by Risk, Mona
“Marc?” She kneeled behind him and wrapped her arms around him, relishing the feel of his hard frame against her chest. “How’s your grandmother?”
“A little bit better. The immediate danger has passed. She’ll make it this time. But she’s very weak.”
“Well, that’s good news, right?” Why on earth did he sound so disgruntled?
He grunted and didn’t move.
Holly slipped into her robe, tied the belt, and came to sit next to him on his side of the bed. “Something is bothering you. Can you share?”
He combed her hair with his fingers and curled a long strand around his thumb as he stared at her for a moment without answering.
Darn, but she was getting really worried. She stroked his sheet-covered thigh. “Marc?”
“Yes, I’ll share it with you because I don’t want any secrets between us. You’ll never guess what caused Abuelita’s heart attack.”
“What?”
“She received a phone call from the nanny we hired for Paulito. The woman fell, broke her leg, and can’t come.”
“Oh.” This was bad news. They would have to find another suitable nanny with good references. So be it. Holly shrugged. Marc and Paulito would stay with her for two more months. “No problem, Marc. We’ll continue our arrangement until you get another nanny for Paulito. You know I’m happy to have you both.”
“I know, Holly. And I like being with you. But you don’t understand. The news upset Abuelita so much it triggered her heart attack. Now she doesn’t want to deal with hired help.”
“What else can you do at this point in time?”
“Hmm, a lot according to Abuelita. My sister Gabriella said—and she was quoting Abuelita—that our grandmother wants me to understand she’s getting to be very old and weak. She can’t afford to wait any longer to see me settled with a wife. And she wants Carlos’s son permanently taken care of by a good mama.”
Holly felt the blood drain from her face. The hospital gossip buzzed in her ears again. Marc had to get married and give a mother to his adopted son. Abuelita would not give up.
“So you’ll interview another string of bridal candidates during the twenty-four hours you’ll spend there?” She hoped her sarcasm would prevent the hurt from showing in her voice.
Marc raked his fingers through his hair. “No more interviews. Abuelita wants me to stop being so difficult. She’s already chosen a candidate. One I’ve known for a long time.”
“Which one?” Holly almost choked on the lump growing in her throat. She rubbed her chest with jerky movements to alleviate the pain slicing her heart.
“The neighbor’s daughter who has apparently adored me since she was a small girl. Reina wants to come here and help care for the baby.”
Holly bit her lip. “Reina? I heard you say the name. I thought she was one of your sisters.”
Lord, Holly couldn’t believe her lousy luck. Was history repeating itself?
Just when she’d made love with him, he would dump her because of his family’s priorities.
Just when she’d discovered she was in love with him, there was a gorgeous woman from his past ready to snatch him away.
Holly linked her fingers together in her lap to prevent them from shaking.
“Family is the most important thing in Puerto Rico. Almost sacred.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders but she jerked back. “Holly, darling—”
“Don’t touch me.” She tried to stand up and move away from him. Away from the man she loved. The only man who could hurt her so much.
He grabbed her arm and kept her in her place. “Holly, I don’t want Reina. And I don’t need her. I already have a wonderful mother for Paulito.”
“Oh, yeah?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Please come with me to San Juan. I want you to meet Abuelita.”
“Really? You’ll tell her ‘Meet Dr. Collier, the woman I live with’?” She wanted to lash at him with her nails and scratch the chest she had ardently kissed a few hours ago.
He frowned, speechless for a moment, and then he cleared his throat and threw his arms in the air. “I’ll introduce you as my fiancée.”
“You’ll lie to a dying woman? To the Abuelita you love so much?” She kicked the bed with a nervous foot.
“Never. I won’t be lying, darling.” He gave her his most devastating smile and threw off the sheet covering him. “Let me do this the right way.” He dropped to his knee in front of her. Stark naked.
“The...right...way?” She stuttered, unable to believe her eyes.
“Holly, marry me. I’ll be the happiest man in the world if you say yes. And of course, Paulito will be the happiest baby in the world.”
In a way, it was a sweet proposal. How come she hated it? Tears sprang to her eyes. She shook her head. “Is that supposed to be a proposal?”
He took both of her hands between his and kissed them. “Except that I’m missing one element: the ring. Tomorrow, we’ll buy it together.”
She tugged her hands from his grip. “You’re missing another element, Marc.”
Still on his knees, he inched closer to her, his groin at the level of her thighs. She glanced down and dug her nails in her palms to avoid touching him and begging him to make love to her again. Was she losing her mind?
He looked at her, his eyebrows arched in total befuddlement. “Another element?”
His puzzlement infuriated her. “Ever heard of love, Marc?”
“Love?” Leaning against her, he cupped her cheeks. “Of course. You know, I love you, querida. Isn’t that obvious?”
Damn the man. She hit the bed with the back of her heel. She’d waited seven years to hear these words. Now they sounded so logical, so rational...
So convenient at the moment. When Paulito needed loving care. When his grandmother demanded he get married. When Marc tried to escape her candidate and still protect the old lady’s health from the consequences of his blatant refusal. Was she just a more palatable alternative than Reina?
But she couldn’t believe him. Not now.
“How could you say that?” Holly backed up, shook her head, and pushed him away.
She wanted him to love her as much as she loved him, to propose only because he loved her, not because of the baby or because of his grandmother.
Tears streaming down her face, she ran toward the bathroom and paused at the door. He was still on his knees.
“You just need a permanent nanny,” she hiccupped on the words. “And you want to get out...out of the trap your grandmother’s setting. Don’t expect me to marry you for the wrong reasons.”
“The wrong reasons?” He frowned and gazed at her, eyes narrowed.
Take me in your arms. Promise me it’s true.
She clutched her robe with one hand and rubbed her cheeks with the other. Waiting for him to protest, call her, run after her.
She raised her chin. “I have my exam and career to think about.” She bit her lip on the lie. He was more important than any exam or career, yet she’d never settle for anything but true love and a perfect proposal. She lowered her head and muttered, “You’ll have to solve your childcare problem on your own.”
His expression blanked. He stood and slipped on his boxers. “I won’t bother you anymore with my childcare problem.” His voice chilled the room and her heart. “I’ll leave for San Juan after the surgery. With Paulito.”
****
Under the shower, Marc scrubbed himself with a vengeance. He’d planned their evening so carefully to please Holly and convince her his playboy days were history. Instead everything had gone awry.
The difficult delivery had interrupted their romantic evening, and his grandmother’s heart attack had worried him to distraction. And then when he thought his beautiful night with Holly more than made up for his spoiled plans, Gabriella doused him with a cold shower, Abuelita’s message, as cold and prickly as the water he was using to rinse himself at the moment.
He stomped out of th
e shower, dried, and shaved.
When would his grandmother stop interfering in his life and dictating orders? He snorted, knowing that even on her deathbed the dear old lady would somehow manage to convey her demands.
After he finished getting dressed, he changed Paulito and stuck a bottle into the baby’s mouth. As he stepped into the hallway, Holly came out of her room, already in scrubs, her wet hair smoothed back into a ponytail.
“Ready to go?” he asked as he studied her taut features.
“Yes.”
Not much in terms of eloquence. “The baby is ready too. But we have plenty of time. The surgery isn’t until 11:00.” Paulito gently dozed in his arms. Marc put him back into his crib. “I’ll fix us a quick breakfast.”
“Don’t bother. I can do mine.”
He followed her downstairs, feeling like a wall had been erected between them. She was disappointed and he was frustrated.
To break the ice, he toasted slices of bread and then buttered them. “I’ll make a large omelet. We won’t have time for lunch at the hospital.”
She shrugged. “If you want.”
He cracked the eggs and beat them with more strength than needed. “Holly, I told you about Abuelita’s request because I was determined not to keep secrets from you. I trusted you and wanted to make you part of my decision.” He captured her gaze and saw a mix of uncertainty and resentment. “Have I been wrong to share the truth with you?”
“Of course not. What a question.” Her jaws clenched, and her eyebrows gathered in a stubborn frown.
“But you’re convinced I proposed only to suit myself, right?” He finished cooking the omelet, slipped it onto a plate, and brought it to the table with the toast. A delicious aroma of hearty breakfast filled the kitchen, but he wasn’t hungry.
“Well, isn’t it true?” Her lips stretched into a bitter line. She tilted her head as she squinted at him and counted on her fingers. “One: your grandmother insists you marry a suitable mother for Paulito. Two: you’re worried about the old lady’s health. Three: bingo, you propose out of the blue.” She blinked several times. Were there tears in her eyes? “It was all about your Abuelita,” she said, her voice wobbling.
The omelet was cooling. Holly hadn’t even tasted it, and he couldn’t eat until he explained himself.
“Let me tell you about my Abuelita. She’s a tough lady. Too old to change now. She’s had more than her share of problems with her children and grandchildren. But she stood by them when they needed her. And I love her dearly.”
Her eyes fixed on him, Holly nodded. “I see. So you’ll do your best to satisfy her.”
“In a way.” God only knew he hadn’t planned on proposing tonight. For Pete’s sake, they’d only had a single date so far. One interrupted date, overshadowed by stressful events. He’d spoken hastily, letting his emotional control slip under pressure. Asking Holly to marry him had seemed the ideal—and most reasonable—solution to solve several problems at once, while satisfying everyone.
To be honest, he’d been quite shocked to hear himself voicing words he’d erased from his vocabulary years ago. His family still needed him.
He sat across from Holly and looked her directly in the eyes, praying she’d recognize his honesty. “My proposal came too soon. Not romantic enough. Far from convincing. But I meant every word I said.”
She took a swig of her coffee. “Too soon?” Her gaze never wavered from his as if she tried hard to read the truth in his eyes. “What do you mean, Marc?”
“I have a lot of responsibilities toward my family. Maybe one day you’ll understand.” His attempt to smile turned into a one-sided grimace.
A mixture of emotions played across her face. Bitterness. Sadness. Disappointment.
Maldición. He’d tried hard to make everyone happy around him, Holly, Paulito, Abuelita, even himself, but failed miserably. Guilt laced around his heart. He hated seeing Holly so depressed.
“Paulito told me he has a fabulous substitute mama. He wouldn’t exchange her for the world.”
“Oh, Marc.” Tears pooled in her eyes. “I don’t know what to say, what to think anymore.”
This was progress. Better than a flat rejection. He resolutely attacked his omelet. “Don’t worry. We won’t open this subject again.” She had a board exam to pass, and they both needed time to sort their feelings.
“But, Marc, are you really going to take Paulito to San Juan?” Her eyebrows arched as her voice faltered, pleading.
“Yes. He’s old enough to travel now.” He had his own reasons for taking the baby. Paulito would be his trump card to mellow the formidable old lady. Maybe with the baby in her arms, Abuelita would forgive Marc for not following her orders and marrying her dear Reina. “I want Abuelita to meet him. I just hope her condition doesn’t worsen.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Had she made the biggest mistake of her life? Had she closed the door on happiness with a capital H?
Holly ventured a curious look at Marc, taking in his hard profile and high forehead crossed by a dark curly strand. His sensual lips that had excelled at dispensing pleasure all over her flesh last night remained tightly sealed as he drove to the hospital.
Holly wrung her hands in her lap, struggling to prevent her knees from clapping against each other.
With Paulito fastened in his car seat and happily cooing, Marc drove at a reasonable speed. While the Jeep meandered through the traffic, he withdrew into his thoughts. He’d made it clear that he’d closed the subject of marriage.
Was he having second thoughts about their lovemaking and his proposal?
In that case, Holly’s self-respect demanded she be as cool and composed as he was. “Marc, thank you for last night.”
“What do you mean? Why should you thank me?” The traffic was dense. Was that enough to explain his sudden frown?
“I was worried about today’s surgery. You gave me the comfort I needed. Made me feel better.” What a blatant lie.
The car jerked to the right as a truck passed them on the left. Marc mumbled in Spanish. A curse probably. He glanced at her, the furrows between his eyebrows deepening. “Comfort? That’s all?”
She couldn’t suppress a smile as heat infused her cheeks and a nice tingling danced in her belly. Last night had been so unexpected, so special. Cuddling in Marc’s arms had been heaven. “Marc, the chemistry was incredible.”
He smiled. “I know.” Then the smile faded. He glanced at her, a shadow of melancholy darkening his eyes.
What if he truly loved her and she just blew her chances of a future with him? What if she’d hurt him with her lack of trust and blunt refusal?
She licked her lips, recalling the passion of his kisses. Damn it. She’d reveled in their lovemaking and yearned for more. Could they ever go back to living that fantasy night again?
Maybe they’d go back to their status quo of before last night. As if nothing happened. Oh, no, please. She didn’t want him to stay away for days, sticking by his rules of correct, indifferent houseguest.
Maybe she should take the first step to erase the awkwardness that had built between them. “When you come back from Puerto Rico, I’d like to take you out,” she said, raising her chin with all the confidence she could muster at the moment. Which wasn’t much, unfortunately. “I mean I’d like to reciprocate your invitation to the opera.”
“Thank you.” He didn’t give her the smug smile she’d expected. Tenderness pooled in his chocolate eyes. “You’re a wonderful woman, Holly.”
She threw him a puzzled look. When he came back from his trip was too far away, too loaded with probability.
What if Abuelita had her way because Marc had such a strong sense of family loyalty?
What if Reina was as beautiful and aggressive as Jenna or even more determined? She’d already mentioned coming here to help.
“Marc, I assume this Reina is pretty.” She couldn’t believe she blurted out such stupid nonsense.
“Yeah, not bad. She�
��s a brunette with dark brown eyes.”
Holly lowered her head, wishing he could have lied for a change.
“But you know me. I’m partial to tall honey-blonde neonatologists with turquoise eyes.” He chuckled. “And I know only one woman who matches my very specific taste.”
She threw him a lopsided glance. Was he making fun of her? Or being his usual charming self? She wanted so much to believe he cared about her. That he loved her as much as she loved him.
Marc concentrated on driving, then dropped Paulito at his daycare and reached the hospital in silence.
Her head swirled with one depressing thought after another. Now was not the right time to start a conversation about feelings or lack of them, but she vowed to get back to the subject before he left for San Juan. There was too much at stake to play with fire and risk losing Marc—and Paulito—to a Puerto Rican beauty.
As soon as Marc parked the car, she ran to her office. After she listened to her messages, she rushed to the OR, donned her surgical gown, and scrubbed. A nurse wheeled in Baby Brendon’s isolette.
Faced with her medical responsibilities, Holly emerged from her internal rumination.
Focus on the surgery. The rest can wait.
Suddenly, the room bustled with doctors and nurses, Dr. Morey, Dr. Carmichael, and Dr. Barnes, the local cardiologist, and several senior residents. “Let’s get ready,” Dr. Morey said, in command of the medical team.
Although intubated, Brendon squirmed and cried. Holly held him and exchanged glances with Marc. The cry meant the baby’s ET tube had slipped out. More complications for her tiny patient. Marc delivered the anesthetic and a muscle paralyzer through an intravenous line. As usual, he was a bundle of effectiveness and can-do energy.
When Brendon fell asleep, Holly laid him on the surgical table and removed his wrapping blanket. She took a deep breath to tame her accelerated pulse.
Marc was beside her, confident and calm. A tower of strength.
My turn. Quick and easy.
The baby’s lungs were paralyzed, and he had no way to get oxygen until she had the tube in. With steady hands, she tipped his tiny head back.
Go, Holly. You’ve done it hundreds of times.
