But she had no choice.
As they sat together on the patio at home one evening, Claudia sipped on her iced tea and looked up towards the stars, wondering if her parents approved of the man sitting beside her. She felt certain they would and it made her want to be honest with him about something they had never discussed. She curled her bare feet up under herself and turned to him.
‘Is there anything you want to know about me? I mean, I’ve been living here and you’ve never pressed me about anything.’
‘You have a sister, whom you adore. And she’s over working in South America. And you worked in television.’
‘What about the big elephant in the room? The one we’ve walked around since we met.’
‘And that would be?’
‘The fact you’ve never asked me anything about Thomas and Luca’s father.’
He studied her for a moment. ‘It’s not my place, Claudia. I’ve just thought all along, if you want to tell me you will but if you don’t then I respect you. You must have your reasons for wanting to keep it private,’ Patrick told her honestly. He knew he had no right to ask. After all, he’d kept his past to himself.
Claudia smiled at his reply. It was so refreshing in a town where everyone wanted to know everyone else’s business and it somehow made her want to tell him. Many times over the weeks they had spent together she had wanted to open up but hesitated, a little scared that his opinion of her might change if he knew the truth. Then she questioned why it mattered so much what he thought of her.
‘I assume it’s over between you.’
‘Over as soon as he discovered I was having a child.’
‘Don’t you mean children?’
‘No, he never stayed long enough to find out I was having twins. His lawyer informed me early on that he didn’t want to have his name on the birth certificate and relinquished all parental rights. He’s actually...’ She paused as she stumbled over her words.
‘There’s no need to go there,’ he cut in angrily. He was furious any man would behave so poorly and sensed she was feeling torn about discussing the boys’ father. ‘Unless you’re in witness protection and hiding from a mobster, I have no interest in knowing about a man for whom I have no respect.’
Claudia smiled. ‘I’m not in witness protection.’
‘That’s good news then...nothing else matters.’
Claudia nodded in silence. Up until now, she had given too much thought to telling anyone, let alone Patrick, that her sons’ father was a married man. Don’t do it now, said a voice inside her head. She felt confused by her desire for him to know everything about her. ‘I thought he was a good man when I met him...’
‘Claudia, any man who would leave you alone and pregnant with his children is a low-life bastard. I never want to lay eyes on him. If I did I wouldn’t hold back so maybe it’s best I don’t.’ His voice was loud and filled with anger.
Claudia was taken aback. She had not seen that side of Patrick. His emotions had always seemed so moderate but hearing that reminded her of her father. She knew he would have said the same if he was still alive. Suddenly she felt more protected than she had since her parents died.
‘I didn’t expect that response from you.’
‘I don’t sit on the fence, Claudia,’ he responded. ‘I don’t tolerate cowards or fools and the man was both.’
Claudia was compelled to confess her part in the ugly situation. She was shaking inside because she was so aware that his opinion about her might change but all of a sudden she knew she wanted to tell him anyway.
‘It’s more complicated than that,’ she began and then paused for a moment. ‘The boys’ father...he was married.’ The words just came tumbling out. Her heart began racing as she saw his jaw tense and his eyes become more intense.
‘Married! The guy is a bigger low-life than I thought. How dare he hide that from you and disrespect his wife at the same time?’
‘You’re assuming I didn’t know he had a wife without me saying anything?’
‘Claudia, I know that you would never have become involved with a married man if you’d known he had a wife. It’s not who you are. It’s obvious he kept it from you.’
‘He did,’ she said with her head bowed a little. Patrick was visibly distraught but Claudia realised with relief that he wasn’t disappointed in her. His anger was towards the man who had betrayed her. But she wanted him to know the full story. She had to take the blame for her part.
‘I should have asked more questions. I was naive...’
‘He was probably a seasoned cheat and wouldn’t have told you the truth anyway.’
‘Perhaps,’ she agreed.
‘This town is full of predators. I’ve freshened up a few of them. Actors, producers, agents.’
‘He’s a producer, quite well known in the soap opera industry. I was working on his show and, as I said, I had absolutely no idea that he was married. He managed to hide it because his wife was away overseas, working on a remote set. She’s an actress, much younger than him but not well known, not yet at least. She was apparently heading back to LA about the same time I discovered I was pregnant. He left the apartment we were sharing the day I announced we were to have a baby and I haven’t heard from him since. Only his lawyer.’
* * *
Patrick ached inside to reach for her but he didn’t. He didn’t look at her; he stared straight ahead, scared that if he did look into her eyes he would sweep her into his arms and never let her go. It had only been nearly six weeks since they had met on the day the boys had been born but it seemed longer to Patrick. All along he’d suspected she had been hurt and now he knew by whom. The father of her children had been the one who’d inflicted the heartache.
He wanted her more than any woman he had ever met but he needed to wait until she was ready. If that never happened then so be it. But if she did open up and let him know she wanted him then he would make love to her with every fibre of his being and he would hold her in his arms all night long for as many nights as she would give him. He would try to heal every hurt she had every experienced. He would make her whole again, if she would let him.
‘He’ll pay the price for the rest of his life by not knowing his sons.’
Claudia opened her mouth to respond but couldn’t think what to say. He had not questioned her or doubted her for a moment and she wondered how and why such a wonderful man had come into her life. Without thinking too much, she leant in to kiss his cheek but he turned his face at that moment and the softness of his lips met hers. It was an unexpected kiss but neither wanted it to end. She willingly pressed herself against his hard body. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. A welcome vulnerability washed over her as she realised how much she trusted the man she was kissing.
She trusted him more than she’d ever thought possible. And she was falling a little more in love with him by the day.
His hands trailed down the curve of her spine and she could feel his heart racing through the cool fabric of his shirt. Her heart synchronised with the beating of his and their kiss deepened as he explored her mouth. Without warning, he slowly and purposefully stood and reach for her hand to pull her up from the sofa. Once she was on her feet, he swept her up off the ground and into his arms, his mouth possessing hers again. Claudia’s hands wrapped around his neck as he carried her into his bedroom, where he slowly removed every piece of her clothing. And then his own.
That night they both opened their lives, their hearts and their bodies to each other.
CHAPTER TEN
THE EARLY-MORNING SUN slipped through the gaps in the drapes and filtered onto the bed where they lay entwined in each other’s arms. Claudia opened her eyes to see Patrick’s handsome face only inches from hers. He was still asleep and she could feel his warm breath on her skin. Gently, she eased herself from hi
s arms and moved to the edge of the bed in search of her clothing. It was his room, not hers, and there was no clothing in reach. Her eyes roamed the room, to find her things scattered all over the floor in a trail that led to the bed.
‘Looking for something?’
She turned to see him propped up on his elbow watching her.
‘My underwear.’
‘I don’t think you’ll need that today,’ he said, a spark in his eye as he pulled her back into his arms.
* * *
An hour later, Claudia woke to the smell of freshly percolated coffee. They had made love again and she had drifted into a deep and wonderful sleep. Patrick appeared in the doorway in denim jeans but no shirt. His face was freshly shaven. His hair was wet and slicked back.
‘Why didn’t you wake me?’
‘Because, my darling, you needed your sleep.’ He crossed to the bed and kissed her tenderly. ‘You can have a shower and, when you’re ready, there’s breakfast on the patio.’
‘You are spoiling me terribly.’
‘I hope so,’ he said as he kissed her again and she melted into his arms.
‘I should get ready now,’ she finally said as she pulled herself away. ‘I want to be at the hospital for the boys’ feed and bath.’
‘Not a problem. We can eat and head over there together—it’s still early.’
With that he disappeared and left her alone in the still warm bed with even warmer thoughts of him.
* * *
‘There’s one thing I really want to know,’ she said as she traced circles with the tip of her finger on his warm bare chest and looked up lovingly at the man who had captured her heart as they sat together on the patio sofa enjoying the morning sun as they shared breakfast. She had showered quickly and they planned on being at the hospital by ten. ‘Why did you really change career?’
‘I found something else I enjoy—something that’s rewarding and important.’
‘I know, and I appreciate that you’re not just fixing starlets’ noses and breasts. I understand the other wonderful work you do, but you’re very good at delivering babies too.’
‘You only have your delivery to go on so I think your opinion may be somewhat biased.’
‘There’s no bias; I’m serious. You stepped in and saved us all. We owe our lives to you, Patrick.’
‘You were the perfect patient...’
‘Perfect patient?’ She laughed and she lay back on the soft oversized outside pillow, staring at the cloudless sky as her thoughts rushed back to the day she’d given birth. It was overwhelmingly frightening sometimes when she thought about that fateful day and other times she felt so blessed and fortunate, as if the stars had aligned to place them both in the elevator. That morning, as she snuggled next to Patrick, she felt as if it must have been serendipity and she was so very lucky. ‘I was perfectly horrible to you.’
‘Initially, perhaps, but when labour started I think you handled yourself incredibly well. You were braver than any woman I know.’
‘I don’t know about the brave bit, but I do know that I was flat-out rude and chose the most inconvenient place for you to deliver the boys.’
‘You didn’t have much say in choosing the venue.’
‘That’s true...’ she began but her words were cut short when his warm, soft lips pressed hard against hers and he didn’t let another word escape until he had tasted her sweet mouth for the longest time.
Finally he released her. Her head was spinning, her heart was racing and it took her a moment to catch the breath he had stolen. Her thoughts about everything except the man beside her were muddled. Those thoughts were crystal-clear. She was unashamedly falling in love with him. She knew they had no certain future and they had no past, having known each other for not long over a month, but they had the present. She was falling for Patrick the way she had never fallen for a man in her life and knew she never would again.
‘Let’s get to the hospital and see your strapping young sons—they may have gained weight overnight and be ready to come home.’
It wouldn’t be come home—it would be go home—to somewhere far away, she thought with a pang of sadness in her heart.
Claudia smiled as Patrick helped her to her feet but his words had cut like a hot blade, piercing her heart and reminding her that home for the boys and her would be London. And Patrick’s home was in Los Angeles. Their brief romantic affair would be that.
Just a short, sweet affair.
* * *
As they drove to the hospital, Claudia glanced over at Patrick. His slender masculine hands that now held the steering wheel had only a few hours before been stroking her naked skin and bringing her such pleasure that she’d never wanted it to end. His profile in the morning sun was the same handsome face that had woken next to her that morning. And she hoped they would wake together every morning until she left.
But, no matter what the future held for either of them, she wanted to know more about her devilishly good-looking obstetrician. And that meant understanding the decision he had made over a decade before. She wanted to be able to answer any questions her sons might have over the years. And even if they never asked a single question, she still wanted to know all there was to know about Patrick. He was such a wonderful man, but she sensed there was something he was hiding behind the sunglasses resting on his high cheekbones, gently shaded by morning stubble. It still seemed unusual to move to the other side of the world and begin all over again. To study another medical specialty and leave behind his family and friends. To never return home when there were clearly no financial barriers was all very puzzling. And, for an inexplicable reason, she had to know what had driven him away from the country she loved.
‘Patrick,’ she began softly as they pulled up at traffic lights only two blocks from the Mercy Hospital. ‘Can I ask you a question?’
He turned to her with a smile that melted her heart. ‘It depends.’
‘Depends on what?’
‘Will you let me plead the Fifth Amendment if I don’t like the question?’
‘The Fifth Amendment? But you’re not an American citizen!’
‘No, I’m British—we both know that,’ he replied as he changed gear and took off as the traffic lights turned green. ‘But I’ve been here long enough to feel comfortable using their constitutional loopholes.’
Claudia watched him smile. He was obviously trying to find a way to make light of something about his past he didn’t want to discuss and his expression showed her he thought he had won.
‘You know what, let’s talk tonight.’
‘Sounds fine to me,’ he said as they drove along in the traffic heading towards the hospital.
* * *
Later, as they sat together on the patio in their swimsuits after a late-night swim, Claudia broached the subject again.
‘I think you know everything there is to know about me,’ she began as she ran her fingers through her wet curls to push them away from her still damp face.
‘Where exactly is this going?’ he asked as he began to kiss her neck where the water was trickling down from her hair. ‘Because I would like to take it back to the bedroom.’
‘Me too...in a minute, but first I want to take it back to the question I wanted to ask this morning.’
He stopped kissing her. ‘Do we have to go there?’
‘But you don’t even know the question.’
‘Do I really want to know? Let’s leave the past where it belongs... I’m doing very nicely without it.’
Claudia sat up and turned to face Patrick. She doubted what he said was accurate. He had left everything behind. The reason had to be enormous. ‘What is the deal with your family? Did you fall out?’
‘I’m definitely pleading the Fifth Amendment. I told you I would this morning. N
othing’s changed.’
His smile seemed forced. There was more behind it. She intended to find out exactly what. A man had once hidden a secret from her that not only changed the course of her life but that of her children. She would not and could not accept a man at face value, no matter how handsome that face.
‘Patrick, I need to know a little more about you. It’s important to me.’ She drew a deep and slightly nervous breath. ‘My cards are on the table. You know everything, good and bad, and you still want me in your bed, so please give me the same credit.’
Looking into Claudia’s deep brown eyes, Patrick felt her searching his face for answers and realised that she wasn’t going to let it go. Perhaps she had a right to know. She had opened up to him about her life. Perhaps it was his turn. Maybe if she understood his reasons then she would consider staying in Los Angeles and they could be together. He suddenly had to face the truth that he had more to lose by not opening up.
He could lose Claudia.
‘Fine. We are...estranged. There’s been no contact with anyone from my past for close to twelve years.’
‘That’s sad; I couldn’t imagine life with Harriet.’
‘Well, I suppose that’s where you and I differ then,’ he said flatly. ‘I can live quite nicely without my family.’
Claudia suddenly felt as if the man beside her was not the same person. How could he not want to be with his family? Family meant everything to her. Losing her parents had been a crushing blow and to think he’d just walked away from his confused her.
‘Have you tried to sort out your differences?’
‘This is a little deeper than simple differences. I’ve rebuilt my life and don’t want to look back or go back. My past and my family are not relevant to me.’
As he said it he knew it wasn’t the truth. Every day he thought about his family. Where his mother was, what she might be doing. His nephew would be twelve now and he had not seen him grow up and it saddened him. But there had been no other option but to walk away and let them live their lives without him.
Twin Surprise for the Single Doc Page 13