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Tiara
After rounding up on Friday evening, Xyla strode inside Tiara’s office as usual.
“I’m on my way out,” Xyla announced with a grin. “Do you need anything else from me?”
“What about the two case summaries I asked for?”
“All done. The files are on your desk. Hunter Chase’s file is still as thin as day one. Should we be worried about him?”
“I’m handling it. Don’t worry about his file. Thank you. Any plans for the weekend?”
“Yeah. I’m going to Las Vegas with friends.”
“Have fun. Stay sober.”
“Not happening. Go home. It’s been a long week.”
“I’m just packing up. Have a safe trip, Xyla.”
“Thank you. Have a great weekend, Tiara.”
“I will.”
When her assistant closed the door, Tiara slumped into her seat and downed water from a plastic bottle. The clock on her desk was precise. Tick. Tock. Tick. It was ten past six. Hunter had asked her to show up at Shannon’s for seven. But she was still in two minds about breaching protocol. She did not have to worry for too long as her office phone flashed red indicating an incoming call. Dragging herself out of her thoughts with reluctance, she pressed the answer button.
“Hi, is that Dr. Tiara Williams?” the caller asked in a small voice, initiating conversation.
Although the voice sounded faint, it was insistent.
“Yeah. How may I help you?”
“I’m Shannon Dirk and I need your help—”
“Hey, Shannon? Are you there? Hello?”
Only the persistent, noise of the disconnected phone filled the office. Feeling apprehensive now, Tiara picked up her handbag, buckled the belt of her dusky pink blazer dress and headed out of her amenity-rich waterfront office building in a big rush.
Once seated inside her Volvo SC40, Tiara drove with a single-minded focus and only stopped to think after she parked outside the white and brown building that was Shannon’s home address.
If the sick woman needed medical help, why did she not call the ambulance? Anyhow, a dying woman needed her. Locking her car doors behind her, Tiara hurried to the front door.
A nurse wearing light-blue scrubs opened the door and led her to the bedroom on the south side of the building on the first floor.
“Is Shannon okay?” Tiara prayed all was well.
“As okay as she can be in her condition,” the nurse responded with a quick smile.
Standing inside the bedroom decorated with yellow and pink flowered wallpaper, Tiara found a pale-skinned woman covered in an over-sized floral gown sitting up in bed. Though propped with pillows, she seemed uncomfortable. Still, a beam entered into her green eyes when she saw Tiara.
“I’m so happy to finally meet you,” the bald-headed woman whispered. “You’re more beautiful than Hunter let on.”
Feeling uneasy at the mention of Hunter’s name, Tiara approached and sat on the vacant upholstered armchair by the bed. Her dusky pink blazer dress fell apart to reveal her white sheath dress underneath. Clamping her knees together with great effort, she pulled down the hem of her white dress.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Shannon. I didn’t realize Hunter mentioned what I looked like at all.”
“Not willingly, trust me. I’d to pull it out of him. He’s a closed book, that man.”
“How do you feel, Shannon? Your call alarmed me.”
Barely lifting her left hand that had not been pierced with intravenous fluids, Shannon murmured.
“As good as can be in my condition. Like I told Hunter, I’ve made my peace with God, so anytime He calls me, is fine by me. But Hunter’s heartbroken already while I’m stilling breathing.”
“You’re a very brave woman, Shannon.”
Too many lines edged her eyes and her skin sagged because of excessive weight loss, yet Tiara could see Shannon was once a stunning woman. How was anyone supposed to accept the inevitable end without hating? The frail woman seemed like a true champion.
Shannon shrugged. “It’s been a long battle. Ten years. I’m tired of fighting, of hoping.”
“Hunter wants you to keep fighting?”
“Yeah. My time is up. I feel it. I’m all skin and bones. This isn’t what I signed up for.”
Almost tearful yet curious, Tiara asked the question on her mind. “How long have you two been together?”
“A long time. But it’s not what you think. We’re not dating. Hunter’s my best friend in the world.”
A calming wind cooled Tiara’s frayed nerves and wired her spine to relax for the first time in weeks. In spite of what Hunter had told her, she assumed he had an emotional tie with Shannon. In that moment, Tiara understood why she had felt an intense restlessness in her chest. Because she had thought Hunter and Shannon were romantically involved, for some baffling reason, that had bothered her a lot.
“I see. You said you needed my help.”
“Yeah. Over the years, Hunter has made numerous sacrifices for me and for other cancer sufferers. I won’t get into that. The only thing I prayed to do for him was to find him a wife before I die. Someone who would take her time to understand him and love him as rough-minded and temperamental as he appears. It's my secret wish of course.”
Feeling uneasy, Tiara breathed in and out slowly, as she speculated on what any of that had to do with her.
“I’m sure he’ll find someone who understands him, someday. That shouldn’t worry you, Shannon.”
The feeble woman grinned.
“You’ve met Hunter. If you don’t know him, you’ll think he’s almost unlovable. But he hasn’t always been this way. The military almost destroyed him but inside him lies a good man. Fiercely loyal, loving, dedicated. He needs a special woman to dig deep and stay committed to draw it all out.”
Releasing the air trapped in her chest, Tiara sighed. “I’m a licensed clinical psychologist and I’m providing the best help I can for him at the moment. In time he’ll figure it out.”
“Trust me, that’s all well and good on paper. There’s something more I need from you, Dr. Tiara Williams.”
Shaking her head, Tiara leaned back in the seat.
“I don’t understand. What more can I do?”
“Hunter likes you.”
Tiara jumped off her chair as if a snake had stung her butt. Her chest expanded and shrank too fast.
“This conversation is inappropriate. Does Hunter know you’re having this talk with me?”
“No. Please sit down. Please?”
Swallowing, Tiara dropped her bag and sat down a second time. The sick woman stretched out her hand.
“Listen to a dying woman. I need your help to take care of him the way he has taken care of me over the years. I love, Hunter with my whole heart but he never knew because I never told him. And I know him more than he knows himself.” Smiling, Shannon added. “I’ll never tell him that.”
Tears streaked down Shannon’s ashen cheeks. The woman did not wipe off the tears, so Tiara offered her tissues. Accepting with a warm grin, Shannon nodded.
“I met Hunter when he was eighteen. I was twenty. It was a few months before he joined the military. We were friends. Over the years, our friendship grew. But he was always away on one mission or the other, moving from one war to another special operation. He came home in between but I didn’t have the courage to tell him how I truly felt about him. With each assignment, his eyes seemed to grow colder, but his caring attitude stayed the same. I kept waiting for the right time to tell him how I felt. After six years, I married, Terry.”
“Oh. I’d no idea you’re married.”
“Was married. Terry passed away three years after we tied the knot.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Shannon shrugged. “I was diagnosed two years after I got married. Terry didn’t take it too well. We lived in Virginia at the time. After my husband passed, Hunter arranged for me to come back home. And he has taken care of my medical bills over the years. Everyone in my family regards, Hunter as a part of our family.”
Shocked, Tiara nodded. She did not know what to say. That was all new information. It was possible Hunter had also loved Shannon.
“Life can be unexplainable sometimes.”
“Mm-hmm. Hunter likes you,” Shannon insisted. “I don’t care that you’re his therapist. I don’t care you’ve only just met. And I don’t care you’ve got a boyfriend. I asked to see you for one reason only.”
Waiting for her to speak, Tiara stared at the other woman unable to tear away her eyes. Already, her throat clogged with a huge blob. Shannon’s words sounded heavy in her ears but they were both a relief and a curse.
“Hunter told you I have a boyfriend?”
“Are you not interested in finding out why I asked to see you?” Shannon asked after a lengthy pause.
“I’m ethically bound not to entertain this conversation. I’m sure you know that. We’re in forbidden territory, Shannon. Why are you doing this? I’ve got a career—”
“Because I needed to find out if there was a chance at all you cared for Hunter outside of your therapist-client relationship.”
“I don’t.” Tiara shook her head to stress her denial.
“From one woman to another, you know that’s not true. I see it in your eyes. You want Hunter. But you worry about losing your license.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I came here out of respect for you and for–”
“This world is made up of two kinds of people,” the other woman interrupted, emphasizing every word.
“Okay.”
With her chest thudding fast, Tiara licked her lips. Though she was seated beside Shannon, she felt like her soul was under a microscope. Did staring at death in the face give Shannon access to Tiara’s thoughts?
“Brave people live their lives on their own terms. And cowards hide behind the rules and dig up every reason not to live their lives. But I can tell you for a fact that life is short. My only regret in life is that I didn’t tell Hunter how I felt about him when I had the chance. I thought he would reject me. I married in a hurry when I should’ve waited for my true love. Don’t make my mistake. I gave in to the fear of rejection. We meet people at different times. Once you miss the window, you don’t get a second chance sometimes.”
“Hunter despises me,” Tiara heard herself murmur. “That’s a fact. He has zero respect for me, or for what I do. So, I don’t know where you get the impression, we’re going to have a fairy tale ending.”
“Uh-uh. Take it from me. Hunter Chase’s great at masking how he really feels.”
“How can Hunter be the one for me?” Tiara shook her head. “That’s impossible. The circumstances are–”
“Nothing is wrong with the circumstances. I’m not telling you the road is going to be an easy one. Hunter has become detached, guarded, wound up, and as angry as a hungry lion. But he became a whole new person after his visits to your office. By the third visit, I knew I’d to find you. Do you have any idea how many therapists he had seen while in the military? None of them made a dent in his behavioural pattern. Not a single one. With you, he’s making great strides. His eyes light up when he talks about you.”
Clutching her bag straps, Tiara pressed her lips.
“I really must go, Shannon. I pray for strength and healing for you.” When she rose out of her chair, Tiara felt her chest glow with strange flames of longing.
“Don’t go. Not yet, at least.” The male voice from somewhere in the house echoed through the walls.
The distinctive bass depth of Hunter’s voice bounced around Tiara’s chest, she swerved her head to the door and back to face Shannon.
“Is Hunter here?”
“In flesh and blood,” Hunter Chase spoke as he stepped inside the room like a larger-than-life character she had desired to meet someday. There was no grin along his chiselled features.
Twisting her body too quick to face him, Tiara bumped her leg against the seat, toppling her lambskin Dior bag, sending its content toward Hunter. Blowing out air from her lips, she went on her knees to pack up her makeup bag, keys, cell phone, charger, cardholder, band-aid and USB flash drive.
From the other end, Hunter lowered himself to the hardwood floor and scooped all the items with his large palms. His black slim-fit, single-button coat fell open showing off his charcoal cashmere crew neck sweatshirt. His stubble was a little overgrown but he looked hot from all angles.
Tiara drew in a shaky breath when her eyes connected with Hunter’s.
“Don’t go,” he whispered before repossessing her lipstick.
Tiara’s tongue stuck to her teeth. Meanwhile, he collected her bag from her unsteady fingers and pushed the contents back inside without breaking eye contact. When she tried to get up, Hunter clasped her elbow and helped her to her feet. To her surprise, his touch was gentle, nothing like his cruel prod in her office over the past month. Her skin burned where his fingers left a soft dent and her chest tightened leaving her breathless.
At last, Tiara dragged in a strengthening lungful of fragranced air as she peered up at him. “What are you doing here, Hunter Chase?” She traced her eyes along his long legs sheltered by tailored black pants.
“Visiting Shannon. I thought you would be long gone. It’s past eight. Gossiping?”
Shannon chuckled. “Yeah. We had a girly chat.”
“I told you we couldn’t been seen socializing, Hunter,” Tiara said through clamped lips, yet the foolish butterflies in her belly partied for a minute.
“We’re not socializing.” A wayward grin Tiara had never seen flicked across his skinny lips. “I’m visiting a sick friend. You got a random call for help.”
Fixing her eyes on his lips, Tiara panted. “You always have an explanation. Did you manipulate the whole thing?”
Hunter drew his lower lip between his teeth. “Why would I do that?”
OMG! He looked so hot doing that! Forbidden desire coursed through her body like a splendid creek, so that she shuddered without shame.
“Do you understand my hard-earned license is at stake if you go down this route?”
Glaring at her, Hunter shrugged. “Maybe it’s time you lived a little. Take your own advice, huh?”
“You’ve got no respect for me, or for what I do. It’s unfortunate. But I’ve got to go.”
As she swung away from him, Hunter reached for her wrist and pulled her back. “I’m not done talking.”
“Don’t put your hands on me, Hunter.”
“I wanted to say thank you for visiting, Shannon.”
Tiara gulped in air. “Did you just say, thank you? I thought you’d never heard those two words in your entire life.” Okay. She should have held back her tongue. That was no way to speak to a paying client.
His eyes hardened into molten silver.
“That’s cruel, do you know that, Tiara? You’ve hurt my heart. Now I’ve got to do something so my bleeding heart feels better.”
“No!”
Hunter’s eyes lingered on her lips for too long. Tiara’s throat dried up with speed, she could not even swallow and her breathing turned shallow. She wanted to run but her legs would not respond. No matter how deep her lips ached for his own, or how deprived her skin felt, she hoped Hunter would not kiss her. Not here. He would not jeopardize her career, or his sessions.
“Life is too short to be this rigid, Tiara.”
“I need to go–” She struggled to free her wrist.
Dumping her bag, Hunter shaped her face with both hands and dunked his head. His lips brushed hers from one corner to the other without stopping.
“I’m not going to kiss you today,” he whispered in her ear. “But I will again, someday and when I do, you’re not going to stop me.”
Explosives detonated in her gut, scalding her mouth. Now, she ached for more of his moist, tender lips. Maybe a deep thrust of his tongue inside her mouth to quench the depth of her arousal. Savage heat rushed to her cleavage and neck, scorching her common sense and professionalism until all she could think about was how tempting his lips felt against hers. Feeling overwhelmed with passion, she shut her eyes, and gripped his forearms. Hard as steel bands, she did not make a dent in his hold.
Not done with teasing her, Hunter nipped her earlobe and traced his tongue back to her lips.
“Don’t do it, Hunter,” she whimpered.
As Tiara spoke, her tongue flicked past his lips, sliding inside his mouth in error. Grunting, he plunged his hot tongue along her inner bottom lip, taking over her life for a brief moment. His fingers trapped her head in place, and she did not want to be elsewhere. After a moment, Hunter pulled away as if stung but his grip did not slacken.
“This kiss never happened, if that’s what you want.”
“Hunter...” her words trailed off.
“Just so we are clear, you’re not passing me off to your colleague. Do we understand each other?”
“Hunter?”
Tiara and Hunter swung their gazes to see Shannon smiling and waving in approval. Still hung in Hunter’s sensual daze, Tiara had totally forgotten they had company, and for that, she felt ashamed. Earlier, she had denied any interest in Hunter, yet when he made a surprise entry, she immediately shut out her good sense and acted without caution.
Instead of approaching Shannon’s bedside alone, Hunter clasped Tiara’s hand and took her along.
“Are you good, Shannon?” he asked with crease lines knitting his forehead. “I got carried away.”
“Yeah. Treat Tiara like a lady, Hunter Chase, or I’m going to get up from this bed and hit your face.”
Hunter laughed, shaking his head as he did.
That was such a heart-rocking sound, Tiara thought, slanting her head to stare at him. She found herself smiling at her client. His bunched chin and granite-carved jawline relaxed and his eyes sparkled. Hunter Chase was exceptionally sexy and gorgeous.
“Tiara’s a stubborn woman. Don’t be deceived, Shannon. She doesn’t do anything I tell her willingly.”
Grinning, Tiara raised her left hand. “You’re supposed to listen to me, Hunter. Do you?”
“As a matter of fact, I do,” he contradicted. “I make you believe I don’t.”
“See how you two are arguing like an old couple!” Shannon nodded. “I’ll die a happy woman.”
“No one is dying,” Hunter was quick to counter.
“Thank you for asking me over, Shannon. Like Hunter said. This conversation never happened.”
“It was my pleasure, Tiara,” Shannon grinned. “I wish you the best with your boyfriend.”
Hunter tightened his hold on Tiara’s arm and glared at her. “You’ve got a boyfriend?”
“Yeah. Tall, dark, handsome. Decent and loving.”
With every great description she uttered, Hunter’s hooded eyes blazed and narrowed with fury and his hand shackled around her wrist burned a hole.
“I don’t give a damn about your boyfriend. I know you don’t love him. I care about you, Tiara.”
“Oh, you care about me now? Yet, you talk to me like I’m the world’s biggest idiot and you treat me like trash.”
“For that I apologize, Tiara. If there’s an idiot in this room, it’s not you.”
“It’s not me either,” Shannon muttered but the arguing pair did not even remember she was there.
“This won’t work, Hunter. Let me go, please.”
“Stay. I want you in my life, Tiara. Not as my therapist. Not as my friend. Not as my girlfriend.”
“I don’t understand, Hunter. I thought you said you didn’t want me to pass you off to my colleague.”
“Yeah. I want you to be my wife, Tiara Williams.”
Tiara and Shannon gasped and their hands flew to cover their dropped jaws.
“In the presence of Shannon Dirk, I want to ask you to be the special woman in my life. Be with me in the years to come. I promise to be by your side from day to day. I’ll defend you, love you and hold you in my arms as we grow old together. I’m not worthy of your love, I know that. I’m ruthless, callous with my words, aggressive in my behaviour, yet I’ve got a million reasons why I want to be a better person for you.”
“What? Hunter?” Tiara welled up. “Don’t do this?” Her eyes did not stop filling with tears. Her heart thundered with sweet and flurry fairy tales that might never be. Hunter must be high on some potent meds.
“You don’t have to say yes today, Tiara. I didn’t plan any of this. I swear, I’ll never hurt you again. Never. I don’t even have a ring, yet.”
“Please don’t swear,” Tiara whispered, holding back the tears hanging along her bottom eyelids.
“If you insist you need to see a consistent pattern in my behaviour, I’ll understand. But don’t condemn me. You’ve seen me at my worst—”
Stepping on her toes, she silenced him with two fingers. “Shish. Stop talking. I’ve never judged you. Give me some time to think. Can you do that for me, Hunter Chase?”
Giving her a full smile with his eyes, Hunter pecked her fingers with his tongue to the extent Tiara giggled.
“Tell your boyfriend to get lost.”
“There was no boyfriend, Hunter.”
“You played me?”
Giggling, Tiara stressed. “No, you played you.”
Lowering his long lashes, Hunter continued laughing as he pulled her into a warm hug that should have lasted for eternity.
