Fiance for Keeps

by Gail Chianese

  “What?”

  “I know you originally wanted out of this contract, but I got the feeling over the past week that you were starting to enjoy yourself, starting to find your footing with the men, and if I’m not mistaken, a relationship or two had, shall we say, started.”

  “I know. It’s funny, ever since I arrived I’ve been counting down the weeks until we’d wrap up and I could get back to my life. Then Steve told me the news and a part of me isn’t ready to say good-bye.”

  “Good-bye to the men, to the adventure, or . . .”

  She laughed. “The testosterone overload? No, I’m ready to be done with that, but I was enjoying getting to know the guys, and they’ve helped me learn more about what I want and don’t want in my life.”

  “Let me guess. Brody?”

  She nodded. “Brody and more adventure. Less time at work. More me time.”

  “As it so happens, the rent on your house is paid through the end of the week. If you’d like me to delay your return flight and Brody’s, just say the word.”

  “I appreciate the offer, but I think I’d better check before I make decisions for him. Can I get back to you in the morning?”

  He agreed and headed out of the tent to supervise the wrap-up. Denise’s phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out to read the text message. Probably Jenna or her sisters, wanting to know who was left and where they were off to next. Wouldn’t they be surprised to hear her answer.

  Yep, her sister Chel.

  Call home ASAP. Elysia 911.

  Brody finished discussing travel arrangements with the young assistant, said his good-byes to Dillon and Kyle, and looked around for Denise. No one inside the chaotic house knew where she was, so he headed back outside, thinking they had passed on opposite sides of the yard. A cameraman said he’d seen her go into the tent with Chris. He poked his head inside to find a couple of crew members packing up. Neither had seen her.

  “Hey, man. Been looking for you.” Roan walked up to him. He nodded toward the hive of activity going on around them. “Crazy, right? You’d think after they’d sunk this much into the show already, they’d let them finish out the season and then cancel.”

  “Not when you think about how much the network saved by not shipping a couple dozen people to whatever locations out of the country Denise had picked. Knowing her, it probably was New Zealand and Australia.”

  Hands shoved into his front pockets, Roan jiggled some loose change while they watched the crew take down hidden cameras and pack equipment.

  “What’s on your mind?” Brody asked.

  “What were you going to tell her tonight during the key ceremony?”

  “Does it matter now?” Brody had an idea where his friend was heading, and even though he didn’t like it, the choice had to be Denise’s.

  “Maybe. Unlike those other schmucks, I would have said yes. Jordan too.” He waited a beat for Brody to respond, but he kept his thoughts to himself. “Guess we’ll never know if she would have given us the chance or not because I think our lady love has flown the coop. Jordan and I are heading into the city. They’ve already booked us rooms at a hotel by the wharf. We’re going to stay a couple of extra days, see the city, hit some wineries. I’d invite you to join us, but I think you’ve got better things to do.”

  “Yeah, maybe,” he muttered, too distracted to put much thought into the comment.

  His friend wandered off and Brody flagged down another crewmember to ask if she knew where Denise was.

  “Yeah, Steve said he was taking her back to her place. She looked upset.”

  Brody thanked her, not that she heard him while yelling to someone else, and double-timed it out of there. The mile between the houses disappeared with his long, fast stride. The security gate swung open as he approached. Steve held it open for him to enter the compound.

  The big guy stuck an even bigger paw out to Brody. “Give my girls a hug for me when you get back to Rhode Island, and do me a favor? Take care of that one. She’s pretty special.”

  “Will do.” Brody glanced toward the door, eager to find out what was going on inside.

  “Brody?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I expect an invitation. Cherry’s got my address. See ya.”

  The car pulled away and the gate shut Brody in. As the taillights disappeared around the corner, it hit him what invitation Steve referred to. Shaking his head, he wondered if he’d even be allowed to propose before their friends and family had them down the aisle and standing in front of the minister.

  He rang the doorbell, ignoring the irritation floating around in his head. Either everyone around him had lost their minds or knew some big secret he didn’t. When he got his phone back there’d been a text from his mom, wanting to know if “she said yes.” Yes to what? Did she think because he’d made it a couple of weeks that they were back together?

  Then there was the stunt Caden and Blake had pulled, and as he’d later found out, they weren’t alone in their actions. All the guys except Jordan and Roan had planned to turn down the key tonight to clear the way for him.

  Now he knew what the betting pool had been on that morning.

  When they’d get married.

  He hated to break it to them, but the odds weren’t in his favor. Two out of three times Denise had left him, and he had a sinking feeling the pattern wasn’t about to change.

  He hit the doorbell again, and was headed around to the patio when Denise pulled open the door. Water dripped from her hair onto a bare shoulder. She pulled the towel tighter.

  “Sorry. I was in the shower.”

  “So I see.” His gaze traveled from her face down her creamy neck to the shadowy valley of happiness. “Were you planning on leaving without saying good-bye again?”

  She stepped back from the entrance to let him in. “It’s not like that. Elysia’s been taken to the ER.”

  He reached for her and she spun away and walked toward the bedroom.

  “Is she okay?”

  “I don’t know. Chel texted me to call ASAP, then she said they were taking her in, and no one will answer their fucking phone.” She tilted her head back, blinking the tears back until he could hear them clogging her throat. “I feel so helpless.”

  “Sweetheart, don’t . . .”

  The look she gave him cut him off in mid-sentence. He knew the look and the meaning behind it. Her whole body radiated with emotion—anger, frustration, guilt—as she stalked over to the dresser, pulled out a handful of clothes, and threw them into the open suitcase on the wooden chest.

  He stopped her on her return and pulled her tight against his chest. “She’s going to be fine. You have to believe that, Dee.”

  Tremors racked her body as she held on tight. The tears she’d fought moments before let loose, soaking his shirt. He didn’t care. Let her get it out, then together they’d handle whatever life had thrown at her family.

  “I should be there for her. It’s my job.” The softness of her voice ripped at his heart.

  He slid his hand up to the base of her skull and massaged the knot that had formed. If they were home he’d put her in his car and whisk her away to be at her sister’s side. Not being able to make everything better ate at him. He hated feeling useless, had worked every day since his father died to never be that kid again, and yet here he was, unable to help Dee when she needed him most.

  “I’m sure she’s in good hands at the hospital.”

  Denise pushed him away and walked across the room to stand with her back to him. Up went her invisible wall. Yeah, he got it. She could take care of herself, but this time he wasn’t letting her walk away and cut him out of her life.

  “You don’t get it. I’m her sister, her big sister. It’s my responsibility to watch out for them, to make sure nothing bad happens, to keep them safe. What’s the point of being a doctor if I can’t use my skill to help my family?”

  He understood. It was his job to keep his mom safe, to look after her, yet he’d flo
wn across the country to chase . . . what he didn’t know, when his mom was at her most vulnerable. The only way he could have made this trip was with the knowledge that Jason and Dave would be there. They’d both lay down their lives for his mom.

  “Dee, your sister isn’t going to hold it against you that you’re not there. If I know Elysia, I’m betting she was thrilled about your going on the show. It’s okay to put yourself and your needs first once in a while, you know.”

  “I was twelve, it was summertime, and Mom had to run to the store. Elysia was at a friend’s house or something, so it was just me. I’d been playing with Chel all morning. She’d been going through this bratty stage, very demanding, and would scream whenever things didn’t go her way. To keep her quiet, I’d been playing with her all morning. After about the millionth time of her yelling at me for not doing whatever her way, I went to my room, turned on the radio, and tuned her out.”

  Her breath caught and her voice choked up. In an instant he was behind her with his arms wrapped around her middle.

  “I just wanted five minutes to myself. There was a loud noise and I thought she was throwing a tantrum, so I ignored her. Then there was another thud. When I walked into her room she was on the floor, wheezing, her lips blue. She almost died because I didn’t do my job. I put myself first. She was five and could have died because of me.”

  He turned her around to face him, lifting her chin to make sure he had her attention. “You never told me, but you were a kid, Dee. Just a kid, and she’s alive because you checked on her. It could have happened at any time. You need to stop blaming yourself.”

  The phone rang then and Denise lurched across the room, grabbing it off the night table. After she hung up she sank onto the edge of the bed, and then her fingers flew across the keypad.

  “That was Steve. We’re on the first flight out in the morning. The car will be here at three.”

  “I should get back to the house. Unless . . .” He left the offer open. Not that he wanted to leave her, but he wouldn’t push right then. It had to be her choice for him to stay or go. It had always been her choice.

  “Brody.” She stood and unknotted the towel, letting it drop to the floor. “I’d like you to stay.”

  His heart hammered in his chest. His feet froze to the floor. She was beautiful standing before him, like a much-wanted unwrapped Christmas present.

  Call him weak, call him whipped, but there was no way anyone would call him a fool. A willing and naked Denise standing in front of him wasn’t an invitation he was willing to pass up.

  “Brody, I need you.” She looked at him with doubt in her eyes and shifted her stance, bringing her arms up to cover her bare breasts while her leg blocked his view of heaven below.

  The tug on his heart should have cautioned him that this was more than physical on his part. He ignored the warning and walked to her. Wrapping a damp strand of hair around his finger, he gave it a gentle tug. “Did you think I’d turn you down?”

  “The thought crossed my mind.” Her tongue slid over her bottom lip and her eyes darkened.

  He dipped his head, stopping long enough to hear the quick intake of her breath, to witness the rise and fall of her luscious breasts. “Never.”

  At her soft oh, he slipped his tongue past her sweet lips and swept it over her own as she sank into the kiss. He trailed his hands up her rib cage to cup her in his palms, caressing his thumbs over the nipples until they transformed into tight, rosy buds.

  A sweet moan purred at the back of her throat and he bent his head to capture one peak in his mouth. He suckled and nibbled until she begged for more. Her hands drifted to the back of his head, holding him tight against her. He obeyed her silent plea, taking the bud in deeper, harder, before switching sides and lavishing his attention on the other.

  She was so sweet he could eat her up.

  He returned to her mouth, nibbling along the lower lip and moving on to the sensitive hollow under her ear. His hands skimmed down her back to cup her butt in his palms, lifting her up to wrap her legs around his waist. If it hadn’t been for his jeans he could have slid into her.

  A part of his brain urged him to strip, to take her fast and relieve the pressure building in him. He shoved those images aside. He had all night to soothe the beast inside, and if this was going to be his last chance with Denise, he was going to take his sweet time and love her like there was no tomorrow.

  She needed the escape, the diversion from responsibility drilled into her head at an early age and again when she’d taken her oath as a doctor. Her need to care for those she loved mixed with his need to protect.

  He took the two steps to the bed and lay her down carefully. Nuzzling her neck. Kissing her collarbone. Taking small bites as he made his way south, stopping long enough to pay homage to her soft, tempting breasts.

  “Isn’t it my turn yet?” she asked.

  “Nope.”

  He quickly shed his shoes and clothes and slapped his wallet onto the nightstand before returning his attention back to the woman before him.

  He used his tongue and his teeth to build her anticipation. Taking the rhythm from slow and soft to fast and hard and back again. Her breathing hitched. Urged on by her soft cries, he slipped a finger in to find her wet and warm and ready for him. In and out, he matched the tempo. When she cried out and begged for mercy, he lifted his head and looked at her flushed face through heavy lids. He placed a soft kiss in the middle of her belly and positioned himself between her legs. Before she could come down from her high, he slid into home.

  She rose up and sank her teeth into his shoulder and her fingers into his back as she cried out. He almost lost it then, feeling her come around him, knowing he had the power to bring her pleasure. She did that thing she did with her muscles and the room went fuzzy.

  “Don’t stop,” she demanded.

  As if he could if he wanted to. He couldn’t. His body took over, flesh slapping against flesh as he tried to breathe, to reach the peak and feel the rush. It had always been good, no, right when he was with Denise. Her compassion and passion soothed his soul and set him on fire at the same time. As always, she gave him everything she had, poured every ounce of herself into him. He didn’t hold back. He gave her everything he was feeling with every touch, every kiss, every stroke.

  He couldn’t say the words—they stuck in his throat—afraid she’d reject him again. Instead, he gave them to her with his actions.

  She clenched around him and the tremors began, pushing him to the end. Her eyes, filled with desire and flames of passion, locked with his. The air in his lungs refused to exhale as his heart hitched and he bent his head and claimed her mouth. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him in tight. He arched his body and dove for the gold.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Denise steered clear of the emergency room, opting for the main entrance and less chance of getting intercepted on her way to the elevators. According to Chel, their sister had been admitted during the middle of the night because of dehydration. She needed answers, not questions from her family or friends. Besides, she didn’t have answers to the questions they’d have for her.

  Nor was now the time to think about what had transpired in California. Her sister needed her, and whatever was going on with Brody was complicated at minimum and best left for another day. Besides, she’d already spent the better part of the flight from San Francisco to Atlanta and then the second flight into Providence hashing over in her mind whether this was a new start for them or just Brody riding to the rescue.

  Not that she was complaining. She needed him and he was there—several times—but if they were going to make this work, they needed more than sex.

  Stepping off the elevator on the third floor, Denise breathed in the smell of antiseptic, bleach, and a few other odors she hadn’t missed. Hospital sounds—the hiss and release from a patient’s oxygen, the whirl of a blood pressure monitor, beeping from oximeters, squeaky wheels on a cart, hushed voices—normall
y welcome sounds, assaulted her ears.

  In a relatively short amount of time she’d gotten used to the quiet of the house in California, the soft call of the gulls over the Bay, and the smell of saltwater. As she walked down the corridor to her sister’s room, she felt out of place. The best way to describe the odd feeling was like returning to your high school years after graduation. Everything was the same, yet everything was different.

  She blamed the lack of sleep for her strange mood, sure that after a few nights in her bed, she’d be back to normal. Whether that was good or not remained to be seen considering her uncertainty before she left.

  Bill sat in the corner chair, his knee bouncing up and down as he watched the nightly news. Chel, perched on the end of the bed, was talking wedding plans as Denise entered the room. Take away the hospital trappings and you had just another family get-together.

  Elysia’s eyes lit up and then her brows drew down when she saw Denise. “Hey, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be on your way to Mexico or someplace with a half-dozen men trailing after you?”

  She bent over and kissed her sister’s cheek. “Nope. I’m right where I should be. How are you feeling?”

  “Halfway human again. Have I ever told you how thankful I am for modern medicine?”

  “Good. So what’s going on with you and why haven’t you been released yet?” With simple dehydration, they would have administered a saline drip and sent her home from the ER, not admitted her.

  “What’s it called again?” Elysia looked to her husband.

  “Hyperemesis gravidarum.” Bill took his wife’s hand, and the two lovebirds exchanged sweet smiles.

  “Careful, when she found out she had the same thing as the Duchess of Cambridge during her pregnancies, she beamed. Like consistently barfing your brains out was a cool thing,” said Chel.

  The condition could be serious, and as with the duchess, it could last most or all of her sister’s pregnancy. Thankfully, it was treatable.