“He’s a lucky guy.”
I’m the lucky one. A few weeks with Dade was worth more than anything in the world. She would never regret this as long as she lived.
Ryan tucked a loose tendril of her hair behind her ear and hugged her again. And then he climbed into his car and drove away.
For a long time, Blair stood there, hugging herself, listening to the sounds of nature. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths. When she had her emotions under control, she headed back inside to see about the IV and load the last of their things into the Jeep.
Chapter 19
It was late afternoon when Blair pulled up to the motel Ryan had reserved under her name. She went to the desk, checked in, and asked that she not be disturbed for a few days because she wasn’t feeling well and needed to rest. The manager made a note of it and assured her the housekeeping staff would skip that room.
Ryan had prepaid for three days. The man had left out no detail.
She parked her Jeep around back at the entrance to the room, went inside, and planted the chip deep in the carpet under the bed. By the time she came back outside, Dade was pulling up in the black Explorer they’d purchased an hour ago from a used lot. Cash.
She climbed into the passenger seat. “You want me to drive?”
“No. I’m fine.” He leaned over and kissed her briefly before putting the SUV in drive and leaving the parking lot. “Where should we go?”
It seemed like now was a good time to shake off the somber mood and enjoy themselves, so she shot him a smile. “I don’t know. Vegas?” she joked.
He laughed. “How fast do you think we could gamble away all that money?”
“I’ve never actually gambled. Nor have I been to Vegas.”
“Really?” He glanced at her.
“Nope. But I was kidding. I’m not in the mood for the flashing lights and noise. How about someplace quiet. Peaceful.”
“So back to your cabin?” he teased.
She sighed. “That would be nice.”
“Okay. How about a national park in Utah? There are several. I bet it’s beautiful there this time of year.”
She reached across and took his hand. “I love that idea. You sure you want to drive?” He hadn’t driven in ten years technically.
“It’s like riding a bike. I’m fine. Besides, Ryan got me a license. I’m even legal.” He patted his pocket.
“Great…” she drawled out, not impressed.
After spending the night in a hotel near the border of Utah and Colorado, they continued on the next morning. By afternoon they had rented a cabin for two weeks in Fishlake National Forest.
Dade was exhausted. It had nothing to do with anemia. If anything, he should feel like a million bucks after receiving the transfusion of his own stem cells. It was too soon for the second form of anemia to be attacking his system. He was mentally worn out. He hadn’t slept well the night before in the hotel, and he’d been stressed for weeks.
As Blair grabbed some of the bags from the back of the Explorer, she looked up at him. “Let’s take a nap first. Explore the area later. Yeah?”
He rounded the SUV and wrapped his arms around her waist. She was still holding the suitcases, so his embrace was awkward, but he kissed her anyway. “I love you.”
She smiled. “I love you too.”
He grabbed the rest of their stuff and followed her into the cabin. It was small and not nearly as nice as hers, but it didn’t matter. As long as the mattress was good, he didn’t care about anything else. They didn’t plan to stay cooped up inside much. They had discussed hiking and sightseeing, using the cabin as a base—assuming his health remained stable.
After weeks being trapped in the mountains of Colorado, he was looking forward to getting out. Now that he wasn’t contagious, he could eat in restaurants and face other people. Anything to fill the time while the clock ticked. He wanted to enjoy every moment with Blair before they had to face the uncertainty of his future.
They dropped their things on the floor and climbed into bed in mutual agreement that sleep was their first priority.
By the following day they were settled in and ready to explore the area. What Dade enjoyed most was that neither of them had been there before, so they were both seeing the beauty for the first time together.
It was cold outside, so there weren’t many people around, but true hikers didn’t mind about the cold, and Dade didn’t care about a damn thing except spending time with Blair. It could have been a hundred degrees or zero, and he still would have enjoyed himself. Luckily, the high was fifty so they could easily wear a coat in the morning and leave it in the car in the afternoon.
Blair was far more carefree than she had been for days, or even weeks. She smiled a lot, both genuinely and at times, forced. He could tell when she put his doom to the back of her mind and when it crept to the front.
At moments when she seemed sullen, he grabbed her, tugged her into his embrace, and kissed the sadness away.
He also noticed she did the same for him. Most of the time he could shake the future out of his head, but there were moments when it invaded his thoughts anyway. A glance at Blair helped.
After hiking for the morning, they found a quaint sandwich shop to have a late lunch. The food was delicious, and Blair had an odd twinkle in her eye. As soon as she finished, she wadded up her sandwich wrap. “There’re a couple cute shops along this street. You mind if I go check them out? I won’t take long. You could get another coffee while you wait.”
He lifted his eyes, his mouth around his next bite.
She was grinning.
He chewed and swallowed and cocked his head to one side. “You? Shopping? Why can’t I picture that?” This was not a woman he would have pegged as a shopper. Ever. Not that he cared. In fact, he would gladly go with her and hold her bags if she wanted to explore. But she didn’t seem receptive to that idea.
She giggled as she stood. “Everyone shops sometimes. I won’t be long.” And then she left.
He watched her as she walked out the front door and then passed the picture window. Her blond ponytail was swaying. Her blue eyes had sparkled. She had on jeans that fit her to perfection, and she was wearing her coat over a thick, navy sweater.
Winter was not the time of year to get a good look at a woman’s body. Maybe he should encourage her to head for the beach when they left here. Did she own a bikini? He would give anything to lie on the sand and watch her collect seashells.
Would he even be alive or healthy enough to enjoy the view? He vowed that no matter what happened—if he got sick or not—California would be their next destination. Even if he grew weak and it got difficult to move around, he wanted to see Blair in the sunshine, her hair bleached and flying in the wind, her skin tanned. She would be radiant.
He leaned back in his chair and sipped his coffee while he watched people walk by the window. She wasn’t gone long. Forty-five minutes at the most. When she reappeared, her hands were empty.
“No luck?” he asked.
“I got a few things. I put them in the SUV already.”
“Uh-huh. You planning to show me?”
“Nope.”
Interesting. He was smiling as he stood and threw his trash away. Whatever she’d purchased, he was certain he was going to like it. Something about her secrecy was intriguing.
As they left the deli, she tucked her arm inside his and said, “Let’s go to dinner tonight. Someplace nice. There are a few restaurants in town.”
“Okay. Sounds good. Like a date.” He shot her a look. “Damn. We’ve never been on a date. I’ve been sleeping with you for weeks, and I haven’t ever taken you out. What a shitty boyfriend.”
She giggled. “You are a slacker. Make it up to me.”
“You’re on.”
At six o’clock that evening when Blair stepped out of the bedroom ready to go, Dade found out exactly what she had purchased that afternoon. His jaw dropped. He was speechless.
She stood in the doorway, holding
the frame. Nervous?
She had no reason to be. Holy God. She wore a black dress that hugged her body to perfection and was obscenely short. In addition, she had on strappy black heels that made her muscular legs look like they belonged on a supermodel.
As his gaze scanned up to her chest, he hesitated, staring at her breasts and the cleavage the low-cut bodice afforded him. Finally, he let his gaze roam to her face. Her hair was down. Curled and tucked behind her ears. She looked like a million bucks. And she was his.
“You gonna say something?” she asked, dropping her hands from the frame and fidgeting her fingers together in front of her.
“Blair?”
That made her roll her eyes.
He headed across the room. When he reached her, he tipped her chin back with one finger and kissed her lips. “You’re a gorgeous woman inside and out, even when you’re lying around in those tight leggings and loose sweatshirts. But, baby, you look so amazing tonight, I’m probably going to trip over myself.”
She smiled. “Glad you like it. I didn’t want you to think I can’t clean up and be a girl.”
“Oh, I’m super clear you’re a woman. There was never any doubt of that even the first day I met you in that security uniform and a bun.” His gaze wandered down her body and back up. “Maybe we should skip dinner.” Sex was sounding so much better.
“Hell, no. We’re going out. You owe me a date.”
He groaned jokingly as she ducked under his arm and found her coat. She didn’t have anything nicer with her than her usual jacket, but he didn’t care. It didn’t seem to bother her either.
He drove, and when they arrived at the Italian restaurant, he rounded the hood and helped her out of the SUV. “You’re going to make me look bad,” he said, glancing down at his khaki pants and black dress shirt.
They were the best clothes he had, part of the selection of items Ryan had arranged for him when he first went to the cabin. At the time he’d taken one look and wondered when he would ever have the opportunity to wear anything that nice, including loafers. And now he was eternally grateful.
When they stepped inside, Blair shrugged out of her coat, and Dade hung it up near the door. He set a hand on the small of her back, noticing for the first time that there was an oval cutout in the middle where his hand was now resting on her bare skin.
She shivered when he stroked her back, making him smile.
As the hostess led them to their table, he wondered when she’d ever had the time or energy to learn to walk in heels. She made it look easy, as if she did it every day.
“Do you mind if I have a glass of wine?” she asked him.
“No. Of course not. Go ahead.” He didn’t think alcohol was a good idea in his precarious state of health, but he would enjoy seeing her unwind a bit and relax.
After they ordered, she sipped her cabernet and watched his face. “I haven’t told you how handsome you look.”
“Ryan makes an excellent shopper. I’ll have to thank him.”
“He does. He’s a man of many talents. Do you suppose Emily realizes what a catch she has?”
Dade lifted a brow. “You gonna spend the evening gushing over another woman’s man while we’re eating?” he joked.
She rolled her eyes. “Please. I’ve known Ryan a long time. He’s a good guy, and I love that he found someone to share his life with, but he’s not my type.”
“What is your type?” He grinned, knowing her response would be entertaining.
She shrugged and took another sip of wine. “I usually go for tall men with broad shoulders and dark eyes. The best ones have been living in a cryostat for ten years so that when I step in front of them, it doesn’t matter who I am or what I look like, they’re so desperate they fall for me anyway.”
Dade laughed. “Glad I could help you out. So, you’re saying you’ve been begging Temple to assign you to a man as soon as he was reanimated so you’d have a chance with him before he had a look at any other woman?”
“Maybe.” She giggled. “And then I made sure the other women who came near you were all taken. And then I suggested we run off together to a cabin in the woods and hide. You were never really in any danger. The part about bad guys being after you was all made up.” Her eyes were twinkling.
He grabbed her hand from across the table and squeezed her fingers. When he leaned forward, he said the first thing that came to mind, “Please tell me the part about me having some incurable blood disease was also part of your pile of lies to get me alone.”
Her face sobered, and she pursed her lips.
“I’m sorry. That was going too far.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “I didn’t mean to ruin the mood. Tell me what you have on under that dress,” he added to shift the conversation back to something light. He released her hand and reached to trail a finger down her neck.
“Guess you’ll have to wait and see.”
He nearly swallowed his tongue. If she’d bought some sexy lingerie, he might faint when he saw it.
“I can be feminine when the need arises,” she stated.
When she shivered under his fingertip, he pulled his hand back. “Like I’ve told you before, you can’t not be feminine. Any effort you might have attempted to hide from the world was never successful.”
“Thank you.” Her face flushed. He liked that look on her. Now he just needed to get through dinner so they could get back to the cabin. He was more intrigued than ever about what was under her dress.
Blair was nervous when they stepped into the cabin after dinner. She had no idea why. It was irrational. She’d been sleeping with Dade for weeks. They’d had sex enough times for her to lose her self-consciousness. But tonight felt different.
For one thing, they had gone on a date. An actual date. One where other humans were around. And she’d enjoyed herself immensely. Dade had been attentive and sexy and funny and handsome. He’d made her blush. He’d made her squirm. He’d given her the perfect evening.
But tonight had undertones to it that couldn’t be ignored. There was the looming blood test. Tomorrow they would do a baseline test to see what his numbers were. It would give them something to compare to all future tests. She was stressed about it, and she knew he was too.
She shoved her concerns to the back of her mind when Dade shut the front door and turned toward her. He peeled her coat off and hung it up, and then he held her at arm’s length and scanned up and down her body. “You look so damn good in that dress.”
“Thank you.” She was looking forward to him seeing what was on underneath it, but she also didn’t want him to make a big deal out of it. She was a woman. She knew he saw her that way. He always had. Never once from the moment she met him did he ever make her feel less than feminine and sexy. But this was the first time he was going to see her in lace and silk. This was the first time he’d seen her in a dress and heels too. The smoldering look he’d nailed her with all evening spoke volumes.
She shivered when he ran his hands up her bare arms. “You okay?” he asked. “You seem a little distant. You’ve been quiet for a while.”
She shook her head. “I’m fine.” Why the hell am I nervous?
He stepped closer, gently pulling her into his embrace. His lips landed on her ear. “What’s going on, baby? You’re not yourself.” He ran his hands up her back and threaded them in her hair.
“I’m me,” she murmured against his neck in response.
He tipped her head back and nibbled a path to her mouth. His touch calmed her nerves as he reached her mouth and then kissed her. “Your heart is racing,” he whispered. “Like we’re on a first date and we’ve never slept together.”
“We are on a first date. And we were living in a bubble before. It’s weird.” She was struggling to put her feelings to words, partly because she didn’t even know what she was trying to communicate.
One of his hands slid to the small of her back, his warm palm directly on her skin. “How is it weird?”
She licked her lips, t
rying to answer his question for him and for her. So many thoughts were going through her head. “You were right. I don’t own dresses. I don’t get fixed up with makeup and hair and heels. I never do that sort of thing.”
He nodded slightly. “Are you saying you don’t feel comfortable dressed like this? You feel like you’re pretending to be someone else?”
“No. It’s not that.”
He narrowed his gaze, his face so close to hers she could feel his breath on her lips. “Blair, I fell in love with the woman inside you. I don’t care about clothes and fancy hair and heels and makeup. Surely, you realize that about me. I love you just the way you are.
“Sure, I think you look amazing tonight, but I didn’t mean to make you feel like I prefer this Blair. I don’t. It’s just a package. Your heart is what I own. Go take the dress off and put on a T-shirt if it makes you more comfortable. I’m sorry if I made you think I liked you better this way. It wasn’t my intention.”
She shook her head. It was as if she didn’t know herself at all. Like she just met the real Blair for the first time. One she had stuffed down and hidden from the world and from herself. “No. It’s the opposite.”
He gave her a confused frown. “What’s the opposite?”
“This is me. I’ve never felt so sexy in my life. I think I always watched other women and wished I had the guts to be like them, but I didn’t. I spent my entire adult life hiding in fatigues, uniforms, buns, and ponytails. I don’t know why. Maybe it was safe for some reason. I think I wanted to be seen as tough and hard. I wanted to be equal with the men I worked with. I never wanted them to see me as weak or…female, I guess. I never wanted anyone to fall for me. I didn’t want to get hurt. It was easier.”
“Baby…”
She had more to say. The thoughts kept coming. “I think I changed when my sister died. I thought she was weak. I never wanted to be weak or out of control. I wanted to be strong, and I wanted everyone around me to know I was badass.”
He gave her a half grin. “You are badass. But you’re also a woman. I have always seen you as both. No matter what you’re wearing, I’m always attracted to you.” He winced. “Am I butchering this? Making it worse? Maybe I should shut up.”
Reviving Dade Page 17
