Brown Eyed Girl (28 page)

Red wove his fingers into her curls then pulled her close for the kiss she’d craved all day. Afterward, he buried his face in the crook of her neck and hugged her so tightly that she could barely breathe.

“
Hey,” she whispered, urging him to loosen his grip. “It’s okay, Red. I’m not going anywhere.”

He shook his head slowly. “Maybe you should. Maybe you should run like hell.”

She curled her fingers into his thick hair and smiled down at him. “Not on your life buddy.”

“
I’m telling you now, Doc, I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

“
About you and me?” she asked, leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on his furrowed brow.

He shook his head. “About the fire and the rest of it. Someone out there…I don’t know who…is determined to see me ruined.”

She kissed the tip of his nose, then either cheek, ending with a soft caress of his lips. “We’ll have to stop them, won’t we?”

He held her gaze for a moment before letting his head fall forward. “People will start ugly rumors about me, and I don’t want you to feel trapped if you start believing them.

“
Look at me, Red.” He lifted his chin, revealing a look of total despair. “I know you, and I know what a good man you are. I know that nobody who came from a family like yours could be capable of doing anything that could make me lose faith in you. I’m here for you, and so is Drake. That Detective I spoke to, Mike Harper believes in you too. You have friends in that department who respect you enough not to let you get railroaded into paying for something you didn’t do.
That
is what comes from being a good man.
That
is what comes from being the best man I know.” She prayed he found comfort in her words, hoped they soothed his wounded soul as balm to a burn.

He closed his eyes and let the weight of his head fall forward into her hands as she began to gently massage his scalp.

“
They’ve identified the body as a woman from New Orleans…someone I’ve never seen or heard of,” he murmured.

“
How do they know?”

“
The dental records match with the ID found in a purse near her body. Poor girl was only twenty-five,” he said, his voice cracking as he pressed an open palm to his forehead. “God, this is a nightmare—I still can’t believe it happened.”

“
I know, Red.”

He grabbed her shoulders, touching his forehead to hers. “I need you, Doc.”

“
I’d be lost without you,” she said before his kiss clouded her mind completely. She pulled away, flushed with the heat of a soul-searing need. Their gazes locked…she nodded, and wordlessly, they slipped out of their remaining clothes.

Tiffany resumed her position, straddling him, knowing he was ready for this also. She braced her hands on his shoulders and slowly lowered herself, releasing a long, appreciative sigh as the length and breadth of him filled her completely.

“
Wait...,” he whispered hoarsely, “...We need a c…condom.”

She didn’t budge. “I’m healthy, are you?” she asked.

“
Absolutely, but...”

She placed a finger across his lips. “Hush, Red and make love to me.”

He stared at her a long while then drew her to him for a deep kiss.

They made love quietly, as if they were afraid to disturb the haven they’d created for themselves. Maybe later they could allow their passions to find a voice, but for the moment...just for tonight...they needed to bond with each other in the silence of this room, letting the peacefulness of their time together fill their voids and heal their hurts.

Tiffany felt the wave as it began to overtake her and Red gently pulled her head forward.

“
I want to see you come, Doc.”

His blue eyes, bright with passion, burned into hers and she barely managed to moan one word before she succumbed, finding her fulfillment. “Red!”

“
I love you, Doc,” he confessed as her eyes flew open just a moment before she began to shudder against him.

When she could focus again, she looked down to see that Red was on the verge of his own release. His eyes were closed tightly in concentration, she supposed in an effort to hold back until she finished. She placed her hands on his face and he gazed lovingly into her eyes. “Let go Red...I love you too.” She covered his mouth with her own.

<>

He moaned low in his throat as he did what she asked of him, finally letting himself believe she could love him, despite the threat of approaching disaster.

The strength of his release left him trembling, unprepared for its intensity. She kissed him once more before leaning back to settle her gorgeous brown eyes on him. She smiled, obviously pleased with what she saw.

“
Hey,” she murmured.

It took some effort and several blinks to keep his eyes from rolling blissfully back into his never-more-satisfied-than-this-moment skull of his. “Hey.” He pulled her close to his chest then rolled over until she was completely under him.

“
I have a confession, Doc,” he murmured, brushing her curls away from her face.

“
Hmmm?”

“
That was my first time without a condom...ever.”

She grinned, nipping playfully at his chin. “How was it?”

“
It was...it was fantastic, actually.”

“
If you marry me you’ll never have to wear a condom again,” she said, nipping at his lip.

“
Hell, I’d marry you tomorrow if I could.”

“
I’d marry you tomorrow if you’d ask.”

“
Marry me, Doc.”

“
All right.”

“
Really?”

“
Yes, Red.”

He pulled back to look at her. “Are we crazy?”

“
I’m crazy about you…Does that count?” she asked.

“
I love you, Tiffany.” He began to move inside of her.

She smiled, thinking how wonderfully strange her given name sounded coming from his lips. “I love you too, Scott. Are you ready again this soon?” she asked, sounding surprised, but in a good way.

“
Apparently so.” He placed several soft kisses at the base of her throat. “Is that a problem?”

“
Not at all.” She closed her eyes in what he hoped was bliss. “I just thought you’d need some time.”

“
Apparently not.”

<><><>

Red blinked the sleep from his eyes and stretched his free arm and leg hard enough to hear the bones pop and crack in the room’s silence. He lifted his head, squinting at the bright blue digital numbers of his alarm clock. He did a double take, then dropped his head back on the pillow and smiled.
Sleep...Heavenly sleep
. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept this many uninterrupted hours. Then again, he’d never experienced a night like he’d just had.

He stared down at her, still asleep in his arms. He assumed she needed to get up soon to get ready for work, and decided he’d better let her know how unbelievably late they’d slept. He reached down and began to trace the outline of her face with one fingertip, smiling at the unconscious twitching and scrunching of her facial muscles. He brushed his fingers through her soft curls, wondering again at the miracle of them finding each other at this time in their lives.

After a minute more of touching and tickling, Tiffany’s beautiful eyes finally opened, and gazed lovingly up at him. She smiled and he returned it.

“
Good morning Red,” she whispered.

“
Good morning Doc.”

“
I’d be a very happy woman if I could hear those three words first thing every morning.”

“
Let’s take care of that. Let’s get a license, a J.P., and a couple of courthouse workers to sign as witnesses so you can be my wife.”

“
Don’t you think your family might be a little upset if we deprive them of a wedding? Especially since your poor mother has waited thirty-eight years for this?”

“
We could always do what Jackson and Giselle did, have another ceremony later and invite everyone we know.”

Tiffany beamed at him. “I like that idea. I’ll meet you at the courthouse on my lunch break.”

He gazed down at her, as the heaviness of his troubles came flooding back to him again. “Maybe we should wait and see how all of this mess with the club turns out first.”

“
I’ve got faith in you, Red. I know that whatever happened, you had nothing to do with it. That’s good enough for me.”

He pulled her close for a hug. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“
Probably live another thirty-eight lonely years as a bachelor. Your poor mom would die without seeing a grandchild from you and she’d haunt you for the rest of your life.”

“
Lucky I have you to save me from that miserable existence.” He kissed her nose.

“
Very lucky—could you do me a favor?”

He nibbled at her neck. “Anything for you, baby.”

“
Would you let me be the one to tell your mother?”

He chuckled. “Are you sucking up to the mother in law already?”

“
I’m not sucking up! I just know how much it would mean to her,” she said, punching him playfully on the chin.

He pinned her to the bed and kissed her again. “You don’t need to suck up,” he breathed into her ear afterwards, rejoicing at her shiver of pleasure. “I got the feeling if I had let you get away, she would have disowned me.”

Tiffany pinched his cheeks. “Only for a little while, McAllister. There’s no way she’d stay angry at you for long, not with
those
genes!”

He grinned. “Ah, yes—it’d be such a waste if they weren’t passed on, or so I’ve been told hundreds of times over the years. This will make her day, especially coming from you. It’s a little after six now. What time do you have to be at the hospital?”

“
My first surgery isn’t scheduled until ten this morning but I normally start my rounds by eight.”

Red crawled over her to get out of the bed. “We need to get you showered and fed. I’ll cook breakfast for you.”

She gazed at his gorgeous body as he stood there and immediately felt the need for him again. “I’ve seen your shower you know, and it seems spacious enough for two,” she said suggestively.

“
That’s what the previous owner, Bill Broussard, told me,” he grinned. “Care to find out?”

“
Go on in and get that water all warm for me and I’ll join you in a bit. I’m going to call your mom, first. Do you think they’re up yet?”

“
Absolutely, and use my phone.” He brought up a speed dial entry. Here’s their number, Doc. Knock yourself out.”

“
Thanks, I’ll try not to keep you waiting too long.” She gave him a quick kiss before he walked to the bathroom.

Tiffany got up on one elbow to gaze at Red’s retreating figure, well over six feet of scrumptiously lean muscle with broad shoulders that tapered down to a narrow waist and hips. She watched him, amazed at the gracefulness of his movements for a man of his size. And yes, true to his word,
all
parts of him were built in perfect proportion to his size, she thought, flushing at the memory of how completely he’d filled her.

The door closed and she shook herself mentally to clear her head before pulling her phone from the pocket of her jeans. Once she heard the water start in the shower, she called Drake.

“
Hey, ya Tiff, what’s going on over there with McAllister?”

She filled him in quickly with the current happenings then paused. “That’s not actually why I’ve called this morning, Drake. I was wondering if there’s any way you could get here for noon today. It’s very important to me.”

“
I can have a friend of mine fly me over there in his private plane if it’s important enough. What’s up?”

“
Red and I are getting married at the courthouse today around noon, and I really want you there.”

“
Well hell, sis, I’d be happy to!”

“
Really?” She was slightly shocked at his reaction. “You’re not going to tell me I’m crazy and try to talk me out of it?”

“
Nope, McAllister’s Grade A, in my opinion.”

Tiffany beamed at her reflection in the mirror. “He is, isn’t he?”

“
I can’t think of a better husband for you, and I know he loves you. You don’t nurse a woman back from a hangover unless you’re in love with her.”

“
I love him so much, Drake.”

“
I know you do. I’ll be there. What about mother and dad?”

“
No,” she said, tight lipped.

“
All right, I won’t mention it to them.”

“
Thanks. Love you little brother.”

“
Love you too.”

Tiffany disconnected, and walked into the hallway before calling Red’s parents.

“
Hello?”

“
Mrs. McAllister…Vivienne? This is Tiffany LeBlanc.”

“
Tiffany! Is everything alright?”
Vivienne asked, sounding a little panicked.

“
Yes, ma’am, everything is fine. I’m calling to tell you that Red has asked me to marry him and I’ve said yes. Would you mind terribly having me for a daughter-in-law?”