Blind Witness (12 page)

“I always worry that they look funny, staring off into blank space.”

“No, in fact, I think most people don’t even realize you don’t see. Most of the time, I forget it when you turn to me. It’s like you see into my soul like no one ever has.”

He caught the O her mouth made.

“Why is it too soon?” she whispered.

His heart rejoiced at her question, thinking that it might mean she was in love with him also. Unfortunately, the phone rang before he could ask.

“Sorry, it’s probably one of my family members. They take turns checking on me.” She slipped from his arms. “They’re all overprotective of me. I have to answer it before they panic. Hello?”

It was a familiar voice that answered after a long pause, but it wasn’t warm or friendly. “Broken angels don’t go to heaven. They can’t fly. Mason flew, but he had help and he still didn’t land in heaven, just like you won’t land in heaven and neither will
Clairbourne. You shouldn’t have lied. I could almost forgive you, if you hadn’t lied.”

“You hurt Darrell Mason,” she cried.

“He shouldn’t be helping Clairbourne. I warned everyone, but he didn’t listen. No one listened. Well now, they’ll listen to me. Now they know I can destroy Clairbourne. I can destroy him anytime I want.”

“Please, don’t do this. Would Aubrey do this? Would she hurt people?”

“Aubrey wanted Clairbourne like I wanted her. He just toyed with her, and she toyed with me. She died, now I will toy with him. He’ll die and I’ll be left with everything. I’ll win, and then Aubrey will want me again.”

The phone went dead in her ear and Rachelle slump back into Britt’s arms, which had encircled her sometime during the conversation. She felt too drained to make any response, though Britt didn’t ask for any, as if he understood.

He lifted her up and carried her to the couch, cradling her in his lap, as he punched the police number on his cell phone and notified them of the new call. Since there was a car in the neighborhood, they would pick up the recording in a couple of minutes.

They sat in silence until the knock came. Britt settled Rachelle on the couch. “I’ll be right back.” He went to the door.

“I’m Detective Salmon.” The man showed his ID.

“Sorry to drag you over so late.”

“No problem. I’m on late shift. I was just coming back from the accident site where your assistant was hurt. Since your name was mentioned, I wanted to check it out.”

“It was no accident.” The words came from the couch. “It was him. He admitted it to me.”

“We were working under that assumption.” The detective moved into the room toward Rachelle. “We were able to get a good description of the car and a couple numbers off the plate. Hopefully that might give us a good lead to the identity. We’ll get him.”

“I know you’re trying. I just hope it will be soon.” Rachelle said solemnly, the advents of the nig
ht seemed to wear down on her.

Britt moved behind the couch, laying his hand on her shoulder.

“We’ll do our best.” The detective hit redial on the phone, which no one answered, then exchanged the memory stick with a new one. “Why don’t you contact Todd or Adams in the morning? They might have something for you.”

“I will. Thank you.” Britt showed him to the door. Rachelle remained quiet as he came back to sit by her.

“It was such a lovely evening,” she said sadly, as she leaned against him.

“It was. Why don’t you head to bed?” He placed a kiss on the top of her head.

“I am tired.” She raised her head. “I just don’t want you to leave yet.”

“I’m not. Go on, I’ll lock up.”

“It’s a deadbolt and I need to do the chain.”

“I’ll get them. Just tell me where to find a pillow and a blanket.”

“A blanket? You can’t sleep here. We’re not married.”

“That’s why I’ll be sleeping on the couch.”

“Are you sure you’ll be comfortable on the couch?”

“No, so I’ll expect those waffles you promised me earlier.” He was expecting more of an argument. When it didn’t come he figured it proved how shaken she was.

While he locked the door, she disappeared into her room, returning with a pillow and two blankets and a sheet. “Will this be enough?”

“That will be fine.” He took them from her before she knocked over the lamp she was beside.

“I don’t have anything for you to wear.” She caught her bottom lip, as if she could pull the words back.

“It’s all right. I can sleep in my shorts if you promise not to peek,” he teased.

“I’ll try.” Her return was heavy with false lightness. “Thank you for staying.” She turned serious. “I’m trying to be strong, independent and brave. But I really don’t want to be alone tonight.”

“I could drive you to your family.”

“No, they all left with my parents for my cousin’s wedding two days ago. They’ll be gone for a week. They decided to turn it into a vacation. My parents are going to take everyone to Disneyland.”

“Why didn’t you go?”

“I just didn’t feel quite ready for traveling yet.”

“You would’ve been fine, but I’m glad you didn’t go. I’m glad to be with you.”

“Me too, even if they were here, I wouldn’t want to bring trouble to them. I need to learn to stand on my own.”

Britt lowered the bedding to the couch before turning back to her. He knew by the way her head tilted up, she knew he was in front of her. “Do I get to stand with you?” He slid his arms around her waist.

“Are you sure you want to?”

“I’m sure.” He kissed her lightly then stepped back when yearning threatened to overpower him. “Have a good night. And remember, I’m right here. You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I know.”

He helped her adjust her course when she almost turned into the table.

It was the first time he’d ever seen her lose her location in her apartment. He wondered if it was fatigue, nerves or what he’d like to think, that she was distracted from his kiss. He wished he could truly believe the latter.

The cry jolted Britt from his sleep. He shot from under the blankets, bumping his shin on the coffee table. Stumbling toward the closed door, he didn’t pause before opening it, but as the moon filled the room with light, he froze.

Rachelle lay in the queen size sleigh bed. Even from ten feet away, he could hear her rugged breathing which was joined by an agonizing whimper.

“Rachelle.” He crossed the room, settling on the edge of the bed. “Rachelle.” He reached out, stroking her cheek with his fingertip. At first, she turned from it, but when he continued the caress and repeated her name, she relaxed and turned to his hand. “That’s it sweetheart. It’s all right. I’m here.”

“Britt,” her voice quivered out of the dark.

“Yes, love. You were having a nightmare.”

“The car, it came out of nowhere, the lights flooding through my window. I knew it was going to hit me. I couldn’t even scream.”

Britt wondered if she had the dream often, or if Darrell getting hit set it off. He hated the thought of her facing nightmares alone.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He reached for her, pulling her up to his bare chest. He felt her heart racing like a hummingbird. He wrapped his arms around her, and after a moment, she relaxed. The position gave him the feel of her curvy woman’s body and almost ripped a groan from him when her fingers splayed over his chest. When her fingers slid into the mat of hair there, the groan slipped free, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“It was dark when I woke up. At first I didn’t understand. I just thought it was night. I was never afraid of the dark, but now sometimes …” the words hung unsaid. She pressed her face against his chest. “Now what frightens me the most is forgetting what things look like, no longer being able to picture the blue sky, flowers, waterfalls, people. I have several nieces and nephews. I miss seeing them change. I can feel them, but I wish … I wish I could see you and know that you’re real and that you’re here with me, that I’m not making you up.”

“I am here and real.” He laid her back to the pillow, careful to keep the sheet between them. He stretched out behind her, wrapping his arms around her. “I’m here, just relax.”

“Christmas was the hardest. I love Christmas, the lights, decorations, and the shopping. But it was horrid. People everywhere confused me. I couldn’t see what to buy. I tried to say it was all right because the sounds and smells were there, but,” She turned in his arms pressing a tear dampened cheek to his chest.

More than anything he wanted to promise she would see next Christmas, but he couldn’t. It wasn’t within his power, but he would do anything to make it possible. He ran his hands over her back. The thin sheet and silky nightgown did nothing to hide the feel of her from him. The desire he felt for her blossomed, but he pushed it down. He knew he could bring a respite of forgetfulness to her with his body, but that wasn’t what Rachelle needed. She needed his love and comfort. When the time came for them to be together, it would be a joyful celebration of a union meant to be forever. Not an act to chase away the darkness.

He felt the heavy sigh leave her then one hand slid over his shoulder and down his arm, drawing with it another groan. His stomach muscles tightened as her hand slid around his waist. With another sigh, her cheek did a couple, cuddling kitten rubs against his chest as she settled into place. Her heart beat slowed and steadied into sleep.

****

Rachelle woke feeling more warm and content than she ever had. Maybe dreaming of being cuddled against Britt had something to do with it. As the fog of her dream lifted, she realized two things. Her pillow was hard, and it carried the distinctive scent of Britt.

“Britt,” she whispered, running her hand over the heated skin under it. A large hand covered hers.

“Easy, sweetheart, I’m here.” She felt a slight shifting and his lips brushed her head.

“I was dreaming.” She stopped, embarrassed.

Britt watched the color pinking her cheeks and thought if her dream was anything like his, the color was well deserved.

“You held me when I had the nightmare.”

“You needed to be held.” He wondered if she was going to apologize.

“It’s been a long while since,” she stopped.

“Since you turned to someone,” he said for her.

“I’ve tried to be strong.”

“It’s all right to need someone. I’m just finding that out.” He cupped her chin in one hand, tilting it up. The kiss was warm and sweet. Breaking the kiss, he brushed his fingers back through her hair. “Do I deserve waffles?”

A smile blossomed from deep within her. “I think so, if you don’t mind letting me take the first shower.”

“Let me see, lay around in bed for an additional twenty minutes so a beautiful woman can fix me breakfast. I don’t know.”

“I’ll make it fifteen,” she returned playfully and slid out of bed.

Britt had to hold back a moan as she crossed the room. Closing his eyes did nothing to block the vision already imprinted on his mind. Once he heard the door close, he sank back into the pillow.

Her innocence was killing him. Likely the nightgown she was wearing would be considered modest, but after holding her shapely body all night, he knew the figure under it too well. He yearned to go after her and bring her back to bed. The deep steadying breath he took backfired on him when it filled his senses with the fragrance of her. He never should have come into her bedroom. He shouldn’t have held her. And he certainly should not have fallen asleep in her bed. But he didn’t regret falling in love with her, even if his timing was a little off.

He glanced at the delicate, brightly colored blossoms in the vase beside her bed. A few of the blossoms were beginning to fade. He reached out and picked off the fading blossoms, keeping it pretty, though she couldn’t see them. He liked the smell of them. They reminded him of Rachelle. They were perfect for her.

****

Rachelle let the water run over her body, trying to cool it, but it burned from within. She wondered what Britt would say if he knew her thoughts. He would probably think she was foolish, or naive. And he’d be right. She had never awakened next to a man before, and though they hadn’t done anything, it didn’t change the feeling of desire she felt.

She wondered what she would have done if Britt wanted to make love to her, always before it had been relatively easy to say no, even with her ex-fiancé. When Richard had pressed, she had told him she wanted to wait until their wedding night. What would Richard say if he ever found
out that her reason for not sleeping with him was − it never felt right? He’d readily agreed when she deny him, then he turned around told their friends, gloating like it was a great boon. Rachelle remembered how it hurt.

She knew Britt would never do that. He would keep their relationship between them. He would never pressure or put demands on her. Maybe that was why their relationship was more confusing for her. For once, she truly longed to belong to a man, to have him tell her he loved her, ask her to marry him and be his. And Britt was so worried about her safety and taking care of her, he didn’t seem to see it. Or maybe he just didn’t truly care for her that way and didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Turning the water a touch cooler, she rinsed off.

****

Britt stood in the doorway to the kitchen watching Rachelle make waffles. As she poured the batter in the iron, he was afraid she was going to burn herself, but with amazing skill, she completed it. “It smells good in here,” he stepped into the room, “looks good, too.”

“The sweet peas aren’t fading?”

He glanced at the table. “No, they’re still pretty.”

“They smell nice.”

“They do. You know, I didn’t even know what they were until I saw them. I thought sweet pea was a character in Popeye.”

“A Popeye fan, huh.”

“Actually, I was more of an adventure fan like, Flash and the Fantastic Four.

“Green Lantern and Spiderman?”

“Yeah, but don’t tell my mother. She thought that they were a complete waste of time.” He reached over and picked off a blossom.

“I used to read them.”

“Hmmm, something in common.”

“Yeah, along with how many other thousands of people.”

“You’re the only one that counts.”

“You must really want those waffles. Sit down and they’ll be right up.”

He settled at the table, watching her. “How can you tell when they’re done?”

She removed a perfectly golden waffle from the iron. “Smell for one thing, but the secret is actually,” she leaned forward and lowered her voice. “They don’t stick when you try to raise the lid.” She joined him at the table.

****

“Where are we going?” Rachelle asked as the elevator rose past her floor.

“My office,” he said simply.

“I really should get to work. I was gone almost all day yesterday.”

“I thought I’d keep you with me to listen for our guy.”

She was doubtful it was the real reason, but let him lead her out of the elevator into his office. “Are you sure you don’t have ulterior motives.”

“Actually I do. I like having you with me.” He closed the door.

“That’s not fair,” she said, knowing she couldn’t argue against that.

She felt and heard him laugh lightly. “You could say you like being with me too.” He tightened the arm he had around her waist.

She surprised him when she turned to him. His other arm came around her instinctively when she placed hers around him.

“I do like being around you.” The words were said so softly that, if her face hadn’t been tipped toward him, he might not have heard her.

Her face, as always, didn’t hide much, and what was there took his breath away. Drawn to the image of love, like a man dying of thirst, he took her mouth. He savored her to his soul, knowing he could never live without her. He wanted to declare his love but swallowed the words when the doors burst open.

If Carlton Reese even noticed that he was disturbing anything, it didn’t stop him. “Britt, you have to do something about the air circulation,” he wheezed. “It’s doing nothing for my allergies.”

“Carlton,” Britt snapped, as Rachelle jerked away from him. “Did you not notice my door was closed?”

“Yes, well, I wanted to talk to you. You’re late and Darrell hasn’t been at his desk all morning.”

“Darrell is in the hospital. I just stopped to see him. If you’re concerned at all, he’s doing well,” Britt said annoyed not only at the disruption, but the man’s thoughtlessness. “He’ll be going home in a day or two. And I was just about to call the secretarial pool to have them send someone up.”

“That’s not what it looked like you were doing.” The look his brother-in-law gave Rachelle was enough to make Britt clench his fist. The man tried his patience. If it wasn’t for his stepmother and sister, he would have fired him long ago. Then again if it weren’t for their insistence, he would never have hired him. He knew Carlton had aspiration of moving up into the top leadership, but it would never happen. The man was unwilling to do things he thought were unworthy of him, and tended to blame others when his work was not done or done right. Two things that Britt could not tolerate, besides, the man just grated on his nerves.

“I suggest you go back to your office and try to do some of your work,” Britt said pointedly.

“But, what about the air?
How am I supposed to breathe?” the man whined.

The look Britt gave him had shaken many men, turned quite a few deals, and was enough to send Carlton Reese scurrying from his office.

“Britt, is there anything I can do to help?” Rachelle stood holding onto the back of the leather wingback chair in front of his desk.

His first thought was to say no, then he realized like him, she needed to keep busy and more so, for her to be helpful and productive while he was keeping her from her job. “Can you call down and get someone to cover for Darrell?”

“Of course.” She let her fingers guide her around the chair. His heart constricted as he watched her reach for his desk, but when she touched it, she moved around it quite confidently until she came to his chair.

“The phone is on the right.” He came over, picking up a file. “Why don’t you take a seat?”

She settled and moved her hand cautiously up, once she found the phone, her fingers moved with more sure actions. Britt opened the file but his attention remained focused on Rachelle. She was so beautiful and amazing. After everything, she was still ready to help him. There didn’t seem be anything she couldn’t meet straight on.

“Is there anything else I can do?” she asked, putting the phone down after the call.

Love me.
Was his first thought, instead his mind raced for something that would keep her satisfied and safely ensconced in his office.

“Actually there is. I have some dictation Darrell hasn’t had time to type up and add to their folders. Would you mind typing them up, so he won’t be so far behind when he gets back?”

“Not at all.”

“There are over half a dozen of them.”

“That’s all right.”