by Katie Dowe
“How bad?”
“We won’t know until he wakes up.”
“As long as he is alive, I can deal with that.” She took a deep breath. “May I see him?”
“Yes, of course.” He looked around at the others. “I am afraid I am going to have to restrict visitation to only his wife right now.”
“We understand,” his mother said wiping the tears. “We are going to go on home Aaliyah and you give us a call when he wakes up.”
She nodded and turned to the others. “Thanks. I will call as soon as he wakes up.”
*****
She talked to him for almost the entire night about their son. “He looks more and more like you each day I swear,” she had stood at his bedside and looked at him so still and unlike his cloak of authority that he wore so well. He had a white bandage around his head that was a startling contrast to his tanned skin. “Ryan,” she had whispered tremulously as she bent to kiss his rough cheek. He needed a shave, she thought absently as she let her finger run down his cheek.
It had been two hours since she had come into the room and she realized that she was wilting from lack of sleep. They had provided a bed for her to sleep but she wanted to be near him in case he wakes up.
“I know you were only gone for two days but he looks more like you each day. Loretta says he has my nose but I cannot see it,” she bent her head over his strong muscular arm and gave in to tears. “Please wake up Ryan, I want to show you how much I love you.”
But he remained silent and after a while she stayed right there and drifted off to sleep.
He did not wake up until the second day. Aaliyah had rushed home to attend to her son and spent a little time with him after the rest of the wives had insisted. She felt ragged and the worse for wear so she had taken a bath and changed her clothes. Bradley had been a wealth of support making sure that she got home and back and dealt with the press for her.
“Why isn’t he awake yet?” she had asked the doctors as it approached the late afternoon. She had forced herself to eat something that Leesa had brought for her.
“He went through a trauma, Mrs. Sullivan, so his body is recuperating.” The doctor told her as he checked his vitals. “His vitals are stable; it is just for him to wake up.”
“You have no idea when?”
“No.”
The doctor left her alone with him and she went to his bedside and took her seat. “Come on, Ryan, please wake up. Your son and I need you and we do not want to do this without you. The papers are saying that you are strong and ruthless and there was nothing you cannot bounce back from. We have not been on our honeymoon yet and I know you said that this was not a real marriage, but you are wrong. It is a real marriage and what I feel about you is so real that you would not believe!” she took his hand in hers and looked at his long fingers with their blunt nails. “You make me feel alive, do you know that? You make me feel like a woman in love and I am. When you make love to me I – it is the most unbelievable feeling I have ever experienced! I want to know about you and I want you to know about me. My birthday is August 5, and I learned from your mother that your birthday is on July 4. I can never forget that. I was thinking that maybe we could go on your yacht and you could teach me how to sail. I am afraid you are going to have to teach me how to swim as well!” she said with a laugh. “I am loyal Ryan and I know you have been hurt pretty badly. Your mother told me and I feel your pain, but I promise that I would never give you cause to question whether or not I love you. I do. You have hurt me so many times baby but it is all in the past. I want us to spend our lives together and be a family. I told you when I had our son that I would do it all over again and I would. I want to be a wife to you and a mother to our children.” She rubbed his arm as if trying to bring him back to her. “I need you Ryan and I am scared how much, but I love you and I guess everything comes with it.” She rested her head on his arms and closed her eyes wearily.
Her eyes flew open when she felt his hand move and she lifted her head in excitement!
“Who are you?” he rasped as he looked at her strangely.
Aaliyah felt as if he had stabbed her in the heart!
Chapter 9
“I told you that there would be some memory loss.” Doctor Sutherland explained to her patiently.
“Yes, but you did not tell me that the memory loss would include him not realizing that he has a wife and son.” She said agitatedly. She had stood there staring at him as he asked the question and had fled the room not knowing what to say.
“He is suffering from short-term memory loss which means he remember what happened several years ago but as far as being married to you and you bearing a son, he does not remember.”
“How long will this be?” Aaliyah just wanted to cry and bury herself beneath the sheets but she had signed up for better or worse, and aside from that she was in love with him.
“It could be several days or weeks or even months.” Doctor Sutherland told her regretfully. “There is no way of knowing.”
“In the meantime, what do I do?”
“Behave normally and remind him of things you did together. He is fully recovered aside from the memory loss and can go home tomorrow.”
We never did anything together! She wanted to shout at him but remained silent.
“I cannot go back in there.” She said in despair.
“You can. I have already told him that you are his wife and he is trying to wrap his head around it.” The doctor touched her arm briefly. “You are going to have to be strong Mrs. Sullivan and I know you are a new mother and all, but you are going to have to be strong for him.”
She took a deep fortifying breath and closed her eyes. “Okay. I have told his mother and sister and they will be coming by so at least he will be with people he recognizes.”
*****
His dark blue eyes followed her around as she went about tidying up. He did not say anything and even when she showed him a picture of them and his newborn son he looked at her in stony silence. His eyes brightened as he saw his mother and sister come into the room.
“I always knew you had a very tough head,” Elaine said with a wicked grin as she bent to kiss his cheek.
“Elaine,” her mother admonished as she came to his bedside. “You gave us such a scare, darling.”
“I did not mean to.”
“Your wife has been at your bedside ever since you have been here.” His mother said.
His eyes went to the woman sitting on one of the sofas. “So I have been told.”
“You flew over from Spain?” he asked his sister who had plopped onto the side of the bed.
“You did not expect me to?” she asked him with eyebrows raised.
“Do you still have a job?”
“I see the arrogance has not been erased.” She said dryly. Rosalie opened her mouth to reprimand her precocious daughter but closed it again as her son laughed. They all stared at him for a moment.
“The doctors say I can go home tomorrow.”
“Yes. I bet Aaliyah cannot wait for you to go home to her and your son.” Rosalie said with a smile.
“I will be going to my apartment.”
There was a lengthy silence at that.
Aaliyah got to her feet, her head throbbing. “Excuse me please,” she whispered and fled.
“Ryan no, she is your wife!” his mother said agitatedly.
“And I do not know her.” He told her grimly.
Elaine looked at him and shook her head as she left the room in search of her sister-in-law. She found her in the private waiting room crying as if her heart would break. Elaine sat next to her and gathered her into her arms waiting while she cried. They remained silent for a while before Aaliyah lifted her head and reached for napkins on the table. “I must look a mess,” she said tearfully as she wiped her face.
“You do,” Elaine said bluntly. “I am going to tell you what you are going to do so you do not kill yourself over that man in there. He does not remember p
lain and simple but that does not mean you are going to give up. You have a son to live for and for now you are going to concentrate on that. If it means that you are going to invade his apartment when the time is right and when it has been a few days, then you are going to do so but you are not going to let him see you like this. Am I clear?”
Aaliyah stared at the girl for a moment and then she nodded.
“Good. You are going to go home and leave him to us. I have a few days in the country and I will see him to his apartment and bombard him with knowledge of you and Cameron. You love him and it is obvious, so I know you are not going to give up.”
*****
She put on a brave face and went home without him. She did not go back into the room because she feared if she did she would break down. She went home with her heart breaking into a million pieces and only told Leesa and Kelly what happened. She avoided the press and got home without incident. It had been three days since she had gotten the terrible news but it seemed like three weeks. She had told her mother to go on home and when she got there she had already left. Loretta was sitting in the kitchen cutting through the pot roast she had prepared. “I hope you are hungry,” the woman told her.
“I cannot eat anything now,” she said, her shoulders slumped.
“Sit please,” the woman said firmly. Aaliyah did as she was told and the woman scurried around getting a plate for her. “Eat.”
Aaliyah did so automatically and was surprised when she ate everything. “Elaine called and got me up to speed. The little man upstairs will be needing his meal in a few hours and you need some rest. So go on up and take a nap and rest up for when your son wakes up.”
She looked at the woman gratefully and went up to take a bath. She sank into the warm scented water and closed her eyes. She was back to square one where he had treated her with little more than contempt. She laid her head against the rest and thought about how excited she had been to know he was coming home to her and his son. Her eyes flew open as she realized that she was missing the bigger picture. He was alive and that was what matters now, the rest will come after!
*****
She buried herself into taking care of her son. He had been home for a day and had not called her and that made her want to cry some more, but she was determined that she would not give into tears. Cameron was a delight and she had moved his cot into their bedroom so she did not have to walk all the way down the hall to get him for his nightly feed. The wives rallied around her and she was never allowed to be alone. The days were hot so she spent her time at the pool with her baby. It was the third day that she decided to take action.
He had gone back to work; she knew because his secretary had emailed his itinerary to her. He communicated with her through his secretary and she felt the anger burning inside her. At least he could have called. She was his wife and mother of his son!
She called Leesa and said it to her.
“I am going to the apartment, Leesa.”
“Are you sure?” the woman asked her.
“If you were me what would you do?”
Leesa laughed softly. “I would have gone to the apartment from the first night and bash him over the head until he remembers me.”
“Okay then,” Aaliyah felt her mood lighten. “I will probably hold back on the bashing but I am definitely going. I don’t have a key.”
“Darling you are his wife and the apartment has a guard who knows that you are his wife. The whole world knows.”
“You are right. Maybe I should bring Cameron.”
“Too soon darling. Be alone with him first and then Cameron. Bring something unbelievably sexy and practically nude. Let him know what he has been missing.”
“Those I have.”
“Good. Go and search for the sexiest one and bring it with you, bring two or three to choose from. When are you going?”
“Today. Knowing him he will probably not be there until maybe ten.”
“Good. Who are you leaving with Cameron?”
“I am taking him with me and leaving him with Rosalie.”
“Great, so you are all set. Drive yourself. “
Aaliyah got dressed and Loretta dressed Cameron for her. She had stopped bleeding two days ago so the timing was perfect. She went to the enormous garage downstairs and stared at the array of vehicles there. She shook her head and selected a powder blue Mercedes Benz wondering if it was too powerful for her to handle.
“I won’t be back tonight Loretta,” she told the woman as she buckled her son into his car seat and went to sit in the car.
“I figured as much,” the woman said with a smile. “Good luck.”
She used the distance to think and listen to the soothing sound of Bruno Mars on the radio. She glanced frequently in the mirror and saw that her son was fast asleep. She was nervous and several times she almost turned the car around but she continued telling herself that she owed it to the little baby in the back and to herself.
Rosalie came out to help her with Cameron as Aaliyah brought his bag. Evan was still at work. “Sit, darling, for a few minutes. Your husband won’t be home yet. I just called and his secretary told me he was in a meeting.” She looked down at her beautiful grandson and inhaled his scent. “He looks so much like Ryan.” She got to her feet with the baby in her arms and went to get an album passing it to Aaliyah. She leafed through the pages eagerly and sighed as she looked at the baby Ryan. His mother was right, he looked so much like his son. She passed her hand over a picture of him standing with a baseball bat and a smile on his face. “He looks a little like his dad,” she murmured as she looked at a picture of the man standing with him in one of the photos. “He does and behaves like him too. He was a very hard man to love but I fell in love with him in spite of it.”
Aaliyah looked up at her. “Did he love you back?”
Rosalie knew what the girl was thinking. “He did.”
Aaliyah looked back down at the photo. “I fell in love with him even though I knew it was wrong.”
“Falling in love can never be wrong darling,” Rosalie stared down into the baby’s dark blue eyes so much like his dad’s. “You are not going to give up and I know he is going to remember and he is going to see that he cannot do without you.”
She put away the album and took her son into her arms rubbing his back. “I have to go.”
*****
“Mrs. Sullivan! Your husband is not here yet.” The guard told her as he rushed to take the bag from her.
“I know,” she looked at his name tag. “Lenny. He is still at the office and I want to surprise him. Please do not tell him I am here.”
“No madam,” he said with a grin probably loving the romance of it. She went straight up to his suite and let herself inside. She had never been here and she found herself admiring the simple elegance of the apartment. There were four bedrooms and two baths and the ultramodern kitchen looked immaculate. It had stairs leading up and she took them going into what must be his bedroom. It had been tidied up and she went into the massive walk in closet that held rows upon rows of suits mostly ranging from grey to dark blue and black. He had shelves that had sweaters and drawers with his ties, socks and underwear. He had shelves of shoes and she shook her head ruefully. There was nothing of hers there and she remedied that by hanging the denims and two dresses she had brought with her. The bathroom was eye catching with its chrome and white décor and she got ready to take a shower and slip into the rich burgundy laced teddy she had brought with her. She did not take too long in the bath but hurried into his bedroom to get dressed. She had just climbed onto the large king sized bed when she heard a noise in the hallway. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost eight. He was early! He came into the room and went straight to the closet to take off his jacket and his shoes. He had not seen her because he had not looked at the bed. She did not say anything not even when he went into the bedroom. She heard his feet falter and knew he was smelling the body wash she had used not too long ago and wa
s probably wondering at the damp towel she had left on the rack. He came back into the bedroom and turned on the light, his eyes going to the bed.
“I figured it was time I came home to my husband,” she said softly. He stood there staring at her, seeing the mounds of flesh almost spilling from the lace and the way the color looked against her complexion.
“I am tired.” He said abruptly.
“That’s okay, we can just spend the night in each other’s arms. But I doubt we can do that because when we touch each other and when your mouth touches my nipples I am lost.”
“Stop!” he said sharply.
“Why?” she got up on her knees and slipped the teddy off her shoulders. His eyes went to her full breasts and continued downwards helplessly as she finished taking off the flimsy material. She knelt there totally naked before his eyes and Ryan felt himself hardened instantly. He had been trying to remember her and his son and was getting frustrated! He walked over and stood there looking at her for a moment. “You should not have come,” he said tersely.
“I had to.” She whispered. “I am not doing too well without you.”
His eyes met hers and he lifted his hands and cupped her breast. His thumb passed over her nipple and she whimpered. “Your son has been suckling quite often but they get full ever so often.”
With a groan, he bent his head and the minute he pulled her nipple inside his mouth, she cried out his name and arched her body against his. Ryan tasted the milk and pulled hard wanting more! He felt something explode inside his body, and fumbling with his zipper he released his rigid penis. He pushed her back and entered her swiftly not taking the time to undress. He went into her deep relishing the tightness there and the warmth. His body shuddered against hers and his mouth found hers as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He gripped her hips and thrust into her frantically, his body demanding so much more. She gave him! She gave everything in her as she dug her fingers into his corded muscles. He released her lips and frantically tore the shirt over his head so he could feel her flesh. Christ it was too much! His mouth found her nipples again and Aaliyah screamed out his name her body bucking against his. “Ryan,” she was delirious and she was not going to wait. He lifted his head and looked down at her for a moment. This felt right and it felt familiar as if this was not the first time they had done something like this. He still did not remember her but he certainly remembered the taste of her and the feel of her. His penis burgeoned inside her and filled her up. “My love,” she whispered shakily as she framed his face with her hands. She arched her back and her lips parted as the orgasm tore through her body! She buried her face in his chest and sobbed out his name as her body shuddered against his. He came soon after as he held her close to him and filled her up with his seed!