Maybe, With Conditions

by Mariella Starr

  "I left my son on top by the road to flag down help when it gets here. I can't get you down, but I didn't want you to be alone."

  "Thank you," Nicole sobbed.

  "Now, now, lady, you need to stay calm. You sure don't want to move."

  No sooner did he say those words than the vehicle shifted as a branch broke. Nicole screamed as she heard a loud WHOP, WHOP, WHOP overhead. She didn't dare move to see what made the ear-splitting noise, but she was pretty sure it was a helicopter.

  "Help is on its way!" the man shouted.

  "What's your name?" she shouted.

  "Jethro Billings, ma'am. I got me a little place about a mile from here. You were real smart broadcasting on the walkie-talkie frequency. My son, Jordy, picks up all kinds of weird stuff, pilots flying over and talking, sometimes calls from trucker's C.B. radios."

  "How old is your son?" Nicole called.

  "My boy's eleven and smart as a whip. He came running as soon as he heard your distress call. Ma'am, I hear help arriving, big fire trucks, and all. I need to go up top to guide them to you."

  "Thank you, Mr. Billings," Nicole called. "Thank you for staying with me."

  The next hour was fraught with danger as search and rescue personnel dangled from ropes tying support cables to the tree and SUV. At one point, the tree shifted almost six feet, dangling further over the cliff, but the steel cables held it from tipping over the edge. A rescuer climbed onto the horizontal tree trunk making his way to her agonizingly slow.

  "Ma'am, are you hurt?'

  "No, but I'm terrified," she exclaimed.

  "Where did all the blood come from?" he demanded.

  "The airbag bloodied my nose, it's no big deal."

  "That's good," the man said. "Now, ma'am, I'll get you out, but you have to listen to me carefully and do exactly what I tell you. It'll be a little scary."

  "I've been perched on this cliff for five hours! I have scared down to a fine art. Tell me what to do!"

  The emergency climber smiled at her plucky attitude. "All right. The vehicle will probably shift, but don't panic. The cables should hold the weight of it. If it does give, you won't go over the cliff, although it will complicate matters. Have you tried to get the window down all the way?"

  "Yes, it's stuck," answered Nicole.

  "Okay. It's probably best not to open the door, so I'm going to break the window. You don't have to worry about getting cut. The window should crumble. You'll have to climb out with my assistance. As soon as your torso is out, I will slip you into a harness and hook you to me. If all hell breaks loose before I accomplish this, grab onto me and don't let go!"

  The worst didn't happen. The rescue worker clipped a harness around her, connecting them together. He slowly made his way down the tree to the embankment. Suddenly, hands were everywhere. Rescue workers released the latches on the harnesses and recoiled ropes. Others shone lights in her eyes while expert hands ran along her arms and legs while they demanded answers from her about her condition. When they determined she wasn't hurt, they wrapped her in several blankets.

  "I need to contact someone," Nicole said gripping the hand of the man who had rescued her.

  "We still have to get you more than two hundred feet up to the road, and then we'll transport you to the hospital, ma'am," he said. "They'll take care of contacting your people. You did real good, miss. Don't fall apart on us, now."

  "Nicole, my name is Nicole."

  "Nice to meet you, Nicole. I'm Fraizer. Trust us for a little while longer. We'll get you out of here, but you have to let us do our job."

  They put her on a metal-framed stretcher, strapping her down and connected steel cables to the lift. With two men on each side guiding the apparatus, she realized the ropes and cables must be connected to a winch as it was pulling all of them to the top of the cliff.

  Once back on the shoulder of the road, ambulance EMTs took over. They asked the same questions as they transferred her to an ambulance gurney. Nicole noticed an older man and boy standing off to the side.

  "Is that Mr. Billings and his son?" Nicole asked one of the EMTs.

  "He was the one who called in the accident and located you," one of them answered.

  "I need to thank him."

  "You can do it, later. We need to get you to the hospital."

  "Now!" Nicole ordered, frustrated at all the young men and women around her so intent on doing their jobs that they were not listening to her.

  They brought the man and boy to her.

  Nicole took the man's hand and then the boy's. "Thank you so much! You saved my life and I won't forget it. You are both heroes. Please write down your names and your addresses."

  "Ma'am, we need to get going," the EMT said.

  "Get me their names and addresses," Nicole exclaimed. "I know you have a pen and paper because you keep writing stuff on it!"

  The young EMT flipped one of his forms over on his clipboard and handed it to the older man. Mr. Billings wrote down his information.

  "Thank you, thank you so much!" Nicole repeated as the EMTs lifted the gurney into the ambulance.

  * * *

  Dalton was pacing the floors. "Where is she?" he demanded of his grandparents.

  "Calm down, she's not very late. Something must have delayed her," Helen said.

  "If this is her way of paying me back for making her call me at the mid-way point, I'm going to skin her alive," Dalton grumbled.

  "Where's Mommy?" Matty asked when suppertime came and went, and Nicole still wasn't home.

  * * *

  Nicole was transported to the hospital where doctors and technicians probed, scanned, and X-rayed. They all came to the same conclusion that, except for several large bruises, she had escaped the crash with no injuries. She also had no proof of identity. Her purse and cell phone had gone over the cliff along with the tree and her SUV when the cables were disconnected. She had asked several times for the use of a phone, but a multiple car accident kept the staff in the emergency room busy.

  When the hospital finally released her, a County Sheriff's Department Deputy was waiting to talk to her. Deputy Cortez asked for her identification. When she explained how everything was at the bottom of a cliff, without comment, he unhooked his cell phone and handed it to her.

  She called Dalton to tell him what had happened, keeping the details simple so he wouldn't panic. After a lot of questions, Dalton was relieved she wasn't hurt and asked to speak to the deputy. The deputy reassured him he would stay with Nicole.

  "Your husband will call me back as soon as he makes arrangements for a hotel room for you. I'll take you there. While we're waiting, I would like to go over your statement, again," Deputy Cortez said.

  After hearing her story and checking his notes, he shook his head. "You didn't see a license plate number, even though the car rammed you several times?"

  "I was too busy trying to keep my vehicle on the road."

  "Do you know anyone who drives a car matching the description you gave me?"

  "No. I don't know the license plate, the make, or the model. I don't know anything about cars. I can only recognize a few by name. It was low, sleek, and black. It looked like it would be fast. You know, like a Corvette, only I don't think it was a Corvette. It could have been, though. Like I said, I don't know much about car models."

  "Do you know anyone angry enough to run you off the road?"

  She shook her head, which was beginning to pound with a headache.

  The deputy's phone rang and he took some notes before handing the cell phone to her. Dalton told her he had made a reservation at the Hyatt Hotel closest to the airport and he would be in the air as soon as he filed a flight plan and it was approved.

  Deputy Cortez drove Nicole to the hotel and stayed with her long enough to know a room was registered in her name. She took the key and went upstairs to the room where she looked around wearily. She hadn't done anything except sit in a car dangling from a cliff, but she was exhausted. She took a long hot ba
th, soaking her various aches and pains, before crawling into the bed and falling sound asleep in minutes.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Dalton opened the hotel suite door quietly and peered into the bedroom. Nicole hadn't turned out all the lights and he could see she was sound asleep. He crossed to her inspecting what little he could see and lifted the sheet. He raked his eyes over her as she had gone to sleep in the camisole she must have been wearing under her business suit. He saw bruises on her ribcage and chest area, a particularly large one on an outer thigh, but other than that, she looked intact. There were no bandages, stitches, or casts. He covered her gently and pulled a chair over to the side of the bed where he sat to watch over her.

  Nicole awakened and noted the bedside clock read 4:15 a.m. She smiled when she saw Dalton asleep in the chair. She leaned over and shook his knee.

  "What," he asked, instantly awake.

  "Come to bed," she whispered.

  He climbed over her fully dressed and gently pulled her to him. "Are you okay?"

  "I checked out fine at the hospital. I'll be sore and stiff for a few days, but I'm alive. What did you tell Matty?"

  "Nothing. I left him at home. There was no reason to scare him. Scaring me half out of my wits was bad enough. Go to sleep."

  She nodded and scooted closer to him.

  "Hold me."

  He aligned his long body next to hers and snuggled an arm around her waist gently. "Go to sleep."

  She closed her eyes without argument. Dalton was disconcerted by her reaction. In a way, it scared him more than hearing about the accident. If she wouldn't argue, she must be feeling terrible. Trying not to disturb her, he stripped out of his tee shirt and pants before covering both of them with the sheet.

  The next time Nicole opened her eyes, she was very aware of a male body spooned against her and of his very male reaction to her. Dalton groaned in his sleep and flopped on his back, his erection stiff and tall, forming a tent in the sheet. She stifled a giggle thinking she should erect a flag on it, but then changed her mind.

  Nicole decided to give Dalton a wake-up call instead. She gently rose to her knees, aware of every ache and pain in her body. She bent over him, intending to massage him, but her fingers were too stiff and painful. She flexed them realizing the stiffness was probably from her death grip on the steering wheel. Well, there were other ways to surprise him.

  She straddled his groin and guided him into her.

  Dalton moaned in a fantastic dream. Then, his eyes flew open in surprise.

  "Sweetheart!" he breathed as she took him deeper inside her.

  "Are you all right?" he demanded.

  "Do I feel all right?" Nicole teased.

  "Oh, yeah, you feel terrific, but are you hurt?"

  "I'm okay. Aches and pains that will probably hurt more before they hurt less. I thought you might be able to think of a way to ease them."

  "You seem to be in charge at the moment," Dalton said as she leaned over to kiss him.

  "I know and I like it. Did you know I took a lesson in horseback riding? It was before I realized how big horses are, or that I'm afraid of them." With her knees on each side of him, she pushed forward to grind into his pelvis area.

  "Aw…" Dalton groaned, closing his eyes. "Honey, it wasn't western riding, but I'm becoming a real big fan of whatever they taught you."

  "I always wanted to try riding a bronco," Nicole teased. She raised one arm over her head and began to ride him while he rose to meet her as she came down on him. Then with a sudden movement, he flipped her and was on top. Then, he withdrew.

  "Oh…"

  "It's okay, Nic, there's no reason to hurry," Dalton said as he started with her mouth and worked his way slowly down her body with his lips.

  Nicole let him take the lead. She loved what he did to her body, inside and out. She didn't know if other men were as good in bed as Dalton was, but she was making up for lost time.

  Dalton wasn't thinking of the time they had lost, only about how close he had come to losing her. Suckling her breasts, he feasted on her soft body, while also inspecting her for bruises or sore spots. Working his way downward, he kissed the bruises on her ribcage and her chest, and gently continued his inspection.

  When he reached the apex of her legs, he claimed her with his tongue and lips.

  Nicole felt herself rising as she moaned and waited impatiently for the ecstasy to come.

  Dalton knew he was taunting her, yet he was trying to be as gentle as possible. When she arched her back and began to shudder, he dove in nibbling and sucking as she thrashed. He had never been with a woman who had orgasms that lasted so long. He had actually never heard of it before he had witnessed it with Nicole. It gave him a powerful feeling to know she did this with him, for him. When she collapsed from the extended climax, it was his turn to please her more.

  He entered her in one long thrust, but he was not gentle inside her. Nic didn't like gentle. She didn't like what he had read was termed vanilla sex. She liked it a little hard, on the edge of rough. She had come so close to being hurt, though, and he wasn't sure she had been entirely honest with him about her injuries. He had seen the bruises.

  He lifted her slightly and plunged into her repeatedly. He held back a bit, but not much. He couldn't hold back with Nicole. His need for her grew every day. The rhythm began to build taking her into another orgasm. God, how he loved her response to him, no other woman had ever made him feel so potent.

  When she was almost to the edge of letting go, he withdrew, and she fought him, pulling him to her.

  "No… I was almost there!"

  "I'll get you there, again," Dalton gasped, flipping her over on her belly and entering her from behind. His hand went under her, into her, stroking and working her clitoris.

  "Oh! Oh," she moaned as he whipped her into a frenzy, while pumping into her steadily, deeper and deeper.

  Only a second before she went over the edge, he whipped his engorged cock out of her, and flipped her over, again. He reentered her and she screamed as the orgasm ripped through her. Her muscles tightened around him and he exploded.

  Thrusting, driving, Dalton became a sex machine as he rode her violent orgasm until she, at last, shuddered, and lay spent. They dropped together on the bed, wrapped in each other's arms, simply trying to breathe. Neither of them spoke as Dalton gathered her into his arms and tucked her in close to his body.

  "Sleep," he crooned. Nicole nodded and closed her eyes.

  * * *

  The room service tray came and was returned with only one eaten breakfast. Dalton sent Nicole's clothing out to be cleaned and pressed. He watched her, not wanting to leave her bedside. By ten in the morning, he was puzzled. She was still asleep and showed no signs of awakening. When he tried to rouse her, she would say a few incoherent words and fall back into a deep sleep. As it was nearing checkout time, Dalton called the desk to reserve the room for the second night.

  At noon, he called the emergency room and spoke to someone on staff. Since she had awakened earlier, the nurse he spoke with didn't think anything was wrong except exhaustion. The nurse explained patient confidentiality and only gave generic advice. They were not allowed to pull hospital files or give specific medical advice over the phone.

  The nurse did tell Dalton that the type of trauma Nicole experienced during the hours of her confinement in the vehicle was extreme. The reaction of sleeping was not uncommon. Rest and sleep were the body's natural restoratives. He should wake Nicole and insist on a coherent conversation. Then, if she didn't make sense, he should bring her to the emergency room.

  Dalton ordered a brunch for the noon meal. After it had arrived, he shook Nicole awake. She was reluctant but angrily opened her eyes.

  "Damn it, Dalton!" Nicole grumbled. "Leave me alone, why did you wake me?"

  "Because you never sleep late and I was worried. It could have been a sign of a head injury or another injury overlooked in the emergency room."

  "I told them
I didn't hit my head," Nicole said, getting out of bed.

  He handed her a courtesy robe as she stumbled into the bathroom with him following.

  "Excuse me!" Nicole said, bluntly shutting him out.

  He cooled his heels outside the door until she reappeared. "Does your head hurt?"

  "No, but I've got a pain in my ass! Namely you," she grumbled, shuffling across the room. "I was awake earlier if you will kindly remember?"

  "I know, which is why I was worried. You never sleep late."

  "I have a five-year-old! Do you know how much trouble a little kid can get into in the morning if unsupervised? The last time I tried to sleep in, Matty poured chocolate syrup all over the couch! He was trying to squirt it from the bottle into his mouth. I'm a mom. Mothers don't get to sleep late. My one chance to sleep in and you screwed it up!"

  Dalton shook his head smiling.

  "What?"

  "I know where Matty gets his temperament."

  "This isn't temperament," Nicole growled. "I hurt!"

  "Where?" he demanded. "Why were you making love with me this morning if you were hurt?"

  "I didn't hurt this morning," Nicole said. "That was before everything stiffened up on me. Now I feel like I will break if I move anything. I think all my muscles have revolted. All I want is to lie in bed and be left alone."

  "Okay. You slept past checkout, so I booked the room for another day. They have spa services here. Do you want me to schedule a massage for you?"

  "No, I want to veg and eat. I'm starving and I smell food," Nicole headed for the service cart, but he steered her to the bed over her protests.

  He helped her to bed. "I want the truth, Nic. Are you hurting anywhere specific?"

  "Yes. No. I hurt everywhere," she admitted. "The doctor in the emergency room said to expect it. I will be stiff and sore for a few days, but I'll get over it. You can relax, Dalton. I'm alive and very grateful for it."

  "All right, you're spending the rest of day in bed and, as you call it, 'vegging'. First, you need to call Matty. Gran said he has been whiny and cranky. He needs to hear from his momma."

  "My cell's gone and so is my purse," Nicole said looking around the room and seeing only the small stack of her folded clothing on the bureau. "I'll have to replace all my identification and notify all the companies. What a mess!"