Claudio then pulled back and smiled. He switched the cooker off and then whispered in Suzanne's ear. "I've been waiting a long time to do that … "
"You can do it again, if you want to … " she whispered in answer.
They kissed again, this time more passionately than before. Suzanne pushed her hands underneath his T-shirt caressing his abs. Claudio then picked her up in his arms and carried her to his bedroom.
Claudio lay her on top of his bed, she looked up at him, lustful and ready. In the fervent heat of the moment they tore each other's clothes off. Claudio lay Suzanne on the bed, her naked body supple, curved, and beautiful. He kissed slowly down her body, teasing her nipples with his tongue before kissing along her smooth thighs.
She looked down at him as he ran his tongue over her pussy and then inside. Suzanne groaned in pleasure, feeling his tongue moving inside. She wanted him more than ever; she needed him.
Claudio lay on top of her, and guided his cock deep inside, letting out almost a growl of lust as he did so. Suzanne wrapped his legs around him, pulling him deeper and deeper inside. Claudio was big, and as he moved in and out, his hips rhythmically gyrating with Latin finesse, she felt an orgasm building up and releasing. She quivered all over.
Then, Claudio turned Suzanne onto her front, kissing her back and then sensually making love to her once more. They moved together as one, Claudio's athletic grip strong and powerful, she pushing back against him as he reached climax.
Finally, they came together, and both collapsed on the bed panting with satisfaction, their sweat covered bodies still interlocked.
Suzanne felt utterly happy in that moment, but it did not last long.
Hours later, the phone rang in the night. Claudio woke, knowing that a phone call at that time could only be bad news. He hesitated and then answered:
"Claudio, it's Cristiano," his brother said on the end of the line.
"Oh no … " said Claudio, knowing what was wrong before the words were spoken.
"Dad's had a stroke. You better come to the hospital," Cristiano said.
When he hung up, Claudio sat there for a moment, dazed. Then it came, a single tear down his cheek.
"Claudio … " Suzanne said. She held him close. "I'll come with you." And she did.
It was indeed a stroke. When Claudio and Suzanne entered the hospital room, they found Claudio's father in bed, tubes attached to him, and machines beeping rhythmically.
Cristiano stood up and embraced his brother. "They don't know if he'll make it through the night. He's not conscious."
Claudio rushed to his father's side and sat there for a while, just holding his hand, looking at the man he idolized, the man he just wanted to make proud; now reduced to a frail patient in a hospital bed, one of countless no doubt in the building.
After a brief knock at the door, a doctor in a white coat entered the room. He shook hands with Claudio: "Hello Mr. Vega."
"What can you tell us?" asked Claudio in return.
The doctor had a grave expression: "All we know is he's had a stroke and that his vitals are weak. We're not sure if he'll ever regain consciousness, and even if he does, there's no way to know how much damage has been done."
"What caused it?" Claudio was desperate for answers. If he could identify the source of the problem, he felt somehow he could fix it. He'd pay for the best doctors and medical care money could buy, but even that wouldn't guarantee his father's recovery.
"Mr. Vega, it's difficult to know what could have caused it. He seems relatively healthy for his age, perhaps stress of some kind."
"This is all your fault!" Cristiano yelled, pointing at Suzanne.
"Me?" she said, upset.
"Yes, you!"
Claudio tried to interject, "Cristiano, please … "
Cristiano ignored his brother's attempts of diplomacy. " You little whore! If you hadn't been in that bed with my brother, he wouldn't have been shamed, and my dad wouldn't have been under such pressure and worry!"
Suzanne looked at Claudio: "Claudio … "
But she saw something then which broke her heart. Claudio would not defend her. In fact, he looked as though he almost believed what his brother was saying.
"You don't believe this, do you?" she said.
"I … " Claudio stammered.
He didn't admit it, but he didn't deny it either, and in Suzanne's eyes she could do no good for them there in that room. Tears began to stream down her face as she looked at Maxwell lying there in bed. She stepped forward, held his hand and then kissed him on the forehead. "Get better, Maxwell." Suzanne then stormed out of the room, leaving the room in silence, broken only by the beeps of the hospital machinery.
Suzanne hailed a cab, and on the way back to the apartment she thought things through. She'd been broken and knocked around too much in life. This one time she had opened her heart, and now the thought of Claudio's accusing stare was enough to push her over the edge. Never again would she allow herself to be hurt like that.
To hell with the arrangement.
To hell with men!
Claudio was exhausted when he returned home. It was daylight, and he'd been sitting by his father's side all night. He was emotionally drained and now wanted nothing more than to sleep. He was worried about his father, but there was little he could do about that than just hope that he pulled through.
He felt terrible that he hadn't defended Suzanne. Of course, Cristiano was just lashing out in hurt, they both knew it wasn't Suzanne's fault. She had been just as much a victim as anyone else that day in the hotel. She'd been drugged too.
There was little doubt in Claudio's mind that the scandal had resulted in his father's stroke, the stress of the situation had visibly weakened him, but that was no reason to blame Suzanne. He would make it up to her somehow.
But things had been taken out of Claudio's hands.
When he returned to the apartment he found a letter waiting for him. It read:
Dear Claudio,
I am so sorry about Maxwell, I really hope he pulls through, as he is a lovely man who I am very fond of. I'm also fond of you, Claudio. More than fond, actually. I have been trying to fight it for so long. I didn't want to believe that I was falling in love with you, because I knew it would open me up to pain and rejection. All my life I've been rejected, and I cannot hang around for you to accuse me of being involved in that terrible scandal. How could you do that? I know now that you will never be able to trust me. You will always think somewhere deep inside of you that somehow I was involved. That I'm a gold digger or a black mailer. I am neither. I'm just Suzie. And that's who I'll remain. I've left the apartment for good now. There is nothing left for me here I hope that you and your family get through this difficult time.
Good bye,
Suzie
Claudio searched around the apartment, but could find no trace of Suzanne. She had indeed left, and taken with her only the clothes he had found her in a year previous.
***
It was the most stressful time of his life. For weeks, every single night, Claudio sat by his father's bed hoping that he would get better. During the day, he would look for Suzie. He'd hired three private detectives, and yet no one had seen or heard anything about her. It was as if she'd vanished into thin air.
Worse still, his ban was now coming to an end. The idea of taking to the field once more without his father in the stands to cheer him on was almost unbearable. To his surprise, the thought of being without Suzanne was equally as painful. In her absence he had grown to realize just how much he loved her.
But, at least his father was now awake, unfortunately he hadn't recovered his speech yet, but it was a move in the right direction.
One night, just a week before he was due to play his first competitive game for the Giants in over a year, Claudio sat next to his dad. The conversations were one-sided, but there was no doubt that his father was listening.
"I can't find her, Dad. I've looked everywhere," Claudio said, Maxwell looking at him with frail eyes. "I miss her. I really do, but she's a product of the street, and there are just too many of them to search. I hate the idea of her being back on the streets, who knows what could happen to her. I'm worried sick. There was no way to know until she was gone, but I really love her, Dad." Claudio had tears in his eyes.
At these words, Maxwell struggled for a moment. He moved with discomfort.
"Dad, are you okay?"
He let out a groan.
"Nurse, nurse!" Claudio screamed.
Quickly, a nurse rushed into the room to check on Maxwell, but by that time Claudio realized what was wrong. He was pointing at a potted plant with yellow and blue flowers.
"This, dad? You want this?"
Maxwell groaned again.
His dad had received so many flowers, gifts and cards, that it was difficult to keep track of all of them.