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Once she was called to the back, she slipped on to the table in the examination room and waited. Her doctor, a woman maybe in her late fifties or sixties entered the room. “Hello, Shakarri. It’s good to see you. I was surprised to get your call. It was my understanding you had changed doctors.”
“How are you, Dr. Abate? I know, and I really wanted to stay with you. Circumstances…well…” She shrugged, not wanting to explain.
“Are you feeling okay? Anything we have to be concerned about?”
She didn’t know why she felt embarrassed. “Um, I was feeling ill, and wanted to make sure I’m not pregnant.”
“All right. We can do a preliminary urine test. The lab can get results pretty quickly. Have you noticed any changes in your body? Did you miss your period?”
“No, just sick.” The bed with its paper liner crackled under her hands, and she realized tension had made her grip it. She forced herself to relax.
After a quick examination, the doctor questioned her again. “Are you on the pill?”
“No, I went off it not too long ago.”
“Just so you know, it can take a while to get pregnant after using contraceptives for a while. For some women, it happens just like that.” She snapped her fingers.
“Yes, I know.”
The doctor directed Shakarri on what to do in the bathroom, and soon she was back to sitting on the narrow bed, swinging her legs and about to go out of her mind. After an eternity, the doctor returned and Shakarri tensed, waiting to hear the news.
“First of all, you’re not pregnant. We might need explore some reasons as to why you’ve been ill. Have you been under a lot of stress lately?”
Shakarri thought about her sham of a wedding, the threats she had made to her husband and him to her. She thought about the woman throwing herself at Ezio and the fact that Ezio might have forced his ex to give him full custody of his daughter. “Just a little.”
“All right, I can give you information about releasing stress and we can see how that goes. Also—”
“What I really want, doctor, is to get back on the pill. I don’t want to get pregnant. Can we do that?”
“Sure, we can do that. Let’s check your chart for your menstruation schedule.”
Chapter 8
Shakarri moved among the crowd of guests, chatting with one here and there. Three months of being married to her husband, and she still wasn’t used to these nights of entertainment. Her feet hurt, and she wanted more than anything to kick off her shoes and relax. She couldn’t do that because this stupid party was thrown at the mansion, and she and Ezio were the hosts. If half the people weren’t so stuffy and boring she might have a good time, but that was too much to ask for.
“Shock-kerry, darling,” an older woman gushed at her. “We’ve hardly had a chance to talk all night. I wanted to pick your brains about how to get that husband of yours to give to my project.”
Shakarri cringed. Way to screw up the pronunciation of her name. She supposed she should at least give the woman credit for coming close. Her pained feet didn’t allow for that level of forgiveness. “Mrs…” She let the space hang between them, making it obvious she couldn’t even recall a name to butcher.
The woman reddened and supplied her name, but Shakarri missed it. She directed her gaze over the woman’s shoulder to spot Ezio. He leaned against the bar, which he had hired a man to tend for the night. Another man stood beside him, close in age if she had to guess. Ezio seemed to be paying him no mind because his attention was all on her. Her entire body warmed, noting his interest.
She forced her gaze away from her husband and focused on the glass of wine in her hand. This was her second one of the night, but she wished she had something stronger to dull the pain in her ears from the woman in front of her.
“I’m sorry,” Shakarri interrupted. “I have to…take care of…” She mumbled the rest of the excuse and made her escape. Behind her, the woman huffed and puffed feeling insulted. Shakarri weeded her way through the crowd and made for the French doors. A little air might help, and if she could find a quiet spot, she might be able to slip her shoes off for a minute. This was what she got for falling for shoes that were more cute than comfortable.
As she stepped outside, she noticed her new bodyguard follow and then move an appropriate distance away from her. Ezio kept his word and allowed her to help choose Dean. She liked him. He was down to earth, and he wasn’t built like body builder. Ezio had insisted he demonstrate his prowess in several fields of defense, and Shakarri felt satisfied he could look after her. Ezio had appeased his own requirements for her protection with Dean’s resume. So far, so good.
“Why did you leave the party, Shakarri?”
She jumped at her husband’s voice. He strode over to her while she stood in a shadowed area of the patio that pretty much extended all around the house. Evergreen shrubbery half hid them from anyone who might wander out where they stood.
“Just taking a small break. I’m sure that’s not against your rules.” She glowered at him.
“Of course not. You seem to think I’m always ready to criticize your actions.”
“Aren’t you?”
“No.” He stepped closer and removed the glass from her fingers to set on a ledge and drew her against him. His hand snaked along her back, first up and then down dangerously close to her rear. She covered his hand with hers, but he shook hers off and continued to stroke her back. He ventured as high and as low as he wanted. Shakarri squirmed in his arms because he was doing things to her she didn’t want started right now.
