Chapter 11
“Careful.”
“I am not an invalid," she grumbled.
“I know that.” With a tsking sound, he swept her into his arms and carried her into the living room where he deposited her on the sofa. Dragging the throw, he wrapped it around her legs. He had firmly told her siblings that she was not having visitors for a few days.
“You have been to see her at the hospital, she needs her rest.”
Her friends and his dad had been told the same thing. He had taken a few days off to take care of her.
“I don’t need you hovering," she protested.
“Tough. You have no say in the matter.”
Mrs. Greene hurried into the room bearing a tray, a smile wreathing her homely face.
“Chicken soup with lots of veggies.” The woman was clucking her tongue as she stared at Georgie. “I am going to be fattening you up. Poor dear.”
Georgie waited until the housekeeper had deposited the tray onto the cherry wood center table and left the room before commenting.
“Do I look that bad?”
“You look great.” Bending over, he kissed her on the lips. “Sit up and eat.”
“You sound like an army general,” She grumbled, but obeyed him, nonetheless. She was still weak, but thankfully, the worst had passed or at least she hoped it had. She had no wish to go back to the clinic for two weeks. Being away from him had been pure torture.
She had not said anything to him, but she had been perusing the tabloids to see if he was out with her. She had also spent time staring at her reflection in the mirror and was horrified at how she looked. She had lost so much weight in just two weeks, but the doctors and nurses had assured her that she would gain it back in no time.
But she was afraid and insecure for the first time in her marriage. Her husband was gorgeous, and his ex was hanging around, no doubt wanting to give him what Georgie could not do at the moment. She had spent the last few days in the clinic wishing she had thought this through some more.
He might be showering her with attention, but she was stuck at home and frankly too weak to indulge in their usual robust lovemaking.
“Georgie?”
“Hmm?”
“I have some calls to make. Will you be, okay?”
“Of course.” She forced a smile as she looked up at him. “I still think you should go in. You already missed so many days and Mrs. Greene is here.”
“I am staying. Eat up," he ordered.
“Beau?” She stopped him when he reached the doorway.
“Yes, baby?”
Dipping the spoon into the thick broth, she avoided his eyes. “Do I still look beautiful to you?”
“Georgie–”
“I have lost weight, and I have not been to the salon in weeks.” She lifted her eyes to his and he could see they were misty with tears. “I am not myself and very soon, I will be bloated. I just want to know that I am still attractive to you.”
He came forward swiftly and removing the tray, swept her into his arms, rocking her as he would a baby.
“I love you," he murmured in her hair. “It has nothing to do with how you look. We passed that. And you are still the most beautiful woman I have ever known. I cannot help but love you darling, because I was born to do just that. Do you believe me?” He tilted her chin up and gazed deep into her eyes.
She nodded, her heart shuddering. “I couldn’t bear it if you were to be with someone else. It would kill me. Thinking of you doing what you do to me with another woman makes me weak with fear and I couldn’t–”She shook her head. “Hormones," she added weakly, one hand cupping his jaw. “I love you so much.”
“And I adore you.” His green eyes darkened. “I don’t think I have to be repeating myself. I have proven that you are the only woman in my life.”
She nodded and sniffed. “I am fine.”
“Are you?” he asked teasingly.
“Yes. Now go and let me finish my soup before Mrs. Greene comes back and holler at me.”
“I won’t be long," he kissed her deeply and she clung to him, not wanting to let him go. Ending the kiss, he set her back on the sofa and placed the tray in front of her. “I expect to see the bowl wiped clean when I get back.”
She watched him stride from the room and resumed eating.
She had curbed the impulse to suggest he made his phone calls right here in the living room. Spooning up chunks of carrots and potatoes, she chewed automatically.
They had lost Valentine’s Day, and it was their thing. The ball had been a tremendous success as she read in the papers and in the reports, she had received from her friends. She had been part of the planning committee and had been looking forward to attending.
She had missed out on several other charity events as well and had urged her husband to go without her. But it had been a grudging request and if he had gone by himself, she would have had a problem. To his credit, he had been committed to coming by the hospital every single day. And had called to check on her when he was at the office.
So far, she hadn’t seen a single photo with him and that- that woman. But what about phone calls? She was not in the habit of going through her husband’s phones. She was not that kind of wife, or at least, that was what she told herself.
Surely, that bitch had called him. It would be just like her to take advantage of the situation. And she had been away for almost three weeks. He had been home alone. Had he invited her over? No, she shook her head. He would never disrespect her like that. But she was certain they spoke over the phone.
“Enough!” she whispered. “You are not going to sit here and torture yourself with what ifs. He is your husband, and you are not going to let some two-bit actress change that.”
But she was not a two-bit actress. She was a beautiful and accomplished woman who had been with her husband and no doubt knew what an excellent lover he was. And she had been important to him.
Beau had confided that she was the only real relationship he had had before he met Georgie. That counts for something. Yes, she was carrying his babies, but men were known to seek gratification outside the marital home.
And her circumstance was kinda unusual. She was going to be bloated in a few months. Would he still find her attractive? Looking down in surprise, she realized she had cleaned the bowl and just in time too as the housekeeper bustled in with a plate of fruits.
“Wonderful," she enthused as she replaced the bowl with the plate. “I am making stew for dinner.”
“Sounds delicious.” She forced a smile. “Thanks Mrs. Greene.”
The woman clucked her tongue. “You are a very brave woman, Ms. Georgie. Carrying one child is a task, carrying three is something of a miracle. I am praying for you and those babies.”
“We need it.” She patted her stomach.”
“And with you being so tiny and all.” The woman shook her graying head, light blue eyes concerned. “You need all the prayers you can get.” Taking up the tray, she bustled from the room.
Picking up a fat bunch of grapes, she plucked one and started eating. Beau had been gone for more than fifteen minutes. What could be taking so long?
Taking a deep breath, she pushed off the throw and rose, testing her strength before taking a few steps. She still felt weak, but not like before when she could not walk more than a few steps and she was determined to get stronger. If not for herself, then for the babies she was carrying.
She refused to be beaten by this. The longer she stayed languishing in bed, the more time it gave that woman to swoop in to comfort her husband. That was not going to happen. As soon as it was prudent, she was going to take walks and do her exercises.
Picking up the plate of fruits, she exited the room and made her way slowly upstairs, grateful she had not encountered the housekeeper who would probably be horrified that she was walking on her own.
Shaking her head, she walked up the staircase, one hand trailing on the banister. By the time she got to the double doors leading to their suite, she was out of breath and had to stand there to gather herself.
Pushing the doors open, she marched through the bedroom until she reached the door of his study. Hesitating for a minute, she pushed it open to find him seated on the edge of the baronial desk, the phone at his ear and a pen in his hand.
He looked up in surprise, a frown knotting his smooth brow.
“No. I want it done immediately.” He watched as she took a seat on a comfortable striped chair. “Well light a fire under their asses, but I need to hear results by tomorrow,” He listened for a moment and then chuckled. “Yes, he would say something like that. Call me if you encounter any problems.” He hung up and concentrated on her.
“I was coming down.”
“I got impatient. Who was that?”
He stared at her with lifted brows, and she had a feeling he knew what was going through her head. “Munroe.” Folding his arms over his chest, he continued to study her.
“You don’t trust me.”
“Of course I do.”
“Are we going to become that couple Georgie? Are you going to monitor all my movements?”
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
“Am I?” he asked silkily. Picking up his phone, he stretched it toward her, and she was tempted to take it. “Want to go through my call logs?”
“Of course not. I just came up because you were taking too long. I–”Her voice tailed off at the skeptical look on his handsome face. “I am scared," she whispered.
“For God’s sake, why?”
“I feel helpless and unattractive. I cannot bear to look in a mirror. I was in the bedroom, and you know there are mirrors everywhere and I avoided them.” She plucked at the baggy sweater she had worn from the hospital. “I am afraid you are going to look at her or someone else and find them more attractive. I am skin and bones.”
“I like skin and bones. The skeletal look is highly appealing.” He grinned when she glared at him.
Abandoning his perch on the desk, he strode over and dropped down in front of her. “How can I convince you that I am here to stay? That I cannot look at another woman, much more be with one except you?” Taking her hand in his, he held it against his jaw.
“You are going to make yourself crazy if you continue like this. I am going to have to leave the house, are you going to be thinking that I am going to some place I am not supposed to be?
Trust in a relationship is very important, and we both know that.” His expression softened. “I know your emotions are all over the place, but you don’t need to worry about me being unfaithful. It will not happen.”
“You love sex. A lot.”
“That I do," he agreed.
“And we haven’t–”She shrugged. “It’s been weeks.”
“I know how long it has been. I have the blue balls as proof," he reminded her wryly. Her fingers gripped his. “We can–” She took a deep breath and could not believe she was this person. “We can- I am feeling stronger–” She tailed off when she let go of her hands and rose lithely.
“Desperation does not become you," he said tightly as he walked back to his desk.
“How dare you–”
“How dare I?” he spun around, eyes blazing. “You are the one offering yourself up as a sacrifice. You were at death’s door these past three weeks and you are thinking of using your body to barter. What? You don’t think I can my libido in check? You think I am so hard up that I would take advantage of you being in the state you are in?”
“That’s just it," she blazed. “You keep referring to ‘my state’. As if I have a terminal illness. I am pregnant and I feel unattractive. I feel damned ugly compared to–”
She stared down at her hands that were gripped together tightly.
“Miriam," he said heavily. “You are comparing yourself to my ex.” He went behind his desk and lowered himself wearily. “I cannot help you. I don’t know what else to do or else to say it. I know I am not unfaithful, have never been.”
“Things are different," she muttered.
“Because you are pregnant.”
“Yes. I am a mess. I don’t feel like myself. I have lost weight, and I was not big to begin with. I no longer have a career; I am just a wife. I feel worthless and useless. I cannot go anywhere; I have to stay home and recuperate. I just want you to understand what I am feeling.”
He stared at her for a moment before picking up a paperweight in the shape of a duck, she had given him a few months ago. Rolling the crystal in his palm, he continued to stare at her.
“You had a very lucrative career that you chose to give up. I never asked you to. In fact, I begged you to reconsider, but you made up your mind.
You have been through hell and back and the doctors are advising you to take it easy for a couple of weeks. They also said to try and avoid undue stress. The way you are behaving, that’s not going to be possible.
As for feeling useless, I can assure you until kingdom come that you are needed, it will not make a difference, because you have to believe it. I have obligations that I must fulfill. I am going out tomorrow night and there are some things lined up that require my attention. Are you going to wonder if I am screwing around?”
Her eyes flashed.
“Will you be?”
Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes. “Go to bed Georgie. I have some more calls to make and if it puts your mind at ease, leave the door open so you can hear my conversation.”
Without a word, she picked up her plate of fruits and flounced out of the office, slamming the door shut behind her.
Beau pushed forward, his face buried in his hands and took several deep breaths. The constant fighting was getting to him. She did not trust him and that was breaking his heart.
He loved her so damn much; he could hardly function. For the past three weeks, he went through hell, wondering if he was going to lose her. He had to drink himself into a stupor in order to get through the night.
Being away from her, not having her sleep next to him was the worst experience he had ever been through. It forced himself to see what life would be like without her and it waves of fright through his heart.
The phone rang just then, and he answered automatically.
“Give me the update," he said tersely.
*****
He found her curled up in bed, the covers over her, fifteen minutes after she had slammed out of his office. He had found it hard to concentrate on anything and had shelved the conference call for tomorrow. Damn her! he thought angrily. She was interrupting his life and playing havoc with his emotions. Damn her to hell.
His heart melted as he approached the bed, his footsteps silenced by the thick, lush gold and blue carpet.
He saw when she stiffened as he sat on the edge of the bed. Kicking off his shoes, he moved the sheets. Taking her thin shoulders between his hands, he turned her to face him.
“I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Shut up.’ He growled.
“Don’t–”She gasped, her body going still when he clamped his lips over hers. She stubbornly pressed her lips tight, evading his seeking tongue. Her cheeks were damp with tears and the sight and feel of it was driving him crazy with remorse. He never wants to be the one to hurt her.
She was aggravating and was driving him up the wall with her suspicions, but she was his life, and he wanted to reassure her that he was in her life for as long as they lived.
His mouth softened, tongue laving the seams of her lips, licking delicately, slowly, softly, nibbling at the lush bottom lip that had sealed the deal for him at the first taste. He felt the tension slowly slipping away from her as her lips parted slightly. His tongue entered her parted lips, his heart thundering inside his chest as he felt the touch of her tongue.
“It’s been so long," he whispered raggedly, before seizing her tongue. Her hands gripped his broad shoulders, and she could feel her head spinning.
He trapped a moan inside his throat as he explored the sweetness of her mouth. His tongue explored slowly, sweetly savoring the honeyed taste, the seductive scent of her inside his nostrils.
He was consumed by her, had always been and it was no different now. His kiss probed her mouth, examined every familiar crevice, until they were both lost in a maelstrom of passion that swept through their bodies and left them trembling.
With great difficulty, he tore his mouth from hers and buried his face in her hair as he took several deep fortifying breaths to steady himself.
His passion was waging war inside his body and his hardness was rubbing against the front of his trousers. He should have kissed her. He had planned on sleeping in one of the other bedrooms, to stay away from temptation, but their argument had made him unhinged.
They remained silent for several minutes as both tried to compose themselves.
The extension at the bedside table jangled. Turning his head, he reached for it and listened before hanging up.
“Dinner is ready," he said huskily.
Her face was pressed against his strong throat, her body tingling and vibrating.
“You shouldn’t have done that," she whispered.
“I know.” He sighed, his hand rubbing her back rhythmically. “I came in upset with you and saw you curled up on the bed and my anger just disappeared.” Moving his head, he tipped her chin up, his heart constricting as he took in the swollen lips and the brightness of her eyes.
“I will not tolerate your unfounded suspicions," he warned huskily. “And I will not exist in a relationship where there is no trust. I am not panting after another woman, and I don’t want to repeat myself.”
Her eyes flashed. “Was that an ultimatum?”
He gave her a resigned look. “It was a warning. I cannot spend my days worrying that you are thinking I am with someone else.”
“Fine.”
“Georgiana.”
Her smile peeked out. “You only call me by my full name when you are pissed.” “You know me so well," he growled. His hands cupped her face, his thumbs smoothing away the moistness on her cheeks. “You are more than enough a woman for me.”
“I had better be.”
He kissed her roughly on the mouth before extricating himself from her arms.
“I was thinking we could eat by the fire.”
She nodded and watched as he slid off the bed.
A few minutes ago, she had been feeling so wretched. She knew she was spiraling out of control, with her accusations that would only push him further away, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.
It was like someone else was pushing her to start the same argument repeatedly. Touching her lips, she sighed deeply, feeling the tingling in the lower part of her body.
Her emotions were veering all over the place and she was just going to have to try and control them. Or else, she was going to end up pushing him into Miriam’s arms. But first, she was going to do something about her appearance.
She could either roll over and play dead or she could fight back. First thing tomorrow, she was calling Barry to do a complete makeover. She was fighting for her marriage.