"Oh, of course. Yes, there's a car in the garage."
"Does it run?"
"Of course, I don't use it, but I get Livvy to drive it every so often. John explained it to me once, about using a car often to keep it in working order. He loved cars."
He walked directly to the garage and stood there while she grabbed her purse and locked up. It had been years since she carried a purse, but she always kept it close by so that she could find it. The weight of it felt strange on her shoulder.
This is for Lela, she told herself over and over. Lela was her best friend, and she would do anything to save her. She couldn't even imagine her home without the comforting presence of the dog.
Unlocking the garage, she flicked a switch that raised the garage door and turned on the fluorescent lights. When it opened, Boone emitted a low whistle. "I bet Livvy loves car maintenance days."
John's sleek black 1969 Camaro sat there, looking rather forlorn and forgotten in the depths of the garage. Cassie nodded. "She's tried to buy it from me several times, but I always held onto it. You never know when you'll need a car, I guess." She looked down at poor Lela, still unmoving.
"I'll need your help to get her into the back seat, OK? These cars are great, but there's not a lot of room to maneuver."
OK, just tell me what to do." She unlocked the heavy door and swung it as wide as it would go, then climbed into the backseat and reached for Lela. She noticed that Boone was really favoring his leg now, but he still did most of the work getting the dog into the car. Lela let out a small whine, and Cassie decided to stay there with her instead of climbing into the front seat. She handed Boone the keys.
When the car roared to life, Boone whistled again and gunned the engine just a little.
"Just warming it up," he said, and she could see a small grin on his face in the rearview mirror. "Just hurry, Boone."
She gave him directions to the nearest emergency vet and sat back, stroking Lela's coarse fur and whispering to comfort the animal. She tried to avoid even looking out the rear window, because she knew that if she did, panic might take over her brain again. That was the last thing they needed. The last thing Lela needed.
Her thoughts travelled back to the conversation that she and Boone had been having earlier. He was right that she couldn't really blame her parents for her fears - that had just been an excuse to keep from talking about it. Besides, somewhere underneath her worry about the dog, she felt just a little exhilarated that she had gone two blocks away from her home. It wasn't Malaysia, but it was a start.
The hospital was a small brick building that sat on a corner. It was surrounded by bushes, and Boone almost missed the entrance to the parking lot. He turned at the last moment, tires screeching, and pulled up in front of the main entrance.
Cassie tried to help him get Lela out, but she was a big dog and Cassie was terrified of hurting her further. Finally they managed, though, and Boone carried her inside. A slim man in a coat introduced himself as Dr. McCoy and quickly directed them to an exam room, asking Cassie a million questions along the way. Finally, they were shooed out to the waiting room with a stack of forms to fill out.
The place was so bright and so loud that Cassie reached for Boone's hand. Machines beeping, phones ringing...it sounded overwhelming to her ears and she felt the familiar panic rise up in her chest. She fought to keep it down. So much noise - after her quiet existence, she didn't know how anyone could function in such a chaotic environment. She just sat there for a few minutes, looking around.
These people worked here every day. Nobody looked as scared as she felt. These busy people didn't even look up from their tasks, while she was jumping at every loud noise or sudden movement. She realized that Boone was watching her carefully, and when he caught her eye, he leaned toward her.
"You OK?"
She just nodded, her lips pressed together.
He shifted in his seat, and it looked like he was trying to take pressure off his leg.
"What happened, anyway?" she asked. Maybe his story would distract her.
"You really want to know? Because I'm almost afraid to tell you."
"Why? Of course I want to know."
"I'm afraid it will reinforce...certain beliefs you hold, and that wouldn't be healthy."
"Oh. Well, I'd like to know, if you feel like talking about it." Her curiosity was piqued.
"I was stabbed."
"Oh," she said again.
"It was a food shipment drop in east Africa, and we were unloading trucks."
Her eyes widened and she looked down at his leg, remembering the months of care it had taken her mother to recover from a truck crash. The situations were very similar, except that her mom had been in Chile, and Cassie felt her heart sink.
He continued. "I try to go out with our organizations every so often, just to get a feel for what they do and to keep an eye on them - making sure that everything is on the up-and-up, you know?"
She did. Her parents had always fussed about organizations that mishandled the work and the funds that they were responsible for, lining pockets instead of doing good. They had been in more civil trials than she could remember, trying to stop some of the thievery.
"Anyway, we were making the food drop at night, which was a bad idea to begin with, and four men sneaked up behind us and started a fight. They had more weapons than we did, and they used them to take that shipment. We were no match, really." He shrugged. "They cut into the tendons behind my knee, and it took a long time for it to heal. I couldn't walk at all for a while. It's getting better, though."
She felt a surge of anger at people who would do this. Who would steal food and hurt people like that?
She turned her anger on him, snatching her hand from his grip. "See? You lie, too. You talk about all the good in the world, and how everything is so wonderful apart from a few bad apples. You don't say anything about the kinds of people who do this sort of thing." She gestured toward his leg. "Why not?"
He sighed and then reached to take her hand again. "Cassie, try to think past your fear to the situation. Thousands of square miles supporting lots of starving people. You know how you felt earlier when you realized that Lela was hurt?"
She nodded, still mad but listening. How was he going to spin this?
"Helpless, right? Well, imagine that feeling, except a thousand times worse, because you're watching your family starve while you stand there, unable to do anything about it. Can you imagine that, Cassie? Can you come down out of your precious little tower long enough to imagine that?"
She looked away to hide the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. God, the noise in this place was driving her crazy. She couldn't even think.
He kept talking. "I know that I would do anything I had to do to care for the ones I love - beg borrow, steal, or murder."
"How noble. What has that got to do with-."
He looked like he wanted to shake her. "They were doing the same thing, Cassie. Taking care of their loved ones as best they knew how. Not that you would know anything about that."
He released her hand and stood, then dug in his pocket for her car keys. Tossing them to her, he said, "I really hope everything works out for you, Cassie. I hope you're wonderful little world is safe and good, and that you never have to fight for what you need."
Then he left. Openmouthed, she watched his long, lean frame walk away, leaving her there.
Alone.
Chapter 13
Cassie almost lost control then. So many emotions had crashed over her on this day, and now he had left her there to fend for herself. You can do this, she whispered, gripping the sides of her plastic chair for dear life. Just keep it together.
She closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing, knowing that it was one way to control herself - it just didn't seem to be working very well. How could he do such a thing? Just walk away, with no warning? What would she do now?
She took one deep breath and opened her eyes. People in white and blu
e scrubs bustled back and forth, busy with their duties. They were calm. Their faces showed no signs of the panic she felt. How did they do it?
They kept busy, she thought. That's all. She glanced down at the stack of forms in her lap, as yet unfinished, and wondered if it would work for her. Maybe. Detaching the pen from its clipboard, she stared hard at the first question.
This was stupid, and she felt like a fool. A terrified fool, but still. Just write your name, Cassie, she coaxed. That's all you have to do.
Little by little, she filled out the form, looking up constantly to check her surroundings. There was so much noise, so much activity, and everything was blindingly bright. She was terrified that any minute, some terrible disruption was going to happen, even though she had no idea what.
By the time she got to the last form she was a little calmer and her heart was beating more normally. She realized that she had been sitting here for almost an hour, unharmed. Unnoticed, even.
Just as she stood to hand over her paperwork, Dr. McCoy came through the double doors. She anxiously searched his face.
"She's going to be fine," he said, smiling reassuringly. "The car knocked her out, and she got some bruised ribs, but no lasting damage. Just lots of pain. These should help." He handed her a bottle of pills. "I'd like to keep her here overnight for observation, if you don't mind. You can pick her up tomorrow."
She nodded, and he stuck out his hand for her to shake. Slowly, she did the same.
After she gave them her information, she realized that she had a new problem. How to get home? Her car. Could she do it? She reached in her purse for the car keys, smiling at John's bottle opener key chain, then stepped out into the parking lot.
Night had fallen, which scared her again, but she just paid attention to her breathing until her fear was under control. Everything would be fine.
The parking lot held so many shadows, but she forced herself to think about all of the people who drove in and out during their shift changes, often much later than it was now. She hurried to the Camaro and climbed inside, firmly locking the door.
It felt so strange to be sitting behind the wheel. She hadn't driven in six years, and hoped that it was one of those things that a person never forgot. Carefully, fingers trembling on the cold steering wheel, she started the car and steered it toward home.
The trip was thankfully uneventful, except for one moment on the freeway when a tractor trailer passed her, honking his horn, and scared her so much that she almost drove off the road. She knew she was going too slow - she just didn't care. She was taking her time, both because she was unused to driving and because the town had changed so much. It was unreal. She was sad to see the disappearance of her favorite grocery store, and amazed that two entire city blocks had been torn down to accommodate a mall. Wow. Six years was a long time.
The car growled along beneath her and she remembered that, once upon a time, she liked to drive. She enjoyed the power that rumbled beneath her fingertips and the responsiveness of the big engine. No wonder Boone had whistled when he saw the car.
When she turned onto her street, she smiled at the surge of adrenaline she felt. She had done it. As she pulled into the driveway, though, her smile faded again.
Boone sat on the steps, waiting for her.
Chapter 14
What could he want now? To torment her some more? He had already done all the damage that she was going to let him do. To hell with him, and to hell with his project.
No, wait. That wasn't right. It wasn't just 'his project', it was real people with real problems. Could she really help them? Go all the way around the world, when she hadn't been out of her own yard for more than half a decade? Riding high on her accomplishments of the day, she thought that maybe she could.
She glanced out the window to where Boone was sitting on the steps, staring through the darkness at her car. He was sideways, leaning against the bannister, so that he could prop up his hurt leg. He had probably overused it today.
She felt a twinge of guilt, though she didn't want to. She wanted to be angry with him for leaving her stranded, but she couldn't. She had managed, and the act of dealing with the world and then getting herself home had lightened her heart. Besides, it would be easier to be mad if he weren't so darned sexy.
And if he hadn't been right about so many things.
She sighed and climbed out of the car, locking it before she turned toward him. She took small steps across the yard, prolonging the moment. She didn't want him to yell, she thought. Finally, she was directly in front of him and he stood. She couldn't read his expression in the dark, couldn't tell if he was mad or -.
His lips met hers in a ferocious kiss. If he hadn't put one hand behind her back she would have fallen on her rear. His lips pressed into hers, exploring, bruising, and his free hand tangled in her hair and pulled her into him. She put her hands against his chest and responded before she could think, kissing him in return, and her response only made him more passionate, more demanding. His hands were all over her now, pulling her close, touching every part of her body that he could reach - her back, her hips, her arms. Heat surged through her, and she felt her nipples harden against the cotton of her bra.
He surprised her when his hands moved lower, to her behind, and lifted her off the ground. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his waist, partially afraid of falling but partially afraid that he would put her down. She wanted him. God, how she wanted him. She knew she was probably still on an adrenaline high from the events of the day, but she took advantage of it and let her emotions carry her.
She pressed her body against his, feeling the heat of his skin, and continued to kiss him. He tasted so good, sweet and a little spicy. She wanted to devour him, absorb him, claim him, and the force of her feelings was so strong that she forgot about everything except this beautiful man who was searing her body with his touch.
When she finally broke the kiss and looked down at him, his eyes held a glint of pure need, so strong that it made her blink. "Unlock the door," he growled. She nodded without answering.
He put her down on the steps above him, and the moment he let go she was cold. Shivering, she found her keys, fumbled with the lock, then latched a finger into the front of his shirt to pull him inside.
With that invitation, he didn't waste time. He put his hands to her waist and pushed her T-shirt up and over her head, then began to touch her body once more. She shivered under his fingers, soaking up the human contact that she had denied herself for so long.
As his hands trailed up and down, touching and teasing, he traced their path with his lips, spreading kisses across her shoulders and collarbones, her throat and chest. When she thought that she would explode, he slipped both hands under the waistband of her yoga pants and slid them down.
Then he stopped and grinned at her, amusement and affection shining in his eyes. "You didn't tell me that you don't wear panties," he said, his voice rough.
She smiled back. "Your research isn't quite as good as you thought then, is it?"
He knelt in front of where she stood there in the darkened living room and went back to what he was doing. His hands found their way down her rear, stopping to squeeze gently, then slid farther, tickling her thighs. When he leaned forward to kiss the tiny patch of hair that covered her mound, she almost collapsed. He noticed, and stopped what he was doing to lead her to the sofa. Still on his knees, he pushed her gently until she was resting against the cushions.
She closed her eyes, threw her head back and savored every touch. He lowered his head once more, slid between her legs, and touched the bundle of nerves that always drove her crazy. She moaned out into the room, and arched her body toward him.
She thought to be shy about the pounds she'd put on these last years, but he didn't seem to care. His hands travelled every inch of her as his tongue did glorious things that made her tremble.
He reached around to unhook her bra, releasing her best feature. He evidently agreed, because his h
ands were all over them, tweaking, squeezing, and cupping the heavy globes. She exhaled, squirming and moaning at his attention, loving every touch and wanting more.
The thought came from somewhere that his leg was probably hurting. "Let's go to bed," she panted, gently pushing on his shoulders even though she really, really didn't want him to stop. She didn't want him to be in pain, either.
He nodded, grinning wickedly, and stood. She could see that his leg hurt, but the bulge along the front of his jeans also told her that it wasn't that bad....
Taking her hand, he led her up the many stairs to the third floor. "I've wanted to do this since I first saw you, you know." he said, his voice gravelly. "Bailey teased me, and I brushed it off, but it didn't help."
"You're kidding." She didn't know what to say to that.
"Oh, no. I'm really not kidding," he said. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
She looked at his back, doubtful, but once in the bedroom, he proceeded to convince her otherwise.
His eyes never left hers as he threw piles of pillows into the floor. She felt silly standing there, and then he pulled her to him again, while releasing his jeans and sliding them down with one hand. His naked body was hot to her touch, and she spread her hands across his bare chest in wonder, reveling in the coarse chest hair she found there.
She forgot everything as they fell across the bed together. Once again, his hands were all over her, as if he wasn't going to rest until he inspected every inch of her skin. His fingers, his mouth, and his eyes all roamed her flesh at once, taking in everything about her and making her feel irresistible.
He felt just as she had imagined he would. Strong and lean, filling up her bed, he gripped her attention. When her hand followed the hair on his chest, down past his flat stomach to his cock, they both gasped with pleasure. He groaned into their kiss, and she began to stroke him lightly. The length of his hot, soft skin in her fingers was delicious.
Star-Crossed Curves: BBW Erotic Romance Boxed Set Page 19
