HANDLE WITH CARE (The Ludzecky Sisters Book 5) (13 page)

He gave her a sham look of relief. “Whew! That makes me feel better.”

She let him inside. “It that new?” he asked about the casual peach dress she wore.

“Yep. Mags and I went
shopping.”
For you
, she thought but didn’t say aloud. She planned a lot of surprises for tonight that she hoped would drive him crazy. Sometimes, Sofia didn’t recognize herself with Max, but she was having so much fun, she let herself go with the flow her life was taking.

“I want to sit for a minute.”

They sat on the couch and he held up his hand, raising one finger. “Okay, Tantra is not
a religion but a practice, like yoga.” Second finger. “The goal of tantric sex is to find more depth and breadth in our sexuality, though I gotta say, I don’t feel like I need that when we’re together.”

She nodded and couldn’t help but smile.

“Third, the chakras—remember when you first told me about them?—are different energy systems in the body. Tantra keeps the energy flowing through
the pressure points in your body more easily and naturally.”

He went on to recite other benefits: The point of tantric sex is to feel more. Tantric sex doesn’t have a beginning, middle or end. It brings an awareness never achieved before. Its real purpose is to get closer during sex and open the couple up for new kinds of intimacy.

“I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

“I’m a fast
learner. When do we start?”

“Right now.”

“Wait. Before we go inside, I gotta know something. It won’t change how I feel about doing this, but something’s been bothering me since I went to the websites. Sof, have you done this with other guys? Probably, because you know it. Never mind that I asked. Let’s just go.” He stood abruptly.

She did too, up on tiptoes, and cradled his face in
her hands. “No, Max. I’ve never done this before. I’ve always wanted to, but never found anybody I felt close enough to.”

His body relaxed, and the movement made Sofia aware of how much her words meant to him. How much she did.

The bedroom was all set up. Twenty candles were lit around the room, making it glow like a harem’s den. “What’s the smell?” he asked.

“Patchouli. It awakens
and provokes sexual energy.” The scent of the oil filled the space, arousing Sofia.

By the bed, he turned to her and she turned to him. “Shall I undress you?”

“I’d like that.”

She turned her back and he unzipped the dress. The garment fell to the floor and she stepped out of it. She heard a gasp, most likely at the why-bother black lace panties and the skimpy bra. He stepped close
behind her again. “Could you be more lovely?” he asked.

The comment required no answer, so she turned, and holding his gaze, she took the hem of his T-shirt and pulled it over his head. Loosened his shorts; they joined her dress on the ground.

But when her gaze traveled lower, Sofia burst out laughing, ruining the entire mood.

“What’s wrong?”

“W-where did you get those?”

“What,
my new underwear?”

More laughter.

“Never seen a man in a thong, sweetcakes?”

“Can’t say I have.”

Now he laughed, too. “I hope this isn’t supposed to be serious. I read about the clothing thing on the Internet and thought, why not?”

“It’s supposed to be whatever we want.”

He gestured to the room. “I loved what you did with the place.”

“Did you see the new statues I have
by the window?”

He walked over, comfortable in his body. It was silhouetted against the light coming in from the window. She watched as he picked up each of the seven statues. Ran his fingers over them. “Where on earth did you get these?”

“They’re from the Kama Sutra Store.”

He glanced over his shoulder. “There’s a Kama Sutra Store?”

“Honey, there’s a store for everything. These
are supposed to set the mood.”

“Oh, I’m in the mood, all right.” When he turned, he was fully erect.

She gestured to the bed. “Sit. Cross-legged. Facing each other.”

“I hope I can do that now.” He sat.

Linking their fingers together, she whispered, “Let’s breathe, together.” They gazed into each other’s eyes and took in air. Let it out. Once twice…ten times. It was an odd feeling,
almost as if she were breathing for him.

“Mmm.” Leaning over to the nightstand, she picked up a dish and put it in front of him. She offered a chocolate-covered strawberry to him.

He bit, once, chewed, then again. And again. “God, it turns me on having you feed me.”

“I want the brie on a pear.”

Slowly, she took the nourishment from him.

When they’d had enough, he set the tray
aside. “I know what’s next.” His eyes danced. “The touching part.”

“Uh-huh. Lay down, Max, and surrender yourself.”

“You got it, love.”

From that night on, Sofia walked around in a daze of pure delight. She couldn’t stop smiling. She and Max had taken to sleeping at each other’s places and spending most waking hours together. A week later, he asked her to go away with
him and the teachers when school got out at the end of June.

So Sofia was humming one morning when she went to take a shower after he left her apartment for school. In the bathroom, she tied her hair up—and noticed it. A red spot just below her jaw. She stilled. It could have come from Max’s ardor last night. Slowly, reluctantly, she turned around. Stared over her shoulder at her back.

And saw what could shatter her life.

“Hey, Coach, you’re starin’ off into space again.”

“Geez, what’s the matter with him these days?”

“He probably got some last night and is reliving it.”

“All right,” he said when the last comment penetrated as inappropriate. “Can it. I was just thinking.”

“What’s her name?”

“Wise guys.”

But it was true. He was getting
some. A lot. Of companionship. Sex. Incredible experiences, many that knocked his socks off. A few just fun things. Last night, they’d gone to a movie. On the weekend, they’d gone boating. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do or try. God, how could he have gotten so lucky?

His phone buzzed. “I gotta take that, guys. It might be Ms. Ludzecky, calling because she’s late.”

Walking into the
corridor, he said, “Hello, love.”

“Hi, Max.”

Immediately he knew something was wrong. “What is it, honey? You sound terrible.”

“I don’t feel well.”

“I’m coming right over.”

“No, don’t do that. I’ve got a call in to the doctor. It’s probably nothing.”

“Sofia…”

“I’ll phone you back when I get some news.”

“Sof—” But she’d hung up.

This was so not her. He went back
inside. “That was Ms. Ludzecky. I’m canceling weight training. You can still catch the buses if you need to. If not, give each other rides.”

He left before they could ask questions. Grabbed his stuff from the office. Jumped in his car. Headed to her place. She’d given him keys to the doors, and he climbed the steps, unlocked the apartment. “Sofia? Where are you?”

No answer. He went into
the bedroom and saw her standing in the bathroom, totally naked, facing the mirror. “Sweetheart, what’s going on?”

“Max, what are you doing here?” She hadn’t heard him come in.

“I was worried. What are you—?” He stopped short. Cocked his head. “You have bruises. On your back. Oh, God, did I do that?”

“I wish.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s probably nothing.”

“Nothing? It’s
gotta be something. Did you bump into a wall? Fall in class?”

“No.”

He crossed to her and took her into his arms. Cradled her. “Tell me, Sofia. What are the bruises from?”

“They could be nothing. Or they could be a symptom of leukemia, Max. Of a relapse.”

The phone rang and Sofia sprang up from the bed where she and Max had been lying. She’d dressed in light yoga
clothes and then cuddled into him, but they hadn’t talked much. Grabbing her cell, she said, “Sofia Ludzecky.”

“Sofia, this is Craig Landers. My office said you called, upset.”

“I—I am. I found some unexplained bruising on my neck and back.”

“I see. I could tell you they could be caused by a variety of things, but I know that won’t help. Why don’t you come into the office at the end
of the day? I’ll do some tests and we’ll wait for the results.”

“Thanks for seeing me so quickly.”

“Of course. Now go meditate and try not to think about it.”

Max said, “He sounds like a nice guy, honey. And concerned.”

“Yeah, he’s been my oncologist since I was sixteen. He knows me.”

“And likes you, obviously. So we only have to wait a few hours. Hang on.”

Max sat in the living room while Sofia was in her bedroom, meditating. She said he should try it, too. But he couldn’t. He was upset, only pretending to be calm and rational about Sofia’s condition. He stared blankly at ESPN, trying to stave off the memory of so many years ago, but he couldn’t keep it at bay any longer…

His mother had seemed calm when she called them all together on a rainy
afternoon. “Sit down, boys; we have something to tell you.” Max had been twenty-five, and everybody but Jess was in his twenties, still, she called them boys.

Close up, he could see her eyes were red. “What’s going on, Mom?”

“I have breast cancer.”

At the time, Max had no idea how those four words would affect the rest of his life.

Jess cried, Ronny punched a pillow several times,
and Deeks walked out of the room. Max went directly to his mother and knelt in front of her, took her hands. “Mom, I’ll be here for you. I promise.”

“I know you will. I know you can.” She shook her head. “I’m worried about you boys.”

“Concentrate on yourself. We’ll all handle this.”

His father looked like death. “There are issues, son.”

“What?”

“I have to keep working. We’ll
need my job for the medical insurance.” At the time, his dad had been employed by a large company. He practically managed the business.

“I can take time off for the surgery, of course,” his father went on in a rusty voice, “but there will be all the follow-up visits for chemo and radiation.”

“I’m sure I can do that myself,” his mom put in. “I have friends who’ll drive me. I can stay alone
at the treatments.”

His father swallowed hard. “The chemo visits take hours.” Again he looked to Max. And Max knew what he had to do.

He’d taken a four-month leave of absence. In teaching, they’d get a sub who would do a passable job. What followed were weeks of sitting by his mother’s side when she got the infusions of chemo, afternoons of holding her head over the toilet while she vomited
from the lethal medicines, hours spent by her bedside, worrying if she’d live. It had been the worst time of her life—and his…

“Max?”

He glanced up.

“It’s time to go.”

He drove her to the doctor’s office, holding her hand all the way. They waited twenty minutes, and finally, the nurse called her in. “Come with me?” she asked.

How many times had he gone into the treatment room
with his mother? His stomach had pitched every visit, constantly worrying about what the doctor would find in an examination, along with sleepless nights over her upcoming test results. Only after five years did he get over the anxiety.

The doctor was about fifty, with gray hair and a kind smile. He took Sofia’s hand as soon as he came in the room. “Hi, Sofia. I’m sorry you’ve had this scare.”

“Thanks for seeing me. This is my friend Max.”

The meditation must have helped, because she seemed stronger than when he’d gotten to her house. “Here’s what we’ll do. A complete blood count and an X-ray of your bones. If those are inconclusive, we’ll go on to a bone-marrow aspiration and biopsy, a spinal tap and chromosomal analysis, if we have to.”

Max swallowed hard.
Oh, my God.

“All right, Craig.”

“I don’t expect to have to do all those things,” he said sternly. “Remember, I saw you six months ago. All was clear. This is precautionary.”

“What else could it be?” Max asked.

“A myriad of things. She might be anemic. She’s a vegetarian, and so she could be. She’s light skinned and has always bruised easily, so she might have harmed herself in yoga class or
anything else strenuous that she’s done lately.”

After they took her blood, Max accompanied her to X-ray.

Then they waited for the results. It wasn’t that long, as Landers had put a rush job on both and was waiting in his office until they came back.

He entered the exam room smiling, and Max’s knees practically buckled. “Good news. Nothing in the bones. Your white count is above acceptable
levels, but there’s a marked deficiency in the red blood cells.”

“What does that mean?” he asked.

“She’s anemic. Which probably caused the bruises. If you want the rest of the tests, I can do them. But only after you start eating some meat and taking iron pills. I believe the bruises will go away.”

“Thank the cosmos,” Sofia eked out. “I’m okay.”

But Max knew in his heart
he
wasn’t.
Since he’d been seeing her, he hadn’t dwelled on her cancer because she asked him not to. So he’d put it out of his mind, and forced himself not to draw parallels to his mother. But now, her fragile health was front and center, and he couldn’t ignore it any longer.

“Hey, Sofia,” Max said as he answered the phone.

“Hi, hotshot.”

He didn’t laugh. It was one of the many times she’d teased him or referred to the past, and he didn’t respond. She was very afraid he’d lost his sense of humor in the doctor’s office a week ago.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to dinner with Magdalena and Logan.”

Another thing. He’d
slept over after they went for the tests, but the next night, he’d said he had to stay home and get some things done. The third night, he told her he’d promised to take the guys out and he was going to crash at Deeks’s because he’d probably drink. And they hadn’t made love, not once since the tantric sex.