The Stylist, His Dom, and Their Dancer [Hedon Falls 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Michelle Graham

  They lay quietly, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Nicole found it hard to believe that just that morning her father had blown up. It seemed like a distant memory. But as she replayed the scene in her mind, she remembered something, and lifted her head to look down at Remy.

  “What’s up?” he asked, stroking her jaw and pushing her hair back from her face.

  “This morning at my parents’ house. Did you tell my dad that you loved me?”

  Shay pressed another kiss to the back of her neck.

  “He did. And we do.”

  Tears of happiness welled up in Nicole’s eyes. “I love you, too. Both of you.”

  They each kissed her tenderly one more time before they drifted to sleep in a tangle of sated limbs.

  Chapter 14

  When Nicole woke in the morning, she was alone in the bed. Looking around as she stretched, she saw no sign of Remy or Shay. She got up and checked the bathroom, and then returned to the bedroom, wondering where they had put the clothes she’d brought from home. In yesterday’s confusion she hadn’t had a chance to put them away anywhere.

  She found a robe hanging in the closet and pulled it on, though it was far too big. But it smelled like Shay and she enjoyed being wrapped in his scent. She left the room and headed downstairs. Delicious aromas wafted up from the kitchen and she followed her nose to find Remy, Shay, and Ainsley working together on breakfast. The sight warmed her heart as she realized that they were her family now.

  “Good morning,” she said as she walked in. “Can I do anything to help?”

  “Go back upstairs!” Ainsley cried. “We were going to bring you breakfast in bed!”

  “That’s really sweet, Ainsley,” Nicole said. “But I’d rather eat with all of you, if that’s okay.”

  Remy slipped his arms around her and planted a soft kiss on her lips. “Of course it’s okay. Take Ainsley and sit at the table. Let us serve both our girls.”

  She laughed when the little girl grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the kitchen and into the dining room. It wasn’t long before Remy and Shay brought the food out to join them.

  “This is very different from my normal Sunday mornings,” Nicole said. “Normally I’d be half asleep listening to Father David drone on in his homily.”

  Remy and Shay exchanged glances. “I’m sorry,” Shay said. “I didn’t even think about church. I guess that says something, doesn’t it? Did you want to go?”

  Nicole shook her head. “If I go anywhere, it’ll be to Stevensburg, but at the moment I think the Church and I are in disagreement about too many things.” In some ways, it disappointed Nicole that she couldn’t follow both her heart and her religious upbringing, but the two were incompatible. She chewed thoughtfully on her pancakes as she contemplated whether she could still make religion a part of her life.

  “Miss Nicole, can we have my lesson here today?” Ainsley asked.

  “Sweetie, why don’t you just call me Nicole from now on?”

  Ainsley grinned. “Okay, Nicole.”

  The phone rang from the other room and Shay excused himself as Ainsley and Nicole chatted with Remy. A moment later, Shay returned with the phone and passed it to Nicole.

  “Hello?” she said, wondering who it could be.

  “Nicole, it’s Riley.”

  “What’s wrong?” Not only was it strange for him to be calling now when her family should be in church, but he sounded upset. A knot formed in her stomach.

  “It’s Dad,” Riley said. “He had a heart attack in church this morning.”

  “Oh my God!” Nicole cried. “Is he okay?”

  “The ambulance left with him a few minutes ago and Connor and I are on our way up to the hospital.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Nicole said, hanging up the phone as she jumped up from her seat. “My dad’s had a heart attack. I need to get up to the hospital right away. Where are all my clothes?”

  Remy hugged her close and then led her up to the guest room where her suitcases sat next to the bed. Tossing them up on the bed, she tore through them until she found jeans and a sweater. Then she yanked a brush through her hair and pulled it into a ponytail. Running from the room and pounding down the stairs, her mind raced with this news. It was true that lately she and her father hadn’t seen eye to eye on most things, and after yesterday, she’d been furious. But the thought of something happening to him left her emotions in turmoil. She grabbed her purse and slipped on her shoes, shrugging into the coat that Remy held out for her, and then they went out to the car.

  Sitting with her arms tightly crossed, Nicole stared out the window as Remy raced through the town.

  “This is my fault,” she whispered, finally giving voice to her guilty fears.

  “It is not your fault,” Remy said. “Don’t you dare blame yourself for this.”

  “But what if the shock yesterday—”

  “No! That kind of shock wouldn’t have made a difference unless his heart was weak to begin with.” He reached out and squeezed her leg. “I won’t let you feel guilty about this.”

  Nicole said nothing. What could she say? It didn’t matter what Remy told her, she knew she was responsible. For the rest of the short drive, she remained silent, taking comfort from Remy’s presence beside her. At the hospital, he parked the car and they hurried in to the emergency department.

  Riley stood just inside the door waiting for her, his eyes red and puffy. Without a word, Nicole pulled him into a tight hug and they stood like that for moment before breaking apart.

  “Where is he?” Nicole asked.

  Taking her hand, Riley led her through the ward and down a corridor before stopping at a room. On a chair outside the door sat Ben, and he looked up when they approached. He stood and hugged Nicole.

  “We were at the hotel down the street,” Ben said, his voice hushed. “We got here just after the ambulance.”

  “Come on, Nic,” Riley said, tugging her hand toward the door.

  A tight knot formed in Nicole’s gut, and she looked at Remy for strength before she went in. He kissed her cheek, squeezed her hand, and then gave her a nudge toward the room. Taking a deep breath, she followed her brother through the door. Her father lay on a bed, tubes and wires snaking out all around him, attached to machines which beeped and blipped. Her mother sat in a chair beside the bed, gripping her husband’s hand, her soft sobs the only sound aside from the monitors. Connor stood by the foot of the bed, and Ryan sat on the window ledge.

  “Did someone call Kevin?” Nicole asked Riley. At twenty-six, Kevin was between Nicole and Ryan, and he had moved to Ottawa after university when he got a job with the Canadian Revenue Agency.

  “He should be here in a couple of hours,” Riley replied. “He was going to see about getting a flight.”

  With a nod, Nicole moved forward and placed a hand on her mother’s shoulder. Lois Collins stood and embraced her only daughter and they cried together.

  “I’m sorry!” Nicole said. “I’m sorry I hurt him so badly!”

  “Sweetie, it’s not your fault,” her mother said, the thick Irish brogue even more pronounced because she was upset. “He was angry, but he had calmed down by yesterday evening. This morning he was actually in a good mood, and I planned to talk to him after mass, but…” Lois’s voice trailed off and she cast a glance beside her to where her husband lay motionless.

  “What does the doctor say?”

  Turning back, Lois took a deep breath. “It doesn’t look good. They’re going to take him in for surgery soon and we’ll just have to pray.”

  Silence fell, each of the members of the Collins family deep in thought or prayer. Nicole had taken up a seat beside Ryan, who slid his arm around her shoulders. It wasn’t long before a nurse and a team of porters arrived to transport Mr. Collins to the operating room. As they filed out of the room after him, on their way to the waiting room, Remy took up his position beside Nicole and accompanied her.

  The waiting room was e
mpty, for which Nicole was grateful. She hated the thought of sitting there while others watched their painful vigil. Her hand wrapped around Remy’s, drawing comfort from him.

  “We weren’t properly introduced, I’m afraid,” Lois said softly as she took the seat on Remy’s other side and held out her hand. “Lois Collins.”

  Remy shot a quick glance at Nicole before shaking her hand. “Remington Alexander. But everyone calls me Remy.”

  “I’m sorry for my husband’s behavior yesterday,” she said, holding up a hand when Remy opened his mouth to speak. “There’s no excuse for the way he acted. I can see that Nicole is happy with you, and that’s all that matters to me. Please, just take good care of her.”

  Fresh tears spilled down Nicole’s cheeks as Remy nodded somberly. “We plan to, ma’am.”

  Lois turned to face Ryan and Ben, a slight smile playing across her lips. “And now Ryan, I believe you owe us all an introduction.”

  Ryan studied his mother’s face for a moment. “You don’t seem surprised.”

  “I’m your mother,” she whispered. “I’ve known where your interests lie for a long, long time. And I’m sorry you felt you couldn’t come out to us sooner.”

  Standing, Ryan went to Lois and hugged her. “I love you, Mom.”

  “Oh darling,” she sobbed. “I love you, too. All I’ve ever wanted is for my children to be happy, and I can see that you are.” She pulled back and smiled up at her oldest son. “In fact, I’d say you’ve been very happy for about three years now. I understand why you didn’t tell us about your friend earlier, but I think the time has come to fix that.”

  Ryan held out a hand to Ben, who stood and went to his side. “Mom, this is my fiancé, Ben Townsend.”

  Lois’s eyes widened, and Nicole braced herself for her mother’s reaction. True, she seemed to be accepting of the situation, but she’d been expecting a boyfriend, not a life partner, for her son. As a smile spread over Lois’s face, lighting her eyes, Nicole let out a breath.

  “Well, Ben Townsend,” she said. “It is a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for making my son so happy.” To everyone’s surprise, she ignored Ben’s outstretched hand and hugged the large man who, after taking a moment to recover from his shock, returned the hug.

  Ryan and Nicole introduced their mates to their brothers, and the mood in the room eased. Nicole leaned against Remy and sighed, realizing how lucky she was to have a mother who understood.

  As though he could read her mind, Remy bent down and whispered, “Your mom is pretty cool.”

  Nicole nodded and snuggled closer. For the moment, it was easy to forget where they were and imagine her family sitting around the living room, chatting and laughing happily with each other. Now if only her father could see past his bigotry and begin to accept his children for themselves, life might be near perfect. As long as he makes it through this. Despite the fact that Nicole and her father seldom agreed, especially with this most recent situation, she wasn’t ready for him to be gone.

  Nicole’s brother Kevin showed up an hour or so later, rushing in to hug his mother and brothers, and introductions were made again. He glanced from Ben to Remy. “Guess I should try to make it home more often. Too much happens when I’m gone.”

  They all laughed again, but Nicole caught sight of the doctor coming down the hall and bolted from her chair. Within moments, her mother stood beside her, and she could feel the presence of her brothers behind her.

  The doctor glanced around at all their faces before focusing on Mrs. Collins, whose hand tightened around Nicole’s.

  “Mrs. Collins,” the doctor began. “Your husband is in recovery. His condition is stable, but still serious.”

  Relieved murmurs filled the waiting room, and Nicole felt a weight lifted from her. According to the doctor, her father should be all right, but he would need some time to recover. As the family made their way to the elevator to go up to the intensive care ward, Nicole’s brothers kept a light banter running. They didn’t stop talking until everyone stood outside the door to their father’s room.

  Leaning close to her, Remy pressed a kiss to Nicole’s temple. “I’ll wait out here,” he whispered. She nodded, and taking a deep breath, followed her brothers into the room.

  As a child, Nicole had always seen her father as a large man, both tall and broad. Even once she’d grown up, he made an imposing figure. It was hard to reconcile that memory with the picture of the man lying before her on the bed. Wires and tubes snaked out from all over his body, attaching him to a myriad of machines around the head of the bed. His face, normally rosy with color, was so pale that for a brief moment, Nicole wondered if he had passed while they made their way to the room. But she saw the rise of his chest and heard the beeping of the heart monitor, confirming that he continued to live.

  A loose gathering had formed around the bed. Mrs. Collins and her five children stood and looked in silence at the man before them. One by one, each of them leaned in and kissed his forehead. When Nicole bent close, she paused to whisper in his ear. “I love you, Dad. I’m so sorry.”

  When she left the room, Remy pulled her into his arms. “How is he?”

  “Not awake yet,” she said. “My mom is going to stay, but the rest of us are going to come back tomorrow.”

  “Then let’s get home.”

  Allowing him to take her hand, Nicole walked with Remy through the building and out to the car. She didn’t say anything as they drove, just watched the buildings flash past the windows, but her mind raced the whole time. She knew what she had to do, though it wouldn’t be easy. When Remy pulled up to the house, she took her time getting out of the car, reluctant to hurry to the task ahead of her. But she couldn’t stall for long, and too soon, she found herself in the house, wrapped in Shay’s arms.

  Though it would have been easy to relax into his embrace, she fought the urge. Instead, she inhaled deeply, committing his scent to memory, and then gently pushed away from him. She looked up and saw the confusion in his eyes. The knot in her stomach twisted tighter.

  “I need to go home.”

  “You are home,” Shay replied. His voice held an edge to it that suggested he had guessed Nicole’s intentions.

  “I can’t stay here,” she said. “My dad is all right now, but he can’t have any more stress. If I stay with you, it could cause a relapse.”

  Shay’s eyes flashed with anger and Nicole noticed the muscle in his jaw twitching again. Before he could speak, Remy, who had been silent until that point, interrupted. “Nicole, I already told you that this is not your fault.”

  With a shake of her head, Nicole turned and started up the steps, but she didn’t get far before Shay grabbed her hand and jerked her up against him. “You’re not leaving.”

  “I have to.”

  “No!”

  Closing her eyes, Nicole took a deep breath. When she opened them, she met Shay’s gaze. “Then take me upstairs and let me hold you while you make love to me.” Behind her, Remy sucked in a breath.

  Shay blinked. “What?”

  “Make love to me and let me put my arms around you.” Nicole stepped forward and started to wrap her arms around Shay’s shoulders. He stiffened and took a step back.

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Why? Is the idea really that awful?”

  “Nicole, I—”

  “Save it, Shay. I don’t mind being submissive, but I want to be able to show you I love you. If you can’t give me that, then this relationship isn’t worth fighting for.” She whirled around and ran up the stairs.

  Chapter 15

  Nicole sat in the worn-out chair beside her father’s bed with her chin resting on her knees as she stared out the hospital window. She and her brothers had been taking turns staying with her mother and until now they’d managed to have at least two people keeping the vigil at her father’s bedside. But Kevin had just taken their mother out to get some dinner, leaving Nicole sitting by herself.

  Rustling from the bed
had her half out of the chair before she realized he was just shifting as he slept. She hadn’t seen him awake yet and she needed to be able to apologize. Her stomach had twisted into knots so badly that she hadn’t eaten in more than a day. But until she had the chance to tell her father how sorry she was, she couldn’t stand the thought of food.

  At a noise from the door, Nicole turned her head, almost falling out of the chair when she saw Shay standing there. With a quick glance to check her father was still sleeping, she stood and drew the curtain closed before going to the door.

  “What are you doing here?” she hissed.

  Shay took her hand but Nicole yanked it out of his grasp. He huffed out a breath and ran his hand through his hair. “I came to talk some sense into you.”

  “Don’t bother,” she replied. “The last thing I need is for Dad to wake up and see you and relapse.”

  “It’s not your fault, Nicole.”

  “Oh, not at all.” She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to look at him. She wouldn’t let herself get lost in those eyes again.

  “I talked to your mother.”

  Forgetting her promise not to look, Nicole turned her face up to his, the heat rising in her cheeks. “You did what?”

  “The doctor said your dad’s arteries were badly clogged. That doesn’t happen overnight.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Nicole shook her head. “I don’t want to take the chance.”

  “Listen to me!” Though he barely raised his voice, she couldn’t help but obey the command, and God help her, she got wet when she heard it.

  “Let me tell you a story. A story about a teenager who made some stupid choices.” Shay closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing.

  “The summer he turned eighteen, he got a job with the forestry department planting trees. Dull work, but it got him outdoors and it paid well. One Friday night after he’d finished working, a couple of the older workers invited him to a party. And like most teenagers would have, he thought it’d be cool. When he arrived, people were drinking and smoking up. Not wanting to look like a dork, the kid joined in.”