Page 96 of Of Desire And Deception

Cosimo’s brows lifted, and he rubbed the stubble on his jaw. “Yes.”

“Not fucking happening,” Olesya snapped, shooing him out of the way. She turned back to me. “I’ve got some devices on hand for the women in the family. We can get it taken care of now if you’d like. The copper IUD works the fastest, and the hormonal version takes about a week to be effective.”

“She had this one,” Cosimo said, pulling the tiny metal device from his pocket.

I nearly died of mortification, covering my heated face with my hands and hissing, “Why would you bring that?”

Cosimo twirled the IUD between his fingers. “So she uses the right one. Medical error is the third leading cause of death every year in the US.”

“Thanks for that vote of confidence,” Olesya said with an eye roll. “I’ve never lost a patient from an IUD insertion.”

“I trust you.” She looked close to kicking us both out of her clinic, so I rushed on, “Let’s do it now.”

“Okay.” Olesya handed me a hospital gown. “I’ll need you to disrobe from the waist down and lay on the table. Butt all the way down to the edge, feet in the stirrups.”

She pulled the stirrups from the bed’s base and walked to the curtain, pulling it shut. “Let me know when you’re finished.”

I could hear her gathering supplies on the other side of the room while I toed off my shoes and removed my pants and underwear, folding them neatly on a chair. Cosimo watched as I donned the gown and tied it for me, copping a feel through the open back before giving my ass a little swat.

“You’re sure about this?” he asked, lifting me onto the bed and placing my feet in stirrups. I was exposed to him, vulnerable, but his focus was on my face. “We could just let nature take its course.”

“I don’t want to have this conversation again,” I said, tired of arguing with a man who could probably present fifty logical reasons to have children. I unfolded the blue drape and tossed it over my legs. “At least for now, especially while we find out who in the Bureau is corrupt, this is the best option.”

“I don’t like it.”

Sighing, I grabbed his hand, running my fingers over his hand tattoos. “I know. But you’re going to have to figure that out.”

“Are you ready?” Olesya called out behind the curtain.

“Yeah,” I answered, squeezing Cosimo’s hand tightly. He frowned down at me.

“Okay, you’ve been through this before, right?” Olesya placed a metal tray on the stand next to the bed and adjusted the light at my feet. “I’ll walk you through what’s involved.”

“Sedate her,” Cosimo interrupted, his face hard.

“I like to use a local anesthetic,” Olesya explained. I couldn’t see her face, but she was doing her best to keep professional.

Cosimo grunted and pulled his hand away, reaching into his pocket and pulling something out. “Not good enough. I’ve brought something if you need it.”

“What the fuck, Cosimo?” Olesya snatched the vial from his hands. “Why the hell do you even have this?”

I burst into laughter because the whole situation was unbelievable. Cosimo looked worried and clearly took my hysterics as fear. He grabbed the vial and produced a syringe.

“Turn your head to the side.” He tried to move me into position.

I batted his hand away. “What are you doing?”

“If Olesya won’t help you, I will,” he explained.

His sister-in-law shoved her way between us, facing down my unhinged husband. “Cosimo, if you don’t step away from Remi, I’ll have you removed. And if you lay a finger on me, being Dante’s brother probably won’t save you from his wrath.”

“You need to put her under,” Cosimo insisted, facing off with Olesya. “She can’t feel any pain. If she so much as winces… I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“It’s okay.” I realized he was afraid of hurting somebody because of how he felt about me. “Olesya can sedate me. But you have to take care of me after.”

“Always,” he vowed.

“If you’re sure,” Olesya said hesitantly. “But I’ll use my own supplies.”

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