It's Just Love (15 page)

And she’d given him her virginity. Why had that been a
source of suspicion for him?

Oh God…he’d left without a word. What a colossal jerk he’d
been. She must have been crushed. He had to get to her, to tell her…something!
He had to tell her he loved her. He leapt to his feet and started for the door.

“Doctor?” Peter’s voice followed him. “Where are you going?”

Gage stopped. How unprofessional! Despite his change of
heart, his life-changing realization, he had patients in his office, a couple
who needed him. He spun on a heel to face them, the urgency to get to Coral
making it hard not to run. The pair stood in front of the sofa, still holding
hands.

“An emergency came up.”

“Now?” Peter looked around the room, an eyebrow arched high.
“The phone didn’t ring…”

Gage strode toward them. “So true. I just realized it was an
emergency. Something I have to take care of immediately.”

“But what about us?” Rita’s voice wobbled.

“My dear,” Gage said. “You two have what it takes. You not
only love one another, you have care for the others in your life and their
happiness. I predict a long and joyous marriage.”

“But...what about the factors?” Peter asked.

Gage hugged them both. “Screw the factors, I have a new
theory. And I hope you will allow me to bring a date to your wedding.” He
stepped back. “If I’m invited?”

Their faces reflected confusion, relief, and possibly mild
panic. Rita was the first to recover. “Of course, Doctor. We would love to see
you there. Are you bringing your girlfriend?”

“I certainly hope so.” He turned away.

Flying through the outer office, Gage paused to dictate a
short note to his assistant and tell her not to bill Peter and Rita. He
couldn’t charge them when he was the one who’d had a breakthrough. He raced to
catch the closing elevator and punched the button for the garage. He was going
straight to Coral’s house to tell her what he’d realized. He couldn’t live
without her, not for another moment.

Gage took the corner hard, driving much faster than he
should through the narrow streets of Coral’s Venice neighborhood. But the
impetus to get to her, to tell her he loved her, wanted her forever, took his
foot even lower on the gas pedal. Two blocks from her house, he spotted a car pulling
away from the curb and grabbed the space. He leapt from the Jag and hotfooted
it down the street.

Her house in sight, he heard the unmistakable roar of a
muscle car. He ran faster, but the Charger pulled out of the alley and moved
down the street. Putting on an extra burst of speed, he called out, “Coral,
wait!”

She couldn’t possibly hear him over the engine, but a stop
sign at the end of the block was his salvation. He arrived behind her and
pounded on the heavy steel of the trunk. “Coral!”

She leaned out the window and her eyes widened. “What are
you doing here?”

He leaned against the bumper, panting. “I—that is, would you
mind if I rode with you to the boat?”

“Of course not.” Her head ducked back in and she leaned
across and pulled up the passenger side lock. “Get in.”

She put her foot on the gas pedal again. “So, how was your
day?”

Her tone held a wariness he hated to hear. But he had left
without a word. How could she know what he was thinking? “I’m amazed you’re
even still going to the boat after my behavior.”

“Oh, I went along with it. I shouldn’t have pushed you to
sleep with me.”

Pushed him?
“You didn’t do that, and you know it.”

She threw him a quick glance, and her cheeks pinked. “Well,
I didn’t exactly fight you off. And I know better. You have a girlfriend and
I—”

“No, I don’t.”

She sighed. “Crap, this is all my fault. You told her what
happened? I’m sure she’ll forgive you if you give her some time. I’m so sorry.”
She turned onto Pacific Coast Highway.

“No…I didn’t have a girlfriend last night, either,” he said
in a low voice. “She dumped me the week before the show.”

“
What?
” Coral slammed on the brakes, stopping the car
in the middle of the busy highway. Horns honked and cars began to maneuver
around them.

“Could you please keep driving? I’ll explain.” He ducked as
someone in a passing vehicle chucked a partially full soda can at them. The
liquid splashed against the window.

She burst into tears, and he panicked. A driver shouted at
them. Cars flew by. “Please, Coral, let me drive. He reached for the gearshift
and shoved it into park then tugged her to his side of the car and moved into
the driver’s seat.

While Coral curled in a miserable sobbing ball, he drove
toward the marina, wanting to get her on the boat where he could explain
without causing a traffic accident. “We’ll be there in a minute. Don’t cry.”

She sniffed, but didn’t reply. Desperate to distract her,
his mind flew.

“You know, a friend of mine had a car like this.” He patted
the steering wheel. “We were fixing it up together in high school, when his
folks moved away.” Sadness overtook him and he was suddenly ready to join her
in tears. “Sid died though…a few years ago.”

“Sid?” She sat up in the seat and rubbed at her eyes. “You
knew Sid?”

He turned into the marina lot—if they hadn’t been so close,
he would have pulled a highway blockage himself—and parked in the first empty
slot. Rubbing his fingers over the dash, he found a chip just to the left of
center. The result of a slipped screwdriver when he was trying to get the radio
out and fix the wiring.

“Yeah, I knew him. He was my best friend.”

“Mine too.” She bestowed a watery grin on him. “Fact is, he
wanted more from me, but by the time I realized I felt the same, he was so
sick, I could only show him my affection by taking care of him. He lived with
me for the last six months, when he got too sick to be on his own.” Coral
stared down at her hands. “He died in my arms. Sid was one of the best people I
ever knew. He only ever wanted to make other people happy. Me, his mom and dad,
even though he was so different from them, and our friends.”

“We lost touch after he moved away.” His heart ached. “I
heard about his illness too late.”

“He left me the car.”

Gage reached for her hand and smoothed it between his. “He
must have loved you a lot.”

* * * *

Coral allowed him to hold her hand, trying to take in all
the revelations. He was single, available. He’d known Sid. He’d worked on the
car. He was the friend Sid had told her about, his best friend he wanted to
reconnect with. “He loved you a lot, Gage. He called your parents’ house and
left messages, but you didn’t call back.”

“God, I never got them. I didn’t even know he was sick until
he was gone.” He banged his head on the steering wheel. “My dad didn’t approve
of our friendship once his folks lost everything. And he had some kind of
argument with Sid’s father. I don’t know all the details, but he cost me a
chance to spend time with my friend. Was he in a lot of pain?”

“Not so much, he just got weaker and weaker.” Tears ran down
her cheeks, but she didn’t care. “Then he was gone.”

Gage’s shoulders shook, and she slid across the bench seat
and wrapped her arms around him. “He must have hated me, that I never called or
came to see him.”

“No, Sid never hated anyone. And I think he understood. He never
said a word against you, only that he hoped you’d have a happy life.”

Gage sat up and nodded. “Let’s head for the boat before the
rest of them get here.”

She sniffed back the last of the tears and followed him out
the driver’s door, taking his extended hand. “Sure.” The one word took all the
energy she had. Memories of Sid, so dear, so kind, his freckled face grinning
at her even when a morphine drip stood by the bed. She hadn’t lied about the
pain, as long as he had the drip, he didn’t hurt, just rode in a fog, day and
night. Watching Sid die had been hard.

As they started down the slanted ramp to the docks, Gage
dropped her hand and wrapped an arm around her waist. She allowed him to pull
her close, leaning on his strong form as they clomped over the wooden boards.

The cool sea air filled her lungs, bringing the peace it
always did. Even when Sid had been so ill, she’d come to the ocean for its
healing power on her soul. It was the only way she’d been able to care for him,
to give him what he needed without the panic he abhorred.

Calming, she began to notice the boats they passed. These
were not little toys. Each seemed larger and better appointed than the last.
Yachts. Gage continued to the very end of the pier where a boat at least
forty-five feet long rested, bobbing gently against the dock.
Sunny Days.

Leading her to a set of steps, he released her waist and
took her hand again, helping her aboard. She stood on the teak deck and tilted
her head back to see the mast rise up and up toward the sky. “I thought you had
a little boat.”

Gage joined her. “Why did you think that?”

Sadness fled, replaced by hysterical giggles. “I have no
idea.” She laughed until she had to lean against the rail to stay upright. When
she came to herself, Gage was staring at her, his eyes wary.

“You okay?”

She wiped tears from her cheeks. “Yeah, I am now. Just
venting I think.”

He nodded, but still watched her. “Want to see the cabin,
maybe have something to drink before everyone else gets here?”

“Love to.” The interior was every bit as magnificent as the
deck. A main cabin with a galley kitchen tucked in one corner, spacious
sleeping quarters in the front and rear. He opened a bottle of white wine,
grabbed two glasses hanging upside down over the galley counter, and sat down
on a leather sofa, patting the seat next to him. Coral joined him, curling her
legs under her and accepting a glass. He poured it half full and then his own
and set the bottle down.

Silence settled over them, only broken by the small bumps
and splashing sounds as the boat bumped against the dock. After a few moments,
Coral relaxed and began to enjoy herself. He was single. But, she tensed again,
there were a number of unanswered questions.

“You didn’t tell me about your girlfriend breaking up with
you.”

“No,” he said. “I should have. Pride and my career were in
my way. After all, if I couldn’t keep my perfect 10, what did that say for my
theories?”

“True. But you should have told me.”

“Yes.”

“And you left this morning without a word,” she said.

“That was your fault.”

She leaned into the end of the couch and faced him. “How was
your going away after making love to me all night my fault? You didn’t even
leave a note.”

“You should have told me you were a virgin.”

She swallowed hard. “Oh, yes. I probably should have.”

“And I thought you might have used magic to seduce me.”

She stared. “I what? I wouldn’t do that. I don’t even do
that for my clients.”

“Well how was I supposed to know that? You’re a witch. You
do love spells.”

“And you thought you were such a catch that I’d do anything
to get you in my bed—and in my life.”

He flushed. “Not exactly, but sort of…”

She shook her head, starting to feel light again. “So you do
believe in magic.”

“No, I don’t.” He glanced away and back. “And there was that
angel who showed up again.”

Confusion filled her. “What angel?” She wasn’t even sure
there
was
such a thing.

“Tom? Your friend? The guy with wings?”

“The guy who works for Harry Montclief? I never met him
until he showed up to book me for the show. And then of course I saw him with
you at the beach. But why do you think he’s supernatural? He doesn’t
have…wings?”

He released a long breath. “It’s quite a story, but since
I’m not sure how much time we have left alone here, would you mind coming over
here and kissing me?”

He’d only been able to stand kissing her for a short time
before he scooped her up and carried her to the aft cabin with the big, soft
bed. Taking his time, he undressed her, pulling her t-shirt over her head and
mouthing her breasts through the lace of her bra. When he untied her shoes and
slipped them off, he noticed the pale pink polish against her tanned skin and
grinned.

“Nice toes.”

She blushed a deeper rose and laughed. “Thanks, I’m glad you
like them.”

He tugged her Capris down and tossed them to the side then
stood and removed his own clothing and slid the lock on the door. Lying on his
back, he pulled her over him, aware they could be interrupted at any moment,
but no longer concerned what people thought. He didn’t care if Harry Montclief
himself showed up on the deck of the boat looking for him. Until he’d had his
chance to make love to Coral, he wasn’t emerging. And this time, it was making
love, and he wanted her aware of that every moment.

A skylight admitted enough late afternoon illumination to
allow him to take in her form as she straddled him, the satin panties the only
thing separating his cock from her heat. Thumbing the catch of her bra, he
cupped her breasts as they spilled out of their lacey confines. He moved his
hands to her back and brought her down to lie on him, wanting more of her
kisses, more contact with her body.

“Gage,” she said. “Let me get my panties off.”

“Let me.” He gave a tug and the delicate fabric tore away.
“I’ll buy you more, all you want.”

“I don’t care.” She brushed his lips with hers, dropping
feather light kisses at the corners. “I want you inside me.”

He groaned and reached behind him, cursing when he realized
the rental agency’s cleaners would have removed anything as personal as
condoms, even if he had left any there. “I don’t have…” But he did. Setting her
aside, he reached for his pants at the foot of the bed and searched the pockets
and got lucky. In his wallet was a single package, which he quickly opened,
sheathing his erection. “We’re going to have to go to the store later.”