by Amy Brent
At a time in my life when I was weak and feeble, he made me feel beautiful. At a time in my life where I was wearing wigs to cover up how much hair I’d lost, he made me feel wanted. He cradled my arm close to his body but never once relented with the thrusting of his hips, and it was the only time during that fucking treatment that I actually didn’t feel like a cancer patient.
Like I was battling for my life.
“Sadie, I don’t know how I’m going to pay for this again,” I said, as tears rose to my eyes. “I— I scrambled the first time.”
“Well, the donations we operate off of yearly should take care of the first month of your treatment, so the bills won’t be as big as they were last time,” Sadie said. “And the four months is just an estimated projection. Remember the first time we all did this? We thought we’d be treating you for six, seven months. But, you were only treated for—”
“Five,” I said.
“So, maybe this time you’ll only need three months. The projections are always off, and that will help with the final bill, too,” she said.
“But, I’ve got enough bills to worry about. I’m still two gigantic payments off from paying off the last time we did this,” I said, sniffling.
“Amelia, now isn’t the time to talk about money. This is your life, and we’re very lucky to have caught it this early. That’s why we have patients come for regular check-ups, even up to five years after they hit remission status.”
I turned towards the hallway and simply sat and looked out. I memorized the calmness of the environment because it wouldn’t stay that way for long. I memorized how clean the air smelled, because the moment vomit was pouring through my nose, it would no longer smell that way. I thought about all the foods I wanted to go home and eat before everything started making me puke.
I wanted to go get my hair done one last time just to look at it the way it is now.
Just then, an older woman and her husband passed by the door. She was hunched over, breathing into an oxygen mask. She was feeble from her treatments, her ports dangling from her chest while her husband helped her down the hallway. You could tell she was tired, but it was imperative that she got up and kept mobile.
At least, that’s what they said around here anyway.
“Do you have anyone who could be here for you?” Sadie asked.
“You know the answer to that question. The moment I call my mother she’s gonna want to move down here for crying out loud. She’ll quit her fucking job and destroy her fucking relationships and it’ll be a mess,” I said.
“But, you’ll have a support system. That’s important, Amelia.”
“Well, I’ll have you. Just get them to assign you to my case,” I said.
“You know they can’t do that.”
“Then you can come sit with me during my treatments. Win-win.”
“Are you sure there isn’t anyone—”
“This isn’t anyone else’s problem to deal with but mine,” I said. “People in this world spend too much damn time worrying about the shit of other people before dealing with their own. It’s a nice distraction so they don’t feel so bad about their lives. I don’t want to be the comparison someone makes. I don’t want to be the person they come around when they need to understand that maybe their life doesn’t suck so bad after all.”
I was angry and I had every right to be. I was about to battle this bullshit for the second time, and I’d never crawl out of the debt it sunk me into. Sadie was an idiot if she thought the donations alone would keep this place afloat.
It’s why I wanted desperately for Lincoln to donate to this place. Holy hell, they could’ve used it.
“I’m gonna lose my job,” I said, as I looked back over to her. “I’m gonna lose my job, Sadie.”
“Amelia, it—”
A movement caught her attention as she whipped her gaze to the doorway. A tear trickled down my cheek as I closed my eyes, but then I felt a familiar presence of heat radiating out towards my body. I turned my head to see what was happening, to see who had entered the room and altered it so drastically. I wanted to see the person who owned the heat, who owned the confidence that had come rushing around the corner.
The tears that were brewing behind my eyes finally spilled over the moment I registered who was standing at the door. I felt a moment of relief barrel over my body as my eyes settled hard on the man leaning against the doorframe.
It was none other than Lincoln Collins himself.
Chapter 17
Lincoln
I saw the shock roll over Amelia’s face the moment she caught my stare. She looked petrified, yet somehow still steadfast in her strength. I wanted to ask her when she’d been diagnosed the first time. I wanted to ask her what type of cancer she had. I wanted to sit next to her and take her hand and listen to what the doctor had to say. I wanted to walk her through her treatment and support her. I wanted to let her know we would get through this—that she would do just fine getting through it.
I wanted her to know I wasn’t going anywhere, and neither was her job.
“Lincoln?” she asked.
“How long have you been sick?” I asked.
“I-I, uh…”
“Why don’t you come in and sit down, Mr. Collins is it?” the nurse asked.
I walked over to the seat beside Amelia and sat down. Her eyes were wide and brimming with tears. My hand mindlessly wandered to Amelia’s arm, my fingertips running up and down her skin. I couldn’t look over at her. If I did, I would lose myself. I would lose myself in her eyes and my heart would burst. I would cry with her—that much was certain.
“Mr. Collins, I’m Sadie. I’m one of the nurses that treated Amelia the first time around,” she said.
“When was she sick the last time?” I asked.
“About six, seven years ago. We usually stop having patients for in for regular check-ups five years after they hit remission, but Amelia has stayed on top of them and kept testing for personal reasons.”
The time frame hit me like a bomb, and all of a sudden I felt her fingertips curl around my hand. I looked over at her and studied the tears streaming down her face. Everything she wanted to communicate to me was swimming in her eyes. Those beautiful eyes I’d gotten lost in a couple weeks ago.
Those eyes I’d gotten lost in years ago.
Now, it all made sense. Why she held onto the abandonment. Why her body had been so frail. Why she hadn’t enjoyed an alcoholic drink with me despite my protests. She had stuck to virgin cocktails that night, drunk in the joy I was providing for her. She was still going through treatments, and was probably still sick. She was probably feeling ugly, vulnerable, and alone. The comfort I provided and the attention I slathered her with was enough to make her euphoric.
“I’m so sorry, Lincoln,” she whispered.
“Shh—What type of cancer is it?” I asked.
“Renal cell carcinoma,” she said.
“Kidney cancer,” Sadie translated.
“How bad it is?” I asked.
“Treatable,” she said. “They’re suggesting surgery as well as four months of chemo and radiation.”
“You’ll have all the time you need off work,” I said. “And the insurance you have through us is wonderful. It’ll cover most of your treatments.”
“Even at this facility?” she asked.
“Especially this facility. Besides, they better be putting my twenty percent to good use,” I said.
“Wait, what?” she asked.
“Ten percent is way too little for a place like this, Amelia. It won’t even scratch the surface of their operating costs. Drew’s talking to someone right now, but I’m changing the percentage to twenty percent of our annual revenue after tax write offs.”
“Are you serious?” she asked.
“Amelia, I’m so sorry for being so selfish. I’ve been caught up in my own bullshit for so long that I think it’s iced me out of reality. I had my head up my ass because I had no idea how to navigat
e the new dynamic we’d found ourselves in after that dinner. Especially since I had no idea how to navigate the dynamic before that damn dinner, either,” I said.
“What dinner?” Sadie asked.
“You’re more than just an employee, Amelia. You’re—the life breath of this project. You’re the reason the investors are on board now more than ever. You’re the reason Drew is so excited about this project, and you’re the reason I am so confused.”
“Thanks. I think?” she asked.
“You’re more than just the CEO of my hotel chain, Amelia. And you’re not going to do this alone. I’m going to be here every step of the way, if you’ll let me. We’re gonna get through this together and come out the other end stronger,” I said.
“You’ve never been just a boss to me, Lincoln,” she said.
Her eyes lit up and a smile finally crossed her face. I felt her link her fingers with mine, and that’s when I realized she was shaking. In that very moment, nothing else mattered. Amelia was about to battle for her life a second time around, and nothing was going to stand in my way. I was going to hold her hand throughout this entire thing. She could work if she wanted, and Drew could take care of the rest. That job was tailor-made for her, I just didn’t know it until Drew hired her onto the team.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to work through all of it,” she said.
“Then, Drew and I will handle things. You can come to meetings, or we can even come to you when you’re not up for it. We’ll keep you in the loop and you’ll still be consulted on decisions. I hired you to do a job, and I’m sure you’ll do it no matter what,” I said.
I looked into her eyes and saw her swimming in fear and panic. I couldn’t imagine what she was going through right now, but in that very moment I felt clearer than I’d felt in a long time. I knew exactly what she needed, and what she needed was to sit here and process things.
So, I took the conversation by the horns and turned my attention back to Sadie.
“So, Nurse Sadie. Talk to me. Where do we go from here?”
Chapter 18
Two Months Later
Amelia
Even though I was still recovering from my treatment, Lincoln couldn’t keep his hands off me. I kept trying to hook my bra, but all he did was undo it. I’d try to slip my feet into my heels, but all he’d do was slip them off. I could feel his thick dick pressing into my back while his hands slid over my frail body. His nose pressed into my neck and I couldn't help but giggle, but we would be late if he didn’t stop.
“We have to get to the banquet hall, Linc. Come on, we’ll be late.”
“Oh, we’ve got plenty of time. There’s food and libations to keep everyone occupied.” His hands slowly slid down the front of my body before his fingertips dipped into my panties. They worked their way between my folds, finding my swollen clit that was aching for his touch. His skin set me on fire, puckering my nipples while my legs trembled with every circle of his fingertip.
I felt him guide me to the bed before he sank my back onto the mattress.
“Holy fuck, you’re beautiful.” He wrapped his lips around my nipple while his fingers slid into my pussy, and I felt my back arch into him. My hands ran through his hair, destroying the gel he’d used to push it back. Even at my worst, this man could make me feel like the most beautiful gem in the world.
Just like he had all those years ago.
Soon, my panties were off and he rushed up my body. I could feel his throbbing cock pulsing between my legs. He slid into me slowly, watching my every facial expression to make sure he didn’t hurt me. His hips bottomed out into mine and I answered him with a resounding groan before he dipped down and captured my lips with his. I could feel his heart beating rapidly against my chest, reminding me of the life he had.
Of the work he was about to do.
Of the effort he put into making sure I was alright.
I wrapped my legs around his as he began to pump. We breathed each other’s air while his hips rolled into mine, and I could feel my pussy already massaging his thick cock. My juices were flowing down my ass crack while his tongue danced along my neck. My fingernails found the rippling, twitching muscles of his back, feeling them contract for me with every thrust this beautiful man made. I could tell he was holding back, wanting to make sure he didn’t bruise my delicate body with his own.
But, I wanted him more than I could stand.
“Take me, Linc. Please. Make me yours.”
All at once, his pace picked up. His slow rolls became beating thrusts as my tits began to bounce against his body. Skin slapping skin filled the corners of his room while his balls slapped against my slippery ass. My nails dug into his back, trying desperately to find leverage so I could buck back into him.
But all I could really do was hang on for the ride.
He peppered my skin with kisses before he captured my lips again. Our bodies rocked in tandem while the headboard began to bang against the wall. I felt his dick growing inside me, charging towards an aching end while my pussy began to swell around him. His breathless pants turned into hardened groans, and I sank my teeth into the meat of his shoulder just as my body finally let go.
I clung to him, desperate for his heat.
“You’re amazing. Incredible. Oh, fuck, I love how you make me feel.”
The words fell from my lips just as he spilled himself deep within my body. My pussy was still throbbing around him as my body quaked with my orgasm, and the two of us fell to the bed tangled in each other’s bodies. His face fell into the crook of my neck before he rolled off to the side, and I couldn’t help but lay there and pant as a light sheen of sweat gathered upon my chest.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” he said.
I could practically hear the grin in his voice, and I turned towards him and wrapped my arms around his neck. My body was shaking with pleasure and adrenaline, and I could tell he was trying to get me to calm down by massaging my back. All I wanted to do in that very moment was lay in this bed and revel in how we felt in this very moment.
“But really, I don’t know what you were thinking. We’re gonna be late, you wild animal,” he said playfully.
“Oh, yeah. Because I was the one who couldn’t keep my hands off you,” I said.
“I know. It really makes me feel sexy,” he said, grinning. “Come on, let’s get you up and get you dressed.”
“And what about you? You just gonna go naked?”
“The thought crossed my mind. There’s a sexy woman there whose eye I would enjoy catching,” he said.
“Yeah, yeah,” I said. “Come on. Let’s get dressed and get out of here.”
“Ames?”
“Yeah, Linc?”
“Are you alright?” he asked.
I couldn’t help the smile that reached across my cheeks as I turned around and found his gaze heavily grazing upon the nakedness of my body. Even in our latest throes of passion, he couldn’t help but to make sure I was alright afterwards. I knew the animal that could unleash if my body was up for the task, and there were some days where the thought of that animal was the only thing that kept me going.
That kept me pushing forward.
“Yeah, Linc. I’m good. Promise.”
“Good. Now, get dressed. You’ve made us late,” he said, grinning.
Chapter 19
Lincoln
We got to the banquet hall and everyone was there to greet us. It was time to introduce our new updated hotel chain to the world. The overseas locations were still being built, but Amelia had stayed on top of things so well with the updates that they were done within two months once they got rolling. Not only that, but the her cancer treatment they first thought would take four months only took two, and she was already beginning to recuperate.
I was so fucking proud of her.
Drew embraced both of us the moment we came through the door. His wife wrapped her arms around Amelia’s neck, and one by one the members of the board came to congratu
late her. She was all smiles and kept embracing people tightly, but all I could think about was how incredibly strong she was.
And how my heart soared whenever she smiled.
I took off for the stage and grabbed the microphone. It was time for me to give some sort of speech in order to usher in this new phase and victory for the hotel chain. I got up to the stage and saw Amelia’s eyes on me, and suddenly the speech I had prepared was no longer enough.
And as I began to talk, a new speech began to replace the one I’d written.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you all for being here. This hotel company was a passion project of mine, and I am so proud of where it’s come. As of now, all the U.S. locations of the hotel have been updated and renovated, and come tomorrow morning they will officially be open for business.”
There was an applause that rose from the banquet hall of individuals, but the only person I could focus on was Amelia. The black dress she had on accentuated every single curve I’d come to love about her. The sparkling jewelry she had on seemed dimmer compared to her smile, and I took a deep breath before I continued.
