His Favorite Mistake (Baby Its Cold Out) (14 page)

             
Doctor Robert Stephens stared back at him in complete surprise.

             
“Do you have any idea what you’re asking? Do you realize just how much trouble both of us could be in if she were to find out I did this? No, there’s no way I can. I just examined her, very thoroughly, and there were no signs of any drug abuse. No needle marks. No signs of it physically. Why is it you suspect that she’s using? What evidence do you have?”

             
“I don’t and there is no evidence, at least none I’m aware of. That is, I’m not sure. I just need you to rule it out for me, Robert. I don’t ever want her to know I asked you to do this. I know I’m asking a lot. I’m going to ask you just the same because I need to know. Can you do this for me?”

             
“You realize that without her consent or a court order, we could both be in very serious legal trouble if she challenges it? Are you willing to take responsibility for the consequences if that happens? There’s not a court in the world that would uphold the findings. Even if she were using.”

             
“She won’t challenge it, Robert, and yes, of course I’ll take complete responsibility. I have to know for certain.”

             
The doctor watched him, saw the apprehension in him, and reluctantly relented.

             
“Okay, I’ll do it. I’ll have the results back to you within a few days.” As Brody closed the door behind the doctor, he stood, silently praying he hadn’t just made the worst mistake of his life.

Chapter Twelve

Reyna’s fever broke sometime in the early morning hours before dawn. She opened her eyes slowly, looking around in surprise. For a moment, she was completely lost.

              The last real thing she could remember was passing out on the sofa. Now she was in the bedroom of Brody’s work apartment but she couldn’t remember just how or when she’d gotten there. Her eyes slowly drifted around the room as she tried to capture some fleeting memory.

             
She struggled to sit up in bed. She was so weak. She realized for the first time that she was completely naked beneath the thin sheet covering her. Her head pounded, her throat was so raw that it hurt to swallow, but at least the fever had gone and her head was starting to clear.

             
She had been dreaming. It was just remnants of the fever that made her believe Brody had been there with her. That he had held her close all night long. Brody was thousands of miles away in New York.

             
So how exactly had she gotten into bed? She closed her eyes and tried to remember but couldn’t.

             
Reyna heard a small sound. She turned her pounding head and saw him sitting next to her bed. Brody was real all right. He’d awakened at the sound of her movement.

             
She blinked trying hard to focus over the pounding in her head. He didn’t disappear. He was there with her. She hadn’t been dreaming at all.

             
“Brody? What are you doing here?” Her voice was little more than a whisper torn from her burning throat and she tried to remember what exactly it had been about her dream that had left her feeling so vulnerable.

             
He sat down close to her, his hand cupping her cheek watching her with so much protectiveness on his face that it took her breath away.

             
“Hey, you. You’re looking much better. You gave me quite a fright last night, Reyna. I nearly went out of my mind when I found you here.”

             
“Your meeting?” was all she could say. She wanted to ask him why he’d come back. She couldn’t.

             
“I’d been trying to reach you all day yesterday but no one seemed to know where you were. I was so worried, that I caught the first flight home and when I found you here, I...” He shook his head but Reyna could see how worried he’d been.

             
“I never want to feel that way again. You were so pale. I thought, well it doesn’t matter now. I’m just so glad you’re better now. Doctor Stephens said it was just the flu. Apparently, it’s going around. He said you haven’t been taking proper care of yourself. I’m not going to let that happen again. You have to rest. Don’t even think about trying to get out of this bed. If you need anything, tell me and I’ll get it for you, okay?”

             
Reyna saw the fierce protectiveness that was there in the way he looked at her. He cared about her, after all. He wanted to protect her, and she loved him so much at that moment, it hurt.

             
“I’m sorry I worried you. I didn’t mean to.” She pulled her knees up to her chin and lay her head down against them. She was so exhausted and vulnerable and her emotions were everywhere.

             
She heard him whisper her name and then she was in his arms.

             
“Don’t, baby. Don’t cry. Don’t worry about the trip. There was no way I could stay away not knowing if you were okay. Mark was very understanding, and we were able to complete our meeting. So you see everything worked out just fine. You are far more important to me than business.” He held her close to him whispering softly against her ear. She felt so safe with him, so warm and secure in his arms that she closed her eyes and let the weakness take control once more. “Are you falling asleep?” Brody asked softly.

             
“Just for a moment. I’m so tired. I’m so glad you’re here. I missed you so much.”

* * * *

              Her words sounded muffled against his chest. He lay her back down against the bed. The warmth of her body ignited his desires. He’d give anything if she felt even a small part of what he did for her. Never before had he had such need for a woman. It was torture being near her like this.

             
She’d said things to him now that she normally would never admit. It was the sickness. It lowered her inhibitions.

             
How much did she remember about last night? What would she say when she remembered how he’d held her close all night long? That it had been he who undressed her, bathed her fever away. She was so beautiful, and he wanted her more than anything in the world. Being close to her, wanting her so much that he physically ached for her was making it almost impossible for him to remain near her, yet unbearable to think of leaving her, even for a moment, much less longer. His instincts told him that she wanted him, too. She was far too encumbered by the past to admit that to him.

             
He wondered just what she would say if he told her that, he knew every inch of her body by heart. He grinned, knowing the answer already. She would be embarrassed. She would look at him with that painfully embarrassed expression on her face. The way she looked when anything remotely intimate passed between them. She was still clinging to her illusion of a marriage. Her heart was telling her what she felt for Brody was happening too soon.

             
Like it or not, Cade stood between them like an impenetrable wall. There was something about their marriage that Reyna still didn’t trust him with.

             
If Reyna found out he’d requested the drug screen, there was little doubt in his mind that she would hate him for not trusting her. In his heart, Brody knew he didn’t have a choice. He had to know the truth and she wouldn’t tell him.

             
There had been so many accusations made about her by both Cade and later on, by Cade’s father. Brody needed to confirm for himself what he knew with every fiber of his being. He now knew her better than anyone else on earth, including her husband. There was no possible way on earth that Reyna James was involved with drugs. Once he had the answer in his hands, he did not intend to let her know what he had done. He dared not because he couldn’t risk losing her.

             
Reyna slept fitfully throughout most of the day, waking only for brief moments of time. Each time, she called out for him. She needed him and for the moment, just being near her, close enough to touch her, to reassure himself that she was okay, was enough.

* * * *

              When Reyna woke again, the room around her was dark, but the lights of Denver flickered through the open curtains illuminating the room.

             
Brody stood next to the window, turning when he heard her move.

             
“You’ve come back to me. How are you feeling?” He stepped closer, looking down at her. When he smiled, she looked away; uncertain of the emotions he no longer tried to hide from her.

             
“I feel so much better. My headache is finally gone. What time is it?” she asked a little shyly. She didn’t understand this change in him. They weren’t lovers, but they were far more than friends.

             
“It’s late, almost midnight. You’ve been asleep most of the day. I’m glad you’re feeling better.” He reached out to touch her face, tucking a straying lock of hair back behind her ear. She was becoming all too familiar with a gesture. It spoke volumes about the intimate level their relationship had moved to.

             
“I know, I guess I was tired.” Reyna could think of only one thing at that moment and that was escape. She needed to get away from him and those eyes that saw too much to understand this change in him. “I…I think I’ll take a bath now.” She sat up a little too quickly. The room around her began to sway uneasily forcing her back down, her hand going to her head automatically.

             
“Take it easy. Just sit still for a moment. Why don’t you let me run the bath for you while you relax for a moment?” She wanted to protest but she couldn’t say a single thing.

             
When he returned, he quietly picked her up ignoring her futile protest as he carried her into the bathroom.

             
“Reyna, there’s no need to be embarrassed. Let me help you.”

             
All of a sudden, Reyna was remembering all too clearly, what had happened the last time she’d been in this room. Brody had undressed her then and had helped her into the ice-cold water. She couldn’t even bear to think of that moment. To remember how she must have looked to him.

             
“No. No, Brody I can do the rest on my own. Please. I, let me do this on my own.” She saw the way his eyes narrowed and knew he didn’t trust her but he reluctantly he gave in, leaving the room.

             
Reyna sank down into the warm water with a cry of sheer satisfaction. She closed her eyes and let the warmth of the water seep into her chilled skin. She washed her hair and felt so much better just having done that small task. The effort had left her drained. She leaned her head back against the tub, unable to lift her arms. She looked up and saw him watching her from the doorway. She knew exactly what he intended to do and she was powerless to stop him. Brody came slowly over to her, his eyes never leaving hers. He pulled the plug from the drain before gently wiping away her tears. Then Brody reached for her as the water left the tub and held her in his lap gently drying her, before helping her into one of his tee shirts. He took the towel and dried her hair tossing it onto a growing heap near the tub.

             
“You should go back to bed.” She shook her head. She didn’t want to leave him. She just wanted to be near him. She didn’t want to miss a moment of being with him.

             
“No. The last place I want to go is back to bed.” She stopped when she saw him smile. “I’ve spent too much time in bed already.”

             
“Okay. Then come with me. We’ll watch a movie together.”

             
Reyna sat leaning against him on the sofa, sipping hot soup from a cup, while wrapped in a blanket and was happier than she had ever thought possible. The movie was an old classic something both of them had seen a dozen or more times. She listened as Brody told her about his trip to New York.

             
Reyna awoke as the final credits of the movie rolled across the screen. She was lying with her head in Brody’s lap and he had just kissed the nape of her neck, before scooping her up in his arms carrying her into the bedroom.

             
He put her in bed and pulled the covers over her. She didn’t want to let him go.

             
“Stay with me, Brody. I don’t want you to go. Please, will you stay with me tonight?” Reyna held her breath wondering what had possessed her to ask him that. She thought at first, he would refuse, but then he turned out the lights and she heard the soft whisper as he undressed and lay beside her, drawing her into his arms.

             
She could feel the way his heart raced. She’d never felt closer to him than at this moment. She’d never wanted him more. Her arms circled his body and he grew tense.

             
“Go to sleep, okay? You’re tired, and I don’t want to do something I’ll spend the rest of the night hating myself for.” He turned her in his arms so he could look into her eyes and she saw the control he was holding onto. “I want you, Reyna, and I know that you want me. Not like this. Not when you’re still sick. I want all of you. Your body, your mind, your emotions. All of you.” He settled her back against him, his hand gently stroking down her arm and she was content just to be near him, knowing he wanted her. Now nothing else on earth mattered much. Not Cade, not the pain of the past. Not the truth that she would only be a passing fantasy for Brody. Nothing mattered but the man holding her close.