Read Online When You Are Mine by Kennedy Ryan - Free Book Online Page A

some preliminary accounting and inventory work for Déjà Vu. She had also brought her sketch pad to capture ideas for her river rock jewelry. They both had plenty to occupy their time and attention, but that awareness of each other remained. From time to time, she would glance up from her laptop or from doodling on her pad to find his eyes resting on her. He wouldn’t look away immediately, but held the look before returning to his own task, unnerving Kerris.
    No sign of Dr. Myer bearing news, good or bad. Kerris felt completely helpless; useless. She hadn’t wanted to go anywhere, even to the bathroom, in case she missed Dr. Myer coming out of surgery. At this point, her butt was numb and her leg had fallen asleep where she had it curled under her.
    “I’ll go grab you some hot coffee.” She stood up, stretching her arms out like a clothesline.
    “No, stay.” Walsh reached for her wrist, pulling her back down to the seat beside him. “If I have any more coffee, I’ll piss my pants.”
    She smiled for the first time in hours. Walsh twisted their fingers together in his lap. The smile shriveled on her lips. Her palms moistened and her foot started a tap tap tap on the wax-slick waiting room floor.
    “I just want her to be okay, Ker.” The deep assurance she had become accustomed to was completely absent from Walsh’s low voice. “If she dies…”
    “If she dies, you did everything in your power to help her.” Kerris ignored the assault he was on her senses, tightening her fingers around his. “All we can do is—”
    “Were you gonna say pray?” The question was soft and serious.
    “I was gonna say hope.” She lowered her lashes to cover the shadows of unanswered prayers her eyes harbored. “But you can pray if you want.”
    “That’s what my grandmother would have said we should do.”
    “Oh, not the praying grandmother.” Kerris hoped her comment would distract him and lighten the sober mood.
    “Don’t hate on MawMaw,” he said, lips twitching.
    “MawMaw!” She didn’t even try to hold back her laugh. “Could you be more stereotypically Southern than having a praying grandmother named MawMaw? And let’s not forget that you brought me collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and fried chicken for dinner.”
    “What are you saying?” He fake frowned, lips still twitching.
    “That you try to front like you’re some big city boy—”
    “I’m from New York.” His voice rose with citified indignation.
    “I’m just saying—”
    Jo walked toward them, looking pointedly at their still-clasped hands on Walsh’s leg. Kerris jerked her hand back and put a few more inches between them.
    “I can hear you guys all the way down the hall.” Jo dropped her Yves Saint Laurent clutch on one of the seats. “I assume, based on the party I walked in on, that we’re celebrating? Iyani’s okay?”
    Kerris and Walsh both sobered, exchanging worried glances. For those few moments they had forgotten why they were here, but it came rushing back with emotional force. Walsh shook his head, standing to his feet and resuming his pacing.
    “Not yet.” A frown settled on his forehead.
    “Here comes the doctor.” Kerris fought back her anxiety and kept her tone hopeful.
    “Dr. Myer, how’s Iyani?” Walsh turned to the physician, who was pulling his surgical mask down. “Did the surgery go okay?”
    “Is she gonna be all right?” Kerris stepped toward the doctor, too. “When can we see her?”
    “Give the man some space.” Jo placed a restraining hand on Walsh’s arm.
    “It’s okay.” Dr. Myer tugged at the mask hanging around his neck. “Iyani came through just fine.”
    “Thank God.” Walsh reached for Kerris’s hand, gripping it tightly.
    Kerris collapsed against his side, turning her head into the strength of his arm, limp with relief. Walsh brushed a gentle hand over her disheveled hair, long loosened from the elastic bands she’d started the day with. Kerris felt Jo’s eyes resting on