by Force, Marie
“But you’re not denying it, are you?”
She tightened her lips as she looked up at him, seeming to be deciding how much she should say. “Out of fear of self-incrimination, I’d like to plead the Fifth.”
Though he was seriously concerned about this harebrained plan of theirs, he couldn’t help but laugh at that. She was so damned cute and so damned sexy—never more so than she’d been since conceiving his baby.
“Listen to me,” he said sternly when he was done laughing. “You need to let me run background checks on these guys. I’m dead serious, Tiff. You have no idea who they are or where they’re coming from. What if they have criminal records?”
As she patted his chest, he sensed condescension coming his way. “Don’t worry about that. Sydney and Abby went through a reputable agency to hire them.”
He put his hand on top of his head, fearing it was going to blow off at any second. “This is not happening.”
“Blaine, honey, take a deep breath. It’s all in good fun. Who deserves a big blowout of a sendoff more than Jenny does? After all she’s been through… Come on. You wouldn’t do anything to ruin that for her, would you?”
“You’re doing that thing you do…”
“What thing?”
“With your eyes. You think if you look at me that way, I’ll melt into putty at your feet.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you don’t,” he said with a laugh.
“Promise me you won’t mess with Jenny’s surprise.”
“I don’t know if I can make that promise.”
She leaned in so her lips were brushing against his ear. “If you do,” she said in a husky whisper, “I’ll suck your dick until you explode down my throat later.”
“Motherfucker,” he muttered. He was no match for her. He never had been, but damn, he loved her anyway.
To make her point completely, she cupped his suddenly rock-hard erection and dragged her fingernail over the full length of him, making him shudder from the effort it took not to come in his pants like a horny teenager.
“Promise?”
“I promise not to do anything to screw with Jenny’s party. You, on the other hand…”
“You may screw with me to your heart’s content.”
“Oh, I will. You’d better be ready when I get home tonight to pay up on that promise you made.”
“I’d never renege on a promise to you.”
He tightened the arm he had around her. “I want one other promise from you.”
“What’s that?”
“You will not touch those strippers or let them touch you, or I won’t be responsible for my actions. You got me?”
“Yes, dear.”
“Are you pacifying me?”
“Would I do that?”
“You absolutely would.”
She smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling with mirth. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, even when you’re manipulating me.”
“I’ll make it well worth your while tonight.” She gave his hard cock an extra squeeze for good measure.
“You’re really going to make me walk around in this condition all day?”
“What would you have me do about it?”
Though he was on duty and absolutely shouldn’t do this, he released her, strode to the door, locked it and put the Closed for Fifteen Minutes sign in the window. Then he took hold of her hand and half-walked, half-dragged her to the back of the store.
“Blaine,” she said on a nervous laugh. “I’m working here. You can’t just—”
Pressing her against the same wall that had hosted one of their very first encounters, he kissed the words right off her lips. His hand worked its way under her skirt, where he encountered a tiny string thong, the kind that never failed to turn him into a stark raving lunatic whenever he saw it wedged between her sweet cheeks. He pushed it out of his way and sank two fingers into her.
She turned her face to break the kiss and drew in a sharp breath.
He froze. “That didn’t hurt, did it?”
“God, no. Don’t stop.”
Keeping her anchored to the wall with the tight press of his body, he used his free hand to open his uniform pants. This was madness. He was on duty. He was the goddamned chief of police about to fuck his smoking-hot pregnant wife against a wall in her store in the middle of his shift.
“What?” she asked, tuning in to his reluctance.
“I shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Yes, you should. You absolutely should.” She finished freeing him from his pants and stroked him until his eyes crossed with lust. “Don’t leave me like this.”
What could he say to that? Nothing, so he forgot he was on duty and that she was working. He forgot about everything other than her and how much he loved her. The one thing he couldn’t forget was that she was pregnant, which was the only reason he didn’t hammer into her the way he wanted to. Rather, he took it slow and easy, cupping her ass cheeks as he worked his way into her tight channel.
“You take my breath away every goddamned time,” he whispered harshly.
“Same. Same, same, same.” She clung to him. “Don’t hold back, Blaine. It feels so good.”
“Afraid,” he said, faltering. “The baby…”
“It’s fine. We’re fine.”
“Hold on to me.”
She tightened her arms and legs around him. “Love me. Just love me.”
“I love you so fucking much. I want you all the time, even when I’m on duty and shouldn’t.”
“You should. You really, really should.”
As he laughed, he lost his rhythm for a second before he recovered. “This is going to be fast.”
“I like fast.”
Blaine groaned as he gave her what she said she wanted, more gently than he normally would have, so he wouldn’t hurt her or the baby. The very thought of that made his knees go weak, and with her pressed against the wall, he couldn’t afford weak knees.
His radio crackled to life with a call from dispatch that he had no choice but to ignore—something else he never did.
And then she was coming with loud cries that shattered his control. He surged into her, gasping from the wave after wave of exquisite pleasure that seized his body as her release sparked his.
The dispatcher called again.
Blaine could barely breathe, let alone speak.
“Blaine, babe… The radio.”
“I hear it.” He focused on dragging air into his lungs, and when his head stopped spinning, he keyed the mic on his shoulder to respond to the dispatcher and listened to her report of a multiple-car accident on the island’s north end.
“I’m on my way.” Blaine leaned his forehead against Tiffany’s. “How’d you get me to do this while I’m on duty?”
“As I recall, you didn’t give me much choice.”
“Aww, baby, you always have a choice.”
She smoothed the sweaty hair off his forehead. “And I choose you every time.”
“You make me so incredibly happy, Tiffany. I keep thinking it’s not possible to feel this good all the time, but it just gets better and better.”
With her arms still tight around his neck, she kissed him. “Yes, it does, but you’d better get going before you get in trouble with Mayor Upton again.”
“I’m not entirely sure I can still walk.”
Her giggle filled his heart to overflowing. He loved making her laugh and smile. She’d been so grim when he first met her, and her lighthearted joy was a reminder of how far they’d come since then. Reluctantly, he withdrew from her and held her until she regained her footing.
As expected, his legs wobbled under him.
Tiffany leaned back against the wall while he went into the tiny bathroom in the back of the store to clean up. She was still there when he returned, her lips swollen from their kisses and her cheeks flushed from exertion.
“You look like you’ve been
thoroughly ravished, my love.”
“This insanely sexy cop came in and had his wicked way with me.”
Blaine raised a brow. “I dare any man to lay a hand on my woman. I’ll kill him.”
She smiled and reached for him.
He took her hand and let her draw him back in for one last tongue-twisting kiss. “I’ll never survive until tonight.”
“Yes, you will, and I’ll make good on my promises.”
Even though he’d been fully satisfied not even five minutes ago, Blaine whimpered like a little girl at the thought of what she’d promised him. “I’ll think of nothing else all day.”
“Go,” she said, giving him a little push. “The sooner you get done with work, the sooner you get your reward for not messing with Jenny’s party.”
He literally tore himself away from her. “We’re going on a vacation. Just you and me by ourselves. Very, very soon. You hear me?” Their busy season was coming to an end, and they’d earned some time alone.
“Ohhh, yes, please.”
“Very, very soon.” He kissed her again, taking a close look at her gorgeous face. “You okay?”
“Never been better in my life.”
“All right. I’m going, then.” One more kiss. “We’ll get over this craziness someday, won’t we?”
“God, I hope not,” she said with a happy sigh.
One last kiss. “This time I’m really going.”
“This time I’m really letting you.”
The chatter on the radio indicated the accident was a bad one, which propelled him out of the store and into bright sunshine that nearly blinded him. Pulling his aviators down from the top of his head, he walked toward his department-issued SUV to head to the accident scene. But all he could think about was going home to her later to collect on that promise she’d made him. This was going to be a very long day.
Chapter 22
Sitting in the doctor’s office, Paul heard what was being said, but he couldn’t seem to process it. Late-stage dementia, difficulty swallowing, bedridden, vulnerable to infections, risk of pneumonia, unable to speak or communicate…
This was a whole new ballgame.
“I know it’s a lot of information to take in all at once, but we feel it’s imperative for you to prepare for what’s ahead sooner rather than later.”
Hope’s hand covered Paul’s, and her warmth made him realize he was freezing in the air-conditioned office.
“Mr. Martinez, I’m sure you must have questions.” The doctor’s deep voice permeated Paul’s frozen state. The man looked at him with piercing blue eyes, but the only thing Paul could seem to focus on was his paisley bow tie. Who wore paisley these days?
Paul couldn’t think of a single thing to say. There would be questions. Hundreds of them. But right now, there was only despair.
“What are your thoughts about continuing to care for Mrs. Martinez at home on Gansett Island?” Hope asked.
Paul would have to thank her for that later. It was a good question and one that needed to be asked.
“I believe it’s going to become increasingly more difficult to care for her at home. That’s not to say it can’t be done, but it won’t be easy.”
Over the next thirty minutes, Hope quizzed the doctor on every aspect of his mother’s care. While Paul sat like a useless zombie, reeling from the shock, they covered practicalities such as medication and equipment and how to handle the inevitable agitation that Marion would experience as her symptoms worsened.
Paul’s tongue felt too big for his mouth, like if he tried to speak, nothing would come out. It had been years now since his mother was first diagnosed, but this was the first time his own brain seemed to shut down at one of her appointments. He simply couldn’t get his head around it.
Thank God Hope was here to do it for him. When she stood, Paul realized they were wrapping up the meeting, and he’d yet to say a word.
“Is he okay?” the doctor asked Hope.
“Paul.” He blinked her into focus. “Are you all right?”
“I’m… Yeah, I’m sorry. It’s just a lot to take in.”
The doctor handed each of them his card. “I’m here to help in any way I can. You and your brother have some big decisions to make, and if I can be of assistance, please let me know.”
“Thank you,” Paul said, humbled by the kindness of a stranger.
“I’ve signed the discharge paperwork.” The doctor handed a sheaf of papers to Hope. “The nurses will have your mother ready to go home.”
Still feeling dazed, Paul shook his hand, thanked him again and followed Hope out of the office, through a maze of hallways that led to the room where his mother waited to go home.
“There you are, George,” she said when they walked in. “I’ve been waiting so long to see you. Where have you been?”
The tears in her eyes finally snapped Paul out of the stupor he’d been in during the meeting. He went to her and bent to hug her. “Sorry I made you wait, Marion. It couldn’t be helped.”
“It’s okay,” she said, stroking his hair like a lover rather than a mother. “You work so hard. I understand.”
“What do you say we go home?”
“I want to go home. I’ve been telling them that.” Her arms were covered in bruises from the many needle sticks, and her hair was in need of Chloe’s special touch.
“We’ll get you home,” Paul said.
“Who’s she?” Marion asked, casting a suspicious glare at Hope.
“That’s Hope. She’s our friend. I’d like you to be nice to her, okay?”
“Of course, George. Whatever you want.”
The nurse came to push Marion’s wheelchair, but Paul told her he’d do it.
“Why am I in the hospital, George? Who’s staying with the boys? Are they all right?”
“They’re fine,” Paul said.
“What about work? You can’t be away from work, especially this time of year.”
“I left Louis in charge,” Paul said of the man who’d once been his father’s right hand. “And Hilda is with the boys.” Louis and Hilda had been gone longer than his father had, but the information pacified his mother.
Hope squeezed his arm in a show of support that he appreciated.
By the time they arrived home three hours later, Paul was spent. The break from reality he and Hope had enjoyed was but a distant memory, obliterated by the more pressing reality of his mother’s deteriorating condition. Naturally, Alex and Jenny wanted to hear everything the doctor had had to say, and after Marion was tucked into bed for a nap, Hope did most of the talking for him.
“Fuck,” Alex said on a long exhale, summing up the situation rather succinctly.
“So what does this mean?” Jenny asked.
“I don’t know,” Paul said. “Maybe it’s time to look into a permanent solution on the mainland.”
The comment was met with resounding silence.
“We knew it would get to this point eventually,” Paul said.
“Yeah, but we didn’t think it would be this soon,” Alex replied.
Jenny took hold of his hand, cradling it between both of hers.
“If I may…” Hope said.
“Please,” Alex said. “Speak freely. You have to know by now how much we value your opinion.”
“While the doctor painted a rather dismal picture, none of it is going to happen tonight or tomorrow or even next week. We can keep doing what we’ve been doing for the time being while you explore your options.”
“That’s true,” Jenny said. “It took two years for her to get to this point. The next stage isn’t going to happen all at once.”
Their comments brought a small measure of comfort to Paul because they were right.
“Let’s get through the wedding, and then we’ll start to look for places on the mainland,” Paul said. “We can take turns going over to visit her. We’ll figure it out like we always have since this began.”
Ethan, who’d been watching a mo
vie in Paul’s room, came bounding into the room, looking for his mother. He’d been clingy since she returned, which Paul could tell she loved. She scooped him up onto her lap and put her arms around him, kissing every part of his face that she could reach. He squealed with pretend outrage, but he loved the attention.
“I’d better get him home to start his homework,” Hope said. “We can talk more about all this after the wedding.”
“Thanks so much for everything today,” Paul said with the warmest smile he owned. “You saved me in there with the doctor.”
She returned his smile, but he noticed it didn’t quite reach her eyes the way it normally did. “I’m happy to do anything I can to help.”
Paul wanted to ask if he could see her later, but there was no way to do that in front of everyone. So he let her go. For now. As soon as the coast was clear, he’d seek her out to continue what they’d begun at the Cape. The thought of being with her later was the only bright spot in this otherwise dismal day.
Hope went through the motions with Ethan—homework, dinner, bath, bedtime stories, tickling, snuggling. After two nights apart, he wanted the full program, and she was happy to give it to him. His joyful giggles were a balm on the wound of this day.
Inside, however, she was dying from the realization that their idyllic time on the island would come to an end as soon as Marion was moved to a permanent care facility on the mainland. Just when they’d found their groove and settled into a new routine, it would all be upended again.
And Paul… She couldn’t allow herself to even think about the incredible interlude they’d had at the Cape. Other than every minute she’d ever spent with Ethan, it had been the most perfect time of her life.
“Are you sad, Mama?” Ethan asked, stroking her face.
He called her Mama only when he was sad or tired. Otherwise, she was Mom in the loudest voice he possessed.
“I’m just tired, honey, and so are you.” She kissed his forehead. “Time for lights out.”
“One more story.”
“No more stories. It’s a school night.”
“All right,” he grumbled, but his heavy eyes told the true story of how tired he was.
Leaving him with one last kiss, she turned on the night-light and left the door propped open so she could hear him if he needed her. She went into the kitchen to tend to the dishes and was halfway through them when the tears reappeared. The last thing she wanted to do was leave this wonderful place or the Martinez family, who’d begun to feel like family to her and to Ethan. He’d be heartbroken. But the fact was, she needed a job. After a costly divorce, she no longer had a cushion to tide her over between jobs. She’d managed to save some money since this job came with a free place for her and Ethan to live, but her small nest egg wouldn’t last for long if she was out of work.