The Temptation of Dr. Colton

by Karen Whiddon

  When she woke again, the nightstand clock showed 3:22 a.m. Next to her, Eric slept deeply, even occasionally letting out a light snore. She slipped out from his arms, watching with her heart in her throat to make sure she hadn’t awakened him. When the even cadence of his breath told her she hadn’t, she scooped up her clothes from the floor and carried them to the bathroom.

  There, she cleaned up and dressed, blinking back tears. Inhaling deeply, she went back to the main room, located Eric’s jeans and removed his wallet.

  She felt like a thief, but ruthlessly she silenced the pangs of conscience as she emptied the money he’d won. Counting out nearly fourteen hundred dollars, she left him one crisp hundred dollar bill. Hopefully, he wouldn’t need more than that. After all, once everyone knew she’d gone, he wouldn’t have to worry about keeping his location hidden.

  Taking one last lingering look at him, aware she might never see him again, she slipped out the door and into the darkness of the early morning.

  * * *

  Eric woke feeling happier than he had in years. Maybe even his entire life. Suddenly, the future shone unbelievably bright. While he loved his job, his calling, since meeting Kara he’d suddenly come to realize there was more to life than work. Much more.

  Rolling over with a smile on his lips, he frowned as he realized her side of the bed was empty. He sat up, padding over to the open bathroom door. Though clearly no one occupied it, he checked anyway. Empty.

  Heart pounding, even though deep down he already knew, he searched every corner of the motel room.

  Kara was gone.

  And since there was no sign of forced entry—he would have heard if someone had tried to break in to the room anyway—he could only face the truth. Kara had left of her own free will. A flash of wild grief made him stagger. How? Why? And then he remembered his winnings at the blackjack table.

  With a sinking heart, he checked his wallet and realized almost all the money he’d won playing poker last night was gone, and the last shred of doubt he’d had regarding Kara’s disappearance had vanished.

  In place of the thick wad of bills, she’d left a note.

  “Eric, I’m sorry,” it began. Her loopy handwriting, all flourishes and curves, reminded him so much of her it made his chest hurt.

  I considered the risks, and what we both had to lose. You’re correct, I do have to testify, but I have no right to drag you or your family into my troubles. I appreciate everything you’ve ever done for me and when this is all over, if I survive, I promise to pay you back every cent. Both from today and from before, when you cared enough to spend your own money on a woman who was a total stranger to you.

  Don’t look for me, please. I’ll find you after the trial. Until then, stay safe.

  And then, three little words that broke his heart.

  “I love you. Kara.”

  Stunned, he read it again.

  She loved him? His first impulse was to wad the note up and throw it at the wall. How could she say such a thing and then do something like this? If she truly loved him, she’d have stayed and let him help her fight this battle. She’d have a much better chance of staying alive.

  Kara. Beautiful, brave, resourceful Kara. His mystery woman.

  So many emotions. Fury, disappointment, shock. And most of all, hurt.

  Swallowing past the lump in his throat, he knew what he had to do. Damned if he was going to give up and walk away. Not now. Especially not now, when he’d come to understand he loved her, too. Enough to want to spend the rest of his life with her. He had to find her, talk to her and make her understand that they were in this together. They always had been, ever since he’d seen her get hit by that car on that fateful day when his life had changed forever.

  Chapter 16

  He had to find her. She couldn’t have gone far. The first thing Eric needed to do was check at the bus station. He had no doubt she’d headed there and purchased a ticket to somewhere.

  Skipping a shower, he hurriedly brushed his teeth and pulled on his clothes. Then, fueled by determination, he jogged and walked the four or five blocks over to the Greyhound place.

  First he checked the restaurant attached to the station. While the brick building seemed full of people having breakfast, he didn’t see Kara anywhere. When he asked the hostess if anyone matching her description had been in, the woman shrugged. “I just started my shift,” she said. “The girl who worked before me has already gone home.”

  Just in case, he walked from booth to booth, checking. He also looked at the breakfast bar, his heart sinking when he found no sign of her.

  Of course, depending on what time she’d left the hotel, she’d probably already eaten, gotten on some bus and headed on her way.

  After that dead end, he went into the terminal proper, determined to find out where she’d gone. Even though there were only three ticket counters open, none of the workers claimed to remember a woman like her. Two of them were so flat-out disinterested they’d barely speak to him, while the other eyed him sideways as if he was a criminal.

  When Eric asked to speak to the manager, a balding, middle-aged man with a huge paunch wobbled out from a back room somewhere and asked how he could help him.

  Eric explained his girlfriend had gone missing.

  “That sounds like a domestic dispute to me,” the man drawled. “I can’t get involved with your personal issues.”

  Gritting his teeth, Eric ignored that. “I’d like to view the security camera footage taken at your ticket counters since midnight,” he said, managing to keep his tone pleasant.

  At the request, the manager frowned and scratched his oversize belly. “No can do. You’ll need to get a warrant for that. I’m really sorry,” he said, sounding anything but. “Come back and see me once you have one.”

  A warrant. Great. After thanking the man, Eric went outside and called his brother. “Ryan, I need your help,” he began.

  “Where are you?” Ryan practically shouted, cutting him off.

  “Trying to find Kara,” Eric answered. “I’m at a bus station in Louisiana. Though it’s not that big of a place, no one here seems to remember her. They refuse to let me view the security video without a warrant.”

  Silence. Then Ryan gave a loud, beleaguered sigh.

  “And so you called me.” Ryan’s tone, layered with sarcasm, didn’t sound sympathetic at all. “You do realize it’s impossible to get a warrant in another jurisdiction without proper cause, don’t you? Never mind working through the legalities in another state.” He paused, took a deep breath, clearly just now processing what Eric had said. “Kara’s missing? How the hell did you manage to lose her?”

  “That’s just it. I didn’t. Not in the way you’re suggesting anyway. She took off from our hotel room while I slept. Cleaned out my wallet and everything.”

  Silence while Ryan digested this. “Why?” he finally asked. “Why would she do such a thing?”

  “Her note says she wanted to protect me and our family. I’m guessing she figures if she’s gone, that mobster won’t make good on his threats.”

  “What the hell could she be thinking?” Ryan swore. “There’s no way she’ll stand a chance on her own. How much cash does she have?”

  “Around fourteen hundred,” Eric said grimly. “I had a good night at the blackjack table.”

  Again stunned silence. “You’re gambling?” Ryan’s tone echoed with disbelief. “Yesterday the two of you were in a car crash, she was captured and escaped from an imposter law-enforcement guy, you stole an ambulance and ditched it, and the two of you went on the run. Then, to cap it all off, you went gambling?”

  “It’s a long story. And we got some rest on the bus. But believe me, I gambled for a good reason. We needed to increase our cash.” Idly, he watched as a bus pulled in and parked. When the doors
opened and passengers began disembarking, he watched them head into the restaurant, one by one.

  Except for a curvy, auburn-haired woman. Once she got off the bus, she turned and headed in the opposite direction from the station. Toward the hotel, her stride confident and sure.

  His heart stuttered.

  Kara.

  “I think I just found her,” Eric said, fumbling and almost dropping the phone. “Sorry, I’ve got to go.” Ending the call, he shoved the phone in his pocket and sprinted after her, his heart pounding nearly as loud as his footsteps.

  As he approached, Kara didn’t even turn, either lost in her own thoughts or completely focused on her destination. Not street-smart, or safe.

  Finally, he caught up to her, grabbing her elbow and spinning her around to face him. “Kara.”

  Jerking away, she met his gaze, her own face so expressionless he might have been a stranger. “What do you want? Who are you? I don’t know you.”

  For one swift second, he thought her amnesia had somehow returned. But he knew such a thing wasn’t even remotely possible.

  “What?” Almost too late, he saw the way she cut her eyes to the left, letting him know she believed she’d been followed.

  “Leave me alone,” she ordered, backing away from him. “I’m armed and if you keep bothering me, I will defend myself.”

  “My mistake.” Turning away, he caught the palpable relief in her eyes. Even though he knew she didn’t have a weapon, her claiming to be armed was a smart move.

  Despite every primal instinct screaming at him not to, he let her move away and searched for the threat.

  There. He saw the man, looking every bit the movie-type gangster, sitting on a bench pretending to read a newspaper, his left knee jiggling up and down. Every few seconds, he’d look up from the paper and study Kara, who continued to walk away.

  Though he wanted to go after her, Eric couldn’t take a chance, not if somehow one of the mob goons had found her. He noted the man kept moving his right hand into his jacket pocket, indicating he probably had a weapon.

  To Eric’s shock, Kara turned around and came back. “I couldn’t leave you,” she murmured. “I don’t know how I’d live if you were shot.”

  Stunned and horrified, he couldn’t find any words. Sweet, beautiful Kara, who surely must be absolutely terrified, even now thought only about saving him.

  “Get behind me,” he ordered, finding his voice. Stepping in front of her, he looked around and quickly led them to a battered telephone pole, keeping his body in front of her like a shield. It wasn’t much protection, but it would have to do.

  The guy on the bench glanced at his watch, almost as if he was waiting for a signal.

  Then, while Eric tried to figure out how to get Kara safely out of the area, the man got up, folded his paper and headed toward the bus station.

  “Wow,” Kara said, sagging against the telephone pole. “Once again my imagination got the better of me. I really thought that guy was one of Samboliono’s goons.”

  As his heartbeat slowed and he caught his breath, he stared at her. He couldn’t believe she was acting as if the night before hadn’t happened. As if she hadn’t emptied his wallet and sneaked out of their hotel room in the middle of the night, and left him.

  “What are you doing, Kara?” He kept his voice gentle, struggling to contain his frustration and anger. “I woke up and you were gone.”

  “And now I’m back.” Swallowing hard, she looked away. “I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry?” He didn’t even try to hide the bitterness in his tone. “Sorry isn’t going to cut it. I need more.”

  There were a thousand other things he wanted say, but couldn’t. Not yet. Not until he knew exactly why she’d run away. “I have a right to know why. Explain.”

  When she dropped her head and held on to her silence, he took a deep breath. “Look, Kara. I know you’re scared. That’s understandable. But help me understand. I went to sleep with you wrapped in my arms. I woke up and you were gone. I’d like to know the reason why.”

  The tortured expression in her eyes when she met his gaze quelled his hurt anger and made his heart turn over.

  “Here?” She gestured around them, reminding him they were exposed, out in the open, and in a very public place. “Can we go back to the room?”

  Part of him, the primal, primitive side that wanted to claim her right then and there, and tell her in no uncertain terms that she was his, wanted to have this out here, now.

  Fortunately, the more rational, reasonable side of him prevailed.

  Resisting the urge to take her arm, he gave a curt nod. “Sure.”

  Neither spoke the entire walk back to the Horseshoe. They traveled in silence through the lobby, the noisy and already crowded and smoky casino, and rode the elevator to the third floor. He couldn’t help but wonder if she felt as battered inside as he did.

  He let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding once they were inside their room and the door had swung closed behind them. He secured the dead bolt and the chain, for good measure. When he saw the bed, still rumpled from their lovemaking the night before, the memory of how he’d felt when he’d found her gone stabbed him.

  The note, still in his pocket, mocked his tumultuous emotions. He couldn’t help but wonder if she’d truly meant her words, or if she’d written them as some kind of balm on what she might have viewed as a wounded male ego.

  And then he faced her. The pain and sorrow still flickering in her eyes wounded him.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m really, really sorry.” Biting her lip, she looked past him at nothing. “I thought I was doing what would be best, but after I left I realized I was only running away.”

  Clenching his jaw, he kept his arms crossed so he wouldn’t touch her. Though he wanted to. With every fiber of his being.

  “I came back.” Her voice broke. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a neatly rolled wad of bills. “Here’s your money. It’s all here, except for what I spent on the bus ticket.”

  When he made no move to take it, she gave a muffled cry and threw it on the floor at his feet. “You act like you wish I hadn’t returned.”

  “Not that,” he told her, his low voice vibrating with intensity. “Never that. And I don’t care about the money. I’m still trying to understand why you thought you should go in the first place.”

  “I made a mistake.” Drawing herself up, she faced him, tears filling her eyes and muffling her voice. “The instant I realized my error, I corrected it. Eric, I’ve told you I’m sorry. I came back to try and fix what I did. If you can’t accept that...”

  “Did you mean this?” Slowly, Eric withdrew the note she’d left him. “What you wrote in here? Did you mean it or were you just trying to say something you thought I wanted to hear?”

  Wiping at her eyes, she sighed. “I would never do that. I meant every word. I love you, Eric. That’s partly why I came back.”

  “Partly?” He saw the hurt flash across her face when he didn’t immediately reciprocate.

  “Yes, partly. Even if you don’t return the feeling, the other reason I came back is because we’ve always been a damn good team. I didn’t want to lose that.”

  His heart squeezed at the fact that she seemed unaware of the tears snaking silver streams down her face.

  “I guess I’m too late,” she said, her voice breaking. “Apparently, I’ve managed to lose it after all.”

  When she went to turn away, he caught her and hauled her up against him, swallowing tightly. This woman. His. For now and forever. “My beautiful mystery woman. Kara, I love you. I’m not about to lose you, no matter what the cost. I know you’re worried about my family. I’ll stay away from them—we can even have Ryan tell everyone we’ve separated. We need to keep hidden, at least unt
il this trial is over, as long as we’re together. I want to be with you, no matter what, wherever you need to go, whatever you need to do.”

  Her stunned gaze searched his face. “Are you sure?” He couldn’t help but see the way her hand trembled as she reached up and laid it alongside his cheek. “Because I need you to be very, very sure.”

  “Positive.” He placed his own hand over hers. “We’ll face this side by side, the way we have since we met.”

  And then he kissed her. Neither of them spoke again for a very long time.

  * * *

  After they’d made passionate love, Kara watched Eric doze. She was still trembling inside. She’d come so close to losing him, yet her conscience continued to prick at her. Samboliono always did what he said. Even if Eric didn’t understand what kind of danger his family was now in, she did.

  He woke a few minutes later, smiling to find her watching him. “Come here,” he said, his low voice seductive as he stroked her arm.

  Instead, she got off the bed and stood. Out of reach, since she couldn’t think straight when he touched her. “Would you mind calling Ryan first? I’m sure Samboliono has already put out the word to his men. We need to act fast if we’re going to put your plan into action.”

  “Of course.” Pushing back the sheets, he padded over to the hotel dresser and retrieved his pants. Digging into one of the pockets, he frowned. After searching the other, his frown deepened. “My cell isn’t here. Help me look for it.”

  Despite both of them searching the room and the bathroom, neither found any sign of the missing phone.

  “It must have fallen from my pocket when I went running after you.”

  At her crestfallen expression, he squeezed her shoulder. “It’s okay. Let me use your phone.”

  Crud. Staring at him, she sighed. “I tossed it in the trash can at the bus station, right before I got on the bus.”

  He appeared dumbfounded. “Why?”

  “Because I remembered reading somewhere that cell phones have tracking devices. And I figured with Ryan’s police connections, you two could find me, so I got rid of the phone.”