He turned off the light, but Bethany lay there, awake now. It would work—for a night. Tomorrow everything might change. Why did all of this feel like she was losing control of her life?
***
Slade woke early. He dressed, went for his usual run. He came back to find Bethany in the kitchen, dressed already, with coffee in her hand. She lifted a plate of blueberry muffins. “Our cooking fairy came when I was in the shower.”
Grabbing a muffin, Slade dropped a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll clean up and we’ll head over to the hospital.”
He headed into the shower, had barely gotten the water where he liked it when Bethany slipped in, naked. “Want your back scrubbed?”
He put his arms around her. “I was thinking more of fronts.”
She grabbed the soap. “Hands on the wall, big guy.” He did as she asked, bracing his palms on the cold tile. The shower was huge, with double jets. Closing his eyes, Slade let her soap up his back. She worked her way down to his ass, soaped the crack, pushed her hand down the crease and up the other side to where his sack dangled. He gave a groan and tried to turn, but she pushed him against the wall. “We do this my way,” she said. She took the soap in her hand and rubbed it over him, coming up between his legs. He was hard now. She wrapped a wet, soapy fist around him, squeezed, and pulled hard.
“You’re killing me here,” Slade said. She kept working him. She pushed up against him, rubbed her breasts over his back. She slipped her hands around his waist, took hold of him, soaped his sack, and then jerked hard. He came in a hot rush over her fingers. Panting now, he turned, caught her around the waist. “My turn,” he said.
He took the soap from her, kissed her hard, then leaned back to soap up her breasts. He worked his way down to the springy hair between her legs. Dropping the soap, he rubbed his hand over her mound. She squirmed, so he turned her to the wall, put her palms on the tile.
Leaning over, her put his hands on her breasts, tweaked her nipples. She gave a moan. He started to harden again. He rubbed himself up against her ass, reached around and slipped a finger into her. She was wet, and not from the water. She slicked his fingers and he pushed another finger into her, rubbed her, worked her as hard as she’d worked him. She squirmed, rubbing her ass against him.
Hard now, he squatted down to push up into her, slipped in, and gave a groan. She went up on tip toe and he grabbed her waist. She had a firm ass, but with enough butt on her that there was no way you could ever mistake her for a man. He pushed up into her and she tightened on him. The orgasm took him by surprise; hit him like a freight train. He slipped out of her and put his fingers back into her, but she stilled his hand. “We’re going to be late.”
He gave a groan. When she was right, she was right.
Slade barely had time to grab a cup of coffee before the driver arrived to take them to the hospital. While Bethany slipped into Jason’s room—where he seemed to be charming the nurses, Slade noticed—he tracked down Dr. Baxter. “Well?”
Baxter glanced up from a chart. “Good morning. Was that you out for a run? I thought I saw you when I was driving in. Ever run any marathons?”
Slade shook his head. Bethany came out of Jason’s room, looking relieved. She came up to Baxter and said, “Well?” Slade smothered a smile.
Baxter glanced from Slade to Bethany, and got down to business. “Jason’s test results were actually very good. His pituitary gland is functioning normally. What I’d recommend is looking to stimulate the growth plates at the end of his shorter leg. I will caution you that we have to watch for side effects of the treatment. It’s possible to kick up so much growth that we’ll have to go in with radiation and kill the growth cells.”
Slade frowned. “How often does that happen?”
“I haven’t seen it, but there have been a number of cases where it occurred. Jason, however, is a good candidate. He’s healthy in all respects, and we’ll monitor treatment until his late teens. But I have to tell you, the initial procedure is quite painful for most patients. The good news is that the pain is short term.”
“And the cost?” Bethany asked.
Slade put a hand on her arm. “That doesn’t matter.”
She pulled back. “Yes, it does. Jason has insurance, and I can afford the best, but I want to know what we’re getting into.”
Stepping closer to her, Slade nodded at the doctor. “Don’t worry, Baxter. We’ll talk this over with Jason. If we decide on this, when can you start?” He wasn’t ignoring Bethany—he saw her fist clench—but right now Jason was the priority.
Baxter glanced from Slade to Bethany and focused on Slade. Good choice, Slade thought. “How does next Wednesday sound?” Baxter asked. “He’ll need to spend one night in the hospital for monitoring and pain control, but then he should be able to go home. Most children only need the injections once. To monitor results, we’ll need weekly x-rays and blood work for the first three months, and then we can start spreading out the sessions.”
Bethany stepped around Slade. “What’s your success rate with this treatment, doctor?”
Dr. Baxter smiled. “I haven’t had anyone not respond to this treatment, and I don’t intend to spoil my record.”
Bethany glanced at Slade. “I’m not sure this is a good idea. I want to do some research.”
He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “We need to talk to Jason about it.”
Her mouth flattened. He knew that look—she was going to push this. She was going to force a fight. Glancing at Dr. Baxter, he took Bethany’s arm. “Thanks, Dr. Baxter. We’ll give you a call about setting up treatments.” He pulled Bethany aside. “Just what is your problem? This guy is the best, and you don’t trust him?”
She waved a hand at Baxter’s retreating back. “You heard him. It could go wrong, end up with Jason needing chemo. Chemo, of all things! Like he had cancer. Like his mom. I’m not going into this blindly.”
“What about Jason?”
“He’s just a kid.”
“He has the right to know his options, and to make up his own mind.”
She lifted her chin. “No, that’s not what you’re planning. You’re going to make up Jason’s mind for him. I know that look now, Slade. This is about what you want—we’re all going to fall in with Slade’s plans just because Slade says so. You like easy answers and tidy endings. You want this to work because it’ll be your solution to everything. You get to be the big hero.”
Slade dropped his hand. “You’re damn right I want a solution.”
She shook her head. “I shouldn’t have let you bring us down here. It was a good thing to do, Slade, but you’re also doing it all wrong. You’re pushing too hard and too fast and I’m not just talking about Jason. Hell, I shouldn’t even have let you in the front door that first day I saw you. But I did, and now it’s my fault that I gave you an inch and you’re taking over everything.”
“The hell I am.”
She stiffened. “You don’t see it, do you? You’re a strong person, Slade, with an even stronger drive to do right, but you should wait until you’re asked or invited. Now back off.” Turning, she started to stalk away.
“Where are you going?” Slade called out.
“To do my research.”
Chapter 14
Bethany grabbed her laptop and headed to the library. She kept muttering about Slade’s interference, trying not to slam doors as she went. She’d called a taxi to get back to the B&B. She kept it waiting and had the driver take her to the nearest Starbucks. She threw her credit card at him to pay for the fare. That’s what she should have done from the start—paid her own way and not let Slade take over by inches. In her defense, she’d been reeling from Tayra’s illness and her sister’s death—she had neglected too many things over the last few months. Well, she could focus now and she wasn’t letting Slade push Jason into something that could be very bad.
Settling back with her latte, she dove into her research.
Two hours later, she had to face the idea that this
treatment really could be the best thing for Jason. The option for breaking his leg, resetting it, and letting the bone grow that way was there, but Dr. Baxter’s work in pioneering his treatment was remarkable. Slade was right yet again. But that didn’t mean he was right about everything. Or that she was wrong to be cautious.
Staring at a browser, she sipped her now cold coffee. What was she going to do with Slade? The man liked to run not only his own life, but probably everyone’s life. If she let him, he’d take over until she didn’t even have a life—and she’d look back and wonder what had happened.
Yet, he had people around him—did it take someone who would stand up to him, or someone who could ignore his pushing? She frowned over that. Did she even want to hang around and find out? But how could she cut Slade out of Jason’s life? That was yet another problem.
She was feeling like she had felt back in the tech world—the boys club. That was Slade’s work—all guys and testosterone and they all thought they knew best. She could sympathize with Tayra now, and the urge to bail on this.
A woman could be swallowed up by a guy like Slade. If she let him, he’d put her in a nice safe box where she’d suffocate. Bethany had walked away from the tech world to avoid that kind of smothering, but how could she walk away from Slade? She also had to admit that part of this was her problem—she’d always had a problem accepting help from others. Could she bend a little? Could she give Slade some room to help her? Could she make that change, too?
Feeling eyes on her, she glanced up. Two guys who looked like surfers—shaggy, sun-streaked hair, tans, and lean bodies—were hanging out one table over, sipping iced drinks. One of them smiled at her and turned back to his phone. She almost dismissed them, but there was something off about the two of them.
They weren’t flirting with the pretty girls at the counters, who were doing their best to get noticed by these two guys. They were watching their phones, but they weren’t texting or talking or doing anything else. She glanced at her smart phone. She brought up her program that would trace and kill any snooping software, which had been cloned onto her phone with the local Wi-Fi. She started it running—just in case. Five seconds later, one of the guys swore and hit her with a glare.
She gave the guy an innocent stare. He got up and headed over to her. He tossed his smart phone onto the table. “You did that?”
She glanced behind her. “Excuse me, did you want something?”
He sat down next to her and held out a hand. “I’m Trent. That’s my brother, Travis, and yeah, Slade had us trail you; but that’s no reason to melt my damn phone from the inside. Now how’d you do it?”
She bit her lower lip. She could keep up the innocent act, but from what Slade had said these guys knew their way around computers. She shook his hand and started to explain her program. Travis drifted over, sat down. The two men listened intently to every word. Trent started to grin. “That’s it; I don’t care if the boss is sleeping with you or not, but he damn well better hire your ass.”
Leaning back in her chair, she said, “I’d ask you to call your boss and tell him to get his ass over here, but that’s going to be a problem.”
Trent pushed a finger at his dead phone. Reaching into a back pocket of his jeans, he pulled out another one. “Backup,” he said. He called Slade, spoke briefly, and what seemed to be mostly in code to Bethany. Slade arrived fast enough that she knew he hadn’t been far away. Of course.
He came over to her table, nodded at Travis and Trent. The two surfer dudes drifted away. Slade sat down. He looked buttoned-down again, with a white shirt, tie, and dark trousers. He looked great. Bethany tried to hang onto her resolve. She was not anyone’s property. She was never going to let Slade own her. Time to put down some ground rules. She nodded at the counter. “The least you can do is buy a drink.”
He rose, went to the counter, bought two tall coffees, and came back. Sitting down again, he smoothed his tie. “I’m sorry if I come on too strong at times.”
“Yeah, well it’s no wonder Tayra ran for her life. Is Brock just like you?”
Slade winced. “Close enough.”
Bethany nodded. “I get it now. Tayra had to run. You guys—you steamroll everyone, don’t you? It’s ‘my way or the highway’ and ‘take no prisoners’ crap. Tayra never would have been able to stand up under that. Brock probably swept her off her feet, then kept telling her what she wanted until her only choice was to give in and let herself become what he thought she was, or go. That’s why she never stopped loving him—but she couldn’t live with him.”
Slade rubbed a hand over his chin and asked, “And you?”
Bethany leaned forward. “I’ll only say this once, so listen up and forget the questions. You were right about Jason and the treatment.” Slade opened his mouth, but Bethany held up a finger. He shut his mouth again. “We’ll talk to Jason and we’ll vote on it.”
Slade frowned. “Is this a damn democracy?”
“That’s a question, and you bet it is. That means it’s open for debates, too. I am not Tayra. I don’t run from a fight. I don’t pull my punches either. If I’m going to stay, I’ll stay because I want to, not because you’ve done your ‘claim the fair maiden as your price’ knightly thing—got it?”
“Does that mean I get to talk now?”
She shook her head. “That’s a question—I’m looking for an answer.”
“What I ‘get’ is that you’re about the biggest pain in the ass who ever put on a skirt—not that I’ve seen you in a skirt, but I wouldn’t mind. You’ve got great legs. I also get that you and Jason are a package and I’ve been thinking.”
“Will wonders never cease?” She leaned back in her chair. “It’s about time you put your brain into gear. What are your conclusions?”
“I’m okay with you going toe-to-toe with me. I don’t like it, but I’m okay with it.”
She pushed at the drink he’d bought her. “You don’t have enough people going toe-to-toe with you. That’s just the problem, Slade. You seem like a bright guy, you like to run things—no wonder you went into business for yourself. Well, I’m about the same, so anything we do is going to have to have compromises. Think you can handle that?”
Slade locked eyes with her and suddenly she knew everything was going to be okay. “I’m thinking you and Jason are going to be the cure to whatever you think ails me. Now will you let me finish trying to tell you that I’m nuts over you. As in crazy in love—emphasis probably on the crazy. Don’t start with the ‘it’s too fast,’ or ‘we barely know each other.’ I think we had each other’s measure in about five minutes, and the knowing stuff—I’m pretty sure if this hits you like a jet on takeoff, it’s not going away and it’s not something you ignore. Now, if you leave, I will track you down. I’m not losing Jason twice. I won’t drag you back, not ever. But I will do everything I can to make you want to come back and I promise I’ll do that every time.”
Bethany’s lips twitched. “Way to sweet talk a girl, Slade. But I think I might be able to work with that.”
Slade straightened. “So you’ll move down to San Diego? Move in with me? Marry me?”
Bethany blinked. “You ex-SEAL’s sure don’t waste time.”
“Oh, come on; we both know where this is heading. We also know that Jason needs parents—”
“You’re marrying me to give him—”
Leaning over, he kissed her. When he leaned back, she caught a breath. He smiled. “That’s why I’m asking you to marry me. I never figured I’d find you.”
“Me?” she asked, still breathless from the kiss.
“You. The girl who’d drive me crazy, the woman who I couldn’t walk away from, the one who’d end up making me want to wake up with you in my arms every damn day. Marry me, Bethany. Or don’t. It’s your choice. I won’t take that from you. But I swear I will ask you every day until you say yes. I will want you, every night, to be in my bed.”
She shook her head, but she reached out and slipped her ha
nd into his. “This is not going to be easy.”
Slade grinned. “Yeah, but you know it’s going to be fun.” He tightened his hold on her hand. “Now, come on, you need to meet some of the family. Carlos and Maria are setting up a beach party for us in a little cove near my place. And Jason needs to learn that not all beaches are like they are in Oregon—rocky and colder than a Norse hell.”
Chapter 15
Slade watched Bethany hold Carlos’ baby. She’d fallen head over heels in love with the little charmer at first sight, and now he was thinking of all kinds of possibilities: Bethany holding Jason as an infant. Bethany hold her own baby. Bethany holding their baby.
“That kid is amazing.” Travis held out a bottle of water.
Slade blinked and glanced at where Trent was teaching Jason to stand up on a surfboard. “Yeah, he’s good.”
“So, you’re not angry with Tayra for not telling you?”
Slade glanced at Trent. “Not telling me what?”
Trent rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on. One look at the two of you—just about anyone can see he’s your kid. But Brock won’t see it. Guy’s blind when it comes to some things.”
Slade downed half the bottle of water. “She thought she was doing the right thing. But she’s gone.” He glanced at Trent again. “You working on getting Bethany to spill about the new program she’s designing?”
Trent grinned. “Yeah. It’s cool. We could use tech like that. Did you know she thinks she can hack the computer of that front organization we’ve been trying to get into? When’s she coming on board with the team?”
“I’m working on it.”
“Lot of negotiation pending? Sounds like that damn girl from GOTE.”
Slade shifted into work mode. “You find out who’s financing Guardians of the Earth?”
“Dude, I’m just an idiot surfer.” Trent spread his hands and put on his best dumb face. He was good at getting people to see what he wanted them to see.
Bethany gave up the baby and headed for where Jason was lounging in a folding chair. The boy was yawning and looked about two minutes away from sleep if you went by the heavy eyes. Surfing lessons had worn him out. Slade gave a nod to Trent and moved to intercept Bethany. “Looks like someone is ready to call it a night,” he said.
His Secret Child (Slade Security Team Series Book 2) Page 7