Authors: Elizabeth Moynihan
“I’m not thirsty,” Sergei stated, crossing his arms across an already broad chest and leaning against the ugly wallpaper.
“Too bad, I am,” Aleksei growled, nodding toward the door.
“What if we’re not here when Chloe gets back?” Dani asked, looking to her mother for support.
“We’ll be sure to tell her you’ll be back as soon as you’ve gotten me my soda,” Aleksei demanded, casting a final glance at the door that carried enough weight to finally get his children moving forward, grumbling all the way.
Jordan watched their children move down the hall and turn the corner that led to the vending machines, “As usual, Rocmanov, you handled that with nothing but finesse,” Jordan teased over her shoulder, her eyes darkening as she watched the expression on her husband’s face grow more serious.
“If those two kids would take a hint, we could forget about
finesse
,” Aleksei answered quietly, walking to the small window and staring at the small pond five stories below.
“How bad is it, Aleksei? Why the MRI? What did the CT Scan show?” Jordan asked quietly, her voice sounding strangely calm to her own ears.
Aleksei’s gaze swept his wife lovingly, the tussled shades of copper curls, the look of trust and love shining clearly in her expressive, deep green eyes, her petite stature and visions of Dani, so similar to Jordan, came to his eyes. He wondered what he would do if he ever found out someone had mistreated either his wife or his daughter and the decision came hard and fast–he would simply kill them. Jordan’s voice softly calling his name brought him back to the present and he lifted his eyes to meet hers. “When they ran the initial CT Scan, Dr. Pierce had some concerns over some
shadows
that showed up on the x-rays.”
“Exactly what kind of
shadows
?” Jordan asked in trepidation.
Aleksei returned his gaze to the small pond outside the window and shook his head in a barely perceptible motion. “Dr. Pierce had his suspicions, the MRI confirmed them; the shadows were old fractures.”
“Fractures? As in more than one?” Jordan asked, the very thought of someone having to endure such treatment filling her with such fluctuating emotions she didn’t know whether to cry, scream, rage or go looking for Manning personally. Although to look at her husband, she knew she’d only be allowed at what was left of the miserable creature after her husband was through with him, and even that thought didn’t disturb her. If nothing else, Aleksei Rocmanov protected his own.
“Dr. Pierce didn’t give me an exact number, he only said it was one of the worst cases of possible abuse he’s ever seen and he couldn’t believe that she was skating at all considering her left foot should be in a cast right now. She’s been skating on a foot that’s broken in six different places.”
“How’s that possible, Aleksei? How does someone skate with that severe an injury, let alone tolerate the pain?” Jordan asked heatedly, starting to pace the small room as her temper began a slow burn.
“High pain tolerance, fear of repercussion if she didn’t, I don’t know. Dr. Pierce said when they brought her in her foot was wrapped up with enough layers of sports tape to supply a football team. He said the tape is probably what’s kept her foot from totally disintegrating.”
“So what’s the plan? I would assume they’re putting her foot in a cast.”
Aleksei nodded in agreement. “Eight weeks to start, a follow-up by an orthopedic surgeon after that and, depending on how things look at that point will determine further treatment.”
“It’s going to kill Chloe to be off the ice that long,” Jordan predicted, memories assailing her as she remembered her own long rehabilitation process after the accident that nearly took her life–and skating-away from her. But in her case, it had been months-not weeks-she’d been off the ice.
“Eight weeks isn’t long at all. We’ll see her through it.”
Jordan nodded in agreement, crossing the short distance to her husband’s side and slipping into his welcoming arms. “How did this happen? Why didn’t she come to us?” Jordan asked quietly, her heart breaking as she thought of all Chloe had endured over the past couple of years.
“That’s something we’ll never know and there’s no point trying to figure out the impossible. The difference is we know about Manning now and we’ll act accordingly,” Aleksei growled deeply, tightening his arms around his petite wife and kissing the top of her head. “Rest assured, he won’t get near Chloe again,” he vowed.
“Have you spoken with Chloe’s mother? Does she know what’s happened?”
“I’ve left several messages at the hotel she’s registered at in Los Angeles. So far, I haven’t heard anything back from her. I wouldn’t be at all surprised is Manning Senior is somehow keeping her in the dark about this latest development with her daughter. After all, he stands to lose a lot of money if this deal goes south. I can’t believe Mrs. Spenser wouldn’t drop everything if she knew her daughter was injured to the point she had to be hospitalized,” Aleksei stated, hoping he was right; knowing nothing could keep him away if it was one of his kids in this situation.
“We’ll keep calling until we reach her,” Jordan stated firmly, her attention suddenly drawn by her daughter’s voice calling out Chloe’s name over and over, and the high-pitched squeak of her sneakers against shining white tile, as she raced to the wheelchair that carried her childhood friend. The attendant delivered Chloe to her bedside, assisting her out of the wheelchair and up onto the bed, propping up her now cast left foot on a pillow. With a broad smile, a warning of ‘no dancing’ and a jaunty salute, he left Chloe to her visitors.
Sergei had watched from the doorway at how carefully the attendant had assisted Chloe getting into bed and he thanked him quietly as he pushed the wheelchair past him. His tone more than his words made the attendant slow his steps as he smiled in response and responded, “It’s patients like Miss Spenser that make me glad I chose this profession!” With another broad smile, he was off, whistling an indistinct tune merrily down the hall, greeting all he passed.
Sergei returned his attention to Chloe, now wrapped in the tight grasp of his sister’s arms as she sat on one side of the bed, his mother sitting on the other side, effectively trapped between the two women. His father stood behind his wife, his hand resting lightly on her left shoulder, his left thumb absently tracing a path up and down her neck. He wondered if Chloe’s skin was as soft as it looked and the sudden desire to run his thumb along the same path washed over him, leaving him slightly breathless and more than a little bewildered at his reaction.
Chloe’s bright voice brought him back to the present and he slowly walked the short distance to the bed, standing at the foot of it, the only place there was really any room left, and knocked gently on the cast that now covered his soon-to-be partner’s left foot. He couldn’t help but smile when he noticed her toenails were painted, not that that was any surprise, his sister was always painting her toenails, it was just something that girls apparently did, but it was the subject matter that surprised him. “It’s a good thing I like ladybugs,” Sergei stated quietly, gently running his fingertip down the tips of her toes where they peeked out of the cast, his eyes glowing brightly as he watched her toes wiggle. So, she’s ticklish, he thought.
Four sets of eyes turned to him, all filled with different expressions, different questions. “Chloe likes ladybugs!” Dani stated, shrugging her shoulders, “So what?”
“Nothing. I just figured, since we’re going to be partners, it means I’m going to be spending a fair amount of time rubbing those feet, I don’t want to have to be looking at ugly bugs on her toes.”
“Partners? You and Chloe are going to be partners?” Dani squealed, looking back and forth from her brother to her friend.
Chloe’s eyes widened in surprise at Sergei’s bold statement, her gaze meeting his and holding for what felt like hours until she was finally able to state quietly, her narrow fingers plucking at the fuzz-balls on the light blanket. “We haven’t really talked about it yet.”
“So talk now,” Dani encouraged, fairly vibrating with excitement over the prospect of her best friend and her brother becoming skating partners.
“Dani, perhaps Chloe would like more time to think about it. This is a big decision to make without properly thinking everything through. This decision could affect the rest of her career,” Aleksei stated.
“What’s to think about? They’d be great together. They’re both gorgeous, they can skate, and they’ve known each other forever. Sounds like a perfect match to me!” Dani persisted, ignoring her brother’s warning looks to quit pushing the issue.
“Danielle,” Jordan warned softly, an understanding, gentle smile making her green eyes glow brightly. She, herself, agreed with her daughter. Sergei and Chloe would make a striking couple, tall and petite, muscular and willowy, dark and fair, all opposites that would translate beautifully on to the ice.
It was impossible to stop Dani’s continuing speech as to the benefits their pairing would bring to the ice, and for the most part, Sergei had to agree, despite his regret at having to agree with his sister on any subject, but particularly this one. Chloe remained silent, her eyes flitting cautiously from face to face, listening to all the arguments in silence, her small white teeth pulling nervously on her full lower lip.
Finally, in a voice so faint it was more a whisper, Chloe stated into the vibrating air, “I’m off the ice for at least eight weeks.”
At Chloe’s quiet statement all talking ceased and the small room’s atmosphere suddenly filled with anticipation. Sergei turned his attention to Chloe, bright blue and deep ebony gazes blending. Sergei watched as her eyes grew wary when their gazes held, and frowned slightly when her eyes drifted away from his and then dropped to study her hands where they clenched and unclenched against the hospital blanket, and, again, he pushed aside the urge to seek out Manning.
“Then I guess I’ll just have to wait for you,” Sergei answered softly, his tone filled with a sexy huskiness that had his parent’s looking at each other in question and ignoring his sister’s gasp of pleasure at his simple statement as she began to almost vibrate in excitement.
Sergei’s soft statement and sensuous tone washed over Chloe in a wave, making her light-headed and afraid and wanting all at the same time; a feeling that wasn’t really unpleasant but left her feeling a bit wobbly, uncertain and strangely unsatisfied. The closest explanation she could manage to come up with was it felt like landing a triple jump but not cleanly. This sensation was something she wasn’t sure she liked and yet was curious to explore.
Slowly she lifted her eyes to meet his, her gaze widening as their eyes met and held. Time stood still, breathing ceased to be necessary, and outside distractions faded into nothing more than colors running together, much as a watercolor in the rain would look, and Chloe felt herself drawn toward this man. Once, nothing more than the big brother of her best friend, suddenly he was different, assuming a different position, different importance, in her life. Suddenly he made her feel things she’d never felt with a simple look or word and the urge to retreat and hide was so strong she wanted to cry. Did she dare risk what he offered? Was there more to his simple statement than the desire to be her skating partner? Would their partnership turn into the same ugly situation it had with Manning? As she looked at Sergei, so tall and handsome, her childhood love–who was she fooling?-she still loved him and kept that love tucked safely away in a little corner of her heart that no one knew of. She knew Sergei would never act inappropriately or hurtfully and for the first time in years, a glimmer of hope rose in her heart.
“What if the doctor’s don’t release me to skate in eight weeks?” Chloe asked cautiously, trying to keep her voice from trembling.
“Then it will take you that much longer to catch up with me. Won’t it?” Sergei answered calmly, sensing Chloe’s attempt to withdraw and refusing to allow her to do it. This partnership was right, he felt it in his gut; knew it in his heart, once again heard her softly whispered ‘I love you, Sergei’ as she had unconsciously spoken it in the ambulance, but pushed aside the latter thought and concentrated on the former.
“I don’t want you losing valuable training time because of me,”
“Do I look worried?”
You look wonderful, Chloe thought to herself, taking in his broad shoulders and chest, the challenging smile he now wore, the ebony eyes she would willingly drown in without complaint. “No,” she finally answered, her voice husky.
Sergei leaned over the foot of the bed, extending his hand, his look daring her to back down, “So are you in or out?”
Chloe looked at his hand; his fingers long and narrow, his palm wide, his nails short and well cared for. His hand looked nothing like Andrew’s and she slowly reached forward to accept his hand. Their palms brushed together, a flash of static electricity jolting the both of them and Sergei’s smile widened. He remembered his father having once told him about
sparks flying
when he’d first been partnered with his mother and he wondered if this was a good omen.
Chloe’s softly spoken, “I’m in,” and her long fingers cautiously wrapping around his hand made him almost dizzy with relief; her hand gently squeezing his nearly brought him to his knees as a wave of sensual heat surged over him so unexpectedly it made him breathless.