Dad walks us to my car and takes Rory’s hand to shake, but then holds it there. “I’ve told my daughter this, so I won’t lie to you,” Dad says. “I don’t approve of this match. I am bitter that my daughter is leaving—”
“That hasn’t been decided—” Rory tries to explain.
“As good as. And despite that, I see Valentina is in relatively good hands. I’m glad she’ll have a doctor—someone who knows what to look out for . . .”
Dad trails off as he chokes on his words. I know what he is asking Rory. He wants him to watch out for recurrence of my cancer. To keep a watchful eye.
“I promise I’ll take good care of her, sir.”
Dad nods. “I’m sure you will,” he says. “The alternative is a hell of a lot of trouble from me, son.”
I bring my hand to my chest at hearing Dad call him ‘son’ even if it was a threat. Dad finally got the son he wanted in Felipe. He hand-picked him himself. But I know, deep down, Dad knows he doesn’t make Pilar happy. And even though Rory is the furthest thing from what he wanted for me, he will be a better son-in-law than Felipe could ever hope to be.
My family, as expected, dragged out the dinner much longer than it needed to be. Pre-dinner drinks, five courses, port and cigars after dinner for the men who went off into Felipe’s study, and endless, mind-numbing conversation. By the time we get home, Rory and I are exhausted. Rory barely brushed his teeth, and his head hit the pillow.
“That was better than I thought,” I say.
“What dinner were you at?” Rory’s voice is laced with sarcasm.
“I guess I should say, by my family’s standard, it went better than I thought.”
“They hate me.”
“Not Pilar,” I say with an encouraging smile.
“No, I guess not Pilar, but your Dad—I mean, I’m a doctor. He knows that, right? It’s a noble profession, and no, I won’t be a millionaire, but I will be financially stable. He talked to me like I was a, a, uh—”
“A what?” I ask.
“A chimney sweep,” Rory says, satisfied with his analogy.
“A chimney sweep?” I laugh. “What is this? Oliver Twist?” I lay down next to Rory and take his hand in mine. “Poor little orphan boy is going to be a chimney sweep.”
Rory’s jaw drops, and he tries to break his hand away from mine. Then I realize what I said.
“Rory, no, I—that’s not what—I just meant . . .”
“Yeah, go on, backpedal faster.” Then he bursts out laughing.
“Come here, you.” He grabs me and pulls me closer to him on the bed. “I’m not sensitive about being adopted. You should have seen your face, though.”
I gently smack his shoulder. “That wasn’t funny.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you for meeting my family.”
“They’re my family now, I suppose.”
I haven’t thought about it like this until Rory mentions it, but he is right. They are his family now too—poor thing.
“Even Felipe,” I say.
“Yeah, that dude gives off a bad vibe.”
“You are like a puppy,” I say.
“What do you mean?”
“Dogs can sense evil without having to know a person.”
“You’re saying he is evil?”
“In his own way. I don’t want to talk about sad things right now, though.”
I catch Rory watching me sleep the next morning, as if we’re taking turns with this ritual. He smiles at me, and I can’t help but feel like I am exactly where I am supposed to be. His smile even feels like home.
“That’s kind of creepy,” I tease.
“You watch me sleep all the time.”
“How do you know that?” I ask.
“I’m not always asleep.”
I narrow my eyes at him, and he laughs.
“Can I ask you something?” He asks, his arm tightening around me.
“Yeah.”
“Tell me about Chema and Nico.”
I suck in a breath. “Are you upset I let you think we were together?”
“No. I know why you did it.”
I squeeze his arm, thankful he’s not mad about the second biggest lie I ever told him—the first being that I didn’t love him back. But we don’t dwell on those bitter moments anymore, so instead I tell him about Chema and Nico.
When I met Chema and Nico, they’d had the gym open for barely a year. Chema was coming down from the height of his fighting career after an injury, and has made his gym very successful since.
And because Rory will very soon be part of our inner circle, I need him and Chema to be friends. I need both of them in my life. So I also overshare on Chema’s life; on how he and Nico were high school sweethearts in secret because their families didn’t approve. They were both on their school’s soccer team and were caught kissing by one of their teammates. The following day, three of their teammates cornered Nico alone and beat the shit out of him. Once he healed, Chema vowed he’d never let anyone hurt him again. They both took self-defense classes, and Chema fell in love with the sport. The fact that he could pummel anyone who dared look at Nico the wrong way was an added bonus of his profession.
When I’m done telling Rory the story of Nico and Chema, Rory’s smiling at me. “Chema’s really amazing isn’t he?” he asks.
I nod. “Hopefully you’ll learn to love him like I do.”
“I already do. He took care of my precious girl when I couldn’t be there.”
“Precious girl?” I tease.
“Don’t mock. You’re precious to me, and Chema guarded you.”
I smile, hopeful for the potential of our life together, and I lean in to kiss him. Shifting under the covers to get closer to him, I reach for the hem of his shirt, but he stills my hand. He shakes his head as he looks deep into my eyes.
“Why not?” I ask.
“You were sore yesterday—”
“I’m perfectly fine today.”
“I’m sure you are, but can we please take it slow? I need to make sure you stay okay.”
My instincts turn to anger, but I can’t let it out because I know he only wants me healthy. It’s coming from a good place, even as infantilizing as his desire to control my health is. We are both going to have to adjust.
“We can take it slow,” I say finally. “Within reason. At some point, you have to trust me too.”
“I know,” Rory says. “We’ll work on it. In the meantime, can loving each other be enough?”
Chapter 24
Rory has some sort of plan he isn’t telling me about. Our flight was delayed, and everything Rory has done since we got to his apartment has been rushed. I’m tired from the long day of travel and can’t imagine how he has all this energy.
“We’re going out tonight, so get ready,” he says.
I frown. “I’m too tired to go out.”
“Please. It’s important.”
I cross my arms in front of me. “Rory Dennis, what do you have up your sleeve?”
“Please, can you just humor me? This once?”
I finally relent and hop in the shower before he does so I have time to dry my hair while he gets his turn. After drying off, and as Rory is in the shower, a lightbulb goes off in my head. I rummage through one of my suitcases.
As a parting gift, Pilar gave me a designer red camisole with matching robe. It’s sexy in an elegant sort of way, and the feeling of the silk is divine. I put it on and wait for the shower to shut off. I give Rory a few minutes before walking into the bathroom with him. He is brushing his teeth and has a towel wrapped low on his hips. Water droplets roll down the rippled muscles of his abs, and I bite my lip at the beautiful sight. I lean on the doorframe and clear my throat. He turns to look at me, does a double-take stopping mid-brush, and when he eyes me up and down, rinses quickly.
“Valentina,” he groans. “We’re going out . . .” He says, but with less conviction now.
“You sure you wa
nt to go out? You wouldn’t rather stay in bed our first night back?”
His eyes narrow as I approach him. I slide my index finger between him and the towel to unhook it, letting it slide down his body and pool at his feet. “Oops,” I say, and he chuckles. “What’s it going to be?” I ask, grabbing his hardening shaft and squeezing gently once, feeling as it stiffens further in my hand.
His green eyes darken under hooded lids. “It can wait,” he says with a smirk, and I drop to my knees in front of him.
The silk clings to my skin with the steam from his shower, and the sensation forces my thighs to clench together. I pump him once more and bring him into my mouth. Rory has to lean back on the vanity as he loses balance, and I love what I can do to him. It’s a power trip I haven’t appreciated until him—like so many other things. I suck hard once, and he groans long and deep.
I suck and lick while I twist my grip around his shaft and then take him deep in my throat.
“Valentina, stop. I don’t want to come in your mouth.” I suck one last time before he draws away from my mouth. I stand and kiss him with an open mouth, our tongues dancing and playing.
Fucking Rory Dennis is so much fun.
He flips and lifts me until I’m sitting on the vanity, and he is between my legs. He feels the material of the chemise between his fingers. “This is nice,” he says and nibbles my neck.
“You like it?”
“Mmm-hmmm. I insist you wear this to bed every night.”
“You’re very demanding, Doctor Dennis,” I tease.
“I am,” he agrees. “Lube?” he asks, and I hand him the small bottle I placed on the counter when I walked in. He pours it liberally onto his hand, warms it up, and my sex clenches at the sight of him sliding his hands up and down a now-shiny cock. Rory centers himself in front of me, and I wrap my legs around him.
He slides in slowly, slowly at first, until he bottoms out. I moan with pleasure, and he pulls out and slams deep and quick into me again. He kisses me, leading with his tongue, and comes back up for air as his thrusts quicken.
I forgot about the second mirror in the bathroom, and when I turn to the side briefly, an image of him thrusting into me as my legs quiver around him stops my gaze. It’s so hot, seeing him—seeing us—like this. “Rory,” I say. “Look.” He turns in the direction of my gaze and stills deep inside me.
“Fuck, Valentina. You look so hot.”
He fucks me harder, then, for the first time since we got back together. There is no hesitation, and I smile because I realize he couldn’t stop himself from being a little rougher with me. We both look in the mirror now, watching how we fuck, and our eyes meet, catching the other doing the same. The corner of his mouth draws into a smirk.
My body shudders as I come, looking at Rory through the full-length mirror. He slides out, then slams in again, rolling my orgasm into two.
His hands wrap around me and grab onto my ass as he lifts me off the vanity and carries me to the bed, impaled on him. He lays me down gently and thrusts a few times before sliding out. I don’t dwell in the absence of him too long before he flips me over, and grabbing onto my hip bones, pulls my ass up to face him. I smile, remembering his words from our first night together—this is his favorite part of my body. Rory Dennis is a booty-man, and he can’t get enough of mine.
I look straight ahead to the empty wall, and before he is in me again, say, “We’re getting a mirror right there—”
Rory slides in deep. “Agreed,” he groans, and slams into me so roughly, my legs start to shake with my next orgasm. I’m afraid they’ll give out soon, but Rory’s growl breaks through the silence of the apartment, and he stills inside me.
I feel as he presses his forehead to my back and tries to catch his breath. Both his thumbs circle two spots on my lower back. “I love these dimples,” he says, admiring my backside.
“They’re all yours,” I say.
We both collapse on the bed and stare at each other shyly. While it turned me on so much, somehow, looking at us through that mirror made me a bit bashful now that the deed is done.
I want to thank Rory for being rough and not treating me like a glass figurine, but I don’t want to have another conversation like the one in Mexico, so instead, I trace the scar on his chest with my fingers. In turn, he traces my scars over my lower abdomen. We lie there, caressing each other’s scarred and beautiful bodies without a word passing between us. His eyes search mine. “I love you,” he says.
“I love you too.”
Chapter 25
We are both sated but weak and tired, so it takes me by surprise when Rory starts getting dressed to go out. I don’t understand his urgency to get to out the door until we arrive at our favorite bar, La Oficina.
The ‘open’ sign is off, and a flyer on the front door indicates the bar is closed for a special event, but the place is dark. Rory knocks, and Sofia opens up for us. As I step through, the lights come on, and a roar of “Welcome Home!” Blasts through me like heavy wind.
When my mind catches up to what just happened, I scan the room and see all the faces of everyone I met during my time in Kansas City. Dr. Ramirez, nurse Sara, Mandy, Tlali, and Izel all beam at me. They didn’t forget me. I feel the tears coming on, and I try to sniffle them back in. All my friends are here—my new family.
Mandy nearly crashes onto me when she hugs me. “We missed you so much, girl. Wait until I catch you up with everything that’s been going on.” She loops her arm with mine, as she’s done so many times before, and leads me to the bar to grab a glass of champagne.
When we get there, I realize Lisa and Tom, Rory’s parents, are both here. I go over to them and give them both a hug.
“It’s so good to see you, dear,” says Lisa. “You’re looking a lot better than the last time we saw you.”
“Thank you. I’m feeling a lot better, and I’m in remission. Things are looking good.”
“And you got some meat back on them bones,” says Tom.
“Tom! Don’t embarrass the girl—”
I laugh. “No. It’s okay. You’re absolutely right, Tom. I’m working on bulking up a bit again. Getting a little stronger.”
“That’s good,” he says and winks at me. “The Dennis men like our women strong, with a little meat on the bone—”
“Tom!” Lisa scolds again.
“What? I didn’t say anything wrong.”
Luckily, Rory interjects before I laugh at his parents again. “I’m so sorry,” Rory says. “Have they already gotten into trouble?”
“No, they’re fine.” I smile.
The surprise warms my heart. Rory had to have planned for this while he was in Mexico. I have no idea how he managed. I scan the room to see it’s not only people I know. Neil, Rory’s old roommate, who I remember from our one introduction, stands with a group of men at the other end of the bar. My mind flashes back to that moment at the bar when Rory told the group of men he was with he was bailing on them for someone else. I’m pretty sure it’s that very table of men chatting it up with Neil.
It hits me, then, that Rory has invited all his friends and family, whether I know them or not. And this is a ‘welcome home’ surprise party? Something isn’t quite adding up.
“Rory? What is this?” I ask.
Rory leads me to the bar and gestures for me to sit on one of the stools. With my back to the bar, I pin him with my eyes.
“What do you mean?” he asks.
“There are so many people here I don’t know . . .” My thought trails off when Rory’s mouth quirks into a playful smile.
He takes my hand in his and kisses it. He reaches behind me for something and then turns around to make his way to the center of the room. When he faces me again, I see a champagne glass in one hand and a spoon in the other. He clinks the spoon to the glass, and my heart rate quickens to the chime.
Oh god. What is he about to do? I want to run with the anticipation of his speech, but everyone is so silent and frozen to their
spots, any movement from me will only draw attention. I curse Rory Dennis, and I curse barstools. There’s something about a barstool and Dr. Dennis in the same room that always ends in disaster.
Then he speaks. “Thank you, everyone, for being here, and to those of you who helped me organize this, I am forever grateful. If you’re in this room, you know the beautiful woman sitting at the bar.” All eyes turn to me, and I sink in my seat a little. My face feels hot, and I want to run. But I can’t. I’m going to kill him for this.
Rory goes on. “If you don’t know Valentina Almonte personally, you know of her. You know of her because if you are here tonight, you’re important to me, and if you’re important to me, you know I can’t shut up about her.” Rory chuckles, and polite little laughs follow around the room. This isn’t funny, Rory Dennis. I stew silently as he continues his speech.
“This year, I almost lost her. That experience only taught me to cherish her and have as much of her time as she’ll allow me to have.” Rory sets down the two items in his hands and holds my eyes. He fumbles a bit with his collar, then sticks his hand into his pants pocket, producing a familiar box.
Well-played, Rory. Well-played. The last time he tried to do this was in private. He won’t give me a chance to say no; that’s why he’s doing this in front of everyone. If I hadn’t already decided to marry him, this could be construed as manipulation.
Rory walks to where I’m sitting and gets down on one knee. I look down at the box in his hands, then back at him. His face is hopeful but strained, like he is holding his breath, and everyone around us quiets like they’re holding their breath with him in solidarity.
I have my life back—a second chance. When I was diagnosed, all I wanted was to experience life, to see places, art, meet people, eat food I’d never dreamed of. Now I know that not only will I have the time to do all those things, but that Rory Dennis will be by my side for all of it. I know in my heart he is the man I will grow old with—now that I get to grow old.
Contusion Page 21