Hawaiian Triple Heat [Dr. Love Shark] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 25

  Moki sobbed. Rae heard her steps as she retreated from the room.

  “Was it something I said?”

  The men didn’t answer. Rae rolled onto her side and buried her face in the pillow.

  “Please go. I need to take a nap.”

  She waited until she heard the door close softly before she burst into tears, sobbing like her heart was broken.

  “My poor sweetheart,” Mateo said, gathering her into his arms.

  “Oh! You scared me. Go away, Mateo. I need to be alone.”

  “Honey, you have every right to be angry, hurt, sad, and a whole list of other things. Please, let me hold you.”

  “It’s not fair! I only went for a swim. I’m blind, Mateo. Why didn’t they let me die?”

  “Hey! Don’t you dare talk like that, do you hear me? You can live without your sight, Rae. There are millions of sight-challenged people in the world, and they lead fully functional lives.”

  “Fully functional? I can’t see. How can I work? What can I possibly do with my life now?”

  He brushed a strand of hair away from her face, kissing her forehead with tender lips.

  “You can do many things, Rae. Don’t give up before you even find out the possibilities.”

  “Oh, go away, Mateo! Stop hovering over me.” She tried to push him away, but though he released her, he remained by her side until she fell into an exhausted sleep.

  * * * *

  “I want to see my wife.”

  “Ex-wife, Hooper. You’re not going to bother her. She needs her rest. Besides, she doesn’t even remember you.”

  “She will once I explain our history. A history I might add that is far longer than your one week of forced sex with her.”

  The man lifted his chin and dared Mateo to hit him, but Mateo stood his ground and held his temper.

  “You have about two seconds to get the hell out.”

  “Mateo? Who is that?”

  He turned to see Rae, beautifully mussed, her lips pouty from sleep, feeling her way slowly along the wall on her way to him.

  “It’s nothing, Rae. Go back to bed.”

  “I heard voices. Tell me who is here!”

  “It’s me, Rae, your husband.”

  “Not you again! I told you I’m not married. Why do you insist I am?”

  Her frown was followed by a wince of pain as her hand reached up to smooth out her temple.

  Mateo was at her side in an instant to sweep her off her feet and hold her close. “You’re going back to bed. You have a few more days before you should be out of it.”

  “No, I’m not. Let me down.”

  “She’s my wife. I’m taking her home with me.”

  “Oh, get over yourself. If I truly believed you, I’d go, but I don’t even know you except for the fact that you’re a jerk and have been since I met you.”

  “Rae, please give me a chance to fill you in on our history. The doctor said you have some memory loss. Isn’t it possible I’m right?”

  Lance’s plea made her pause. She worried her lip for a moment then nodded. She placed a hand on Mateo’s chest to stop him before he could continue down the hall.

  “Let me visit with Lance for a while so we can talk. You can go find something to do with yourself, I’m sure, and stop smothering me.”

  Frustrated, Mateo took her to the living room and gently placed her on the sofa then stood back.

  “You have five minutes.”

  “I’ll take as long as I want. You are not my boss,” she snapped.

  “I wasn’t talking to you.”

  “Just go, for crying out loud.”

  Ready to strangle Lance, Mateo moved into the next room though he listened to every word they spoke.

  * * * *

  When she heard Mateo’s footsteps recede, Rae felt Lance sit on the edge of the sofa beside her and take her hand.

  “Darling, we were married five years ago and had a little rift. You left me to come here for a vacation. It was only a matter of time before you were going to return. I would never lie to you.”

  “Not many men lie to women, especially their ex-wives, do they Lance?” Her sarcastic comment didn’t seem to faze him as he leaned in closer.

  She felt his garlic-scented breath on her cheek, and an image flooded her mind for a brief second, making her gasp.

  The feeling she got from the image was of a man being cold and cruel to her, his face a mask of anger. She removed her hand from his grasp and fought to catch her breath. Another image of Mateo kissing her, holding her close with another man startled her. She’d had sex with two men.

  “What is going on?” she murmured.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing. It’s nothing. I have a terrible headache. Perhaps we could talk another time. I don’t feel very well.”

  “Rae, please listen for a moment longer. I love you and have since the day I met you. You mean the world to me. Give me a few minutes to explain what went wrong, and maybe you’ll give me another chance. The loss of you is breaking my heart.”

  Lance pulled her closer, embracing her in his arms. Shudders went up her spine as she became fearful, feeling a sense of panic.

  “That’s enough. Let her go.”

  The low growl coming from the other side of the room was welcomed. Lance released her, and she stood, taking a step toward Mateo’s voice, but she banged her shin on a piece of furniture.

  “Ow!”

  “Honey, don’t move. I’m coming.” Seconds later she was curled up and safe in his arms.

  Mateo made her feel like no one could hurt her.

  “Get out of my home. If she chooses to talk to you, she’ll call you. Don’t come here.”

  “I have a right to see my wife.”

  “You have nothing! Now leave, or I’ll have security take you to the airport. You’re walking on thin ice, buster.”

  “You haven’t heard the end of this, Shark. I’ll sue you and have you charged for kidnapping.”

  “Rae, are you here because you want to be, or did I kidnap you?”

  “I want to be with you, Mateo. Take me away from him, please.”

  “Be gone before I get back.” Mateo turned his back on Lance and carried Rae back to his room. When he left her, she heard him growl, “Born in a barn,” then the sound of the door slamming. She sank back into a deep sleep with a sense of satisfaction.

  Chapter 18:

  The Darkest Nights

  “You are doing very well, Rae. No sex for another five weeks though.”

  “Sex? Why not?”

  The doctor cleared her throat.

  “I want to make sure you are completely well before you have intercourse. The head wound is coming along nicely. I’m shining a light in your eyes. Can you see anything?”

  “No. Damn it, why can’t I see?”

  “The optical nerves were damaged from the fall, Rae. We just have to wait and let them heal.”

  “Fine, but I have to admit, I’m not a patient woman, Doctor.”

  The doctor chuckled. “You’re one among many, Rae. Get lots of rest and let your loved ones take care of you.”

  “I’m getting tired of resting. Can Mateo take me to the beach at least?”

  “I’ll give you some extra dark medical sunglasses. We’d like to keep as much light out of your eyes as possible.”

  “Well, why are you flashing lights into them then?” she quipped, battling to keep her humor up so they wouldn’t know how devastated she was.

  Mateo and the doctor both laughed.

  “I’ll see you out, Doc.” He leaned over and kissed Rae with such gentleness she wondered why he wouldn’t give her more, then recalled the doctor’s orders and cursed under her breath as they left her.

  * * * *

  “She’s doing as well as she can under the circumstances. Why haven’t you told her about the baby, Mateo?”

  He shrugged and avoided the doctor’s blunt stare.

  “I’ll tell her when the t
ime is right.”

  “The sooner, the better. She needs to know, and holding it back will only prolong her healing. Tell her Mateo, or I will.”

  His deep sigh, followed by a rake of his fingers through his hair, was the only way he could express his frustration.

  “I’ll do it now then. I’d rather wait, but you know best. Thanks, Doc. Have a good day.”

  Once the door was closed behind her, he locked it and walked to the kitchen to see Moki, who’d returned to work full time.

  “How did it go?”

  “She’s okay, but no change on the vision. The doctor wants me to tell Rae about the baby today, or she will.”

  Moki placed a comforting hand on his chest.

  “Rae is a strong woman, Mateo. Tell her. With you there to support her, she’ll pull through just fine.

  “I hope so, Moki. The thought of bringing more pain to her makes me feel sick.”

  “If you need to remember anything, Mateo, it’s that you lost a child, too.”

  “It also could have been Piers’s.”

  “Would it have mattered if it was?”

  Shaking his head, he turned to the door to leave her. “No. I would welcome any child by her with open arms. I’ll call you if I need backup.”

  “Mateo?”

  “Yes?”

  “She’s going to be just fine. Have a little faith in her.”

  “I will. Thank you, Moki.”

  * * * *

  Rae stared into the darkness but smiled as soon as she felt him by her side.

  “Thank you for coming back. I’m not sure about Lance, but I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him.”

  “Rae, there’s something we need to discuss.”

  “Like what?”

  He caressed her cheek with his soft fingers and moaned. “I don’t want to tell you this, but I have to. When you had your accident, you…”

  She waited a moment for the shoe to drop, holding her breath.

  “Go on.”

  “Rae, we lost our child.”

  “I was pregnant?”

  “Yes, only four or five weeks at most, but the concussion did a lot of damage. I’m sorry, Rae.”

  She felt like someone had punched her in the gut as the words sank in.

  “A baby? I don’t remember that.”

  “Your memory is like spaghetti right now. Hopefully you’ll begin to remember things, but in case you do, I wanted you to be prepared. The doctor recommended I tell you everything.”

  “Mateo…I’m not sure how I feel about this. Are you okay about it?”

  I lost a child I don’t remember.

  “I don’t know what to feel right now. My main concern is you, Rae.”

  She admired the fact that he hid his pain to protect her and felt a sudden sense of loss she hadn’t expected.

  “I think I need some time alone, Mateo. Please.”

  At her hoarse whisper, he turned and left her, closing the door quietly behind him. Rae stared into space for a while as she imagined the tiny life she’d lost and began to sob.

  I don’t remember! I’m crying for a child I never knew existed.

  Rae dropped her head on the pillow and let the tears roll.

  * * * *

  The next morning, when Rae woke up, Mateo sat on the bed beside her, his palm resting on her lower belly. He hadn’t left her side for more than a few minutes for days on end. When she moved to sit up, her head pounded and nausea rolled deep down in her belly. Quickly she slapped a hand over her mouth.

  “Here’s a pail. It’s all right, sweetheart.”

  Rae threw up a number of times until her head felt like a band of drummers was crashing through it. Gentle hands held back her hair and rubbed her shoulder while she retched over and over again. When it was done, he handed her a cool, wet facecloth then left her side for a moment. Rae heard the toilet flush.

  “Are you all right?” Mateo asked, his tone worried.

  Rae began to nod, but the pain came back and caused her to wince. “Yes, I’m okay.”

  “It’s the concussion. Piers said it might happen. I watched over you all night to make sure you were okay. He wanted you in the hospital for another day, but I told him I’d take care of you.”

  “That was very sweet of you, Mateo.” She remembered the way he’d avoided her before the accident and wondered why he was being so nice. “I need a drink of water.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  As she listened to his footsteps receding, she heard the doorbell ring and wondered if it was Lance. Rae stood and threw on a dress Moki had laid out for her earlier then stepped out into the hallway.

  “She’s not going with you. I told you, she’s sick this morning.”

  “Let her tell me herself, Shark boy. I don’t believe you.”

  “Lance, he’s telling you the truth. I have a splitting headache, and I’m sick to my stomach. I’ll let you know if I feel better later. I’m sorry, but I’m not going anywhere today.”

  He pushed past Mateo and cupped her chin with his fingers. “You don’t look well at all.

  ““I’m fine but need to rest today.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay, babe?”

  “That’s so kind of you to care, but I’m okay, Lance. I’ll call your room tomorrow to see if you’re still interested in our date.”

  “Of course I am. I came all this way to see you, Rae. Like I told you, I want you back in my life. It was the biggest mistake I ever made, giving up on you. The passion I see in you was there all along. I was such an idiot not to notice it.” He leaned forward and kissed her, ignoring Mateo who stepped forward.

  The heat of Mateo’s body behind her made her more than conscious of him. Rae pushed against Lance’s chest and fought back the bile in the back of her throat as he kissed her. When he groaned and moved closer, Mateo broke them apart, lifting her up once again to cradle her close to his body.

  “She needs rest. You can see yourself out.”

  Mateo ignored Lance’s protest and took Rae down the hallway then placed her on the bed, anger in his every movement. She loved that he was jealous.

  “I’ll get you a cloth to wash your mouth.”

  As soon as he left her, she bit back a laugh and lay down to make herself comfortable. She’d missed being in his bed. The doctor at the hospital told her not to have sex for a few weeks since she’d miscarried so early, but she wanted him now. Though the bleeding was minimal, she had a lot of healing to do, physically and mentally.

  Mateo returned and sat on the edge of the bed, wiping her mouth thoroughly. She couldn’t help but smile at him.

  “What?”

  “Nothing really, I’m just wondering why you’re so angry all of a sudden.”

  “I…” Mateo raked his fingers through his thick shiny hair and blew out a breath of frustration. With tender fingers, he caressed her cheek and leaned in close to her, his lips hovering over hers as though he was about to kiss her.

  “Rae, there’s something I need to tell you. I—”

  “You bastard! Get away from my wife!”

  Lance roared as he rushed across the room. She felt Mateo fall off the bed then heard the sound of flesh pounding flesh.

  Rae screamed. “Stop it! Stop it, I said!” She made her way over to the shelf and grabbed the first thing she found, which was a whip. When the men continued to pummel each other, she brought it down on the back of whoever was on top at that moment.

  “Hey, quit that, Rae!” Lance shouted.

  “I told you both to stop fighting, and I mean now!” A sudden dizzy spell caused her to lose her balance, and she fell to the floor as darkness took her away.

  * * * *

  “Rae?”

  Muffled, faint, the gentle voice called to her from afar until she focused on it and struggled to wake up.

  “Moki?” Her voice sounded strange to her own ears as she searched for the kind woman.

  “Piers is on his way. I kicked those two idiots out
of the room. Imagine them fighting right here. You could have been seriously hurt.”

  “Why are you here?”

  “Mateo called Piers, but he’s taking care of the final details on a baby delivery, so Mateo sent a car to pick me up in the meantime. He’s scared to death for you.”

  “And Lance?”

  “Mateo kicked that jerk out. What you ever saw in that fool is beyond me.”

  Moki’s laughter made Rae grin, but that faded fast as pain rushed through her head. The door squeaked, drawing her attention.

  “Get out of here, Mateo, or I’ll paddle your butt like I used to when you were a young boy.”

  “Moki, I have to see her. Are you okay, Rae? I’m sorry. I had no idea what would happen if you got upset.”

  “Upset?” Moki scoffed. “You two nearly killed the poor woman.”

  Rae felt bad for Mateo and placed her hand on Moki’s arm to stop her.

  “It’s okay, Moki. If you wouldn’t mind, can I have a glass of water?”

  “I’ll get you some breakfast, too. Mateo told me what happened and how you were sick this morning. You must be hungry.”

  “Not really. I’m just thirsty.”

  “Regardless, sweetie, I’ll get you something to eat that won’t be hard on your stomach. You rest.” She turned her attention to Mateo and snapped, “If you can’t behave yourself, then get out of this room now.”

  The long silence that passed surprised Rae since Mateo was always the one in control. It seemed that Moki was a force to be feared at that moment.

  In a subdued voice, he murmured, “I’ll behave, I promise.”

  Moki patted Rae’s hand then walked away, leaving the door open.

  Mateo sat on the edge of the mattress and enveloped Rae’s hand in his.

  “I’m so—”

  “Let it go, Mateo. Apologies won’t change a thing. What happened after I…um, blacked out.”

  “We stopped fighting, and I told him to leave then took care of you.”

  “Are you going to make up with Moki?”