The Doctor’s Promise

by Love, Michelle

  He obliged, reaching behind her to release her hands, and they immediately flew to his face, pulling his lips to hers hungrily. They moved together, completely uninhibited, their fingers bruising each other’s skin in their mad desire for each other.

  “What next?” A breathless Rafa grinned down at her as they recovered, and Noemi chuckled.

  “Bend me over the breakfast bar,” she said, her mind whirling with endorphins, “and fuck me in the ass.”

  “You sure?”

  She nodded. “I’ve never tried it, and I want to do everything with you, Rafa.”

  “My pleasure.”

  Noemi gasped as he eased into her ass and moved gently. “Oh, God…”

  Rafa’s hand was stroking her clit, his lips were at her ear as he growled, “I’m going to make you cum so hard, baby.”

  And he did, Noemi’s legs giving way as she screamed his name, her orgasm ripping through her. Rafa held her as they sank to the floor, panting for air and exhausted.

  Noemi wound her body into his, her legs between his, her hands on his chest. “I love you so much, Rafa Genova. That was incredible.”

  “And just think, Doc, we’ve only just begun…”

  Noemi giggled as he locked his arms around her and pulled her on top of him. She gazed down at his handsome face. The sadness she’d seen that had been almost always present was gone, and his gorgeous green eyes shone with love. He looked ten years younger: this man, her man.

  “I’ve never felt this close to another person in my life,” she said softly, “and it’s not just the mind-blowing sex. It’s you, Rafa.”

  Rafa smiled back at her. “It’s us, Noe. We make sense; we always did. I’m going to tell you something now, something you may find… odd or strange.”

  “Go on.”

  Rafa stroked her hair back from her face. “Tomi… One afternoon, when we knew she was dying, after you’d had the accident and we didn’t know if you’d make it, she told me something. It’s been on my mind. She told me that if she could have picked the perfect partner for me, she would have picked you. She wished for it. She wished for us. Now, listen. As much as I adored Tomi, it’s not the reason I’m with you, Noe. But she would have loved this. Us. She would have been so pleased that we found each other.”

  Noemi rolled off him and sat up, curling into a ball. Rafa sat up, not knowing whether she was upset and when he saw her shoulders shaking, he knew she was crying. “Hey.”

  He put his arm around her and she curled into him. “I’m sorry. That’s so beautiful, Rafa…” She sniffled, trying to calm herself. “Rafa… I’m pregnant.”

  That he wasn’t expecting. He drew in a deep breath. “Okay. Wow.”

  “I know. I swear, I am on birth control, but you know it’s not always…” Noemi was rambling now, and Rafa, still reeling, realized he wasn’t saying the right things, the things Noe needed to hear.

  “Sweetheart, it’s okay, I’m just a little…” He laughed. “We’re having a baby?”

  Noemi took a shaky breath in. “I’m pregnant… whether or not we have it is something we have to discuss.”

  Rafa felt ice in his veins. “You don’t want it?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve been so mixed up since Jack died. I want to bear your children, Rafa, but the thought of having a child and losing it… it would kill me.”

  Rafa frowned. “Baby, we can’t think like that. If we all thought like that, the human race would have died out millions of years ago.”

  Noemi nodded and Rafa could see how conflicted she was. “Look at me, baby.”

  She turned her lovely dark eyes on him, and he leaned his forehead against hers for a moment.

  “I love you. Whatever you decide is right for you is fine with me. I’ll just say this, and it’s what I should have said first. God, I’m happy. A child with you is my dream, Noe. A whole family with you is my dream. Bepi would love a sibling. But we have time, all the time in the world, so if right now isn’t going to work for you, then we take the next step. How far along are you?”

  “About a month.”

  “So, we have time.”

  Noemi nodded and leaned her head onto his shoulder. “I want your babies, Rafa, I do. But we’re just in the beginning part. We have Bepi to think of, your family, my family.”

  “Your career.”

  Noemi shook her head. “That’s not… I’m a surgeon. They have kids all the time and go back to work. I wouldn’t consider a baby a hindrance to my career.” She chuckled suddenly. “I’m so mixed up, Rafa.”

  “Look, we don’t have to make any decisions yet. Let’s just enjoy these few days and when we get back to Seattle, we can talk more.”

  Noemi looked so relieved that Rafa smiled. She leaned against him. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, Nommy.”

  She smiled. “You should call Bepi. I bet he’s driving your parents crazy.” Her smile faded a little, and he noticed.

  “What is it?”

  “They’re going to think I’m a gold digger.”

  Rafa gave a bark of laughter. “Believe me, they’re not.”

  “But they know about us?”

  “They do.” It was his turn to hesitate. “At least, they know I’m seeing someone.”

  Noemi gaped at him. “But they don’t know it’s me?”

  “Um…”

  “Oh God.”

  Rafa shook his head. “Right now, I can’t tell you why I haven’t told them. I will, of course, as soon as we get back.”

  “At the same time, you can tell them I’ve trapped you with an unplanned pregnancy.”

  “Noe—”

  “—that’s how it’s going to look.” She got to her feet and padded away from him. For a moment, Rafa sat, shaking his head, then followed her into the bathroom.

  Noemi was cranking on the shower.

  “It’s okay,” she said sadly.

  “No, it’s not, and you’re not being fair to them. They would never think that of you.”

  “But you didn’t tell them. There must be a reason.”

  “I didn’t tell them because you wanted to keep us secret!” The words came out harsher than he meant them to, but he also knew it was the truth. “It took Jack dying for you to tell your sister about us.”

  Noemi winced, and he regretted his words.

  “Oh, wow,” she said, her voice breaking, “that is so unfair.”

  “I’m sorry, That came out wrong. But you did want us on the down low.”

  “Because of this! First, I kill your fiancée, then I snag a billion-dollar donation for the hospital, and now I’m fucking you and carrying your child! How would that look to you?”

  Rafa clenched his fists together and counted to ten. She was so screwed up. “Firstly, you did not kill Thomasina. I don’t know how many times you need to be told that. Secondly, the donation was all about me trying to make sense of Thomasina’s death and to show everyone that I, we, Bepi and me, we believed in you. Believe in you. Then we fell in love. To anyone else, that would seem a fairy tale, but to you…”

  “Don’t patronize me!” Noemi snapped, suddenly. “I’m not a child.”

  Rafa went very still. “Then stop behaving like one.” He turned around and walked into the bedroom, grabbing his jeans and putting them on. He stalked out to the deck.

  This couldn’t go on. If Noemi couldn’t get over her guilt about Thomasina, her perceived paranoia about what people would think of their relationship… how did they stand a chance?

  He could hear the shower running from inside the cabin, running far too long. He guessed she was crying but maybe that’s what she needed to do. She had lost so much, and Christ, the girl was only thirty years old. A baby. What she’d gone through…

  He sat outside for an hour, trying to unravel his own thoughts. He heard the shower shut off and risked a quick glance through the large glass doors, but Noemi didn’t appear in the living room. She needed some space. Good. Maybe they both did for a few min
utes.

  When the cool breeze from the lake made him shiver, he went inside. Noemi, in a white fluffy robe, her long dark hair damp from the shower. He went to her and took her face in his hands. Her eyes were red-rimmed and her cheeks puffy from crying. He kissed her gently, then nuzzled her nose with his. “I’m sorry I yelled.”

  Tears filled her eyes again, and she dashed them away impatiently. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she said, her voice gravelly, “I can’t think straight.”

  Rafa wrapped his arms around her, but she didn’t cry again. “Maybe it would help to talk to someone?”

  He felt her nod. “Good. Then when we get back to Seattle, we’ll arrange it.”

  “Okay.”

  He cupped her face with his hand. “Are you tired?”

  She nodded, looking exhausted. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”

  Rafa found himself falling asleep almost as soon as Noemi did, exhausted by everything that had happened. He fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, only to wake with a start in the deep blue moonlight as Noemi shook his awake.

  Her eyes were huge and frightened as she put her finger to her lips. Rafa sat up, confused, and she leaned in to whisper in his ear.

  “There’s someone in the house.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Noemi felt cold spikes of fear stabbing her body as Rafa told her to wait in the bedroom while he checked out the house. She had been awake, needing the bathroom, and when she was padding back to the bedroom, a shadow had passed the end of the hallway that led downstairs, and she almost shrieked with fright.

  Instead she had clamped her hands over her mouth and listened. Had she imagined it? She reasoned it could have been something flying past one of the windows, causing a shadow from the bright moonlight, but then she heard a low voice, some barely audible cursing, and something shifting.

  Now as she waited, she wished she had just yelled and scared the intruder off, instead of Rafa confronting who knows what. She stood at the door listening, her heart yammering away in her chest. She sneaked into the hallway, trying to see if he needed help—and a hand was clamped over her mouth.

  Instantly her survival instinct kicked in, and she struggled with her captor, stomping on his instep. He released her with a roar, and Noemi screamed for Rafael.

  “Noemi!” She heard his voice from downstairs followed by another sound as if he were being body slammed.

  Noemi ran towards the stairs, but her attacker grabbed her again and threw her hard, down the shallow staircase. Noemi tumbled down, almost too shocked to feel the pain as her body crashed down the wooden stairwell.

  She could hear sounds of fighting as she came to a stop, winded, but she didn’t feel as if any limbs were broken. She heard her attacker walking down the stairs behind her, chuckling, and she tried to drag herself out of the stairway.

  “Where are you going, pretty little thing? We ain’t nearly done yet.”

  He hauled her up and carried her into the living room where Rafa was fighting with another man—and winning. Noemi screamed, and Rafa looked up just as the man threw Noemi at him. Rafa caught her and pushed her behind him.

  “What the fuck do you want?” He yelled, and Noemi could see blood running down his face. Behind her was the breakfast bar. Surreptitiously, she reached behind her, her hand groping for anything they could use as a weapon. There was a flash of light, and she realized the attackers were taking photos on their phone. Rafa lunged at them, but Noemi pulled him back. He was a strong man but against two of them…

  Noemi’s attacker smirked and nodded to his accomplice, and they went out the same way they came in—through the unlocked sliding doors that led to the deck. Rafa cussed loudly, and then went to the doors, locking them. Rafa and Noemi stood in shocked silence for a long time before Rafa came to her. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded and touched his face. “But you’re not.”

  “I’m fine. I’m going to call the police. Then afterward, we’re getting out of here. If I were alone, I’d say fuck it, but I’m not risking the two of you.” He splayed his hand over her belly and at that moment, Noemi knew she would keep the baby.

  The police came, and they gave a statement, but the police told them it was probably an attempted robbery, and that they would keep a look out. Noemi read that as ‘they’re long gone, forget about it.’ She could see Rafa wasn’t happy with that answer, but he didn’t press it.

  As soon as the officers left, he turned to her, his green eyes full of fury and concern. “Sweetheart, let’s get out of here.”

  Noemi obeyed him, and within a half hour they were on the road.

  They checked into a hotel in Carson City, but Rafa insisted they fly back to Seattle as soon as they had gotten some sleep. “I want you far, far away from here.”

  She cleaned up his head wound, which looked much worse than it was, and he tried to persuade her to see a doctor, but Noemi knew she was okay. “I’ll probably just ache tomorrow. I was lucky; those stairs weren’t too steep.”

  “We were both lucky. I just want to know who the fuck those guys were.”

  Noemi dabbed at his forehead with the rubbing alcohol, and he winced. “Like the cops said, probably just opportunists.”

  “Opportunists don’t throw pregnant women down stairs. Opportunists steal. They took nothing but photographs of us.”

  Noemi gave him a half-smile. “He didn’t know I was pregnant, baby.”

  They gazed at each other for a long moment, then both began to smile. “We’re really going to do this, huh?” Rafa said, his eyes shining, and Noemi laughed.

  “I guess we are.”

  He kissed her softly. “I love you.”

  “Right back at you, big guy.” She sighed and laid her head against his shoulder. “I’d show you how much, but I really am wiped out.”

  They laid down together, and Rafa tucked his arms around her waist as they fell asleep. As she gave into unconsciousness, Noemi knew that when they woke up, they would have to plan for a very different future than either of them had expected.

  Zani flicked through the images on the text message he’d just been sent. Rafa. Noemi. These bastards had followed them to the cabin, attacked them, taken photos of them. It was a warning. Had they said anything to Rafa, given him a clue that it was Zani’s fault they were attacked? He felt sick. Were his brother and his lover hurt?

  Jesus…

  No. They couldn’t have told Rafa anything, or he would have been on the phone asking Zani what the fuck he’d gotten himself into in Europe. Zani closed his eyes. He’d been more than just reckless. His love for cocaine had led to his owing money to men who didn’t give credit… ever. Zani had thought he was untouchable. Now he knew he wasn’t, and neither were the people he loved.

  And he had no idea how to save them.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Noemi and Rafa decided not to tell anyone about the baby until past the three-month mark. “That’ll give Leo some time to come to terms, and anyway, it’s traditional.”

  Rafa grinned at his lover as they sat in his kitchen one morning a week after their return from Lake Tahoe. “Like any of this has been traditional.”

  Noemi chuckled and linked her fingers in his. “Then a little bit of tradition is probably called for.” She rubbed her belly unconsciously. “I should go get it confirmed at the hospital, though. They’d keep it on the down low—they’d have to—and, don’t freak out—but I want to just check everything is okay.”

  Rafa was immediately alert. “You’ve had pain?”

  “A little but that’s not unusual, so don’t get panicked,” She waved him down as he began to rise from his chair. “After all, my body is changing. I’m still waiting for the morning sickness to kick in.” She leaned over and brushed her lips against his. “Sure you’ll still want me when I’m all fat and huge?”

  “Even more, Fatty.”

  She laughed out loud. “So cruel, but I love you.”

  “I’m gonna spoil y
ou, pretty girl. Anything you want: pickled ice cream at midnight, scrambled eggs and surströmming at three a.m.”

  “What the hell is surströmming?” Noemi was giggling at the mischief on his face.

  “Fermented herring. Smells like death.”

  Noemi gagged, and Rafa grinned. “Still waiting for the morning sickness?”

  “I hate you.”

  He blew her a kiss, and she laughed as Zani came into the room. “Hey, Zani.”

  “Hey, Noe, Rafa. Everyone good?”

  “Of course.” Rafa looked at his brother. “So, I’m going into the office this morning. Want to come with and discuss what use we can put you to?”

  Zani smiled thinly. “Whatever you say, brother. I’ll go get changed.”

  He slunk from the room and Rafa frowned. “You think he’s acting strangely? I mean ever since we got back?”

  Noemi shrugged. “I don’t know him well enough to know, baby. What do you think?”

  Rafa sighed. “I don’t know… I guess I could talk to him today.”

  “You think he really wants a job?”

  Rafa shook his head, smiling ruefully. “No, but what can I do?” He kissed her. “I’m going to get Bepi up.”

  “I can take him to the kindergarten if you like.”

  “I bet he’d love that—” Rafa was walking towards the door, then stopped and returned to her. “And maybe while you’re doing that… you could think about moving in with me.”

  Noemi’s eye widened. “Wow. Wow. I mean… wow.”

  “Just think about it is all I ask. I would very much like to raise our child together, but if that’s too soon…”

  Noemi chuckled. “I think we’ve thrown ‘too soon’ out of the window.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  Noemi grinned. “Yes, you beautiful man, I’ll move in with you. But, one condition.”

  “Back rubs and dirty sex nightly?”

  Noemi pretended to look affronted. “I would hope that was a given. No, my condition is I pay rent. I’m not freewheeling from you, Rafa. No way. And it’s not like I can’t afford it, I’m a surgeon for Chrissakes. So… whatever your mortgage payment is on this every month, I pay half.”