by Amber Page
CHAPTER SEVEN
IN THE MOMENTS before Jessie opened her eyes she was disconcerted by a feeling that her bed was rocking. Surely she hadn’t had that much to drink last night? When she reached out her arms in a tentative stretch her right hand hit something solid. And warm.
Her eyes snapped open as full consciousness returned—and with it memories of the night’s festivities. Nick had made love to her three more times before they’d finally fallen into an exhausted slumber. It had been an amazing sexual experience. Usually she was in charge, taking exactly what she wanted from the men she slept with. But last night Nick had been in complete control … and she’d loved it.
But now it was morning. Time to get back to work and take charge of the mess that was currently her life. Looking down at the sleekly muscled body of the beautiful man next to her, she sighed. It was too bad he was a Thornton. The events of last night could never be repeated—no matter how much she might wish otherwise.
Nick stirred and stretched, giving her a sleepy smile. “Morning, beautiful.”
“Good morning.”
“What’s the matter? You look worried.”
“Just thinking about everything I need to do today, that’s all.”
“I thought we were going to Tahiti today,” he said, drawing her down on the pillow next to him. “But if you want we could stay right here.”
Twining her red hair in his fists, he pulled her close and kissed her none too gently. Desire flared as instantly as if someone had flipped a switch and she yielded, losing herself in the teasing heat of his lips and tongue. But when he reached down to cup her butt she pulled back.
Making love with him again would be sheer folly. Living for the moment was all well and good, but their moment was over.
As if on cue, her phone buzzed.
“Mmmph,” she said, dragging her lips away from his. “I’ve got to get this.”
“No, don’t …” he protested.
But she moved quickly out of his reach, searching for her phone. She saw it peeking out of the back pocket of her jeans, which were draped over a lamp on the dresser. She dove, but by the time she wrestled it out it had stopped ringing.
“Damn it.” It had been her doctor’s office. Too impatient to wait to hear what the message said, Jessie punched the button that would call them back.
“Dr. Davies’s office.”
“Hi, this is Jessie. Jessie Owens,” she said, turning away from the bed so Nick couldn’t see her face.
“Oh, hi, Jessie! Listen, we can get you in sooner at nine-thirty this morning. Can you make it?”
“What time is it now?”
“Eight-fifteen.”
“Um, can you hold on a second?”
“Sure.”
“Nick, where are we?”
“On our way to Tahiti,” he teased.
“No, really. This is serious. Where are we?”
“Close to Battery Park.”
She did the math in her head. If she got out of here in the next ten minutes, and the subway was running on time …
“Yes, I can make it.”
“Great, I’ll pencil you in. See you soon!”
Jessie pushed the “end” button and took a deep breath. “Nick, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go.”
“Go where?”
“I’d rather not tell you. It’s kind of personal,” she said, not wanting to trust him with her secret.
His face darkened. “Okay, if that’s the way you want to play it. You’re just going to run out on me, huh?”
“No, that’s not it at all,” she said, even though she knew she should just act tough and put this—whatever “this” was—to an end. “I’ve got an appointment in a little over an hour that I really can’t miss. It’s sort of an emergency.”
His expression lightened a little bit. “Where is it?”
When she told him, he shook his head. “There’s no way you’ll make it there on time if you’re planning on taking the subway. Let me call Bob. He’ll drive you.”
“That’s really not necessary,” she said, worried that Bob would tell Nick what their final destination was.
“Nonsense. I insist. You take a shower—I’ll call Bob.”
Deciding to think of her chauffeur-driven ride to the doctor as the final scene in their short-lived romance, she nodded. She didn’t have time to fight with him.
“Where’s the shower?”
She was still tying her wet hair into a bun when Nick hustled her off of the yacht. The marina where it had docked was beautiful. Although she could see they were just blocks away from the financial district, it seemed to be in another world. Gargantuan boats rocked on gentle waves, bumping into the weathered wood of the boardwalk. Great old trees rustled overhead, inviting all who saw them to sit a while under their shade.
“This is amazing.”
He shrugged. “I guess … You’re welcome to come back and admire the view anytime.”
“I thought you said you had borrowed a friend’s boat?”
“I did. About two and a half months ago. I’ll give it back when I find somewhere better to live.”
“You live on here?”
“For now. Although I’d prefer my permanent home to be a bit less rocky, you know?”
“I guess,” she said, not trusting herself to say more.
It was just more proof that he was out of her league. He lived on a yacht—she lived in a brownstone that she could only afford because she’d inherited it from her mother. Otherwise she’d be another young professional Manhattanite sharing a studio apartment with two other roommates. Good thing they both knew this had no future.
Still, when at long last they made their way to the parking lot and the limo that awaited her, she couldn’t resist leaning in for one last kiss.
“Thanks,” she whispered against his lips, “for everything. You sure know how to show a girl a good time.”
He smiled, a strange glint shining in his eye. “You’re welcome—but you’re not off the hook yet.”
“What do you mean?”
“You promised you’d stay till after breakfast. I haven’t eaten yet, so …”
She glanced down at her phone. Eight-forty-five. She had to hit the road. “How about dinner instead? I’ll text you.”
He nodded. “You better.”
She saluted and got into the waiting car, already cursing herself for making another date with him. When it came to Nick, her brain seemed to be permanently short-circuited.
But it was just dinner. No reason it had to lead to more. And it wouldn’t. She was almost positive that she could resist him.
Jessie tried not to fidget in the plastic chair. Why did doctors’ offices always have to be so uncomfortable? If she ran a place like this the waiting area would be furnished with velvet sofas, flowery pillows, and chenille throw blankets you could cover up with when you got cold. That way patients wouldn’t get grumpy when forced to wait for an hour after their mammogram to find out if they had cancer.
“Jessica Owens?”
Jessie grabbed her purse and coat, then followed the woman in pink scrubs out of the waiting room. They walked down a long carpeted hallway, past all the exam rooms, into a lushly furnished office. Uh-oh. This couldn’t be good.
“Jessie, sorry to keep you waiting out there so long. Please sit,” her doctor said.
She took a deep breath and settled herself in one of the wooden chairs that sat in front of the desk. “What have you got for me, Doc? Was the lump just a figment of my imagination?”
The gray-haired woman sighed and leaned forward, resting her hands in front of her on the desktop. “You know that’s what I want to tell you, Jessie. But unfortunately the lump is real.”
“Is it cancer, Dr. Davies?” she whispered.
Her world started to shatter.
Her doctor turned her computer monitor so Jessie could see the mammography image on her screen.
“This is your right breast. The one where you fe
lt the lump. See this here?” She pointed at a bright white circle with white lines snaking off it. “That’s what we’re dealing with. It’s highly suspicious, and given your family history I’d like to skip the less accurate tests and get you in for a biopsy right away.”
No doubt about it. This was the end.
“So I have cancer.”
“We can’t be sure of that yet. That’s why I want to do the biopsy. We can get it done today, and by Monday we’ll know what we’re dealing with.”
Jessie ordered herself to ignore the gibbering panic shrieking in her brain and pay attention. “A biopsy?”
“Yes, but don’t worry. It’s a simple procedure and we can do it right here in the office. You probably won’t feel much like going into work afterward though. Can you take the day off?”
Jessie thought about the mountain of work that waited for her at the office. She was supposed to present an entire campaign to a client in two weeks. And, since she’d just lost her lead creative team, she was going to have to do it herself. No, she really couldn’t afford to take another day off. But she realized she didn’t really care. If she was dying of cancer it wouldn’t matter anyway.
“Yes, that’s not a problem. I just have to let my sister know.”
How was she going to tell her sister? Gloria had been even more devastated than she had when their mother had died. And Jessie had promised her she’d never leave her. What would Gloria say when she found out she had lied?
Dr. Davies got up from her desk and came to sit in the chair next to her.
“Jessie?”
Her voice sounded very far away. Jessie had to force herself to answer. “Yes?”
Dr. Davies grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
Suddenly anger flared to life. She couldn’t promise that. “How can you say that? You treated my mother. You know what happened.”
Dr. Davies shook her head. “You are not your mother. This is not the same situation. By the time your mom came to me it was already too late. She waited too long. But you came in as soon as you noticed something. Even if it is cancer it’s early days. And treatment has come a very long way in the last fifteen years. You’re going to be all right.”
Jessie wanted so badly to believe her. “Promise?”
Her doctor looked uncomfortable. “For legal reasons, I can’t make promises. But I believe with all my heart that it’s true.”
“Okay. That will have to be good enough.” Jessie took a deep breath and squeezed the woman’s hand. “Thank you.”
Dr. Davies got up. “No problem. I’m going to go get that biopsy scheduled. Feel free to relax back here for a while. Oh, and when you talk to your sister ask her to come up here, okay? I don’t want you going home alone.”
Jessie nodded and powered up her phone.
Jessie was lying on an exam table, trying to convince herself to get up and get dressed, when she heard a welcome voice.
“Hey, doll,” Gloria said. “They told me you’re all done.”
She opened her eyes a crack and rolled over onto her side—the side that hadn’t just had a giant needle stuck in it. “That’s what they tell me.”
“You ready to get going, then? I brought you some clean clothes.”
“I guess.”
“You’re going to have to get up.”
“I know.”
She didn’t want to. Didn’t want to have to go out into the world and try and pretend she was all right while she waited to hear if she was dying. She wasn’t sure if she even could. It felt as if the world was ending.
Gloria tugged on her arm. “Come on, sis. Get up.”
Jessie thought about refusing. What was the point? “Give me one good reason why I should.”
Her sister tried to smile. “Because you can’t eat a triple chocolate hot fudge sundae in a doctor’s office.”
“I don’t know if I have the stomach for it.”
Her sister was silent for a moment. When she continued Jessie could hear the tears in her voice.
“I need you to get up, Jessie. Please?”
That did the trick. As much as she was hurting, she couldn’t stand to see her sister cry. “All right, I guess I can find room for some ice cream. Are you buying?”
Her sister nodded.
“All right, then.” Forcing her body to move into a sitting position felt like one of the hardest things she’d ever done, but she did it. “Where are my clothes?”
Gloria smiled, clearly relieved, and threw a bag at her. “How embarrassing was it to have to do the walk of shame to your doctor’s office?”
“Very. But it was totally worth it.” Jessie’s skin warmed at the memory of Nick’s touch. It already seemed like something that happened a lifetime ago.
Gloria’s jaw dropped. “Wow. You’re blushing. You never blush. I’m going to need details.”
Jessie shook her head. “Chocolate first. Details later.”
“Fine. Just tell me one thing: are you going to see him again?”
Jessie smacked her head with her hand. “Oh, damn. I told him we could have dinner tonight. That sounds like an awful idea now!”
Gloria put her arm around Jessie’s shoulders. “It might be just what you need. A distraction, you know?”
“I don’t know …”
“Trust me. You’ll feel a lot better after a roll in the hay or three. Now, get dressed, would you? I’ll be waiting outside.”
Then she turned and exited the exam room, humming a sexy song under her breath.
Jessie knew Gloria was right. If she was going to get through this weekend she was going to need to keep herself busy. Very busy. If she didn’t …
Her mind gave her a sneak peek of what might be on repeat. She saw her mother pulling clumps of hair out of her head. Heard her dad’s broken sobs after the doctor told him it was time to call in hospice care. Smelled the antiseptic that had been her mother’s perfume those last few weeks.
Jessie stifled a sob. No way could she spend the entire weekend reliving those memories. If she did, she’d be ready to give up before she even got her diagnosis.
She needed to try and forget. Maybe even go somewhere she could escape. A vision of white sand and blue water shimmered in her mind’s eye. Paradise. She needed to go to Paradise. And she needed to convince Nick to come with her. He would be an excellent distraction.
She opened the door and hurried out into the hallway.
“Gloria? Do you have Aunt Mimi’s number in your phone? I think I’m going to take an impromptu trip to Paradise.”
The bells on the restaurant door jingled. Nick looked up, hoping Jessie had arrived. But the harried-looking woman holding a pair of children by their hands was definitely not her. He scanned the restaurant from his seat in a brightly tiled booth, hoping she had snuck by him and was waiting in the bar or something.
No luck.
He tried not to worry. She wouldn’t stand him up. Would she? When he stopped to think about it he didn’t know her all that well. He knew what she looked like naked, and how brightly her eyes sparked when she was angry, but he had no idea how she would act in a relationship.
Not that this was a relationship. It was a fling, and that was all it could ever be. All he would let it be.
“Hi!”
Nick jumped. He’d forgotten where he was for a second, there. When Jessie’s appearance registered, he grinned at the pink-nosed confection that had just sat down across from him.
“Hi, yourself! I didn’t see you come in.”
“Well, you know … With this red hair and my yellow coat I’m totally camouflaged.”
Nick waved his hands at their gaudy surroundings. “Actually, this is one place you do blend in. I think your coat is the same color as that wall over there.”
“You should see their margaritas. They’re even brighter. Speaking of which …” Jessie waved. “Yoo-hoo, José!”
A man waved back and immediately made his way to their table.
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“Jessie! How good to see you. You’ve been away too long!”
“Sorry, José. I’ve been working hard. Your new website is just about ready to go, though!”
José clapped his hands together. “I can’t wait to see it. Tonight—whatever you want. It’s on the house!”
“That’s not necessary.”
José squeezed her shoulder. “I know. But it’s the least I can do. The marketing campaign you put together for us—it’s magic!”
“In that case we’ll have a round of margaritas. The big ones. And some chips and guacamole. Please.”
“You got it,” he said, and hurried off in the direction of the kitchen.
“A client of yours?” Nick asked.
“Not really. More of a charity case. They were about to go under and I couldn’t stand to see that happen. They make the best chicken mole I’ve ever tasted.”
Jessie smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She looked pale. And tired. There was a pinched look to her face that he didn’t like.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Oh, I’m fine. Just a tough day.”
“More of my father’s shenanigans?” The thought made his blood boil.
“No, no. Not him. It’s personal stuff.”
“The same personal stuff that had you rushing off this morning?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Sort of.”
Nick was about to pry further when José slammed the cocktails down. The two dinner-plate-sized margarita glasses filled with sunset-colored layers covered most of the space between them.
“Wow.”
“Wait till you taste it.”
He pulled his drink toward him and took a cautious sip from the salt-covered rim. He’d expected it to be sickly sweet, but instead the perfect combination of tart citrus and tequila tickled his tastebuds.
“This is fantastic!”
“I know. These guys are national treasures.” She kicked back, putting her feet up on the bench next to him. “Just close your eyes and pretend you’re at the beach.”
He grabbed her feet and put them in his lap, neatly tossing her ballet flats on to the floor before applying his thumbs to her soles. “In that case, feel free to imagine I’m the cabana boy the resort has sent to see to your every whim.”
