Runaway Colton

by Karen Whiddon

  “Don’t stop,” she gasped, her body shuddering as he pounded into her. She made a sound, a cross between a scream and a moan, and arched her back, squeezing him as she quivered and shuddered and pushed him into his own release.

  They rocked together, bodies slick with sweat, her skin gleaming. He held her, realizing he never wanted to let her go. Which meant he was in big trouble indeed.

  “Wow,” she murmured, snuggling up against him. “Wow and wow.”

  He kissed the top of her head, his chest aching. “I second that.”

  After a quick glance at him through her long lashes, she went silent for so long he wondered if she’d fallen asleep.

  Which was okay. He’d gladly spend another hour or two simply holding her while she slept.

  He’d wanted to explore their mutual attraction. Now that he had, he knew this was something special, something once in a lifetime. Which could be dangerous. Or could be pure heaven.

  “Well,” she murmured, shifting so she could look up at him. “This changes things, doesn’t it?”

  Instead of questioning her statement—how could he, when she was right—he simply nodded.

  Her grin startled him. “Now that we’ve got this first time over with, can we be official friends with benefits?”

  Unbelievably, he felt a stab of hurt. But then again, what had he been expecting? Her to want to move in with him permanently? Again, she was right. If anything, they needed to keep it casual and see where it might lead. After all, it wasn’t as if there were no obstacles between them.

  “Yeah.” Unable to help himself, he kissed her again, on the cheek this time. He knew if she turned her head, his lips would graze her mouth, and he’d lose himself in her again. In fact, he hoped she would.

  Instead, she sighed. “I guess we need to get up. I want a shower. I’m sure you need to clean up, too. After all, you’ve got a lot to do.”

  Pushing up, her saucy grin made his blood heat. “What do I have to do,” he asked slowly, a hundred carnal images filling his head.

  “Find out who’s framing me. I don’t want that hanging over my head anymore,” she declared, stepping into the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

  He could only stare after her, pondering how her words echoed his own thoughts from earlier. She was right, he knew. They both wanted more. And this—whatever it was—relationship, or start of one—could only flourish without clouds darkening the horizon.

  Chapter 12

  It wasn’t until she’d closed the door that Piper realized she’d gone into Cord’s bathroom. If she wanted hers, she’d have to open the door, stride back through the bedroom and spoil her dramatic exit.

  A quick glance at herself in the mirror revealed a woman who’d been thoroughly made love to. Shaking her head at her own conflicting emotions, she took a deep breath and opened the door. Head held high, she marched over to the bed and scooped her discarded clothing up off the floor. She pulled on her T-shirt and stepped into her panties before she looked at Cord. He still lay on his side, his magnificent body tempting even now, when she felt sore and sated beyond all belief.

  Inside she trembled with longing. Outside, she knew she had to play it cool.

  “Bye,” she said sweetly, then hightailed it out of his room and down the hall, praying Renee hadn’t come back home. Truman jumped up from his spot outside Cord’s door and followed her. He leaped onto her bed while she continued on past.

  Safely inside her own bathroom, she gripped the edge of the counter. Her own sense of self-preservation and pride had forced her to be flippant with Cord, while inside she was a quivering mess.

  She’d never had sex like that. More than just her body had been involved—Cord had managed to touch her heart and soul, too.

  Foolishness, she chided herself. Turning the shower on hot, she stripped off her garments and stepped inside, hoping the water would wash away all the unwanted emotions that churned way too close to the surface.

  *

  Wow. Stunned, Cord watched her go. He wondered how it could be possible that Piper appeared to be unaware that she’d just rocked his world.

  His cell chimed, indicating he’d missed a call. He grinned, aware he hadn’t even heard it ring. Glancing at the screen, he recognized the number. Ms. Berens. Immediately concerned, he called her back.

  “I hope I didn’t bother you.” The quiver in her voice was new. “But I’ve fallen and I can’t pull myself back up. I’ve called all of my neighbors and no one seems to be home. Can you come out here? I promise to reward you with a slice of my fresh baked coconut cake.”

  “Are you hurt?”

  “No, no. Just embarrassed. That’s why I didn’t want to call 9-1-1. Please, will you help me? Save a little old lady’s pride?”

  “Of course. I’m on my way.” Hanging up the phone, he pulled on his clothes and started down the hallway to let Piper know. Before he turned the corner, he heard the shower start up.

  Reversing direction, he snatched up his keys from the tray and headed out.

  Breaking every speed limit, he considered himself lucky he didn’t blow past any police cars. Rocketing down the gravel road, he parked and jumped out, heading for the house at a dead run. All he could think of was the time he’d found his father on the floor, unconscious after hitting his head. Of course, dear old Dad had been drunk at the time.

  “Ms. Berens?” he called, pushing open the back door which she always kept unlocked, despite his many warnings.

  “In here.” If anything, she sounded weaker. He’d probably need to take her up to the hospital to be checked out.

  She lay on the carpet in the den, her back up against the sofa. Her sweet smile looked the same.

  “Did you hit your head?” he asked. “Any broken bones?”

  “Not at all. My legs just went out from under me and I went down like a sack of potatoes. Landed right on my behind, where I have more than enough cushion to break my fall.”

  He nodded, stepping closer. “All right. I’m going to pick you up and put you on the couch. After that, we’ll try standing. With my help. Do you have a walker?” A quick glance around the room revealed nothing.

  “Oh no, I don’t need one,” she responded instantly. “I have a cane, and that’s always been more than enough.”

  Until now, he thought, but didn’t say anything. He’d see how stable she was on her feet before making any decisions.

  Putting his hands under her armpits, surprised at how frail she felt, he easily lifted her onto the couch.

  “Thank you, dear.” Licking her lips, she frowned. “I’m really thirsty. Would you mind getting me a glass of water?”

  After he’d done so, she gulped the entire thing down and then asked him for another. The second glass, she drank much more slowly.

  “How long were you on the floor?” he asked, his concern growing.

  She shrugged. “A few hours. No big deal. However, I really need to visit the ladies’ room.”

  “Do you want to see if you can stand on your own?”

  “I’ll need my cane.” She pointed. “Can you bring it to me?”

  He located the large, four-footed cane and handed it to her. Still smiling, she gripped it and struggled to her feet. “See?” She beamed. “I’m right as rain. I’ll be right back and then we’ll have some cake.”

  While he waited, he got out his wallet and counted out the money he’d brought for her. Five hundred dollars. Not enough to make up for last time, but all he could spare right now.

  When Ms. Berens returned, she was leaning heavily on her cane.

  “You’d better sit down,” he said, taking her arm and guiding her to a chair.

  “But the cake...” she protested.

  “I’ll slice the cake. And I’ll bring you some more water.” In the kitchen, he saw the white cake, a masterpiece of coconut, on her covered cake dish. Since he’d been there so many times, he knew exactly where she kept her plates and cutlery.

  He fixed them both
a nice-sized slice, refilled her water glass and left them on the counter while he located her TV tray. Once he’d placed that in front of her, he brought her the cake and drink, returned to grab his and sat down on the couch by her.

  “Before I forget, I brought you this,” he said, handing her the money. “I’m sorry about last time.”

  “No need.” Staring at the bills, she seemed confused. “Will you put these in the kitchen? I have an extra cookie jar where I keep my spending money. That’s where I put money until I can get it into the bank.”

  Of course he knew this, since he’d seen her place his payments there before. He took care of that, returned and began eating his cake, watching her to see if she really was okay.

  She took a few bites, then set her plate down. “I’m not hungry.”

  Eyeing her, he realized she looked awfully pale. “Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked. Before he’d even finished speaking, she slumped back, clearly unconscious.

  Right away, he dialed 9-1-1, cursing himself for not doing so the minute he’d gotten there. Tersely, he explained the situation. The operator asked him to check for a pulse and he did so, relieved to find a weak one.

  After learning an ambulance was on the way, he hung up. Now all he could do was pray Ms. Berens could hang on until they got there.

  *

  It was full dark when he got home. He’d been gone four hours. The hospital in Terrell had admitted Ms. Berens and placed her in ICU. The diagnosis was renal failure. They’d asked about next of kin and he’d had to tell them there was no one.

  He’d also done a lot of thinking and soul-searching. What he and Piper had done was not only wrong, but violated the unspoken code he lived by as a fugitive recovery specialist. Not only that, but he could only imagine how furious the Coltons would be if they learned he’d taken advantage of Piper when she was her most vulnerable. Fowler might want his money back and Cord wouldn’t exactly blame him. For all he knew, he thought glumly, the influential Colton family could blacklist him and he’d be ruined. Piper’s brother Reid had lots of connections to the local sheriff’s department and could easily make Cord’s life hell.

  Between worrying about that and about Ms. Berens’s condition, he felt completely worn down. The only bright spot right now was how well he and Renee seemed to be getting along. Maybe he and his niece actually could become a family, after all.

  *

  Finding Cord gone after she got out of the shower felt a bit unsettling. But Piper figured he had a good reason for taking off and truth be told, she could use the time to think about what had just happened between them. Now was quite probably the worst possible time to start a relationship.

  However, they’d only made love. No vows of undying devotion had been exchanged. The thought made her grin. Maybe she and Cord could continue to keep things casual, easy breezy, and see what happened. As long as they could keep having mind-blowing sex.

  Her entire body tingled. While she’d definitely had a few lovers in her past, nothing she’d experienced with them had even come close to this.

  Maybe it just seemed that way because of the heightened circumstances. Right now, her life was a mess of danger, intrigue and suspense. Combine those with enforced proximity to a handsome man and things were bound to combust.

  She figured if she kept telling herself that, she wouldn’t get hurt. In reality, the accusations leveled against her ensured she’d have to keep her life on hold. How could she move forward with such a thing hanging over her?

  After the second hour had dragged past, she began to worry. Since his pickup wasn’t there, she knew he’d left the premises. Not wanting to be too intrusive, she started three times to text him, but didn’t, at least not then.

  However, being indecisive wasn’t in her makeup, and after three hours had passed, she finally sent a simple text asking if he was okay. He didn’t respond.

  Not that she was watching the clock—oh, who was she kidding, she totally stared at the clock—but as the time inched up on four hours, she found herself wishing she had found something of her own to occupy her time. Waiting and worrying for Cord to come back felt a bit obsessive.

  Still...

  Pacing—this was so not like him, but what if something awful had happened—she finally realized what had occurred between them earlier must have so freaked him out that he’d had to put distance and time between them.

  Much calmer once she understood that, she began rummaging in the kitchen to see what she could put together for dinner. If he didn’t show up to eat, at least she’d have herself a nice meal.

  When he finally walked through the door, she had a fragrant chicken and bean soup simmering on the stove. One look at him and her heart sank. He looked like he’d been through hell and back.

  Everything she’d told herself flew out the window. She moved across the room and pulled him close in a tight hug. “What happened?”

  Holding himself stiffly, he pulled away. “Ms. Berens called. She fell. I went over there and helped her get up, but she became unconscious. I had to call 9-1-1.”

  Stunned, she swallowed hard. “Is she okay?”

  “No. She’s in ICU with acute renal failure. The doctors don’t think she’s going to make it. They asked me to contact her next of kin, but she doesn’t have any. I stopped by the neighborhood and let all of her neighbors know.” His voice broke and he covered his eyes and turned away.

  Though she wasn’t sure if he wanted comfort, she knew she had to give it. She went to him and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

  “Don’t,” he said, the single word cutting through her like a knife.

  “I’m sorry.” She stepped away. “I know how much you care about Ms. Berens. Why don’t you sit down and eat? I made some nice chicken soup.”

  “I didn’t mean you shouldn’t hug me because of what happened to Ms. Berens. That’s under control. She’s in good hands now. I’m talking about what happened between us.” Expression hard, he eyed her. “Piper, there’s something I need to make clear. What happened earlier shouldn’t have. I took advantage of you when you were vulnerable.”

  “Took advantage?” Aware her mouth hung open, she closed it. “Do you really think I wasn’t a full participant? Or maybe—” she narrowed her eyes “—maybe you think you somehow coerced me, that I’m so feebleminded I couldn’t make a choice whether or not to make love with you?”

  “Stop,” he snapped. “Regardless of your motivation or mine, I can promise you that won’t happen again.”

  “Fine,” she snapped right back. “I didn’t want it to anyway.” Tossing her head—short hair didn’t have quite the effect long hair did—she stormed into the kitchen and ladled up a bowl of soup. “I don’t know about you, but I’m going to eat. Join me or don’t, that’s up to you.”

  After staring at her for a few seconds, he shook his head. “I need to say I’m sorry,” he began.

  “Don’t you dare apologize for the best damn sex I’ve ever had.” Oops. Her eyes widened. She hadn’t meant to give so much information away. Her face heated, but she held her ground.

  Cord burst out laughing. “This argument is—”

  “Completely unnecessary.”

  He nodded. “Right. And was it really the best—”

  “Yes, it was. Bar none.”

  “I see.” He flashed her a grin so sexy it made her knees go weak. “Are you ever going to let me finish a sentence?”

  “Sorry.” Filling a second bowl, she carried it over to the table. “Here. Food. Even you have to eat.”

  To her relief, he sat and dug in.

  They were in companionable silence for a few minutes with Truman snoring from his dog bed. After Cord had emptied his bowl, he went back for seconds. “Thanks for making this,” he began. “But we really do need to talk.”

  Her cell phone rang.

  “Who else has that number?” Cord asked.

  “It’s Reid,” Piper replied, feeling nervous for no good reason. />
  “Put it on speaker,” Cord told her. “I want to hear if he’s learned anything new.”

  Answering, before touching the speaker phone button, she asked Reid if it was okay.

  “Sure,” Reid said. “Though I have to ask why. Is there someone with you?”

  “Yes.” Meeting Cord’s gaze, she squashed the impulse to childishly stick out her tongue. He wasn’t the only one who knew how to be honest.

  “Who?” Reid wanted to know.

  “I’d rather not tell you. But this person is a friend and I promise you, is on my side.”

  “Some of what I want to tell you is family stuff.” Reid sounded uncomfortable. “I’m not sure a stranger should hear this.”

  Piper glanced at Cord, who shrugged. “It’s okay,” she said. “I’m positive everything will be kept private.”

  “If you’re sure.” Reid took a deep breath. “It’s about Marceline.”

  Even the name brought Piper a quick twist of uneasiness. “What’d she do now?”

  “I found her out by the barn, sobbing like her heart had been broken. She refused to talk to me at first, but finally she said she’s in love, and the man broke up with her because she won’t go public with their relationship.”

  “Wow. Poor Marceline.” Piper couldn’t believe she actually felt sorry for the other woman. “Do you have any idea who her boyfriend is?”

  “Dylan Harlow.”

  “The ranch hand?” Now Piper was shocked. “No wonder he refuses to continue dating her. She’s always acted like all the hired hands were beneath her.”

  “Exactly. I only knew because I trailed her one time and saw them kissing. Anyhow, I pretended not to have any idea who she meant.”

  “What did you say?” Piper couldn’t even begin to imagine having that sort of conversation with Marceline.

  “I told her a story from my past.” Reid sounded rueful. “Back when I was a golden boy at college, a fancy Colton. I fell for a beautiful girl who was working two jobs to put herself through school. One of those jobs was as a janitor. I blew it by being a snob.”

  “Wow. Is that true?”