by Bobbi Brattz
Chapter 14:
Seeds of Doubt
The door closed behind her as Piers stepped into the room and held a seat for her. Rae sat down, prepared to take a chunk out of his hide with a tongue-lashing, yet when she saw the hurt look in his eyes, she decided against it.
“Piers, I want to say that I’m sorry about what happened between you and him. Also, I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you.”
He interrupted her by holding up his hand.
“Rae, I’m just as much at fault for what happened in this ménage as Mateo is. We seduced you into it. It’s not your fault that you might be pregnant, but I want you to know, I’m here for you. That is, if you can forgive me for being such an ass.”
“You aren’t an ass, Piers. I would never have given in to you both if I hadn’t wanted to. As an adult, I knew what I was doing and certainly don’t expect you to marry me because of the results. If I’m indeed pregnant, it will be my child and mine alone. The only reason I came back was to get away from the lunacy in Canada. The newspapers, the media, and the insane people who kept screaming at me for all manner of reasons pushed me into this. I just want some downtime to think.”
“Rae, please reconsider. If it’s my child, and even if it’s Mateo’s, I love you and want you to be a part of my life. The only way you can remain in Hawaii permanently is to marry one of us or apply for citizenship, and that could take years. I want—”
“Piers, you have to know—”
“Please, let me have my say, and then if you want me to back off, I will. But there’s something you must understand about our time together, Rae.”
She nodded, worried about his serious expression that didn’t bode well for her.
“The night you asked both of us to…well, when you took both of us on at the same time, my condom broke inside you. If you truly are pregnant, you need to consider that I might be the father also.”
The color must have left her face because she suddenly felt light-headed. With a hand to her forehead, all noise receded as she took in what he’d told her with no small amount of shock.
“Don’t lie to me, Piers. I won’t play games about this.”
“It’s not a lie. Mateo can back me up, unless he chooses to deny it. Rae, you can’t possibly be happy with him. He’s a womanizer of the worst sort. He’ll only make you wish you’d never met him when he tosses you onto his pile of his discards. Please consider marrying me. I want more than anything to make you happy.”
“I can’t talk about this right now, Piers. When I find out the results, then I’ll make a decision one way or the other, and my choice won’t be to marry him, that’s for sure.”
“You know him well enough to understand that Mateo is used to getting what he wants no matter what the obstacles. He’ll trap you into a loveless marriage just to keep the child, Rae. Don’t give him the upper hand. I—”
There was a knock at the door.
Running his fingers through his hair, Piers called out, “Come in.”
The door swung open without warning and cut off what he was about to say to her. She turned her head to see Mateo glaring at Piers.
I’ve caused this rift between them. There is no other option but to repair their friendship before it’s too late. Guilt began to bear down on her shoulders as she looked back and forth between the two men who meant more to her than any others. Before either of them could speak, the receptionist spoke up behind Mateo.
“I’m sorry, Doctor, but Dr. Killdeer is ready to see Ms. Hooper now.”
“Thank you. She’ll be right out.”
Mateo stood in the doorway, glaring at Piers as though he knew what the man was talking to her about. Confused, angry, and flustered, Rae stood.
“Thank you, Piers. I’ll consider what you said and call you when I have this figured out.”
Piers just stared at her, his eyes full of dismay as though he already knew her answer before she’d made the decision.
“Let’s go. We don’t have all day.”
When Mateo reached out to take her arm, she pulled away and walked past him. The receptionist took her to the small room to await the doctor. She had a lot to decide and prayed it wasn’t going to be in favor of Mateo.
* * * *
The trip back to the resort was full of silence as she stared at the scenery. Since the only way to tell so early if she were indeed pregnant was by blood test, it would take a few days to get the results. The only thing she could do was fulfill her plans to take Mateo down a piece at a time, and she planned to begin the minute they got back to the resort.
“You’re awfully quiet. What did the doctor say? Because you refused to let me into the room, I had to wait amongst a group of sick people for you. Thanks for that by the way.”
“If you got the typhoid fever, it would serve you right,” she snapped, avoiding his gaze.
“Aw, how kind you are these days. What would you like to have for dinner tonight?”
“I’m not interested in eating dinner with you, Mateo. I’d prefer to be left alone.”
She was annoyed when he kept at her.
“I’ve decided we are eating Italian cuisine at the à la carte restaurant on the resort. You’ll like it.”
Infuriated, she turned to face him, her eyes narrowed as she frowned at him.
“Will you stop being so bossy?”
“No. It’s part of my charm. We’ll leave the house at six thirty and take a walk along the beach afterward, so dress appropriately with comfortable shoes.”
“You are the most annoying man I’ve ever met. That is, you take a close second to Lance.”
He chuckled and kept driving. A few minutes later, they pulled up at the house and she tried to climb out of the jeep before it had pulled to a complete stop, but he grabbed her arm to prevent her from moving.
“Sit still until the Jeep is in park. Are you trying to kill my child?”
“There is no child as far as I’m concerned!” she hissed, yanking her arm away.
He followed her into the house and down the hallway toward her room, but she slammed her door in his face and locked it before he could open it.
“Rae, you know that no locks can keep me out. Just open it. I want to talk.”
“Well, I don’t want to talk to you, Mateo. Get lost and give me some space!”
When she heard him step away from the door, she blew out a breath of relief until she heard a key in the lock. The door opened before she could stop it with her shoulder.
“You can’t keep me out, Rae.”
“You told me you’d given me the key!”
“And so I did. I just didn’t tell you I had a spare. Now, do we sit in your room and talk, or are you coming out to the pool to sit at the patio table?
Anger stirred in her belly until her hands clenched into fists, her body tensing as she fought for control.
“Here or there. It doesn’t matter to me which.”
The thought of him in her bedroom, so close to the bed was enough for her to make a quick decision. “The patio, damn you!” Rae shoved him aside and walked down the hall to the dining room and opened the patio doors. Once seated at the table, she tapped her fingers over and over on the glass and waited with impatience for him to speak.
“Would you like something to drink? Water, milk, juice?”
“How about a keg of beer,” she snarled.
“You won’t be drinking anything alcoholic until we get the results, and if you are pregnant, you will remain sober for the entire nine months. Is that clear?”
“Mateo, you don’t even know if it’s yours. Piers said his condom broke, so both of you had access to my eggs. And I definitely won’t marry you of all people. I’d much prefer Piers. He’s kind and gentle, while you are a jackass!”
Before she could blink, he was standing over her, his fingers gripping her shoulder as he glared at her.
“You will marry me, no matter what you think about Piers. He’s not so perfect. You just don�
�t know him well enough yet.”
“Well, maybe I want to know him better. I plan on going out with him tonight after all, and you can’t stop me.”
“Watch me!”
Ready to scream in frustration, she stood and pushed her chair back, turning to head for the house. He stopped her with his hand on her arm once again.
“Let me go! How dare you touch me! You said you don’t push around unwilling women, and I’m definitely unwilling to be touched by you.”
“Sit down and talk to me.” His low growl sent shivers up her spine as the sparks in his dark eyes flew. When Mateo got angry, he was a force to be reckoned with.
She sat down on the chair so hard the breath whooshed out of her lungs.
“Be careful, damn you. You could hurt the baby.”
“Get this straight, Mateo…there…is…no…baby!” It was all she could do not to shriek at him.
“Let’s just leave that subject alone for now. I have a bargain to offer you.”
“I refuse to be your model again, so get that thought out of your mind.”
“Your days of modelling are done, my dear. You are on maternity leave from this day forward.”
“Like hell I am. You have absolutely no control over me, and you’d better get that into your pea brain now. I have my own life and will keep it like that.”
“I don’t want your body. At least until you admit you are willing. I’m talking about a business venture. Since you have caused such chaos in my life and ruined half of my resort industry, I want you to work for me as a travel agent and to organize my company so I can rebuild my reputation.”
“Help you? After all you’ve done to hurt my own life? I don’t think so. Get someone else.”
“So you want to live here for free until such a time as I allow you to go back to Canada.”
“Allow me? Who are you kidding? I’m not your prisoner, Mateo. The law is on my side, and pregnant or not, you can’t force me to stay here.”
For a moment, Rae considered what he’d just offered. It was a way to gain access to his personal life and information. If she could get a good story about him, the tabloids would pay dearly and she could go back to living in Canada with enough money for a fresh start. She sat back in her chair and relaxed, giving him the appearance of acceptance.
“Look. For now you obviously have the upper hand, but be forewarned, Mateo, if you lay one hand on me without my permission, I’ll be back in Canada before you can say fondue!
His pleased grin annoyed her, but at least he was nodding acceptance of what she’d demanded.
“So you accept the job?”
“I’ll let you know. For now I’m going to my room to rest. Suddenly I feel sick to my stomach, and it isn’t morning sickness. I believe it’s the company I’m keeping.”
Without glancing at him, she left his side and went back into the house. His disturbing presence was enough to make her crazy with need, yet she fought to be strong.
“I have to maintain my space from him, or I’ll never get out of this mess.”
Once she was in her room, she went to lock the door but realized it was a useless gesture and gave up. Exhausted, she lay down on the bed and made herself comfortable. In minutes she was deep asleep, only to dream about dark eyes, black hair, and a hard-muscled body.
* * * *
As Mateo watched Rae disappear inside the house, he grimaced. She was proving more difficult to sway than he’d thought possible. When she’d gone into Piers’s office with him, he’d seen a big, fat, old, green-eyed monster he’d never expected, and that surprised him. Never before had he cared what his women did once he’d finished with them and certainly not about sharing them with Piers. The thought of Rae wanting his friend over him stirred feelings he didn’t want to acknowledge.
The phone rang, and he picked it up.
“Dr. Mano.”
“Hello, sir. It’s Jimmy from the airport. What did you do to my aunt Moki? She’s in tears. My uncle is fit to be tied and ready to come over there to speak with you about your behavior.”
“Jimmy, Moki left because she quit. I didn’t fire her. If she wants to come back to work, all she has to do is apologize.”
“That’s not going to happen, Dr. Mano. My aunt is a proud lady. She’d rather live in poverty than work for someone she doesn’t respect.”
Realizing that there was no way to fix the issue, Mateo sighed. “Maybe she’ll change her mind when she cools down, Jimmy. I can’t have staff going against me the way she did. Tell her when she apologizes, I’ll take her back.
“I will, but between the two of you, I don’t know who’s more stubborn.”
“Sorry, Jimmy, but those are my terms.”
“Okay, I’ll tell her. Thanks, Dr. Mano. Good-bye.”
Once the phone was back on its cradle, Mateo headed to his office and poured a stiff drink. He was being attacked on all sides, and that only made him more angry and stubborn. He sat down and nursed his drink while he waited for Rae to come out of her room. By the time she did, he was well into his cups.
* * * *
“Do you have those test results yet, Cherry?”
Piers was dying of curiosity about the pregnancy test.
“Come on, Piers. You know I can’t divulge that information to anyone but Ms. Hooper.”
“I was her doctor. I think I have the right to know.”
“No, you don’t. You don’t treat her anymore because you had an intimate relationship. She told me about it.”
Piers fought to keep his temper in check.
“I don’t have a relationship anymore with her.”
“No, but she also told me you might be the father of the child if she’s pregnant.”
“Give me a break. I have no choice but to be there for her. I love her, Cherry. She shouldn’t be going through this alone.”
“She’s got Dr. Mano, apparently.”
“Ha! He’s a creep who’ll do nothing but rip her heart out. There’s no way I’m going to stand by and let him marry her if the child is mine.”
“What is it about you two men? She obviously doesn’t want either one of you. Give her a chance to calm down. Both of you are causing her undue stress, and that can be harmful in a pregnant woman.”
“So she is pregnant.”
“What, are we in court? How about an allegedly pregnant woman? Give her some time and back off. If she chooses to contact you, she will.”
Cherry left his side to see to another patient. Piers stepped into his office and fought the urge to slam the door behind him. He had to know. Sitting down at his desk, he picked up the phone and called the receptionist.
“Bring me Ms. Hooper’s file.”
“But, sir…”
“I said bring it to me.”
“Yes, sir. But, Doctor…”
“If you want a job to wake up to tomorrow, you’ll bring the file now.”
She brought it in and slammed it down on the desk before turning and leaving him in a huff. She could lose her job for handing over the file, but he had to know.
He opened the folder and stared down at the document. A moment later he closed it once again and sat back in his chair only to stare into space.
* * * *
As the sun set on the horizon in a vast array of vibrant colors, Rae stared out at the vista and wondered what she was doing back in Hawaii. The thought of destroying a man for ruining her life left her feeling down rather than pleased.
If only he weren’t such a jerk, I’d gladly stay with him. I know he’s spent many years using women, yet I’ve found that I’m the most foolish one of them all.
“Let’s go for dinner.”
“No, thank you.” Rae kept her gaze on the sky though she didn’t see the sun setting with his disturbing presence behind her.
“Rae, we have to eat, and I’m not a cook. I hire people for that.”
She spun on heel to face him, angry that he didn’t understand that the reason he didn’t have a cook
anymore was because he’d fired Moki.
“You don’t see the point here. Moki doesn’t work for you anymore because you lie, cheat, steal, and—”
“Moki quit. I had no part in her leaving.”
“No part? You lie even to yourself. I have other plans, Mateo. You’ll have to make do without me.”
“What kind of other plans?” His eyes flashed with anger as he studied her.
While Mateo was in his office, Rae had picked up the phone and called Piers to take her out for dinner. He was more than happy to do so.
“None of your business.”
The doorbell rang, so she stepped past him and went to answer it. Before she could get there, he reached out and opened the door.
“Piers. What brings you here?” Mateo asked, his expression not so much surprised as hurt.
Without looking at Mateo, Piers held out his hand. Rae took it and stepped outside.
“Don’t wait up,” she said without looking back.
Before they could walk away, Mateo captured her wrist.
“I’m going with you.”
“No, you’re not, Mateo. I’ve had enough of you for one day.”
“I go with you, or you stay here. Either way, I’ll be along for the ride.”
“Come on, Mateo. Rae doesn’t need this kind of crap from you.”
While Piers tugged her one way, Mateo tugged the other until she shrieked in frustration.
“Fine! I’ll go to my room…alone. You two are acting like children. This is ridiculous!”
Rae turned on heel and stomped back to her room, slamming the door behind her. Though the noise made her feel somewhat better, the sound of the two men arguing took that away from her, too. Another door slammed a few moments before a fist pounded on her door.
“Go away!”
“You will not go out with anyone but me, Rae. Do you understand?”
“Get lost, Mateo. Your threats don’t scare me.”
His low growl was followed by the sound of another door banging as he went to his office. Relieved she didn’t have to fight with him anymore, Rae stepped outside the patio door to get some fresh air and screamed!
