One last safety check. The climbing rope tested and tugged. His safety wire—the same one he’d rehearsed with—reattached and tested. He flexed his fingers in their protective gloves and did his usual pumped-up ritual, taking a few deep breaths and then jumping up and down in place. He signaled he was ready, got the return signal it was a go and rushed forward, quickly scaling the window, turning, and then let himself fall, one hand on the rope, the other flailing as planned. Something snapped. The safety wire flew past his face. And then he was swinging one-handed, out of control. He scrambled to get both hands on the rope, desperate to control the descent, still hoping to save the shot. He finally got it, snagging the rope two-handed, his body swinging in toward the building. His feet hit hard at an odd angle against the glass and pain shot up like fire from his left ankle. He bounced away and then swung back, body slamming into the building, the breath knocked out of him. His grip on the rope loosened, dropping, dropping, the momentum too much. He grappled for a better grip in a near panic. Shit. He glanced down and saw the inflatable stunt bag was close enough. Gary was hollering to just get down. Controlled landing was always better than a panicky one. His training kicked in. He let go of the rope—seconds of free fall, the wind whistling past his ears—and then whoomp! Softish landing, his body enveloped by the inflatable bag.
He lay perfectly still, his heart galloping madly. He tested out his left ankle and hissed out a breath at the pain. Dammit all to hell. The crew gathered to help him out of the bag.
“Wait,” he said. “Left ankle might be broken.”
“We got you, Ty,” Gary said.
They got him out of the bag and upright. Ty winced when he tried to put weight on it and Gary helped him over to a chair to wait for the ambulance. He was suddenly glad Charlotte hadn’t been there to witness it. He’d wait until tomorrow to tell her when he felt less shitty. She was already damn touchy about his job.
Chapter Thirteen
Ty waited to call Charlotte until just before she left Clover Park to meet him for dinner in the city on what was supposed to be his last day in town. Turned out to be a severe ankle sprain, not broken, which was great, but he still couldn’t work his LA gig. Too much climbing and big jumps for his current condition. She’d texted him last night, saying only, “Thinking of you.” He’d replied, “You too. Wiped out. Goodnight.”
Now he had to break it gently to her. As soon as she answered the phone, he said, “Good news.”
“What’s that?” she asked with a note of caution.
“Looks like I’ll be in town a bit longer, so we don’t have to say goodbye yet.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ve got some time off.”
“Ty! Are you in the hospital?”
“Relax. I’m at the hotel.”
“Oh, for a minute there I thought something bad happened. Why do you suddenly have time off? Did your other job fall through?”
“Nothing serious. Just an ankle sprain.”
Dead silence.
“You still there?”
“Yes.” He heard her take a shaky breath. “What happened?”
“One of the ropes snapped when I was rappelling down the building, so I slammed into the building at a bad angle. Anyway since I can’t work my LA gig, I’m staying an extra week. I still have to go back to LA. My boss wants me to train some of the newer stunt people. So come on over. I’m just sitting around waiting for your sexy self.”
“Okay. I just need a little time to catch my breath.”
“You working out?”
“No! I’m trying not to hyperventilate thinking about you rappelling down a building when the rope snapped. How high up were you?”
“I don’t know. It’s a bit of a blur. Maybe eighteen stories up.”
She sucked in air.
“But I grappled with the main rope for a while, so I didn’t actually drop into the pillow until much later. I’m okay. Promise. Come see for yourself.”
“I will,” she muttered. “Bye.”
That wasn’t too bad, he thought. Maybe she would get used to everything that came with his job. He ordered up some room service once he figured she was close. This would all be fine. They’d hang out a little more and he figured they could still have fun in bed.
Only when he opened the hotel door, Charlotte took one look at his crutches and ankle brace and her lower lip wobbled.
He rushed to reassure her. “Don’t cry, baby. I’m fine. Honest. The crutches are just for forty-eight hours. Only twenty-four more hours now.”
She glared at him through shiny eyes. He shifted on his crutches so she could come in, unsure if she was going to cry or go off on him.
Her voice was low and controlled. “I can’t do this, Ty.”
His gut clenched. “Can’t do what?”
“I can’t worry about you all the time risking life and limb just for a movie.”
“It’s my job.”
She dashed at her eye with a fist. “And I can’t handle getting a phone call that you’re in the hospital or dead.”
“C’mere, let’s talk.” He made his way over to the bed, set his crutches to the side, and sat down. He patted the spot next to him.
She joined him, folding her hands in her lap and staring at them glumly. “I’m sorry. I can’t pretend to be happy that you’re staying longer for this reason.”
“You don’t have to freak out. It could’ve been much worse.”
“I know! You could be dead or paralyzed. Geez, Ty, I’m trying to be understanding, but I can’t bear it. I feel nauseous every time you go to work.”
Her hands were gripped so tightly together they were turning white. He pried them apart and took her hand in his. “Baby, I’ve broken tons of stuff.” He pointed out all his past healed injuries. “My ribs, my wrist, my other leg. That’s what they pay me the big bucks for so the talent doesn’t have to. The doc says I’ll be good as new in four to six weeks.”
She took a sniffly breath like she was trying not to cry.
“Some good came out of it. We’ve got another week together now.”
She nodded, staring at the floor.
“And then I have to go back to LA, but you can visit as soon as you get time off. You can stay at my house. I’ll get the plane tickets. Just say the word.”
She looked to the ceiling and wiped under her eyes.
He feared she was about to lose it and the last thing he wanted was to be the cause of her tears. “We’re going to have a future together.”
She pressed her lips tightly together.
There was a knock at the door.
“That’s room service,” he said, reaching for his crutches.
She stood. “I’ll get it.”
She brought everything in and set it up at the small round table with two chairs. They ate their healthy skinless chicken and vegetables in silence. See, they even liked the same foods, he thought but didn’t say. She seemed too upset for light conversation.
When they finished dinner, he reached across the table and took both her hands in his, giving them a gentle squeeze. “You’re not going to bail on me just because you’re worried, are you?”
“I’m afraid you’re going to bail on me.”
“Never.”
“Not on purpose. I mean if something happened to you.”
He slowly shook his head. “Nothing’s going to happen to me. And we’re going to make this work. Now just think about this, don’t answer right away, but what if you moved to LA with me and worked as a personal trainer out there? I know a ton of people in the industry that would love to work with you.”
“Why don’t you work as a personal trainer for them?” Her voice rose in enthusiasm. “They know you. You used to be a personal trainer.”
“Because I’m a stuntman! That’s who I am! You’re trying to change me.”
She pulled her hands from his. “I can’t be with someone who risks their life every day just for a movie.”
“So I�
��m supposed to give up who I am so you’ll feel better?”
“Your job is not you, Ty. I want you to be you in a safer way.”
None of this sat well with him. Being a stuntman was who he was; he lived and breathed the job. He narrowed his eyes. “You can make it sound as pretty as you want, but what it comes down to is you want me to give up my dream job just because you’re a worrier.”
“I want you in my life. Our future—”
“You mean your version of our future! Why’re you being like this? I thought you were different, but you’re just like every other woman trying to mold her man—”
“Do not lump me in with your other women. I’m saying this—” She stopped herself, took a deep breath, and when she met his eyes, he felt a cool distance. “Let’s not fight. We only have a week. Who knows what will happen after that?”
He frowned. It sounded like she didn’t think it would work out long term, but he let it go for now. He didn’t want to argue the same thing over and over. He was definitely not giving up a career he loved. He didn’t want to give up Charlotte either, but how could he be with someone who didn’t support his dream?
~ ~ ~
After a week of living with Ty at her place, Charlotte knew without a doubt that she loved him and found herself on the verge of tears way too many times at the idea of losing him. Not because he didn’t want to be with her, because he was taken from her. Who knew what his job would bring him next? Whatever some damn movie director dreamed up, Ty would put himself at risk to do it. She wished she could let it go, but it was impossible.
Their last night together was bittersweet. She felt like crying just getting ready for bed, even though Ty was in her bedroom right this very minute. Maybe because she knew she had to let him go. Logic told her that for at least the next six weeks or so, he’d be safe because of his ankle sprain, but it didn’t stop the intense anxiety she had for his safety.
She stepped into her bedroom, where Ty was lying shirtless in all his glorious muscular inked splendor. She turned off the light and slid under the covers. He tucked her into his full-body embrace, side by side, his arms and one leg wrapping around her. He was completely naked, his heat radiating through her T-shirt and cotton sleep pants.
“I’m going to miss you, Char. I wish you could get time off sooner.”
She gave him a little squeeze. “Me too.” She didn’t have vacation time until July. It was better that way. It would give her the space she needed to try to get over him. But right now, all tucked tight against him, all she felt was overwhelming love.
He stroked her hair and cupped the side of her face. “If I can manage it, I’ll fly home in two weeks.”
“You still call Connecticut home when you’ve lived in LA all this time?”
“You’re my home now.”
Her eyes welled.
“It’s true,” Ty said against her lips and then kissed her. He was king of the distracting kiss. She let him, eager to escape her dark thoughts. She was addicted to what he made her feel, only wanting more the more she was with him. And in a surprising twist, he was extremely attuned to her emotions, becoming more tender with her when she needed it.
He got her naked, still kissing everywhere he could reach and then cupping her breasts with both hands. She closed her eyes, sinking into the pure pleasure of his touch as he massaged and stroked. He shifted down, taking her breast into his mouth, suckling deep. Mindless pleasure pushed her worries away. He was here now, real and solid and doing delicious things to her body. He did the same to her other breast while his hands ran down her sides, her hips, and then cupped her firmly between the legs. His fingers stroked her expertly, knowing exactly what she liked, and she shuddered, sparks of sensation radiating out from her core. In no time at all, he had her teetering on the edge. She tensed, knowing a monster peak was close, not knowing if he’d give it to her. He pulled away.
Her eyes flew open. He loved to bring her to orgasm, but he also loved to bring her close and pull her back, playing with her until she was practically hollering at him to give it to her. It was how he maximized her pleasure. It was also how he made her crazy.
“Don’t toy with me,” she said. “Not tonight.”
He smiled lazily and sat up. “Why not tonight?”
Because this might be our last night together.
She kept the thought to herself, instead climbing into his lap and wrapping her legs around him. He held her by the hips, lifting her and then guiding her down onto him. Their eyes locked and they both moaned at the intense connection as she took him in fully. He gave her a moment before angling her hips for his first thrust, stroking her G-spot. She cried out, her nails digging into his back, still shocked at how quickly he zeroed in on all of her hot spots. He kept going, his large hands gripping her hips, over and over and over. White-hot pleasure. Brain meltdown. She whimpered incoherently, on fire, lost in all-consuming pleasure.
“Charlotte, baby, look at me.”
She met his dark eyes, her heart kicking hard at the love she saw there, though he’d never said the words. He didn’t have to, it was clear as day.
His voice was rough and gravelly. “Yeah, you know it, deep down.” He cupped her face from temple to jaw, his other hand gripping her hip. Another deep stroking that had her gasping. “You feel that, right?”
“Y-yes.”
“What do you feel?”
He thrust again. She was so close. She couldn’t speak, her breath coming in small pants now. No more toying, she thought.
“You feel the love,” he prompted.
She nodded and then cried out as he gave her another deep stroking.
“Should I tell you my secret?” He held her firmly, one hand on her head, one hand on her hip, rocking her in a slow rhythm, and she was going under, too much, the pressure building in her core, her body owned by him.
His voice was low and deep, the only thing tethering her before the explosion. “Here’s my secret…” She trembled uncontrollably as he rocked into her. “Hold on one more minute, I’ve got you. I’m going to tell you my secret and then I’m going to let you come.”
He stilled and she let out a cry of protest.
“Don’t be mad, baby. Before me you didn’t even get the big O. Now I give it to you multiple times a night.”
She glared at him.
He kissed her and thrust again. She gasped, back on the knife edge of release. He broke the kiss. “Here’s my secret. You listening?”
“Yes, yes, yes,” she chanted, rocking on her own.
He clamped a hand on her hip, stilling her. “I’ve loved you since the night you shared all your deep secrets with me. I want to marry you, kids, dog, the whole deal. That’s how much I love you.”
Her jaw dropped as she stared at him in utter shock.
“And now you get your orgasm,” he said.
She didn’t even know what he did. One moment she was staring blankly, the next a full-body shudder ripped through her as she came hard and long, Ty guiding her through wave after wave of pleasure. And then he let out a hoarse cry, exploding inside her, holding her tight.
A few moments later, he lifted her up, giving her space to untangle her legs from around him and then lay back, taking her with him, stretched out fully on top of his delicious heat. His arms wrapped around her and she sighed, resting her head on his chest and listening to the solid thump of his heart.
He spoke, his voice rumbling in his chest. “Did I scare you away?”
“I can’t move.”
“Good. I planned it that way. I’m in no condition to chase you running for the hills.”
She laughed.
He stroked her hair. “We have a good future ahead of us.”
No man had ever spoken so powerfully straight from the heart. She closed her stinging eyes, wishing she could believe in the sentiment.
~ ~ ~
Charlotte tried to keep it together after Ty went back to LA. She really did. She went to work. She hung out wi
th her friends. She even worked out extra, trying to get some endorphins going, but all she got was tired and weepy. She hated feeling like this, so emotional, so devastated with his absence after they’d only been together for a month. Oh, but what a month. She tried to hide her sadness when he called each night, but he knew her well. The very first time her voice wobbled, three days in, he told her it was definite that he’d be flying back home in two weeks.
“Put it on your calendar,” he said. “You can count on it. I’m booking the flight now. Let’s see. I can be there by Saturday afternoon. Time change is working in my favor.”
“I don’t need to put it on my calendar. I’ll be counting down the days.”
“Aren’t you sweet?”
“You’re the sweet one flying back here just because I’m being overly emotional.”
“I’m not doing it for you. I haven’t had a good orgasm in three days. You understand I have to self-serve without my favorite rider.”
She laughed. Somehow he could always make her laugh.
Now the day was finally here, a beautiful early May day with the sun shining and the birds singing and everything was glorious. She was nearly giddy with happiness. He’d arranged a car service from the airport to her house, so there was nothing to do but wait. She headed out for a run, needing to let out some of her excess energy. She made her way to Main street in Clover Park. She liked to look through the downtown shop windows and veer off into Baldwin Park. She thought about the month she’d had with Ty, the boat date, his crazy offer to take her to Bermuda that turned into a weekend of hanging out and sex, lots and lots of sex. And love too. She loved him so damn much. And he loved her so much he wanted to marry her. She held that truth close to her heart, giving her the courage she needed to share everything with him. She had so much to catch him up on, so much planning they needed to do for their future, but mostly she just wanted to be back in his arms.
After her run, she showered, cleaned the house top to bottom, showered again, and finally it was time. She opened the door on that sunny afternoon to the love of her life, arms open, smiling from ear to ear.
So Revealing (Happy Endings Book Club, Book 3) Page 13
