"You're just saying that. I know what I look like. I know what I am to you."
His eyes softened and he looked over her face, touching her chin tenderly. "You don't know, Charlotte. You don't know at all." Rex's lips found hers, and at first Charlotte resisted, locking her lips tight. But she couldn't quite make herself turn her head away. "You're beautiful, Charlotte, on the inside especially. Why can't you see that about yourself? Why would the outside matter so much when the intelligent, fiery, loyal part of Charlotte is what counts?"
"You really think those things about me?"
"Everyone does, Charlotte. Maybe I think them a little deeper. I care about you, baby."
"You do? Because, Rex, if you're leading me on, I will…I'll…"
He pressed her lips with his fingertips. "No more threats." Soft lips followed where his fingertips had been. "Kiss me."
With a groan she couldn't control, she opened her lips to him. Their kiss seared her to her core. She could almost believe him. But a tiny suspicion ruined it for her. Maybe he was seducing her so she wouldn't sue his company or him. Maybe he had ulterior motives. He'd almost convinced her that the scar didn't matter, but how could that really be believed?
"I'm still going to sue," she told him, breathless from his kisses.
"You can do that." He kissed her face all over, and especially on her scarred cheek.
"I mean it."
"I know."
"Oh, God." Her resistance was pointless. Maybe he really did care. Maybe her scar didn't matter to him. But she tried to trip him up one more time. She had to be sure. "It will never go away, you know. The scar. I'll never look like other people."
He broke from her and stared into her eyes. "I love you the way you are, but, baby, you're not scarred."
Maybe he didn't see it on her face anymore. Maybe his affection had made it fade in his eyes. Could it be possible that the rest of her mattered more than her ugly blemish? Was she more than her scar?
"I love you, Charlotte."
Charlotte's heart melted. If she was something special in his eyes, maybe she really was a special person. Other people seemed to think so. Marie did. Her Aunt Devona had. Had Charlotte done herself the greatest injustice of all time? Had she failed to see her own worth in the world? She took stock, held in Rex's arms, her face pressed against his broad chest.
"Thank you, Rex."
"Come on. Let's get out of this rat hole and get you to your cabin."
"I'm tired," she said. And she was. She was tired of fretting over the way she looked, tired of fighting things and people she couldn't control. She was tired of fighting all by herself with no one at her side.
After she dressed, they walked quietly out into the hall, where Chuck stood at attention. "It's okay," Rex told him. "She's clear."
Chuck nodded, apparently unfazed about the sounds that must have come from the interrogation room. Charlotte's face flamed as brightly as her bottom. "Don't forget your purse, Miss."
"Right," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her purse didn't matter. Rex was in love with her, but even more importantly, Charlotte was beginning to love herself.
As they passed by another room, Rex ducked in and got her purse, bringing it back to her and escorting her to the elevator. Within a few minutes, they were at her cabin.
"I have a few things I need to finish," Rex told her, his hands cupping her face. "Can I come back for you?"
"Yes. I'll rest while you're gone."
"Good idea." He kissed her tenderly and then, reluctantly, turned away to leave.
Charlotte caught his sleeve before he left. "Rex, I love you. I know what that means now."
His smile lit up the corridor. "You always knew what it meant, baby. You were just afraid."
Rex was right. She'd been afraid to put herself out there and take a chance. But you had to take chances in life in order to grow. She saw that finally. Charlotte returned his smile with a little one of her own.
"Rest well. Your chip has been deactivated. Your dreams are your own. I hope they're pleasant ones."
Charlotte entered her cabin, put her purse down and kicked off her shoes. Tossing her jacket on a chair, she caught sight of herself in the big mirror over the dresser. It didn't matter what she looked like anymore. She was loved and could love in return.
As she drew closer to the mirror, she wondered if her eyes showed how much in love she was. But her eyes were the same gray-green eyes she'd seen in mirrors before except they got wider and wider as she stared.
Romantek…they'd done the miraculous. The scar was gone.
* * * * *
Esharveer sat in the doctor's office in Mumbai and tried not to flinch too much as the woman prodded and poked at his ruined scalp.
"You should have gone right to the emergency room, you know."
"I…I had a heli-jet to catch. It isn't so bad."
Her brown eyes widened. "You must have one helluva pain threshold. These are third-degree burns."
He'd already known that. It had taken him three flights to get to Mumbai. Three interminable, exhausting, excruciatingly painful flights. But he was sure he'd thrown Romantek's bloodhounds off the trail. He no longer had the chip in his scalp—that had been burned away—and there was no way for them to trace him. He'd never been to India before, having grown up in Northern California. But he'd known people who lived in India, people who worked for companies he'd worked for in the past and who worked remotely. Esharveer had purposely cultivated those relationships. A vacation in India would have been pleasant with his friends, but these circumstances were less than ideal.
Still, they'd welcomed him, concerned about his sudden appearance and his debilitated condition. Excuses came easy to his lips; he'd formulated them on the trip. But more than making excuses, Esharveer had started plotting a new way to get back at Romantek. He needed some money to do it, but he was willing to work and wait for the right time.
When that time came, Esharveer knew he'd be triumphant and Romantek would go down. The next scheme was sure to work. They'd changed him for life now, and he wouldn't forget. He'd remember every time he looked in the mirror and saw his scars.
* * * * *
Although Rex was the cautious sort, it didn't slow his courtship with Charlotte down. She reveled in his attention, thrilled to be free of the horrible burden the scar had placed on her for the past ten years. His job took a lot of his effort, but Charlotte never felt like she was second fiddle. He brought her flowers every Monday, to brighten her week. He took her out for meals and introduced her to his family and friends.
Charlotte was swept off her feet. Rex was everything she'd dreamed about for so long. All those romance heroes and so much more.
The only fly in the ointment was the terrorist's escape. Rex's job was to find the man and see that he came to justice.
"What about his family?" she asked.
"None known. Our records indicate that he was born in Northern California, but we don't know who his parents are, or were."
"Friends?"
"None made at Romantek; the people he worked with there never got close to him. He was a very solitary person."
"Was he good at his job?"
Rex nodded. "Apparently quite good." His tone castigated the system in which he worked.
Charlotte laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."
Sighing, he petted her hair for a minute. "We'll find him."
"Of course you will." Charlotte had complete faith in Rex, but she also knew that there were limits to his abilities. A change in subject was in order. "Kiss me?"
He did and it was a lingering kiss. Even though they stood in his living room, fully clothed, Charlotte felt the rush that came with physical closeness to the man she loved. She still had a hard time believing her good fortune.
"You ready to go do it?" he asked.
Nodding, she responded, "Yes. More than ready."
"They must be waiting for us by now."
"Probably
. Are you sure? Really sure?"
"Honey, I've wanted to marry you ever since we stopped dreaming. I was devastated to think you were in cahoots with Jaggi. I didn't want to believe it."
"You were so stern."
Rex laughed. "I'm sorry I scared you."
"I wasn't scared."
He gave her a skeptical look.
"Well, maybe a little scared."
"Let's go, my fearless flower."
No response was necessary. Charlotte was loved, and it wasn't for her beauty. It was because she was a worthwhile person. Rex loved her. It was written on his face. Charlotte hoped her face showed it, too. The scar was gone, and something special had replaced it. It would never hurt her again.
The End
Patricia Green
I began writing for publication at age seven, when a poem I wrote was printed in a children's magazine. A long time went by before I got interested in further publications. I guess I was resting on my laurels. Now, I'm the author of more than twenty novels and novellas.
Although I'm an American, I live in Canada with my husband and a whole lot of houseplants.
Things to note: my books are all romances, in that they are about people falling in love and living happily ever after. They also have quite a bit of erotic/adult content, so be ready for the spicy stuff.
Enjoy!
Visit her website here:
www.patriciagreenbooks.com
Don’t miss these exciting titles by Patricia Green and Blushing Books!
The Winner: Romantek Book One
Correcting Kathy
Journey’s End: The Journey Series Book 6
Handling Stormy
Kiki’s Millionaire
Jackie Draws a Straight: The Journey Series Book 5
Deuce’s Dancer: The Journey Series Book 4
Spanking Her Highness: The Journey Series Book 3
The Strong Silent Type
Ace-High Flush: The Journey Series Book 2
Liv’s Journey: The Journey Series Book 1
Journey's Valentine
Blushing Books
is one of the oldest eBook publishers on the web. We've been running websites that publish spanking and BDSM related romance and erotica since 1999, and we have been selling eBooks since 2003.
Charlotte & the Pirate Page 9