Whipped Delights [Dark Desires 1] (Siren Publishing Sensations) Read online

  Emma blushed. She realised that everyone in the section would know exactly why she was here and they couldn’t have helped hearing the conversations between her and Simon.

  “Don’t worry, Ms. Cunningham, we’re all just glad you weren’t seriously injured. We’re all big fans of your books and…” She looked around to make sure no one was within earshot. “We’re really happy you and Dr. Harrington have made up. He’s been terrible to work with for the past few months.”

  Emma wasn’t sure what to say. The nurse gave her a wink and walked out. Emma hoped none of this would get out to the press, although if it did she was sure Alison would turn it into something to her advantage.

  The nurse came back in. “Now it’s time for you to take these again.”

  She held out two pills for Emma, waited until she’d taken them then left.

  Emma realised she had no clothes to wear. How on earth was she going to get home naked? Maybe she should ring Nina and get her to go to her house for clothes. But then Nina would know what a fool she’d been. As she was wondering what to do Simon came back in. He had a large envelope in his hand.

  “Okay, sweetheart. You’re all cleared to go. I’ve just a couple more notes to finish and we can leave. Be about thirty minutes.”

  “Simon, I don’t have any clothes!”

  He grinned at her and she felt her stomach fill with butterflies.

  “I’ll grab a few clean gowns. You can put one on backward and the other frontwards. It will be okay. My car is in the doctor’s car park, which is at the side entrance.”

  He leant over and kissed her sweetly on the lips. Oh, how she had missed that!

  “Thirty minutes, tops.”

  He walked out whistling and Emma lay nervously waiting. She and Simon would have to talk more but already she felt relieved. The past few months had been the worst in her life. She’d been so empty without him.

  True to his word, he was back around thirty minutes with a wheelchair. He helped her with the gowns and picked up her paperwork.

  “Let’s go.”

  Emma felt so self-conscious as she left the department, but with Simon pushing the wheelchair she felt she could face anything. Luckily the side entrance wasn’t far. She was glad she was in the chair, as she really did feel weak. Simon ushered her into the car, lifted her in, and made sure her seatbelt was done up.

  “Just sit here for a minute, sweetheart. I want to get some cream and dressings for you. Only be a few minutes.”

  He kissed her and then shut the door. About ten minutes later, he was back with a paper bag that he handed to her as he got in. He had a rucksack in the other hand that he threw onto the backseat.

  “My changes of clothes from the past two weeks.”

  Expertly driving the car out, he headed for her house.

  “Simon! I don’t have any keys!”

  “It’s okay. Andrew apparently had enough sense to realise that and grabbed them on the way out. I got them off him when I spoke to him in the cafeteria.”

  “It wasn’t his fault, Simon. It was all mine.”

  “I know that. If it had been all his, I would have reported him. I spoke with the ambulance guys and smoothed it over, they know it was consensual but they were all for reporting it.”

  Emma was silent. She was thankful none of this was going to be reported for Andrew’s sake. She knew this was going to be hard to explain to Simon, to make him realise exactly why she had done it. She had tried at the hospital but it still hung between them. On the way home, Simon stopped at the fish and chip shop. He got back in the car after ten minutes.

  “We both need something to eat,” he said as he put the parcel on her lap. In no time, they pulled up in her driveway. Simon helped her inside and settled her on a couch. He went into the kitchen and came back with the fish and chips on plates. They ate in silence. Emma was still worried and Simon was just too tired. When they’d both eaten enough, Simon took the plates back out to the kitchen.

  “Simon, I need to talk.”

  “Yes, I think we both do.”

  “Not about Alison, about me.”

  He was standing in front of her. He looked down at her.

  “Tell me.”

  She took a deep breath. Somehow she had to explain her actions. It was important that he not think badly of her.

  “The past few months, well, they’ve been horrible. I honestly believe that you’d left me. I love you so much, it rocked me.” Simon went to speak but she held up her hand.

  “Let me get this out.”

  “Okay.”

  “I’ve been living a half life. I tried hard to forget you but I couldn’t. I was angry at you and angry at myself. I knew I had to move on but I just couldn’t. Then I thought…dammit. I thought if I just tried to get someone else to control me then maybe I could forget you.

  “Stupid thing is, I didn’t want to. Maybe that’s why I chose Andrew. Subconsciously I knew he couldn’t control me. I knew he would do whatever I wanted. And I wanted to be hurt. I wanted so much pain that it would take away the hurt of loving you. I didn’t care how badly I got hurt.”

  “Oh, Em.”

  Simon got down on his knees in front of her and he took her hands in his.

  “I pleaded with him, I begged him to hurt me, made him so angry. None of this was his fault. I’m the only one to blame. It was my responsibility. I chose him because I knew exactly how I could manipulate him. And manipulated him I did until he was so furious that he would do exactly what I wanted.”

  Tears were falling, dripping onto their hands as she confessed.

  “I’m so sorry. I was so very wrong. I should never have used a friend like that. I’m so ashamed.”

  Simon gathered her in his arms as gently as he could. She turned her head into his chest and sobbed.

  “Don’t cry, sweetheart. We’ve both been wrong. Let’s put it all behind us and move on.”

  He was rocking her as she cried. She nodded her agreement but it was hard to stop crying. Finally she managed to hold back her tears. She sniffed a few times and looked up at Simon. He smiled down at her and kissed her forehead.

  “Let me make you some tea. I’m not tackling that coffee monster of yours, half the time I think it hates me.”

  She gave a weak laugh as he settled her back on the cushions, her feet on the couch.

  “We need to have this out with Alison, Em. She almost ruined our future together.”

  “Don’t worry.” She heard the anger in her voice. “I intend to.”

  She heard him bustling in the kitchen, and a few minutes later he came back with two mugs of tea. He handed one to her then sat, putting her feet across his knees.

  “I’ve been thinking. We should go and see her together rather than ring her. I want to see her face, want to see exactly how she explains away things.”

  “Good idea, Simon, can we see her tomorrow?”

  “It’ll depend how you’re feeling, sweetheart. You’ve been hurt and you’re going to stiffen up even more.”

  “I don’t care. I want to get this done!”

  “We’ll see.”

  Simon finished his tea and rested his head against the back of the couch. Emma could see how tired he was.

  “Simon, you should go to bed. You’re tired.”

  “I know, but I don’t want to leave you.”

  “I’m okay. I can walk to the bedroom. You go to bed.” She looked at him shyly. “I mean the bed here—my bed, our bed.”

  He picked up her hand and looked at her earnestly.

  “You sure?”

  “I’ve never been more sure in my life. I’ve made a mess of things but now we know what happened I don’t want you to go.”

  “I don’t either. Okay, I’ll go to bed. In the morning I can go change my clothes.”

  He stood and kissed her again. Emma could see he was almost asleep on his feet as he smiled at her. Emma stood as well. She was still dressed in the hospital gowns. Simon held her hand as they wa
lked into her bedroom. He sat her down on the bed. Gently he removed the gowns and helped her put her nightie on. He stripped off and climbed into bed alongside her.

  It was only eight-thirty but Emma was tired, nowhere near as tired as Simon, but she was emotionally drained. She noticed Simon was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. She lay there listening to him breathe, thinking about what had happened the last two days. How her world had gone from one crazy extreme to the other.

  Tomorrow.

  Tomorrow they would have it out with Alison, and she was looking forward to it.

  Chapter Eighteen

  When Emma woke the next morning, Simon was still fast asleep. She gingerly got out of bed—she felt so stiff and sore—then she wandered into the kitchen. Making herself a coffee and taking a couple of paracetamol, she picked up the phone and rang Alison.

  “Alison, I need to see you, something’s come up.”

  “Oh, when?”

  “You free this afternoon?”

  “Mm, let me check. Okay one o’clock or three?”

  “Not sure if I can be there by one.”

  “Well I’ll leave it open and if you make it, that’s good, otherwise I’ll see you at three.”

  “That’s fine. See you then.”

  Emma hung up and then wondered if she could have a shower. Maybe she should wait until Simon woke. Instead she cleaned her teeth and tried to brush her hair. She felt so awkward trying to do things. Every part of her was so stiff. When she stripped off, she was shocked at how bad her body looked now. She was bruised between her neck and her knees, and she looked black and blue all over. The welts looked so angry.

  She shook her head and felt her eyes fill with tears. She’d been such a fool. Picking up a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, she dressed with difficulty then went into the living room to sit and read until Simon woke. Around ten-thirty she heard movement, someone in the shower, then Simon wandered in. He kissed her and then sat alongside her, picking up her hand.

  “How do you feel?”

  “Stiff and sore, but I guess it’s not too bad considering. How about you?”

  “Good. Had a great sleep.”

  “Can I have a shower?”

  “A quick one. Make sure you don’t rub against the welts. When you’ve finished I’ll rub more cream on you and check everything.”

  “Oh great!” She shivered. “I feel so yucky.”

  “Yucky? Good word.”

  “You know what I mean.” She giggled.

  “Once you’ve had a shower, I’ll see how you are, then we can decide about seeing Alison.”

  “I’ve already made an appointment for one. I want to get this over and done with.”

  He just looked at her. She grinned and stood on tiptoes to kiss him before leaving the room and having a shower. When she’d finished, Simon checked her all over and rubbed cream into all the welts and cuts. He checked if the steri-strips were holding. Once done, he helped Emma dress.

  “We’d better get going. I need clean clothes.”

  As she stood and went to move past Simon, he wrapped his arms around her carefully then kissed her passionately.

  “I’ve missed you so badly. I tried to move on but I couldn’t, I love you so much, Em.”

  “Simon. I love you, too. I can’t quite believe that you’re here.”

  “Me neither.” He laughed. “I keep thinking I’m dreaming.”

  Together they walked out to the car. Simon helped Emma in and then got behind the wheel.

  “I sold my apartment.”

  “You did? When? Why?”

  “About four weeks ago. I’m actually renting it until I find somewhere else. I was so lost when I thought you’d gone. I didn’t know what to do. I felt like my world was gone. On the spur of the moment I put the place up for sale, figured I would go somewhere else, maybe move and work in another state.”

  “Oh, Simon, that’s how I’ve been feeling. Dead.”

  “That’s it exactly! Dead. Anyway, the damn thing sold that week. Got a good price for it and the owner agreed to let me rent until I found somewhere new. Apparently she wanted it as an investment.”

  He drove to his apartment, got his rucksack out. Emma waited in the car while he raced upstairs and changed. Before long he was back. Emma admired him as he walked toward the car. She thought he looked more handsome than she’d been dreaming of the past few months.

  As he got back into the car, he leant over and kissed her.

  “I’ve missed that.”

  “Me, too, Em.”

  “Please move in with me, Simon, I honestly can’t bear to live without you.”

  He glanced over at her and took her hand.

  “As long as you’re sure, Em.”

  She laughed. “Sure? Heavens, Simon, it’s all I’ve ever wanted since just after I met you.”

  He grinned back at her.

  “Me, too.”

  They drove to Alison’s office in the publisher’s main building. Entering the reception area, Vicki the secretary greeted Emma and gave Simon a calculated look. Five minutes later they were ushered in.

  “Hi, Alison. This is a friend of mine.”

  Emma didn’t give Simon’s name. Instead they sat down in front of Alison’s desk.

  “What did you need to see me about, Emma?” She looked at Simon curiously.

  “This is silly, I know, but remember when you told me Simon had rang, are you sure he didn’t leave a number?”

  “Oh heavens, Emma. Aren’t you over him?” She looked at Emma and Simon. “Are you sure you won’t to do this in front of your friend?”

  “Oh yes, Alison. He knows all about it.”

  “Okay, anyway, I’ve told you what he said.”

  “I know but can you just tell me again please?”

  Alison shook her head as if Emma was a fool for wanting to hear it all again.

  “Basically he said he never wanted to see you again and he’d change hospitals.”

  “You did give him my new number?”

  “Of course, but he said he didn’t want it.”

  Emma looked at Simon. If looks could kill Alison would be lying on the floor dead. Emma was furious.

  “Oh, sorry, Alison. I just realised I didn’t introduce you. This is Simon Harrington.”

  Alison looked at Emma then at Simon. She blanched.

  “I…um…er…” she stuttered and stammered. Emma and Simon stood.

  “Oh, by the way, Alison, you’re fired!”

  With that they walked out the office. Emma was shaking like a leaf. Simon put his arm around her as they left the rooms. When they got into the corridor, Emma started to cry.

  “Hush, sweetheart. It’s over now.”

  “I know. It’s just so horrid, what she did to us.”

  “Let’s go.”

  “No, I have to see my publisher and tell them why I fired her.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  They walked down the corridor and took the elevator to another floor. Emma walked over to the receptionist.

  “I’d like to see Bob Patterson, it’s really important.”

  “I’ll see if he’s free. It’s Emma Cunningham, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Won’t keep you.”

  Emma walked back to where Simon waited. She was shaking but Simon’s presence was soothing. Ten minutes later they were ushered into her publisher’s office. He greeted her warmly and shook hands with Simon. She’d always got on well with him and considered him a friend as well as her boss. Emma spent the next fifteen minutes explaining all that had happened, with Simon adding his version. Bob Patterson looked shocked. He called his secretary in.

  “Get Alison Daily here now, please, Janice.”

  “I don’t want to see her again, Bob.”

  “I understand, Emma. She can sit out in the waiting room. I’m so sorry this has happened. We’ve had a few complaints about her. She seems to putting money before clients. I would say that’s what this is all
about. Wait here.”

  He left the room. Simon held onto Emma’s hand. She felt so nervous. They heard raised voices then about three minutes later Bob came back into his office.

  “As I suspected. It was all because you had knocked back some appointments.”

  “I never actually refused them, Bob, I just told her to make a different date. I wanted every third week kept free.”

  She explained about Simon’s work. Bob nodded his head.

  “Makes sense to me, you certainly don’t need to work nonstop. Now we need to set you up with a new publicist.”

  He rang his secretary again.

  “Janice, do you know if Colin Robinson’s in?”

  They waited as Bob listened to Janice’s reply then he spoke again.

  “Okay, can you ask him if he could drop in for a minute?”

  Bob seemed genuinely upset at what had happened, he kept apologising. Both Emma and Simon told him he had nothing to apologise for. Ten minutes later Colin walked in. He was a man of about forty-eight or fifty, short with receding gray hair. He had a smile and twinkle in his eye and Emma immediately liked him.

  “Colin, this is Emma Cunningham and her partner, Dr. Simon Harrington.”

  They all shook hands and sat again. Bob explained what had happened and wondered if Colin had room on his books to take Emma on.

  “I’d love to! Always been jealous that Alison had snaffled you up.”

  Emma grinned over at him. He winked at her. Bob went through things with them, ensuring that Colin knew the times Emma was prepared to work and when she wanted time off. He readily agreed.

  “I’ll get all the files sent over from Alison. She won’t be handling anyone in this company anymore. Familiarise yourself with them and let me know if there’s any problems. I think we have you booked in for a tour of England after Christmas, don’t we, Emma?”

  “Yes, I’ve finished the shorter tour here and then in late January I go to England.”

  “How will that suit you, Simon, losing her for a month?”

  “I intend to go. I’m applying for leave so we can be together.”

  “Excellent. Tell you what, in view of what’s happened, how about we pay for all flights and accommodation for both of you, set you up in some classy hotels. It’s the least we can do. Colin can work it all out.”