Star Fallen Lover

by Lakes, Lynde

  “What is it?”

  “Listen,” he said.

  Then she heard it…men’s voices in the distance, coming from the direction of the road and coming closer. Jerked out of her dreamy trance, she froze. They weren’t in their own little world—they were within the grounds of the institution—and even in this wooded area, they weren’t alone.

  “Blast it!” He brushed a blade of grass from her hair and pulled her to a sitting position. “Until I get out of here, I can’t even hold you the way I want to. If only my memory had returned while we were in Honolulu, you wouldn’t have avoided me so easily.”

  “I wouldn’t have tried,” she whispered.

  He extended a hand and helped her to her feet. “Let’s go. I don’t want to cause you embarrassment.”

  The fierce determination in his glinting ruby eyes made her wonder if there was another reason he couldn’t make love to her right now. What about those mysterious ruby glints in his eyes? Could he have a mild form of albinism in his bloodline? She knew a little about the condition. It existed within a group of inherited conditions in which no or little pigment is present in the eyes, skin and hair. It was an inherited metabolic disorder that reduces the usual amounts of pigment or coloring agent called melanin. There are about ten different types of albinism, based on the amount of pigment, which can vary from person to person. Most people with albinism have very light eyes, skin and hair. But perhaps Cortz only had a mild condition, with the only existing sign being the ruby glints in his eyes. Why was she thinking of eyes when there might be bigger issues? Had he told her everything, or was he still holding back something important?

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Walking swiftly, he led lead her along the path until they caught sight of the Jeep. And two burly hospital guards.

  “You shouldn’t be in this area,” one of the guards said. “Patients aren’t allowed in the woods.”

  “That’s our Jeep. We had a nature call. But we’re leaving now.”

  The guard nodded, a skeptical scowl on his face. He watched while they got back into the Jeep.

  Trembling inside, Darli eased the vehicle back onto the road. Large sycamore trees lined each side, bending gracefully to shade their passage. The scene was a tranquil contrast to the turmoil knotting her stomach. “Lies just roll off your tongue, don’t they?”

  “Did you want me to tell them they interrupted lovemaking?”

  Damn him. He knew she didn’t.

  “Let’s drive around a while,” he said. “I’m too keyed up to go back.”

  Darli nodded, concentrating on an approaching curve in the road. “Since you have your memory back, why didn’t the doctor release you right away?”

  He looked guilty as hell. Was he gearing up to lie to her, too? He’d just proven he could do it with ease.

  “Due to my earlier depression Dr. Steina wants me to take a series of mental tests to be sure I’m stable.”

  It made sense. Darli sighed in relief. “I’m glad she’s watching out for you. If you leave before you’re ready, it might boomerang on you and you’d end up right back in here.”

  “Don’t say that. I never want to be locked away again. Never! The trouble is, the overcautious doctor wants me to get follow-up therapy.”

  Darli touched his hand. “It’s understandable. You’ve been through hell.” Was this the whole story or was he sucking her in again? If so, she was falling for it.

  “The extra delay is maddening. I want to love you and take care of you…now.”

  She glanced at him and smiled, hoping to lift his spirits. “I need your love,” she said saucily, “but I’m pretty good at taking care of myself.”

  He grinned. “I know you’re independent, but with my unique skills and knowledge I have a hunch that I can come in handy.”

  If he were Cortz instead of Greg, she would wonder if he’d heard those words in a happily-ever-after television movie. But they sounded original and as an inventor he definitely would have unique skills. Besides, she wanted him in her life. The way she’d missed him when he disappeared from Hawaii proved how much she cared. It was too late to worry about the risk. It didn’t matter who he was. She loved his uniqueness and his gentleness, and more than anything she loved the chemistry had been there from the first moment they met. Even though their relationship had started in a strange way, where fantasy and intrigue were the backdrop, the fact that her feelings had endured through all the twists and turns of finding out who he really was told her that her heart was already irrevocably captured.

  She had no choice but to believe it would all work out.

  The Jeep’s motor labored up a steep incline. For a few moments, she wondered if the Jeep would make it to the top. Over the rise, the road ended. As she entered into a cautious U-turn, she was astonished at how high above the institution they had come. The ivy-covered buildings sprawled below now looked so far away. She turned off the engine and leaned back, feeling serene.

  He scooted close, lifted her hand, and lingeringly kissed her palm, then each of her fingers. A tingling rippled through her.

  “Sitting here like this, in this romantic spot, I could easily forget my resolve to wait until I get out of here to make love to you.” He reached for her and pulled her into his arms.

  She didn’t resist. “The world does seem far away,” she murmured.

  “I have to get out of here!” he said with anguish in his voice.

  She touched his face. “You will. The tests and physical shouldn’t take long.”

  “It better not, or I might just leave. It would be easy to just drive out of here. We could do it now if we wanted to.”

  Her stomach churned. “Don’t even kid about something so reckless.”

  “Okay. For you,” he said, “I’ll play by the rules.”

  Darli exhaled in relief. “Good. It’ll give you time to get completely well.”

  “I am well…no more delusions. I simply have to convince the doctor, my sister…and apparently even you.”

  Her mood lightened. “Perhaps I do need a bit more convincing,” she teased. Then, she lowered her voice and asked, “Who are you, my love?”

  “I have a feeling I’ll always be Cortz to you.”

  She felt the familiar warmth and hardness of his chest as he drew her tighter against him, so tightly she could scarcely breathe. She looked up into his eyes, losing herself in the intriguing ruby glints. She heard his breath catch, as though fighting the fires within himself.

  When she moistened her dry lips, his mouth closed over hers. A cool breeze blew her hair forward across their faces as if to bind them in a union of eternal love. His lips moved against hers, slowly increasing the pressure, the intensity. He massaged her back with his incomparable vibrating touch. Her pulse raced out of control. With her last bit of strength and resolve, she twisted out of his arms and started the engine. He’d been right before. Their complete fulfillment would have to wait. That out-of-this-world and beautiful sharing would be too special to unfold behind institution walls

  “You’ve never met my friend Keiko,” she said, trying to ward off her desire with aimless chatter. “You’ll like her. Actually you and she are a lot alike when it comes to saying off-the-wall things. “One day at work the Dean of Men was especially grumpy and she told him, ‘Be happy or kangaroos will jump on your grave.’”

  A puzzled look crossed Cortz’s face. “She sounds like an entertaining person, rather like my friend Hap. You should hear the weird things he comes up with. And you should see his dramatic antics. He actually made Jones stop the Jeep and let his shadow get on.”

  “He sounds like a character,” Darli said, slowing on a particularly sharp curve.

  “I’m fond of the whimsical old guy. I never know if he’s pretending to be unbalanced, or if he really is. But I suspect the truth lies somewhere in between.”

  “I wish I could’ve met him but since tomorrow will be my last day here, it isn’t likely.”

  “What?
” Cortz said, frowning. “I thought you would be here longer.”

  “I have to get back to the university. I was lucky to get away this long.”

  He glanced in the direction of the institution’s rear high walls and the wooded mountains beyond. “I don’t know how I’ll manage without seeing you.”

  “I wish you could go with me.” Her voice cracked and the remaining words tumbled out in a whisper. “But we have to do this right.”

  At the intersection of the two narrow roads, she turned toward the main building. She glanced at him again—not at all reassured by his silence.

  Chapter Forty

  Darli flicked on the bedroom switch and soft white light filtered through the scalloped bell-shaped lampshade and cast shadows around the room. A hint of a lilac fragrance hung in the air. She tossed her purse onto the bed and sat down at the French desk. She made a quick list of things to do the next morning before going to the hospital. After repacking and preparing for bed, she plumped the pillow against the headboard to read awhile. A replay of the day interrupted her concentration and she found herself reading the same sentence repeatedly without the slightest idea of what she had read.

  She could hardly wait until morning. Her hours with Cortz would have to last a long time and there was no way of knowing how long it would be before they could be together again.

  She awoke to the morning sounds of Roseanne moving about the house. Today would be her last day perhaps for a long time and she needed to leave Cortz with an unforgettable image. During her quick shower, she mentally ran through her limited wardrobe. For a picnic, it needed to be causal, yet flattering. Minutes later, she pulled the gray suede slacks suit off the hanger and laid it on the bed next to a pink angora sweater. She touched the delicate pink pearls sewn at the neckline. Since living in Hawaii she didn’t get many chances to wear the outfit. But for a sunny fall morning in the California mountains, it was perfect.

  By the time she’d dressed and applied the final touches to her make-up, she was so excited she could hardly breathe. She tied a pink velvet ribbon around a small section of hair and allowed the remaining strands to hang freely.

  She’d forgotten to leave out her matching gray suede shoes and had to dig through the packed suitcase for them. But it didn’t upset her. After removing the shoes, her oversized pink pearl earrings tickled her cheek as she bent to close the suitcase. She glanced back into the room to see if she’d left anything. Satisfied, she hurried down the hallway and placed her make-up case and suitcase near the front door. Roseanne came out of the kitchen to join her.

  “Everything was lovely,” Darli said, hugging her.

  Roseanne glanced at the suitcases. “Aren’t you coming back here before going to the airport?”

  “No. By taking everything with me, it’ll give me more time with Cortz.”

  “Cortz? I thought his name was Greg.”

  Darli’s face suddenly felt warm. “Oh, yes. Of course. Cortz is a pet name we have between us.”

  ****

  Dr. Steina and Cortz came out of the doctor’s office smiling. Darli placed the untouched coffee the secretary had given her on a lamp table and stood to greet them. Cortz took two long silent strides across the thick carpeting and put his arm around her waist.

  Dr. Steina moved forward and hugged Darli. “I’m going to have to say good-bye now. I have a meeting in town and I won’t be back for the rest of the day. But I’ll keep in touch. Your coming here was good for Greg. Marcel will drive you to the airport in plenty of time for you to make your flight. Now, you two go and enjoy your day together. Jones is bringing the picnic lunch from the kitchen. He’ll take you out to the knoll.”

  “Thank you. I’m taking a late flight to have more time with Greg.” She felt the warmth and strength of Cortz’s hand as he urged her out the door. Yes, she decided, he would always be Cortz in her heart.

  She walked slowly through the breezeway with her hand in Cortz’s, feeling sad. In a little while they’d have to part.

  She looked up at the sound of the Jeep.

  In seconds they were on their way. Jones was in a particularly good mood. He kidded Cortz about how he rated such a beauty coming clear from Hawaii to see him. Darli felt her cheeks grow warm.

  When the conversation lagged, Jones sang a catchy calypso tune in a deep robust voice. She and Cortz clapped in time to the rhythm. When they reached the knoll, Jones handed the picnic basket to Cortz and said he would be back in a couple of hours.

  They spread the picnic blanket under the shade of the enormous sycamore, a tree that had become their tree. He pulled Darli down next to him. “I really don’t want to stay here,” he said.

  “We can write to each other. You will answer my letters, won’t you?”

  “I’ll try…but I’m not good at writing. When I get out of here, I’ll call you.”

  “Call? I thought you’d be on the first plane to Honolulu.”

  “I will. Don’t doubt that.”

  “What about Mona? When will you see her?”

  “She said she’d try to come up on Wednesday. She’s bringing the corporation attorney, Mr. Anderson, with her.”

  “The business. I forgot about that.” Her heart sank. She didn’t want to move here, leave the job she loved, leave Keiko.

  “Don’t look upset. I have plans. A branch office in Honolulu.”

  “Won’t Mona object?”

  “I can be very convincing.”

  She laughed. “I’ve noticed.” A surge of concern made her add, “Perhaps you shouldn’t be in such a hurry to go back to work. Take some time to recuperate.”

  “I’m too excited about my plans for that.”

  “This is a side of you I’ve never seen before.”

  “It’s feels a little strange to me too. After all that’s happened, it may take a while to get reacquainted with myself. There won’t be a problem though. Mona said she and Mr. Anderson will be at my side until I’m comfortable with the operation of the business. You meant it when you said you would wait for me, didn’t you?”

  “Yes,” Darli murmured. “As long as it takes.”

  Cortz kissed her on the temple and opened the picnic basket. “Are you hungry?

  “I’m famished. I skipped breakfast.”

  “Me, too,” Darli admitted.

  In spite of him saying he was hungry, Darli noticed that Cortz didn’t eat much more than she did. He was staring at her, with those piercing brown eyes with sparking ruby glints. She sensed he was about to take her in his arms. Instead he just stretched out on the grass next to her. Disappointed, she lay down beside him. He clasped her hand and they lay side by side holding hands under the shade of the enormous umbrella sycamore tree. A ladybug landed on his hair. She laughed and gently brushed it away.

  “What’s funny?” he asked.

  “Nothing. I’m just glad to be here with you.”

  No matter what he called himself, this was the man she’d fallen in love with. It was strange how they’d met. After her initial shock, she’d been willing to accept that he was a space alien. His story seemed believable at the time and rather ridiculous now. She was so deep in thought she didn’t notice the sun was slowly lowering in the West.

  All of a sudden Cortz spoke to her, his voice husky and strained. “I can’t stand it anymore. Being close to you like this, knowing it’s our last day together for a long time…I want to make love to you. I’ve tried not to think about it, but the more I try, the more it’s on my mind.”

  Other than continuing to hold her hand so tightly that it numbed, he didn’t touch her.

  “Me too,” Darli said softly.

  “I’m afraid if I take you in my arms, I won’t stop until…” His voice deepened. She sensed his weakening restraint, his rising desire. “Being near you is different than before,” he rasped. “It’s wilder…I want to touch you everywhere…and make you wild too.”

  Darli closed her eyes and imagined them back in Hawaii on the most remote spot on
the island, tanned and nude. Vines hung from the trees and the scent of blooming jasmine wafted about them on the humid breeze. “Sounds intriguing. You Tarzan, me Jane.”

  Cortz drew his brows closer together. “I thought we had that settled. I’m Greg and you’re Darli.”

  “With us I think it’s going to be the same thing.” Raising herself on one arm, she smoothed the lines of puzzlement from his forehead. Then she examined the rest of his face, tracing her finger over each facial feature, one by one, locking them in her mind until they could be together again. “You’ll see. One of these days we’ll let loose and make the wildest kind of jungle love.”

  “You’re not helping me restrain my desire when you touch me like that…say things like that.” His husky whisper seemed to come from deep inside him. He drew her face down to his, until their lips barely touched. Suddenly, he rolled and in a smooth switch of their positions, he ended up looming over her with her head resting on the soft, sweet-smelling grass. He tangled his hands in her hair. Somewhere high in the trees Darli vaguely heard birdsongs. Then the sound faded and she heard nothing but the pounding of her heart. Cortz’s lips demanded more. Her resolve to keep things cool melted under the heat of his body pressing against hers.

  The faint sound of the Jeep motor grew louder and forced its way into her consciousness.

  Cortz slammed his fist into the ground so hard it flattened the grass. “Could two hours have passed so quickly?” he groaned.

  She glanced at her watch. “Good grief, it has. I can’t believe it, yet the sun is setting and the air has turned cool.”

  Cortz slowly rose, and extended a hand to her. For a moment, they stared into each other’s eyes. Then, as if the magic was over, they gathered the picnic remnants. While Darli tossed uneaten food and debris into the basket, Cortz folded the blanket.