Mend

by Autumn Grey

  I nodded, shivering as Selene’s hand traced my lower back. My cock hardened further in my jeans. I coughed to hide my heightened breathing. How I wished I had my jacket to hide what her touches were doing to me.

  Merde! This woman was trouble.

  I quickly snatched her hand in mine and linked our fingers, before kissing the back of it. The doctor quickly dropped his gaze to the floor, smiling. “How are you feeling, Madame Michaels?”

  “Fantastic,” Selene said, kissing my shoulder.

  The doctor didn’t look disturbed by her words. In fact, he seemed as though he was expecting it. I cocked a brow at him as he sidled closer, pulling a stethoscope from around his neck. I stood up from the bed and he began his check-up.

  “Your recovery is astounding.” He sounded surprised. “You should be able to go home in a few days.” He turned to face me. “The transfer arrangements have been made. We could release her, but I would like to have our medical team on the flight, just to monitor her until she’s checked in at the hospital in Paris.”

  I frowned. “Do you think she’s not well enough to travel?”

  He shook his head. “She’s fit, but I like taking precautions, especially in cases like Madame Michaels’ where the patient was in a coma.”

  I nodded, relieved.

  “The flight is scheduled for two days from now. It gives us enough time to perform final checks to make sure everything is in order.”

  “What flight?” Selene asked in a chirpy voice.

  “To Paris.” The doctor smiled at her patiently. “Remember we spoke about the transfer? Your husband and I discussed the possibility of you being treated in Paris. It would also benefit Adrien if he can pick up his normal routine.”

  At this, Selene looked at me, her eyes wide. She mouthed, “My husband?” and winked at me, grinning. I shook my head, chuckling under my breath.

  The doctor watched the entire communication and laughed. “Can I see you outside, monsieur?”

  “Remington? Are you leaving again?” she asked, her eyes grower wider. Then she burst into tears.

  I glared at the doctor. “What the bloody hell is wrong with her? This is not Selene.”

  “That is the reason I wanted to speak to you.” He flicked his gaze in Selene’s direction and said, “I’ll meet you outside.”

  Two strides and I was climbing on the bed and pulling her on my lap. “Shh . . . I’m not leaving. The doctor would like to finalize the details for this transfer.” I kissed her hair, and held her tightly against my chest as each sob broke my heart. A few moments later, she raised her head and stared at me, her bottom lip quivering. And even then she was breathtaking. “You have to know I’ll never leave you. I’ve never been able to stay away from you and I’m not about to start now. You, ma belle, are my light. The beacon that calls me home even when I’m a thousand kilometers away from you. I’ve fallen hard for you, and I’m still falling, but you know what? I don’t care because I know you’ll always be there to catch me. You won’t let me fall, because I’ll never, ever, let you fall. Do you hear me? We are each other’s safety nets.”

  She gave me a wobbly smile. “Safety nets?”

  “Yes. Safety nets.” I pressed my thumb on her lush bottom lip, before leaning forward, my gaze fixed on hers. “Now, kiss me and tell me you will be all right when I walk out that door,” I ordered, my voice soft.

  She lifted her hands to my face, slid them around my neck and yanked me down, kissing me furiously and desperately. My heart was beating hard in my chest and I’ve never been turned on so much in my life. Groaning, I slipped my hand between us, rearranged my cock. “Are we good?”

  She sucked in a breath and quickly nodded as my fingers caressed her inner thigh.

  “Mon Dieu, I’ve missed this. Touching you. I’m so starved for you,” I murmured against her mouth as my fingers trailed higher. “Fuck, you are so wet.”

  “God, I’m so turned on it’s not funny. Does that make me some sort of depraved person? We are in a hospital and someone might come in for God’s sake.” She sighed in frustration.

  “Because you missed me like I missed you. Our bodies follow no rules.”

  She dropped her hands from my neck and flopped back, grabbed one of the pillows and covered her face, screaming into the fabric.

  I stood up from the bed, laughing. “Je t’aime tellement, ma princesse.”

  “Moi aussi, je t’aime.” Her voice was muffled by the pillow. “I love you so much.”

  With one last look, I stepped into the hallway where the doctor was waiting. I nodded curtly to the police officers then focused on Blanchett and schooled my expression to passivity to hide my growing panic about Selene’s condition.

  “Why did someone try to kill my wife? I was assured she would be safe,” I snapped, unable to control myself. The thought of Selene missing from my life almost drove me insane.

  “The nurse was interrogated by the hospital security guards as well as the police officers and your guards. It was her first time to work this case. As usual, she collected the injection from a secure box where we placed most of Madame Michaels’ medication, following the instructions I had set for the nurses. There must have been someone else who changed the injection with the poison. She swears she had no idea. This particular nurse was arrested for further investigation.”

  “I hope she is right about that, because God help her if she was out to end Selene’s life.” I took a deep breath to leash the rage threatening to break through. “What just happened in there?”

  “Your wife”—he raised his eyebrows to let me know he didn’t believe that association—“is currently having some difficulty controlling her emotions. Post-concussion syndrome. It’s normal for patients who have had head injury to experience these mood swings. She has also been having headaches and experiencing dizzy spells and at times nausea. She can’t seem to remember some things, but she will regain those memories over time.

  “She is also having separation anxiety. The therapist seems to think there are a few things that could contribute to this disorder, mainly the attack, losing her child and the thought of losing the people she loves. If you would like to discuss her case, I would advise you to speak to him. He will be able to tell you more.” I nodded once, processing the information.

  “How long will it take before she’s back to her old self?”

  He shook his head. “It might take months or years. There is no way to tell. We are doing everything we can to ease some of those symptoms, which includes medication. And given her history with depression, she has to be monitored very closely. The therapist has been visiting her twice a week since she woke up from the coma, as we agreed, just to make sure everything is progressing well.”

  “What do I have to do to make it easier for her?”

  “I would suggest surrounding her with familiar faces, or things she did before the incident. And patience. She has been working on what she calls her ‘baby project.’ Her designs, I think? It seems to calm her. Maybe she feels it’s something she can control.” He pursed his lips thoughtfully. “And your son. He is good for her. Did she tell you about the dream?”

  “What dream?”

  He shifted on his feet. “She saw and touched Ines. The baby she lost a few years ago.”

  She did? My chest tightened at this information. “What do you make of that?”

  “According to the therapist, Madame Michaels had unresolved issues running in her subconscious. She never had a chance to say goodbye to the baby. This was a way for her to do that.”

  Jesus! What else had she gone through in the time she was in a coma? “Please tell me what I can do to help her.”

  He smiled and for the first time since I walked out of the room with my heart in my throat, the panic easing away.

  “Keep doing what you are doing and she will be fine. We still have a few major tests before everything is wrapped up. I will see you both tomorrow morning. If anything comes up, ask the nurse on duty to page
me.”

  After our chat, he excused himself and left as I turned to walk back inside the room, but stopped when I heard, “Papa!”

  I spun around and saw my son dashing down the hallway toward me, and my mother walking leisurely. Grinning, I strode toward him and snatched him in my arms, embracing him tight.

  “I missed you so much, my little fighter,” I said, burying my face in his hair. He wiggled in my arms and I lifted my head to look into his face.

  He cupped his tiny hands on either side of my face and pressed his forehead to mine. “I missed you, too, Papa. Did you bring me a gift from London?”

  “Yes, I did. A big hug from Adele.” He stared at me incredulously then scowled, reminding me of myself. I laughed. “Come on, I have something for you in my bag.” I winced as one of his little feet caught me on my wound and I quickly slid him to the floor.

  “How are you, my son?” my mother greeted me, leaning to kiss both my cheeks.

  “Now that I’ve seen everyone who matters, bloody fantastic.”

  “Watch your language around your son,” she chastised me, as she always did when I cursed. I laughed as we entered Selene’s room.

  “How is everything?” I asked her, trying to gauge her reaction as she watched Adrien scramble on the bed and into Selene’s lap. He threw his arms around her neck and kissed her cheek loudly.

  “You mean, how am I warming up to your ‘wife’?” She faced me, her lips twitching as if fighting a smile.

  I laughed. “Your opinion matters to me.”

  She pursed her lips. “What if I told you I didn’t like her? That you were over your head in this case?” Her expression softened even as she spoke those harsh words that had my heart beating wildly in my chest.

  “But you like her,” I challenged her. “And you think she is good for me.”

  She rolled her eyes playfully then turned to watch the scene before us. Adrien was talking a mile-per-minute. Apparently, he had forgotten his gift from London.

  “She is growing on me.” She looked up at me, sympathy shining in her eyes. “She told me about her baby.”

  “Oh? And it made you change your mind about her?”

  She shook her head. “No. Selene did that on her own. She is very different from . . . you know. Anyway, she is so kind, funny and sometimes shy. Although sometimes very frustrating with the mood swings. Not that I blame her. She is trying so hard to keep them at bay which I think frustrates her even more when she realizes she can’t help it.”

  I smiled. “She needs time. I’m glad you like her because I’m not letting her go. Not without a fight.”

  THE LAST two days had been everything I’d dreamed about since I left London, although I still couldn’t get the thought of Colette out of my mind. Eventually, I updated Èric and my mother, and asked them not to mention it to Selene. She was already dealing with so much. She seemed content, if you didn’t count the spurts of mood swings that sent her bawling her heart out or the abrupt laughter at nothing in particular.

  Everything was packed and we were just waiting for the medical report from Dr. Blanchett. Selene was experiencing separation anxiety, which I completely understood, especially after one of the hospital staff tried to kill her. We decided Adrien, Èric and I would travel with her, while my mother, Marley and Gilles’ security men would fly to Paris together. Adrien had been restless, waiting, so I asked Èric to take him to a nearby playground. I would call him as soon as the doctor was done.

  My father chose that moment to call. I answered the call, readying myself for the onslaught of righteousness and pompousness that was Mr. Remington Newport.

  “Son,” he greeted me as he always did. I rolled my eyes, which sent Selene into fits of giggles.

  “Father.”

  “You haven’t been returning my calls,” he said, sounding irritated.

  “I’m busy right now. Is there anything specific you wanted to tell me?”

  He sighed, and I could imagine a cloud of smoke billowing out of his ears. “I wanted to thank you in person, for what you did for Caleb. For me.”

  This time, I sighed just as the door opened, letting in the doctor. “I can’t do this right now. Listen, I just can’t talk at the moment. Call me when you think of another way to thank me, other than with money.”

  I disconnected the call and quickly shoved aside the murderous thoughts I had going on inside my head from speaking to my father, and then stood up to acknowledge the doctor.

  “Ready to do this?” he asked, a smile playing on his lips.

  Selene and I exchanged a look, and grinned. I clasped her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, then kissed her parted lips and whispered, “I’m here.” Ignoring the doctor hovering at the door, I dropped to my knees and her eyes grew wide.

  “Remington? Wh—What are you doing?”

  “I’ll always be here no matter what. Marry me.” I should have been surprised by the spontaneity and recklessness of this situation. But I wasn’t. Asking Selene to marry me felt natural. “I’ve always been the kind of man who plans everything meticulously. But with you, you make me do things I never thought I would. I want to be spontaneous with you, reckless with you and always honest with you. I promised to always tell you the truth. This is me, on my knees asking you to marry me, because I can’t see myself spending the next hundred years without you by my side. Marry me, Selene Michaels.”

  She slapped a hand over her mouth, covering it as tears filled her eyes. She flicked her gaze to where the doctor stood, then back at me and quickly wiped her cheeks. “Remington, you don’t even know if I’m ever going to be all right. I love you. I love you so much. A few months ago, if anyone had told me that a man, and not any other man, but you, would be on your knees asking me to marry you, I would have told them they were crazy. But here you are.” She leaned forward and pressed a kiss on my lips. “What if something is wrong with me? I can’t do that to you. I just can’t.”

  “Haven’t you gotten the memo yet? I will take you any way I can get you. It’s not what is here”—I pressed a finger against her head, “—what matters is what is here.” I pressed my palm to her chest, feeling her heart beat fast against my hand.

  “Oh, come on, sis. Just say yes and put the poor man out of his misery!” Marley yelled from the door. I darted a look at the door and saw her and my mother standing next to the doctor, who looked rather pleased with himself. My mother dabbed her eyes before clasping her hands together.

  Selene bit her trembling bottom lip, her eyes scrutinizing my face as fear filled her features.

  I pressed a kiss on her knuckles and she shivered.

  God, I love how she reacts to my touch.

  “I’m possessive, jealous and there is a very good chance I will shackle your wrist to mine. I may even growl when any man dares to stare at you for longer than three seconds. Your life will be heaven or hell, depending on how you look at it, if you say yes. But, one thing I know for sure is that I love you. I will love you like no man has ever loved you. I will cherish you and spoil you and do things that will only make you love me harder. You’ll forget about my Neanderthal tendencies.” I halted my words, watching as her eyes grew wider at my confession. “This is me. This is who I am. This is all of me.”

  She bit her bottom lip as she continued to study me. I fought the urge to lean in and suck it into my mouth, torturing her until she agreed to marry me.

  “Hell, yeah!” Selene yelled, and I cocked my eyebrow at her enthusiasm. I was still trying to find my footing where this new Selene was concerned. She beamed at me, and that smile dug deeper into my heart, warming me.

  Clapping erupted, filling the air. I shot to my feet and hoisted her onto my lap. “Can I kiss my fiancée now?” I asked, cocking my head to the side.

  “Never trust a man when he says he just wants to kiss you,” she whispered against my lips in that breathy voice I loved, reminding me of my words, spoken what felt like ages ago.

  “Including me. Because I won’t j
ust kiss you. I will fuck you and do some very naughty things to you,” I murmured against her lips in a low voice and kissed her, then proceeded to kiss the tears away.

  Dr. Blanchett cleared his throat. I was beginning to wonder if he had a problem with it. I tore myself away from Selene and looked over my shoulder. He tapped the white envelope in his hand against his palm, his lips twitching. “So, I would like to give you the results from the last test we did.”

  God, please let everything be all right.

  “Most of the brain tissue has healed. Just take it easy the next few months.” He gave her a fatherly smile. “We also have a second lot of test results which may or may not be the cause of the headaches and nausea.” I fixed my gaze on him, unable to look away. Unable to breathe. “Are you ready to welcome an additional member to your family?”

  I blinked, as the words echoed inside my head. Selene’s hand tightened in mine.

  “What did you just say?” My voice was a whisper.

  “I’m . . . I’m pregnant?”

  The doctor nodded, his gaze bouncing between the adorable woman at my side and me.

  “Are you sure?” I asked the doctor, hoping with all my strength that he was right.

  He nodded.

  “Remington?” Selene called my name, uncertainty in her voice.

  My eyes burned with tears. I blinked rapidly before turning to face her. “We are pregnant,” I whispered. “We are bloody pregnant!” I shouted, sweeping her into my arms and kissing her. “Mon Dieu, this—” I slid my hands to her stomach, staring into her eyes. “We made a baby.”

  I cupped her face with my hands and wiped the tears trailing down her cheeks. Then I realized she hadn’t said anything. Her bottom lip trembled and her eyes were wide. My heart stuttered in my chest.

  “Selene?”

  She didn’t look at me. Instead, she turned to face the doctor. My chest tightened and the hope I’d been feeling seconds ago turned to uncertainty.

  “I was on birth control pills when we did . . . er . . .” Her gaze shifted nervously to where my mother stood. She excused herself and left, but Marley stood, grinning. Apparently, she was still in seventh heaven. “Marley,” Selene said, jerking her chin toward the door.