For Love of Charley (14 page)

Lightly, teasingly, he traced the full
outline of her mouth. “Charley,” he whispered, his breath sweet on her lips. “I
missed you so much. There isn’t a part of me that doesn’t ache for you.”

With a groan, she buried her hands in his
hair and pulled his mouth against hers. Now it was her tongue that teased his,
her mouth that moved across his chest, tasting the glorious texture of his
skin. When she moved lower, the muscles of his stomach tightened in
anticipation.

A feeling of power swept over her as she
sank to her knees. She was the one who could make him feel like this. Her touch
alone could drive him to the edge of ecstasy and then beyond. Gently, she
kissed the velvety skin, circled it with her tongue. She was rewarded by the
fisting of his hands in her wet hair, by the trembling of his legs. And when
she took him fully into her mouth, by the gasp of agonized pleasure that
erupted from his lips.

Cole was dying. The heat of Charley’s mouth
surrounded him. Every movement, every pressure, sent a new surge of exquisite
torture through him. He never wanted it to stop, had to make it stop before it
was too late. He tried to pull away, but failed. Head thrown back, eyes closed,
teeth clenched, he drowned in the sensations.

At the last instant, he wrenched himself
away, gasping for air like a man drowning. “No,” he moaned when she reached for
him again. His legs were so weak he didn’t know how he could still stand, much
less carry Charley to the bed.

But he didn’t have to. She stood, picked up
the condom, and pulled him into the bedroom. Together, they collapsed across
the bed. When his mouth covered hers, she arched toward him. Frantically, his
hands moved over her taut breasts, forcing her nipples into rounded marbles of
desire.

He was crazy with his need for her. Rising
to his knees between her legs, he opened her with his thumbs, gazing down at
the passion-swollen flesh. “God, you’re beautiful,” he groaned. Dipping his
head, he tasted, savored, caressed, until she writhed beneath his mouth.

When she whimpered mindlessly, he could
stand it no more. Replacing his mouth with his fingers, he fumbled the condom
on one-handed, and then plunged his erection into her, hard and deep. Eyes
locked on her face, he watched as the climax hit her and her whole body
convulsed around him. Watched as she screamed his name when he joined her, his
own climax spilling into her waiting, ready body. “I love you, Charley,” he whispered,
knowing she was too deep in her own pleasure to hear him.

When the tremors had passed, he rolled
weakly to the side, taking Charley with him. He couldn’t bear to let her go
yet. Would never be able to let her go.

A feeling of desperation washed over him
and he tightened his arms around her. “You belong to me.” The fiercely spoken
words were out before he could stop them.

Charley went still. “Yes,” she whispered
into his neck. “I do.”

Cole finished buttoning his shirt, then
tucked it into his jeans, his eyes never leaving Charley. How had he lived ten
years without her when now it almost killed him to go a whole day not seeing
her?

She had finished dressing and was standing
in front of the mirror, putting her hair into a ponytail. Every time her gaze
met his reflected image, she smiled. And every time she did, his heart would
flip in his chest.

She had said she belonged to him. The
memory made him want to shout with victory. He rolled it over in his mind
again, savoring the feeling. Did this mean she was ready to move in with him?
Or even better, agree to marry him? That was one of the things he planned on
finding out before the day was over.

Unable to resist touching her again, he
walked up behind her and nuzzled her neck. “Ready for that picnic?”

“Almost.” She glanced down at the pup lying
near her feet. “I want to put Whiskey out in the backyard first. He probably
needs the fresh air.”

“We can take him with us if you want to.”

Charley leaned over and scooped the pup up.
“Maybe next time. I don’t want to spend the whole afternoon keeping him out of
mischief.”

Cole followed her out the back door, then
through the gate and around the house to the Jag.

“Wouldn’t you rather take the Blazer?”

“No, where we’re going, we won’t need it.”

Charley glanced at him over her shoulder as
he opened the door for her. “Where are we going?”

“To the glade.” She didn’t even look
surprised, and he suspected she’d known all along.

“Okay.”

Cole reached across Charley and fastened
her seat belt. When she arched a brow at him, he grinned. “Living in L.A. makes
you a firm believer in seat belts.” He backed the Jag into the street and
turned toward the city limits.

In spite of the sun and heat, he’d put the
top down on the car. He glanced at Charley to gauge the effect of the wind and
found her watching him.

“Your house is beautiful. Are you really
going to sell it?”

For an instant, Cole went blank. His house?
He glanced at her. There was only one house he owned that was going up for sale
soon. “You went to California?” He down-shifted as a curve came into view.
“What were you…” he paused, frowning at a sudden resistance in the steering
wheel. He’d had the Jag thoroughly checked out before his trip back to Canyon
Bend. There shouldn’t be anything wrong with it. Even as the thought appeared,
the resistance increased.

Charley didn’t seem to realize there was a
problem. “I had a nice long visit with your mother. It was wonderful to see her
again. And I liked Kristy’s father quite a bit. It was easy to see how in love
he is with your mother.”

Cole’s hands gripped the wheel until his
knuckles whitened. Charley’s words were lost in a sudden surge of panic.
Something was wrong, badly wrong. The steering was barely responding to his
movements now.

They were quickly approaching a curve, and
the Jag lurched as he tried to pull it back into line. What little control he
had left seemed to be deteriorating rapidly. He hit the brake to slow the
vehicle, and to his horror, the pedal went all the way to the floor. The
emergency brake proved just as useless.

“Cole? What’s wrong?”

He could hear the panic creeping into her
voice. “Hang on, Charley.”

Tires screamed on pavement as the Jag went
up on two wheels in the sharpest part of the curve. The stench of over-heated
rubber swept past them. He down-shifted into second, using the action to slow
the car, but his relief was short-lived. They were still going too fast.

Adrenaline raced through his blood stream
like a locomotive, enhancing his strength enough to wrestle the steering wheel
back to the left. Metal gears ground as he shifted into first, and the car
slowed even more.

He actually thought they were going to make
it. They were at the end of the curve, heading onto a straight, level stretch
of road, when the wheel suddenly loosened under his hands. The steering was
gone.

As if in slow motion, his eyes focused on
the tree that loomed dead ahead. Instinct taking over, Cole threw one arm
across Charley and braced himself. Helplessly, he watched as the Jag plowed
into the tree. There was one second of agonizing pain before something slammed
into his chest, then darkness descended, Charley’s scream still ringing in his
ears.

* * * * *

“Charley? Please, baby, wake up.”

Cole. His voice sounded frantic, and she
frowned, wishing the screaming wail would stop so she could hear him better.
Hands lifted her eyelids and a blinding glare filled her vision. She tried to
push the hands aside, to turn her head away, but pain shot from her temple to
the back of her head. A gasp escaped her lips.

“It’s okay, Charley. Don’t move. The
paramedics are here. They need to examine you.”

Paramedics? A cascade of images flashed
through her mind. Cole fighting to control the car. A tree. Panic filled her
and she struggle to rise. Hands pushed her back and held her. “Cole!”

“I’m right here, baby. I won’t leave you.”

She felt him grip her hand, and hung on
tightly. The light vanished from her eyes, and she blinked, forcing them to
stay open. People surrounded her, loomed over her, the images blurred and
doubled. Her desperate gaze found Cole, tried to focus on him.

His face was snow-white and a trickle of
blood ran down his cheek. His left arm was clutched against his chest.

“You’re hurt.” Her voice came out a cracked
whisper, but he heard her.

“It’s just a scratch.” The smile he gave
her was forced and full of pain. Her view of him cut off abruptly as a
paramedic leaned in front of her.

“Miss Hart? I’m going to put a neck brace
on you. Try not to move.” He slipped the thick padding gently under her head
and fastened it on the side. “We’ve already got you on the back board, now
we’re going to lift it onto the stretcher. Just relax and let us do the work.”

At the first jarring movement, blackness
threatened to wash over her again, and she felt her hand slipping from Cole’s. “No!”

“He’s right next to you, Miss Hart. We just
need to get you in the ambulance.” The man’s voice was smoothly placating. “Mr.
Jordan is going with us.”

Sky and trees spun sickeningly above her as
the stretcher was lifted and turned. Nausea coiled in her stomach. Good, she
thought, half hysterically. If she threw up on him, the man was bound to move
and let Cole close to her again.

There were some clicking noises, and the
stretcher finally came to rest inside the ambulance. The back doors slammed
shut and the vehicle began to move, siren still screaming. When the paramedic
leaned to one side, she finally found Cole.

He was sitting across from her, another man
checking his left arm, but his eyes were fixed on her. Reaching across the
narrow aisle, he folded her hand gently in his, and she felt it tremble.

“I love you, Charley.”

His lips barely moved as he spoke the
words, but she’d heard it. Hadn’t she? Tears filled her eyes, blurring her
vision even more. She had to see his face, had to see if he’d really said it,
if he’d meant it. She tried to brush the tears away, but the paramedic caught
her hand. A sharp stick brought her attention back to what he was doing.

“I’m starting an IV, Miss Hart. It’s just
standard procedure. Nothing to worry about. We’re almost at the hospital now.”

Charley didn’t care about the IV, didn’t
care about the pain or the hospital. She only wanted to know if she’d imagined
Cole’s words. She lifted her head, trying to see around the paramedic, but the
neck brace prevented the movement.

“Cole?” The back doors flew open again, and
hands guided the stretcher into the emergency room.

“I’m here. I won’t leave you.”

“Mr. Jordan, we need to get her to CT.”

“Then I’ll go too. I’m not leaving her.”

Charley listened to the voices as lights
flashed by overhead.

“Look, Mr. Jordan. She’s going to be fine.
We need to check your arm. It may be broken.”

“It can wait.”

“Stop, please!” Charley pleaded. “For just
a minute, I promise.”

The movement stopped, and suddenly Cole was
there, leaning over her. Charley wet her lips. “In the ambulance. You said…”
Words failed her. What if she’d been wrong? She couldn’t just blurt it out. But
she didn’t have to. He knew.

“I said I love you, Charley. I’ve never
stopped.”

“Oh, Cole.” Her breath caught on a sob but
she forced it down. It was true, she hadn’t imagined it. “Go let them check
your arm. I’ll be fine.”

He hesitated. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Go.”

Cole brushed her lips in a gentle kiss.
“I’ll be here when they finish. I love you.”

* * * * *

“Hey, gorgeous, are you gonna sleep the day
away?” Cole brushed a strand of hair from Charley face. Her lips quirked up at
the corners, but her eyes stayed closed.

“Maybe I need a prince to kiss me awake.”

“Sounds like my kind of job description.”
He slid his arm around her and kissed her, holding her tightly. “God, Charley.
I was so afraid when I couldn’t wake you up.” His throat hurt with the depth of
his emotion. “Don’t ever do that to me again. I don’t think I could live
without you.”

There was a bandage under the corner of his
eye, and she traced it with her fingers. “It scared me, too.” Her gaze met his.
“It’s amazing how something like an accident can put things into perspective,
isn’t it? I keep thinking, what if one or both of us had been killed? I never
would have had the chance to tell you I love you.”

Joy arrowed through his body. “Charley,” he
whispered. “There’s so much we have to talk about.”

“I know.” Her fingers raked through his
hair. “And we will. Later. I think it may take a while.” Her gaze moved over
him until it reached the cast that covered his left forearm from wrist to
elbow. “Your arm!”

He held it up. “It is just a partial
fracture. They put the cast on to keep it immobile. It barely aches, and they
gave me an analgesic for that. You, on the other hand, have a mild concussion.
The doctor said they’d keep you here a few more hours just to be on the safe
side, but then we can get you home.”

The curtain encircling the emergency room
cubicle stirred, and they both looked up as Ben Zimmerman stepped into view. “Well,
considering the shape that car’s in, you both look amazingly good.” He took a
notebook from the pocket of his khaki uniform. “Feel up to telling me about
it?”

Cole shrugged. “Sure, but there’s not much
to tell. First the steering went, then the brakes. Then we hit the tree. Thank
God the air bags worked.”

Ben put the notebook away. “Sounds like it
might have been electrical. I had the tow truck take it to Bob Stanton’s
garage. He’ll check it out and get back to you.” He moved around to the side of
the bed and looked down at Charley. “That’s some knot you got on your forehead,
kid. How do you feel?”

“Other than a headache, not bad.”

“Cole’s right. Be glad the air bags worked.
And that you had your seat belts on. Now, there’s a whole waiting room full of
people out there who want to see you. I’ve been holding them off at gunpoint,
but I don’t know how much longer I can keep them out.”

“Who’s here?”

Ben glanced at Cole. “Half the county, I
think. Victor, Douglas and Frannie made it to the hospital before I did. And
Kristy wasn’t far behind. Then there’s this little tiny woman who talks like a
six-foot-four, three-hundred-pound wrestler.”

Cole laughed. “That would be my
housekeeper, Mrs. Paulson.” He stood. “I’ll go out and talk to them. Charley
really doesn’t need to have them all in here right now.”

“I’ll stay here with her.”

“Thanks, Ben.”

As soon as he stepped into the hall,
everyone surrounded him. Cole held up his hand as they bombarded him with
questions. “Charley is fine.” He gave them a brief rundown of what had
happened. “The doctor is going to let her go in a few hours.”

“She shouldn’t stay alone,” Victor said.
“I’ll take her home with me. Lettie can keep watch on her tonight.”

Cole pinned him with a chilly look. “She
won’t be alone. She’s coming home with me. And that’s where she’s going to
stay.”

Victor glared back at him. “What does
Charley think about that?”

“She agrees.” Cole looked at Frannie,
completely ignoring Victor. “We’re going to need a car. Think you can find one
to rent?”

“Of course. I’ll call the agency and
they’ll bring one over.”

Kristy touched his arm. “Is there anything
I can do?”

Cole rubbed his forehead, thinking. “Can
you go by Charley’s and get Whiskey? Then, you and Mrs. Paulson may as well go
home. We’ll be there in a few hours.”

“She’ll need some clothes, too,” Frannie
said. “I’ll run over with Kristy and help her pack some things. I know where
Charley keeps the spare key. Would it be all right if I looked in on her before
I go?”

“Sure. Just run Ben out.”

Frannie smiled at him. “Don’t worry, I
won’t stay long.” She pushed open the door and went in.

“I’m going to see her, too. And don’t try
to stop me Jordan. She’s my niece.”

As much as he’d like to keep the man away
from Charley, Victor had a point. If he wanted to raise a fuss, he’d win. He
was legally Charley’s next of kin. Cole nodded. “Wait here. As soon as Frannie
is done, I’ll see if Charley wants to talk to you.”

* * * * *

When Frannie left to run her errands, Cole
took Charley’s hand. “Your uncle is waiting to see you. Do you feel up to it?”
Her hand tightened on his and Cole frowned. “Is something wrong? You don’t have
to see him if you don’t want to, Charley.”

She sighed. “I suppose I better. Knowing
Uncle Victor, he won’t leave until I do. And despite everything, he must be
worried about me. Just stay with me.”