“I’m fine. I’m more worried about you, that’s pretty deep.” I blotted the tissue into his head and stared into his sorrow-filled blue eyes. “Really, I’m fine. I’m a big girl. Anyway, I kicked that knob head’s arse, so it’s all good.” He breathed in and raised his chest, looking above me to the direction the crazy guy had disappeared.
He turned back to the men and complex manager. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Would you like to file a report, or call the police?”
“No, that won’t be necessary,” He put his arms around me protectively. The manager took a step closer and slapped Bryce’s back in an apologetic, manly kind of gesture.
“We are so sorry for this, mate. We’ll refund your money.” We made our way back up to the office where the parents and children were standing, still a little worried. Bryce walked up to a couple of the kids and bent down.
“Are you okay there? I’m sorry you got a bit frightened. Listen, how would you like to have a few more races just yourselves on the track?”
“Cool.” One of the little boys was maybe Charli’s age. He smiled.
The younger little boy, maybe aged four, held onto his dad’s leg and turned away. Bryce looked remorsefully at their parents.
“I’m so sorry your children had to see that.” He got back up and spoke to the manager. “Look, I don’t want my money back. Instead, I’ll hire out the venue for the rest of the day, and all children and their parents are on me.” He handed over his credit card, and I watched him take care of what he thought was his fault. With all the money in the world he could act arrogant and stuck up so to speak. He didn’t, he was kind, down to earth, and always wanting to fix things.
The mother of the two young boys walked over to me. “He really does not need to do that, I saw the whole thing and this was not his fault.”
I smiled softly at her. “I know, but he wants to do it, so take your kids back out there and go and have some fun, okay?”
She looked down at them and they smiled brightly at her. “Okay, thank you.”
***
We walked out of the complex and headed to the car.
“Show me your head.”
“It’s fine, Alexis, it’s just a scratch.”
“Well, in that case, I’ll assume Nurse Summers is not needed then.” I picked up my pace as I approached the car. He caught up and hugged me tightly.
“On second thought, it’s huge and deep and needs a lot of attention.” He pulled the bottom lip and removed the tissue away from his cut. I smiled at his adorable attempt to reverse my decision.
“Oh, yes it does. Poor baby, but you do realise I cannot let you drive a motor vehicle in your current state.” I grabbed the keys from his hand and opened the passenger side door. He smiled, and without a choice, sat in the seat. Already, my body reacted with little tingling sensations as I grasped the steering wheel, and I could feel my face stretching into an uncontrollable smile.
“You won, my love, fair and square.”
“I did.” I turned on the engine and shuffled in my seat.
“So what do I get for winning, Mr. Clark?” The Charger roared out of the car park, my heart roaring along with it.
“This.” He indicated the car. Getting to drive this baby was well worth the win.
“Well, if getting to drive this home is my prize for winning then, I shall challenge you again tomorrow.” Oh my God, this car is just gorgeous.
“No, my love, it’s yours.” I shot him a ‘what the fuck’ look, but he just smiled.
“No. Bryce, I can’t accept this.” I stated with certainty. I wanted to, really wanted to, but I couldn’t possibly accept it.
“It’s non-negotiable, Alexis,” he replied quite sternly.
“But...”
“It’s yours, end of story.”
I couldn’t help but smile, even though deep down inside I knew I could not accept this gift. I smiled for him, smiled for my victory, and I think I smiled all the way back to the hotel.
***
With my hand in his, I led him up to his bedroom and directed him to sit on the end of the bed. I disappeared into the walk in stadium, returning moments later wearing the nurse costume he had bought, after I sang him the ‘Boo Boo Song’ a couple of weeks ago. He had requested I dress up for him, and now was the perfect time to do that. The costume was made of white shiny Lycra and barely covered my arse and breasts. It also came with a tie-on hat and red thigh-high PVC boots. He was looking down at his hands when I stopped in the doorway.
“So, Mr. Clark, where does it hurt?” He looked up, and a huge smile crept across his face, displaying absolutely no signs of injury or illness at all.
“Right here.” He pointed to his heart.
“I thought you had a boo-boo on your head?”
“Yes, but I think my heart just stopped, Nurse Summers.”
I walked over to him very slowly, noticing him swallow quite heavily as I approached. I bent down and put my ear to his chest, then stood back up and put my fingers over his carotid pulse.
“Mr. Clark, your heart is just resting.” I moved so that I was now in between his legs Then taking his head in my hands I assessed the cut on his forehead. It wasn’t as deep as I had originally thought, but it still needed a band-aid. “First, Mr Clark, I must see to your wound, then we can look at ways of getting your heart beating faster.” I raised an eyebrow at him, in the hope it would have the very same effect on him as his has on me. The slightest involuntary twitch of his eye told me that it did, empowering me to carry on with my little charade.
“Are you going to sing to me, Nurse Summers?”
“Yes, but only if you are a good patient, Mr. Clark.” I walked around to the bedside table. My handbag was sitting on top, so I reached inside and pulled out a tissue and band-aid. A sneaky, self-satisfied smirk crept across my face as I realised that my pay back for the ‘rose petal, birds nest look’ was about to come to fruition. Yes, good things do come to those who wait Alexis! Placing myself back in between his legs, I seductively licked the tissue. A part of it got stuck on my tongue and I had to spit it out. Bryce laughed hysterically and fell back onto the bed. I too had to fight back my pending laughter if I wished to remain in character. “Mr. Clark, it appears you are well again. Does that mean I am no longer needed?”
“No, Nurse Summers, my head still hurts...BAD!” He shot back up and supressed the laugh he still had within him. I placed the tissue on his head and wiped away the remainder of the dry blood, then started to sing Fix You by Coldplay. My singing was distracting him from looking at the band-aid as I unwrapped it—which was exactly what I wanted. I placed it over his cut and smoothed it out as I sang the last line, telling him I would ‘fix’ him.
“There, all fixed.” I looked at my handy work, and it took everything within in me not to burst into laughter, because staring back at me was a cute little ‘Dora the Explorer’ band-aid, and it was attached to his forehead. Score, Alexis, you little payback devil.
“No, I’m not Nurse Summers, I’m not fixed.” He was smiling at me but his eyes were speaking another language.
“Why, Mr. Clark?” I cupped his cheeks in my hands.
“Because now my heart has definitely stopped beating.”
I suddenly felt awfully guilty. He was so incredibly romantic and here I was sticking cartoon character medical aids to his head.
“Oh Bryce, I need your heart to beat.”
I kissed him and we both fell back onto the bed.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Today was the last day Bryce and I would spend together before I reclaimed my children from their grandparents and returned home. I needed to provide Nate and Charlotte with a sense of normality and routine, because when I explained to them that their world was about to change, this was the only thing I could think to do in order to help soften the blow. I planned on heading home first to see Rick. Facing him was almost upon me, and I was now dreading it more than ever. During the past week, I had
been able to put my pending confrontation with my husband out of my head. And because of that, the idea of seeing him for the first time tomorrow was even more unbearable. The past week had been amazing, the most wonderful and exciting week of my life. In hindsight though, that was probably because I had Bryce to comfort me. He had taken my mind away from the devastation that I would no doubt have felt and suffered through, if he had not been with me every step of the way.
I stepped into my shower—or my silent confessional booth—as I had so aptly named it—as for some unknown reason, this little confined steamy location gave me clarity. Anxiety was one thing I felt as I stood here, but anger was another and it was boiling underneath my skin, bubbling away near the point of explosion. Why would he bloody cheat? We were happy, we have always been happy, or so I thought.
The memories of our confrontation in the garage came flooding back, ‘I have wondered what it would be like with someone else, too. The thing is, I didn’t just stop there either, Lex, at the wondering bit I mean.’ The memory made me shudder. Okay, so yes, I had been curious and tempted by another. I understood that part, but I had not fucked Bryce behind Rick’s back while we were happily playing husband and wife. I know I had come close, but I hadn’t—I wouldn’t have—and if I thought it was inevitable, I would have gone to Rick and told him or broken it off beforehand. I tried to think of exactly what it was that went wrong with Rick and I. Was it the fact we’d been together since we were kids? Was it getting married young? Was it having children young? Was it the fact I was a lot chubbier five years ago and feeling sorry for myself? I couldn’t honestly put my finger on it. I guess he would have to enlighten me when I saw him, as to why he saw it fit to fuck Claire. One thing was for certain, though. I could not go back to him. Not now. And to be honest, I didn’t think he would want me back either after the week I have had with Bryce.
I got out of the shower and found Bryce making breakfast, or was it lunch? I honestly had no idea what the time was. We had been awake for hours after the previous night’s medical assessment. Nurse Summers had administered not one, but two doses of hot, steamy sex-medicine, having us well and truly occupied into the night and early hours of the morning. He was moving about in his kitchen, and as I watched him, it struck me that his normal elegantly flowing grace around this particular room was not apparent. He did not seem his normal self, and it was clear something was bugging him. His phone rang and vibrated across the bench. He looked at it, at the same time he noticed me standing there, and scooped it up instantly.
“I have to take this.” He passed me briskly and wandered out onto the balcony. I eyed him as he spoke on the phone, and whoever he was speaking with had him acting very nervous. His hand was placed on the balustrade railing, and I noticed it was tensing and gripping tightly. Who is he talking to? He turned ever so slightly and looked in my direction, as if he had felt my curious stare pierce deep into the back of his head. Feeling I was intruding on his conversation, I gave him a shy smile and looked away. When he hung up he put his finger in the air to suggest he’d be a little while longer, and then headed into his office. I hate secrets with a passion, but I guess he was entitled to them, especially if they were work related, as this one probably was. While he was gone my phone beeped. I lifted it out of my pocket to find a text message from Rick.
Alexis, we really need to talk.
You cannot avoid me forever, it’s not just about us - Rick
I read it out aloud. Don’t lay the guilt trip on me. I know very well it is not just about ‘us’. I started to type a reply.
I’m fully aware that we need 2 talk,
& I will when I’m ready.
U of all people should not try & lay a guilt trip on me,
especially when it comes 2 our kids - Alexis
I pressed send and put the phone back into my pocket just as Bryce came through the door, both of us displaying startled and secretive expressions.
“Is everything all right?” I queried.
“Yes, Hunny. Just had to do some quick banking.” Oh, okay, I guess that could be stressful considering the copious amount of money he has? “So, my love, do you notice anything different at all?” I caught a glimpse of his very brief devilish glint which made me automatically go into survival mode. Right, he is going to attack, but why? How? When? I surveyed the room, spotting a picture of the two of us on top of Ayer’s Rock stuck to his fridge next to the picture of Lucy and him. Oh Mr Adorable Clark, you’ve officially added me to your stainless steel picture board of love. How sweet.
“Um, you’ve put a picture of us on your fridge.” I pointed to it.
“Yes, I have, but no...something different about me?” About him? I happily scrutinized him. No, you are as sexy as ever, right from your manly feet, to your sculpted legs, to your unbelievable package...I leaned back from the bench to get a better view of his groin, ...to your glorious chest, and up to your luscious hair which falls upon your irresistibly handsome face and forehead...which no longer has a Dora band-aid stuck to it...oh shit! Look away Alexis, look away.
“Nope, I have no idea what is different about you.” I glanced up at him ever so slightly. Uh oh. Shit, run! I took off and got as far as the lounge, stopping on the other side of the sofa.
“So, you think it’s funny to stick Dora the Fucking Explorer to my head?” I laughed but kept my wits about me as the sofa did not offer much protection.
“What? What’s wrong with Dora? She has a wealth of knowledge. Do you know she can speak fluent Spanish? Hola.” He cracked his head from side to side. Fuck, I’m a goner. I grabbed a cushion and held it up, as I needed some form of defence. He stood up on the sofa and snatched it away from me. Uh Oh. I tried my best Spanish accent. “Hey, Swiper, no swiping.” He growled and launched himself over the sofa at me. I screamed and ran for the balcony but he had me up and in his arms before I had even made it to the bi-folds. “I’m sorry, it was the only band-aid I had. Anyway we are even now.”
“Oh no, Ms. Summers, we are far from even.” He carried me out onto the balcony and over to the edge of the pool.
“No, Bryce, please, I just had a shower.”
“We’ll have another one then.”
“You are so infuriating.” I closed my eyes and braced myself for impact.
“You are so cheeky.” He kept a tight grip on me, but had not yet taken the plunge.
I opened one eye. “You are going to ruin all of my clothes.”
“You are making me ruin all your clothes.”
Grrrr, he never lets up. I opened the other eye. “You always have to win.”
“You always drive me crazy.”
He still hasn’t jumped in yet. “No, Mr. Clark, you always drive me crazy.”
“You mean the world to me, Alexis.” This conversation is now taking a different turn. Whatever I am doing, must be working.
“You make me second guess myself, Bryce.”
“You set my heart on fire, and keep it burning till it hurts, my love.”
I touched his face. “You, Mr. God-Damn, Breath-takingly Superb Clark, are the reason I have finally discovered what true love and happiness is.”
He raised his arms and lifted me to his mouth, then whispered as he kissed me.
“You, Alexis, are absolutely everything I will ever want or need. Please remember that tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow, when you see Rick.” I kicked my legs down and stood at the edge of the pool facing him.
“Bryce, I am not going back to him, I can’t. You know I can’t.” He nodded then hung his head. “What? What is eating at you? I’m not stupid Bryce. I know something is wrong. Just tell me. What have you done?”
He raised his head and the look on his face betrayed his ability to keep his burden eating secret any longer. “Come with me.” He took my hand and led me to his office, then punched a code into both doors.
“What are you doing? Locking us in?”
“Yes.”
&nb
sp; I felt the colour drain from my face. I needed to sit and sit quickly. Whatever he was about to reveal to me, was serious enough for him to think it would make me want to flee.
***
Nervous and repentant those were the words I would use to describe how he looked when he handed me a manila folder.
“Before you open it, you need to remember I promised you I would make the impossible possible, and I never go back on my promises. Ever.” I remembered him telling me that the night I promised I would give him a week, but at that time I couldn’t see how on earth it would ever happen. I opened the folder with my trembling hands. What the fuck is this? The contents had my heart feeling strangled, like my outer shell was slowly caving in and engulfing everything that was within it. The images before me showed Claire in suggestive underwear standing in front of Rick. In one photo, her arms were around his neck, and his hands were on her hips. In another, they were kissing and his hands were this time on her face. But it was the final photo that triggered the raging volcano inside to finally erupt. She was looking directly into the lens of the camera wearing an expression of complete and utter satisfaction. I dropped the folder and its contents on the floor.
“Where did you get these?” I could barely breathe let alone clearly voice the words.
“From Claire.” He could only manage a whisper also.
“Claire? How?”
“She works in the city at a mortgage broking firm.” What the fuck is she doing in Melbourne, and how the fuck does he know about Claire? I looked up, shocked and confused.
“How do you know about Claire?”
He was sitting with his arse on the edge of his desk and his arms crossed in front of him. “Creepy Research.” Creepy fucking research, I might’ve guessed.
“That is no longer an answer Bryce, I want to know how?”
He sighed. “I’ve told you before. Lucy.”
Satisfaction (The Temptation Series #2) Page 14