CHAPTER 21
“Where are we going?” Rachel sneezed feverishly, her hand grasping tightly to George’s hand.
“To see my personal doctor” He halted and turned to face her. She looked slightly exhausted even though she had slept all night. “I think you’re sick, you don’t look well”
“Yea, I noticed I’m so tired these days” Rachel glanced around “Why are we still in the villa if we’re going to see your doctor? We’re supposed to be heading out”
“His hospital is inside this compound. At the end of the villa”
“Wow, that’s so cool” Rachel grinned, winking at George who chuckled softly. “So you actually have everything in this huge compound? A magnificent house, a hospital, a massive library, a building used for holding company meetings. Tell me, what else do you have here?”
“That’s all” George responded, smiling at her astonishment.
“I refuse to believe that’s all. There has to be more” Rachel glanced by her side as they walked closer to the hospital “So this personal doctor of yours, how long has been with your family?”
“As far as I can remember, since I was a child. He is skilled at his work, so my mother hired him from the very beginning. He is like the father I never had”
Rachel patted his hand affectionately “If he is good to you, then I like him already”
“Just like that?”
“Yes, just like that” Rachel affirmed, nodding in approval.
They reached the entrance to Dr Andrew’s hospital and strolled in. The doctor saw them and rose to his feet.
“George, what brings you here?” Dr Andrew walked forward.
“I can’t come here to see you unless I’m sick, is that it?” George muttered, eyeing him playfully.
The doctor laughed “Not at all. I was just wondering if you were sick again so fast”
“He was sick before?” Rachel chipped in before mouthing a greeting to the doctor
“Oh, not really. Just a slight headache” Dr Andrew fixed his eyes on her “You must be his wife, Rachel Reeves”
“Yes, she is,” George replied quickly. “She has been feverish lately and very tired no matter how long she sleeps”
“It’s probably be the baby”
“What?” Rachel and George answered at the same time. Dr Andrew burst into laughter making both of them roll their eyes.
“I’m quite sure your mother is stressing you out about having babies” The doctor remarked, staring at George. He gestured for them to sit.
“You must really know Mrs Patricia,” Rachel muttered.
“Of course, I do. I know all of them. Every one of them.” Turning to Rachel, he voiced out “You must have met the fighting lion by now, right?”
Rachel didn’t know why Judith popped in her mind when he said that. “Are you referring to Judith?”
“Of course, who else?” He replied and they howled. The fighting lion, indeed!
“Is it that bad? I thought she only fights with anyone related to Mrs Patricia.”
“She fights with everyone, any living thing. Though she has a special hatred for Mrs Patricia. She is a case” Dr Andrew stated firmly. “Besides her, have you met Mr Stone face?”
Rachel laughed. Of course, he was referring to Morris. Jeez! He was so accurate in his description. Morris was truly Mr Stone face. “Mr Morris, right?”
Dr Andrew cackled. “Whoever told him he looked good with that Stone face was just deceiving him…”
“It’s probably Judith” The doctor and Rachel laughed. It felt so good to just blame Judith for anything. Everything.
George sighed.
“I am very sure she must have gotten on your nerves at some point” Dr Andrew muttered.
“Even on my wedding day, she was ready to fight” Rachel answered
George sighed again.
Rachel and Dr Andrew glanced at him, wondering what was up with him.
“Is something wrong?” Rachel held his hand
“I can’t believe you just left me alone…” George whispered, feeling left out. “… and instead focused on someone you just met. You hardly chat with me the way you’re chatting with him right now”
Dr Andrew rolled his eyes. “Am I the ‘someone’?” He fisted his hands playfully, ready to punch George.
Rachel chuckled. “When I’m done here, we’ll have all the time we need, okay?”
“That’s not all…” George pouted his lips, feigning sadness “… you have to promise to kiss me, touch me and -”
“George!!” Rachel stared at him, blinked and glanced at Dr Andrew who was laughing opposite her.
“Jealous baby” Dr Andrew mocked him playfully. Turning to Rachel, he whispered “Let’s get you treated then”.
~~~~~*~~~~~
“Make sure you get some rest even when I am not around” George interlocked his hand with hers, as they walked out of the hospital heading back to his villa.
“Okay” Rachel winked at him. Leaning closer, she wrapped her arms around him “Let us spend some time together when we get back…”
George blinked a few times, he noticed the mischievous look on her face and shook his head “I can see you are very healthy, not sick at all.
Rachel laughed and held him tighter. She didn’t even care that they were outside, it didn’t matter to her right now. She wanted him close, very close. She had been yearning for him for a long time, and this time around, the moment she was healthy enough, she would make her move on him.
She would not deny it anymore. She was falling in love with him as time went by, Rachel knew this was against her plan from the beginning, but it didn’t change the fact that her feelings for him only grew more and more. If she had a chance, she would stay with him beyond the one year marriage contract. Even if things turned out differently and she had to leave, she would treasure these memories of their time together for a long time. She just had to get well first, and she would tell him to make love to her.
Distracted by her racing thoughts, Rachel didn’t notice a dent on the terraced floor as they walked. The edge of her heel stuck to the dent, slightly twisting her ankle. She yelped as red hot pain sliced through her ankle…
“Are you alright?” George felt her grab his arm tightly. Turning towards her, he noticed her heel was stuck in the dent and she was clutching her leg. He moved quickly, pulling her shoe away from the dent and lifting her in his arms. “Hold on to me…” He gestured to her and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he walked towards his villa.
George glanced at Rachel in his arms, her face a few inches from his. “Are you in pain? What exactly were you thinking about?”
Rachel was embarrassed to admit where her thoughts had drifted to. She leaned closer to bury her head near his chest and flinched as another pain sliced through her ankle.
“It’s alright. Hold on a bit, We’re home now” George marched into his villa, and summoned a maid who stood nearby.
“Get a basin of slightly hot water and a soft towel. Bring it up to my room quickly”
“Yes sir” The maid answered and excused herself to see to the task.
Walking into their bedroom, he placed her gently at the edge of the bed. He reached for her twisted ankle, examining it carefully. “You’re lucky it’s not a serious fracture. A feet soak and rubbing a balm on it will do”
The maid came in with what George requested for, and George attended to Rachel who watched as he touched her feet tenderly each time as if he was afraid he might hurt her. She observed the worry on his face as he rubbed a bone soothing balm on her ankle.
“Your temperature is higher, you need to rest” George muttered, resting on one knee in front of her as he placed her feet on the floor. He looked up at her sitting on the bed and smiled “Tomorrow, I’ll give you a proper foot rub, okay?”
Overwhelmed with the ‘new’ feelings running through her, Rachel leaned forward and pulled George closer. Inching forward, she kissed him. If not for her illness and ‘twisted’ ankle, she would take this further, to the level she wanted. What she had yearned for these last three months.
When her lips touched his, George’s tensed shoulders relaxed and he kissed her back. Tongues tasting each other, lips brushing against each other, George wanted to undress her right there and touch her in all the places he had fantasized about for months. He had been waiting for when she would give her approval of wanting him to make love to her. It had been a frustrating wait.
Stepping backwards, he broke the kiss and looked at her through hooded eyes. The bulge in his pants was trying hard to distract him from the fact that Rachel was sick and not in the right shape for this. “What was that for? You are sick and you need to rest” George whispered quietly and forced himself to his feet.
Yearning for more, Rachel wrapped her hands around his waist before he could turn away, the bulge between his taut legs very evident. She leaned closer and pressed a soft kiss on it.
“George, I want you”