Masquerade (21 page)

“Don’t you call it
our baby
. You were engaged to Neil just two weeks before we met — of course the baby is Neil’s.”

Anger was beginning to take hold of her. She gripped the sheet, scrunching it up.

How could he stand there and accuse her of such a hideous thing? After everything they’d shared, surely he knew her better than to think she would lie about something as important as a pregnancy.

“Ever heard of a paternity test, Alex? You’re a doctor — all it takes is a little blood sample to be extracted at the time of birth and, voila, all will be revealed. Or alternatively, if you can’t wait that long, then an amnio can be arranged.”

“If you’re going to persist with naming me as the father I will be demanding a paternity test.”

He started dressing, his movements jerky, and Sophie knew when he walked out that door he wouldn’t be coming back.

All the fight left her like air gushing out of an air mattress when the valve had been pulled out. She couldn’t believe she could be so disappointed and let down by two men in the space of a few months.

She wished now she’d never opened herself or her heart to Alex. With just a few words, he’d ripped it out and slashed it into a million pieces with a scalpel.

“Aren’t you even going to discuss the possibility I’m telling the truth, Alex?”

“If I stay here any longer I’m going to say things that will make it impossible for us to even work together.”

“Running away isn’t going to help.” She used the same words he had uttered to her only a few weeks ago. “There are going to be plenty of times in the next few weeks when I’m going to have episodes like now. And then I’m going to start showing. What are you going to do then? Still deny it?”

“Won’t everyone assume its Neil’s? No one knows that we’ve even been together.”

Sophie recoiled as if she’d been slapped. She had never known Alex to be so cruel. Had she ever really known him?

“I think you should go,” she whispered while trying to keep the tears at bay.

“Why? I thought you wanted to
discuss
this,” he spat out.

“What would be the point? Just go, Alex, and don’t bother coming back. I’m taking a sick day, tell admin whatever you want. Make sure you lock the door on the way out.”

She rose from the bed and even though she was naked, she kept her back ramrod straight and strode into the bathroom.

Sophie turned the dials on and stepped under the water, uncaring that it was cold. She just wanted to let the tears fall. With the water pouring down her back she let the tears trickle endlessly down her cheeks.

“It’s okay, baby.” She patted her stomach. “I love you and we’ll be fine. And I love your daddy, even if he doesn’t love me.”

• • •

“Are you completely blind and stupid, Alex?” Phoebe demanded of him.

They were alone in his office. He had been trying to concentrate, but all he could think about was the look in Sophie’s eyes after their argument. It had been haunting his every waking hour and his dreams since he’d walked out of the apartment three days ago. They had been the hardest, longest three days of his life.

He had snapped at everyone — even the toughest of residents now dreaded seeing him walk into a cubicle. He had never treated his staff badly. He was spending more time out of the office because he didn’t want to be around Sophie. The staff knew something was up between them. How could they not know when he and Sophie did everything they could to avoid being in their office at the same time? Right this minute she was doing some paperwork at the ER desk. He needed to sort his feelings out, deal with the outcome, and move on.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Phoebe.” He wasn’t ready to face it just yet, especially not with Sophie’s best friend.

“I think you do and I can’t believe you would think so little of Sophie.”

He scraped a hand along his face. His eyes were gritty from lack of sleep and his face was scratchy because he hadn’t shaved this morning. “I was warned about her, both professionally and personally.”

“By who?” Alex saw the moment it clicked in Phoebe’s mind who had spoken to him. “You are even more stupid than I thought, if you believe anything that comes out of that bastard Neil Buchanan’s mouth.”

He mentally stepped back as Phoebe moved up to his desk and pounded the shiny surface. “He was the one that cheated on Sophie. He and Sophie hadn’t been sleeping together for months. I know and trust my friend and I know Sophie wouldn’t try to palm off one man’s child to another man.”

Alex could see Phoebe was on her soapbox and he didn’t even try to stop her.

“I’m just surprised you could be so dense as to believe the words of a man whose sole purpose of sleeping with Sophie wasn’t to love and cherish her, but to climb up the social ladder. She and your baby don’t deserve you, Alex. I hope you enjoy your lonely existence while Sophie and your child have a beautiful life together.”

He didn’t say anything, just sat there in silence all through Phoebe’s tirade.

“You are a cold, hard man, Alex Scavoni.” Phoebe shot the last barb and stormed out of the office, slamming the door as she went.

Was it possible? Had he made a stupid mistake? Why had he let that one insidious line of Neil’s take over his sensibilities?

Because you didn’t want to get hurt and latched onto the first thing that came to your mind.

You’re a coward, Alex Scavoni. Open your heart and take a risk, otherwise you will be a lonely old man just like Phoebe said.

Oh, shut up, he told the voice in his head.

You don’t want to listen because you know I’m right.

Alex swiveled the chair so he was facing the plain, boring, beige wall of the office. He closed his eyes and let the images he’d been denying himself for the last few days play like a movie through his mind.

A future where he and Sophie walked hand in hand along the beach while their children ran ahead splashing in the shallows, flicking water, laughing. Then the movie changed, to him sitting alone, old and with nothing but an apartment full of possessions he never used or shared.

Which future did he want?

The door burst open. “If you’ve come to say more, Phoebe, I’m not interested.”

“It’s not Phoebe, Dr. Scavoni, but we need you. Sophie’s in danger.” A young nursed delivered the message.

Alex shot out of the chair as if a rocket had just gone off.

“What’s happening?” he asked as he rushed past the girl.

“That drugged-out guy who was in here a few days ago has come back. He just stormed in and grabbed Sophie. H-he’s got a syringe full of meth and a knife. He says he’ll use both on her.”

Alex raced toward the main treatment area, his heart pounding at the thought of Sophie being in danger. He knew he should have done something about that guy when he’d first been treated. Hadn’t he threatened Sophie when she’d left for the day?

The scene that greeted him when he skidded to a halt dried his mouth and all rational thought left his mind.

“I said
get out
, or she buys it.” Phil waved the syringe around while holding the point of the knife at Sophie’s throat.

Alex could see he was flying high again. His eyes were all over the show, sweat streamed down his forehead.

The terror Alex was feeling was mirrored in Sophie’s eyes as she locked onto him.

If anything should happen to her, he didn’t think he could go on. He’d only just survived the last few days because of the knowledge that they would be thrown together with work. Even though they were currently avoiding each other.

He had to save her.

He loved her.

Oh God, he loved her and he hadn’t told her.

His very last words to her would be words of anger. They weren’t the last things he wanted to say to Sophie. All the times they had spent together flashed in vivid color and high speed through his mind.

He needed to tell her he loved her and … and their child.

In a blinding blaze of insight, he knew Sophie had too much integrity to try to palm off another man’s child as his own. He didn’t need to have heard that from Phoebe. He should’ve trusted Sophie.

He had been so stupid, just as Phoebe had said he was.

They had to live, both of them, and he would do anything to make that happen and to make it up to Sophie for all his inexcusable actions over the past few days.

He went to make a move, but out of the corner of his eye he saw security creeping up behind Phil. Alex only hoped Phil was so far gone he wouldn’t notice the shift in movement behind him.

• • •

Adrenaline and terror were vying for top spot within Sophie. The moment Phil had stormed into the ER she knew he was trouble. He had taken one look at her and sent her a sinister smile.

She had tried to move, tried to get out of his line of vision, but she hadn’t been able to. Now here she was, in danger of losing her life and the life of her unborn child.

She placed her hand protectively over her stomach and locked gazes with Alex, pleading with him to do something, anything, to save them both. She’d almost cried when he stormed into the room. Her heart leaped out toward him and everything he’d said those days ago was forgotten and forgiven. But now it looked like she wouldn’t be able to let him know she’d forgiven him.

Maybe if she talked to Phil, he might calm down. “Phil, you don’t need to do this. We can help you get better.”

“Shut up, bitch, there’s nothing wrong with me.” Sophie tensed as the point of the knife dug a little deeper and the syringe got ever closer to her arm.

She was going to die and she’d never told Alex that she loved him. She wouldn’t get the chance now to say it. She wouldn’t get the chance to prove to him the baby she was carrying was his. She wouldn’t get the chance to have a future with the one man who completed her.

A sob threatened to explode from her throat; she swallowed hard to keep it down. She couldn’t show fear to Phil.

She saw Alex nod his head slightly and then all hell broke loose.

Trays crashed, people rushed her, and then she was free, toppling backwards to crash on the floor before a pair of arms closed around her, protecting her, cushioning her as they both fell to the ground.

“Sophie,
Sophia, bella, amore.
” Alex broke out into a litany of Italian she couldn’t possibly understand. All she knew was that she and her baby were safe.

“I thought I’d lost you, Sophie, and I couldn’t bear that, I couldn’t bear that at all,” he muttered and then, in front of all the staff, he sought out her lips in a frantic kiss. There was no finesse, no style, all there was was desperation, desperation to confirm she was alive and well.

When he finally released her she looked up at him, confused and embarrassed.

“Alex,” she hissed. “What are you doing?” Her mind was in a whirl. His kiss had scrambled her senses. Her body was on fire and she wanted more of his kisses. But they were at work — it wasn’t the place for it. And now everyone knew that there was something between them.

Alex gathered her close and she reveled in the feeling of strength and safety he projected toward her. When he placed a hand on her stomach, caressing softly, she had to bite her lip against the hope that was springing to life within her.

“Alex?”

“I love you, Sophie, and I love our child.”

Sophie was sure her heart had stopped, or it had stuttered before kicking back into life. “You believe me?”

He bent again and kissed her softly — both were totally oblivious to the crowd surrounding them. All their concentration was on each other and each other alone.

“I’m sorry I didn’t trust you, Sophie. The best way to explain it is, I’m a stupid coward who was too scared to risk his heart on the best thing that has ever happened to him.” He grabbed her hand and entwined his fingers around hers. “Please, can you find it in your heart to forgive me?”

Sophie searched his face. There, plain for her to see, was love pouring out toward her, begging her to accept his gift. She recalled the look of stark terror and anguish on his face when he’d come around the corner and seen her, trapped like a rabbit in a snare. Only a man who cared would feel such pain. Plus, when she thought her life was over, forgiving him was a given.

“Yes, Alex, I forgive you.” She raised their combined hands to her lips and kissed his fingers gently. “I … I thought I was going to die and all I could think was I never had a chance to make you believe I carried your child. That I loved you.”

The tears she had held back before came leaking out of her eyes and when Alex gathered her close, it destroyed the dam of strength she had been holding up.

“Ssshh, it’s all over, Sophia, you and our baby are safe. I will never, ever let anything happen to either one of you again. You are my life, my love, my future.”

He pulled back and lifted her chin until her eyes met his. She could see wetness sparkling in his eyes. “Marry me, Sophie. Make me the happiest man by marrying me and giving me everything I’ve ever wanted. A family.”

It was everything she had ever wanted, too, to be loved and cherished for who she was and not just for being the daughter of a wealthy man.

Money didn’t concern Alex and neither did social standing. To him, she was the most important thing, and the fact he had declared his love in front of all the emergency staff was all the proof she needed.

“Yes, Alex, yes. I’ll marry you.”

His face broke out into a huge smile that chased away all the shadows and terror of all she had experienced at the hands of Phil.

She was swept away by his kiss.

Somehow, amidst the chaos of emergency medicine and a masquerade ball, she’d found her heart’s desire.

They both had.

On her very first school report, her teacher said “Nicole likes to tell her own stories.”

It wasn’t until after the birth of her first child and after having fun on a romance community forum that she finally decided to take the plunge and write a book.

The stories she writes are contemporary romances with either a medical setting or in the boardrooms of high-powered businesses. She enjoys taking two characters and creating unique situations for them.