Do You Trust Me? (28 page)

She closed the door
softly on her way out.

Rina leaned back on
the pillows. Abby was right. She was more exhausted than she thought. She dozed
off at once, yet her sleep was anything but restful. Her dreams were disturbed
by images of McCall and the memories of being in his arms.

Chapter Twenty

McCall’s family was
wonderful. Rina couldn’t have asked for people to make her more comfortable,
even as she felt guilty about staying there. But she was determined that first
day they should be clear about one thing.

“McCall…that is,
Connor…” She struggled to get the words out. “I mean to say, we didn’t exactly
part on the best terms…”

Sharon McCall just
smiled. “My son can be extremely hardheaded at times. He’s always been like
that. I’d give him some time to realize how foolish he’s being.”

“He was pretty blunt
about letting me know where he stood with relationships,” she told them. “I
think we probably did a lot of damage to each other.” She felt heat streaking
across her cheeks. “There are…were…other circumstances…I just thought you ought
to know how he feels about me.”

“Oh, I know exactly
how he feels.” Sharon smiled at her. “He just hasn’t admitted it to himself.
But we’re working on that.”

“Is he here?” She
looked around, tensing.

“No.” Sharon shook her head. “He did come home a couple of weeks ago. First time we’ve seen him
in more than three years, and it was wonderful. Sully insisted he take some
time off, although getting him to do it was a battle. To tell you the truth, I
don’t think Sully gave him a choice.”

“Where is he now?”

“He’s gone to northern
Maine to a hunting cabin we have up there. He wanted solitude, so we gave it
to him, along with more advice than he wanted to hear.” Sharon smiled at her. “He
just needs time to get his head on straight.”

“When will he be
back?”

“The end of next week,”
Abby told her. “You’ve got lots of time to get ready for him.”

“Oh, please.” She was
panic-stricken. “I have to be gone before then. I don’t think I can ever face
him again.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,”
Sharon said. “You’re in no shape to go anywhere. Besides, I know two people
in love when I see them.”

“We never thought he’d
find someone, stubborn and hardheaded as he is,” Frank told her. “We don’t
intend to let you get away.”

Love? Was that still
possible? No, they must be mistaken. Just wishful thinking on their part. Rina
didn’t even want to let herself hope.

****

By the end of the
week, Abby had her taking short walks in the woods, and she’d started swimming.
The lake water was warm enough to be comfortable when the sun was out. Shar
called every day with questions and news. “Your book’s in the fourth printing,”
she reported with glee. “And the orders are still coming in for your backlist. Carilyn
wants to know what you’re doing for an encore.”

“Great,” Rina
groaned. “Getting shot does wonders for sales, I guess.”

“Hey, don’t knock the
free publicity,” Shar said cheerfully. “We couldn’t buy this if we tried. Just
let me know if you need anything.”

Sully came to visit
once, bringing news, the helicopter dropping him unexpectedly into their midst.
He looked Rina over carefully with shrewd eyes. “Much better,” he pronounced. “I
knew this would be just the ticket for you.”

“What’s happening
back in civilization? No one tells me anything. They always say ‘later.’”

“The Brechtel Corporation
has been effectively shut down,” Sully reported. “Andrew and his friends are in
prison awaiting trial. And Grant Heller has been allowed to resign rather than
be impeached. But he, too, is facing a stiff sentence.”

“Good.” Rina felt a
strong measure of satisfaction. It was no less than these men deserved.

“We’ve monitored
Brechtel’s communications with people very carefully. As far as we can tell, no
one’s put out a contract on you.” The corner of his mouth flirted with a grin. “That’s
as much serious as a joke, honey. I needed to be sure you were out of it
cleanly.” His gaze raked over her. “What’s wrong?”

“How could you bring
me here to McCall’s parents?” she demanded. “This is such an awkward situation.”

“They’ve done this
for me before, so I knew it would work.”

“Sully, I’ve got to
get out of here before McCall gets back.”

Sully stood up and
stared out at the lake. “I’m going to be very blunt with you. You and McCall
are two of my favorite people, but someone needs to shake both of you. I’m not
moving you from here until you both sit down and talk to each other.” He turned
and kissed her cheek. “John was like a son to me, and you’ve become like a
daughter. That gives me the right to assert parental authority.”

He’d also brought her
laptop, blank CDs, and a flash drive. “In case you feel like doing some writing
while you’re here.”

“I feel like getting
out of here,” she grumbled.

“All in good time,”
he told her, kissed her on the cheek and left.

Biting her lip in
frustration, she decided some iced tea might help settle her nerves. She’d just
taken a glass from the cupboard in the kitchen when she heard footsteps behind
her.

“Abby?” she called
over her shoulder. “Is that you? Would you like some iced tea?”

“I’m not Abby, but
iced tea sounds pretty good.”

She turned and the
glass dropped from her nerveless fingers, shattering on the floor. McCall, lean
and hard, in faded jeans and an old polo shirt, stood not six inches from her.

Chapter Twenty-One

“McCall.” Her mouth
was so dry she could hardly get his name out. Just looking at him made her
heart race and the familiar heat start low in her body. God, he looked good.
Strained, on edge, but still generating that air of sex and danger. Rina
focused, trying to pull herself together.

“How are you, Rina?”
His voice was stiff, almost formal.

“I-I’m fine. Thank
you.”

“Let me pick this up
for you.” He retrieved a broom and dustpan from a narrow cupboard and swept up
the broken glass.

“Thank you.” She wet
her lips. “How have you been?”

His eyes seemed to
bore through her. “To tell the truth, not as well as I’d like to be.”

“Oh! I’m sorry to
hear that.” What a brainless conversation this was turning out to be. She
reached toward the cupboard again. “Let me get that iced tea.”

“I’ll do it.” He grabbed
two more glasses. “It might be a little easier on the glassware.”

“That was careless of
me. I’m sorry. You...startled me.” Her face flamed with embarrassment, but he
didn’t seem to notice.

“You’re looking well.
Are you feeling okay?”

“Yes. Much better.
Your family’s been wonderful to me.”

He started to say
something, then stopped. “This is stupid. I can’t do this.”

Pain speared through
her heart. “I’m sorry. You’re absolutely right. I’m making this difficult for
you. I didn’t know you’d be back today, or I’d have been gone. Or at least out
of your way. I’ll pack my things at once.”

She started to walk
out of the kitchen, but his lean, strong hand closed over her arm. Nerves fired
everywhere in her body and little frissons of desire chased themselves up and
down her spine. Wounded and all, her nipples still hardened and her pussy
flooded at his slightest touch. Despite everything that had happened and all
the time that had passed, she still felt the same way about him. Would she ever
be able to get over it?

“That’s not what I
meant.” His voice was like steel.

She could sense the
tension vibrating in his body and wondered if he hated her so much that just
being near her did this to him. “I know you want to avoid me,” she said. “I can’t
blame you. If you’ll just let me get by, I’ll be out of your way.”

Still, he kept a firm
hold on her arm. “Why don’t we go up to my room?” He glanced over his shoulder,
aware as she was of two pairs of eyes peeking around a corner. “It’s about the
only place around here where we’re liable to get any privacy.”

“What do we need
privacy for? Just say it and be done with it. I know how you feel about me.”

Why didn’t he just
leave her alone in her misery? She was sure he’d come back to make sure she
understood she’d killed any chance there was for them. She guessed he didn’t want
any loose ends dangling. She wasn’t sure she could stand to hear what he had to
say.

“No,” he said, “you
don’t. You have this all wrong, you know.”

He put the glasses on
the counter, swept her up in his arms, and took the back stairs two at a time.

“McCall.” Rina pushed
at him with a feeble gesture. “People are watching.”

“Good. We’ll spice up
their lives.”

When they reached his
room, he kicked the door shut with his foot and reached behind him to turn the
lock.

Rina was trying to
make sense of it all, fumbling for words. “I thought you made everything very
clear when you stayed away from me.”

“Maybe that’s what I
wanted at first.” His arms tightened around her. “But I’m allowed one mistake,
aren’t I?”

“Mistake?” Somewhere
deep in her core a small tendril of hope fought to get out.

“Rina.” He placed her
carefully on the bed and lay down beside her, tugging her against his body. “This
is no accidental meeting. I knew you were still here. I called my folks and
asked them. I came back early because of you.”

“Of me?” Couldn’t she
think of something more intelligent to do than just repeat his words? She
sounded like an idiot.

“My mother took great
pains to tell me we still had a lot to say to each other.” His mouth turned up
slightly at the corners. “And I always do what my mother says.” As he talked he
unbuttoned her cotton blouse and brushed it open, wincing when he saw her vivid
scars. “God.” He ground his teeth.

“I know I look
terrible...” Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

“I want to see it
all,” he rasped. “Every bit of you. Please.” He kept talking as he gently
removed her clothes one piece at a time. “I need to say this before I lose my
nerve. I’m a hard-headed man, Rina. My family teases me about it all the time.
Usually it works to my advantage, but this time it got me in trouble.”

Now he was kissing
her scars, tracing them with his tongue between words. He kissed every puckered
ridge, then licked them, telling her more than words could ever say that
nothing affected how she looked to him.

“McCall.” She
shifted, acutely aware that while she was completely nude, he still had all his
clothes on. “You don’t have to...”

“Yes.” He was quiet
for a moment, as if searching for a way to begin. When he spoke, his throat was
hoarse, raspy, sounding like something dredged up from a deep canyon. “Yes, I
do. So please just listen.”

The tips of his
fingers drifted in a lazy pattern over her skin, tracing the scars, circling at
her navel.

One corner of her
mouth turned up in a smile. “It’s hard for me to listen when you keep
distracting me like this.”

“That’s my plan.” He
grinned, his hand resting on her hipbone. “Are you too sore for any of this? I
know we can’t...well...can’t...”

“Have sex?” She giggled.

“Yes. I want you so
badly I couldn’t be gentle with you. I know you’re not ready for the things we
enjoy. But I’ve dreamed about making you feel good, about at least sliding my
fingers inside you. About tasting you.” Concern lined his face. “If it’s too
soon for that, just tell me.”

“Your sister’s been a
tyrant. I’m in really good shape.” She lowered her lids. “Just keep doing what
you’re doing.”

He pulled in a deep
breath, as if his lungs had been deflated, then slowly let it out. “We did a
lot to hurt each other, Rina. I’m more at fault than you are, and look what
happened. Jesus, if it hadn’t been for me, you wouldn’t have been shot.”

“I think that’s a
debatable issue we need to put to rest. Just like my not trusting you enough to
give you the locket.” She caught her bottom lip in her teeth. “I’m ready to
move past that if you are. All of it.”

His hand returned to
her breast, fingertips gently pinching her nipples, rolling them until they
turned into hard, swollen buds and their color darkened. He nudged her thighs
apart and stroked the inner flesh.

“The first time I ever
saw you I wanted to rip off your clothes and take you to bed. Of course,” and
she thought she heard a slight chuckle, “the timing wasn’t exactly what you’d
call right for that. But then we did. Go to bed, I mean. Against my better
judgment.”

“I know that,” she
said in a quiet tone, wanting to ease the stress in his voice. “But I was
willing. The risk was worth taking.”

He went on as if she
hadn’t spoken. “I figured, okay. We were once and done. I’d get you out of my
system.” He snorted. “What a joke that was. When this...assignment...threw us
together and we, well...”

“Had incredible,
wild, rough, mad monkey sex?” she teased. His fingers were caressing the outer
skin of her slit, his touch as light as a feather. Inside, she felt a million
fires burst into flame.

“Yeah.” One corner of
his mouth kicked up. “It was the last thing I expected. And then I was hooked.”

He looked at her
directly, that familiar piercing look. Rina held her breath, waiting for his
next words. “I tried to use what happened with Danielle as a shield, tried to
make you hate me by treating you in a way my mother would kill me for.”

His fingers swept
from her clit to the very tender flesh between her vagina and her anus. Rina shifted
restlessly, raising her knees to plant her feet on the bed and widening her
thighs. Her juices were running from her quivering cunt, her body demanding his
invasion. And still he kept talking.

“The plain fact is,”
he went on. “No matter how I tried to run away from it, no matter what happened
with this whole episode, one thing kept staring me in the face. I love you, and
I don’t want to have a life without you. That’s it. Nothing else is important.”

At McCall’s words,
the breath whooshed out of her, and she arched her hips into his hand. She was
almost beyond forming coherent words. “You...love me?”

“It wasn’t easy for
me to admit that to myself.” McCall raked his fingers through his thick hair. “I
want you to know that. But there it was. And it made a lot of problems for me.”

“I know,” she said
gently. “Everything’s been so mixed up.”

“It wasn’t just that.
When it all came down and you got shot, I figured you had a lot of reasons to
hate me. I was sure I’d ruined everything.”

“And I thought
you
hated
me
.” She stopped moving and stared at him. “McCall.” Her voice was
pleading. “Can you just shut up for a while and finish what you’re doing? We’ll
talk afterwards, okay?”

“Whatever you say,
daredevil.” He grinned and bent to his task.

Kneeling between her
thighs, being careful with her body, he spread her labia and lapped at her with
his tongue, stroking, teasing her. He linked his fingers through hers and held
her hands on the bed beside her while he drank his fill from her pulsing inner
flesh. He ate at her and licked at her, and nibbled until she had to grit her
teeth to keep from screaming.

When her body gathered
for its release, he let go of her hands, slipping two fingers into her hot, wet,
clenching vagina. Scooping some of her flowing cream, he rubbed it against her
anus and inserted a finger into her dark, clutching heat. His mouth swallowed
her screams as the double penetration tipped her over the edge, and she
convulsed for him, pouring into his hand. He worked her with his fingers until
the last of her spasms died and she lay sweating before him, her breathing
uneven but a smile on her face.

“Are you okay?” His
forehead was creased with worry lines. “I wasn’t too rough with you?”

“Rough?” she grinned.
“You’re kidding, right? And I’m better than okay. A lot better.”

He lay down beside
her, pulling her into his arms, careful of her incisions. His hands roamed her
body, as if he couldn’t stop touching her. When she shivered, he cursed under
his breath and pulled the covers over her.

“See what a selfish bastard
I am? Hold on.” He shucked his clothing and crawled under the covers with her. “I
know we can’t do anything else right now, but it feels so good to be naked next
to you.”

“For me, too.” She
curled up to him, stroking her fingers through the soft hair on his chest.

“God, Rina. I was so
scared when I saw all that blood. All I could think of was you were going to
die and it was my fault.”

“I thought we were
going to put that to rest,” she reminded him. She reached for one of his hands
and pulled it next to her heart. “I’d rather talk about the future.”

“You know, at first I
was pissed when I found out Sully was sending you here to recuperate, so I got
my dad to let me use our cabin for a couple of weeks.” He shook his head. “When
you don’t have anyone but yourself for company, you have plenty of time to think.”

“And what did you
think about?” Despite what had just happened, she was almost afraid to hear the
answer.

“A lot of things. But
in the end, mostly about what a damn fool I was and how I felt about you and
that everyone was right. I knew then we had to see each other and talk this
out. I had to find out if you really believed we had a chance.”

The muscles in his
throat worked as he swallowed hard, and Rina thought his eyes held the
unfamiliar sheen of unshed tears.

“And are your
questions answered?” she asked, her voice slightly shaky.

“In spades.” McCall turned
her face to him and looked hard into her eyes. “I can’t walk away from this any
longer. I love you. I have from that first night together.” He paused. “What
did you mean when you said you’d rather talk about the future?”

Her throat tightened,
and her heart raced in mad acceleration. “Oh, McCall, don’t you know I love you
more than anything? That not seeing you or hearing from you just about killed
me? All I wanted was for you to tell me everything was all right. I wanted to
hear the warm sound of your voice and feel your hands on me again.”

“You’ve got me now,”
he said softly and bent to touch the rough silk of his lips gently to hers.