liz smiled.

“Since OR’s quiet, why not?”

“Why not.”

“So what’s the problem?” Noah asked, turning toward the room where a boy, who looked to be about three years old, was strapped to a papoose board that sat squarely in the middle of the gurney.

“He fell in the bathtub and cut his chin.”

“That couldn’t have been pleasant,” Noah said.

“If that poor mother’s face is any indication, it wasn’t. When they came in, that kid was raising the roof.”

“Let’s take a look-see at how bad it is.”

Noah turned and walked into the room, where he introduced himself to the frantic mother, a Mrs. Weems.

“Is he going to be all right, Doctor?” she asked, her voice in the hyper range and her eyes appearing overly large in her thin face. “He’s bled so much.”

“That’s because of where the cut is,” Noah explained, starting to remove the blood-soaked bandage from the child’s chin.

“No!” the child cried, pulling back and turning his head deep into the pillow.

“Ted, honey, please, let the doctor help you,” Mrs. Weems pleaded.

Noah smiled, then patted the child’s shoulder. “Look at me, Ted. In no time, I’ll have you as good as new.”

Finally, after much coaxing and cajoling on his part, the procedure was done and the child was back in his mother’s arms.

Noah smiled down at him again. “My, but you were a big boy. And see, that didn’t hurt much, did it?”

The child roused enough to glare at him through his big, brown eyes. “You dummy!” he muttered.

“Ted!” Mrs. Weems cried, obviously mortified. “You tell him you’re sorry, right this second.”

Liz looked down to hide her smile.

Noah turned his head to hide his own smile. That was when he saw Amanda standing in the doorway, a knowing grin on that delicious mouth.

“Mmm, do we have a problem, here, Doctor?”

H
is tongue dipped into her ear, its warm moistness like a shock of electricity to her nerve endings. She moaned, then twisted against the onslaught.

Her instinctive actions brought no relief. The tongue became more insistent, aggressive, sneaking down her neck, not stopping until it reached the side of her full, throbbing breast. There it lingered, circling that outer flesh before targeting a nipple, already aching and hard.

Squirming, she grasped his head to hold him captive, giving in to the sweet-savage sensations that pelted her body. But it was when that wet-tipped tongue traveled below her navel and hit its mark, that her hips bolted up and down.

He chuckled, then raised his glazed eyes to meet hers. “You like that, huh?”

“Yes,” she said, so short of breath she could barely speak.

“Me, too.”

He lowered his head again, and his tongue continued on its quest, tormenting her flesh and wreaking havoc with her emotions. But she couldn’t tell him to stop—she couldn’t stand it if he did. Her body was meant for him. It belonged to him, especially when his tongue reached its ultimate destination—where she thrashed against the tiny, whiplash thrusts.

“Oooh,” she cried, clutching his hair, while her melting insides gloved his tongue just as release crashed through her with all the force of a giant wave against a rock.

She cried out.

“Jeez Louise, Amanda!”

Amanda scrambled to open her eyes, but it seemed nigh impossible. She wanted to cover her ears, to dispel anyone’s voice except hers and…

“Amanda! Wake up!”

Finally, the unwanted and irritating voice won. Her eyes popped open, but for a moment she didn’t know where she was. She’d been sure she’d been in her bed at home.

Naked.

With Noah.

Doris snapped her fingers in front of Amanda’s face. “Amanda!”

The gesture brought her back to the real world. She blinked, then drew a deep breath, hoping to slow her thundering heart rate.

“Man, alive, that must’ve been some dream you were having.”

Amanda shoved her bangs aside, then ruffled her hair, hoping to hide her flushed face. “How did you know I was dreaming?”

Doris lifted one thinly arched brow. “Come on, kid. I didn’t just fall off a cabbage truck, you know.”

In spite of her embarrassment, Amanda grinned. “No, I guess you didn’t.”

“So, wanna share?”

“No.”

“Ah, shucks. If a man ever put that look on my face, I’d climb into his pocket and stay there.” Doris’s eyes twinkled. “Maybe I should’ve said pants.”

Amanda stood, her face turning redder, then switched the subject. “Thanks for waking me up. I can’t believe I actually fell asleep.”

“Me, neither, or stayed that way, not with your phone ringing and buzzing nonstop.”

“Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“I was getting around to it.”

“One of these days, I’m going to strangle you.”

“Hey, you sure you won’t tell me who you were dreaming about? I betcha it wasn’t dear old Gordon.”

Amanda was at the door. She stopped and swung around, her face marred by a frown. “What makes you say that?”

“Hey, I’m not blind, either. Since Noah’s been in your camp, so to speak, you’ve been different. When you two are in the same room, you can cut the tension with a knife. Besides, I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

“You’re imagining things,” Amanda snapped.

“Am I? Don’t think so. He’s not over you, though for the life of me, I still can’t figure out why he hauled out of here.”

“Well, you can waste your time on that if you want to. But I’m not. I have Gordon now. He’s the one I want.”

“Sure.”

Amanda gritted her teeth. “I’m leaving before I say something I’ll regret.”

Seemingly unoffended, Doris smiled. “Don’t get your dander up, okay? I just want you to be happy.”

“Well, I am.”

Doris merely grinned, then waved her hand. “Go on, get out of here.”

Amanda walked out the door, then upped her pace toward ER, her mind in an uproar. She couldn’t believe she’d fallen into such a deep sleep. And when she’d awakened, she’d actually felt sick that Noah hadn’t been with her for real. She couldn’t count the times he’d used his tongue to wake her up in the mornings.

She had to corral her thoughts, dammit, stop thinking about Noah and sex, which at this point were one and the same. She made a growling sound in her throat. Was she that desperate for a man? Of course she wasn’t. But if she had been, Gordon was more than willing to accommodate her.

As if she could outrun her troublesome thoughts, Amanda walked faster. “What’s happening?” she demanded to Jerry, the orderly supervising the desk.

“Nothing at the moment.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Jerry shifted uncomfortably. “When you didn’t answer your phone, Dr. Howell took over.”

“Oh, he did, did he?”

“Uh, yes, ma’am. He’s in trauma one.”

With a blaze in her eyes, Amanda strode across the hall.

* * *

“Dummy, huh?”

Noah’s eyebrows knitted together, making his features appear harsher. “I guess I’ll never live that one down.”

“Probably not,” Amanda said, trying to keep a straight face while she and Noah stood in the corridor outside the hearing range of the patient and his mother.

“You look rested.”

Her heart skipped a beat. Amanda felt her face turn a scalding red, the dream still too fresh on her mind. “What makes you say that?”

“I saw you.” His tone was low and strained.

This time her heart
stopped
beating. She swallowed with difficulty. “You…you saw me.”

“I came into the lounge, and you were sacked out like a light.”

Amanda blew out her breath, hating the direction her thoughts were veering. “You—didn’t…I mean—” She couldn’t go on. Her voice simply faded out under his close scrutiny.

“I didn’t what?” His voice was low and thick.

“Er…never mind.” She licked her lips. “Look, thanks for covering for me.”

He sighed. “Even if the ‘dummy’ is eating me up?”

She knew he was trying to draw a smile to her grim features and, at the same time, lessen the tautness that hung between them. However, it didn’t work. She had to get away from him, horrified that he had been in the room while she’d dozed. What if she’d cried out his name when she’d been in the throes of that passionate dream?

“Maybe kids aren’t your thing.”

She hadn’t meant anything by that statement. Or had she? Anyway, the remark triggered a startling reaction. His face lost its color, and for a split second, he looked as though she’d kicked him in the gut.

“That’s a fair assumption,” he said without emotion.

Suddenly an unexpected rage flew through Amanda. Why did she continue to fish in that pond? What did she care if he’d fathered ten kids? But she did, and that was what rankled more than anything.

“Amanda, what’s wrong?”

“I have to go.” Her tone was sullen.

“Don’t.” He put out his hand as if to touch her, only to draw pointedly back. “I mean-dammit, we can’t keep—”

“Dr. Jennings, you’re needed at the station.”

“Damn,” Noah murmured for her ears alone.

“Some guy’s calling from a cab,” Liz Roberts said, having joined her and Noah.

“What does that have to do with me?” Amanda asked.

“He says the woman in his cab is about to have a baby. He sounds absolutely frantic.”

“Oh, Lord.” Amanda rolled her eyes. “I’m coming. But call Petrocelli and if possible have him on standby.”

“You ladies have fun,” Noah said, turning and heading down the hall.

“He’s got some tush, you know.”

Jerking her head up, Amanda gave Liz a shocked look. “Why, Liz Roberts!”

“Well, he does. And while I might be old, I can still see. But then, I guess you would know about his tush better than—” Then, as if she realized what and to whom she was speaking, Liz’s teeth clamped down on her lower lip.

“I think we’d best get to work,” Amanda said on an unsteady note. Right now, she didn’t know who she wanted to throttle more—Noah for turning her life upside down or Liz Roberts for flaunting his assets in her face.

“Doctor, this cab driver’s about to have a cow. I hope you can understand him.”

“I hope he didn’t hear you say that, Jerry,” Amanda said, glaring at the orderly before snatching the receiver out of his hand. “This is Dr. Jennings.”

* * *

Some time later, Amanda rubbed her bloodshot eyes. Even that effort was almost too much. If she hadn’t been leaning against the front desk, her rubbery knees might have caved in. The fact that Noah was walking down the hall didn’t help any.

Why didn’t he stay in the OR where he belonged?

“Way to go, Doc!” Jerry was saying.

“I second that!” Another voice chimed in.

Liz grinned. “You did good.”

“Can anyone join the celebration?” Noah asked.

Oh, Lord, Amanda thought, not him again. “There’s nothing to celebrate.” She forced herself not to react at his nearness. “Don’t pay any attention to these clowns.”

“Wrong,” Beth said. “There is too something to celebrate. How `bout a round of applause for the good doctor?”

Before Amanda could put a quietus on their enthusiasm, the ER staff began clapping.

“Take a bow!” Jerry demanded.

Amanda shook her head and held up her hand. “Cut it out, all right?”

“Well, you did get that poor man out of a jam,” Liz said. “Can you imagine having to deliver a baby in the back of a cab?”

“You’re joking?” Noah asked with a grin.

Her breath faltered. When he smiled, it reminded her of the sun breaking through a dark cloud.

“No, I’m not joking,” Amanda said stiffly, putting distance between them.

“She gave him step-by-step instructions over the two-way radio.” Liz was beaming. “Even though everyone seems to be all right, they’re on the way here for observation.”

“Way to go, Dr. Jennings,” Noah said, still smiling.

His gaze burned into her. She felt as if he’d actually touched her. “Enough, already,” she said. “Back to work, and that’s an order.”

“Dr. Jennings!”

At the sound of the frantic and unexpected voice, they all swung around. Two nurses from the psychiatric ward were running down the hall. Amanda stepped forward, a bad feeling invading the pit of her stomach. “What’s wrong?”

“One of our patients cut his wrist. A Tommy Drapper,” the redheaded nurse said.

“Do you need me to stitch it up?”

“No,” the other nurse cried. “We need you to help find him.”

“Find him?” Noah’s voice sounded hard. “What does that mean?”

“He’s…missing. Oh, God—”

“Okay, slow down,” Noah encouraged her in a calm, no-nonsense doctor’s voice. “Tell us what happened.”

“He had a fight with his girlfriend,” the nurse wailed. “Afterward, he cut himself.”

“Where did he get the knife?”

“It wasn’t a knife. He used a razor blade. We found it on the floor.”

“He hasn’t come through ER,” Amanda said. “But we’ll search every nook and cranny to make sure.” She turned and faced the staff. “Get to it.”

“Since Malcom’s covering OR, I can lend a hand.”

“Thanks, Dr. Howell,” the redhead said. “If we don’t find Tommy—”

“We will.”

Noah’s voice was again hard, but confident. For the second time since she’d learned he’d be on call with her, Amanda was glad that he was there. If this kid wasn’t found, the hospital would suffer a black eye.

“He’s not about to leave the hospital on a day like this,” Amanda said, her eyes straying toward the long window. Suddenly a bolt of lightning flared across the sky. She cringed, then sucked in her breath.

A young man stood on the top of the adjacent building, his arms spread like an eagle.

“Oh, my God, Noah,” she cried. “Look!”