Delia drained her own cup and held it out for a refill. ‘Actually, I think you might be interested. A young woman, mid-twenties, was admitted six weeks ago with multiple stab wounds to the abdomen. Really nasty.’
Noah frowned. ‘Yes, I heard about that…wasn’t she attacked in a wedding dress store?’
‘Like I said, real nasty. Anyway, her wounds are healing, internal organs are responding well, but she’s experiencing paraesthesia in both feet and lower legs, sciatica, inflammation of the joints in her legs.’
Noah nodded. ‘Not uncommon when the nerves have been damaged. How’s her spine?’
‘Structurally fine but like I said, it was a nasty, vicious stabbing – the knife nicked vertebrae, sliced through nerves. Lila’s young, like I said. Nice girl too. She was supposed to marry Richard Carnegie.’
His eyebrows shot up. ‘The Carnegies? Those Carnegies?’
‘Yup. Richard Carnegie Jr is – or was – her fiancé. He’s been charged with her attempted murder.’
‘Son-of-a-bitch.’ There was nothing, that got under Noah Applebaum’s skin more than violence against woman. Something to do with all the times his father whaled on his late, beloved mom…another reason he’d gone into medicine.
Delia Honeychurch waved her hand. ‘Don’t be too quick to judge,’ she said, taking the coffee mug he offered, ‘Lila swears blind Carnegie wouldn’t do that to her. And it does seem the evidence is flimsy at best.’ Delia’s tone lowered, turned gossipy. ‘Lila’s stunning, I mean, a real beauty. Her best friend is a cop, and he was the one who arrested Carnegie. Seriously, it’s like a soap opera around here.’ Her face changed, and she looked ashamed. ‘Ignore me. I’m getting jaded. But back to my original purpose – would you take a look at Lila?’
Noah sat down opposite her. ‘Of course. When…?’
Delia grinned. ‘How about after we finish this coffee?’
‘Slave driver.’
‘You bet your ass.’
Now…Lenox Hill Hospital
Lila lay down and tried to turn onto her side, to get comfortable, but nothing helped. Every time she moved, her stomach muscles screamed in protest, but she just hated sleeping on her back. Eventually, she managed to prop up her sore belly with a pillow and get a little comfortable. She closed her eyes, but her mind whirled.
She still remembered the day Richard had tried to confess his infidelity to her. He had picked her up from work, and at first, she hadn’t noticed how quiet he was. She had been getting excited all day because tomorrow, finally, they were getting on a plane to London. She was beyond excited and so, when Richard met her at college, she was hyperactive, grinning from ear-to-ear and babbling on.
It was only when they got back to his place, she noticed his blank expression, the flatness of his usually expressive eyes. ‘What is it, love?’ She asked softly, going to him as he sat on the couch. He pulled her onto his lap and buried his face in her neck, pressing his lips against her throat.
She smoothed his hair, frowned at his desolate expression. ‘Rich…tell me.’
He looked up at her with a deep sorrow in his eyes. ‘Why are you with me?’
The question shocked her. ‘Because I love you, silly.’
‘And I love you.’
‘Then why are you asking?’
He seemed to struggle to get his words out. ‘You deserve everything, Lila, everything. I’m not good enough for you.’
Lila’s heart began to beat faster. ‘What the hell are you talking about?’
He looked away from her gaze. ‘You deserve better.’
Lila got up. ‘Whatever’s on your mind, Richard, just say it.’
He sighed and put his head in his hands. ‘I saw Camilla today.’
And she’d known exactly what he was trying to tell her. Camilla, his stunning society ex-girlfriend. Camilla of the debutante societies, Camilla who attended cotillions and flaunted her beauty at polo matches. The anti-Lila. Camilla, who’d been introduced to Lila by Delphine and who had immediately gone out of her way to make Lila feel like the outsider she was. That Camilla. Bitch.
Lila stared at Richard. ‘So?’
He looked up, not understanding. ‘What?’
‘So you saw your ex? So what? We both have past lovers, no big deal.’ She was being deliberately obtuse, but she was also damned if she’d let that bitch win. As long as she didn’t allow Richard to say the words out loud, she could cope with his…
Cheating. That’s what it was, plain and simple. But Lila, still only very young, was also wise to the world. Ex-sex was a thing, and Richard had made a mistake. It was okay, Lila told herself, trying to quell the pain in her heart. She turned away from him, gathering her thoughts, her feelings, getting up and going to the window.
‘Don’t worry about it, honestly, Rich. Let’s focus on the future.’
‘Lila…’
‘Rich, please,’ her voice cracked. ‘If you’re truly sorry, let me deal with this how I need to.’
He got up and came to her, and she let him take her in his arms. ‘Okay then,’ he whispered, ‘but just know, I love you so much, and I’m truly sorry.’
She leaned into him. ‘Don’t do it again.’
‘I swear.’
Whether Lila admitted it or not, it had marred the trip. Although they had great fun traveling – their adventures were fun and light-hearted – every time they would dissolve into laughter, Lila would be hit with a jolt of reality. He cheated. He cheated. This man in front of her, being silly with her, teasing her, loving her, also cheated on her.
Paris was at the end of their trip and true to his word; Richard had gone all out – a luxurious suite at the George V, a balcony looking out over Paris to the Eiffel Tower. Lila was overwhelmed by it all, and although she loved every minute she had to admit, it was so far out of her realm of experience, this opulent life, she felt out of place. It made her question whether she and Richard should really try to merge their vastly different lifestyles or whether, by being with him, everything she brought to the relationship was somehow diminished.
On their last night in Paris, she was sitting out on the terrace. Richard had taken a business call – with an apologetic look at her – and so she snagged a glass of wine and went out onto the balcony, propping up her legs on a spare chair. She had so many questions, so many things she wanted to talk to Richard about, but she wanted to get things straight in her own head first.
When he came out, phone call over, he pulled up a chair next to her and kissed her cheek.
‘Have you had a good time, my love?’
She smiled and nodded. ‘I have, Rich, it’s been so much fun.’
He studied her. ‘But?’ He smiled ruefully. ‘I know you’ve been thinking things over, it’s been obvious. So, look, let’s get our cards on the table, here, now. Then when we go home, we can start with a clean plate.’
She tapped her glass to his. ‘I’ll drink to that.’
They both sipped their wine then Rich nodded. ‘So, you first. Ask me anything. I assume you’ll want to know about why Camilla and – ‘
‘No,’ she said, cutting him off. ‘Not yet. I want to go back further than that. The night we met…’
She could see the shutters come down in his expression. ‘Rich…you said I could ask you anything. Why were you on that street, with those people? Are you using? There’s no judgment here, I just want the truth.’
Richard sighed. ‘No, I’m not using, I swear to God. But…god…Cora was. My sixteen-year-old sister was and hardcore stuff too. Cora’s always been vulnerable, easily depressed. She got hooked on cocaine and then graduated to heroin. I went there that night to pay off her dealer; he was threatening her. I also promised her that I would never tell anyone. We pretended she was going on vacation for a month before school started; instead, she went to rehab. She’s doing really well too but if the press were to get hold of it…’
‘Oh God…poor Cora,’ Lila was shocked – she’d had no idea that the tiny redhead, so bubbl
y and exuberant, had been on drugs. The few times she’d met Cora, she had liked her very much, and the feeling was mutual.
Lila looked at Richard with a new respect, a new fondness. ‘You did that for her? You’re the perfect big brother.’
He laughed and rolled his eyes. ‘Lila, I am far from perfect but what else could I do? Mom and Dad don’t know; they would for sure blame themselves.’
She took his hand and kissed his palm. ‘You have a wonderful family.’
‘Thank you.’ He sighed and cupped her cheek with his hand. ‘As for the other thing, God, Lila, I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am. I know we’ve only been dating for a few months, but there’s no excuse for my behavior. I don’t know what I was thinking.’
Lila just nodded, a lump in her throat. Richard studied her. ‘Are you mad?’
She nodded but smiled, and he stroked his thumb across her face.
‘I’m mad at me too. What a douchebag.’ He grinned then and she chuckled, despite herself.
‘Complete tool.’
‘Numbnuts.’
‘Dill-hole.’
Both of them laughed then. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said again, and she leaned her forehead against his.
‘You’re forgiven.’
He smiled gratefully then moved onto his knees before her, his fingers on the buttons of her dress. He undid them all slowly then moved the fabric apart to reveal her breasts, her belly, and her underwear. He pulled one of the lacy cups of her bra down and took her nipple into his mouth. Lila sighed and relaxed back as he worked, his tongue flicking, teasing, and the gentle sucking of his mouth making her nipple hard and sensitive. As he tongued both breasts, his fingers slid into her underwear and began to massage her clit before his long forefinger slipped inside of her, finding the g-spot and rubbing it until she was gasping and shuddering.
‘I’m going to fuck you senseless, beautiful girl,’ he murmured, his mouth against hers and Lila moaned. He tugged down her underwear then pulled her towards him. His mouth found her sex and with an expert tongue, he brought her to a shattering orgasm that made her body buck and writhe. He gave her no time to recover before sweeping her down to the balcony floor and launched his cock into her. He was so hard that when he thrust inside her, it was almost painful, but Lila wrapped her legs around his hips and urged him on, deeper, harder, please…
They fucked late into the night, moving from room to room in the suite, taking each other harder each time. Lila barely had time to catch her breath before Rich was pressing her against the wall and thrusting his cock deep into her cunt from behind or pinning her to the bed, ramming his hips against hers then coming in great, thick white spurts onto her belly.
Dawn was beginning to break over Paris before they finally fell asleep in each other’s arms and Lila began to finally believe that everything would be okay…
Now…Lenox Hill Hospital
Noah Applebaum knocked once at Lila Tierney’s door and went in. ‘Hey there,’ he said cheerfully then stopped. God…she was beautiful, even with tubes sticking out of her arms and dark shadows under her violet eyes. She smiled at him, and Noah felt something shift inside him – a yearning, a need. He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure.
‘I’m Dr. Applebaum, you’re Miss Tierney?’
‘Lila, please.’ Her voice was low, slightly gruff as if her throat was dry. He automatically got up to pour her some fresh water, and she took the glass with a smile. ‘Thank you. So, Dr. Applebaum, you’re the neuro god Dr. Honeychurch tells me about?’
‘Ha,’ he grinned, ‘She exaggerates – well, I pay her to exaggerate my abilities. But, seriously, Lila, yes I’m here to see if we can’t help you with some of the issues from your, um, stabbing.’ Who the fuck would want to kill this gorgeous woman? He tried not to run his eyes over her body; even in a hospital gown, he could see she had killer curves…ouch, probably not the best description, he said to himself. He felt like a teenager with a crush. Get a grip, man.
‘So, I just wanted to come see you, introduce myself and do a couple of quick tests. Then we can come up with a treatment plan. How does that sound?’
‘Sounds great, doc. What do you need to me to do?’
‘Let’s do a quick exam…do you want me to get a nurse to chaperone?’
She shook her head. ‘No, it’s fine.’
He checked her neck, sliding his fingers around to the back of her neck and asking her to move her head from side to side. Being so close wasn’t helping his composure; he could smell her shampoo, her soap. ‘Could you lay on your stomach if it’s not too painful; I need to check your spine.’
His fingers moved over the bumps of her spine, checking each vertebra. Her skin was so soft, he wanted to stroke it. Finally, he pressed two fingers against her sacrum. ‘Does this hurt?’
‘Yes,’ she said, ‘Quite a lot.’
‘Okay, I’m sorry, let me help you up. ‘
Awkwardly he helped her into a sitting position, noticing her wincing. ‘I’m sorry to cause you pain, Lila.’
‘It’s okay,’ she gasped slightly, holding her belly. ‘I think my muscles are just getting used to moving again.’
He studied her. ‘Do you think you could try walking with me? I’ll hold onto you, of course.’
‘Okay.’
He held her hands as she stood, gingerly, then guiding her, she managed to walk across the room. ‘How does that feel?’
‘Okay,’ she said, wobbling slightly, ‘Except my feet feel like they belong to someone else. Pins and needles.’
‘Gotcha. Okay, well, you’re doing really well – ‘
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Lila stumbled, and he caught her in his arms. She looked up at him to smile sheepishly, and their eyes met and held. A beat, then she laughed softly, and the mood was broken.
‘Doc, I should tell you, I’m an artist so am prone to attacks of the ‘vapors’ like that.’
He laughed and helped her back into bed. ‘You did well, Lila, really. But I do think you would vastly benefit from a program designed specifically for your injuries. It’ll be tough, and there will be times when you’ll want to give up, or pound on me for making you do it but, I promise, it’ll be worth it. What do you say?’
‘I say, let’s go for it.’
‘Good girl,’ he smiled at her, noticing the way her dark hair tumbled in soft curls around her face. Adorable. His eyes dropped to her mouth, dark red, full lips. He swallowed. ‘Well, if you’re willing, and Doc Honeychurch gives the go-ahead, I say we start soon.’
‘Aren’t you supposed to go back to Seattle soon?’ she asked the flushed Doctor. ‘Dr. Honeychurch told me about you. I come from Seattle too.’
‘You do? Which part?’
‘Puget Ridge. You?’
‘Medina.’
‘Nice,’ she grinned, ‘you’re obviously from the same kind of family as my fiancé.’
Oh yeah, the fiancé. Currently sitting in jail for this gorgeous girl’s attempted murder. Noah tried to smile. ‘So just general questions…how’re you feeling? Physically and emotionally?’
‘Physically better, although I wish the pain would abate.’
He frowned. ‘Do you mind if I take a look at your wounds? You shouldn’t be in this much pain still.’
Lila shook her head and pulled her gown up. Noah lifted her dressings, noting some blood on them. He tried not to look shocked when he saw the pattern of scars on her belly. Nasty, vicious, brutal slices across her olive skin. Noah cursed whoever had done this; he couldn’t imagine the pain, the terror she must have felt. He touched her skin gently, pressing lightly, asking her where it hurt. When he pressed against the worst of her scars, the one that bisected her navel, she winced. He gently replaced her dressing. ‘You might have a little infection going on. It’s still very bruised and I’m concerned you may have a small internal bleed too. We’ll get that checked out. We’re going to do anything we can to help, Lila, I promise.’
H
e found Delia Honeychurch updating charts at the nurses’ station and told her what they’d decided. ‘I’m going to stay on for a few more weeks to help Miss Tierney through the worst of it.’
Delia looked impressed. ‘Wow, that’s great…weren’t you supposed to be on sabbatical after your visit here, though?’
‘Which is why I can stay…look, that young woman could use all the help we can give her.’
Delia smiled at him knowingly. ‘Noah Applebaum, are you crushing on my patient?’
He grinned. ‘Now that wouldn’t be professional, would it?’
She laughed, nudging him. ‘Whatever, thanks for doing this. She’s a sweet girl.’
Later, Noah swung round to see Lila again, but she was asleep. Feeling intrusive, he nevertheless stood at the door for a few seconds, studying her. She really was something else. Who would hurt you? He shook his head and then walked away. Whoever it was, Lila Tierney, I promise you, he won’t hurt you again…
Then…Greenwich Village, Manhattan
Charlie Sherman sat back in his chair and stared at her. ‘Huh.’ Lila scowled at him.
‘This is to go no further than you two,’ she said to him and his partner, Riley, who was sitting beside him. ‘It’s to protect Cora, and I won’t see her hurt because you two have got sticks up your asses about Richard.’
‘Hey,’ Riley held his hands up, ‘Sounds legit to me. You have my word, funny face.’
Lila smiled at him gratefully then looked at Charlie. ‘Chuckles?’
A small smile spread across his face. ‘You know I hate that.’
She grinned. ‘Yes, yes I do. Seriously, though, we good? Can we all get along now?’
‘Can I reserve judgment?’
‘No.’
Charlie shrugged. ‘Okay then, if that’s his story.’
‘Argh!’ Lila threw her hands and Charlie chuckled.
‘Kidding, you sap. I’m with Riley; that does make sense, and his blood came back clean, so…’
Lila was startled, and Riley rolled his eyes. ‘So much for keeping that a secret, dude.’
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