Gambling on the Bodyguard (13 page)

Authors: Sarah Ballance

Chapter Fifteen

Ellie leaned back in the waiting room chair and tried to breathe. Murphy would be fine. A broken leg—certainly not a cause for relief, but it could have been worse. It had been a simple break, so if all went well and he halfway behaved while it healed, he’d get to keep his leg. He was out of surgery and doing fine, but she couldn’t go home. There wasn’t anything there for her except an empty house, devoid of everything but memories that didn’t belong there. Murphy had at least provided a distraction. Without him careening around corners and tripping over his own legs, the silence would be agonizing.

The door chimed, followed by a rush of cold air. After sitting there for hours, she was well acquainted with what happened next. The dogs in the waiting area would start barking and anyone unfortunate enough to be holding a cat, sans the carrier, would get a lap full of claw marks. She didn’t look up. Didn’t need to see it again.

But something made her look anyway.

Right into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen.

“Oh, God. You’re here.” But even though she said the words, she couldn’t believe them. She didn’t move. Just saw herself running across the room into a mirage, because there was no way in hell Wolverine wanted anything to do with these mountains. Either she had the cruelest imagination ever, or…

“Colorado.” Four syllables were all he said before he was in the seat beside her, his strong arms holding her like they never had before. Protectively, like he knew. Like he thought he could be that man he swore he couldn’t. The emotional wall against which she’d leaned all day collapsed and the tears fell.

Sobs shook her, but still he held on. Not a word. Not a word needed. He just held her and let her cry. Finally she caught her breath. “You came?”

“Yes, baby. I came.”

“You can’t reply to a text?”

He laughed quietly and pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes. “Didn’t seem like it would be enough. What happened?”

“My dog was hit by a car. He has a broken leg, but he’ll be okay. I didn’t mean for you…I didn’t know you’d come. How did you find me?”

“I went to the ER, where apparently my reputation precedes me. I met Taylor, who quite clearly no longer thinks you’re as lucky as she did that night at the hotel. Any chance you could call her off?”

She gave a watery laugh. “She doesn’t listen any better than Murphy does, I’m afraid.”

“Your dog.”

“The one and only. Short for Murphy’s Law, which pretty much sums him up. If something can go wrong, it will. I found him a couple of years ago with his tongue stuck to a light pole. Put up fliers and everything, but no one claimed him so I kept him.”

“That actually happens?”

She nodded, still not quite believing Jax was there. “Yes. Every stupid thing that can happen has happened to that dog. As well as a few things that shouldn’t.”

“But he’s okay?” Worry clouded his eyes.

“He will be.”

Jax smiled, and while she believed it genuine, he seemed distracted. “Okay. Good. Can I get you some coffee or something?”

Oh, God. This was it. The part where he looked around, saw where he was, and was on the next flight out of there. It mattered that he’d come—it meant a lot—but soon he’d leave and she’d just have to get over him all over again. The realization hung heavily in the brittle air. “You did not come all the way here to get me coffee.”

“No. I came to ask…” He looked around. Lowered his voice. “Are you…?”

She shook her head, her heart breaking. Was
that
was this was about? “No,” she said. “I’m not.”

“Good.”

Her heart fell. Crumbled. A pregnancy wasn’t ideal, but witnessing his relief firsthand tore what was left of her embattled heart. “You could have saved yourself a trip. I would have gladly told you that via text.”

“No, that came out wrong. What I meant was good, because I didn’t want you to question my motivation for what I’m about to do.” He looked toward the windows. Jagged peaks painted in late day sun made for a beautiful view for anyone else, but she couldn’t image how much the view must hurt him.

And he’d come anyway.

“When I saw your text,” he said, “I was terrified something had happened to you. That you were hurt. That you could have been…and lost it. And I just couldn’t deny it anymore.”

Her breath caught. “Deny what?”

His gaze cradled her. “I love you, baby. I know I don’t deserve you, but I love you and all I want is the chance to show you that. Every day. You and your clumsy dog and your scary friend and even these goddamn mountains…whatever it takes, whatever I have to prove. I just want to be with you.”

She smiled. Wary. Afraid to believe. “These mountains aren’t going anywhere, you know.”

“I know, and I get it. But I’m here. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere either.”

Ellie’s throat clogged, and her heart soared, and still she was afraid to believe. “You don’t have to do this.”

He gave the slightest shake of his head and curled his fingers through hers. “If you think I was going to make it one more week without you, then I’m saying this all wrong. Because I can’t. I don’t want to.”

Ellie wiped fresh tears from her eyes. “Taylor told me I should call you. That you had a right to know how I felt, but you watched me leave, and you didn’t care. What I felt for you then didn’t change anything. I didn’t think it would now.”

“Baby, I watched you go, and I died inside. I’m not me without you. Not anymore.”

“Me too,” she whispered. “And were an ass to leave me like you did. Hotel stationary has to be a new low.”

He eased from the chair to the floor. “Understood, and in that respect I would like it noted I am on not one, but
two
knees.”

“What are you doing?”

“Realizing how cold my hands are, for one. I can’t feel my fingers.”

“I know you’re a tourist and all, but bringing a jacket to a ski resort in February is kind of a no brainer. Gloves are pretty much in the same category.”

“Screw the jacket. I had places to go. Home wasn’t one of them.” He fished around in his pocket with his free hand and came up with a ring.

No box. Just a ring.

Ellie blinked.

“Jax…”

“Ellie Colorado Montgomery, winner of slots, eater of bacon, wearer of pancake syrup.”

Despite the fact that she couldn’t take her eyes off him, she couldn’t help but notice a couple of heads swivel in their direction at that last part. “Easy now,” she whispered through a fresh set of tears. “This is a small town.”

“Not too small for pancakes, I hope. And breakfast in bed.”

At this rate, there would be no controlling the waterworks. “You do realize that no actual part of my name is Colorado?”

“Doesn’t matter. What does Mathis do for you?”

Her heart settled in her throat. Did a few cartwheels. “Is that ring for me?”

He laughed. “God, I hope so. You saved me, Ellie. Somehow I don’t think asking you to endure me for a lifetime is a fair trade, but I love you. I’ve spent the last five weeks counting the ways and the reasons. I love you, and I need you, and I just pray it’s not too late. Will you marry me?”

Despite the obvious clue of the ring itself, she nearly fell from the hard plastic chair. “How could it possibly be too late? Of course I’ll marry you.”

“Really?”

“Really.” She threw her arms around him, and he stood, lifting her. Spinning her around to the sound of applause. By the time he set her down, she was shaking. Dogs howled in the chaos. Somewhere in the room, at least one cat had to have drawn blood.

He slid the ring on her finger. “They didn’t have one in the store that could outshine the sun,” he said of the diamond, “but this one came close.”

She held up her hand. A simple solitaire, if a rock the size of her knuckle could be considered simple. A band of gold that was a perfect fit. “Is this real?”

His face froze. “Of course it’s real. The receipt is in the truck with the box. I just thought the box would be a little obvious in my pocket, but it’s legit.”

She laughed. “No, not that. You…here. Are you sure?”

Relief softened his features. “I’m sure. Never been more sure of anything. I love you.”

She wiped away a fresh deluge of tears. The Colorado River had nothing on her. “I love you. I can’t believe…I thought you said you couldn’t come here.”

“I’m here. I’m here until you kick me out.” He leaned down and placed a whisper-soft kiss on her lips. “But if it’s okay, there is one thing I need to do. There’s a mountain not too far from here I’d like to visit. It’s past time I climb it. Give myself a chance to see what’s on the other side.”

Ellie nodded, tears in her eyes. “I think Gracie would like that.”

“Will you come with me?”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s you and me, Colorado. Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Hours later, when the morning sun broke over the eastern ridges, they stood together on the top of a mountain. Jax carried a red rose, Ellie a paper airplane.

And they threw them off the side of the mountain together.

Epilogue

Three months later

Las Vegas

Jax was nervous. Nervous wasn’t a thing he did, but if the difficulty he was having with his cufflinks were any indication, he was in a world of trouble. “Are you sure you want to do this here?”

Ellie, some kind of ethereal sex goddess in a clingy white gown, stared at him in mock horror. At least he hoped it was a show, because he’d been on one of those
this is too good to be true
trips since they’d landed. “Are you kidding me? Where else?”

“Somewhere less
quickie
, perhaps?” He gave up on the cuff links and tossed them on the bed. He couldn’t believe his life. Ellie had sold her former shrine to Focker in Minturn and they’d bought a place in Vail. She called it a chalet. He called it a pain in the ass to get up the mountain when the snow fell. But they both called it home, at least when they weren’t in Vegas, and that was what mattered. Even the mutt liked it, but Murphy didn’t have a grumpy bone in his body. If a dog could smile, the pooch never quit. Together, they were the closest thing he’d had to a family in a long time, but he hadn’t stopped thinking of the baby they hadn’t had. Especially after he’d called his mom. Sixteen years after she told him he was no longer her son, she cried when she heard his voice.

He had, too.

He’d also funneled his loss into something useful, teaching kids the finer points of pizza and French fries. The beginning ski positions took him back more than twenty years, when his kid sister had been so determined to out-ski him that she’d used her allowance to pay for extra lessons behind his back. For the first time since Gracie died, he welcomed the memories.

Thought of her and smiled.

You’d have loved Ellie
, he told her. God knew he did.

“I happen to be quite fond of quickies,” Ellie murmured, dragging him out of his thoughts and in for a kiss. “Especially with you.”

He held out his hands and made a half-hearted attempt to back away from her. “I thought I wasn’t supposed to wrinkle your dress.”

“I thought you didn’t care.”

“I think that sounds like an invitation.” He didn’t wait for confirmation. Didn’t give her a chance to argue. He lifted her to sit on the table, pushing the skirt of her dress out of the way until there was nothing between him and her spread legs but his zipper and a wet thong. He didn’t know how anyone could wear one of those things, but he was glad she did.

“Consider it a demand.” She went for his zipper. He went for his pocket. Ellie was allergic to something in birth control pills, so he’d been buying latex by the bucketful.

“Don’t,” she said.

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t use anything,” she said a little shyly. “Unless you want to, I mean. But it’s okay if you don’t.”

His heart soared. “Are you sure? You mean we could…?”

“Yes.” No hesitance. Just his.

He stood there on weak knees while she took out his cock. Her hands on him were bliss. Cold, but so damn good. “We have fifteen minutes,” she said.

“I’m going to need two. Maybe three.” Hard as a rock, he pushed inside her, nothing between them but slick heat.
Fuck
. “Maybe one.”

She fell back, landing on her elbows. Touched her own breasts. Moved her dress out of the way and tugged on her stiff nipples, just like he’d done a thousand times. Smiled sweetly.

Game on, sweetheart
.

Seemed like they’d been there once before.

With a grunt, he dragged her toward him. Held her legs at just the right angle, and ground against her until all that tight, wet heat started to convulse around him. She abandoned her breasts to grasp uselessly at the polished wood tabletop. His balls sputtered protest, but he held out until some of her urgency settled into contentment, then he fucked her hard. Slammed into her until he thought the table would break. Had her calling his name all over again. When he came, he thought he’d hit the floor, but there was no way he was missing the sensation of feeling her body surround his. He managed to pick her up and carry her to the bed before he collapsed, only to feel her mouth intimately on him.

“Quicker than a shower,” she teased with a grin.

“In that case…” He flipped her over and returned the favor, lapping at her until he got so worked up he had to sink into her one last time.

One last time before they were married.

They were ten minutes late for their allotted fifteen-minute ceremony, but fortunately Elvis had yet to leave the building. They ran down the aisle, hand in hand. Jax’s shirt wasn’t buttoned all the way, and she was barefoot.

But she was still his fucking sun.

“Do you?” a scowling Elvis asked. Apparently
No Shoes, No Shirt, Bad Service
was a thing there.

“I do,” she said.

Elvis turned to Jax. “Do you?”

“I do.”

They traded rings to the music of an off key rendition of
Blue Hawaii
while being showered in fake casino chips.

And in every way that mattered, life began again.