by Melody Anne
Cam stood in the doorway with a neutral expression on his face. Maybe he’d had enough. Maybe it was too late. She’d run from him one too many times, and maybe he was just finished, but she had to give this her all or she knew she’d be full of even more regrets than she already had. As it was, she had enough to last her a lifetime.
She’d paced in front of his door for nearly fifteen minutes before she worked up the nerve to ring the doorbell. This was it—this was do-or-die. If he turned her away, she would deserve it, but he’d told her he loved her . . .
She was prepared, though, for him to slam the door shut in her face.
When he said nothing after her heartfelt words, a closed door seemed inevitable.
“Are you sure you want my help, Grace? You’ve asked for it before and then you’ve run from me as soon as I try to do what I think is right.”
Grace couldn’t tell what he was feeling or thinking from his tone. It wasn’t exactly cold, but no one could call it warm, either. Fear made her want to turn and run yet again, but she’d convinced herself that she was done running, and certainly done hiding. She’d been through the pits of hell and back. She could get through this moment with the man she now knew she was fated to love until the end of time.
“You’ve been right all along, Cam. I was wrong—you were right. Does that make you feel any better? Does that make you want to help me?”
It hurt her a bit to admit that to this man. But she owed him the right to gloat, if only a little. She’d fought him so hard when all he’d been trying to do was help her.
“That’s a start,” he told her.
“And I’m sorry, Cam, truly sorry for my behavior.”
She tried to open herself up, to let him look into her eyes and see that she was speaking the truth to him. If he could see the honesty in her actions, then maybe he wouldn’t turn her away.
“That’s a little better,” he told her, but his voice was still cool.
“And I want your help. Please, will you help me?”
“All you had to do was ask.”
Before she could say something else, his arm snaked out and he hauled her through the doorway and into his arms. He kicked the door shut behind him, pushed her up against it, and dropped his mouth onto hers, making her forget anything else she’d been prepared to say.
He pulled back, his body hard against hers as the fire leapt in his eyes. “I’ve held back with you, given you time, allowed you to continue running away when you should only run to me. I’m finished with all of that. I’m taking what I want now.”
Grace didn’t know what to say, but his tone, the barely controlled lust radiating from him—everything about him—made her tremble with need. Before she had even a chance to respond, the world turned upside down when he grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder.
Shock stopped her from protesting until he was halfway up the stairs, and then she cried out and began pounding her fists against the unyielding muscle of his back. “Stop this, Cam!”
But just as quickly as the ride had begun, she was dumped from his shoulder and landed sprawling on top of his bed with him looming over her. Before she had a chance to say anything more, he was tearing her clothes off.
Within seconds, she was lying naked before him, a canvas waiting for his artistic touch. She was panting, her breasts heaving, her entire body instantly ready.
“Cam . . .” She wasn’t sure if she was trying to protest or begging him to strip and join her.
“Cry out my name, Grace. I plan on making you scream before this night is over.”
She couldn’t get a single word out as he stripped his own clothes off, and she held her breath as his magnificent erection came free, making her mouth water in anticipation.
“Are you ready for me, Grace?” he asked as he crawled up her body, the weight of his chest pressing against her breasts and the feeling of his solidness against her softness making her moan. “I’ve dreamt of you every single night since we were together last. I want to be inside you. I want to make you come over and over again, and I want to make sure you know that you’re mine—only mine.”
She barely managed to nod her head before his mouth covered hers. As he devoured her with his hot kiss, she clung to his shoulders and she arched her hips in invitation. She didn’t want foreplay, didn’t want sweet and slow.
She wanted fast, hot, and hard. She wanted this man to be out-of-his-mind crazy in lust for her, and only her. And right now she knew he was just as much hers as she was his.
Sliding a hand between their bodies, he cupped her breast, his fingers squeezing her peaked nipple and making moisture surge through her core. She pushed against him again.
“Please, Cam, please take me . . .” she moaned.
He captured her lip with his teeth, then soothed it with a swipe of his tongue, making her writhe beneath him. And then he didn’t make her wait any longer.
After he positioned himself against her womanhood, she felt him push against her, and she pressed upward, encouraging him to enter her.
With a hunger he wasn’t trying to hide, he drove inside her, burying his solidness deep and nearly sending her over the edge. Pleasure surged through her as she yielded to his command.
With each thrust he gave her, she climbed higher, screaming out his name as he gripped her backside and showed no mercy.
And with one more thrust, she was tumbling over the edge, soaring in ecstasy while her body convulsed around his manhood. With a cry tumbling from him, he slammed against her, their flesh slick, their cries of pleasure in perfect harmony.
When the last of her tremors died away, she felt the weight of him on top of her, and she didn’t want him to move, didn’t want this moment to ever end. It had been perfect—it was still perfect.
Sometime after her breathing came back under control, he spoke. “I needed that,” he whispered as he slid off her. He immediately reached for her and pulled her against his side.
“I know what you mean,” she sighed. “Why in the world did I ever fight against this?”
“I’m sorry I was cold when you first got here. It’s been a strange month. I just . . . I don’t want you to keep pulling away from me.”
That admission warmed her heart. “I’ve messed up, Cam—a lot, where you’re concerned. I let old hurts from the past influence what I did and said. I didn’t look to find the full story, and I hurt you. I’m sorry, but I’m going to make it better.”
“I don’t want you taking all the blame on yourself, Grace. I have my own burdens to bear, and I know I share equal responsibility for the things that went wrong between us. But I want us to be partners now, to not hold anything back from each other,” he said, lifting her chin and making her look into his eyes.
“I can’t help but take on most of this. But I’m going to make it right—I’m going to fix this,” she told him.
He was quiet for a moment, but he wouldn’t release her eyes. “How do you plan on doing that?”
“I’m going to let you do what you do best and get the bad guy.”
The surprise in his eyes delighted her. She didn’t normally ask for help, but she knew she needed him for this, and she also knew she could count on him.
“It’s about time you realized how much you need me.” He stopped talking as he kissed her for a long moment before freeing her lips and looking at her with lust shining from his dark gaze. “I’ll have all the necessary papers filed tomorrow.”
Their talking stopped. And Grace didn’t mind in the least—not while Cam was showing her exactly what she’d been missing each night she spent away from his bed.
Grace stretched her arms wide and smiled. The morning sun was shining, and it looked as if all of her problems were over. No one had left threatening notes at her place, the case against her had been dismissed, Jimmy and his fiancée were no longer together—Kitty had figured out he didn’t have any money—Vince was well on his way to free room and board in a state prison, and she and Cam were nearly
perfect.
Life was better than it had been in a very long time.
Jumping from bed, she showered and dressed warmly against the lingering crispness in the air, which was hanging on for dear life to the last moments of spring.
As she emerged from her home, she wondered what Cam was up to. He’d probably taken his morning jog already, and was currently getting ready to ride off to his offices to effect another dramatic rescue.
He was good at his job—excellent, in fact. If it weren’t for him, she’d probably be either sitting in a jail cell or out on bail, waiting for a trial that could go either way. There was no way she would have found the evidence that linked Vince to the embezzlement. She very likely would have been convicted, and she’d have forever blamed her mother for setting her up.
Grace wasn’t forgiving her mother for all the years of bitterness and envy Victoria had subjected her to, but she had finally begun to realize that there was always a story behind every action. Maybe someday Grace could talk to her mom, could ask her what her story was. It wouldn’t be today, but she had a feeling she would eventually have that conversation.
She reached the spring-fed creek in about fifteen minutes and sat down. It had been another favorite place of hers on her ancestors’ homestead. One of the things she loved best about the creek was the fact that it ran through her property and went all the way to the Whitmans’. If it had been just a little bit faster and wider, she could have taken an inner tube and floated down to his place.
Instead, he and Grace had walked alongside the stream in the height of summer, when the days were hot and they had too much time on their hands to kill. Those were the memories that had made growing up in Montana a blessing instead of a curse because of who she had been born to.
Cam had been a part of her life almost from her earliest memories. They had started out as friends, had then gone through a period where they couldn’t stand each other—since boys were filthy creatures—and then they became friends again.
Grace really couldn’t say when it had happened, but somewhere along that journey, she started seeing him as a young man—as a man she could love, and would love, forever and always. A smile fluttered over her lips as she realized that no matter how far or how fast she’d run, her love of Cam had always been with her.
They’d made mistakes as teenagers in too much of a hurry to grow up, but they’d made the mistakes together, and then they’d fallen away from each other. Yet, even through the challenges that life had thrown their way, one thing had stayed with Grace—and that was love.
She could deny it all she wanted, but she adored him. She adored the child he had been, the teenager who had accepted the gift of her innocence, and the man he was today.
He’d been telling her since she’d come home that he wanted to be with her, that he wasn’t willing to let her go. They’d fought, they’d laughed, they’d loved. And Grace had a feeling they would do it for the rest of their lives.
It was also time to admit to herself what frightened her now more than anything else that had been happening in her life these past few months. She hadn’t gone to the doctor, hadn’t looked at the small changes in her body, hadn’t wanted to face the truth, because she was terrified of the answer. Her hand fluttered to her still-flat stomach and tears filled her eyes.
She was pregnant.
Soon she would tell Cam. Fear would be with her, but she couldn’t hide from her fears anymore. She had to face them, had to accept that some things in life couldn’t be fixed by signing your name on the dotted line or pretending there wasn’t a problem in the first place.
She had no doubt that Cam was a real man who wouldn’t ever shirk his responsibilities. And she also had no doubt that he loved her.
They needed to talk. She walked back to the house and grabbed her purse and keys. She had so much to talk to him about, so much she needed to say. Anticipation made her drive a little too fast, but she made it into town safe and sound.
Seeing his vehicle parked at the law offices, she smiled. She ran inside, glad his secretary wasn’t there yet. Maybe they’d make love first and then they could talk. Yes. That sounded like a brilliant idea.
She found him sitting at his desk. “Do you realize how unbelievably stunning you are?”
Cam looked up, a bright smile lighting his face up. “Isn’t that my line?” he asked.
“I’ve missed you this last week,” she said as she shut and locked his door, then began moving forward while unbuttoning her blouse.
“You have? I’m glad to hear that. It’s been a busy week for all of us.” Even as he said this, he pushed his chair back and watched her prowl forward.
“Well, there’s nothing to worry about anymore, Mr. Whitman . . .” She opened her blouse and modeled a sexy red bra that showed more than it hid.
“That’s good, because all my worries just floated away,” he said as she reached him and he pulled her into his lap.
“Kiss me, Cam, kiss me like you mean it,” she demanded before winding her fingers through his hair and holding him there while she leaned into him, her lips resting lightly on his.
She didn’t need to prod him any further. He wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her tightly against him and pushing upward, letting her feel his arousal press into her as she straddled his lap.
One hand reached around and cupped her breast through the lace of her bra, and she groaned into his mouth as she wiggled against him, needing to be closer, needing him inside her.
She was reaching for his belt buckle when the shrill sound of the phone ringing made them both jump. They ended the kiss and broke apart.
Grace laughed. “We’re acting like we’ve just gotten caught necking in the basement,” she said.
“Or like we just got interrupted before the good part.”
“Every part is a good part. But you’d better answer. It might be a client who is in desperate need of saving,” she told him before leaning forward and kissing his neck.
“I have voice mail,” he groaned.
“Well . . .” She was so tempted to be irresponsible. But she stopped kissing his neck and lifted the receiver, putting it to his ear before she leaned over to his other side and ran her tongue along the side of his jaw.
“Camden Whitman.” The greeting didn’t sound friendly, which made Grace want to giggle again.
Any impulse to laugh died away when she felt his body stiffen—and not in a good way. Leaning back, she looked at his suddenly ashen face.
“I’m on my way.” He hung up the phone and looked at her as if his world had just ended.
“What is it, Cam? Tell me!” she asked as she cupped his cheeks.
“It . . . it’s my dad.”
She’d never heard his voice so strained before. “Oh, no. What’s wrong?” She almost didn’t want to know.
“He’s at the hospital. My brother thinks it might be a stroke . . .”
Grace knew she had to keep it together for Cam’s sake. Swallowing her own fear, she climbed from his lap and held out a hand.
“I’ll drive you. Let’s go.”
Cam slowly got to his feet, looking lost, looking like the young boy she remembered from so long ago. Everything else could wait. Right now she needed to be there for the man she loved.
Grace was grateful she knew the route to the hospital well enough to drive it with her eyes closed. Okay, maybe not quite that well.
Cam sat beside her, pale, his hands trembling. Her own hands were clenched tightly on the wheel to make sure he didn’t see them shaking. The entire community loved Martin Whitman. If something were to happen to him, she couldn’t imagine how the town would react. It would fall apart. He was the glue that held the place together.
“He’s going to be okay, Cam. He’s too strong and too stubborn to ever let anything happen to him.”
“I know. I’ll just feel better when I get inside and get more information.”
When they finally arrived, they rushed from the car and
into the emergency department, where they found Cam’s brothers, their wives, and many other people from the community.
“Why aren’t you in there with Dad?” Cam asked Spence, his voice shaking in panic.
“You know I can’t work on him, Cam, and anyway, I’m a surgeon, not a neurologist,” Spence reminded him. “They’re keeping us updated. It does look like it was a stroke, but Eileen was with him, and they got him here fast.”
“I want to go back there. Get me back there,” Cam demanded.
“You have to calm down, brother,” Jackson said. “It’s bad enough that they’re working on their boss’s father. They don’t need you in there shouting at them.”
“He may be telling you to calm down, but those were the words I just said to him five minutes ago,” Alyssa told him.
“We have a good staff here, Cam, and he got in here without any delay. He’s going to be okay,” Sage assured him, and she threw her arms around her brother-in-law.
“I know, Sage. I just need to see him. Did you see him?”
“Yes. I was in back working when Martin came in. I thought it best that I come out here,” she told Camden. “He was already speaking better by the time he got here. They’re getting him all hooked up and taking scans. The first hour after a stroke is critical, and Eileen got him here quickly.”
Grace looked at Sage and then over at Eileen. Bethel was holding the poor woman as she sobbed quietly in a corner of the waiting room.
“What time did this happen?” Grace asked as two and two started coming together.
“I think about an hour ago now,” Sage answered, and then her eyes widened as she looked at Grace.
Before anyone figured out what the two of them were thinking, the doctor came through the doors, and everyone turned to hear what he had to say.
“Thanks for your patience, Dr. Whitman. We have information about your father. Do you want to follow me into the back?”
“No, that’s okay, Dr. Eiseman, everyone here is family, or family friends, and we all want to know what’s happening,” Spence replied.
