by James, Sandy
Not her office. Everything that reminded him of Laurie had literally fueled his rage as the monster silently taunted him while he searched. The pictures and diplomas mocked him with their unspoken condemnation. They ridiculed his failures, both at finding the treasure and that Laurie had chosen another man over him.
Was that man her lover now? Did he know all her secrets?
Alex punched his steering wheel to try to focus the anger. She’d made the wrong choice, and he would prove it to her.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t had enough time to thoroughly search the house. Now he wouldn’t have access at all.
Damn her.
She would give him that journal. And she would be his again. Or she would pay dearly for her betrayals.
Chapter 15
T.J. bought a car today. He said it’s time to go. He wants Ellie and me to get together just what we’ll need on the trip. We’re going to leave everything else behind so we don’t draw attention to ourselves. I worry about him every time he leaves our place. Ice has been acting so strange, and so has Ellie. She told me she found out Ice has a child. What kind of future can that poor little boy ever have?
We need to get Ellie away from Chicago before Ice kills her. I’m tired of seeing her black eyes and swollen jaws. T.J. thinks Ice knows we are planning to disappear. T.J. is going to meet Ice at his place to get his share of the money, and then we’ll hit the road tomorrow.
Ice planned to kill the Fortune dear,
so Royalty stayed forever near.
To meet the Cold in dead of night
a Duchess knew wouldn’t end right.
To save a Fortune and Ruby dear,
One let the Cold think he was clear.
Ross opened the door, put his arm around Laurie’s waist, and helped her into his condo.
“I can walk, Ross,” she scolded.
He just grunted and continued to keep a strong arm wrapped firmly around her. Leading her to the leather sofa, he pushed her to take a seat. “I had Deepika pack some stuff for you. There’s a bag in the bedroom. Sheila dropped it by after her visit.”
“Thanks. I really wish you hadn’t gone to all this trouble.”
He just grunted again.
Laurie looked around the condo, learning about Ross Kennedy by taking in his home. The place reeked of affluence. Nothing but black, white, and chrome. Spotless. State-of-the-art flat plasma television. Bose stereo. Extraordinary view of Lake Michigan. Framed black and white photos by Ansel Adams, probably originals knowing the condo’s owner. She guessed the cupboards were full of alphabetized spices that had never been used. It was simultaneously creepy and more than a little intimidating. The condo was an obsessive-compulsive paradise.
A large and positively gorgeous aquarium added the only color. Some beautifully exotic fish swam among living plants. But even their home appeared a bit too clean and orderly.
How could he possibly stand her house? This place was its polar opposite. Thinking of how hard it was for her and Deepika to contain their busy lives with any sort of organization, questions raced through Laurie’s mind about Ross’s sterile condominium. Where did he keep his magazines? Where did he put the discarded shoes? Where did he even throw his keys or briefcase when he got home?
Then she suddenly understood. Ross was seldom here. This condominium wasn’t a “home.” This was a place he slept until he went back to work. The notion made her horribly sad. Laurie wanted to give him what he was missing in his life. A home. A family. Her intuition spoke to her, told her what he desired.
Still not entirely clear on the sleeping arrangements, she wondered exactly what tumbled through his head. They’d yet to talk about her deception or whether he’d accepted who she really was. Each time she broached the subject at the hospital, Ross had quickly steered the conversation in another direction. The counselor in her knew something this important wasn’t that easily glossed over. They would eventually need to clear the air, but she still felt too weak to goad him into a discussion that could turn a bit heated.
For the time being, Laurie was content with the care and concern Ross showered on her. Her sixth sense told her there was an important reason he was handling her with kid gloves, other than her obvious physical weakness. She tried to ignore the nudge her gift sent her way. He would show all of his cards in his own good time.
“Do you want something to drink? Or something to eat? You didn’t have much for dinner,” Ross said as she watched him hang up their coats and put his shoes away in the hall closet. Laurie toed her shoes off and kicked them under the glass coffee table. He came to pick them up and put them with his.
“No, thanks.” What she really wanted was a long hot shower so she could scrub her hair and skin until they felt clean again. The destruction of her office left her feeling dirty. Violated. She wasn’t sure she would ever be ready to face her home. For a moment, Laurie wished she’d taken Ross up on his offer to have the place put back together. But it was too late to go back and change her answer, and she wasn’t about to beg for a favor from someone she’d wronged so badly.
“You should probably be in bed,” he said as he came and sat next to her on the enormous sofa.
“I’m sick of being in bed. I want a shower.”
Deepika had been very specific in the instructions she’d made both of them listen to before she’d agreed to let Laurie leave the hospital. Getting the cuts on her face wet was verboten. She hoped he would give her some wiggle room and the freedom to decide for herself.
“You remember what Deepika said,” Ross scolded.
“Yeah, well, she isn’t the one who looks like shit, is she?” Realizing how harsh she sounded, Laurie grew contrite. “Sorry, Ross. I just want to get clean. And I want to see how bad I look.” The tightening of his features and the fact he didn’t immediately contradict her raised a red flag. The injuries to her face couldn’t be that bad. Could they? Ross and her nurses must have formed some kind of conspiracy because she hadn’t been allowed a good view of her face in a mirror the entire time she’d been in the hospital.
Popping up off the couch, Ross disappeared into what Laurie assumed was a bathroom. He shuffled around for a few minutes until the sound of water being drawn into a tub reached her. He moved to another room, followed by more noises before he returned to the bathroom.
Ross finally came back into the living room, took her hand, and pulled her to stand. Laurie’s legs were still weak and shaky. She tried to hide her trembling. Wrapping a protective arm around her waist, he walked her to the bathroom. He pushed her to sit on the closed toilet seat.
The enormous garden tub was rapidly filling with steamy water. Just looking at it made Laurie sigh in anticipation. Ross had piled several fluffy towels next to the tub and set shampoo, soap, and a large plastic glass within easy reach.
“I don’t think I’ve ever even used the tub,” he said as he checked the temperature of the water. He inclined his head toward the separate shower stall. “I always use that.”
The tub looked warm and inviting, and Laurie grew impatient. She wanted to remove the antiseptic smell of the hospital and the residual patches of adhesive from the tape that had held IV to her hand. And she wanted to repair her appearance.
She still couldn’t believe that Ross wouldn’t be entirely put off by her dirty hair, lack of make-up, and her bruises. It was beginning to frighten her that he’d gone to so much effort to keep her from seeing the extent of her injuries.
Glancing over at the mirror, she realized it was not only the wrong angle for her to see her reflection, but it had rapidly fogged over from the steam rising from the tub.
No help there.
Hoping to have a little privacy, Laurie decided to politely get him the hell out of the bathroom. “Thanks, Ross. I’ll call you when I’m done.” The second he left, she planned on grabbing a towel, wiping off the mirror, and taking a good long look at her face.
“You’re crazy if you think I’m gonna let you crawl into that tu
b by yourself. Hell, Laurie, you can barely walk.”
“But—”
“No.”
“But—”
“No, Kitten. I’ll help you. Besides, I’ve already seen you in a tub.”
She frowned at him. “You didn’t have to remind me.”
“I’m not letting you fall and drown yourself in my tub.” A wry smile crossed his lips. “I wouldn’t want to deal with the paperwork for the police, and I’m sure there’d be some nuisance lawsuit.”
“Aren’t you funny?” Laurie said as she shot him a nasty scowl. She couldn’t tell him how humiliating it felt that he was going to have to help her bathe. It seemed too intimate and way too much to ask from a guy who wanted to leave her just a couple of days ago. “Ross, please.”
He just stared down at her and shook his head. Crouching down next to her, he took her hands and pushed their palms together. “Still no read on me?”
Laurie closed her eyes and tried with all her might to get a handle on what he was feeling. He remained a blank slate. “Nada.” She caught his quick nod and sigh of relief.
Ross took off her socks and then he gently unbuttoned her cotton shirt. He helped her shrug her way out of it.
It terrified Laurie to realize if he was truly going to help her get clean, she was going to have to bare herself before him. “I can’t do this. Please.”
Ross put his finger gently against her lips. He knew this wasn’t easy for her, but he wasn’t about to let her bathe on her own. She had no idea how fragile she looked or how much he hated himself for letting her get hurt. The only saving grace was that Laurie couldn’t possibly read all of the love and desire coursing through him. Now wasn’t the right time for her to know all that he held in his heart.
The touch of his fingers to her soft lips hit him like an electric shock, but Ross wanted to maintain some self-control. The last thing Laurie needed was some big lummox like him lusting after her. The poor woman could barely walk. He’d have to rein in his rampant libido and try, for once, to be a nurturer. Even if it killed him. “You’re not getting in that tub by yourself. It’s either my help or no go.”
She swallowed hard. “Fine. Whatever,” she finally grumbled.
“Hang on.” Ross went over and dialed the dimmer switch down to spare her any more embarrassment than necessary. Unfortunately, the lighting only made the bath appear more romantic and intimate.
Grabbing a towel from the pile, he wrapped it around her shoulders. Then he reached under the terrycloth, ran his fingers lightly up her back, and found the clasp to her bra. It took him a second to figure out exactly how to get it undone, and he realized his hands were trembling. This was going to be hard. In more ways than one.
What in the hell was he doing?
Helping Laurie, you moron.
Standing and pulling her to her feet, Ross stayed in front of her and stared directly into her eyes as he reached beneath the towel to untie her workout pants. He pushed them over her hips and let them fall to the floor. Sweet Jesus. He could just pick her up and carry her into the bedroom and...
Grow up, Kennedy.
Without losing the eye contact he hoped would let her know he wasn’t ogling her, Ross slid his hands over her hips as he slipped his fingers under her panties and pushed them down until they were loose enough to drop. He tried not to look at the underwear or the discarded bra because if they were red... Please don’t let them be red. Laurie carefully stepped away from the abandoned garments.
Okay, now what, you big idiot? You think you can bathe her without touching her?
Ross had to take deep breaths to try to hold back the enormity of his physical response. The woman he loved and desperately desired was standing naked in his presence. His body screamed for Laurie. He told it to be a little more patient. But he was already so hard it was painful.
Ross led her to the tub. He pushed her to sit on the tiled ledge and then helped her swing her legs into the warm water. He kept a firm hold on her waist as she carefully slipped into its depth until she was concealed beneath the surface.
Laurie dropped the now sodden towel over the side of the tub and relaxed back in the water. Judging from her contented sigh, the warmth eased her aches and pains. He knelt next to the tub.
“I can take it from here, Ross.” She was trying to cover up with nothing more concealing than her hands being available. “Really. I can take a bath by myself.”
“Let me help you,” he said as he grabbed a washcloth, wet it, and began to rub it against the soap. Taking her hand, he slowly ran the wet cloth the length of her arm and then slid it back down on the soft underside. He repeated the gentle washing of her other arm, stopping long enough to rub the adhesive off the back of her hand.
Ross lathered the washcloth with more soap. He reached deep in the water to run his hand down one of her long muscular legs, then the other. Knowing that it was nothing short of torture to touch her so intimately and not be able to take her to bed, he gritted his teeth and tried to concentrate on helping her. Her bruises helped dampen his desire. There would be a better time to make love to her. While she was still so obviously weak wasn’t the right moment. But damn, this was nothing short of torture.
“Sit up, Laurie.” He gently pushed her away from the edge of the tub. After rubbing the soapy washcloth over her back and shoulders, he guided her to lean her head back. She crossed her arms to conceal her breasts. From his perspective, she wasn’t doing a very good job. At least she couldn’t see him smiling at the view.
“Put your head back, Love,” he coaxed. Using the glass, he slowly poured the warm water over her hair as he protected the bandages on her forehead from getting wet. After he’d soaked her hair, he worked the shampoo through her thick tresses. She started purring like a contented kitten.
I’ll never make it through this if she keeps that up.
The shampoo smell hit him from every angle, reminding him of the times he’d held her, of the times he’d kissed her.
After pouring more water over her hair to rinse away the suds, Ross pulled her back to rest her shoulders against the tub again. Then he faced a dilemma. If he had any mercy at all, he would let Laurie handle the more intimate areas of her body. But he wasn’t feeling horribly merciful. He decided he wasn’t going to be the only one tortured by this bath.
Turning the soap over in his palms, Ross looked her squarely in the eye as he let his hands roam over her full breasts. The slippery feel of them under his palms was almost enough for him to put his chivalrous notions aside, grab her up, and run to his bedroom. The passionate look in Laurie’s eyes wasn’t helping matters much. He could see just as clearly as if he possessed her empathic gift that she felt as excited at their contact as he was.
That does it. I’m in Hell. I’m being punished for all my sins.
Picking up the washcloth, he rubbed it across the soap again. Starting at her ribs, Ross slowly worked the cloth down her body. When he slid his hand between her legs, Laurie let her head fall back to rest against the tub. Her limbs trembled. He could only play there for a moment before he would lose what little self-control he still maintained. It seemed a bit bizarre that the act of helping Laurie with her bath seemed much more intimate than the times in the past that he’d slept with other women. He had never shared this type of connection, something that went beyond simple sex. This woman had no idea how she made him feel. Thank God, she couldn’t read him.
Watching her reaction to his touch, he flirted with the idea of dropping the washcloth and using his fingers to give her pleasure. Her eyes practically begged him to do so. Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure he would survive the torment. It could wait for now. There would be another time when he could bring that kind of ecstasy to her. Lots of other times.
Let her be, you big ox. She’s hurt. Remember?
Dropping the washcloth into the water, Ross reached under her arms and lifted her to stand before she had a chance to fight him. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around her like a
cocoon before he helped her step carefully out of the tub. Throwing a second dry towel over his shoulder, Ross scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.
Laurie was absolutely amazed at his actions. She’d never thought a man would be able to carry her at all. Yet Ross cradled her against him as if she weighed next to nothing. She felt almost dainty for the first time in her size fourteen life. When they reached the master bedroom, he set her on the end of the bed. After Ross rubbed her hair with the spare towel, he mumbled some excuse about cleaning up the bathroom. Then he practically ran from the room.
She felt a bit confused as to why he so abruptly disappeared. The familiarity of the bath had left every inch of her skin on fire. She could remember each touch, each caress. All he had to do was crook his finger at her, and she would run to him.
Well, maybe not run. But limp as fast as I can.
Despite her lingering pain and overwhelming exhaustion, she held tight to a slim hope that Ross would want to make love to her.
Grabbing a nightshirt and panties from her bag, Laurie dressed. She found her brush and began to work it through her hair as she walked to the mirror mounted on the walnut dresser. Now she would finally get a look at her injuries.
The instant she saw her face, Laurie understood her flash of intuition. She couldn’t suppress a mournful cry as she gaped at her reflection. Her forehead was still bandaged, but the rest of her face was marked by several ugly bruises. She didn’t realize a long cut on her cheek had been sealed with a purple adhesive that almost matched the tint of the injured skin beneath it. Looking at the white gauze shielding the largest of the injuries, Laurie had a desperate need to see the wound it covered.
Peeling away the tape, she removed the bandage. An angry gash ran from the center of her right eyebrow, slanting across her forehead to the widow’s peak of her scalp. The cut was surrounded by a deep and ugly bruise, and the injury had been stitched with thin, clear thread. Her right eye was shadowed in purple and red. She looked like she had lost a heavyweight title fight.
