T is for Temptation

by Jianne Carlo

  Jake kept up a steady stream of feverish whispers, promising everything under the sun. When Tee’s crying melded into quiet, defeated hiccups, dread set in. And fear. Fear that clogged his throat and held him paralyzed. Each second ticking by multiplied his anxiety, and when he felt he would explode, he braved a glance at her. She had cried herself to sleep. He didn’t know what to think, what to do next. Only one certainty surfaced. He couldn’t let her go.

  Somehow, Jake made it to their bedroom and sat against the headboard, still holding her in his lap. This was exactly what he didn’t want to happen. He’d already asked Arthur, in confidence, to arrange a doctor’s appointment for today.

  What if it couldn’t be reversed? What next? Would Tee still marry him? Surely, love couldn’t vanish because of this.

  His eyes squeezed shut, and he let the thought finish. No, love died because of deception. His lie of omission and his cowardice could cost him Tee. What had she said? - I know how you tell the truth you take a grain and weave it into what you want – except in this instance, not even an atom of truth existed.

  Dejected, but determined to find a way to resolve the situation, he settled her under the covers, closed the curtains, and silently exited the room, shutting the door behind him.

  “She didn’t know,” Alex stated as he unfolded his long limbs from the couch in the living area. “Sorry, Jake. I thought you’d told her.”

  “I should have,” he muttered, slicing his hand through tangled curls. “I asked her to marry me, and we went through a handfasting in Brodick.”

  “Crap. I screwed things up royally. Tell me how to help.”

  He met Alex’s concerned cobalt eyes. “I need to find out if it’s as reversible as that doctor claimed. Where are the others?”

  “Henry’s cooking breakfast. Tiny fell asleep at dawn. He watched TV all night long and seems to have developed an obsession with John Wayne westerns. Turned up the volume at every gunfight. I couldn’t have slept more than twenty minutes at a time. This couch is mine tonight.”

  Jake glowered at him.

  “My bad.” Alex grimaced. “Back to the heart of the matter, Tee. What are you going to do, and how can I help?”

  “What time is it?”

  “Should be near nine. Hang on, and I’ll check.”

  While Alex went to find a clock, Jake called Sir Arthur and arranged to see the Yard’s doctor as soon as the office opened.

  “Hey, my Rolex was in my carry-on. I thought I’d lost it when we went to Brodick, I know I was wearing it at Tee’s nanna’s house.” Alex slipped the prized possession onto his wrist as he entered the room. “It’s almost nine.”

  “I have an appointment with a doctor right around now. Keep an eye on Tee, will you? She’s sleeping, and I don’t want to wake her. Can I borrow your cell?” He held out his palm. “Mine’s in the bedroom somewhere.”

  “Sure. Here. I take it Tee said yes when you popped the question?”

  “Yeah, but I don’t know if that still stands.”

  “You don’t see the way she looks at you. The woman’s in love, Jake. It’ll all work out. I’m sure of it.”

  “Thanks. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Don’t tell Henry anything, okay? No sense getting him involved until I know the details.”

  “Sure. Good luck,” Alex said and chucked him on the shoulder.

  “Call me the minute Tee wakes up.” With those words, he left the suite, flanked by two dark suited armed guards and hurried to the Met building.

  The sun hung low in a powder blue sky, a golden ornament radiating a blinding brilliance. The wonderful weather only served to exacerbate his foul mood and plummet his trepidation into a powerless depression. He concentrated on the vision of Tee and him on the bed with the baby girl. The first time he’d had it was the first time he’d met her, and his visions always had a grain of truth in them, even if they were tangled and blurred.

  A grain of truth, he stifled a groan.

  Over the last few days, he’d felt as if he belonged, could become part of society instead of hovering at the boundaries observing, never being invited in. Desperation crawled into his veins, the thought of losing Tee unbearable. He felt raw, grated, as if someone had dragged him over a bed of crystal shards.

  Two hours and umpteen embarrassing moments later, Jake shifted in his chair and waited for the doctor to finish reading the lab report on his desk. He drummed his fingers on the chair’s narrow arm, anxiety growing as the second hand on the clock advanced notch by notch.

  Sunlight reflected through the large window behind the desk made the man’s baldpate shimmer, and the sad few dark hairs clinging to his scalp held an obscene fascination for Jake. Unable to resist the temptation, he counted seven before the doctor’s head swung up.

  “According to this report, all of your results fall in the normal range: sperm count, motility, morphology, pH, fructose levels. I find no indication of a vasectomy. We can perform other tests, an MRI, an ultrasound, or keyhole surgery and obtain a definitive confirmation, but I don’t believe it’s necessary.”

  “I don’t understand. I had a vasectomy when I was eighteen.”

  “After the procedure, was your sperm count tested?”

  “I had a follow-up visit, and they did the normal things, blood pressure, stuff like that.”

  “Were you asked to provide an ejaculate sample at any point in time either before or after the procedure?”

  “No.”

  The man shook his head. “Ethically, I cannot comment on another doctor’s work without seeing your medical records. However, if a lawsuit’s what you’re after, off the record, I’d advise you to pursue it. In my opinion, based upon these lab results, there is no indication of you having a successful vasectomy at any point in time.”

  “Doctor, while my memory is hazy, after all, it was sixteen years ago, I do remember being poked and prodded down there and being sore for a couple of days afterwards.”

  “Mr. Mathews, you’re free to seek a second opinion or to have further tests, but as far as I’m concerned, you can father a child just as easily as any other normal man. There is nothing wrong with you physiologically.”

  The cell phone in Jake’s pocket vibrated, but he ignored it, too stunned by the doctor’s words to really absorb them. He shifted to accommodate the glare of the morning sun and concentrated on the doctor’s dour face.

  “Unless there’s something else you require?”

  Shock kept him glued to the chair even after the doctor stood, hand outstretched.

  Forcing movement, he rose and shook the man’s hand. “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”

  Dazed, Jake left the man’s office and ended up on the sidewalk in front of the building before his brain kicked in. Still operating somewhat on autopilot, he hailed a cab and gave the embassy’s address.

  Possibilities raced circles around his mind. Tee could be pregnant. Hell, he could be a father. His hammering pulse drowned traffic noises and all others. Frenetic, jumbled thoughts crammed his brain so full he felt he would implode.

  A father.

  That black-haired baby girl he’d seen in his vision.

  His daughter.

  His fogged mind didn’t register the phone’s ringing, but the vibration made him automatically snap it open. “Mathews.”

  “Why the crap didn’t you answer my last call? Tee’s missing—gone, vanished.”

  His heart jump-started into overdrive. “Did you try her cell?”

  “No answer. Just rings and rings.”

  “Did you call from mine?”

  “Yes.”

  “She’s probably avoiding me. I’ll call her. Did you alert Arthur?”

  “Yes, he had someone watching the building and is contacting them. I’ll call you back. He’s calling in right now.”

  Jake punched in Tee’s number, the phone rang once, and another call came in at the same time. He switched over, and Alex barked, “She’s in a Boots pharmacy located
around the corner. Arthur’s men searched the immediate area of the building. They’re watching her, and he’s sending reinforcements.”

  “I’ll meet you there.” He looked up and realized they were passing the blasted pharmacy. “Stop. Let me out anywhere here.”

  Jake fully intended to handcuff Tee’s wrist to his the moment he found her. But how do you tie down a woman who could wish herself to any place, any time?

  When the London black cab screeched to a halt, he dropped a wad of notes onto the front seat and slammed out the door. He surveyed the store’s windows and spotted two men wearing dark trench coats propped against the glass.

  “I’m Jake Mathews. Are you Flood’s men?”

  “She’s in there.” One of them crooked his thumb behind him, pointing to the doorway.

  At that instant, Alex jogged around the corner, swerved in his direction, stopped in front of him, and bent at the waist, gulping deep breaths. “Go ahead,” he panted. “I’ll wait with them.”

  Jake nodded. It was a large Boots outlet. He started at the farthest aisle and went down the length of the pharmacy.

  Nothing.

  Venturing into the depths of the store, he noticed stairs leading to a basement floor and took the steps two at a time. On the last stair, he spied Tee in the women’s hygiene section. She appeared engrossed in her task. He studied her actions.

  From his vantage point, Jake saw she had four boxes on the floor. She surveyed each package in turn, reading the fine-print directions on the back of the packaging.

  He made out the letters EPT on one of the containers.

  A sly smile scuttled his lips into a huge grin. His hazy mind cleared, as if brilliant noon sunlight had emptied the foggy corners of his brain. They were going to have a baby.

  Tee squinted at one of the boxes, picked it up, snagged her lower lip with her eyetooth, and sighed loudly. Every movement enthralled him, his chest swelled, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her sweet face, tracing the line of one proud cheekbone, the slope of her straight nose.

  “Jake, what’s taking you so long?”

  Alex’s plaintive question startled him, and he swiveled to face his friend.

  “Shssh,” he said and put a finger to his lips.

  Alex gazed past him, his mouth agape. “Crap!”

  His horrified gasp disrupted the buzzing conversation of three female consumers shopping in the immediate vicinity. Moving in unison, the three women turned and stared at the two of them.

  Jake spun about, following the direction of Alex’s gaze.

  He met his dead partner’s arrogant hazel eyes.

  Disbelief battered the physical evidence standing in front of him.

  For a hair’s breath, no one moved, all of them gawping at Tony, and he, mouth curled in a sneer, blazing contempt at his wife.

  Tee’s forehead wrinkled.

  She rose to a standing position.

  The box in her hand fell to the ground.

  “Tony?” she muttered and wavered like a sideswiped bowling pin, knees wobbling.

  Jake darted forward, wedging himself between Tony and Tee.

  “Stay behind me. Take my hand.”

  He held out a hand behind his back.

  “Get him, Alex!” he barked, not willing to take his eyes off Tony.

  “Piss,” Tony said, and then whirled and disappeared.

  “She’s fainting, Jake!” Alex shouted.

  He pivoted. “Blast.”

  Tee let out a soft whimper, her eyes rolled up in her head, and she fell to the tiled floor.

  Jake dropped onto one knee and scooped her up in his arms.

  Tony had been in plain sight for no more than three or four seconds.

  Jake shot a glance over his shoulder. Alex had disappeared.

  Massive chaos ensued. Heated shouts and commands strummed through the store, punctuated by thuds, running footsteps, colliding bodies, and a stream of steady expletives. He heard the sound of glass shattering. The fire alarm went off. Shoppers stampeded the basement staircase in herded panic, shoving past Jake and Tee.

  Figuring Tony had run the alarm as a diversion, he decided they were safer staying put rather than risking Tee being injured or jostled by the crowd. After several long minutes, the commotion died down. Jake spied the two embassy security officials he’d met outside the drugstore at the foot of the basement steps. One of them headed his way and announced that the entire building was in lockdown. He ordered Jake to remain where he was until notified otherwise.

  The chemist had ducked down behind his counter. His head popped up, and their gazes locked for a second before sliding to Tee. The white-coated man, hopped the counter, and ran over to them. “Set her on the floor, mate. She’s very pale.”

  Jake obeyed and leaned against the wall opposite the dispensing area. He shifted Tee into a sitting position supporting her with his left arm.

  The chemist waved a vial of ammonia salts under her nose.

  She jerked her head away and moaned.

  Footsteps sounded, Jake’s head swiveled to the left. Alex bounded around an aisle corner and jogged in their direction and halted a mere six inches away from Jake’s right. He dropped into a stooping position balancing on his heels, and asked, “How is she?”

  “Coming around, I think. Did you get him?”

  Alex shook his head. “No, they searched the whole store. He must have taken the elevator. I didn’t think of that. You know what this means?”

  “Tee’s still married,” Jake said, the words forcing bile to his throat.

  “Crap, maybe that too. But it means we can use Tony as bait. Let Graziella, the caretaker, and Constantine go after him.”

  “You have your moments, Alex Mayfield.” He grinned at him. “Hats off to you.”

  “Well at least you recognize genius when you see it.” Alex smirked and tipped a finger in salute.

  “Jake?”

  He raked her face, and let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d held when he saw the color had returned to her cheeks.

  “Tee.” He leaned his forehead against hers. “Are you okay?”

  “I,” she said and bit her lip. “You won’t believe this, but . . .”

  “You saw Tony.” He finished her sentence.

  She nodded, her amber eyes guarded and confused.

  “I saw him too, so did Alex.” He inclined his head towards his friend.

  “I thought I had finally lost it, gone off the deep end.” She grimaced.

  “You’re saner than anyone I know, my sweet witch.”

  Her head spun, and she glared at him. “You and I have a lot of talking to do, Jake Mathews.” She squinted and stared at the spot where Tony had materialized. “I don’t understand. How could he be alive? Where’s he been all this time? Why did he show up here?” She knuckled her temples. “Is he following me?”

  “All valid questions to which I have no answers at this point. Let’s get back to the embassy apartment. Henry must be frantic. Also, we need to call Arthur.”

  Four armed Yard representatives dressed in requisite dark suits escorted them back to the embassy. Before Jake could turn the key in the apartment’s door, it opened, and Tee stumbled forward, butting her father in the chest.

  Henry hugged her close. “Honey?”

  “Tony’s alive, Dad.”

  “Alex phoned us, honey.” He shook his head. “Absurd though it may seem, I feel inclined to offer you my condolences. We finally had the sod dead and buried and out of your life.”

  “Oh, Dad, you always know the right thing to say.”

  Relief surged through Jake’s veins at the note of laughter in her voice, and his tight shoulder muscles relaxed.

  “I need a stiff Scotch,” Alex remarked to no one in particular, and he dumped his Land’s End jacket on the sofa’s ridge and made straight for Henry’s stash of liquor.

  “Pour me one, son. Be generous.”

  “Sure, Henry. Tiny?” Alex pulled the squat bottle out of a sidebo
ard cabinet. “Jake?”

  Tiny deferred, as did Jake. The giant kept his silence and listened while studying their reactions. Jake noticed him noticing them and wondered what the man made of his last few days in the modern world. Nothing seemed to faze him.

  “Did you recover a body from Tony’s boating accident?” Alex filled two tumblers half full.

  “Yes, a few days later,” Henry answered. “The sharks had a go at it, though. If not for his wedding band, we wouldn’t have been able to identify the body as Tony’s.”

  “So, no fingerprint or DNA ID, then?”

  “It didn’t seem necessary.” Henry shrugged. “We had no reason to suspect it was anything other than what it seemed—a boating accident. Tony and his pilot were doing a practice run for a race, about five miles off the coast. No one actually saw the accident, and by the time the coast guard spotted the fire, there wasn’t much left of the boat. The fire was so intense, rescue teams recovered only charred planks, scorched melted plastic, and some metal parts. A few days later, two bodies washed up on a beach farther up the coast. Tony and his driver, or so we thought.”

  “Here,” Alex said and offered a glass.

  “Thanks.” Henry loosened his hold on Tee and stepped back. He cradled the crystal container in one hand and squeezed his daughter’s shoulder with the other. “Honey, are you all right?” You look like you need a little nap. And you didn’t have breakfast? Shall I make you some kippers?”

  She turned green, literally.

  Jake thought of how she’d licked her lips at the thought of fish for breakfast a short week ago. He’d lay any odds she was pregnant.

  “I think you’re right. Maybe a little lie down and a cup of tea.” She rubbed her forehead with her thumbs.

  Jake’s hand in the small of her back started her towards the bedroom. She darted a wary glance at him, but followed his prodding.

  As soon as the door shut, Tee said, “I think I do really want to rest.”

  “Do you want to do this first?” He showed her one of the boxes she’d been looking at in the drugstore. Jake held up his hand and couldn’t prevent the gleeful grin that took possession of his mouth. “My sperm count is normal, Tee. I had tests done this morning. I don’t know how it happened, but I am so damned grateful, we’re going to have to go to church regularly from now on.”