REBORN (Metamorphosis Book 1) (8 page)

"Okay, who told you I was talking about you?" EMM

  "You better be." K

   "I'll reveal his identity tonight.  In the mean-time I need rest." EMM

      "Rest, sweetheart." K

I set the alarm on my phone for twelve noon, and went to sleep with a song in my heart and an ache in my head.  I woke up from the sound of the alarm feeling flushed and achy.

Doctor Roth had been my doctor for over twenty years.  She had delivered all my children and had become more of a friend than anything else.  I trusted her implicitly.

"So what can I do for you today Ellie?"

"Well, as you know I have been taking a low-dosage pill for over two months.  I have become sexually active recently and just want to make sure it's sufficient protection."

We spent time discussing the different types of birth control available and the advantages and disadvantages of each one. At the end of the day I decided to stay with the pill I was using, given that the side effects had been minimal and the effectiveness pretty high as long as I took it as scheduled.

"We can do a quick pregnancy test if you're worried."

"No, that won't be necessary, I haven't had sex before this weekend."

"You are looking awfully flush; are you okay?" she asked, looking at me with concern.  "Let me double check your temperature, when the nurse took your vitals your temperature was on the higher side."

The thermometer indicated a fever of one hundred and one.  "Since you have been on a transatlantic flight, I suggest we keep an eye on that fever just in case it's viral.  Take some ibuprofen and let me know if you don't improve."

By the time I got home my fever had not improved.  I went directly to bed and covered myself with a couple of blankets.  That's how Kayden found me when he arrived at six p.m. ready for some fun.

"What's going on, baby?" he asked, concerned.

"Well, it appears that your playmate is sick."

"Oh sweetheart, what can I do to help?" 

"You can keep me warm, can you get me another blanket?" I asked him pitifully.

"I'll do better than that, I'll get in bed with you.  But first, when did you take your ibuprofen?" 

"At one thirty," I responded.

"What about food, did you eat lunch?"  Way too many questions, I just wanted him to get in bed with me.

Kayden took off his jacket and went into the bathroom.  He came back with a thermometer, a glass of water, and ibuprofen.  He took my temperature.  It was one hundred and two now.  My temperature was going up.  Kayden was concerned.  He called his brother Carmelo, who was a doctor at Rush Presbyterian, and told him my symptoms.  Carmelo called in a prescription to the nearest pharmacy, a five-day round of antibiotics, to play it safe. 

Kayden was in problem-solving mode; he called Aldo, his driver, and asked him to pick up the medication and some food.  He had ordered chicken noodle soup for me and a club sandwich for himself.  He then went into the bathroom again and came back with cold towels that he placed on my forehead. 

He took off his shoes and got into bed with me.

"I don’t want you to get sick," I told him.

"I'm like a horse, I rarely get sick; but if I did I would welcome it as long as I could be next to you."

Aldo brought the soup and the medicine.  Kayden gave me the antibiotics then attempted to feed me.  He was being so sweet!  Unfortunately I couldn't eat that much.

He made me some tea with honey and lemon and forced me to drink some.  He took me to the bathroom, changed me into comfortable pajamas, and tucked me back into bed.  Before I knew it he was stripped naked and in bed with me, holding me close to him.  We fell asleep in each other's arms.  Unfortunately for me he had to go to work the next day.

"Are you sure you are going to be okay alone?  Please text me if you need me," Kayden said, still concerned about me.

"Go, go, I'll be fine.  All I want to do is stay in bed, which will not be much fun for you."

"Now you are tempting me, there is nothing that I want more than to stay in bed with you, all day and night."

I tried to shake my head and laugh but it hurt too much.  "Please don’t make me laugh," I cried out.

"Okay, I'll go, but I'll have Aldo bring you lunch; if it's okay with you I'll give him the extra key so you do not have to get up until you're ready to eat.  He'll set it up in the kitchen for you.  Keep your phone by your side," he said firmly.

And off he went to conquer the world.  I was left in bed alone wishing he were still here, that I had not told him to go.  How quickly one gets used to people!  A week ago I was in Paris, feeling lonely and insecure.  I didn’t even know Kayden existed; and yet here I was, needing him as if my life depended on it.  He was beginning to fill a void in my heart that had been there for a long time.  He just waltzed in, simply and without hesitation and in a couple of days wrapped me in a blanket of hopefulness and yearning.

"God, help me to find my way through this, help me to not mess it up," I prayed out loud.

The next couple of days passed in a blur.  My headache had turned into severe sinus congestion.  I swore, I should invest in a tissue company.  My nose was red from so much blowing and my skin and hair were dull and limp.  I did not look very attractive!  Yet this amazingly gorgeous man was still here taking care of me as if I were his responsibility. 

Wednesday after work he came over and said, "Come, you need a shower from head to toe, it will make you feel better."

"Are you trying to take advantage of a sick woman?" I asked, trying to lighten things up.

"No, I'm trying to make a sick woman well so I can take advantage of her."

"And here I thought you were being honorable." 

    "Honor is not what's in my mind.  But come, let's shower." 

He took me to the shower and removed all my clothes, then stripped himself naked.  Even through sick eyes I could see the well-defined muscles, the beauty of his lines and his impressive male organ.

"Stop looking at me like that or I will not be responsible for my actions."

"It's just that it's hard not to," I told him honestly.

"Ditto," he responded.

The shower was wonderful.  He soaped my body and washed my hair, and I just stood there relishing the experience.  The feeling of his hands cleaning every crevice of my body was worth the two days in bed! His gentleness came through in everything he did, from dressing me after the shower to helping me to eat.  How was it possible that after only a few days of knowing this man I felt utterly connected to him?  I might be able to understand my attraction, but his was a lot tougher to explain.

By Thursday the fever had broken and I was beginning to feel slightly better and a little claustrophobic.  Kayden came home early and took me out to lunch.  I needed some fresh air, needed to get out of the house.  We took a short walk along the lake and then came home to rest.  It was all the activity I could stand for one day, or so I thought.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as I was getting into bed.

"A lot better, but still weak," I responded.

I saw him take off his clothes and shoes and my body became heated, responding to his nakedness.

"I thought you were going back to work," I said with a trembling voice.

"No, I thought I'd stay with you and keep you company."  The smile in his voice told me that he had much more in mind.

"Just company?" I asked shyly.

"Did you want more?"

I couldn't respond to his question.  Of course I wanted more; I wanted him inside me with a passion that I could not explain, it was like I had discovered a new flavor of ice cream and I could not stop eating it.  But I couldn't tell him that, it sounded too much like desperation.

"Ellie, look at me," and he turned my face toward his. "There is nothing you cannot tell me.  If you need something I want you to tell me.  I want to be able to satisfy all your needs."

But I could not speak.  My eyes told him what my lips could not say, what my body needed from him.

Kayden silently rolled over me; his body blanketed mine.  His mouth pressed against mine until I opened just enough to let him in.  He began a dance in my mouth softly at first, then increasingly more insistently.

"I want you so much it hurts," he said in between strokes of his tongue.  One hand moved up and down my side while the other took my two hands and pulled them over my head. His lips moved to my neck, sucking lightly and biting softly until he reached my shoulders, where the sucking became so hard it made me squeal.

"There, now you carry my mark.  Too bad it's not summer so that every one could see it; everyone would know you are mine.  Tell me that you are mine," he said breathlessly.

"I am yours Kayden, only yours," I gasped.

"Tell me this body is mine, to do as I please," he insisted.

"Yours, all yours," I responded breathlessly.

Kayden growled and in that instant his mouth took my breast in a desperate sucking that I knew I was going to feel for days.  At that moment he rammed inside me with no preambles.  His movements were desperate and lacked the gentleness of the previous few days.  Yet despite his abrasiveness, he still looked after my needs.

"I'm sorry baby, I won't be able to hold it much longer. I need you with me, I need you to come for me."  His hand moved to my sex and began stimulating it with the pad of his finger, my body responding to his touch as I came undone, my muscles clenching inside of me until I lost control.

"Good girl, now it's my turn."  His pace became faster than before until his body began to stiffen and he finally collapsed on me totally spent.

Chapter Seven

I sat on the plane stunned but restless… my mother was in what the doctor's called a comatose state.  I tried to close my eyes and relax.  Memories of a lonely five-year-old flooded my mind.  She was in the middle of a living room totally alone.  Where was my mommy?  I remembered a fight, a big fight; then my father left, now my mother was gone too.

"Mommy, Mommy," the little girl called out, but no one came. 

"Mommy, I'm scared."  But no one came.

I shook my head. "Enough of that."  I can't afford to go on a head-trip at this time, I told myself.  I pressed the call button for the flight attendant and ordered a bloody Mary.  

It was too early for alcohol, but if I was going to survive the next few hours I was going to need some help.  On the other hand, I needed my head clear.  "Okay, okay, one drink for god's sake; stop super-analyzing everything."  My analytical mind could not stop itself; I dissected everything to meaningless pieces in an effort to make the best decision.  It was a habit from childhood, that did not always work, but it helped me to cope with the world, a world that was increasingly more complicated.

The drink helped me to doze off but not to relax.  As I landed in Miami International I decided that a taxi to the hospital would be better than driving, I was in no condition to maneuver the hectic Miami expressway system.  Besides, for all intents and purposes, my body was still recovering from a severe sinus infection.

"To Jackson Memorial," I told the cab driver.  My mother was in the ICU of this state-of-the-art trauma center.  If she was to have a chance this was the best place for her care.

I decided that this was perhaps the only opportunity I would have to call Kayden.  I dialed his number; he answered immediately.

"Ellie, are you okay?  What happened to your mother?  Your text didn't give much information!"

"I'm in a taxi on the way to the hospital now, not much I can tell you yet except that I don’t know when I'll be back in Chicago."

"Where are you staying, what hotel?"

"I'm at the Mandarin Oriental, but won't check into my room until later tonight.  My mother was admitted to Jackson Memorial."

"I'll call Carmelo to see if he has any friends there who can help, then I'll take the next flight," Kayden said without hesitation, and the phone hung up. 

"I don’t have time to deal with anyone now," I told myself and then proceeded to call the kids and Julian.

When I entered my mother's room my heart broke into a million pieces.  My mother, the woman who had given me life, the source of so much contradiction and love, lay in a bed unrecognizable.  Her face and body were swollen, her eyes shut.  She was plugged to machines and stuffed with tubes.  My heart ached for her; tears began to fall down my cheeks.   I didn’t know if I was crying for her or for myself, but the pain was unbearable!

               "Mommy, it's me, Ellie.  I love you, Mommy."  My heart felt heavy, it was so painful to see her like this!  She was always so full of life, and here she lay unresponsive; only the machines told me she was alive.  For the hundredth time in my life I felt totally alone.  My father died when I was a child, both sets of grandparents too, and now my mother…

I decided to do what I do best, push the pain down and go into problem-solving mode; analytical Ellie came to the rescue at just the right time.  My first step was to find out how she got to this condition, then who her doctors were and get a prognosis.  The news was not good; the doctors did not think she would make it.

By the time I arrived at the Mandarin Oriental it was ten in the evening.  Check-in was a breeze!  The concierge informed me that I had been upgraded to the Biscayne Suite.  I was too tired to ask any questions or to investigate any further, I was just grateful to have a place to sleep that was a couple of miles from the hospital!  I just wanted a bath, something to eat, and a warm bed. 

A knock on the door brought me back to reality. "Who could that be this late at night? I hope they are not here to tell me it was a mistake and I have to go back to my original room."  When I opened the door my mouth fell open; Kayden stood in front of me.

"Kayden, what are you doing here?"

He walked toward me, took me in his arms, and kissed me, and the gates to the dam broke loose.  He pushed the door closed with his foot, and we just stood there, me in his arms crying inconsolably, him just holding me as if my life and sanity depended on it.  His hold was warm, gentle, and filled with compassion.  It lasted minutes, hours; I don’t know.  In his arms I lost all track of time; I searched for his lips this time and he returned my kiss with gentle passion.  This man I had known for only a little over a week knew more about me than anyone I had been with before!  He took my face into his hands and looked into my eyes deeply and somehow was able to see all my yearning, all my pain. I tried to hide from his scrutiny but he wouldn't let me.  Instead he carried me to the sofa.

"When was the last time you ate?"

"I don’t know, I think it was yesterday, I had some tea and a bloody Mary today if that counts."

"I'm glad you still have your sense of humor." 

He went to the phone and called room service; he picked up the room service menu and ordered a roasted tomato soup with goat cheese croutons and a baby greens salad with shrimp and a balsamic reduction dressing for me, and Florida grouper with sweet corn for himself, with instructions to bring the food as quickly as possible.  Then he proceeded to go into the bathroom and prepare a bath.

"While the food gets here you need to relax; off to the bathroom you go for a nice soaking in the tub."  I looked at him with questioning eyes.  "Don't worry, I'm not going in with you.  I have no desire to take advantage of you."  The look on my face must have been one of disappointment, because he started to laugh and then said, "All in due time, mi amor."  My heart skipped a bit at his words.

I soaked in the spacious tub for about twenty minutes; it felt like pure indulgence!  After the bath I used the hotel's products to cream my body and covered with an incredibly soft robe.  By the time I joined Kayden the food was already delivered and on the table.  From the moment the delicious aroma hit my nostrils my appetite returned.  I must have been starving, because I devoured all of it.  It was scrumptious!

We lay on the sofa after dinner and listened to soft jazz.  Kayden was on the bottom and I lay between his legs.  His hands caressed my hair, gently massaging my scalp, rubbing my shoulders, and before I knew it I began to drift away.  The combination of warm water, good food and Kayden's gentleness pushed me to a land where no one could hurt me, or at least that's how I felt. 

The constant ringing of the phone woke us up the next morning.  I found myself with Kayden's legs wrapped around my hips and his hand on my breast!  He was fully dressed and I was half naked with the robe opened.  He kissed my neck and said, "Good morning."  Totally embarrassed by my appearance, I turned red.

"Good morning to you too.  I am sorry, but I have to get the phone, it could be the hospital."  He let me go, and I was sorry to leave the safety of his arms the moment I stepped away… even more sorry when I realized it was Julian!

"Hello Ellie, I just heard about your mom, is she okay?"

"She is in a coma, the doctors tell me that it's a matter of days."  My voice choked and dropped to almost a whisper at the sudden realization.  Kayden came over and held me from behind while I continued the conversation.

"The kids and I will be there tonight, we want to see Ana before…before it's too late.  What hotel are you staying at?"

"Julian, you don't have to do this."

"I want to; Ana is like family, she is your mother and the grandmother to our children.  What's the name of the hotel, Ellie?" he asked in an authoritative way.

"I'm at the Mandarin Oriental.  I'll see you tonight." 

As I ended the call I felt Kayden tighten his grip around me, his body becoming rigid.

"I am so sorry Kayden, but this is something I have to share with my family.  I can't hide from them."

"We are not talking about them, we are talking about Julian.  The man is still in love with you." His exasperation was evident by the tone of his voice.

"He is just worried about the kids, he knew my mother for many years, cared about her.  Besides, the important thing is that I am not in love with him."

"Prove it," he said.

"How?"  I flinched at the tone of his voice.  "Besides, I don’t have to prove anything, my word should be enough."

"Then introduce me to your family tonight as more than just a neighbor," he said as he turned me around and looked me in the eyes.

My mouth went dry; open, closed, then open again.  I didn’t know what to say.

"Are you embarrassed of me?"

"NO! I just don't know where we are going with this relationship. I don't even know what to call it, is it a friendship or what?"

Kayden replied, with a look of hurt in his eyes, "This thing between us is definitely a relationship, we are lovers for Christ's sake; I hope to God you don’t see me as a friend because a friend is absolutely not what I am looking for.  Do you think I do the things I do with you to a friend?  If all you want is friendship, this is the time to tell me and I'll disappear from your life."

I shook my head from side to side indicating no.  Kayden took me into his arms, lifted me, and as he walked to the bedroom of the suite whispered, "Well then, let's take this relationship to the next level, I don’t want you to have any doubts about my intentions." 

We both fell on the bed and grabbed for each other with unrestrained desire.  He kissed me with a sense of urgency and greed that took my breath away.  And I responded, oh boy did I respond, to every stroke of his tongue, to every suck and every bite with equal hunger.  I couldn't stop kissing him, it was like I had been holding this yearning deep inside me and now it had an outlet in the form of this most masculine and virile man. 

Kayden abandoned my lips and moved to my breasts.  He kissed and sucked them with the same passion he had rendered to my mouth.  My hands tried to touch him, to grab him, but he was fully clothed.

"Not fair, here I am with just a robe and you're fully dressed," I gasped.

"Then do something about it."  My hands moved quickly to remove his clothes; first his shirt, then his pants, followed by his underwear.  His body was toned and lean and oh so sexy.  I used my tongue to kiss his stomach and my hands to caress his back.  Kayden grabbed both of my hands over my head with one of his.  He continued to ravage my breasts until I could not take it any more; I screamed his name and begged him to stop.

"Kayden please, no more."

"We are just getting started, baby." He moved to my stomach and continued his kissing and sucking torture.  When his mouth touched my most intimate of parts I exploded just from his proximity into millions of pieces. When he finally slid into me, I screamed his name in ecstasy. 

Kayden was gentle as he went into my body, intuitively knowing the need for care.  He kissed my mouth and caressed my body as he went in, first slowly, then with a faster tempo; yet he never lost control.  He possessed me completely and in that moment of possession we both found what we were looking for.

We lay in each other's arms for what seemed like hours.  At ten we got up and took a quick shower.  After dressing and having in-room breakfast I headed for the hospital.  Kayden was going to stay in and do some work.  I needed to figure out how I was going to approach the topic of the new man in my life with the kids.  I decided that honesty was the best policy; I didn't know where this relationship was heading but I knew I did not want to hide it like a dirty little secret.

Kayden had arranged for a Town Car to drive me to and from the hospital.  Honestly, in a few days, the man had taken over my life!  I was in no mood to fight him; he was right, even if the hotel was only a couple of miles away, I should not be driving the insane Miami traffic in my state of mind.  I could have walked, but he refused to listen.  My brain was not focused, it was scattered between the anxiety over my mother's condition and the uncertainty over my children's reaction to Kayden's presence.  I decided it would be best to warn both the kids and Julian about what to expect when they came, so that there would be no surprises.  I sent a quick text to find out if they were available to talk, and then began the calls.  Vickie was first.

"Hi Mom, how are you doing? How is Grandma?"  Her concern was evident in her voice.

"I'm doing as well as can be expected given the circumstances.  But that's not the reason I called you."

"Mom, you are scaring me; what's going on?"  Her voice was anxious now.

"Please don't panic, I'm fine.  I just want to prepare you for the fact that I'm not here alone; I don’t want any surprises, we have enough of those already."