by Risk, Mona
“Chérie, I am utterly seduced. But to be honest, you are more beautiful without it.” His smile slowly faded as his fingers lead a maddening dance around her bikini panties. “Mon Dieu, you are even more beautiful than ten years ago.”
He ripped his clothes off and flung them on a chair, his breathing heavy. She flipped her hair back, rubbed her neck and took a step forward, hypnotized by his rippling chest, flat belly, corded muscles tempting her to stroke and knead. She lowered her head...and encountered the bulge in his briefs.
What was he waiting for? She was on fire, hot, wet and ready. She licked her lips and opened her arms. “Love me, Luc.”
He wrapped his arms around her, pressed her against the rigid length of his body. “I do, mon amour, I do,” he whispered against hers lips.
He does? He does what exactly?
Her gasp was muffled under a searing kiss as he devoured her mouth. Forget about questions now. She tasted sweet alcohol on his tongue as it explored the recesses of her mouth. Old feelings came rushing over her in a decadent wave when he fondled her breast and squeezed her bottom.
A song hummed in her brain. Feelings, feelings I don’t recognize. Feelings I’ve been longing for. She sucked on his tongue and returned his kiss with all her pent-up passion. He trailed his lips along her collarbone and around her breast, nibbled on one nipple and then on the other.
“Luc, please.” She moaned as heat engulfed her.
He carried her to the bed, lowered her panties down her legs and lay down next to her. His hand slid between her thighs, and his fingers started a mind-boggling dance inside her. She splayed a hand over his shoulders, raked his back and pulled at his shoulders. “Luc, now, please.”
His chest covered her upper body, hard muscles against soft flesh. She squirmed and flexed her hips to meet him.
“Soon, chérie.” He’d always delayed his pleasure to enhance hers.
“Now,” she ordered, frazzled by the sweet torture. She eased away, brushed her hand down his length and curled her fingers around his erection, gently rubbing it against herself.
“Not yet.” He pulled away, fumbled in the pocket of his discarded pants and protected himself.
“You came ready for tonight?” Her voice drifted as she raised her head from the pillow to watch the magnificent male specimen displayed for her eyes only.
“I have been ready since I landed in Cincinnati. Why do you think I took this assignment?” He sat on the bed and traced his thumb along her jaw.
“You came all the way from France to sleep with me?” She wrinkled the sheet with nervous fingers, not knowing what to make of this confession.
“To see you, to be with you, to rekindle our... relationship.” He chuckled. “And yes, to sleep with you, as a bonus.”
“You came only for me? What about your research?”
“To hell with the research. Only for you, mon amour. The research was my official excuse.” He reclined beside her and caressed her breasts with a slow and maddening motion and gently teased the hardened nipples. “Are you ready for me?”
“Oh Luc.” Still unable to believe that maybe he loved her enough to forget the past and live in the present the way she wanted, she closed her eyes and linked her arms around his neck.
He rolled on top of her and entered her slowly. The heat that started in her belly spread in a whirling sensation through her body. She wrapped her legs around him and pressed her hips high against him. He pulled out and pushed back in, rocking himself inside her.
“Olivia,” he murmured as he pumped hard into her softness.
A rainbow of colors splashed behind her eyelids and hundred of stars exploded in magnificent fireworks. She kneaded his butt and matched the tempo of his thrust. When the fire inside her blazed to an all-time high, she dug her nails into his shoulders. “I love you,” she whispered and raised her head to meet his kiss.
“Je t’aime, mon amour.” He breathed the words into her mouth as he fused his body to hers and shuddered.
****
Luc woke to the faint rays of sunshine filtering through the Venetian blinds. The soft form nestled against him squirmed and snuggled closer to his side. He tried to remain perfectly still but a part of his lower anatomy rose to attention and poked against her belly. He smiled as she dug her head in the hollow of his collarbone.
She moaned, squinted and shut her eyelids as if she found the effort unbearable. And then she suddenly opened them wide, staring straight into his eyes.
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Bonjour. Did you have sweet dreams?”
“Hmm.” Her dazed expression was answer enough. His beautiful siren couldn’t extricate herself from her dreams. He anchored her against him with a hand on her back and captured her mouth under his. She hooked an arm around his neck and slithered a hand down toward his erection. “Hmm.”
He chuckled. “If hmm means you want more, I am ready.” He lifted her on top of him, cupped her lovely derriere in both hands and lowered her onto his shaft. She wriggled and matched his hunger, thrust for thrust, kisses mingled with moans.
They exploded together, and she collapsed on his chest, her nipples teasing his muscles, her heart beating in cadence with his own.
When he came back to earth, he stroked a soothing hand over her mussed hair. “Bonjour, mon amour.”
She raised her head and swiped the beads of perspiration from his forehead with the tip of her finger. Her gaze sparkled with a dazzling aqua light.
“I can’t believe it, Luc. It was...simply fantastic. Just like before.”
“Better than before.” He chuckled. “Perfect chemistry with no need for a catalyst.” He cradled her cheeks and sobered. “Tell me, chérie, last night you said something in the throes of passion. You said, ‘I love you, Luc.’ Was it real or a moan of passion?”
“And you said the same in French. Is it true?” As usual, she was a master at evading personal questions. But he loved the feeling of her body sprawled on top of him in total abandon and he planned to keep her there for as long as he could.
“You know me better, chérie. I would never lie to you.”
“When did you start loving me?” She raked her hand through his hair and curled a strand around a finger.
“I never stopped. Why do you think I never married in all these years?”
“You mean you already loved me back then? Seriously loved me?”
“Very seriously.”
“But—?”
“When I started to be sentimental, you did your best to discourage me. ‘My career is the most important thing in my life’. Does it sound familiar? You managed to spoil every one of our dates with this statement.”
“Oh. It was because of Melissa.”
“Yes, I realize that now.” He agreed with her, but deep down he labeled her negative attitude as fear of commitment.
Was she still afraid of commitment, after the incredible chemistry they shared a moment ago?
She started rolling off him. “We’d better get dressed. I may get a call soon.”
“Not yet, chérie.” She was so cute, naked and flushed, and talking business. He clamped a hand to her butt, keeping her welded to his length, and kissed her thoroughly. “Your turn. Did you mean what you said last night?”
He had satisfied her curiosity and would not let her off the hook so easily. Mon Dieu, she couldn’t even guess how his chest had exploded with joy when he heard her speak of love. Finally, after waiting an eternity. Was it true?
She turned her head, tried to avoid his gaze. “Olivia, please. The truth only.”
“You heard it.”
He swallowed, not wanting to insist and see her withdraw behind a cold mask. Yet, he needed to know. “When did you start loving me?” He repeated her question.
She gave him the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. “I loved you ten years ago and never stopped.”
For a second, he thought he’d heard it wrong. It couldn’t be. He raised himself against the headboar
d and pulled her onto his lap. This was too important to miss a word. “Ten years ago, you asked me to go away and never come back. Did you love me back then?”
In fascination, he watched her breasts rise and fall as she inhaled deeply and exhaled.
Concentrate on what she is saying.
She closed her eyes. “Yes, I did. Luc, I loved you from the first time I sat in your class and you asked me my name.”
“Ma chérie, mon amour.” He closed his arms around her and tucked her head against his shoulder. But then...
Silence fell between them as he analyzed her confession. She loved him ten years ago, but hadn’t hesitated to push him away because of Melissa.
What was different now?
Would she push him away again if he asked her for a commitment?
Probably.
As long as Melissa didn’t know the truth about her father, Olivia would live in fear, and sacrifice herself.
And sacrifice Luc in the process.
He’d had it with this situation, with the lies and the silence that had shut him out of her life.
He swore under his breath. Something had to change. Immediately.
Olivia had to talk to her daughter. Right away. Only then would she be ready to consider a future with him.
“Time to get dressed.” He eased her away from him before he gave in to temptation again.
“Why are you scowling? I don’t understand. What’s wrong?” Her mouth pleated in disappointment. And he hated himself for causing it.
“We have a busy day. Hospital. And then dinner at your mother’s. Olivia, now is the time to talk to Melissa. She’s relaxed after the party and so are you.”
She jumped out of bed. Without bothering to cover herself, she turned and glared at him. “Luc, you see why I never told you I love you. Because you’re always so inflexible it scares the hell out of me.”
He shoved a hand through his hair and blew out a frustrated breath. “Please, Olivia, do it now. I will be with you. Do it for Melissa, for yourself and for me.”
She stared at him. A mix of emotions played in her eyes as he waited for her decision.
Would she give them a chance at happiness or slam the door in his face again?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Where had the morning gone? Olivia couldn’t remember doing a single productive thing. Sitting in the consultation room of the Crisis Center, she smoothed her skirt to erase an invisible wrinkle. Luc had sat in with her for a new evaluation. Then they’d visited Hailey, the suicidal patient, who was doing much better and was about to be discharged from the hospital.
Luc came toward Olivia and rested his hands on her arms. “Do you want to take a break while I handle the next case?” He’d been at her side all day, his smile never wavering.
She shook her head. What kind of doctor would she be if she neglected her patients because of her personal problems? “I’m fine. Don’t worry. I’ll talk to Melissa. I won’t chicken out anymore.”
God, I hope I can do it. I hope it’s the right thing.
“I never doubted your inner strength.”
Puckering her mouth, she lowered her head. When it came to hurting her daughter, she’d play chicken without guilt. “You have more faith in me than I do.” If he didn’t stare at her with so much hope, and love, she’d be tempted to postpone her revelations to next week or next month.
He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze and resumed his place as a nurse knocked on the door and craned her neck through the opening. “The Tarino family,” she said. “All five of them,” she added in a hushed voice.
Olivia caught sight of Luc’s arched brow and shrugged, palms open. “It’s supposed to be Teresa Tarino only.” She shot a wary look at the doorway. “Teresa?”
A short woman with a baby in her arms entered, flicking panicky glances around. A lanky man ambled past her. “I’m sorry Dr. Crane, but Emilio wanted to talk to you too, and I couldn’t leave Holly and her little brothers alone,” the woman said as she dropped onto a chair, the baby in her lap.
A teenage girl with heavy mascara around her eyes sauntered in, holding a toddler boy by the collar of his shirt. The consultation room filled with the smell of cheap perfume, escalating Olivia’s stress into a full-blown headache.
“They ain’t my brothers I told you a hundred times. And I ain’t their nanny either.” Holly pushed the little boy toward her mother and settled in the other chair.
Heaving a deep breath, Olivia shoved her own problem to the back of her mind and readied herself for a rough hour. “Teresa, it will be difficult to have a productive consultation with your whole family around.”
Olivia flipped a look from her patient to the man standing next to her chair. How could she help the poor woman with the husband glaring at her and the daughter trying her best to be obnoxious?
“Emilio, I am Dr. Lucien. I am here to give a second opinion. Would you mind explaining your presence at your wife’s psychiatric session?” Luc asked, not one bit intimidated by the man’s scowl.
“I’m here because I’m fed up with seeing my wife lazing away all day long on a sofa. Can’t you do something to make her more energetic?”
“Your wife was depressed after the baby’s birth,” Olivia explained. “You should be patient and help her. It takes time to get over postpartum depression.” Especially if this husband kept lashing his wife with harsh criticism. This was an absolute waste of time. “I noticed she missed her appointment twice last month.”
“Yeah, I didn’t let her come. I don’t believe in this depression baloney. Teresa’s supposed to go to work and bring in some money. We can’t continue like this. I’ll take my baby and leave.”
“Good riddance,” the teenager muttered.
“Shut up,” the man snarled while Teresa threw a hand up in supplication.
“Please don’t leave us, Emilio. I’ll go to work. I’ll get better soon. Dr. Crane, can I double the dose of my medicine?”
“Absolutely not. You have to continue taking one capsule of Cymbalta. This antidepressant has a delayed-release action and will release 60 mg in your body during the course of a day. Any overdose can be extremely dangerous.”
“So what am I going to do?” Teresa wrung her hands.
Obviously, Teresa would not get better in the type of environment she lived in. “I’ll refer you to Social Services. They may be able to help.”
“Thank you, doctor.” Husband and wife answered together.
“I appreciate any help,” Emilio said, his voice more subdued than when he came in. “I really want us to stay together as a family,” the man added as he glanced at the teenager who blatantly turned her head. “I had so many hopes when we got married. If only things would improve.”
“Emilio, would you mind stepping out for a moment with the small ones? I’d like to talk to Teresa and Holly,” Olivia said, determined to get to the bottom of the situation. She had the nagging feeling the daughter was doing her best to upset her stepfather and add more stress to her mother.
“Why? So the girl can say nasty lies about me,” Emilio asked with a we’ve-been-through-that look at Holly.
“I’m your wife’s doctor, and Dr. Luc is a world-famous psychiatrist. We, both, want to help your family. You said you hoped things could improve. Right?”
“Of course. I want to see things improve. I love my wife,” he grumbled and cast a disgusted look at Holly.
“Well, let me talk to her. Can you step out for a few minutes?”
“If you think it can make a difference.” Emilio took the baby and extended a hand to the toddler. “Come with Daddy, Jack.”
When the door closed behind them, Olivia glanced at Luc who nodded and faced the teenager. “Tell me, Holly, is anything bothering you?”
The teenager’s mutinous attitude reminded her of Melissa on a very bad day, but her daughter was by far more pleasant. Of course Melissa was surrounded with love and all the niceties money could buy. And she’d never faced an emotional c
risis.
Oh God, how would Melissa react when Olivia talked to her about her father?
“I don’t want to live at home,” Holly said.
“Can you explain why?”
“I hate him.” Her eyes widened with fury.
“Why?”
The girl turned toward her mother. “Because he’s trying to act like he’s my dad. ‘Don’t do this, Holly. Don’t do that, Holly.’ I don’t want him around. He can’t replace my father.”
Olivia studied the mother’s pained expression, but she knew better than to ask about the whereabouts of Holly’s father.
“Her father left us when she was two and never came back,” Teresa volunteered.
“And Jack’s father left us before Jack was born, and this one will leave you too, Mom. You’ll see. You don’t know how to find a good man.”
Olivia hated seeing the daughter attacking her mother with such bitterness.
Luc cleared his throat. “Holly, has Emilio ever been mean to you? I mean, abused or hit you.”
She shrugged. “No, he wouldn’t dare.”
“Have you ever tried to be nice to him?” Luc continued his line of questioning.
“Why should I?”
“Holly, do you love your mother?”
The girl gasped. “Of course I love her, but she acts so stupid. I told her not to marry him. All we got is a new baby to feed and change all day long.”
“And you don’t like that?”
“No, I hate being poor. I hate wasting my time on a baby. I wanna live with my grandmother.”
“If that’s what you want, you can move tomorrow,” Teresa said on a sigh.
The girl’s gaze flew to her mother, sudden fear in her brown eyes. “What will you do without me? You can’t take care of both babies. You’ll be sick forever.”
“I’m not going to force you to stay. I’ll manage.”
Holly frowned. “How? You always say you can manage and then you collapse. And I feel guilty. And I can’t sleep at night when I hear you crying.” Tears welled in her eyes.
Teresa touched her daughter’s shoulder. “Somehow we’ll work it out.”
“No, Mom. I can’t leave you. I’d never forgive myself if...if...” She lowered her head and sniffled.
