by Rachel Lee
Chase laughed. “You do sound better.”
“I am. Now go—both of you.”
“Where are you staying?” Chase asked as they reached the lobby. “I don’t really want to talk in public. It’ll make me nervous.”
“But it might keep me from yelling.”
He gave her a smile that at once looked a bit pained, yet reached his eyes with real humor. “I deserve it. If you want to yell, I’ll listen.”
The cab ride was short, and soon they were in her hotel room, a nice enough place but nothing special. She only slept here and worked from a laptop on the table. There were two chairs, though, and once they’d doffed their jackets, they sat.
“Okay,” she said. “I’m listening.”
“First of all, maybe I’m an ass—actually, I know I am—but I felt you wouldn’t want anything to continue between us.”
“And you got that idea where?”
“From the way you acted in the last few hours. So I decided, given that everything that had happened occurred partly because we were under extreme pressure…” He paused. “Let me find another way to phrase that. I wanted us both to have space, to see if what happened meant anything.”
“I might remind you,” she said a bit sarcastically, “that you were the one who said you really got to know a person fast in those conditions.”
“I did. And I still believe it. But that doesn’t mean it’s anything that can go past that.”
She couldn’t argue that, she supposed. They had been in a crucible, and while it might reveal their true characters, it didn’t mean they could handle normal life together. Especially with both of them being at opposite ends of the world half the time. She sighed.
“I didn’t want to hurt you,” he said. “I was trying to be smart.”
“Maybe you were.” The words were heavy with reluctance, because as she looked at him now, she realized that she had feelings for him that had extended well beyond those few days.
He fell silent, a kind of sadness settling over his face. “Maybe so. Maybe that’s how you feel. Maybe you’re right.”
“I didn’t exactly say that.” And she had just exposed herself. Clenching her hands, she waited for the bomb to drop.
“No, you didn’t.” He leaned forward, passed his hand over his face. “Man, I could screw up falling off a log. Look. What I’m saying is, I’ve spent the last few months telling myself to forget you. I can’t. I just can’t. For the first time in my life, I can’t just walk away. You’ll have to send me away. And if you don’t, I’m not going to be greedy. I’m just going to ask you to give us a chance.”
“A chance for what?” But her heart was beating heavily now, rising with hope that only a few short weeks ago she had feared she would never feel again. Cait was improving. Now Chase was suggesting…suggesting what exactly?
“A chance to see if we can build something together. I want to date you. I don’t care if I have to fly to the jungles of Mexico as often as I can manage and eat tortillas by candlelight while battling mosquitoes and other critters. I just want us to try. Is that possible?”
For the last few months she’d been telling herself that she wouldn’t care if Chase Dakota fell off a cliff. She’d been telling herself lies. She knew that now, as tears pricked at her eyes, as her heart began to soar. Hope. So much hope. It overwhelmed her.
“Rory? If it’s not possible just shake your head and tell me to go.”
She’d walked away from him once. She didn’t have the strength to do it again. She’d never be able to live with herself if she did.
“Stay,” she said finally, a whisper.
He let out a whoop and jumped up. “Really?”
“Really.”
Suddenly he was on his knees in front of her, cradling her face in his hands. “I admire everything I’ve seen of you. This whole time I’ve been beating myself up for not at least trying. I never before met a woman who reached the places you reach inside me. They’ve been cold, empty places for too long.”
She knew exactly what he meant, but it was getting so hard to breathe. Emotions were overwhelming her, her protective shell was cracking, and it hurt worse than anything except her fear for Cait.
No more talk, she thought. “Shut up, Chase.”
Then, as he started to pull back, she leaned in and kissed him.
An instant later his arms surrounded her, holding her so tightly it almost hurt. His tongue sought hers, instantly lifting her to that place only he had ever taken her.
The room spun, and she realized that he had lifted her and carried her to the bed. Then he laid her down, standing over her, smiling. Absolutely smiling, the most beautiful expression she had ever seen.
He looked so powerful. She wasn’t used to seeing him without the bulk of winter clothing, and she liked what she saw. He was strong, lean, tall. And he was impatient. He pulled his clothes off as if they were still in the frigid plane, as if he couldn’t risk getting cold before he dived into her warmth.
But he was gentler with her, far gentler. He unwrapped her as if she were a fragile gift, as if he wanted to delay the moment of discovery just a little longer.
She felt a fleeting shyness, because before they had made love in the dark, and this room was bright with winter light pouring in the window. But the way he looked at her drove that shyness away.
“You’re beautiful,” he said. “Perfect.”
“No…”
“Oh, hush, just accept the compliment.”
That startled a giggle out of her, and shyness took flight. Then he took her on another flight with him. Lying beside her, the cold no longer a concern, he drank her in with his eyes, then studied her with his hands.
She could not long remain still. She turned toward him, reciprocating as she hadn’t been able to before.
She found all his muscled hollows and hardness with her hands, memorizing the dry warmth of his skin, the way he flexed on her touches, loving it each time she drew a moan from him.
They didn’t have to be quiet this time, and soon her moans were melding with his as they hungrily explored each other. No place was too secret to be discovered by hands or mouth.
The heat built in her, along with that wonderful ache. And when she felt that she couldn’t bear to wait another minute, he made her wait longer.
Until, finally, his name was an imploring chant that emerged on moan after moan.
The world spun again, and she found herself straddling him, his staff hard against her most sensitive places. His eyes were heavy-lidded as he looked up at her, a smile at the corners of his mouth.
He reached up, cupping both her breasts at once, tormenting her nipples with his thumbs. Helpless, she leaned down until he could take one into his mouth. Each time he sucked strongly, she felt it throughout every inch of her body, and between her legs the throbbing ache grew.
She was in charge, the way she liked to be. The thought flitted across her mind, recognizing the gift he was giving her, but was immediately lost in the rising drumbeat of passion.
At last she reared up, and looked down to where their bodies almost joined. So close, yet so far.
“Wait,” he managed huskily. He reached for the bedside table. She saw the foil packets immediately and grabbed one, tearing it open.
Then she did something she had never done before: she rolled the protection onto his staff, finding it one of the sexiest things she had ever done, especially when he writhed in response and deep sounds of pleasure escaped him.
She discovered that she enjoyed teasing him, and making him wait. Then, almost euphoric in her pleasure, she gave in to her body’s demands. Rising, she impaled herself on his manhood. All the way. Deeply.
And as their centers met, she threw back her head and closed her eyes, savoring the fullness, loving the exquisite, intimate contact.
She didn’t move immediately. No, she held them suspended that way, propping herself on her elbows and she came down onto his chest. With her mouth she found o
ne of his small nipples, and discovered that teasing them and sucking them pleased him just as it pleased her when he did it to her.
Delight speared her, for now she had a new way to delight him.
But at last, at long last, she couldn’t hold back the tide anymore.
Her hips moved in a helpless, ancient rhythm. She felt him grip her rear, keeping her close, his touch heightening her desire.
Together, all barriers gone, they climbed their way to the stars.
Later, much later, they showered together, then dressed.
“I need to go see Cait,” she said.
“I’ll go with you.”
“I’d like that.”
When they were just about ready to put on their outerwear, he stopped her, taking her hand. “I want you to consider something.”
“What’s that?”
“After Cait gets out of here…well, where is she going to go? You said her husband left her.”
“I haven’t gotten that far,” she admitted.
“Then I have a suggestion. She can stay with me while you have to be in Mexico. We’ll be a family.”
Stunned, she plopped down on the messed-up bed. “Chase, do you know what you’re saying?”
“I think so. Okay, she needs to see doctors. I can provide transport. I can keep her company when she has to be here and you’re away.”
“But…but that’s a commitment!”
“I know. And I know how big it is.”
“But you said…” Her mind was reeling. Her heart was leaping.
“I know what I said. Call it my wedge. What I really want is for us to do more than try. And I like your sister. I know exactly what I’m volunteering for here. Trust me. I’ve seen it.”
She believed him. His generosity finally broke the dam, and tears began to roll down her cheeks.
“You’d feel better, wouldn’t you, to know she’s not alone when you’re away. That someone who cares about you also is caring for her.”
“My God…” She couldn’t speak through her tight throat.
“I’m not just going to try, Rory. I’m going to do my damnedest to make this work for all three of us.”
She stared mutely at him through blurry eyes.
“Rory? Did I say something wrong?”
“No.” She swallowed. “Oh, no. You just said the most beautiful thing in the world.”
He began to smile. “Then let me add, I’m pretty damn sure I’m in love with you. And on my honor, I’ve never ever said that to anyone before.”
“I…I’m in love with you, too,” she admitted.
He reached for her then, holding her close, murmuring in her ear. “We’ll make it work,” he vowed. “We will make it all work. I want marriage. I want Cait to live with us. Kids are negotiable, depending on how you feel about it. But one thing I swear, and that’s that I can’t live my life without you.”
She hugged him back, squeezing her eyes against tears of joy. “I love you, too. I couldn’t bear the thought that I’d never see you again. I couldn’t.”
“So start planning on permanence. I let you go once. I’m not going to do it again.”
The joy that filled her became incandescent. “I want kids.”
“Good. Put them on your calendar. You can even add a picket fence if you want.”
The tears were still falling, but she laughed. It felt so good to laugh.
“I love you, Rory.”
“I love you, Chase.”
And an hour later, when they stood looking at Cait in her isolation room, they held up their linked hands.
Cait, who no longer looked as fragile as a dandelion puff, grinned. It was a wide, happy grin, and she applauded.
For the first time ever, Rory knew that life could be perfect. Oh, not always, but every now and then.
And right now it was pure perfection.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-1247-3
THE RESCUE PILOT
Copyright © 2011 by Susan Civil Brown
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*Conard County
**Conard County: The Next Generation
