Authors: Arianna Hart
“Please, sit down.” Conflicting feelings still rolled through her every time she saw Michael. Sometimes she missed the closeness they’d shared at the beginning of their marriage, but she never wanted to deal with the coldness and isolation he’d treated her to at the end ever again.
“Great. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. Just wanted to see how you were doing.” Michael was the consummate salesman and usually oozed charm, but today he seemed a little awkward. “You look good. Have you been to the beach or something? You have some color in your cheeks.”
“Leigh and I went to New Orleans for Labor Day weekend. It was hot down there even for September.”
He looked startled for a second before he covered up the reaction. “New Orleans? Really? That seems a little wild for you.”
“It was time for me to have a little fun in my life.” Okay, that was mean, but he deserved it. How dare he give her his disapproving frown when he was the one who used to tell her to loosen up all the time?
After her night with Declan, she’d realized just how boring her sex life with Michael had been. And for once, she didn’t blame that on herself. He could have put a little more effort into getting her off instead of just making sure she was wet enough for him to get inside for two minutes of thrusting before he collapsed on top of her. Hell, by the end of their marriage their sex life was so regimented it had felt more like one more chore to check off the list than an expression of love.
Michael looked like he was at a loss for words. She should mark it on the calendar. It had to be a first. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for him to rally.
“So, are you settling in to the apartment? Do you need anything from the house?”
“I’m fine. There’s nothing I want from there.”
Including you.
“What are you doing at the hospital anyway?” Michael was a pharmaceutical salesman but he dealt mostly with doctors’ offices, not hospitals.
“I had a call at an office nearby and thought I’d grab lunch here.”
“Really?”
“Well, yes and no. I wanted to tell you before you heard it from anyone else. Anna’s pregnant.”
A shaft of pain slammed into her and she couldn’t think straight.
“Congratulations. That was fast.” They’d only been divorced for six months. They’d spent the last two years of their marriage going through fertility treatments.
“I know. We were using protection too. After everything we went through, I wondered if I could even father a child.”
The unspoken, “But I knew it was all your fault,” lay on the table between them.
She reached for her coffee with shaking hands.
“Is that a tattoo? You got a tattoo?”
“Yes, in New Orleans.” God, why wouldn’t he just leave? Emotions spun inside her like a blender on overdrive. Anger at how he still blamed her for her sterility instead of supporting her, bitterness at how he’d abandoned her and jealousy. Anna was young and beautiful and apparently very fertile.
“Wow, you really have changed.” He paused for a second as if considering this wild side of her he’d never seen before moving back to himself—shocker. “Hey, do you want to see the ultrasound? I have a copy. You can see the head and arms.”
She’d rather have hot needles poked in her eyes.
“I—”
“Ciara? Is that really you?” Declan’s deep voice rolled over her like melted chocolate.
“Declan? What are you doing here?” Her bones turned to water and she could feel herself flush. What did you say to a man whose body you knew intimately, but not his full name?
He leaned down and kissed her briefly. Sparks shot from the light brush of his lips against hers. Instantly, every muscle of her body that had been clenched tightly with the stress of dealing with Michael softened and turned to mush. Her heart fluttered as she got lost in his cobalt blue eyes.
“Who’s this?” Michael stood stiffly, his hands clutching his laptop case.
She stood so fast, she almost knocked over her chair. “This is—”
My one night stand? A guy I met in a bar?
Hell, she couldn’t even remember his last name.
“Declan Donaldson. Ciara and I met in New Orleans this weekend. When a business partner of mine invited me up to Connecticut for a meeting, I couldn’t resist looking Ciara up. And you are?”
“Michael St. John. Ciara’s husband.”
“Ex-husband!” Ciara found her voice. How dare he say he was her husband after he’d just finished telling her how he knocked up someone else.
Jerk.
Declan shot her a heated look that curled her toes. “Thanks for clarifying. You had me nervous there for a second.”
“So, Declan, what is it you said you do?” Michael asked.
“I manage investments for clients all over the world.” He paused to play with the end of one of Ciara’s curls. “It was great to meet the fool who let a gem like Ciara slip away, but I’m wondering if you could excuse us for a moment?”
Ciara almost snorted the sip of coffee she’d taken. How about that? She was a gem. Who’d have thought it?
Michael started to argue but his cell phone rang. When he turned to answer, Declan took her arm and eased her around a large planter off to the side.
“Sorry to just barge in like that but you looked like you could use a bit of rescuing. I hope I didn’t overstep my bounds.”
“Not at all. It was a perfect interruption.” Ciara didn’t know what to do now. How did you handle meeting up with the guy you fucked mindlessly and then left without a word the next morning? Unconsciously, she rubbed the tattoo.
An arc of energy that was practically visible shot between them. Declan let out a groan and grabbed her wrist.
“Well now, what is this?” He brushed his fingers over the tattoo and heat roared through her, lodging between her legs until she was sure her panties were soaked.
She cleared her throat and tried to marshal her scattered wits. “I was hoping you could tell me. I don’t remember going to a tattoo parlor, but this was here when I woke up yesterday.”
“It looks like there’s a lot we need to discuss.” He looked at his watch. “Unfortunately, I have to get back to my meeting with my client now. Do you think we could get together for dinner later tonight?”
“Sure.” Her voice was husky. “There’s a great Italian place a couple blocks from here. I could meet you there around six if that works for you.”
“Perfect. I’ll see you then.” He cupped the back of her neck and tilted her head up for a tender kiss. “And Ciara? The man was an idiot to let you go. Don’t let him put those shadows in your eyes.”
Her jaw dropped as she followed his progress out of the hospital cafeteria. He’d only known her for one night, most of which had been spent naked and in the dark, and he recognized her emotional state better than Michael, who she’d been with for five years.
Michael rounded the planter and nearly bumped into her. “Oh, there you are. Who was that guy, really?”
“Someone I picked up in a bar,” she shot back without considering her words. “Oh, look at the time. I need to get back to the E.D. It was great seeing you.”
Not.
“Congratulations on your baby. I know it’s something you’ve always wanted.”
She escaped before he had a chance to respond. For some reason, she’d agreed to have dinner with Declan, and that was a much more pleasant thing to ponder than Michael’s impending fatherhood.
Chapter Four
It seemed ridiculous to drive to the restaurant when it was only a few blocks from the hospital parking garage, but Ciara didn’t want to have to walk in this area after dark. It was one thing to go to the local Italian place for lunch or for a drink after work with a bunch of people, but the neighborhood was a little sketchy. Even walking from her parking spot down the street had her jumpy.
“Ciara! Hold up!” Declan called from half a street behind her. “I’ve been walking for the last ten minutes trying to find this place. You didn’t give me a name so I couldn’t tell the cab where to stop.”
She waited for him to catch up. That was weird, she’d looked around when she’d gotten out of the car because the area made her nervous and she hadn’t seen anyone. Maybe he’d just turned the corner?
“I’m sorry. I’m not even sure I know the proper name. We always call it the Italian place
.
I didn’t think to give you the address.” She’d been so bemused and befuddled from seeing him at the hospital she was surprised she’d regained her ability to speak at all.
“No worries. I had the cabby drop me off near the hospital and headed this way. I figured I’d find it eventually. Although, it’s not the most picturesque part of town, is it?”
“I’m afraid not. But the food is good and it’s conveniently close to work so we go to it a lot.”
“What exactly do you do at the hospital? I don’t think I ever asked you.”
No, they’d been too busy exploring each other’s bodies to discuss past history. The memory sent a flush of heat through her, tightening her nipples and dampening her thighs. Just walking next to him, occasionally brushing against his long, lean body had every sense on alert. It was like something inside her recognized him as the perfect fit for her.
She tried to unscramble her brains so she would sound at least slightly intelligent, but most of her energy was being taken up by her hormones jumping up and down, screaming,
Now! Take me right here, right now!
“I’m the secretary for the Emergency Department. It’s not exactly as glamorous as being a nurse or a doctor, but the benefits are good.” And boy, had she ever needed good health insurance with the cost of fertility treatments. “How did your meeting go?”
“It was—optimistic. I’m not sure if this venture will be successful but—”
Before Declan could finish his sentence, something rammed into her from behind, slamming her to her knees on the rough sidewalk. Her purse was yanked against her shoulder, but because she had it looped diagonally across her chest, it dragged her to her side.
A man in a black baseball cap held the strap of her purse in one hand and a knife in the other.
Declan swore and kicked out at the hand holding the knife. The thug released her purse and dove for the knife a second ahead of Declan.
Call 911, call 911!
Her brain shrieked as she watched the two men wrestle for the weapon, but she couldn’t seem to get her hands to work. All her attention was focused on the violence unfolding in front of her. Ciara let out a scream as the thug got the upper hand momentarily and stabbed Declan in the side.
Declan managed to knock the guy off him but the damage was already done. A steadily growing pool of blood spread over his shirt. The sight of all that blood must have freaked the guy out because he looked at Ciara, who by now had her phone in her hand, and took off running down the street.
She scrambled over to where Declan lay on the sidewalk. Everything had happened in seconds, and she was only now recovering her wits.
“Stay still, I’m calling an ambulance.” She’d only dialed the 9 so far.
“No. It’s nothing. I don’t want an ambulance.”
Nothing? Blood drenched his white dress shirt and soaked the ground under him. She couldn’t believe he was still talking after losing that much blood.
“This is not
nothing
. You need a doctor.”
He closed his hand over hers, shutting her flip phone at the same time. “I’ll be fine. It’s not as bad as it looks.”
“That’s hard to believe, because it looks pretty damn bad!”
“Honestly, I’m okay. See?” He pushed himself unsteadily to his feet.
Ciara had little medical training, but she’d worked in an emergency room long enough to know that much blood loss was bad. He should be going into shock, not standing up, however weakly.
She stood next to him and pulled his shirt aside. The wound had closed up as if it had never been there. Shock had her doubting what she knew she’d seen. Ciara shook her head as if that would help her reconcile what she was seeing now to what she knew had happened.
Damn it, she
knew
the knife had gone into his side. His shirt had a hole in it and was still wet with blood.
But there was no wound to be seen.
“Perhaps we should go to your place so we can talk. I don’t think I’m dressed appropriately for dinner and we should clean up a bit. You’ve got some nasty scrapes on your knees.” He guided her toward her car.
A bubble of hysterical laughter burst from her. He was worried about her skinned knees? He’d had a
knife
in him. She was not going insane, she knew what she’d seen.
“Hand me your keys, love.”
She handed them over without hesitation. There was no way she could drive at this point. As they walked down the street, he seemed to regain his strength while hers drained out of her like water through a sieve. He helped her into the car as if she was the one with a life-threatening injury, not just a few cuts and scrapes.
A shiver wracked her frame even though the night was mild.
“I’ll explain it all when we’re at your place, okay?” He turned the heater on high before smoothly backing out of the parking spot.
“Sure.” He’d explain how he’d healed right before her eyes? Good luck with that.
Chapter Five