Page 10 of Healing Kiss

She pushed back her chair and stood, pacing. Lillian never paced. She was the calm one—she had to be. “My friend is a computer geek. She adores you. She’s a big fan of your gaming and productivity software and business acumen. She also greatly admires your philanthropy.”

“And you think my visiting will miraculously cure her?”

She stopped pacing and faced him. “No, but it would lift her spirits. She has to fight if she wants to live, and meeting you—her hero—might give her the boost she needs to survive.”

He didn’t answer but turned and put the stopper back on the bottle of brandy and then tossed down the contents of his glass.

She took a couple of steps toward him. “I would never have come here if the situation wasn’t desperate.” Without thinking, she placed a hand on his arm. The contact burned into her palm. “Listen, I know you have no reason to help me. But there must be something I can do to convince you.”

He glanced at her hand and then turned and lifted one dark eyebrow, a question in his gaze. Her stomach, which was already as twisted as a pretzel, quivered.

“What exactly are you offering me, Zoey?”

She withdrew her hand, wild heat flooding her face, but for Hannah’s sake, she stayed in place. He was considering her request, and Kinetica’s minions hadn’t shown up to grab her…yet. For the first time since she’d concocted this crazy scheme, she felt a twinge of hope. “I’m a talented nurse. I could offer you and your family my services.”

He didn’t respond so she rushed on, following the mental script she’d prepared to convince him. “I have an outstanding track record. I keep up with the latest procedures and am assigned the hardest cases. I’m great with patients—at easing fears and listening to confidences and consoling their loved ones when they feel all hope is gone.” She hadn’t worked as a nurse for two years, but she still managed to eke out a living caring for an elderly neighbor in her apartment complex. Hopefully, he’d take her at her word.

Lillian had trouble recognizing all the emotions crossing Tristan’s face except for the last one, which looked like cynicism. “I see you’ve done your homework. You obviously know about my mother.”

“Yes.” There was no reason to lie.

He sighed and flashed her a look of…what…disappointment? Although why her telling him she was a nurse should be disappointing, she wasn’t sure. Maybe he hated nurses?

He turned and strolled to the window, looking out at who knows what. “You equate nursing to a talent, like singing or playing the piano? Let me tell you. You can’t help her. No one can. Although maybe you can entertain her with your stethoscope.” Sarcasm dripped from his voice.

She didn’t care if he thought this was an elaborate scheme to get his attention as long as he agreed to help. She crossed to his side. She could see their full reflections in the long windowpane. His face looked harsh and tired; her eyes wide and lost. A gust of wind blew a tree branch against the window, making atap-tap-tappingsound.

“Why not let me try? What do you have to lose?”

His expression grew grimmer—if that were possible. “I’ve already tried everything. She has maybe a year or two if I’m lucky.” The words were guttural and sharp, as if they were ripped from some well-guarded part of himself.

Lillian turned toward him. She had a feeling whatever she said now would decide Hannah’s fate, but she wouldn’t offer false hope or make promises she couldn’t keep. “I don’t know if I can help your mom, Tristan. But I swear if you come with me now, I’ll do what I can. In return, I’m only asking you to visit with Hannah for an hour or so. She thinks the world of you and might not live long enough to meet you otherwise.”

His dark gaze met hers in the window. Silence stretched between them, broken only by the faint murmur of party noises and the tapping of the tree branch. She’d lost. He didn’t believe her story and wasn’t going to help.

She couldn’t control the tremble on her lips, a small sob escaping before she could stop it. “You might save her life. Don’t you care?”

Hot tears rushed to her eyes, blinding her, but she turned her head, refusing to blink. Of course, he wouldn’t help her. Why would he? He was a suspicious and busy man who clearly didn’t trust easily and had his own mother to worry about. She’d have to find another way to save Hannah.

She retrieved her purse from the chair. If Hannah were well, she could tell Lillian exactly what emotions were happening behind Tristan’s well-guarded expression. But Hannah was dying, which was why Lillian was in this predicament to begin with.

She tightened her hand around her purse and moved toward the door. She couldn’t fall apart; she was running out of precious time to cure her sister.

“I’m…I’m leaving now. I need to get back to the hospital.” Her voice only fluctuated a little.

She reached for the doorknob, but a soft touch on her shoulder stopped her. She hadn’t heard him move.

“Zoey, wait. I’ll help.”

ChapterFour

“I’ll help you, but I highly doubt my presence will have any effect on your friend’s health.” Tristan led her back inside the office, her arm tingling where he held it. “And there’s little you or anyone can do for my mom, short of a miracle.” His jaw tightened, hinting at deeper emotions. “But I’m sympathetic to your friend’s situation, so I’ll make you a deal.”

“Deal?”

What deal?She’d already offered him the only item she could think to bargain with, and he’d rejected it out of hand. What more could he possibly want, unless…was he about to pounce on her, demanding a roll in the sack?

She clutched her purse, imagining herself slapping his arrogant face and storming out of the room, dignity intact. Except she couldn’t—her sister’s life depended on his cooperation.

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