Do Opposites Attract? (Kathryn Freeman’s Irresistible Romcom Collection #5)

Chapter Thirty-Three

Only hours after Brianna collected him from the hospital, they were having their first argument — over his determination to make them a cup of tea.

‘If you tell me once more to stop mothering you, I’m going to scream. I’m supposed to be helping you. Stop fighting me all the time and let me.’

‘I’ve got it,’ he replied through gritted teeth, not prepared to admit the simple task was causing him agony. Jeez, he couldn’t even fill a bloody kettle. He was useless. As the thing filled it became heavier and he found it increasingly hard to hold onto it, while also balancing on a crutch. There was no way he’d be able to carry it over to the plug socket. With a clatter he let it fall into the sink. ‘I didn’t want a cup of tea anyway,’ he declared with bad grace, before swinging out of the kitchen as fast as his one good leg and crutch would allow him.

‘You know I don’t have much experience with children,’ Brianna fumed after him. ‘But I’m beginning to realise what it might be like to have a stroppy toddler.’

He tried to block out her words as he lowered himself onto the sofa. He wasn’t stroppy. A little stubborn, maybe.

A few moments later she handed him a steaming mug. ‘Here you go. I thought about putting some sugar in to sweeten you up, but I don’t think I’ve got enough.’

Sheepishly he accepted the cup. ‘Thanks.’ He took a sip, and looked back over at her. ‘Regretting your offer already?’

Laughing, she sat down on the comfy chair opposite him. ‘Let’s see what the rest of the day brings. You know, you’ve got to relax and let me help you out for a while, Mitch. It won’t make you less of a man, just because I have to make your meals, help you up, drive you around.’ He grunted. ‘Right then, I’ve got to log on and check my emails. Is there anything else you need before I go?’

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask for a new leg and arm, but he stopped himself. Bitterness was going to get him nowhere. ‘Could you bring me the list of exercises the physio set out for me? I think it’s on top of my holdall.’

Within seconds she returned and held out the list for him with a flourish. ‘Here you go, sir.’

Her green eyes shone with mischievous amusement, her mouth twitched with barely controlled laughter. He allowed himself the sheer pleasure of looking at her. ‘You know, maybe I could get used to being waited on hand and foot after all.’

With a chuckle that pulled at his insides, she turned to leave the room. ‘Make the most of it, buster. You’ll soon be back home and fending for yourself once more.’

As Mitch watched her saunter out, the warmth he’d felt at her laughter suddenly turned into a chill. He couldn’t understand why. He wanted to get back home, didn’t he?

* * *

Later on in the day, having done his exercises, which hurt like hell, Mitch decided to take a shower. He’d had a couple at the hospital and knew he could just about manage by himself, as long as he put the protective covers over his casts. Making sure Brianna was still locked away in her study, he lay on his bed and shrugged off his clothes. The hardest part done, he hauled himself up and crossed the hallway to the bathroom. As soon as he closed the door, he realised his mistake. There was nothing to sit on. It was literally a huge, walk in shower room. There wasn’t even a toilet. He eyed up the shower gel. How the hell was he going to put the stuff on his body, and wash it off, when his only good arm was holding the crutch supporting him? He grabbed the bottle and tried to squirt it onto his skin, whilst at the same time supporting his body with the crutch. It was impossible. With a gesture of total frustration, he let out a loud oath.

* * *

Brianna was typing away when she heard Mitch’s loud curse. Without a second thought she dashed into the shower room, stopping abruptly at the sight that greeted her. Stark naked, he was leaning against the wall and looking despairingly up towards the ceiling. He turned his head towards her as she entered.

‘Sorry,’ she whispered, quickly averting her eyes, but not before she’d managed to get a tantalising glimpse of him. He might be broken and bruised, but he still cut one magnificent male figure. It was the one that filled her dreams and even now made her heart race. ‘I heard you curse,’ she explained, looking him squarely in the face. ‘Is there anything the matter?’

Clearly embarrassed, he dropped his gaze to the floor. ‘I’m fine. I just haven’t got enough arms to support myself and wash at the same time.’

Her heart went out to him; he looked so fed up, so utterly frustrated. Unthinkingly she picked up the shower gel. ‘Here, let me rub some of this over you. Then you can just stand under the shower and wash it off.’

The moment her hands smoothed across his naked flesh, she knew it was a mistake. The sexual chemistry that had always been strong between them instantly flared. She heard his sharp intake of breath, and her own gasp.

‘Leave it, Brianna,’ he growled. They’d both felt the flash of desire at the feel of her hands on his skin, but his reaction was more obvious. He twisted away from her. ‘Leave me alone.’

* * *

She gave him some space, figuring the shower episode had probably been the last straw for him today. So after asking the cook to bring up two plates of whatever her parents were having, she went to watch television. Mitch would come and find her when he was ready. His empty stomach would lure him out of his room, if nothing else.

Right on cue, as the cook knocked on the door to deliver the delicious smelling dinner, Mitch appeared, his damp hair a reminder of his thwarted attempt at a shower.

‘I’m sorry about earlier. I umm . . .’ she sighed, taking the plates through to the kitchen. ‘I was just trying to help.’

Mitch nodded and sat himself down at the table. ‘I know. And it’s not as if you haven’t seen me naked before.’ He gave her a crooked grin. ‘Heck, at least I know everything is still in good working order.’

Brianna chuckled, relieved at his change of mood. ‘How did you manage to wash in hospital?’

A slight flush crept across his cheeks. ‘A lot of bed baths, at least in the beginning.’ She raised her eyebrows. ‘Was it humiliating, I can see you wondering. Yes, it damn well was. Did I enjoy it? No.’ He took a mouthful of the beef stew. ‘Mind you, when the pretty blonde nurse was on, there were moments . . .’ he let the sentence hang.

‘You are a walking cliché, Mitch McBride,’ Brianna replied coolly, pouring a bit more wine into both their glasses.

‘Hey, I can’t help it if what they say about a nurse’s uniform is true. At least on the right nurse.’ Obviously enjoying his memory, he smiled and shovelled more food onto his fork. ‘Seriously, when I had a shower, they had one of those plastic seats, so I could sit down and wash with my good arm.’ He shrugged. ‘I guess I could do with one of those.’

‘Then that’s what we’ll get.’

‘Not much of an alternative to a sexy lady washing me down, but I guess it’s the most sensible solution.’

Brianna glanced up to see him gazing at her with an amused twinkle in is eye. This time it was her turn to blush. She concentrated on her food, trying to ignore the image that burned in her mind. One of his stirring arousal as she lathered his muscular body with shower gel.

* * *

The next few days passed by quickly. They settled into a routine where each accepted the other’s need for space, but enjoyed their time together, mainly over meals and in the evening. Working from home instead of the office, Brianna found it useful to have Mitch alongside her and often picked his brain over the initiatives she had ongoing. Although she was very much aware of the sexual spark that still lay between them, it was obvious that nothing could happen, even if either one had wanted it to. So with sex no longer on the agenda, it was an opportunity to talk, to get on together as friends. It surprised her how easy Mitch was to live with. He ate everything she put in front of him, kept his room tidy and even put the toilet seat down. All in all, he was the perfect house guest.

The one thing that stopped Brianna from really enjoying her time with him, that nagged at her almost constantly, was the thought of Catherine. She’d put off telling Mitch about Catherine while he was in hospital, convincing herself he was too weak. But as the days went by, Brianna found it harder and harder to justify her silence. It wasn’t right that she knew something about a major part of his life and he didn’t. So, though she knew it would upset their current status quo, she finally broached the subject one evening as they were eating.

‘There’s something I need to talk to you about,’ she began, pushing her plate away. She knew she wouldn’t be able to eat anything further.

‘Fire away.’ When she hesitated, he frowned. ‘Should I be worried? You look kind of serious.’

She tried to smile. ‘No, there’s nothing to worry about. Hopefully it will be a good thing.’ As she grasped for the words she’d rehearsed off by heart the night before her mind went alarmingly blank.

‘Brianna, you’re scaring me.’ She felt Mitch’s hand cover her own. ‘What is it? You’ve gone pale.’

She withdrew her hand and stood up. ‘It’s about Catherine.’

At the mention of her name, he froze. Slowly he put down his fork and sat back in his chair. ‘What about her?’

‘You mentioned once there was a lady who took you under her wing. I presume that was Catherine?’

He nodded, his jawline tense.

‘From the sound of your voice when you told me about her, I guessed she was somebody you cared about, a lot.’ She looked at him for some sort of agreement, but was met with a stony wall of silence. Pausing, giving herself some time to think of the right words, Brianna walked to the table and picked up her glass, taking a quick sip of the crisp white wine. ‘After Henry threw those accusations at you at the party, I couldn’t seem to get you and Catherine out of my head. You weren’t just angry when he said what he did. You were upset. Then I remembered you’d said it was her that broke off the contact. I couldn’t understand why someone who cared for you enough to take you in, would suddenly do that. So I followed up with Simon. I wanted to find out what had happened.’

‘Who gave you the right to interfere in my life, Brianna?’ he asked coldly, his eyes flat, his face rigid.

She’d been expecting a flash of temper. The controlled, icy anger, was far more unnerving. ‘I know it was wrong. For what it’s worth, I did it with the best of intentions. I thought there must be a simple misunderstanding.’ She raised her head again to look at him. ‘And there was.’

Mitch hauled himself to his feet. He didn’t want to hear any of this. It was part of his past that he’d locked away and he didn’t want ever dragged out again. Feeling equal parts fury and fear he grappled around for his crutch, swearing as it clattered to the floor.

‘Wait, you have to hear me out.’

‘I don’t have to do anything,’ he replied curtly, lunging for the crutch and then propelling himself awkwardly towards the door. There he leant weakly against the frame, dreading the answer to his next question, but knowing he had to ask it. ‘Did you speak to her?’

She flushed, but still looked him directly in the eye. ‘Yes.’

His heart clattered against his ribs. ‘What did she tell you about me?’

Briefly she closed her eyes. ‘She told me how she found you squatting in her house, then became your legal guardian,’ she admitted quietly.

‘Anything else?’

When she shook her head, he sagged against the door frame in relief. ‘Good.’ When he’d mustered his strength, he grasped the crutch and set off down the hallway.

‘Don’t you want to know the rest? How Catherine didn’t have a clue about the letter that was sent? That she loved you, still loves you? That she visited you in hospital when she thought you might die, because she so desperately wanted to see the man you had become?’

The words rung in his ears but Mitch wasn’t listening. He ploughed all his efforts into escaping down the corridor and reaching his room as quickly as possible. Once there he hurled himself onto the bed, allowing tears he was ashamed of to fall down his cheeks. He didn’t want to think about Catherine. He didn’t want to be reminded about his past.

And there was no way in hell he wanted Brianna to know about any of it.

* * *

Mitch barely spoke to Brianna the next day. His anger towards her still simmered, though in truth he was now more angry with himself than her. Angry for not realising Catherine hadn’t been behind the letter he’d received. At the time he’d been so concerned with his own feelings of hurt and rejection, he hadn’t thought about it from her side. He should have known Catherine wouldn’t have done such a thing. It hadn’t been in her nature. Through his selfishness he’d managed to hurt the one person from his past who’d cared for him.

His bad temper wasn’t helped by the phone call he took from Frederick. Pompous ass. ‘Yes, she’s here,’ he barked down the phone. ‘I’ll get her.’

He found Brianna in her study. ‘Phone call for you.’ They were the most words he’d spoken to her all day.

‘Thank you,’ she replied, accepting the phone.

He didn’t intend on listening, really he didn’t, but he wasn’t very quick on his crutch, so he couldn’t help but hear her politely decline what was obviously an offer of dinner. ‘I don’t feel I can leave Mitch alone just yet,’ he overheard her saying.

He cursed under his breath. What did she think he was? Some sort of charity case? A kid who needed constant supervision? He barged back into the study just as she was putting the phone down.

‘You don’t have to babysit me,’ he told her cuttingly. ‘I’m not a child.’

‘No, I know you’re not,’ she agreed calmly. ‘Though at times you act like one. However, I would feel better staying in while you’re under my care.’

‘For God’s sake Brianna,’ he snarled. ‘You need to find yourself a life. Maybe it would stop you interfering so much in mine. Go out with the man.’

She appeared startled at the harshness of his words, but maintained her composure. He admired her for it, even as it irked him. Instead of crumbling, she jutted her chin forward.

‘Right then, I will. Please close the door behind you.’

He did more than that, he slammed it before stalking back to his bedroom in a foul mood. For years he had been almost viciously in control of his emotions. Now they were all over the place. His broken body frustrated him, thoughts of Catherine and how she must have felt when he stopped writing to her, haunted him. At the bottom of it all though was Brianna. He could snap and snarl at her all he wanted, but there was no denying that once again he was letting her get under his skin. If he wasn’t careful she’d go even deeper into his body. Into his closed off heart.

* * *

The following evening he watched Brianna greet Frederick with a kiss on the cheek, and wondered what on earth he’d started. This time he hadn’t just pushed her away, he’d shoved her straight into the arms of another man. Sure, he’d been angry with her, but what sort of excuse was that? Especially as it now seemed clear Catherine really hadn’t told Brianna anything about his early life. If she had, Brianna would have found it impossible to hide her disgust from him.

With that worry out of the way, he’d grudgingly started to realise Brianna had done him a great favour. Now he had the opportunity to see Catherine again. To put things right and make up for the wasted years. The tragedy of it was, instead of going down on his knees and thanking Brianna, he’d bellowed at her. Then ordered her to go out with Frederick. Rich, titled, handsome Frederick.

The thought of them together was like a knife to his gut. And the more he pictured them, so similar, so flaming made for each other, the more that knife twisted.