For One Night Only (30 page)

Shame at the thought of how easily he’d used and forgotten Angie had haunted him for many weeks. He knew he wasn’t to blame for her mental illness, but he was responsible for his own actions.
How many other women had been that deeply affected by his behavior toward them? Maybe it was better if he never found out.

He thanked God that she hadn’t been killed that day. Her injuries were such that she would never lead a normal life again. Ruben had made sure she would always have the best care his money could buy. She had no idea he was paying her medical bills. Her aunt had been grateful and suggested as tactfully as she could that any mention of his name would be damaging to Angie’s recovery. Her injuries were severe, but she would survive them. Her mental state, however, was very fragile and needed careful monitoring. She had finally accepted that there was nothing between her and Ruben and the ensuing depression that realization had caused had been deep and far more life threatening than any injury she had sustained in the accident.

An update on her condition a few weeks ago had sounded promising. The therapy she was receiving—both physical and mental—was helping her greatly.

Beth’s support during those first few weeks had meant the world to him. His love and respect for her had grown immeasurably. The decision to propose had been made many days before he actually asked her to marry him. It hadn’t seemed right somehow—considering how dangerously ill Angie had been at the time. The words had finally come one morning when he, Beth, and Tiana had been laying in bed on a sleepy Sunday.

Her answer had been instant and her reaction enthusiastic. She’d cried joyful tears and kissed him until the baby had protested loudly at being sandwiched between them for so long.

As he looked down over the small throng of people below, he felt complete for the first time in his life. Those who meant the most to him were present…Beth and Tiana…his parents…even Byron. He’d brought John along to the wedding as his guest and Ruben loved seeing him happy and relaxed for once.

He looked at Beth for a few moments before she lifted her head, as if feeling his eyes on her. She got up to come to him, but was stopped briefly by his mother who grasped at the opportunity to hold the baby. He could see her gesturing and talking and he knew, without having to hear the words that she was saying she would keep the baby and that
Bethany should go to her husband.

It made him proud that his request to get married at his parent’s home had made them so happy. Their reaction had surprised him. Sure, he had known they would be thrilled, but he had no idea how desperately they had needed his respect. For so many years he had felt like an emotional orphan, abandoned by parents too wrapped up in their own lives to care if he had a happy childhood. He had slowly come to realize that it was he who had abandoned them by withholding his love and acceptance. Ruben knew he had been trying to punish them by staying away, never allowing them the chance to make up for their mistakes. Letting go of the anger had finally allowed him to see them for the people they were. Fact was, he not only loved them immensely, he actually liked them a hell of a lot.

Ruben laughed.
How had he ended up with everything he ever wanted after screwing up so badly for so many years?

He had no time to think on the answer as he saw Beth approaching. She still wore her wedding dress—a pretty, cream colored, floaty thing in a fabric that she had told him the name of, but he couldn’t remember. Her hair had flowers in it, sort of nestled between the curls. Beth had told him she would keep things simple and didn’t want a full-blown gown, but she couldn’t have looked any more beautiful.

His gaze began to rove down over her curves as she got near, causing her to smile almost shyly as she approached. ‘You shouldn’t be looking at me that way,’ she said, sinking down to lean against him. ‘I’m a married woman now, you know.’

‘I know.’ He smiled before leaning in to kiss her. ‘Your husband is a very lucky man.’

Beth laughed throatily. ‘Well, he’s about to get even luckier.’

Ruben groaned before nodding toward the guests still gathered below. ‘It’s killing me Beth, but we have to wait. We are not alone.’

She leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, allowing her lips to trail over to his ear. If she didn’t stop, they would be consummating the marriage right there and then under the tree— guests or no guests. He began to pull away. ‘Beth, that’s not fair,’ he complained, not entirely happy that she would try to seduce him in such a public place.

‘I am simply following orders, Baby,’ she said before standing up. ‘Your mom says there is a car waiting out front to take us to a little hideaway down the coast that your parents arranged as a wedding gift.’

‘They arranged it?’

‘Yes, they did everything. There is champagne on ice and food in the refrigerator. Your mom even had our bags taken there earlier.’
Bethany smiled. ‘Come on. Let’s say goodbye to Tiana.’

‘Isn’t she coming with us?’

Beth shook her head with a smile. ‘Your mom insists on keeping her here for a couple of nights. Like I said, I am on strict orders to take you away from here and spoil you for a while.’

Ruben got to his feet, pulling her back under the tree for a kiss. ‘You can’t possibly spoil me any more than you do already,’ he said. ‘I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you make me.’ Tears sprung to her eyes, but were quickly chased away by a twinkle of devilry.

‘Yeah, well good luck with that.’ She laughed, before kissing him quickly and running down the slope. Laughing at her teasing, it took him a moment longer than expected to catch up to her, by which time she had reached the safety of the guests.

Five minutes later, they had kissed a sleeping Tiana and said their goodbyes before walking through to the front of the house and the guests waiting in the courtyard. Stopping briefly in the open doorway for yet another photograph, Ruben checked behind them, ensuring they were alone before taking the opportunity to exact his revenge.

He knew his face was a picture of innocence as he turned towards the camera. The hand that had been around her waist slid slowly from view, resting for the briefest moment on the small of her back before he trailed a finger down over the cleft of her buttocks. He felt Beth jump imperceptibly before her skin quivered at his touch and he flicked a quick glance her way. As usual, her class and composure impressed him. Nobody could tell by looking at her face that her husband was touching her so intimately. Only the slight flush on her cheeks gave any clue as to what was going on.

‘Touché,’ Beth whispered as she turned toward him, forcing him to behave. Her eyes and her smile were full of promise and he moved away quickly, his own body threatening to betray him.

Hell, even when he tried to seduce her, all he did was become more enslaved himself.

The need for a distraction became urgent as he saw her nipples poking through the thin fabric of her dress. A foolish, romantic urge, one that he knew she would tease him for later, overtook him and he swept her up into his arms to carry her over to the waiting convertible.

Chapter 28

Dr. Bethany Navarro reached across and smoothed down a lock of her husband’s hair. She knew his body better than she knew her own, but his achingly beautiful face never failed to dazzle her.
How could she have thought his features were too strong when they first met?

She had been plagued with memories since arriving at the apartment earlier. Something about the events of the day and taking this new turn in the road of her life had forced her mind back into the past.

The journey to where and who she was at that very moment hadn’t been an easy one, but she was glad she had been brave enough to see it through. The lonely doctor with a broken spirit had changed more than she could ever have imagined back then. She was now a wife and mother to a beautiful daughter and she was doing an important job that she loved.

Bethany
wasn’t sure if she valued her life more because she had almost had everything that mattered to her ripped away by the hands of a dangerously ill young woman. Even after all that had happened, she still felt lucky. People like Angie would never have the sense of peace, love and acceptance that
Bethany had—and not because the world wouldn’t give it to them—but simply because their own minds would never let them be happy. She hoped that Angie could one day find even a small fraction of the bliss that she had.

Ruben stirred in his sleep, reaching for her as he always did. She allowed him to pull her close, almost suffocating in his tight embrace, but needing the reassurance of his nearness. Her eyes pricked with tears as his warm breath caressed her neck. She loved him so much and felt awful that she had teased him earlier.

‘Ruben,’ she whispered

No answer. She gave him a nudge. ‘Ruben.’

‘Hmm?’

‘Are you awake? Did I wake you?’

A low rumble of laughter, muffled by his mouth against her skin, made her realize what a stupid question that had been. ‘Were you trying to wake me when you yelled my name and shoved me?’ he asked in a sleepy voice.

Bethany
gasped. ‘I did not shout.’ She laughed. ‘And I only gave you a little push.’

Ruben laughed. ‘Then, yes—you woke me.’

‘Sorry,’ she said, before her voice broke on a sob. She tried to stifle it, but he had heard her, raising his head in concern. ‘I am just being silly,’ she said, when he asked what was wrong. ‘It’s been an emotional day.’

‘
Bethany. It was an amazing day.’

His smile reached inside her, chasing away the temporary bout of sadness. She quickly wiped away the tears, resolute in her mission to tell him just how happy he made her.

Stumbling over her words, she was glad when he put a finger to her lips, silencing her and showing her with his body that he knew what she was trying to say, because he felt the same way.

When they fell apart moments later—still breathless and sweaty from consummating their marriage vows yet again—
Bethany wondered if the sex would still be this great when they were ninety. They made love less often these days. The sense of need and urgency that had been present in the early stages of their relationship was no longer there, but the intensity remained. Ruben raised his head and gave her a look of such undiluted lust that she knew the answer to her question. The man could still make her wet just by looking at her.

A sudden memory caused her to smile. ‘And to think you were scared to take off your shirt when I first met you…’

Ruben’s puzzlement lasted only a second before he caught her humor. ‘You were very forthright and a little intimidating,’ he admitted with a laugh. ‘No woman had ever told me to get undressed within minutes of meeting me. I wasn’t quite sure how to take you.’

‘And now?’

‘Now? Now, I can’t remember who I was before I met you.’ His sudden change of mood surprised her. ‘Before I became your husband and Tiana’s father, I was just killing time.’

Bethany
kissed him, remembering herself that there had been a time when she had ‘waiting’. Her life had changed beyond recognition and all because she had been brave enough to let down her guard and take what she wanted…for one night only.

FOR
ONE
NIGHT ONLY

THE END