by Erin Wade
“So are you, darling,” she said. “While I rather enjoy it, I thought you might like something other than that revealing gown. I brought you a pair of lounging pajamas.”
“I think I love you,” I said as she pulled the pajamas from a bag.
“Don’t tease me.” She tossed her shiny black hair back from her face. “Here, let me help you get dressed.”
The soft, warm pajamas were a welcome change from the scratchy, airy hospital gown.
Alex picked up the book Amarosia had brought me and started to read. Her voice was low and sultry. It made me think of fine Scotch poured over ice cream—sweet but with a hint of fire.
The entire ordeal of showering and almost making love to Alex had exhausted me. I slipped into a deep sleep filled with dreams of Alex.
##
Chapter 8
I was sitting in the hospital recliner when Amy entered my room.
“You are just in time to join me for breakfast,” I said as I held out a fork loaded with scrambled eggs.
She frowned then took the egg from the fork. I held out toast and bacon which she also ate. My juice bottle was sealed, so I didn’t worry about it containing poison.
Amy sat on the side of my hospital bed. “You look wonderful,” she said. “Your hair is glorious. How did you manage a shower?”
I mumbled around the food in my mouth so she wouldn’t understand me. I swallowed and then did the Texas sidestep, avoiding her question. “I was hoping your father would accompany you this morning. I wanted to apologize to him for my behavior yesterday.”
“He’s on a short business trip.” Amy cocked her head, still studying me. “Where did you get the new pajamas?”
“Alex brought them last night. I’m surprised you didn’t bring me pajamas from home.”
She laughed out loud. “What you wear to bed at home is not something they will allow in this hospital.”
I was afraid to ask, but curiosity overcame my better judgment. “What do I wear?”
“Normally, nothing,” she said with a suggestive twinkle in her eyes. “Or an old T-shirt and no bottoms. One can’t expect Alex to know that. Obviously, she doesn’t know you very well.”
I nodded as I contemplated her dig at Alex. I recalled how Alex had gently brushed my hair and helped me apply a little makeup earlier that morning. Lord, I missed her.
My musing came to an abrupt halt when Sadie trotted in with her iPad and proceeded to check all my vitals. “You need to be walking,” she said. “I brought you a pair of nonskid socks for the trek.”
I donned my socks, took Amy’s arm, and headed out for a stroll. The more I walked around the hospital floor, the stronger I felt. Amy tried to lead me back to the room, but I insisted on walking. I didn’t want to answer her questions about the night before.
We were in the hallway when Leigh stepped off the elevator. Her eyes sparkled when she spotted me. She hurried toward me with outstretched arms. I stopped her before she could embrace me. “My ribs are still too sore,” I explained.
I was relieved to see the cafeteria cart roll off the elevator behind her. “Dinner time, Miss Cartwright,” the attendant said.
“I’ll take over now,” Leigh said to Amy. “There’s no need for you to walk Sloan back to her room.”
Amy opened her mouth to reply but changed her mind. She tiptoed to kiss me on the cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning, my love.”
I nodded and watched her walk away. She had a beautiful derrière. I suddenly realized that Leigh was watching me stare at Amy’s swaying hips.
I shrugged at her with a sheepish look on my face. Now would be a good time for a nap, I thought as we headed back to my room.
“Tell me about the break-in at your apartment yesterday,” I said as I slipped back into bed and waited for the attendant to serve my dinner.
“It was nothing serious,” Leigh replied. “Someone ransacked my room, but nothing was taken.”
“What were they looking for in your room?”
“I have no idea.” Leigh wrinkled her beautiful forehead.
“They probably thought I gave you the evidence I collected.” I took a shot in the dark that Leigh was here for the same reason as Alex.
Leigh got up and closed the door. She moved back to my bed, her eyes never leaving mine. I began stuffing my mouth with food. I could tell I was about to be interrogated.
Leigh waited as I shoveled the last of my dinner into my mouth. I looked around for anything that would distract her or provide me a reason to avoid answering the questions I knew she was going to ask.
Oh, thank God for Sadie! My savior bounced through the door with her iPad and a broad smile. “Looks like the walking was good for you,” she noted.
“Yes, but I’m exhausted.” I yawned and laid my head back on my pillow as Sadie checked my pulse.
“You should sleep, sweetheart,” Leigh said, though the look in her eyes told me she had no intention of letting me do so.
I closed my eyes and slowed my breathing, feigning sleep. I listened as Sadie spoke with Leigh.
“She’s improving every day,” Sadie whispered. “But she’s not out of the woods yet.”
I heard the door click shut as Sadie left the room.
Soft lips brushed mine then increased the pressure. No mortal could sleep through that kiss. I pretended to jerk awake. “What are you doing?”
“Something I should have done the moment I entered this room.” Leigh sat on the side of my bed and traced my face with her fingertips until they rested on my lips. “I have missed you so much.”
Wow! One mention of the evidence and I became irresistible. I wondered who Leigh really was and what she expected from me.
I swallowed hard and nodded.
“Sloan, where is the evidence you and Ross collected?”
I told her the truth. “I have no idea. I have no clue who I am or who you are or why I’m in Africa.”
It suddenly occurred to me that I might be in grave danger. All three of my so-called wives were after secrets that I supposedly knew.
Sadie had provided me a gun, because she knew I was in danger. I was the only clueless one here.
Leigh stared at me in disbelief. “You’re lying.”
“No, I’m not,” I declared. “Honest, Leigh—or whoever you are—I have no idea what is going on here.”
She caught me by my pajama lapels and pulled me forward for a torrid kiss. “I’m your wife, you jackass.”
“My ribs!” I whined as I pulled my lips from hers. “You’re killing my ribs.”
She let go of my pajamas and plopped into the chair beside my bed.
“Seriously, Sloan, I need to get you out of Africa. If you stay here, they’ll kill you. The only reason you’re still alive is that they know you always mail your reports and videos home ahead of you.”
“Why are you involved in this? Why are you here?”
“How many times must I tell you, Sloan Cartwright? I’m your fricking wife. I am trying to keep you alive.”
I had to admit I loved her fire. I could see being married to her.
“I can’t leave until the hospital releases me,” I mumbled.
Leigh sighed in obvious exasperation. “You certainly are not the woman I’ve lived with for the past seven years. The Sloan Cartwright I know wouldn’t let anyone tell her whether she can stay or go.”
Hopefully, I wouldn’t let anyone badger me into doing something I didn’t feel good about, either. I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep.
##
Chapter 9
“If anything happens to her, so help me I will hunt you down and kill you.” Alex was in Leigh’s face, whispering a bit louder than she realized as I pretended to sleep. “I have cooperated with you people, but that is about to come to a screeching stop.”
“You need to go back to the States and leave this to the pros,” Leigh growled back
“You mean, leave her at your mercy? I think not. You so-called pros are the
reason she’s in this mess.”
Alex’s anger was palpable, though both women turned on the charm when Sadie burst into the room with fresh linens in hand.
“Time for you to leave, wife number two,” Sadie said to Leigh.
Leigh glared at the nurse, grabbed her purse, and stomped out without even a goodbye kiss.
Alex stood for a long time with her back to me. She was probably collecting her thoughts. Alex struck me as a woman who always had a plan.
She turned to face me, her eyes were filled with love and tenderness. “I brought you some real clothes.”
I realized I was holding my breath as I watched her walk toward me. “Thank you.”
I wondered how she knew my size. From a bag, she pulled a pair of jeans, a red-and-black plaid shirt, and a short-waisted denim jacket. The outfit looked perfect for a plane ride home or a jeep dash through the bush. Alex was good.
She eyed the fresh linens at the foot of my bed. “Are you up to another shower?” She grinned wickedly.
I laughed. It hurt, and I nodded. “You know those movies where the hero gets shot, run over by a bus, and dropped from a ten-story building?”
Alex’s grin widened. “Yes.”
“Then the beautiful woman drags what is left of him from the street into her bedroom, where she washes him and attends to his wounds.”
Alex nodded.
“Then he flips her over on the bed and makes mad, passionate love to her.”
Alex giggled.
“I’m not that guy, Alex.”
She laughed out loud. “I promise not to do anything that will hurt you.” She moved to my side and leaned down, her breath warming my face. “But sooner or later, you will make mad, passionate love to me.”
I inhaled deeply, causing a little pain, but the thought of making love to Alex vanquished the discomfort.
“Shall I call Sadie to remove the bandage around your ribs?” She leaned closer and brushed my lips with hers.
“I think I can handle that.” I said.
True to her word, Alex helped me shower without trying to arouse me. Not that I needed a stimulus. Just feeling her soft hands on my body shot my heart rate and blood pressure up. The look in her blue eyes told me she knew how she was affecting me.
“I have walked all over this hospital today,” I informed her as she finished brushing my hair. “I’m getting stronger each day.”
“That’s good, Sloan, because we may have to make a run for it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I tried to make airline reservations for us to leave next week. The reservationist assured me that there were two seats in first class, and everything went fine until I gave them your name. The agent put me on hold and returned to tell me she had made a mistake; no seats were available for that day.
“I told her we would take any day. She said all the first-class seats were sold out for the foreseeable future. I said we would take any seats anywhere on any plane. She informed me all seats were sold out indefinitely.”
If Alex was telling me the truth, not only was I in danger, but so was she. I didn’t like the idea of anything happening to her.
##
Chapter 10
Today was my tenth coherent day in the hospital. I was beginning to get cabin fever. I’d walked every hall in the facility and felt like I could now sprint through them. Between the exercise and the sadist with the breathing treatments, I’d grown stronger every day.
I knew I was in a desperate situation. I had no money, no identification, and no idea how to get out of Africa. I knew my life was in danger. I was no closer to knowing which of my wives to trust than I was the first day I awoke to find them in my hospital room.
I daily fought my increasing attraction to Alex. I suffered through Amy and Leigh just to spend the rest of the night with Alex. She consumed my thoughts and my dreams. I knew it was just a matter of time until I succumbed to her advances.
Amy showed up every morning and fixed my hair for the day. I still couldn’t lift my arms high enough to brush my hair. I didn’t bother looking into the mirror. I knew I still looked like something the cat dragged in.
I searched through the drawers of my bedside table for the paperback Amy had brought me. I settled into the recliner to read.
“Don’t you want to talk?” Leigh craned her neck to read the title of my book.
“I think I know everything you’re willing to tell me,” I said without looking up at her. “When you decide to be honest with me, we can talk.”
“Sloan, I—”
Sadie pushed the door open with her hip and set my dinner on the lap tray. “Wife number three just got off the elevator.” She tipped her head in Leigh’s direction. “Time for you to leave.”
Leigh walked over to me and lightly kissed the cheek I turned to her. “When I get you home, I’m going to kill you,” she whispered before heading out the door.
I hoped she was teasing.
“You should call them by their names,” I chided Sadie, “not wife number one, two, and three.”
“Or I could call them all Mrs. Cartwright.”
“You are enjoying my misery, aren’t you?” I liked the nurse who had been my constant companion. “Do you ever sleep?”
“My job is to see that you leave this hospital alive,” Sadie said with a sudden seriousness. “I intend to do that.”
I narrowed my eyes and surveyed the powerfully built Ethiopian. Sadie was tall—probably six feet—slender, and the color of light caramel. Her English was perfect with a slight French accent that I loved. Sometimes I engaged her in conversation just to hear her delightful voice.
“I know you’re from Ethiopia,” I commented. What region?”
“Tigray,” she said. “You are trying to figure out why my features and coloring are more white than Negroid, aren’t you?”
“No, you’re just different from other Africans I’ve encountered.”
“According to Ethiopian traditions, I am descended from Tigrayan nobility. We trace our ancestry to King Menelik I, the illegitimate son of Makeda, the son of the Queen of Sheba and your revered King Solomon. I am of the Christian faith.”
“You seem to know more about me than I do,” I noted. “Who do you work for, Sadie?”
“Darling! I have a new outfit for you.” Alex said as she burst into the room. And just like that, my chat with Sadie was over.
Alex hurried over to me and leaned down for a serious kiss. For some reason, I couldn’t turn my cheek to her, so the kiss landed solidly on my lips.
“You look wonderful.” She scanned me from head to toe. “I knew that outfit would look awesome on you. It is so you.”
“Sloan has already showered today,” Sadie said, her nostrils flaring. “You don’t have to bother with that tonight.”
“It’s no bother,” Alex said, waggling her brows at me. “I enjoy it.”
I do too, I wanted to say, but I kept my mouth shut.
After all the nurses and therapists had traipsed through my room and left us alone, I turned to Alex.
“How did we meet?” I watched as her sparkling blue eyes moved to the left before she answered, the sign for recall. I wondered how I knew that.
“We met in college,” Alex said, settling onto my empty bed. “Both of us were in the UT system. You were a local celebrity, state tennis champion, and Olympic swimmer.”
“Don’t tell me . . . you were the head cheerleader. I was a jock, and you were my girl, right?”
She gave me a dirty look.
“I was studying marine biology in Houston, and you were completing your journalism degree in Austin.”
“UT Austin?” I raised a quizzical brow, trying to find a way to distract her from my shallow statement about her being a cheerleader.
“The University of Texas in Austin, Texas. In the United States.” Alex frowned at my inability to recall.
“We were in our senior year,” Alex continued. “I had to take courses that UT H
ouston didn’t offer, so I was attending in Austin. We were roommates.”
I couldn’t hide my delight as I thought of sharing a room with Alex. I nodded for her to continue.
“Well, one thing led to another. We became lovers and have been together ever since.”
“So, you’ve always been my only lover?”
“Hardly.” Alex snorted. “You were a jock. You did have a thing going on with the head cheerleader. When I met you, you were going steady with her. The girls crawled all over you—the straights and the lesbians. I, however, have only been with you.”
“A looker like you?” I glared at her. “I find that difficult to believe.”
Alex shrugged. “Believe what you want. I can honestly say that since we’ve been together, you have always been faithful.
“You could have been a professional tennis player, but chose to pursue hard-news reporting. I went into research and hold several patents on skin creams that truly work. You and I have built the cosmetics company into a multi-billion-dollar operation.”
I looked down at my hands, wishing that Alex was telling me the truth, but I knew better.
“Do I have parents?”
“Yes, they live in Dallas,” Alex said with a sigh. “I speak with them daily to keep them informed on your recovery.”
“You and I are married?”
She nodded.
“You are a cosmetic mogul,” I said, ready to take the plunge. “And yes, you are married . . . but not to me.”
“What are you talking about?” she said. I saw her wince. “Of course, I’m married to you.”
I stood from the recliner, walked to the bedside table, and pulled out the magazine with Alex and her gorgeous wife on the front cover. I tossed it onto her lap.
She stared at the cover for a long time and then looked at me with a confused expression. Finally, she stood.
I backed away from her as she moved toward me. My back hit the wall, and she pushed her body against mine.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” she demanded as she pinned me against the wall.
