Don't You Know Who I Am? Page 13

  He reached down and unbuttoned his pants and I slid my hands down to slide them and his boxers from him. He kicked them to the floor never leaving me. His sensual lips trailed across my chest, pushing my bra to the side he lingered on each nipple as his tongue swirling seductive circles over each.

  A groan left my lips while I grew lost in his gentle tantalizing. His knees pushed my legs apart and his fingers brushed across the thin satin material. I lifted my hips wanting his touch, needing it. His fingers softly pushed the material to the side and slid over my slick flesh.

  I gasped and my hands grabbed his shoulders. I could hear him growl as his lips came down on mine with urgency and his fingers blissfully caressed me. I could feel myself trembling when he pulled his hand away.

  “God no. Please, please keep touching me.”

  “I promise I will.” He reached around to locate his pants and put on protection. He slowly pulled the dainty material away from me and pushed my legs apart letting his fingers slowly trail up my inner thighs until his fingertips were probing my wetness. I writhed against his fingers as I gripped the sheets.

  His strong thighs held my legs apart as he sat on his knees before me still tormenting me with his touch. I felt him press his thick erection against me and thrust into me hard. I cried out with desire as his hips rhythmically seduced me.

  I felt my inner muscles clenching and met his rhythm, needing more, willingly giving myself to him. I writhed under him feeling the intensity building. I shuddered from the ferocity of my climax, groaning from the pleasure.

  Steven plunged into me again, feeling me lose control around him. His desire gave way as a sheen of sweat glistened on his skin. He reached forward, resting his forearms on either side of my head. With a light kiss to my forehead, Steven looked down at me. “Wow.”

  I giggled, feeling the same way. I was finally ready to be with someone new and nothing could change that.

  Chapter 20

  The next few weeks dragged by, a test of patience as we waited for our appointment to present our design plan. Steven and I saw each other regularly which made me happy more often than not.

  “Honey-bunches, Antonio wants you come to the studio to be measured for your dress tonight.”

  “Okay, I'll go after work.”

  “Sooo?”

  “So what?”

  “I can’t help but notice you’re spending a lot of time with snuff-a-hunk-a-less.”

  “Snuff-a-hunk-a-less?”

  “That’s what I said, didn’t I? Please tell me you are not letting that go to waste?”

  “I am not letting that go to waste.” I felt my face burn, red-hot.

  “Oh, my, my, my, he must be good if you look like that, just thinking about it.”

  I laughed. Only Rafael made me blush like that.

  “How are you going to present the proposal together?” Rafael asked, changing the subject.

  “He wants me to pitch it. He’ll be there in case there are construction questions but otherwise it’s mine.”

  “Why is that?”

  “He says I am better looking.” I smirked, when I said it.

  “Mmk, I am not sure about that, honey.”

  “Hey now.”

  “Just kidding. You know I think you’re hot for a girl.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Rafael went with me to get measured for my dress. The wedding wasn’t feeling like such a burden lately. I guess with my newfound interest in Steven, the sting of what was lost had begun to fade. Maybe, I’d ask him to attend the wedding with me. That’d give my parents something to talk about and it’d make them happy, now wouldn’t it?

  No, I can’t do that to Steven. He’s too good a man to have to deal with my jacked-up family. Besides, nothing I do will ever please them.

  Steven and I met for dinner after my fitting and we went to his house for the night. If this was going to be a regular occurrence, I should get on some birth control. I’d tell Steven after the deed was done. I wanted to be closer to him by taking this step.

  I left early the next morning so I’d have time to go home, shower and change before going to work. At my place, I called the doctor and was lucky enough to get an appointment that afternoon. At lunchtime, I told Rafael I’d be taking a longer break than usual.

  “Please say he hasn’t knocked you up already.”

  “Quite the opposite. I need to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

  “Good girl. Hump like bunnies, but don’t breed like them.”

  “You have a way with words, Rafael. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

  “Take the day off, we're all caught up.”

  “I just may do that. Thanks.”

  “Have fun.”

  I rolled my eyes at him as I left. As I sat waiting to see the doctor, I realized this was the first time that I’d sought birth control. Twenty-four years old and I’d never needed it until now. What was wrong with that picture? It felt liberating to finally be out from under the absolute rule of my father. He’d have locked me up if he saw that kind of prescription charge coming across his medical insurance statements.

  I left the office an hour later with my prescription and stopped to get it filled on the way home. I hoped I didn’t feel sick when I started taking the pills. I didn’t want to be green at the presentation next week. I needed to land this deal for us.

  ~ ~ ~

  Steven came over on the weekend and we watched movies and ate pizza. I relaxed as I sat between his legs watching the movie from the floor. The film had an intense love scene and I felt him squirm behind me.

  I turned around and climbed onto his lap. I wrapped my hands around his neck and kissed him. It didn’t take much encouragement because we were naked in no time. Steven reached around behind him, looking for his pants and a condom.

  “Don’t worry about it,” I told him. He looked at me, confused for a minute. “Don’t worry about it anymore. I took care of it last week.”

  “You did? I mean are you sure you don’t want me to still wear a condom?” Steven looked at me with such a deep look of love that it melted my heart.

  “No. I want to feel you with me, Steven. Please.”

  The tender look in his eyes filled my heart with joy as I felt Steven slowly give himself to me. I was filled with emotion as our bodies came together, tender and gentle as the heat of our lovemaking spilled over with intense passion.

  ~ ~ ~

  I put on my black suit with a pinstripe button-up shirt. I pinned up my hair in a French twist for added professionalism. Today was the day. I’d practiced my presentation at least six times this week. I was ready and I hoped tonight Steven and I’d celebrate landing this deal.

  Rafael and Steven planned to meet me there since we were presenting mid-morning. I ate breakfast and grabbed my briefcase as I walked out the door. I drove to downtown Phoenix where the corporate offices of JVF Automotive were located. I parked in the garage and made my way up to the thirteenth floor.

  Lucky thirteen. Don’t they usually skip the number thirteen in skyscrapers?

  I got off the elevator and met Rafael and Steven in the lobby.

  Rafael came up and took my briefcase. He kissed my cheek. He looked handsome in his black suit, white shirt, and blue tie. “Good morning, Sunshine. You look gorgeous.”

  “Good morning and thank you.”

  Steven walked up and hugged me. “He beat me to it. You look amazing.”

  “Thank you. You look pretty amazing yourself.”

  He smiled at me and I saw happiness in his hazel eyes. “Are you ready for this?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Rafael let the receptionist know we’d arrived for our appointment.

  I took in the style of the receptio
n area as we waited, impressed by the quality of the lush surroundings. One wall was entirely covered by a water feature giving the space a tranquil feel. The furniture was a mix of soft leather sofas and contemporary armchairs. The reception desk was a deep cherry wood and gave the room warmth.

  A few minutes later the receptionist returned. “Please follow me.”

  We all followed her. I was in the lead, Rafael and Steven behind me. I walked through the door to the front of the room and set up my laptop. Steven helped me make all of the connections and we tested the slide-show, while Rafael placed the printed sketches on the easels. Afterwards, we stood waiting for the JVF Automotive executives.

  The doors opened. Three people entered the room. They filed in and sat at the table.

  Then a young, Latino man walked into the conference room. Striking to look at with jet-black hair and deep dark eyes, he carried himself with confidence. His black suit was impeccable and looked to be custom-fitted. I couldn’t help but think as he walked toward me that he reminded me of—

  No, it couldn’t be. It’s impossible.

  He walked up to me, a grin on his face and extended his hand. “Javier Fuentes. Thank you for coming.”

  Chapter 21

  I stood staring at him, not able to comprehend what happened. My stomach knotted. I felt nauseous. I started to hyperventilate. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t hear what more he said. My gaze locked on a man who was supposed to be dead.

  Rafael grabbed my arm, shook me slightly as he stepped in front of me. The room closed in, spinning around me, and went black.

  When I woke up, I was in an ambulance with Rafael.

  I tried to glance around, but I couldn’t move off the stretcher. I pulled the mask off my face. It made me feel like I couldn’t breathe.

  “Kayla, leave on the oxygen mask and slow down your breathing.” The paramedic told me. “You're okay. We're taking you to get checked out after fainting.”

  Tears running down my face, I looked at Rafael. He held my hand, saying nothing. When we arrived at the hospital, they gave me a sedative. They told me they needed to make sure I hadn’t hurt my head or neck when I fell onto the floor in the conference room.

  A couple of hours later when I opened my eyes, I saw Rafael and Antonio in the room.

  Rafael came to sit on the side of the bed. “Honey, what happened? You’ve never panicked about a presentation before.”

  Tears ran down my face. “It wasn’t the presentation.”

  “What was it? What happened?”

  “They told me he was dead.” I began to sob. “I’ve mourned and missed him for six years. I didn’t want to go on without him.”

  “Are we talking about the car accident? Are you telling me the man who walked into that room was your Javier Fuentes?”

  I nodded, sobbing so hard that I couldn’t speak.

  “Oh my God.” Rafael wrapped his arms around me.

  I cried as he rocked me back and forth. “I need my shrink. I need you to call him for me. I can’t be alone. I don’t understand. Why’d they tell me he was dead? Why didn’t he come find me? Where the hell has he been?”

  “Shh, I don’t know why. I don’t know what happened. I do know that we’ll never get any answers until you’re calm enough to ask some questions.”

  I continued to cry. “What about Steven? I’ve started to move on. I just started to feel again, to allow myself happiness and then Javier appears? I don’t understand! I’m going to be sick.”

  Antonio brought me a bucket and I vomited. He handed me a glass of water when I was done. I rinsed my mouth and cried some more.

  “Kayla, who’s your shrink? How do I contact him?” Rafael asked.

  “His card is in my wallet.”

  Thankfully, Rafael had grabbed my purse when the ambulance came for me. He went through my purse until he found my wallet and the business card with the doctor’s name and number. He stepped out of the room to make the call.

  Antonio took over where Rafael left off, sitting on the bed holding my hand.

  Rafael came back in from making the call. “He’s on his way.”

  “He’s coming here? Can’t I leave and go there? I don’t want to stay here. I spent months in a place like this between the hospital and going to rehab. I don’t want to stay here.”

  “We’ll see when he gets here. I can tell you that they’re not going to let you leave unless you calm down.”

  I struggled to stop crying. “Rafael? Where’s Steven?”

  “He stayed to pitch the design.”

  “What time is it?”

  “It’s one o’clock.”

  “Has he called?”

  “Yes. I told him not to come, that you were resting and they’d probably release you soon.”

  I wasn’t sure what I expected. The man just pitched a plan to my dead boyfriend from six years ago. How could I expect Steven to understand any of this when I clearly didn’t?

  “What about Javier? Did he say anything?”

  “It all happened so fast. He shook your hand. You went pale and hit the deck. There was pandemonium while we tried to wake you. Then, the EMT’s came in and took over. I was focused on you and never looked at or even spoke to him. I’m not sure Steven even understood what was happening since I couldn’t put it all together without prior knowledge of your past.”

  “I don’t know what to do, Rafael. What to feel.”

  “I don’t either, but the doctor will help you through this.”

  “I don’t want to be alone. I don’t want to see Steven either until I have time to figure some things out.”

  “You can stay with us as long as you like, sweetheart.” Rafael kissed my forehead.

  ~ ~ ~

  Doctor Samuel White, my psychiatrist, walked through the door thirty minutes later. He had such a calming effect about him, I felt better as soon as I saw him. He introduced himself to Rafael and Antonio. They excused themselves and left the room.

  “I hear you had quite a day.” Dr. White sat down in a chair next to the bed.

  I started to cry again. “They told me he was dead. All these years, I thought he was dead. What do I do now? I don’t know what to do.”

  “Kayla, let’s start from the beginning. Tell me why you think Javier Fuentes isn’t dead.”

  “I was supposed to present a showroom design to JVF Automotive executives today. I met Rafael and Steven at the meeting place.”

  “Steven is the man you’ve started seeing romantically?”

  “Yes, he’s the architect on the project. We went into the meeting room and set up our props. The executives began to file in and then a man approached me. When he was walking toward me I thought about how much he looked like Javier. Once he was close enough, I realized it was Javier. He shook my hand, introduced himself as Javier Fuentes and thanked me for coming. I don’t even know if he recognized me or if he knew all along who I was.”

  “What then?”

  “I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t breathe. I was sweating, but my face felt ice-cold. The room started to go black and then I woke in the back of an ambulance with Rafael.”

  “I brought your file with me since Rafael indicated that you’d seen Javier. I wanted to review our early conversations when you first started to see me. You stated you first learned of Javier’s death the day after you were brought into the Phoenix Trauma Center. You said that your father informed you that you’d been in a car accident and Javier didn’t make it.”

  I nodded in agreement as we replayed those painful conversations.

  “When did your mother learn of his death?”

  “I’m not sure. She was there when my dad told me the day after the accident.”

  “Was your sister there too?”

 
“Yes.”

  “When we spoke about the following days, you stated that your dad had taken away your phone and blocked your computer so that you could only enter approved websites.”

  “Correct.”

  “Did he do the same thing to your sister?”

  “Yes. In fact he sent her to boarding school back East that week. We never went back to Nogales or saw anyone from there again.”

  “Did you ever see an obituary or a gravesite?”

  Tears ran down my face. “No. My dad wouldn’t even allow me to say his name without becoming enraged, let alone take me to the cemetery. He said I wasn’t well enough to go to Javier’s grave anyway and wouldn’t even tell me where he was buried or let me send flowers. I couldn’t find out for myself.”

  “How about later, after your parents left? Did you try to verify his death?”

  “No. I didn’t have a car. I couldn’t go anywhere while I was in college in Phoenix. I never heard from anyone again. I thought they blamed me for what happened to Javier and that’s why nobody came to see me.”

  “Why would they blame you?”

  “I wanted to spend part of my Christmas break with Javier and we came up with the skiing trip over New Year’s. It was my idea, my fault we got hurt.”

  He sat and stared at me.

  “I never considered that my family lied to me. Where has he been? Why didn’t he come for me?”

  “The only way you’ll know is to ask him.”

  “I'm scared.”

  “I know. You’re facing what has haunted you for six years.”

  “What do I say to Steven?”

  “Does he know about this accident?”

  “No, not really. He knew something bad happened to me. He was the first person I tried to date in an effort to get over Javier.”