Heaven Sent (9 page)

She placed the tray on a small, round table next to the armchair, then helped David from the bed over to the chair, noticing that he continued to clench his teeth. It was obvious that his pain had not disappeared completely. After raising his right foot onto the stool, she positioned the tray over his lap.

He fed himself while she changed his bed. She felt his gaze watching her every movement, and wished that she had not worn the shorts. Whenever she turned she saw his one uninjured eye fixed on her legs.

Crossing the room, she stepped out into the hallway and picked up his leather garment bag and Pullman. The leather was soft and supple as heated butter. The bags were well used, yet had retained the distinctive smell of newly tanned hide. Walking slowly under the weight of the bags, she made her way into the bedroom.

David had just drained a large mug filled with a sweet, fragrant tea when he saw Serena laboring under the weight of a garment bag she had slung over her shoulder and another large case she pulled along the floor.

“Let me help you,” he offered, putting the tray on the nearby table. He attempted to rise to his feet, then halted. He had put all of his weight on his swollen foot, nearly losing his balance.

“I’ve got it,” she insisted, breathing heavily and dragging the Pullman.

Recognizing his own luggage, David hobbled slowly across the room, favoring his right foot. He knew the weight in the leather pieces, because he’d packed enough clothes for his two-week stay.

All of his suspicions about Vega were now confirmed. He’d thought perhaps someone had assaulted him in a robbery attempt, and if that had been true then he never would’ve seen his luggage again. Any knowledgeable thief would have sold the two pieces and contents for a tidy sum. Blinding rage surpassed all of the pain torturing his body.

“Put them down, Serena! Now!”

Registering the deep, angry command, she let go of the Pullman and eased the strap of the garment bag off her shoulder. It landed heavily on the floor beside the Pullman. Folding her hands on her hips, she glared up at David as he gingerly made his way over to her. Moisture lathered his face with the effort it took to put one foot in front of the other.

“What are you trying to do?” he questioned. His tone had softened considerably.

Her stance did not change as she stared up at him looming above her.

“Don’t ask a dumb question if you don’t want a dumb answer,” she snapped angrily.

“I wouldn’t have to ask if you hadn’t shown me what a fool you are to try to move something that weighs more than you do,” he countered.

Her gaze widened. “Are you calling me a fool? Maybe I am,” she continued, not giving him a chance to come back at her. “I am a fool for taking care of someone who’s too stubborn and much too ignorant to acknowledge that I’m only trying to help.”

Reaching out, he caught her shoulders and pulled her against his chest. “I’m not calling you a fool. I—”

“Do I have to add liar to the list of your other sterling qualities?” she interrupted.

The warmth, softness, and scent of Serena seeped into David, making him forget who he was, where he was, and the pain wracking his body from head to toe. He held onto her as if she were his lifeline. He wanted and needed her to take away his pain, the yearning surpassing every craving he’d ever known, while defying description.

His outstretched fingers covered more than half her back, and she was certain he felt her slight trembling. Her face was pressed against his shoulder, and as she shifted her head the end of her nose grazed the thick, crisp, curly hair on his broad chest.

He closed his eyes, languishing in her female heat and feeling the white hot pain slipping away. Swaying slightly, he managed to keep his balance.

“Let me go, David.” Her voice was muffled in his chest.

Drawing in a deep breath, he let it out slowly. “Not yet.”

“Please.”

He heard the husky plea, but he would not release her. What he wanted was for her to offer him what all of the women in his past had not been able to do—he wanted Serena to relate to him not because he was David Cole, but because he was a man; a man whose name and family mattered naught to her.

His hold on her slender body eased as he pulled back. The tense silence multiplied and surrounded them with an awareness that had not been apparent before. Without a word of acknowledgement, their roles changed from that of nurse and patient to that of man and woman—male and female.

Serena’s arm tightened around his waist, and he leaned docilely into her as she led him back to the bed. She spent the next half-hour bathing and shaving David while he lay motionless, eyes closed. Seeing his nude body did not disturb her as much as Luz Maria’s prediction which had caused confusion in her head.

The young man you’re taking care of will be a part of your future.

No!
a voice in her head screamed. All she wanted was for him to heal, conclude his business with her father, then return to the States.

All she wanted for herself was her brother’s freedom.

D
avid spent the morning and early afternoon drifting in and out of a painless sleep, giving Serena the opportunity to unpack his luggage. She hung up eight pairs of lightweight summer slacks, two dozen monogrammed shirts, four jackets, a half-dozen silk ties, six pairs of shoes, and a month’s supply of briefs and socks, most bearing the label of Ralph Lauren or Façonnable.

A leather shaving kit contained Façonnable scented soap, deodorant, aftershave balm, and cologne. The masculine, woodsy scent was well-suited to its wearer. A small flannel bag contained a gleaming, sterling silver razor with
DCC
inscribed on its delicately curved handle. She slipped the razor back into its sack, smiling. The disposable razors she’d used to shave him had not even come close to the elegant, engraved shaving instrument.

Emptying the contents of the shaving kit, she discovered
an ultra-thin Piaget watch. Examining it closely, she read the back of the timepiece. There was no doubt that the watch’s exquisitely thin case in solid eighteen karat gold and black lizard strap cost more than some farm workers earned in a year harvesting crops. There was no question that David Cole spared no expense when selecting his wardrobe and accessories.

Returning to the bed, she stared down at his relaxed face. His bare chest rose and fell gently in sleep. The discoloration over his left eye had changed from an angry purple-red to a shiny, dark blue. Some of the swelling had faded so much that he would soon claim full visibility. The sutures along his cheek held the flesh tightly with no sign of swelling or redness. There was no doubt that his face would be scarred, but she suspected that it would not detract from the natural male beauty which made him devastatingly handsome.

She decided to let him sleep. She needed to contact her parents in San José to find out what progress they’d made in securing the release of her brother.

The phone rang a half dozen times at the Vegas’ San José residence before someone picked up the telephone.

“
Hola
,” came a softly modulated female voice.

“Mother?”

“Serena? Have you heard anything?”

“No. That’s why I’m calling you.”

A soft sigh filtered through the receiver. “Nothing has changed. Raul met with President Montalvo twice, but there’s been no word from the American ambassador about a formal discussion. All we can do is pray.”

“Dona Maria says Gabe is safe.”

There was a moment of silence before Juanita spoke again. “Are you certain she said that?”

“She said ‘he’s safe from himself and those who seek to take his life.’ You know I’m not superstitious, but I believe her, Mother.”

“I don’t know what to believe anymore. All I want to do is…” Her voice broke, and she was unable to continue.

Serena felt her own eyes fill with tears. “Mother, please—don’t.” The soft sobbing coming through the wire shattered her control. It pained her to hear her mother’s anguish. “Call me when you hear something.” She ended the call, hanging up and cutting off the sound of Juanita’s weeping.

Blinking back her own tears, she berated herself for telephoning and upsetting her mother. She made a silent promise not to call her parents again. She would wait for them to contact her.

She felt a strange restlessness that wouldn’t permit her to lie or sit down. What she wanted was for everything to be a dream, and when she awoke all of the horrors of the past two weeks would disappear like a lingering puff of smoke. Something unknown whispered that she should believe Luz Maria’s prediction that Gabe wasn’t in any danger, but she would not believe it fully until she touched him without the barriers of shackles or the presence of criminal justice officials.

Her anxiety made her want to jog. However, that was impossible in ninety degree tropical heat. Whenever she ran she gloried in the rush of wind across her face. It made her feel as if she were flying, soaring high above the noisy crowds and burgeoning traffic, and made her free—free from the painful memories of love found and lost.

Love lost. Why was she thinking of Xavier? Was it because of what Luz Maria prophesied about her future being linked with David Cole’s?

Why him, when they did not even like each other? Why did she find arrogance and vanity unappealing traits in other men, but not in David?

Walking over to the French doors, she opened them and stepped out onto the second story veranda. The humidity swallowed her whole in a cocoon of weighty, wet warmth. Low-hanging dark clouds indicated an imminent downpour. She sat down on a cushioned bamboo chaise, staring out at the landscape surrounding
La Montaña
and remembering the first time she had stepped out onto the veranda. The view of the mountains, ocean, and the dense growth of the rain forest had made her feel as if she had flown up to heaven, where she looked down and saw all that God had created. A smile had curved her lips and she had whispered, “It is good.”

And it was still good. The panoramic vistas had the power to soothe and erase her anxiety. She had waited until four months after her marriage ended to return to Limon, and the moment the small plane touched down at the airport the healing had begun.

Closing her eyes, she listened to cries of the birds calling to one another in the towering trees. The cacophony of sounds was nature’s orchestra serenading life. She lost track of time until a rumble of thunder, followed by a driving downpour, forced her off the veranda.

She returned to the bedroom and glanced at a clock on the bedside table. It was only eleven-forty. She had been up for hours, and felt as if she had accomplished
nothing. Some of her restlessness was because she truly had nothing to do.

Taking care of David had not taken up much of her time. She changed his bed, gave him his shots, brought him his meals, and assisted with his grooming. Other than that he was now a patient who had required very little attention. She had only to give him injections of antibiotics and check his stitches.

Her role at the hospital, although supervisory, was hectic and demanding. She was responsible for scheduling rotations, supervisory staff meetings, and weekly conferences with hospital administration. There were times when she complained about the responsibility, but she truly loved her profession and marveled at the ongoing successes of modern medicine.

She made her way quietly into David’s room. A smile crinkled the skin around her eyes when she saw him leaning against the wrought-iron balustrade, eyes closed. He’d shifted most of his body’s weight to his left foot. The now softly falling rain pasted his hair to his scalp and molded his boxers to his hips and thighs. Seeing the moisture bathe his golden-brown body, droplets of water clinging to the hair on his chest, caused a rush of heat to sweep over her body like a backdraft of fire from a launching rocket.

Serena felt like a voyeur, watching numbly as David raised his arms and right foot while slowly turning his face heavenward. He kept the position for a full minute, then lowered his arms, foot, and head. She wondered if he were perhaps meditating, or possibly praying?

Her gaze was fixed on the perfection of his tall, muscled physique, noting the symmetry of his wide shoulders in proportion to his waist and hips. She visually
measured the trim lines of his torso’s proportion to the length of his legs.

And it was in that minute that she realized that she ached, needing him to physically make her a complete woman.

It had been more than two years since she had lain with a man, and what she had denied, had been denying, was that she missed the intimacy.

She missed the furtive glances, caresses, kisses, missed lying in bed, touching, missed waking in the morning to a warm, hard body next to her own, and she missed the complete possession when she accepted a man into her heart and into her body, when for a short time they would become one and she could claim him as her own.

Moving silently across the space, she stepped out onto the veranda. Ignoring the moisture seeping into her hair and clothing, she stood inches from David, watching the serenity softening his delicate features. He had to know that she was there, but he gave no indication, he did not open his eyes.

Something foreign, unknown, gripped her hand as she touched the center of his chest. The heat from his body almost caused her to pull her fingers away, but she did not.

Drawing even closer, she pressed her chest to his, her arms encircling his waist. She felt a wave of embarrassment heat up her face as he stood rigid, hands at his sides.

“Why don’t you come in out of the rain?” she urged softly.

“I love being out in the rain,” he countered in the deep melodious tone she had come to savor. “For me it’s a renewal, a rebirth.”

“A renewal of what?”

Opening his eyes for the first time since Serena touched him, David stared down at her damp, curly hair. He knew the exact moment she had stepped out onto the veranda. He could detect her scented body over the redolent essence of flourishing flowers and fauna surrounding
La Montaña
. He realized he would be able to identify her even if blindfolded. His breathing deepened as he felt the outline of her firm breasts against his bared chest.

“A renewal of life, Serena. Without the rain life would cease to exist. Each time it rains I think of it as a promise that the world and all that is in it will continue until the next time. Unfortunately, most of us take rain and life for granted.”

“How true.” Her voice was a breathless whisper, lulling and pulling David in. He felt a rush of desire that he wasn’t able to control.

The evidence of his desire was apparent. There was no way he could hide his aroused state—not with her body molded to his.

Serena felt his heat melt into her. She wanted him, and it was more than obvious that he wanted her. It had taken only two days for her feelings and her role to change from caretaker to that of caregiver.

She remembered his statement that he had not made it a practice to sleep with a lot of women. That may have been so, but she also instinctively knew that David Cole certainly could attract a woman.

Her own sexual experience was limited. There were usually extended periods of time between her relationships, and if she did enter a relationship it usually was long-term.

Her hands dropped as she attempted to pull away,
but David’s hands moved quickly up to her shoulders. “Don’t leave me—not yet.” His gaze dropped to her chest, seeing the outline of her breasts against the damp T-shirt. “I want to hold you.”

She felt his hardness pressing against her middle. She did not want him to hold her because she feared her own lack of control. How could she tell a man she’d known for two days that she wanted him to kiss her? That she wanted him to remind her that she was a woman who wanted and needed the intimacy of physical contact.

Flashing a nervous smile, she said, “This is very unethical, David. I’m your nurse.”

He smiled his lopsided, dimpled smile. “That’s because you’ve been unethical. Nurses normally would not share a patient’s bed, nor do they sit on their patients’ laps when shaving them.”

Her jaw dropped. She hadn’t realized that he was aware that she had slept next to him his first night at
La Montaña
. “That protocol could not be avoided,” she countered.

“And neither can this one.” Without giving her a chance to analyze his statement, he slipped his arms down her body, his fingers encircling her waist as he lifted her off her feet until her head was even with his.

Her hands moved up his shoulders, her arms slipping around his neck. Holding tightly to keep her balance, she wasn’t given the opportunity to protest as David angled his head until his mouth moved over hers, staking its claim. She felt the demanding pressure of his mouth, savoring the heated contact of flesh meeting flesh.

Then it was over as quickly as it had begun. He lowered her until her sandaled feet touched the solid surface of the veranda floor, unaware of the effort it took
for him to maintain his balance while picking her up. If he hadn’t used the wrought-iron railing for support, the action would’ve proved disastrous. If he had fallen forward he would have crushed her. Not only would he have caused further injury to himself, but her as well.

“I’m ready to go in now.” His breathing was labored, as if he had run a grueling race. Tasting her mouth confirmed that his body was in concert with what he was beginning to feel for her. It wasn’t gratitude for her caring for his injuries, but his wanting her the way a man wanted a woman.

Pulling out of his loose embrace, Serena turned and reentered his bedroom. “Aren’t you going to help me?” he called out to her retreating back.

Not turning around, she curled her fingers into tight fists. Her body was going through all of the familiar changes associated with sexual arousal. Her breasts felt hot and heavy and the pulsing center between her thighs made her knees tremble.

“Who helped you get out of bed and walk out there?” Tension hardened her sultry voice. She was angry and annoyed that she had lost herself in the man and in the moment.

The erotic vision of watching him standing in the rain, wearing only a pair of white, cotton boxers lingered in her mind. She could still see the contrast of his rich, brown body against the white fabric, recall the definition in his arms as he’d raised them above his head, and remember the warmth of his body when she’d placed her hand against his chest. The sights were enough to make her lower her guard so much that she would permit her own body to ache for a man.

David stared at her petite figure. There was no doubt that she was angry with him.

And he was surprised at his own reaction to Serena. It wasn’t that he was celibate. What he was was
very
controlled. He had gotten used to women coming on to him and learned to counteract their advances before he entered his twenties. He always wanted to want a woman, not the reverse. He did not want to want Serena Morris, though, but his body would not follow the dictates of his brain.