Dark Attraction: The Corde Noire Series Read Free Page B

rope and hanging you from the ceiling.” She shook her head, laughing. “I still have a hard time picturing how the two of you had sex that way.”
    “Very carefully.” Piper giggled, but somehow the sound didn’t quite match her muscular exterior. “He led me to my Roger. Been with him for almost two years now.” She raised her arm and showed off her well-developed bicep. “Without Randy, I would never have discovered weight-lifting.”
    Sam reached for her paperwork on a table. “Still don’t know how you juggled all of those men.”
    “Juggling men has never been a problem. It’s when they start juggling you with other women that it’s time to move on.” She stared at Sam for a few seconds. “How come I’m always talking about the men I’ve been with, but you never tell me shit?”
    Sam shrugged. “Because I’ve only had one boyfriend, you already know that.”
    She eased in closer to Sam’s table. “Boyfriend, yeah, I know about him. I’m talking about lovers.”
    “Lovers?” Sam swallowed hard. “Come on, Piper. I’m not as ….” Be diplomatic, Sam . “Experienced with men. Besides, men never like me. Most just see right through me.” 
    “Girl, you need glasses. Didn’t you see the way that patient’s son was checking you out a few weeks back? The super-hot guy.”
    Sam drew a blank. “I have no idea who you’re talking about.”
    “Sam, are you that dense? The guy couldn’t take his eyes off you. He looked like he was going to rip off your clothes and go down on you in the ICU.”
    Sam laughed out loud. “I think I would have remembered that, Piper.”
    “Shame his mother got better. It was worth having her in here just to get my daily eye candy. That was a very fine man.”
    An alarm went off in a patient’s room and Sam stood from her chair. “I think you’ve hit your man quota, Piper.”
    “Never. As long as I’ve got eyes, I’ll keep looking.” Sam was about to go into her patient’s room when Piper added, “Hey, what do you feel about Mr. Ellison in bed two?”
    Sam frowned and then rushed to her patient’s bedside. As she tried to get the IV machine to stop beeping, Piper eased up to her side.
    “I wouldn’t ask unless ….”
    Sam silenced the noisy IV machine and pulled Piper away from her patient’s bedside. “I should never have told you about that.”
    “Are you kidding me?” Piper raised her voice and then looked to the patient sleeping in the bed. “You’ve got a gift, Sam. You need to use it to help others.”
    “How can sensing the dead help anyone?”
    Piper grasped her arm. “His family is having a hard time. If they knew what was coming, it might help them to prepare.” She let go of her arm. “Please, Sam. What do you see?”
    Sam sucked in a pensive breath and relented. The cold fingers of death had been encroaching on her space all morning. In her mind, there was darkness enveloping bed two in the ICU. Buried in the darkness, there were faces. For Sam, the faces only meant one thing … loved ones waiting for their family member to cross over. She had seen it time and time again. The dead always returned to escort the newly departed to the other side.
    “By this evening he’ll be gone,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. “If not sooner.”
    Piper gave a curt nod of her head. “Thank you. You really should take that gift of yours on the road, or get a website.”
    “Seeing the dead has been more of a hindrance than a help. I try to ignore it.”
    “But you can see another world so many of us long to know. To see loved ones who—”
    “You swore you wouldn’t tell anyone, even Brenda,” Sam cut in.
    “I haven’t told a soul, Sam. Promise. I just think … imagine all those you can help.”
    “I can’t help anyone. I’m a freak. You have no idea of the hell I’ve endured because of ….” Sam waved across the ICU. “You’d better go to Mr. Ellison’s family. There isn’t a lot of time.”
    Piper left the room, and the