The Hardest Hit (18 page)

Usually doctor's offices didn't freak her out. This one did. Chelsea sat in the waiting room at Dr. Foster's office and watched the door. It opened. It closed. No Trevor. If she remembered correctly, today marked his reevaluation. With all the privacy laws, it wasn't like she could ask the receptionist what time his appointment was. So she sat, still as stone, and kept her eyes glued on the doorway.

Clearing her schedule hadn't been as difficult as she thought. With a few phone calls, she found a doctor to cover her day at the clinic. And she'd made her hospital rounds early, before Dr. Foster's office opened. And the MediPharma board; they were already becoming an afterthought.

The only reason the board of directors needed her was because she wasn't a man, and they could say they added some diversity into their tight-knit group. She'd always vowed to put 110 percent into everything she did. But not this. Not when her opinions didn't matter. She simply didn't have time to be a number.

Shortly after ten o'clock, the door opened and Trevor walked in. Her heart stilled. At first he didn't see her. He walked toward the reception window and checked in. Once he turned to find a seat, her eyes locked with his.

He made a beeline toward her.

“What are you doing here?” he whispered. “Is everything okay?” That was Trevor. Always concerned for her before anything else.

“Yes. Everything's fine. I wanted to be here for you today. It's a big day. I hope you don't mind.”

The look on his face shifted. He did mind. The stillness in her heart dissipated, leaving the organ drumming in her chest. When he didn't say anything, she averted her eyes to the floor. “I'm sorry. I'll go.”

“No.” He sat down beside her. “Don't. Just because I didn't expect you here doesn't mean I don't want you here. I'm just surprised. That's all.”

“I didn't know how to tell you that I wanted to come. But I'll go if my being here isn't appropriate,” she said in a soft tone.

He reached across and took her hand in his. “It's a big day. I appreciate the support of a good friend.”

His words struck her in the gut.
A friend.
She'd been reduced to friend status in his mind, which sat well below ex-girlfriend. Would she ever be his girlfriend again? If his feelings for her had disappeared, she'd find a way to understand. But the thought of seeing him with someone else was more than she could bear.

If she ever wanted to get back into his good graces, she needed to apologize, and no time seemed better than the present.

She turned to him, and stared in to his beautiful dark eyes. “Trevor, I'm so—”

“Trevor Redding?” the nurse called from the doorway then left the door open for him to follow her.

“I'll be right back,” he told Chelsea, and before she could utter another word he was gone.

Chelsea watched him go. After the door shut behind him, she grabbed her purse and walked outside. She knew what she had to do, and she knew where she needed to be. In her head her priorities were finally clear.

Once the fresh air hit her, she drew out her cell phone and dialed.

“Reginald Delaney,” a man's voice said after a few rings.

“Dr. Delaney. It's Chelsea Fox.” Confidence lined her voice.

“Oh, hi, Chelsea. Glad you called. Today's meeting has been rescheduled to noon. Hope you'll be there,” he said with a hint of expectation.

“That is exactly why I'm calling. I wanted to talk to you about my position on the board.” She pressed the phone harder into her cheek. “Over the last few weeks, I've come to understand that the Board of Directors at MediPharma is not the place for me.”

“Oh?” He genuinely sounded let down.

One word spoke volumes. She knew he'd been happy as long as he had her voting proxy, but quitting the board meant Delaney would lose her proxy too. She was sure that wouldn't sit well with him.

“Let's face it: You and I both know why I'm there. You need a female on the board. Diversity looks good. However, my time is better served spent with people I love.”

“The board absolutely values your insights,” he argued.

“The board is very polite. I'm certain you offered me the position as a favor to my father, and for that I'm grateful. I've always known that people matter over policy, and over profits. I allowed myself to get sidetracked. That's not who I am. I became a doctor to help people, but this time, the person I need to help is me.” She willed herself to be strong, knowing what she had to say next. “Therefore, please accept my resignation from the board, effective immediately.”

Quitting the board in order to work on rebuilding a relationship with Trevor—if he'd have her—was the first in a long line of right decisions she knew she needed to make.

The line fell silent.

Delaney didn't understand, nor did she expect him to as she continued. “I'm sure it won't take MediPharma long to find a replacement. There are plenty of doctors out there who will jump at the opportunity.” She tried her best to soften the blow.

“Uh, well, uh,” he stammered, “thank you for letting me know. We appreciate your contributions. If you ever need anything, just remember, we're only a phone call away.”

“Thank you, Dr. Delaney. One day I might take you up on that.” She ended the conversation. A wave of satisfaction flowed through her. She'd stuck to her guns, and made the right call. Next, she needed to tell her father, which wouldn't be as easy.

Searching her phone, she pressed the number for her father and waited. After a few rings his voice blew through the line.

“Hi, Dad, it's me,” she said.

“Good morning, Chelsea, what can I do for you?” he bellowed.

Nerves jumped in her stomach. She placed one foot in front of the other and started to pace. She drew in a breath of fresh air to calm her jitters.

“I wanted to let you know I called Reginald Delaney this morning.”

“Something wrong?” he asked.

“No. I resigned from my position on the MediPharma board.” She sounded smooth and confident.

A long pause stretched across the line. In those empty seconds her mind raced. Chelsea wasn't about to second-guess herself. She'd done the right thing. But now that she'd told her father, she couldn't imagine what he was thinking. Did he have his hand closed in a fist? No. He wasn't that kind of man. He'd take his disappointment out on her in other ways. If she had to guess, he'd probably cut off her finances from her trust.

Before he could respond, she said, “I know how much you wanted this to work out, Dad, but sitting on a board of directors, debating issues that have already been decided isn't me. It's not who I am.”

A gust of air rushed across the line and she knew he'd released the breath he'd been holding.

“I should've known,” her father said when he finally did speak. “You're not like me, Chelsea. You never were.”

“Is that a bad thing?” she asked.

“No. You didn't become a doctor for the country club memberships and the fancy board positions. You became a doctor for the right reasons.”

She shrugged. “I never wanted to be anything else.” The instant she said those words, she knew she'd lied. She did want to be something else. Chelsea wanted to be whatever Trevor would allow her to be in his life. A friend. A girlfriend. A lover. That's the only other thing she wanted besides being a doctor. A relationship, of any kind, with him.

“I know you're disappointed. But I have plans to make the clinic work without using any trust fund money, and if it hadn't been for my seat on the board I wouldn't have figured it out.”

Her father grumbled. “I don't understand.”

“Big companies like Costcon and MediPharma need to donate money for taxes and charitable contributions. They are lining their pockets, but people who run those companies like to sleep at night, which is why I plan to fund-raise for corporate contributions to support the clinic. I already have a commitment from Stamina for a healthy donation, and I'll plan to ask Costcon and MediPharma for the same.”

A pause stretched across the line.

“I've never heard this side of you, Chelsea. You are really starting to take charge. Maybe the board appointment did you some good after all?”

Again, her father didn't speak, until she said, “If it weren't for you looking out for me, I would've never gotten the idea to solicit someone as big as MediPharma, and now that I know the board, a donation is only a phone call away.”

He chuckled. “Well, color me impressed. I expected a lot out of you, Chelsea, and I got it. You've done things differently than I expected, but there's nothing wrong with that.”

Her eyebrows pulled down. “So you're not mad?”

“Of course not. I'll admit I didn't want you wasting all of your trust fund money on the clinic, but hearing that you have a plan to manage the expenses? Well, that's something I can respect.”

Shock ran through her. Was this her father talking? “Thank you.”

And with that, she ended the call with her father and continued to wait for Trevor. There was still one more conversation she needed to have.

Trevor emerged from the doctor's office and glanced around the waiting room. No Chelsea. Of course there was no Chelsea. He knew her. Had he really expected to find her sitting there waiting for him? The empty chairs told him that she had probably waited as long as she could, then received a phone call and left for the hospital or the clinic.

That was how her life was.

He'd already checked out with the nurse so he moved to the glass doors, heading toward the parking lot. As he looked out the door, Chelsea walked inside.

“You're finished already,” she said once he was within earshot. A hint of surprise lined her voice as if delighted she'd made it back in on time.

“All set,” he said. “I thought you'd left.”

Her blue eyes nearly cut through him. “Leave? Trevor, I'd never leave you. Not on a day as big as today. So tell me. How'd it go?”

He shrugged. “Mind if we talk outside?”

“Of course.”

He opened the door for her and she followed him outside. In silence, he walked to his car with her in tow. She grabbed his hand and he turned around.

“Please tell me. I can't take it.”

He couldn't stop the smile from spreading on his face. The stupid grin pinched his cheeks. “Well, I'm cleared to fight.”

“Oh.” She threw her arms around him. “That's fantastic!”

He grabbed her in a hug. God, she felt so good, so soft in his arms that he didn't want to let her go. But he had to. They weren't a couple anymore, and they'd just started talking. The last thing he wanted was for things between them to start getting weird.

Trevor released her, but she still held his gaze. “That's not all. The doctors said I'm cleared to fight with the understanding that should I continue to box it will cause my condition to worsen.”

She looked at him like she knew exactly what the doctor meant. She probably did, but didn't elaborate further.

“So, it was really good news, bad news, then huh?” She continued to hold his hand.

He averted his eyes to the spot where their hands joined. “No. It was all good news.”

She cocked her head to the side. “But if you fight, your condition will get worse.”

He smiled. “You still don't get it, do you? You were here. No matter what the doctor said. You were here. That was good news.”

He knew in that instant that he loved her. Trevor had never stopped. She'd lied to him, betrayed him even, but not for a second had he ever quit loving her. Sure, he'd told her they were done. That decision was one he'd lived to regret. Now, seeing her waiting for him sent a rush of emotion, one so deep that his heart couldn't contain. She was all he'd ever wanted. More than winning a title. More than ever stepping foot in the ring again.

Wetting his lips he said, “Over the last couple of months I learned that what I like the most about boxing isn't boxing. It's the people who make up the sport. The fighters, my trainers, you, and the Stamina team make doing what I do the absolute best thing in the world.”

He leaned in toward her. “And you taught me that there's no better feeling than helping people. You were right. When Domenic won the fight, that kind of satisfaction wouldn't have tasted any sweeter if I'd won the match myself.”

“But you did win,” she interjected.

“I know. And, we won the fight as a team. Growing up the way I did, I'd lived so long doing things by myself that I thought the only way boxing would work for me was if I was in the center of the ring being named fighter of the year. I treated life like a solo mission.” He shook his head. “That was so wrong.”

Color flashed in her cheeks. “There's something else that was wrong: me. I was wrong not to tell you about your injuries and their prognosis. I'm sorry.”

“You don't have to apologize.” He appreciated that she'd said the words, but he'd already forgiven her. Long ago, right after he'd started missing her.

“And you,” he said, “I was so lucky to meet you.”

Tears crowded her eyes. “I was lucky to meet you, too.”

They walked together toward the parking lot and Trevor eased her into the direction of his car.

“I have something to tell you.” Chelsea stopped walking. “I resigned my position on the board.”

Her words struck him. “I bet your father isn't pleased.” Then he picked up the pace again and headed in the direction of the parking lot.

“Actually, he took it better than I thought. Sitting on the board gave me the idea to solicit corporate donations for the clinic. He really didn't hate the clinic. He thought I didn't have a plan for sustaining the medical center without self-funding. Once I told him what I learned by being on the board, he seemed to be okay.”

“You'll be donating more time at the clinic, I guess.”

She shook her head. “No. Not more time. There's someone else I'd rather spend my time with.”

He didn't miss the heat in her stare. “Me?”

A small smile crept across her face. “If you'll have me?”

He grabbed her and drew her to him. “Have you? You're the only one I've ever wanted.” His heart almost burst. “Baby, I've loved you from the first minute I saw you.”

She flung her arms around him before he could say another word and smashed her lips to his.

He kissed her, so hard, so deep. God, he'd missed her taste, and the little sound she made when their lips touched. Never had he realized how much he craved her. She was everything to him, a friend, a partner, a lover. He knew in that instant what he'd been missing—not only for the few weeks they were apart, but for his whole life.

Kissing him, her tongue darted out, teasing his lips open. Her tongue met his in a unique dance. She devoured him, consumed him. What they shared could never be had with anyone else.

He needed to show her how much he missed her. Right. Now.

Peeling his lips from hers, he said, “Follow me.”

Trevor walked to the car and opened the passenger-side door for her. Before she got inside, he pressed another quick kiss to her lips.

“Get in,” he said in a rush.

“Where are we going?” she asked, getting into the car.

“Someplace more private. We've got a lot of time to make up for.” He shut the door and took his girl straight home.

***

Trevor drove faster than normal. Why wouldn't he? He had his girl sitting right beside him, and signs pointed to them getting back together. As he turned the corner, his day spun through his mind. He'd been cleared to fight. But he hadn't expected the feelings in him to erupt the way they did once Dr. Foster gave him the all-clear.

He didn't feel the adrenaline rush. The need to get back in the ring. Why? He'd found a new calling, a new life.

“I'm calling Daniella tonight,” he told her. “I'm going to pursue training full-time.”

“Wow! That's fantastic. I'm sure Daniella will be thrilled.” Her voice sounded light and airy.

With a quick glance at Chelsea, he said, “I know what I want now, and that's all due to you. If I hadn't been barred from boxing, I'd have never had the opportunity to find out where I truly fit.”

“Really?” The excitement in her voice was quickly replaced by a sound of wonder. Tears filled her eyes. “You realized this because of me?”

He lifted his hand and placed it on her thigh. “Of course I did. Helping you in the clinic, seeing what you can do for people and how that makes you feel, I learned that feeling was what was missing from my life, too. Because of you, I learned how much I wanted to help young boxers. I'm not a doctor, but I'm a damn good trainer.”

“You're an excellent trainer.” A single tear rolled down her cheek. “That's so sweet.”

He placed his gaze back onto the road. “There's more. When I call Daniella I plan to tell her of the upgrades I want to make to all the gym equipment. My goal is to make sure Stamina is known as the safest boxing environment in Vegas.” His chest swelled with pride. After all the waiting, and the indecision about his fight status, he'd made a damn good decision, one he could not only live with but thrive in.

“I thought there was nothing you wanted more than to fight again,” Chelsea said.

Trevor pulled the car into his driveway and parked. “There's absolutely nothing I want more than you.”

She really turned on the water works at that. Lifting her hand and wiping the tears away, she said, “That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard.”

They got out of the car, and walked up the steps to his apartment. Hands joined, each tried to walk faster than the other to get behind closed doors. Oh God. He was steps away from being inside her. He wanted to show her just how much she meant to him.

He fumbled with his keys, trying to find the right one to fit the door. His excitement was giving him away. Anticipation stirred in his stomach. There was no better way to end the day than with Chelsea in his bed.

The door flung open and they barely made it inside before he tore at her shirt. Button after button, he worked the tiny fasteners. If she didn't need to wear the damn thing later, he'd have ripped the clothing from her body. Her hands busied themselves with the zipper on his jeans.

He peeled back her shirt, revealing those beautiful snowy white shoulders. He pressed his lips to her skin. Ah, the taste of her. God, he'd missed it. He felt his jeans slide down his thighs and he stepped from them. By the time he'd kicked off his shoes, Chelsea worked her hands around his cock. Oh, her touch. He'd missed every single one of those skilled fingers. No one else's hands would ever touch him. No woman could do to him what she did.

He took his time, tracing her bra strap with his tongue. His hand lifted and cupped her breast. Her chest heaved. The lacy bra looked wonderful on her, but there was a problem.

“Too many clothes,” he growled, as his fingers moved to the front clasp. With a gentle
pop
, he undid the bra and freed her beautiful breasts. He lowered his lips to her nipple, and sucked one deep into her mouth. She made a tiny sound and his dick hardened. He nibbled on her taut flesh, and her body squirmed in his hand.

He released her from his teeth. “Bedroom,” he ordered.

Before he let her step away, he helped her slip out of her bra and dropped it on the floor.

On the way to his room, he grabbed the hem of his shirt and yanked it off, then threw it aside. Having her back, he was a changed man, a new man, one who was in control of his future and knew exactly what he wanted.

“Lie down,” he instructed, “Leave the jeans to me.”

With a light giggle, she did as he instructed.

He towered over her. He worked the button and zipper, then pulled the jeans down her body, revealing lace panties, and two lovely legs he wanted to get between. Pronto. “Beautiful,” he said. “Now, take off your panties.”

Her fingers wrapped around the lacy edges, and dragged the underwear down her hips, until she could no longer reach. To avoid having her sit up, he took over. Slowly, he brushed the material down.

He reached over to the nightstand and pulled out a box of condoms. Tearing one open, he decided to save for later the conversation about not using them anymore. He knew he wanted to marry her. He wanted kids with her, but seeing her naked on his bed he knew the quickest way inside her was by rolling a condom on. Conversation about their future could wait.

“Baby,” he said, “from here on out, who do you belong to?”

She pulled up her knees, and spread her legs for him. “You.”

He smiled. “And I belong to you.”

“And, I promise not to let anyone or anything come between us again,” she said. “I'll always put you first.”

A warm sensation bloomed in his chest. As he lowered himself down on top of her, she opened for him. He slid inside her, and her breath caught. She felt so warm, so tight. He'd missed her so much.

Her inner walls clutched him tight, and then she released him, allowing him to drive deeper inside. “God, you feel good.”

“I missed you so much.” As she was about to close her eyes, he picked up the pace, and she moved in time with him. Her eyes widened, and a mix of emotions passed between them. In that instant, she knew as he did that they would always be better together.

He fucked her and with pressure, pushing her deeper into the mattress. His passion for her built and wound around his spine. His body cried for release, but he wouldn't allow himself an orgasm. She needed to come first.

A moan escaped her lips, a small sound, but one he knew very, very well.

“Come for me baby,” he urged. This is what he loved, the look on her face, just before she came. Eyes closed. Head pressed back onto the mattress, mouth open. She panted out his name as the orgasm ripped through her.

Seeing her come undone beneath him, his control started to break. He drove himself deeper inside her. Her pussy milked his cock, as he pressed a kiss to her lips. On and on, he fucked her, deeper and growing more desperate for release.

“Oh baby,” she cried out. He must've hit a sensitive spot and he worked it even harder to make her come again. “Oh God.”

She came, calling out his name, and the sound of her raspy voice threw him over the edge. He spilled inside her, filling her, then collapsed on top of her, giving her himself and his heart.

Moments of silence passed as he lie beside her. The sound of her breathing filled the room. Finally, they were back together, something he'd never thought he'd see. Chelsea lifted her head, and there they were. More tears.

“Baby, what's wrong?” He pulled her to him, hugging her close.

“I didn't know until right now just how much I'd missed you.”

His hold on her tightened.

She laid her head on his chest. “I missed you so much because I'm in love with you.”

“What?” He peeled her body from his and their eyes locked. “You love me?”