Page 43 of His to Bedevil
She chuckles a little. “I don’t need a doctor to tell me I have menstrual cramps, Alejandro. I do need some medicine though.”
Rushing into the bathroom, I retrieve some pain medicine and fill up a glass with tap water. I help her sit up, and she tosses back the pills. “What else can I get you, my love?” I ask as I cover her back up with the blankets when she lies back down.
“I could use a heating pad.”
I call the maids’ phone that calls down to a phone in the kitchen for whoever is on duty. When one of the maids picks up, I tell her to bring up a heating pad immediately. When I hang up, I’m tempted to phone the doctor, but I don’t. If she gets any worse, I will no matter how much she insists they’re menstrual cramps.
I sit down next to her on the bed and stroke her dampening hair. “Do they always get this bad? The cramps?”
She nods her head. “Usually I know exactly when I’m getting my period, so I try and take some medicine before the cramps really start and it helps. But I had no idea when I was getting it this time. Medicine seems to take a lot longer to work once the cramps are already this bad.” She moans a little and clutches her stomach as I just sit there feeling helpless.
There’s a knock at the door, and even though I don’t want to leave her side, I go to answer it. I don’t want anyone seeing her like this, and I know she wouldn’t want anyone to either. I take the heating pad from the maid without even looking at her and close the door.
“She brought me two. This one is already heated up.” I place the heating pad that most likely came out of the microwave on Irma’s lower stomach, and she clutches it against herself, sighing. I plug in the other one and turn the temperature up high. Once this heating pad cools down, the other one will be ready for her.
“What else can I get for you,mi amor?”
“A time machine,” she mutters.
I snort and continue to stroke her hair back, keeping it out of her face. Her skin is clammy, so I go and get a cool washcloth. This time I climb into bed behind her and start dabbing the washcloth across her forehead. “Close your eyes, my love. Try to rest.”
She obeys and closes her eyes, and after a while, her breathing evens out. I toss the wet washcloth aside and switch out the heating pad before curling myself around her and falling back asleep, making sure to hold the heating pad to her lower abdomen. I hate seeing her in any kind of pain, but there’s something about taking care of her that is so fulfilling. I want to take care of her for all of eternity.
I wake up the next morning before the sun is up. I have a lot to do today before I leave for Russia, and I wish I could take Irma with me. Seeing as she does speak the language, she could be very useful. But I don’t trust her just yet. She could try to escape or worse, she could try to betray me somehow. Russians aren’t always the most trustworthy. They easily turn for a better deal.
It’s not hard to find where she stashed the knife inside the bathroom. The spot was clever, it’s where I might’ve hidden it, but it’ll be near impossible to get anything past me. Like my father, I’m exorbitantly clairvoyant and overly suspicious at all times. I’m cognizant of my surroundings every time I step into a room.
After I shower and get dressed, I pack my own bag. Usually I have Juanita pack for me, but I don’t want anyone disturbing Irma.
Once I’m packed and ready, the sun is just starting to come up. I grab some more painkillers and refill her glass of water. At first, I plan to just leave them on the nightstand for when she wakes up, but I remember her saying they work better if she takes them before the cramps get bad. Sitting down next to her on the bed, I lightly stroke her face and admire her beauty for a moment. Her skin is like porcelain, and her hair is the softest I’ve ever felt. The deep red is something so rare to find naturally on a woman.Sheis so rare. “Irma,” I whisper. “Irma, my love,” I say a little louder, and she stirs some. “Irma. I want you to take some more medicine.” Her eyes slowly blink open. Her green irises always take me aback. They’re so bright and bold. “I have to leave.” I offer her the water and the pills, so she sits up and accepts them from me.
She tosses them back then hands me the water before she lies down again. “Thank you,” she says in a tiny voice, and snuggles back into the bed.
Her eyes quickly seal shut again, and she’s fast asleep. Caving, I press my lips to her temple and hold them there for a moment, breathing in her citrusy scent and storing the memory of her silky-smooth skin. She is perfection. “I’ll see you in a few days, my love. Please be safe,” I whisper, and reluctantly sever myself from her. It’s just as painful as severing a limb, I would imagine. Something I could do without, but never want to. I make sure the heating pad is still on, then I take my leave.
Heading down to my office, I’m not surprised to see Lucas sitting there in a chair waiting. It’s been years since he has slept in till the sun has risen. “Lucas,” I greet even though I know he heard me long before I entered.
My giant of a brother stands to his feet and turns to me, grinning. “Mi hermano.”My brother.We embrace and give each other a good clap on the back.
Pulling back, I smile up at my brother. He’s younger than me, but he’s built like a tank, towering at six-four where I am six-two. He’s also much wider than me, to the point where his arms don’t meet his sides completely. “Bienvenido a casa, hermano.”Welcome home, brother.“It’s been too long.”
“It was necessary,” he amends.
I round the desk and sit down behind it after unbuttoning my suit jacket. “How are you feeling?”
“Bien.”Good.“Strong as an ox,” he says, grinning.
The only time he smiles and acts playful is around my mother and me. Juanita and Berto have had the pleasure of seeing this side of him as well, but not like this. The only other one he would soften around was Emily, the love of his life who died six months ago.
“Good. You look it.” I grin back, but he’s grinning awfully big still. “What is it?”
“I hear you got yourself a pet?”
My fists clench automatically. “She’s not a pet. She is my fiancée.”
The grin on his face immediately drops, and he leans forward, eyes wide. “Mande?”What?I only nod as I open my laptop. “No mames.”You’re joking.
“She is, and that’s what I need to talk to you about. I want you to be in charge of her while I’m in Russia.”
