Playboy Billionaire

by Cherie Mitchell

  “Oh.” She snuggled into him and his heart turned over in his chest. This was weird. His heart didn’t usually do odd things like this. Perhaps he was the one who needed to see a doctor.

  It seemed to take forever to get to the hospital. On one hand, Carson wanted to get there fast to get Arial the treatment she needed but on the other hand, he could happily sit in the back of the car all day with her cuddled up to him like this. He talked to her softly, telling her to stay awake. She’d frightened him when she lost consciousness back at the house and he didn’t want to go through that terror again.

  When they reached the hospital, Carson scooped Arial up in his arms and carried her through the entrance doors despite her protests that she was able to walk in on her own. As soon as Carson gave his name at the desk, the couple were ushered into a private, curtained cubicle to wait for the doctor instead of having to ward off the inquisitive stares of other patients in the waiting room. Sometimes it was extraordinarily worthwhile to be a DuMonde. Wealth brought its own undoubted privileges.

  Carson pulled a chair up close to the bed after laying Arial down on the thin hospital mattress. He reached for her hand, needing to touch her. “Does it hurt?”

  “It’s not too bad. It’s throbbing a bit but it’s nothing I can’t handle. I should have watched where I was putting my feet.” She pulled a face. Her skin was too pale and it concerned him. He needed to see some color in those lovely cheeks again. Where was the damned doctor?

  “I’m sorry to inconvenience you like this. I know you have a lot of work to get on with.”

  “Don’t be silly! You’re not an inconvenience. I just want you to get well.” He gently loosened her hand from his and stood up to pull back the curtain. “I’m going to go and check where the doctor is. Someone needs to take a look at you as soon as possible. Head injuries aren’t be trifled with.” He strode across the gleaming white floor to the nurses’ station, determined to find someone to help. He didn’t care how much it cost or how many strings he needed to pull with the DuMonde name – someone needed to see Arial immediately.

  The young nurse behind the desk looked flustered when she saw Carson bearing down on her. “Uh, Mr. DuMonde. The doctor does know that you’re waiting. Dr. Edmonds will be with you shortly.”

  “Dr. Edmonds is right here.” A tall, willowy blonde woman wearing red-framed glasses and a white coat stepped calmly out of a nearby room. “What’s the problem?”

  The words rushed out of Carson’s mouth in a stuttering rush as his fear for Arial took over. He knew he sounded nothing like a poised and self-controlled DuMonde should appear in public but right now he didn’t care. “It’s my wife. She slipped and fell, hitting her head and knocking herself unconscious. You have to look at her. I won’t be able to go on if anything happens to her.”

  Dr. Edmonds looked over her glasses at Carson. He could see immediately that she didn’t recognize him. To her, he was just another concerned husband hoping to get his wife to the front of the queue. “I’ll be with her in a few minutes. Why don’t you go down to the vending machine and get yourself a cup of coffee while you wait? I find coffee always helps at times like this although unfortunately your wife can’t indulge until we’ve finished examining her.”

  And for probably the first time in his life, Carson obediently did as she requested without offering up any argument or demanding that she drop everything she was doing to act on the whim of a DuMonde.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Arial

  She felt so stupid. What was she thinking, dripping water all over the floor and then standing in it? She needed to be more careful. She lifted her hand now and winced as she probed with her fingers at the tender spot on her head. Yes, she had a headache but hopefully it would turn out to be nothing more than that.

  She looked over at the curtain as footsteps approached but they passed by without stopping. Carson was being so adorably attentive and caring! She’d seen a new side to him today and she liked what she saw. Maybe he was starting to develop feelings for her. The thought made her warm inside.

  “Mrs. DuMonde?” The curtain was whipped back by an efficient doctor with short, blonde hair and red-framed spectacles. “I’m Dr. Edmonds. I hear you’ve been knocking yourself around.”

  “Unfortunately, yes. I slipped over after when I climbed out of the bath but I can’t remember anything about it.”

  Dr. Edmonds lifted Arial’s wrist to check her pulse and then she lifted her eyelids one at time and peered into her eyes. “We’ll send you for a scan to make sure everything is as it should be. It’s always better to be safe than sorry with head injuries. How are you feeling? Are you nauseous? Dizzy?”

  “No, nothing like that. My head hurts but that’s only to be expected.”

  Dr. Edmonds picked up the chart on a clipboard from the end of Arial’s bed and wrote something on it. “Your husband is distraught. He obviously loves you very much.”

  Arial blinked, thinking she must have misheard the doctor. “Are you talking about Carson? I’m married to Carson DuMonde.”

  “Yes, that’s the man.” Dr. Edmonds hooked the chart back into place. “I’ve sent him down to the vending machine to get a coffee in an attempt to calm him down. I’ve found that men need something else to think about when they’re worried about their loved ones. Not all of them cope well when faced with the uncertainty of a hospital visit.”

  He obviously loves you very much. … worried about their loved ones. The astonishing words swarmed around her brain like a cloud of confused bees.

  “The orderly will be along soon to take you through for a scan. I’ll talk to you again once I’ve had a chance to evaluate the results.” Dr. Edmonds gave her a brisk smile and then she was gone, leaving Arial to stare in confusion at the ceiling. Carson was in love with her? When had that happened and why hadn’t he said anything to her? She vowed to pay close attention to his words and actions without revealing what the doctor had told her.

  Carson stepped back around the curtains shortly after the doctor left, with a takeaway coffee in his hand and his eyes dark with worry. “Has the doctor been in? I saw her walking away. Do I need to go and talk to her?”

  “No. She’s sending me for a scan and she’s coming back to talk to us after she’s seen the results.” She watched as he pulled his chair close again and sat down with his elbows leaning on the bed and his face near to hers. While she couldn’t honestly say that he looked like a man in love, he did look like a man who wanted the best for her. “That coffee sure smells good.”

  He grimaced an apology. “Dr. Edmonds said you can’t have anything until they’ve finished examining you. I can drink it outside if the smell is going to drive you crazy.”

  “No, stay here. I want you to stay with me.”

  He grinned at her and she smiled back, her eyes locked on his. Do you love me, Carson DuMonde? Or are you worried about the adverse publicity for the family if my injury turns out to be something dire? She suddenly noticed an odd red mark on his face. “What’s wrong with your face?”

  “Uh…”

  An orderly stepped into the cubicle and Arial reluctantly broke eye contact with her husband. She had so many unanswered questions about their relationship but this was not the time to ask them.

  “Mrs. DuMonde? I’m Alfie and I’m here to take you down for your scan. No, don’t get up. The bed is coming with us.” The young man gave Carson a reassuring smile. “You can come too if you like. It might get a little boring waiting here and she might be gone for a while. You’ll have to wait outside the room while the scan is in progress but you can stay with her for the remainder of the time.”

  Carson jumped up and moved the chair out of the way so the orderly could get to the bed. “I’ll definitely be coming. I don’t plan on letting her out of my sight for any longer than necessary. I need to know that she’s going to be ok.”

  “Well, she’s in the best place to get that dealt with.” The orderly pulled up the guardrails
at the side of the bed and released the brake. “Follow me. We’ll be heading to the elevators and then up to the third floor. There are chairs and magazines outside the room to keep you occupied while the technician does what he needs to do.” He lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming merrily as he attempted to lighten the mood with a little humor. “The magazines are all out of date but I have it on good authority that Megan and Harry’s upcoming wedding is going to be an exciting occasion.”

  Carson leaned across to squeeze Arial’s bare foot through the thin sheet as the orderly trundled her past. She stared up at the lights on the ceiling as they moved quickly through the corridors. She was acutely aware of Carson keeping pace at the side of the bed. While she was sorry that the accident had happened, she was not sorry about the chain reaction it had set in motion. Without the accident, she would not have had a glimpse of Carson’s true feelings, the ones he’d kept so carefully hidden up until now.

  He obviously loves you very much. She could not remember any other occasion where a simple sentence had thrilled her more.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Carson

  He wouldn’t even begin to attempt to explain the depth of his relief that Arial was doing ok and that the doctors did not expect her injury to have any ongoing repercussions. They had ended up spending hours at the hospital but he didn’t mind. He was not going to leave the facility until he knew for sure that Arial did not have a permanent injury.

  It was well after dark but the time the driver dropped them home. The house was lit up downstairs in the area where Martha and Terence lived but there were only a few lights on upstairs, no doubt switched on by the maids before they retired for the night. Arial said she was fine to walk inside to their private elevator but Carson insisted on carrying her up to her bedroom. He said he would not rest easy until he had tucked her up into bed himself and made sure she was settled for the night.

  It was difficult for him to leave her there alone but she said she was tired and just wanted to sleep. She looked so tiny in that huge bed with her face almost the same color as the sheets. He dropped a light kiss on her forehead, ensured she had everything she needed, and tiptoed out. He was back at her door at 2am, peeking in on her like an anxious parent with a newborn babe, but her soft snores had reassured him that she was doing exactly what she was supposed to be doing.

  Matthew turned up first thing in the morning to offer yet more apologies but Carson curtly sent him away. He didn’t tell his cousin that Arial believed she’d fallen in the bathroom, although he didn’t purposely omit that information. It just never crossed his mind to tell him.

  Arial was lively and cheerful over breakfast, which made Carson feel a lot better. He told her that he’d canceled his appointments and was working from home all day so he could be near if she needed anything. She said she was happy to spend the day quietly and would probably rest in the library. Satisfied that she was only a short distance away from where he was working, Carson returned to his study. The maids had righted the furniture and cleared away any reminders of his fight with Matthew, a situation that now embarrassed him to his core. He swore to himself that he would display greater maturity from now on and if Matthew goaded him, he would merely turn and walk away. He was a married man, he was the heir to the DuMonde fortune, and it was time for him to grow up and treat those roles with the respect they deserved.

  He tried to phone Gabriella to beg off their lunch date but it went straight to voice mail. He left a message apologizing for the late notice and ended with a vague comment about ‘catching up some other time’. Not that he intended to do so. Arial’s accident had given him the wakeup call he so sorely needed. Flirtations with other women were now out of the question. From this day onward, he would strive to win his lovely wife’s heart and he would not give up until he’d achieved his goal.

  He checked on Arial at mid-morning and smiled to see that she’d fallen asleep in her chair in the sun. He walked softly across the room to gaze down at her, amazed all over again by how much he cared for this woman. How had she managed to sneak her way into his heart without him noticing? He’d started to believe he was incapable of loving just one woman but it seemed events had conspired to prove him wrong. He stooped to gently kiss her lips, touching her mouth with his own with the lightness of a feather so that he didn’t wake her. He left her to her peaceful dreaming and walked out of the library, intent on summoning one of the maids to bring him a coffee before returning to work. Strangely enough, he was more focused on work now and he had been for several weeks. His carefree playboy lifestyle had suddenly paled and he would never have thought that such an occurrence could ever present itself. It seemed marriage had changed him – and for the better. Perhaps Terence wasn’t blowing smoke out his ass when he ordered his errant son to find a bride. He might’ve known something that Carson was unable to comprehend at the time.

  He was about to walk back to the study to call for a maid when he heard the elevator doors open. He turned, expecting to see Martha or perhaps Matthew again. Both of them had indicated that they would come up sometime during the morning to check on Arial. However, the person who stepped out of the elevator was the last person he’d expected to see. It was neither Martha nor Matthew. Certainly neither of them had ever worn a dress that hugged every delectably outrageous curve of their body, nor did they have long, tanned legs and feathery blonde hair.

  “Gabriella! What are you doing here?”

  She tossed her head and stalked toward him, her eyes glued on his. “Your father let me in. I told him I had something for you and he said I would be able to find you in your study.” She stopped in front of him and pushed her dewy lips into a seductive pout. “Don’t you want to know what it is that I have for you?”

  He could probably guess what it was that she was offering. It didn’t take a genius to work that out. However, he definitely wasn’t interested.

  “Are you going to show me around?” she purred. “I’ve never been in your private residence before.”

  “Now isn’t really a good time…”

  “Nonsense. Anytime is a good time for a good time.” She walked away from him, making sure her hips told a story of their own.

  “Wait…”

  She’d reached the study now and stepped inside without asking for his permission. “Is there where all your hard work gets done? I do enjoy a bit of hard work. Emphasis on the hard, of course.”

  He followed her into the room. “I meant what I said. This isn’t a good time. My wife had an accident yesterday and I don’t want to disturb her while she’s resting.”

  Gabriella wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed her voluptuous body up against his. “Don’t worry. I don’t plan on disturbing her. The more privacy we have the better.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Arial

  Arial opened her eyes and for a moment or two, she did not know where she was. The sun where it fell through the window was warm on her arms and she could hear the soft murmur of a woman’s voice in the distance. She yawned and stretched her arms above her head while everything slowly came back to her. She was in the library, surrounded by shelves of books and the usual quiet hush that permeated this room. She remembered coming in here now. She was reading a book about a lighthouse and she’d kicked off her shoes to make herself more comfortable in this big, squishy chair. She must have fallen asleep in the drowsy comfort of the morning sun.

  She rose from the chair and went to look for Carson. She loved this new connection between them and she was eager to see where it went. Spending time together was an excellent way of exploring their developing love for one another. And yes, she’d finally admitted it to herself that she was falling heavily for her handsome man. The doctor’s revelation was a surprise but her words weren’t the only reason her own emotions had awoken from their deep sleep. People always said that actions spoke louder than words and the way Carson had treated her when she was unwell was incredible – sympathetic, loving, and kind.
He’d treated her in the manner of a man who deeply, genuinely cared for his wife. She was more than ready to bask in some more of that tender treatment this morning, to snuggle up close to him as she had in the car on the way to the hospital, and to feel his loving arms around her.

  She padded down the corridor to his study, already anticipating his smile when she walked through the door. This new level their relationship had entered was exciting and positive and she couldn’t wait to find out where it might go next. Well, she had an inkling of where it might go next – more than an inkling. The next step would mean they would finally share a bedroom. Now that was exciting.

  She could still hear a woman’s voice. Was it one of the maids? Carson sometimes liked to order a coffee in the middle of the morning. He said it gave him a boost and the energy to dive back into his work. Maybe she would order one too and they could sit and enjoy their break together. She reached the study and was about to walk in when she stopped, shocked into stillness by what she saw inside the room. Gabriella was in Carson’s arms with her hands entwined in his hair and her body locked against his. Arial covered her mouth with her hand and hurriedly backed away before either of them saw her. Her heart felt as if someone had rudely ripped it from her chest. Carson’s concern had all been an act, an act good enough to fool both the doctor and herself.

  She turned and ran down the corridor, wanting to put as much distance between her cheating husband and his paramour as possible. She punched her hand at the Down button on the elevator, not even sure where she was going but certain that she wasn’t staying here. The elevator stopped on the lower level and she stepped out, almost walking straight into Matthew in her rush to leave the house.

  “Hey, steady on there. Whatever it is can wait a few minutes.” He gazed at her, taking in her disheveled appearance and bare feet. “You do look as if you’re in a rush.”