by Kait Gamble
It was humiliating that he was even there to see her sick, but to have him analyzing what he’d seen? She cringed. “I haven’t been feeling too great the past few days. And I’ve been busy.”
“So busy that you’ve run yourself into the ground.”
“Back off, Alex.” She glared at him as hard as she could manage. “Leave me alone.”
“I won’t. You need help.”
“I’ll be fine.” To prove her point she pushed herself up and unsteadily made her way past him and back to the bed. “The hotel has a world-class medical team if I need it.”
Alex stomped over to her and, despite her attempts to shove him off several times, eased her into bed and tucked the sheets around her. “You really are the most frustrating woman I’ve ever known.”
He shucked the jeans and climbed in behind her.
Maia tried to shuffle away from contact with him but he hooked his arm around her, anchoring her to the spot. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I intend to take care of you. If that means pinning you to the bed, so be it.”
Images of how he had pinned her to the bed in Belize made her breath catch a little. She tamped down the burgeoning desire. That wasn’t going to happen.
“And you call me frustrating?”
Despite her words, Maia couldn’t be bothered to struggle more. Not when it felt so good to be in his arms. She’d let him have his way for now. Just until she got better. Then she would send him packing.
Chapter Twenty-One
Alex luxuriated in the feel of Maia against him. He’d meant it when he said he’d pin her to the bed if he had to. Only he hoped that she would get well soon so that he could do it in a way that would be much more mutually satisfying. The thought of making love to her had his body hardening in response.
With a sigh, he dropped his head to nuzzle her neck. It was obvious that she was angry. Even as ill as she was he could see it. Feel it. Of course she was. He didn’t blame her. Convincing her to forgive him would be a pain, or it could be exquisite torture. Alex hoped it would be the latter. As a plan, kissing her into submission had its merits.
In the meantime, he would take care of her as he hadn’t done the last time.
Dawn hadn’t brought much sunlight, thankfully. Maia still slept soundly and he wanted her to get as much rest as she needed. He stayed wrapped around her as long as he could, knowing she wouldn’t let him once she was awake.
Alex took a look over the suite from where he was. Not bad. He’d have to wait to give it a more critical once-over but what he saw was pleasing to his discriminating eye.
A quick glance at the window let him know that the snow was slowing, but still hadn’t stopped. He didn’t care. Now that he was with Maia, he couldn’t care less what was happening outside. She was safe.
Experimentally, he shifted. Bolstered when the rhythm of her breathing didn’t change, he reached for the phone and called room service. Since he knew she hadn’t eaten, he ordered one of nearly everything the restaurant offered for breakfast and pre-ordered for lunch and dinner as well.
Alex hung up, but as he brought his arm back to the warmth of the blankets, he accidentally brushed a small stack of papers and boxes. Medical advice from the look of them. Easing his arm out from under her, he rolled onto his back to read through them all. It wouldn’t hurt to learn more about what she was going through in order to help her out more effectively.
He quickly read the information and sorted through the boxes of medication. Maia hadn’t seen fit to use any of them if their pristine condition was anything to go by. He picked up the final unopened box and nearly dropped it when he saw what it was.
A pregnancy test.
He gripped it in his fist as he looked at her. Had Maia requested a test? Did she suspect she was carrying his child? Hope buoyed his heart. If she was pregnant, she would need him. She would stay with him. Wouldn’t she? There was no way he could let her go if there was a baby.
But how could there be a baby? They’d used a condom every time, hadn’t they? Alex pressed his fingers to his temple against the angry throbbing that came with the nagging voice in the back of his mind that it might not be his.
He recounted every moment they had spent together. Thankfully, his new memories with Maia were in high definition and he could remember every second of it.
Alex had trouble breathing when he realized that the night before she left they hadn’t used a condom.
Shoving everything else aside he eased himself around her again, gingerly pressing his palm against her stomach as if he could discern by touch if there was new life nestled there. He couldn’t help the smirk as the image of a boy with her dark hair flitted into his mind. Or would it be a little girl with his eyes and her smile? It didn’t matter. He would love either and he would make sure any child of his had a father.
Alex pressed a kiss to her shoulder, sliding his hand up from her abdomen to cup her breasts through the lace of her bra. A happy sigh escaped her lips and she wriggled closer. Taking that as a good sign, Alex nipped at her neck, forging ahead cautiously. The last thing he needed was to push her too far. Pregnant or not, she was in a delicate state. He wasn’t going to be the one to compromise her health.
Tipping her toward him, he kissed a path down over her collarbone to close over the hard tip of her breast.
Maia arched under him when his tongue flicked over her nipple. The shock waves that rocketed through her body brought a gasp to her lips. The sound, sadly, made Alex stop to look at her with a strange grin.
“Feeling better?” Alex looked hopeful.
She was, mostly. Maia refused to admit that sleeping in his arms was exactly what she’d needed. She hadn’t slept as well since they were last together. Her head still swam a little and her stomach rolled. Breakfast would hopefully set her to rights.
As much as she was loath to, Maia put some space between them. “I could use a little breakfast.”
His eyes darkened somewhat, but Alex nodded and backed away. “Of course. I ordered us some. It should be here soon.”
She shoved aside the disappointment at him giving up so easily, then she slid to the other side of the bed. “I’ll just get showered.”
“Do you need any help?” Before she could reply, he’d put on the jeans he’d discarded the night before and rounded the bed.
Maia stood gingerly, keeping a hold of the bed until she was sure she was steady. “I think a bath might be better.”
“I’ll get it ready for you.” Alex helped her sit before heading to the bathroom.
Not sure what to make of his knight in shining armor act, Maia sat back. Her memory was hazy, but she knew there had been a storm. She looked at the window. And it was still going on from the look of it. Had he braved a storm to get to her? Why? He had been the one to ignore her. Then the look on his face when he barged into the room. The way he’d searched. He expected her to be here with someone else?
Anger started to gnaw at her gut. “Alex?”
“Yes?” He sauntered out of the bathroom, followed by a plume of steam.
Maia kept her eyes on his face, not daring to let her gaze stray lower. She protected herself with a tightly wrapped sheet. “Why are you here?”
“We’ll discuss that in a little while. First you’ll have your bath.” He draped an arm around her waist and walked her to the bathroom. “Need help getting in?” His attention slid downward, reminding her of her lack of clothing beneath the bedclothes.
She shook her head. The last thing she needed was his hands on her bare skin. Maia wanted to figure him out and needed all her brain cells in working order to do it.
His smile was crooked and utterly charming when there was a light knock at the door. “I’ll get that.”
Maia was neck deep in bubbles when Alex strode in. Jerking into a sitting position, it took her a second to attribute his appreciative smirk to the slow slide of bubbles down her chest. Slumping back down, she glared at him.
Totally unfaz
ed, he balanced the tray on the curve at one end of the bath and made a show of unbuttoning his jeans. They fell to pool at his feet then he kicked them negligently aside.
Maia spluttered unintelligibly at the sight of him proudly naked before her. “What do you think you’re doing?” She couldn’t make herself look away. Her gaze traversed his sculpted form with unabashed delight.
Completely unperturbed by her scrutiny, Alex eased himself into the opposite end and took up the tray again, holding it on his knees. “I didn’t want to delay your meal. You look half starved. So I thought I would join you.” When she started to argue, he shoved a plump strawberry between her lips. “Eat first. You can better yell at me on a full stomach.”
There was logic in that. Her stomach rumbled in agreement. She accepted his offering and chewed. “Fine.”
He tore off a bit of crêpe and fed it to her before popping what she’d left into his mouth. The way he regarded her made her stomach flip. It was like he hadn’t seen her in years. By all accounts, he appeared thrilled to be there with her.
She scowled.
“What?” He pilfered a dollop of whipped cream off a stack of waffles and offered it to her. When she shook her head, he licked it off with a long swipe of his tongue.
Maia’s mouth went dry. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?” He innocently chewed another bite of crêpe.
She picked up a slice of melon and took a nibble. “Like I’m a shiny new toy that you just got for Christmas.”
“I’m just happy that you haven’t kicked me out.” He caught her gaze.
“It’s still early.” She ate the melon and reached for the waffles. Alex pulled them out of reach and tore the corner off one and fed it to her.
Maia studied him as she chewed. “What were you searching for when you first arrived?”
A sheepish expression spread over his face. “Honestly, I don’t know. You took so long answering the door that I was afraid…”
Alex afraid? She didn’t know he was capable of fear. “Of?”
Taking a deep breath he sighed. “That you wouldn’t open the door. That you had found someone else. That you were here with him and I no longer had a chance with you. That you were no longer interested in me.”
Maia frowned, her mind tripping over her tangled thoughts. “That makes no sense. You were the one to start ignoring me.”
The sheepish expression on Alex’s face twisted into a pained one. “I’m so sorry. I swear that I didn’t mean to. I just got a little obsessed.”
“With what? Those photos of me and Tomas?”
Alex reached down and placed the tray on the floor. “No. And we have to talk about your coworker Chloe and this vendetta she seems to have against you.” He waved the mention of the other woman away. “Later.”
“All right.” It was a relief that he had enough faith in her that he wasn’t angry about the photos. Maia was confused. “So then why did you ignore my texts and calls?”
Alex took her hands. The tub was big enough for him to be able to spin Maia around and settle her between his legs. He closed his arms around her, caging her against his chest.
Pressing his lips against her neck, he whispered, “I’m so sorry.”
Her skin tingled wherever they touched. Molten heat followed the paths his fingers took as they traced patterns on her skin. Maia let her head fall back onto his shoulder to gaze up into his eyes.
The dark blue pools were deep, fathomless. “I lost sight of what was really important. I became so obsessed with recovering my memories that I gave up making new ones with you.”
That wasn’t what she was expecting.
Stunned, she leaned forward and twisted around to face him. She knew how persistent he could be when he wanted answers. Alex would move mountains to get what he wanted. Just how far did he go to regain his memories?
Fear chilled her, pricking goosebumps on her skin. “What did you do?”
He put his hands on her arms, sliding them in gentle, calming circles. “Nothing as terrible as you’re imagining. I sought experts, subjected myself to testing and experiments.” Alex sighed and hugged her tighter. “I wasted too much time on a pointless pursuit. I gained nothing and lost time with you in the process.” He kissed her gently. “I hope you can forgive me.”
She stared at him, incredulous. Relieved. “Of course I can. I thought…”
Alex chuckled ruefully. “That I had abandoned you again? That I found someone else that was better for me than you?” He slanted his mouth over hers, kissing her breath away. “Never.”
Her head was reeling from all the new information. Her heart full, nearly bursting. “When those photos of me and Tomas were printed and you had stopped answering me altogether, I thought you had tired of me.”
“Impossible. I could never tire of you.” He reached down to pluck more food from the plate and held it out for her to eat. “Now, I’m going to make sure you’ve eaten and are healthy. Then I’m going to make love to you until the storm blows over.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Do you think this will be an ongoing thing with us?”
Alex shifted so he could look into her eyes. They had settled in front of the fire near the window so they could watch the snow. Maia felt right snuggled against his chest. After their heart to heart in the bath, the atmosphere had shifted. They became two lovers trapped together in yet another maelstrom. Not that he was complaining.
He held her closer. “You mean the storm? I wouldn’t mind if it was. As long as I’m with you, I couldn’t care less where I am or what’s going on around us.”
She laughed. “I like it too. It’s like there’s no one else but us.”
Alex nuzzled the delicate skin below her ear, inhaling her sweet scent. “As far as I’m concerned, there isn’t.”
“Maybe I should change my angle to storm chaser, then? I’m sure I could convince Jo to go along with it.”
He grinned at her teasing tone. Wherever she went, he would follow, but he sure as hell wouldn’t let her run headfirst into a storm. “How are you feeling?” Maia wasn’t as pale or wan as when he first saw her. She still wasn’t as steady as he’d like, but definitely improved.
“Much better. Still a little wobbly but overall, I’m good.”
“I’m glad. Because I need to ask you something.” Alex eased out from behind her and sat in front of her. Straddling the chaise, he took her hands. “Is it possible that your illness might not entirely be due to the altitude?”
It took a second for her to catch on. Her eyes widened and her lips pursed adorably as she considered his question. “I don’t know. It’s certainly possible…”
“I only ask because I saw the pregnancy test on the bedside table. I wasn’t sure if you had asked for it or if it was left just in case. I guess that answers that.”
Maia’s cheeks flushed. “I wasn’t exactly in a talkative mood when the doctor was here. I remember him saying he left stuff for me to look at. I guess he was thinking along the same lines as you are.” She paused. Her eyebrows dropped as she caught his gaze. “Is that why you’re being so nice?” Maia tried to pull her hands away from his.
Something that felt too close to panic flared in his chest. He had to stop that line of thought before things got out of hand. “Of course not!”
“Alex. If you’re just trying to make up for the past…” Maia’s eyes watered. “You don’t have to. If you’re only here because you think I’m pregnant—”
His hands tightened on hers. “Maia. If you are carrying my child, then I will be over the moon. If not, then we’ll just have to try harder. But I’m here for you. I want only you.” He kissed her. “Just you.”
What was it about Alex that sent her emotions out of control? One second she was happy, then angry, tense and now just plain confused.
Was he truly there for her or was he only being so nice because he wanted to make up for the past? Because he didn’t want to abandon her, po
ssibly pregnant, again? It hurt her head, and her heart, to think about it.
She stared at him for a long moment trying to divine his true intentions. There was one way of getting rid of one of the doubts.
Maia got up and stomped over to grab the stack of boxes from the end table and headed for the bathroom.
“Maia?”
She closed the door behind her. It was a simple matter to sift through the pile until she found what she wanted.
If she was pregnant, what would it mean? Before she had been a terrified student but Alex had assured her that he was going to be by her side. And that hadn’t worked out. The situation was a bit different now. Maia had her own place, her own money, so those weren’t a problem, but she had a career to think about and without that the first two wouldn’t last. How long could she keep up the traveling with a baby to think about?
Alex seemed sincere. She wanted to believe that he was there for her and that if there was going to be a baby that he would love him or her as much as she would.
Maia took the test, replaced the cap and stared at it. It was funny how a little plastic stick could determine the fate of so many things at once.
The thing was, she didn’t want her life to be dictated by it or anything else. She had let her emotions run her life for far too long. Now it was time to use her head.
Alex was wonderful, smart, sexy and he cared for her. He was perfect. He was even willing to scramble his mind to get his memories of their time together back. They clicked so well in and out of bed. Maia couldn’t ask for a better partner.
She put the test face down on the counter, took a deep breath and, with her heart pounding in her ears, walked back into the bedroom.
Alex stood at the window, hands in his pockets, tense and pensively staring at the snow. He turned to her the moment she opened the door, an expectant expression on his face. “Well?”
“It’s going to take a minute.” She took a breath. Held it. Released it and did it again.
He crossed the room and wound his arms around her. “I meant it when I said I want only you.”
