by Gray Gardner
“I can tell you’re lying, Mary Madeline. I know you know who it was.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Mary replied, turning away and looking at the pale tan walls of the small room.
“Bullshit!” Nicole spurted, standing up. “It does matter. You know it matters. I’ll bet he gets away with stuff like this all of the time because of girls like you.”
“Girls like what?” Mary gritted out, turning back over and frowning at Nicole.
Nicole folded her arms over her chest, trying not to sound too cruel as she answered, “Girls who are too weak to stand up for themselves and for what is right.”
Hurt crossed over Mary’s face as her mouth dropped open. That wasn’t true. She wasn’t weak. Is that what Nicole really thought? Is that what everyone thought? “It’s not like anything will happen to him. He’s protected,” Mary stated, rolling back over and staring at the wall. Anger laced her words.
“No one can be protected from an assault and battery charge.”
“This guy can,” Mary muttered.
“I have a remarkably high conviction rate,” Nicole added, trying a different approach. “I can make him swing.”
“You wouldn’t even be able to get him into a courtroom,” Mary huffed, blinking back a tear. “Not the almighty Nathaniel Worthington.”
“Fucking Nathaniel Worthington!” Mait shouted in the hallway, banging his fist into the wall as his brother and Liam grabbed his arms. Of course! Of course it had been that little shit who’d knocked her head and split her lip open. “I will end him!”
“Stop. Stop!” Carlson ordered, giving a tight-lipped smile to a couple of nurses as they walked by. “Listen to me, Maitland, you need to calm down. You aren’t going to do anything to that kid, your student. We are going to pursue the legal avenue here.”
“Like hell—”
“It’s the right thing to do and you know it!” Liam said, holding Mait’s shoulder. “You need to go in there and start making things right with Mary. Let Carlson and me handle the Worthington kid.”
Mait rubbed the bridge of his nose, then sighed and nodded his head. “Fine, you’re right. I’ll just take her home.”
“She’s got to sign herself out,” Carlson said, handing over a clipboard full of paperwork. “We had to admit her since we pumped her full of painkillers and sedatives and used a local anesthetic for her stitches.”
“Yeah, all I have to do is convince her to sign herself out so I can take her home with the promise of not being a total asshole ever again and, of course, of the two of us never getting caught. She won’t agree to it, Carlson. Just let me sign her out, under my care.”
“You aren’t next of kin or on her contact—”
“That is my future wife!” Mait yelled, gesturing at the room, not even surprising himself as he said it. “Now let me sign her out and take her home so I can start making things up to her!”
Nicole and Mary turned their heads to the door at the muffled sound of shouting from the hallway.
“It’s going to be okay, Mary,” Nicole promised, squeezing her shoulder. “You’re one of the bravest people I know.”
Mary was about to reply, when suddenly the door burst open and Mait marched in like he owned the place. She gasped and sat up quickly, then winced and held her face, turning her head.
“I’ll take it from here,” Mait told Nicole, never taking his eyes off of Mary.
“What are you doing here?” Mary quietly asked, heart racing at his presence in the room. He would never not have that effect on her.
“I’m an idiot, an asshole, and hopelessly in love with you, Mary Madeline. I can’t… I won’t live my life without you. If you think I broke things off because I was worried about my career, then you don’t really know me at all. I was concerned that you’d never graduate and this is something you’ve wanted for such a long time… and you should have everything you want.”
Mary looked up at him and reminded herself to breathe. He wanted her back? He’d been trying to protect her? She swallowed as her muddled brain began to process everything. “Wait, you… Is this some sort of pity thing?” She frowned, narrowing her eyes at him.
He grinned at her inquisitive face. “No, kitten, this is about me not being able to stay away from you and begging you on bended knee to take me back.”
“You’ve already broken up with me twice. What’s going to stop you from breaking my— from breaking up with me again?” she huffed, folding her arms across her chest and trying to hold back how much he’d really hurt her.
Still grinning, he sat carefully on the edge of her bed and said, “Because I love you more than anything.”
Her jaw dropped as far as the tape and gauze would allow. The confused face was enchanting, even when wrapped up in medical tape.
“And because I’m going to marry you. So get used to the idea of always having me around… for better or for worse,” he softly said, taking her hand and turning it over, gently kissing her palm.
“But,” she breathed out, closing her eyes briefly at the wonderful sensation of his lips on her, “we can’t love each other. If we get caught…”
“Then we’ll deal with it. But I have to tell you, I can be very sneaky.” He grinned, looking at her as he kissed his way up to her elbow, taking things very slowly. “And we’ll get through anything. Everything. But I have to be with you.”
She’d heard enough and absolutely couldn’t stand it anymore. She leapt forward and wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, squeezing tightly as the pain from her face subsided and was replaced by her need to feel him in her arms. “I love you, Mait, and I’ve loved you for a long time and I should have told you how much and I wanted to tell you—”
“Shh, sweetheart, you don’t need to worry about any of that anymore. I’ll take care of everything. I always will,” he whispered, taking her chin as gingerly as he could and kissing the side of her mouth without the stitches. “I want to kill Nathaniel for doing this to you, and I don’t mean that in a figurative way.”
“I knew you’d be listening at the door,” she mumbled, still halfway pressed against his lips.
“How could I stay away from you? I told you… we’re like magnets.” He sighed, growing hard as she straddled him and squeezed her limbs around him in a tight hug.
“I tried to be good and not walk alone at night,” she whispered.
“I know, and I’m such an asshole if I made you think that your best option was Nathaniel Worthington,” Mait said, kicking himself. He’d threatened her and his brother had spanked her and she’d learned her lesson – too well. There had to be an easier way to be a boyfriend, but he didn’t know how. He held her bruised and bloodied face in his hands. “I promise, Mary Madeline, that I will never let you down again.”
“I believe you.” She half grinned, wincing at the pain.
“Let’s get you home.”
Chapter 4
Mait spent half an hour the next morning making Mary come with his mouth. Then he carried her to the couch, made sure she was warm and comfortable in front of his television, spread her open and made her come again. She giggled as he snuggled her up against him and he laughed at supposedly real housewives filmed in unscripted situations. Things felt right.
“Afternoon,” he gently said.
Mary sucked in a breath and squinted her eyes as her hair stuck to the side of her face. She looked up at Mait, and then realized that she’d been dozing in his lap. He held her close as she tried to apologize and push off of him.
“You stay here as long as you need, sleeping beauty,” he said, kissing the top of her head.
“What…”
“It’s six pm on Saturday night.” He grinned, loving that they were just lounging and napping on the couch on a weekend night… just like a regular couple. Like a married couple.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, grinning at him sleepily.
He frowned as he took in her wince and the bandage covering the edge
of her mouth and cheek. “We have a lot of nastiness behind us,” he softly said, stroking her back. “And a lot to discuss. But we do need to get the ball rolling and talk engagement, sweetheart.”
“What?” she half-laughed, inhaling quickly and grabbing her face with a grimace.
Mait shook his head and gently cupped her jaw, pulling her head back underneath his chin. He continued rubbing her back in circles. “Just for the sake of reserving venues and all of the other wedding things that need reserving, we need to pick a date.”
“Slow down there, J-Lo, we can’t plan a wedding just yet,” Mary giggled. “That will make keeping this a secret even harder. And don’t you think that we should wait until I graduate?”
“Yes… yes, of course,” he sighed, loving how calm she was. He was a wreck on the inside. Hidden and forbidden romance? Wedding planning? Talk of venues at his prompting? If Brad could see him now…
“And I don’t think we should even tell… well, anyone. Your siblings, parents… my parents…”
“In a fit of rage I may have mentioned to Carlson, Liam, and Nicole that we would soon be sharing a marital bed,” Mait confessed, loving that he had made her smile instead of frown.
“Fine.” She grinned, knowing that he was close to them and they’d probably be hanging out in the near future. She found the idea of calling them all family almost as comforting as snuggling in Mait’s lap. Well, two out of three of them, anyway. “But no one else.”
“I love this,” Mait groaned, squeezing her small body against his and exhaling. “I was so miserable without you. As long as you’re here and we’re discussing our future I’ll be the happiest man alive.”
Mary agreed, popping another pain pill and letting Mait take care of her. He fed her soft food, plenty of water, let her have one sip of scotch and even bathed her gently in his large tub. He tucked her in bed next to him and flipped on the TV.
“It’s only eight, baby, you don’t have to go to bed with me,” she sighed, pausing as he stiffened and pulled back from her. “What?”
“First of all, I want to be where you are. In bed is perfectly fine with me.” He smiled, kissing her neck and rubbing her hip. He whispered with an almost haunted look in his eyes, “I can’t be apart from you. Not ever again.”
“And second?” she asked, trying to move past the solemnity of his tone.
“You called me baby.” He grinned, kissing the side of her mouth gently.
She looked at him curiously, then grinned back at him and let her head fall back on the pillow as her eyes closed. An endearment. She hadn’t even known that she’d done it, but he liked it. She liked it, too.
* * *
Despite their happiness and pet names and sharing of the pre-marital bed, by Sunday morning they were already arguing again. Carlson had requested a quick visit to check her stitches and she had vehemently disputed his need to make a house call. Mait had explained that his brother was trying to be nice and care for her. She thought that maybe he was coming over to threaten her or something.
“Just… sit here.” Mait sighed, lifting her back on the bed. Before she could argue or try to change clothes so that she could run home, she heard footsteps in the hallway and the tall, imposing man stood in the doorway in scrubs, holding a black medical bag.
“It’s disheartening that your mammoth brother has a key and I don’t,” she grumbled, folding her arms over her chest as Carlson grinned and walked over to the bed.
“Morning,” he greeted, clapping Mait on the shoulder.
“I’m going to swing by your house and get you a few things,” Mait said, backing out of the room as he looked down at the shocked face of his adorable girlfriend. She needed things like her toothbrush and deodorant, stuff he just didn’t have for her. He wanted her to stay for one more night of playing house before classes started back up and their complicated life outside of his home grew even more complicated.
“You are not leaving me alone here with him!” she shouted, mouth dropping as Mait smiled and waved and left the apartment with an amused but guilty look on his face.
“I won’t hurt you, cutie,” Carlson promised and grinned, opening his bag and taking out a few things.
“Forgive me if I don’t trust that declaration,” she smirked, looking up at him with a little bit of fear. How could Mait leave her alone with him? He knew that she was afraid of Carlson. When Mait’s brother had come into her room at the hospital and had announced that he was her plastic surgeon, she’d about had a heart attack. True, she’d inspected the patched up split in her lip and surmised that the scarring would indeed be minimal, but still… He was a colossal autocrat in her book – someone who laid out his own rules and imposed them on everyone surrounding him (and in the peripheral) and expected said rules to be followed. Dissention meant penalties.
And he was a freaking giant.
Carlson still grinned as he pushed the sleeve of what he could only assume was his brother’s undershirt up her arm and strapped a blood pressure cuff on. She jumped at his touch, never quite relaxing. He listened to her heart, her breathing, checked her eyes and finally peeled back the white gauze on her lip and cheek. He nodded as he gently poked and nudged the skin around her mouth.
“The stitches look good,” he softly said, leaning in and examining them again with a gentle touch. One much softer than what she thought the gorilla of a man would have. “You’ll have minimal scarring, probably be able to cover it up with regular make-up.”
“I’ll have to thank Nathaniel for that good news,” she huffed, folding her arms over her chest as Carlson straightened back up and began putting away his equipment.
“Are they hurting very much?” he asked, watching her eyes flicker with anger at the thought of the kid who’d hurt her.
“It’s uncomfortable.” She nodded, jumping off of the bed. She wanted him out of there. If he stayed much longer he’d notice her trembling… and she had the sense that someone like him could smell fear. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“I’m sure,” Carlson agreed, hands on his hips. “But there’s no need to be a hero. The Vicodin will work next week, but in the beginning it can be pretty painful.”
“Should I up the dosage?” she asked, looking up at him as she held in her hands the pill bottle that she’d grabbed from the bedside table.
“I can give you something right now that will last until you go to bed tonight. Tomorrow you can resume with the Vicodin,” he said, going back into physician mode as he rummaged around in his bag and pulled out a couple of blue plastic containers.
She shifted from foot to foot, twisting the little brown bottle in her hands. If she took something she’d probably be a little woozy and just want to sleep. She had things to do to get ready for classes… and she wanted to hang out with Mait.
“You won’t get sleepy,” Carlson explained, noticing her wince every time she tried to speak or make a facial expression. “But, no driving and no drinking. The usual.”
“Okay,” Mary sighed, setting her pill bottle down and grabbing the water glass off of the table. “Let me get some water.”
She had turned for the bathroom when Carlson interrupted her thoughts of sweet relief. “Sorry, cutie, it’s not a pill,” he said, tipping the vial upside down and slowly pulling back the syringe. He watched her face turn green and carefully flicked the bubbles out of the tube, trying to calm her down. “Just a quick prick and you’ll be good to go all day.”
“Oh,” she exhaled, feeling her stomach churn. She prided herself on her bravery. Not much scared her, and if it did, she faced it head on. Except needles. She was terribly frightened of needles. Well, and maybe the giant Dr. Carlson Frasier.
He looked down at her pale face as her eyes locked on the syringe in his hand. He carefully set it down on the bedside table and smiled at her.
She swallowed harshly a few times. “I… have an irrational fear of needles,” she choked out, covering her mouth and looking up at him with glassy eyes. “Just
… let’s just forget about it.”
“It’s going to be fast,” he promised, not making a move. He’d dealt with plenty of people who were afraid of doctors. She wasn’t the first, but she was damn near the cutest.
“No thanks,” she whispered, shaking her head as he advanced a step. Mait. She was going to kill Mait.
“You’ll feel better and you’ll have a whole day of almost no pain to do things with Mait,” Carlson said, making the hard sell. “Before you have to go back to school tomorrow you could have fun. I’ll bet it’s been a while since the two of you had a whole day to just have fun.”
Mary thought hard and looked down at her hands folded in front of the long, white shirt of Mait’s that she’d been wearing. Wow, Dr. Carlson Frasier fought really dirty. She tried to bite her lip as she thought and cried out at the sharp pain.
“Shit,” she groaned, holding the side of her face. She felt a big hand encircle hers and lead her to the bed. She resisted, of course, but was no match for the strength of Carlson Frasier the Giant.
“It’s going to be fast and nearly painless,” he kindly said in her ear, pushing up her sleeve. “I’m sorry this happened to you, cutie,” he sighed, wiping a freckled area on her arm with alcohol. “I’m going to speak with him and take care of everything. If it comes down to having to press charges, I will.”
“I just want this to be over,” she whimpered, hating the feeling of being in this man’s grasp as he waved sharp objects at her. She jerked at a sharp pain, but he was already taping a bandage and cotton swab on her. She yanked the sleeve the rest of the way down and blushed as she looked at the floor. “Th-thank you.”
It was definitely more of a hmph than an appreciative remark. She still couldn’t look at him. When would he threaten her with another beating? She knew it had to be coming.
“You’ll be good as new before you know it.” Carlson winked, packing his bag and smiling at her. She really was cute.
By the time Mait had arrived home, Mary was feeling terrific. She figured that was why drugs were expensive and kept under lock and key, but she didn’t worry about it. As they ate lunch and watched a show on the TV, she thought about Carlson telling her they had one last day to have fun before classes. He’d been right. She wondered how she could broach the subject.
