Something to Prove (23 page)

He closed his eyes and pictured her. She slept naked beside him every night. The only
time he’d seen her wear anything was when she pulled on one of his T-shirts. He shrugged
and grabbed the shirt she seemed to favor and a pair of shorts. He checked the closet
and only found her damn business suits. She’d want something comfortable to wear home
tomorrow. But the woman didn’t own anything comfortable.

It was after one in the morning. Maybe he could find an all-night Walmart. Wouldn’t
Elizabeth of the I-only-wear-designer-clothes love that? But he couldn’t stomach the
thought of shopping with the crazy people. Not tonight. He shook his head and decided
she could make do with his clothes. He’d stop at his apartment for a pair of sweats.

He made it to the hospital by two. He knew visiting hours were over and chances were
good that he wouldn’t be able to see Elizabeth, but he at least wanted her to get
the bag and know he’d followed through. Lucky for him, the cute young nurse on the
floor was a sucker for a love story. Once he pled his case about wanting to say good
night to his fiancée, she sighed and told him he could have a few minutes.

The soft glow of the light above the bed illuminated Elizabeth’s pale face. Her expression
was still pinched, so he knew she was in pain.

“Hey. Thought you’d be asleep,” he whispered.

“How’d you get in here? Visiting hours are over.” She gave him a reprimanding look,
but smiled.

“The nurse said I could come in. I brought you clothes.”

“Thank God.” She extended her arms for the bag.

“I don’t know what you’re so excited about. You don’t own anything comfortable.”

She lifted her gaze to meet his with her hands still on the zipper of the bag. Her
shoulders slumped.

“Never fear. I brought my clothes for you to wear.” He grabbed the bag and pulled
out the shorts and T-shirt.

She reached behind her and tugged at the gown. She peeled it away from her body with
no thought of getting naked in front of him and what it might do. He turned away to
grab a chair and drag it close to the bed. By the time he sat, she was dressed and
he was hard.

“So tell me about tonight. How bad was the bar?”

“We opened on time. The event was a success. Everyone went home happy. No worries.”

“How did you get everything replaced so quickly? The glasses, the liquor, the TVs
. . .”

“My brother’s been in the business long enough to have connections. He came through
for me.” He stretched his arm out and held her hand. “How are you feeling?”

“Like crap. I can’t eat because of the tests tomorrow, so there’s no buffer against
the pain. There’s nothing good on TV, and I can’t sleep. At least earlier, I had Janie
to keep me company.” She paused. “I told you not to call anyone.”

“I’m not good at doing what I’m told.”

She offered a half smile. “I’m glad. Janie was just what I needed.”

Her smile faded into a grimace. He stroked her hand again.

“What can I do?”

She sighed. “Not much. Can you just talk to me until I fall asleep?”

“I’m good at talking.” He scooted his chair closer and kept his voice low. “I remember
when Ryan had to have his tonsils taken out. . . .”

He told her stories of his childhood until she faded off to sleep with a slight smile
on her lips.

Morning light brightened against his eyelids and he blinked. The feeling of sandpaper
still grated against his eyeballs. Elizabeth snored loudly in bed. The woman sounded
like a truck. She was a contradiction. Usually full of poise and manners and grace,
but then she had a raucous laugh and she snored. And then there was the clumsiness.
Although he hadn’t seen any of that in a while. No crashing into him, no spilling
drinks, no tripping.

When had her awkwardness stopped?

He straightened out of the chair and brushed a kiss on Elizabeth’s forehead. She stirred
but didn’t wake. He needed to go home and shower before heading back to the bowling
alley. Luckily, Bianca would be in, so he wouldn’t have to stay the whole time. He’d
be able to come back to pick up Elizabeth. Dinner with his family was out, but he’d
make sure she stayed where he could keep an eye on her.

CHAPTER 13

E
lizabeth stretched out on the uncomfortable bed, dying of thirst, but her throat was
too scratchy to risk a drink. The nurse had promised she’d be released within the
hour, but she felt totally abandoned. No one had come in to check on her, no one had
come with paperwork, and worst of all, no one had arrived with the dreaded wheelchair
so she could escape. The doctor had already given her a prescription and guidelines.

Rest for the remainder of the day should be easy enough; she was exhausted. Mushy
foods for the next couple of days didn’t appeal to her, but if it meant no more vomiting
blood, she’d suffer through. Colin had called and promised he’d be here to take her
home, but given how often he was late, she began to consider calling Janie.

The door opened, and she pushed herself into a sitting position. The nurse came in
with paperwork.

“Good, you’re up. Your fiancé is here to take you home. Talk about perfect timing.
Here are your release papers. I’ll be back in a minute with your wheelchair.”

Colin stood behind her looking as beat as she felt. He hadn’t shaved, and even in
her weakened condition, she thought of the delicious whisker burn he liked to leave
on her inner thigh. “Hey,” she managed, hating the scratchy sound to her voice. “I
was beginning to think you forgot about me.”

“Not possible. How are you doing?”

“I’m fine. It’s ulcers, just like I said. I have a prescription. I’ll be back on my
feet tomorrow.”

He opened his mouth and she knew he planned to argue, but he was cut off by the return
of the nurse.

“Here you go. Hop on.”

They said nothing on the way out of the hospital. Colin left her at the door and went
to pull the car around. She was pleasantly surprised when he drove up in her rented
Mercedes instead of his Jeep.

He walked around and opened the door for her, placing the duffel bag in the back.

She sank into the soft leather and enjoyed the air-conditioning blowing on her. She
closed her eyes and hoped Colin wouldn’t want to start a discussion, or worse, an
argument. The silence allowed her to doze, and she didn’t open her eyes until she
heard him put the car in park.

They were at O’Leary’s.

“Why are we here?” Her voice had become even rustier.

His eyes narrowed. “Did you really think I was going to dump you off at your hotel
all alone? I want you where I can keep an eye on you.”

He wanted her to stay at his apartment? “I’m fine. I’m just going to sleep.”

“You’ll sleep here.” He opened his door and walked around the car, leaving her stunned.

Nothing about his reaction over the past two days felt like the happy-go-lucky Colin
she knew. Every night they’d spent together smacked of coupledom, but this felt worse.
He wanted to take care of her.

While she processed the thoughts, Colin opened the door for her and extended a hand
to help her out. The idea of sleeping at the hotel didn’t appeal to her. It was just
a way of life. But feeling this crappy made her want to crawl into her own bed, which
she couldn’t do. Colin’s bed would more than suffice.

She accepted his hand and slid from the car. Her stomach rumbled and she wanted to
eat. “Can I ask you a huge favor?”

“Anything.”

His response came a little too readily. No caution for what she might ask.

“I’m starving, but I can’t eat real food yet. Can you get me a vanilla milk shake?”

“That’s it?”

She nodded weakly and wondered if she’d be able to stay awake long enough to get the
shake. Colin kept his arm around her as they went up to his apartment.

He unlocked the door and said, “Go get settled. I’ll be back with the shake.”

She mustered a smile. “Thanks.”

Inside the apartment, she wanted to go to the bedroom, but knew she wouldn’t stay
awake, so she sat on the couch. A soft blanket lay across the back. She’d been in
this living room and he’d never had a blanket on the couch. Reaching for the remote,
she saw a vase of flowers on the end table. The card sticking up read,
Get well soon.

She didn’t know what to do with this sweet version of Colin. He was trying to get
too close and that spelled disaster. Why couldn’t he keep things as they were? Casual
and fun worked for their relationship.

Cuddling the blanket, which was a huge improvement over what the hospital offered,
she dozed.

What seemed like minutes later, Colin sat beside her, brushing a strand of hair out
of her face. She had definitely fallen asleep and snoring made her throat even more
dry and scratchy. She attempted to clear her throat, but even that hurt.

“Here.” He put the straw against her lips.

She sucked gently and the creamy coolness slid down to ease the irritation.

“Thanks. That’s perfect. You really should’ve taken me to the hotel. I don’t belong
here.”

“What if you start bleeding again?”

“I’m fine. The doctor fixed everything.”

“Yeah, well, as much as I’d like to believe that, it’s not like you’d tell me anything
different. You were throwing up blood for days and said nothing.” Anger crossed his
face.

“I knew what the problem was and I had talked to my regular doctor. What was the point
in telling you?”

“What would be the point?” He shoved off the couch and stepped away. “The point is,
when you care about someone, you share the important shit.”

She knew it. Things were getting sticky between them. “You’re not supposed to care.”

“Bullshit. Beyond having sex, we’re partners and friends. You should’ve told me. Everything
that happens to you affects me and our business.”

He had a point there. If he hadn’t taken her to the hospital, she probably would’ve
gone herself. She would’ve missed work, and he wouldn’t have known. “I’m sorry. I
thought I was handling it.”

He crossed his arms. “You’re not supposed to handle it alone.”

“Got it. I’m not used to having other people to answer to. I work alone.”

“No one works alone all the time.”

She raised her eyebrows and took another sip of her shake. “I do. I only have subordinates
that I work with, and I certainly don’t answer to them.”

“What about your dad or your brother?”

“They do the front-end work, and I go in when they’re finished making changes. I make
sure the new staff follows the plan and the business remains successful.”

She busied herself with another sip, hoping he wouldn’t figure out this was the first
time she was in charge of an entire project.

“Lonely life. Don’t you ever get sick of it?” He sat back beside her and caressed
her leg.

“Yeah. I’m more than sick of it. That’s why it’s so important for this business to
work.”

“Why?”

She’d never really talked to anyone about her plans. Of all the people in the world
to confide in, Colin felt right. And really, who would he blab to?

Taking a deep breath, she let it pour out. “My father is planning to retire. I want
his job. I’ve been working toward it since college.”

The memories of that summer working in competition with Keith flooded back. “Since
Keith is the oldest, and male, I’ve always had to work to prove myself. Every job
is a test, but this one is the ultimate trial.”

“Why?” He picked up her legs and laid them across his lap.

“Because I’m here without my father knowing. He bought this bar more than a decade
ago and has done nothing but let it languish. I have no idea why. When I found it
in his holdings, I came here to check it out and decided this would be the project
that would prove my ability.”

She waited, but he said nothing in response. Exhaustion tugged at her now that her
belly was full of milk shake. “I need to prove that I’m as good as Keith.”

Colin looked deep in thought, and she hoped she hadn’t given him pause to reconsider
their partnership. It wasn’t as if she’d hid her inexperience, but the idea that he
might think less of her set her nerves on edge.

“I’m really tired, so I’m going to lie down.”

As if startled by her announcement, he jumped up and offered her a hand.

“I don’t need you to help me walk. I’m fine.” She walked alone into his bedroom and
curled under his covers. The sheets were fresh and didn’t even hold a hint of his
scent, which she found disappointing.

Colin watched Elizabeth leave the room, and his foggy brain tried to piece together
the conversation. Something had shifted between them. She’d told him something she
hadn’t wanted him to know. He wondered why she’d decided to tell him now.

He understood being in competition with a sibling, and he definitely knew what it
was like to have to prove himself. He just couldn’t reconcile the accomplished woman
he knew with the woman he now saw as afraid of failing. No wonder she had stomach
ulcers.

She really was all alone.

No matter how much he butted heads with Ryan, they would always be there for each
other. Their dad had instilled that in them. He had never wanted his sons in competition.
He certainly wouldn’t have set them up to compete. Patrick O’Leary had wanted a team.
Colin’s own ignorance had ruined it.

The information filtered in, and he realized that she had said that she’d come here
without her family’s knowledge. How had she been funding this project? How would her
secret affect their success?

He filed the questions away to ask her when she was feeling better. He went to the
kitchen to find something to eat before checking back in with Mike and Bianca. A knock
at his door stopped him. He peered through the peephole. Moira.

He swung the door open, but stayed in her path. “What are you doing here?”

She held out a wrapped plate. “You couldn’t make it to dinner, so I brought dinner
to you.”

He wanted to snatch it and close the door, but knew that wouldn’t work with Moira.
She was here on an expedition and wouldn’t leave without bugging him.

He took the plate and went into the kitchen. “Keep your voice down. Elizabeth is trying
to sleep.”

Moira bounced on her toes. “Oooo, she’s here?”

Colin shook his head and peeled back the foil on the plate. Roast beef and potatoes,
a staple of his childhood.

Moira sobered for a minute. “How is she? When Ryan told us she was in the hospital,
I got worried.”

“She’s okay. Stomach ulcers.”

The mischievous gleam reentered her eyes. “So why is she here?”

He forked potatoes into his mouth before answering. “Because I thought she’d be more
comfortable here than in a hotel by herself.”

“And you’re still trying to sell this relationship as purely business? Keep dreaming.”

He put his fork down. “We’re business partners and friends.”

“With benefits?”

“None of your business.”

“So that’s a yes.”

“That’s a stay out of it. You delivered the food and irritated me enough. Isn’t it
time for you to head home?”

“I can hang out here. You have to go back to work, right? I can keep Elizabeth company.”

Colin chewed his meat and considered Moira’s proposition. He didn’t like the idea
of leaving Elizabeth alone to go back to work, but she’d ream him a new one if he
left everything unattended to care for her. Moira was a good bet since they’d already
met and liked each other. As long as Moira didn’t decide to write an exposé on Elizabeth.

“Fine. You can stay to keep Elizabeth company, not to grill her for information. I
think she could really use more friends. If you need to leave, tell her to call her
friend Janie. And watch her do it, otherwise she’ll say she will, but won’t.” He finished
off his food without tasting much.

Moira studied him. “You’re really worried about her. You said she was fine.”

“She is.”

Moira continued to stare, and he felt himself breaking just like he did when his mother
gave him that look.

He sighed. “She was throwing up blood yesterday. They kept her in the hospital to
run tests. So although they released her, she has to make sure the bleeding doesn’t
start again. Keep her relaxed, because stress makes things worse.”

“Well, then, I guess you should be thrilled that my nosy ways led me here tonight.
I’ll keep an eye on her. We’ll hang out and watch TV.”

“Thanks.” Having the burden of worrying about Elizabeth lifted, he relaxed. His family
had stepped up. Again.

Colin snuck into his room and grabbed fresh clothes. Elizabeth snored away and he
smiled. The little things about her always surprised him most because they seemed
like they didn’t fit. He ducked out to take a quick shower and head back to work.
Moira had already taken possession of his remote and made herself at home.