For Love of Charley (10 page)

“Oh, I’m sure she would.” Charley’s keys
jingled in her hand and then hit the boards of the porch with a loud clank when
she fumbled them.

He scooped them up and unlocked her front
door, stepping inside and pulling her in after him. She reached to turn on a
light just as he reached around her to relock the door. Their gaze met, held,
and he saw her pupils expand. “Charley, are you afraid?”

She licked her lips, her eyes still on his.
“No,” she whispered. “Just a little nervous.”

He propped one hand behind her on the door.
With the other he traced the soft skin along the top edge of her low-cut
blouse. “Would it help to know that I’m nervous, too?” He could feel chill
bumps rising in the wake of his fingers, and her shivering increased.

“You? Why are you nervous?” Her voice had
taken on a husky quality.

“I’m afraid that I want you too much,” he
murmured. His fingers slipped lower, to the lacy fringe of her bra. “I’m afraid
that I’ll hurt you, or scare you.” His fingers were under the piping now,
moving across one satiny breast. “And I’m afraid…”
I’ll lose you
, he
thought. Finally, his finger brushed the hardened, ready nipple.

Charley’s whole body convulsed at the
touch, and a moan broke from her parted lips. For an instant longer he rolled
the taut evidence of her desire between his fingers, and she arched into him,
her eyes closed.

“Oh, God.” The words seemed to be torn from
her throat. “Cole, oh, please don’t stop.”

The sweet sound of her passion drove him
over the edge. With both hands he ripped her blouse away. Clothing no longer
mattered, nothing mattered except giving Charley what she wanted, what she
needed. What they both needed.

The bra went the same way as the blouse and
he leaned to fasten his teeth on her other breast. Air whistled in and out of
her lungs in tortured gasps, and her legs gave out. But he braced her against
the door, held her up.

His hand took up where his mouth left off
as his lips trailed heat up her neck. Possessively, fiercely, he claimed her
mouth, and she answered him, frantic with her own desire. Somehow, she had
managed to undo the buttons of his shirt, and when he felt her pushing at his
shoulders, he shrugged out of it.

When she crushed her breasts against him,
his hands moved to the fastener on her skirt. It parted like air under his
adrenaline-enhanced strength, and he pushed it down, along with her panties,
and felt her step out of them. He had to touch her. His hand plunged between
her legs, searching for and finding the core of her pleasure. She was hot and
wet and swollen under his fingers, ready, so very ready for him. And still he
tortured her with his touch, until they were both in agony.

Her desperate hands finally freed him and
he almost lost control when she caressed him. Pushing her fingers away, he
fumbled on a condom, then slid one hand under a silky thigh and lifted,
positioned himself at her opening, and paused. “Charley,” he whispered. “Oh,
Charley. I’ve waited so long.”

With one plunge, he buried himself inside
her. Sweet, hot waves of torment washed over him as she took him in, gripped
his length in an impossibly tight velvet casing of pure rapture. He no longer
knew which of them the sobs were coming from and he didn’t care. He was home,
he was where he belonged. He drove into her, time and again until he felt the
first spasms of her climax. As her teeth caught in his neck to muffle her cries
of pleasure, he gave in to the blessed relief of his own climax and endlessly
spilled his seed into her.

Sanity was slow in returning, but gradually
Cole became aware that he was on his back, on the floor in front of Charley’s
door. Charley was sprawled on top of him, her shinning hair spread over his
chest like a blanket, hiding her face from him. Gently, he brushed it back. A
single tear slid down her cheek. “Oh, God. Charley, did I hurt you?”

Her body shook and he almost panicked. A
low laugh escaped her. “No, you didn’t hurt me.”

“Then what’s wrong?” He caught the tear
with his finger.

She sighed. “It was too fast. It’s been so
long, Cole. I wanted it to last forever.”

Her answer caught him by surprise and
forced a husky laugh of his own as happiness welled up inside him. “Oh, my
sweet Charley,” he whispered, pulling her lips up to his. “That was just the
foreplay.” With one movement, he stood, holding her in his arms, and carried
her into the bedroom.

Had it been a dream, again? Cole’s lips
turned up at the corners. No, the warm, sweetly curved body curled around his
own was no dream. He tightened his arms around her gently, loving the way she
felt, loving her. He opened his eyes and turned his head a little to gaze down
at her.

Charley’s head was nestled on his shoulder,
one arm tossed loosely around his neck, the gold ID bracelet glinting in the
morning sunlight. A long, smooth leg was wrapped over his. They had made love
so many times last night that he’d lost count, and each time it had been harder
not to tell her how much he loved her.

This was the way it should be. Waking up
every morning with Charley beside him. They belonged together. They always had.
And yet, sooner or later he was going to have tell her why he had left her all
those years ago. If it drove them apart again it would kill him. He didn’t
think he could live without Charley anymore. A sharp pain ran through his
heart.
“God,”
he thought,
“is it too much to ask for us to have a
chance at being happy? That’s all I want. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

Cole buried his face in her hair, inhaling
deeply, and forced himself to relax. Just the fact that she was here, in his
arms, was nothing short of a miracle. He wanted to enjoy it while he could.
Last night had changed everything, he knew. It had created a bond between them.
One that gave him the right to treat her like a lover now, instead of just a
friend or acquaintance. Hopefully, it would grow even stronger the more time
they spent together. And he was going to make sure they were together every
second possible. “I love you, Charley,” he whispered.

Her hand clenched on his skin, and her
eyelashes fluttered. With a soft sigh she opened her eyes, looking at him
blankly for a second before a flush rose in her cheeks.

Cole couldn’t stop his smile. She looked so
damned adorable, all sleep-rumpled and satisfied, her lips still swollen from
the kisses they’d shared. “Good morning,” he murmured.

“Cole.” Her hand moved down his chest as
though she were checking to make sure he was really there, and his smile
broadened. He knew exactly how she felt.

She returned his smile, tentatively at
first, then with more confidence. “Wow.”

Laughter bubbled up inside him and spilled
over. “My sentiments exactly. You know, you’re going to have a hard time
getting rid of me. After a night like that, I may just keep you.” He kept his
voice teasing.

Something flashed in her eyes, but her
smile stayed in place. “After last night, I may just let you. Of course, if we
keep up that pace we’ll both be dead in a few weeks anyway.”

“I’m willing to chance it if you are. And
what a way to go.”

She yawned and pushed a lock of hair away
from her face. “What time is it?”

“A little after eight.”

“I guess we need to get up, huh?” She
pushed herself away from him and then hesitated, turning to look back. “Cole,
I’m not sure I know how to do this.”

“Do what?” He ran a hand down her arm.

She reddened again. “Have an affair. I
mean, that is what we’re doing, isn’t it? It wasn’t just a one-night thing, was
it?”

His gaze met hers, emotion making his voice
husky when he answered. “No, Charley. We both know it wasn’t just a one-night
thing.” It was his turn to hesitate. He wanted her to move in with him, but
instinct was telling him to slow down, to give her time to get used to having
him so close. “For now, why don’t we just let nature takes its course and enjoy
each other? Neither of us is going anywhere, and as far as I know, there are
rules we have to follow.”

“Isn’t this going to make it hard to work
together?”

“Only because you may have to bar your
office door to keep me out if you want to get any work done.” He picked up her
hand and kissed her fingers. “But that does remind me. I have to go out to
Duncan Mills later this evening. Want to get something to eat and go with me?”

“Sure.” Charley smiled. “I haven’t been out
there in a long time. Sounds like fun.”

“I can think of something else that sounds
like fun.” He tugged on her hand until she was stretched out next to him. Just
as he leaned over and brushed her lips with his, the phone rang.

Charley pulled back. “I better get that. It
might be Frannie.” She reached for the phone. “Hello?” Cole’s arms went around
her and she tilted her head to one side as he nuzzled her neck. “Hi, Uncle
Vic.” Cole’s movements paused and then continued as he listened to the
conversation.

“Cole?” Charley’s cheeks turned blood red,
but she took a deep breath, her chin lifting in unconscious defiance. “Yes, he
is here. Why?” Cole’s lips turned up in a smile against her skin. “Oh. I know
he’ll be happy to hear that. Yes, sir. I’ll tell him.” There was another pause.
“No, I’m sorry, Uncle Vic. Cole and I are going out to Duncan Mills this
evening. Maybe we can have lunch one day next week?” She snuggled closer to
Cole. “Okay, see you then. Bye.”

“What was that all about?”

Charley turned in his arms. “Uncle Vic said
to tell you that the City Council has decided to go along with the ideas your
city planner came up with. The bypass won’t be necessary.”

“I never doubted it.” He pulled her up on
top of him. “Now, where were we?”

* * * * *

Cole stopped Charley just inside the back
door of the Red Dog, and pulled her into his arms. As his mouth came down on
hers, he could hear a phone ringing but he ignored it as she kissed him back.

“What was that for?” Charley smiled up at
him, her body still leaning against his, arms around his neck.

“Because I wanted to, because I can, and
because it may be my last chance until this evening. I need to run home and
change before I go to work.”

“Sounds like good enough reasons to do it
again.” She stretched to reach him, her lips brushing his.

“Gee, I really hate to interrupt, but Cole,
you have a call from Los Angeles on line one.”

Cole and Charley both turned to look at
Frannie. She was standing in the middle of the hall, hands on her hips as she
watched them.

Reluctantly, he released Charley. “Okay,
I’d better take it.” He smiled at her. “I’ll stop by your office when I’m
done.”

“Okay.”

As soon as he reached his office, he picked
up the phone. He was still talking twenty minutes later when his door opened
again and Frannie came in, locking it behind her. “That’s fine, Will. Just fax
me the contract when it’s ready.” He eyed Frannie as he finished the call and
hung up. “Problem?”

Propping both hands on the edge of his
desk, she glared at him. “You could say that. Charley is my cousin and my best
friend. I don’t want to see her get hurt again.”

He smiled. “Are you actually asking me my
intentions?”

She crossed her arms over her chest, one
foot tapping on the floor. “Yes, I guess I am. For some reason, I’m beginning
to suspect that you’ve been playing a game since the day you showed up. I don’t
much care for the feeling.”

Cole studied her and then sighed. “You may
as well sit down.” When she did, he continued. “How do you feel about Victor
Channing?”

“Victor?” She frowned. “What does he have
to do with this?”

“Frannie, if you want me to tell you what’s
going on, first I need to know how you feel about him.”

“I think he’s a pompous ass.” She waved a
hand in the air. “I know, he’s Charley’s uncle and she adores him, but I’ve
never cared for the man. I’ve always gotten the impression he just tolerates me
because I’m Charley’s cousin.”

Cole nodded, coming to a decision. “How
much do you know about what happened ten years ago between Charley and me?”

“Everything she knows. You proposed one
night, and then vanished. It almost killed her. She really loved you, you
know.”

“I know,” he said softly. “And I loved her.
I’ve never stopped.” He looked down at his desk. “I didn’t leave because I
wanted to, Frannie. I left because I had no choice. Victor Channing owned the
house my mother lived in. He was waiting for me that night when I got home, and
he told me that if I weren’t gone by morning, he’d throw her out. She had no
money, except for a small pension she got when my dad was killed. Even combined
with what little I made, it wasn’t enough to rent anything else. And so I
left.”

He cleared his throat of the lump that had
formed and looked up at Frannie. “I tried to get in touch with Charley for
almost a year. I wrote, and even called a few times. But Channing must have
intercepted the letters because Charley never answered them, and someone else
always picked up the phone. By the time Charley moved to her own place, I had
realized a few hard facts. In a way, Channing was right. I had nothing to offer
Charley. If we had gotten married, she would have had to live in near-poverty.
I couldn’t do that to her, Frannie. So I stopped trying to reach her, and I
went to work. With Jim McIntire’s help, I started Jordan Enterprises. And I
started making money. For Charley. Everything I did was for Charley. Every job
I did, every penny I made. I never gave up hope. Now I’m back, and I don’t
intend to give her up this time.”

Frannie was watching him, her eyes misty.
“All this time, and you still love her. Why don’t you just tell her, Cole?”

He shook his head. “You know the way she
feels about her uncle, Frannie. When her father died, Channing took her and her
mother in. And when her mother died a year later, he raised her alone. Do you
really think she’d believe me?”

“I don’t know.” Frannie worried one corner
of her lip between her teeth. “She might.”

“No.” Cole sighed. “Right now, she
wouldn’t. And I can’t take a chance on driving her away by making her choose
between us. Channing still hates me. He’s going to do everything in his power
to keep Charley away from me. That includes lying. I have no way to prove what
happened. It’s just my word against his, and she doesn’t trust me completely,
even after last night.”

Frannie smiled. “Yeah, but you have
something Channing doesn’t have. You have me on your side.” She stood. “I don’t
know what I can do to help, but I’ll think of something. I want to see her
happy, Cole. And I know she’s never stopped loving you.”

“Thanks, Frannie. I hope to God you’re
right.”

“I am.” She patted his hand. “Don’t worry,
this will all work out somehow.”

* * * * *

“Looks like we have about an hour of
daylight left.” Cole glanced at the sun low on the horizon. “That should give
us enough time to check the place out.” He put an arm around Charley’s shoulder
and gestured down the deserted street in front of them. “What do you think?”

“It’s like stepping back in time. I can
almost see horses tied to the rails, and women in long dresses stopping to talk
to handsome cowboys.”

Cole nodded in satisfaction. “And that’s exactly
what you will see when it’s finished. Naturally, there will be some real
stores, but we’re doing everything we can to turn Duncan Mills into a living
museum. Cars won’t be allowed in here. People will have to park back in the
parking lot and walk in. Actors will be putting on shows constantly. Everything
from gambling in the saloon to gunfights in the street. And after our engineers
are finished insuring their safety, we’re going to open the old silver mines
for tours.” He pointed to the right as they walked. “That’s the stable. We’ll
have a real working blacksmith in residence. Right next door will be the
doctor’s office with original equipment, then the general store, and beside
that an old-time photographer. The newspaper is on the other side of that.
People will be able to see exactly how things were done back in the days when
Duncan Mills was a thriving metropolis.”

Charley was smiling up at him. “Sounds like
Kristy infected you with some of her enthusiasm.”

Cole laughed sheepishly. “You may be right.
I think I’m looking forward to finishing this place more than I have any
project in a long time. It’s like we’re preserving a piece of the past.”

“If you feel that strongly about it, why
did you put Kristy in charge? Wouldn’t you rather do it yourself?”

He shrugged. “Kristy is a history buff.
She’ll do a better job than I could. And besides, I had other things to take
care of.” His finger brushed her cheek as he looked down at her.

“What are those white marks on some of the
buildings?”

“That means they’ve been checked out and
are safe to enter. A lot of these places were in pretty bad condition.”

“Can we go in the saloon? I’d like to see
it.”

“I thought you might. They started work on
it yesterday. The saloon and the hotel were actually in better shape than we
expected.” He pushed open the doors and led Charley inside.

Murky light filtered in through a set of
dirt-covered windows at the front of the building, but it was enough to see the
old bar that still held pride of place across one wall. The scent of long
abandonment mixed with the odor of fresh sawdust.

Charley moved to the bar and ran a finger
across the top, leaving a line in the dust that covered the wood. “Are you
going to keep it?”

Cole nodded. “It looks pretty ratty right
now, but I’ve got some specialists who are going to restore it. They seem to
think it’s worth salvaging.”

“I think they’re right. This looks like
good wood under all the dirt.” She turned in a circle, her eyes squinting as
she surveyed the room. “Wonder if there really were gunfights in here?”

“Apparently. Kristy found some old
newspapers that covered a span of about ten years. A few of them mentioned
gunfights. The losers are still up on Boot Hill.”

Charley shivered. “You may really have a
few ghosts floating around.” She turned again and then pointed at the stairs.
“What’s up there?”