Seeing Red (45 page)

He picked her up so swiftly that she didn’t see it coming. He carried her into her bathroom and set her feet on the floor in front of the tub. Keeping one arm wrapped around her waist, he started the water.

“But I—”

He swallowed up her words with a kiss, his mouth hot, his tongue exploring. He slid his hand under her shirt, sending chills across her skin as he gently swept his fingers along the curve of her waist. His lips moved to the side of her neck, kissing and nipping the skin lightly with his teeth.

Ellis was overcome by shivers, so different from those of earlier today. If she tried to move her legs, no doubt her knees would buckle.

His breath hot and tempting against her neck, he said, “You issued the challenge. So you’d better let me do this my way.”

She pulled back slightly and eyed him coyly. “All right.” She grinned and winked. “Have at it.”

Nate raised a brow and gave her that slow, seductive pirate’s smile that had tripped her heart when she’d been questioning him about his life. It was so intense and her reaction to it so sexually primordial, that when he reached for her, she nearly backed up a step.

He slowly peeled off her shirt, keeping her bound to him with just that silver gaze. She stood trembling, anticipation setting off sparks in all of her nerve endings.

And dear God, when he touched her, gently, softly, his fingers just skimming the skin along her collarbone, she thought she might ignite like a sparkler.

His gaze grew dark as he traced the line of bruises on her neck. But he didn’t ruin things by saying a word about them.

Instead, he kissed her softly and continued to draw her along a slow erotic journey as he undressed her, keeping his touch light, never venturing to the truly intimate places on her body. Lord have mercy, she feared she’d shatter like a supernova when he did.

He eased her into the tub and washed her hair, taking his time, massaging her scalp until she felt as if she had no bones left in her body.

When she let out a little moan, he leaned down and kissed her shoulder and whispered, “How am I doing so far?”

Just a little ashamed she was totally on the receiving end of this pleasure trip, she reached for the button on his shirt.

Leaning back, out of her reach, he said, “It’s all about you this time, baby.”

When he finished bathing her, he wrapped her in a towel and carried her to the bed. By the time he had his clothes off and slid into the sheets beside her, she was more aroused than she’d ever been in her life.

He held to his promise; the first time was all about her.

The second and the third times, however, she evened things up a bit.

Ellis felt a little like pulling a Juliet arguing with Romeo about the presence of the dawn. The light of day had come much too soon. If she thought she could convince him, she’d try to persuade Nate that those rays of sun were a figment of his imagination, that it was still deep night.

But Romeo and Juliet didn’t turn out so hot. So Ellis decided to face the morning with as much emotional strength as she could muster—and trust that she and Nate could create a better ending to their love story.

She kissed him, then said, “You get a shower. I’ll make breakfast.” She didn’t want to spoil their last hour with talk of what their future may or may not be, so she started to slide out of bed.

Nate grabbed her hand. “Ellis.”

She stopped and looked at him. “It’s all right, Nate. I know you have to go.”

“I’ll be getting rid of this cell phone. I’ll have to call you. But if you need me, you can contact Jake.”

“Jake gets some secret code that I don’t? What does he use, the Bat-Signal?”

“It’s a system we’ve been using a long while. I won’t take a chance that anyone could find out I’m tied to you.”

“Are you . . . tied to me?”

He sat up and slid closer. Cupping her cheek, he said, “I think I’ve been more tied to you than anyone for most of my life.” He kissed her lips softly.

Ellis ignored the tearing of her heart. “I know you’re doing important work—”

He kissed her again. “I’ll find a way to come back. But not until I’m sure I can do it safely. You’ve lived with fear for too long. I won’t bring it back with me.”

That made her afraid
for him.
“How difficult will it be for you to leave what you’re doing?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve never considered it before.”

He paused, looking all too sexy with his bare chest and the sheet pooled in his lap. Ellis wanted to shove him back onto the pillow and shut out all the talk, quiet all the uncertainty. But it was time to face reality.

He continued. “It might take some time. I’m not asking for promises from you. If you need to let go, I understand.”

“For a covert-operations guy, you’re not very observant.” She linked her hand with his. “I’ve been waiting for you all my life. I’m getting good at it.”

“Jake’s here.” Nate turned to Ellis from her balcony door.

She’d held up well through breakfast, managed rational adult conversation, but suddenly her throat was too tight to utter a sound. So she stood there looking at him, hoping he understood all the things in her heart, the things she couldn’t say here and now.

Nate took her by the shoulders and rested his forehead against hers.

She closed her eyes and placed her hands on his waist. “I’ll walk you down.”

“No. We say good-bye here.” Nate’s hands slid up to her neck, his thumbs stroking the line of her jaw. He kissed her lightly. Once. Twice.

She covered his hands with her own. “Come back to me.”

His sigh lanced straight through her heart.

With one last kiss, he left her. Alone and wanting.

E
PILOGUE

E
llis stood in Paco’s stall, brushing the old horse down. She breathed in the scent unique to this place and felt at peace. She’d been coming here every day since Nate left. Paco being retired, she’d started riding Mercury, the silver-white horse that Mr. J told her Nate rode when he was here.

Of course, Nate hadn’t been here in a long, long time. It would soon be a year. She missed him with an ache that drove deep into the marrow of her bones.

There were days when hope was bright, and she felt his closeness in her heart. And there were days when loneliness and desperation convinced her that he was slipping further away, forgetting her, that they would never be together.

Those days made her sympathetic for what she’d put Rory through. He’d hung on to hope for several weeks after Nate had left, even though she’d made it absolutely clear they would never be together again. Last fall, he’d accepted a job in Beaufort and moved.

Today, she’d heard that Wayne Carr had accepted a long-argued-over plea agreement. As much as she wanted to see him publicly paraded as a criminal, she was glad not to have to go through a trial. The man was going to jail for a very, very long time—and there wasn’t anyone to come visit him. Nor had there been anyone willing to post bail; Abigail Carr had filed for divorce even before his initial arraignment.

Ellis brushed Paco with long rhythmic strokes, losing herself in the feel of his solid flesh beneath her hands and the sweet smell of the barn. Maybe if she’d never stopped coming here, she would have healed years ago. Or maybe it was the special connection she now felt with Nate that gave this place its therapeutic power. She did feel closer to him while she was here; and she knew his love had given her the strength to deal with her fears.

While she’d been with Rory, she’d thought she was incapable of loving deeply and freely. Thanks to Nate, she now knew she wasn’t an emotional cripple after all. She loved him without reservation, would wait for him until her hair grew gray and her eyesight failed.

She heard footsteps outside the stall and looked up.

Mr. J peered over the railing. “It’s gettin’ dark.”

She gave him a smile. “Thanks. I think I’ll spend a little more time with Paco.”

She’d been leaving the stables later and later each evening. She’d even left her condo and run to the store after full darkness a time or two. Baby steps, she knew, but she was getting there.

“’Right, then. I gotta go up and check the house.”

His footfalls faded.

Ellis bent to lift one of Paco’s hooves. “Let’s make sure these are clean.”

She was working on the fourth hoof when she heard footsteps stop outside the stall again. “I’m just about finished,” she called. “I know you’re ready to get home.”

There was no response.

Jerking upright, she looked outside the stall and her breath caught.

“Hello, Ellis. You look beautiful.” Nate used the same tone as when he’d first seen her on the plantation house porch.

She dropped Paco’s leg and ran into Nate’s waiting arms. He kissed her in a way that made her want to throw him down right here in the dirty straw and make love to him.

When he lifted his head, she asked, “Are you back for good?”

“For good.” He smiled. “As of now, the most dangerous thing I’m going to be doing is disagreeing with you.”

Lifting a brow, she said, “That can be pretty hazardous. Hope you’re trained for it.”

“Boss!” Mr. J called from the barn door. “By golly, it’s good to see you.”

For the first time in Ellis’s memory, the man speeded up his shuffling pace. She stepped back and let the men embrace.

“How about I take my two favorite people to dinner?” Nate said.

Ellis saw the happiness flash in Mr. J’s eyes. Then he glanced at Ellis and took a step back. “Oh, I believe I’ll be gettin’ on home.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Ellis stepped close and linked her arm through Mr. J’s. “I’m starving. Let’s go.”

Over a quiet—and for the first time in their relationship, public—meal at the marina, Ellis and Mr. J caught Nate up on what was going on in Belle Island.

Ellis noticed the servers in a little knot with their heads together; by the end of the day tomorrow, most everyone in town would know Nate Vance was back. This time there would be no shadow hanging over him, no whispers of condemnation behind his back.

That thought made Ellis feel light and free. No more hiding. No more fear. For either of them.

She realized Nate was talking to her. “Sorry, what?”

“You were looking very satisfied.” He grinned in that way that emphasized the scar by his eye. It was all she could do to keep herself from leaning over and kissing it.

“Just happy,” she said, leaning his way, propping her chin on her fist. “What did you ask me?”

“Buckley,” he said.

“Out of rehab. It sounds like he’ll make a full recovery—with time.” Ellis had visited him a couple of times. It looked like one of his physical therapists was taking a very special interest in him. When Ellis had teased him about it, he’d actually blushed.

“What a waste.” Nate pressed his lips together, and Ellis could see the anger gathering in his eyes, the frustrated hatred for the man who’d caused so much suffering. She knew Nate thought if he’d acted more quickly, lives would have been spared. He was wrong to blame himself, but that was part of what made him so special.

“Alexander might not have attacked Laura, but he ruined so many lives.” Ellis gave a shiver. Without Nate’s help, her own would probably have been one of them.

Mr. J agreed with a snort of disgust.

They sat in silence for a moment, the dark pall of the past hanging over the table.

Ellis wanted to head off the possibility of a prolonged conversation about Alexander. She reached over and took Nate’s hand. “You’re just in time to be my date for the wedding.”

“Whose?” Nate asked.

“Uncle Greg and Jodi’s.”

A slow smile spread across his face, the clouds of anger leaving him. “Good for them.”

It was. Although Ellis sensed they were both far from healed. Maybe it simply wasn’t possible for a parent to completely recover from the death of a child. But they did both seem happier than she’d seen them in years.

After dinner, Ellis, Nate, and Mr. J walked out into the night. Ellis and Nate had driven her Mustang to the marina; Mr. J had driven his truck.

They stopped in the parking lot, Nate keeping his arm firmly wrapped around her shoulder. Mr. J said good night and got in his truck.

Ellis looked up at Nate and smiled. “My place or yours?”

“I was hoping we could make them one and the same,” he said, looking down at her.

The promise she saw in his eyes sent a waterfall of warmth over her. “You did, did you?”

He turned to face her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Marry me.”

Before she could answer, he kissed her. It was one of those fairytale kisses, one that changes the course of a woman’s life forever—filled not just with passion, but with possibilities and hope and undying love.

When he stopped, it took her a moment to fill her lungs with enough air to speak. “Oh, yeah, I’ll marry you. Want to elope right now?”

His devilish smile shot straight to her heart. “I was nice and didn’t force-feed Jake to get through dinner faster. But I’ve waited longer than any mortal man should have to. It’s time for bed. Tomorrow, we elope.”