Cord played with her curls then touched her delicate ears. “I like your hair this way.”
“Mom fixed it for me before I left. They both wanted me to say hello and tell you they’re glad you’re safe. I need to call. Are we ahead of their time or behind it?”
“The sun is headed their way. It gets dark here first. It’s not as late there. Did I answer your question, yet?” He sounded drowsy.
“Yes, I think so,” Stacey laughed a little. “How long since you slept?” She shifted to look into his face.
He moved his arm and rolled to lie flat on his back. “With the time changes, I don’t really know. Maybe thirty-six hours, give or take.” Cord rubbed his face tiredly and yawned.
“Didn’t you sleep on the plane coming back?”
“No. I debriefed on the plane so I could come straight here when we landed. I wanted to see you.” His voice deepened, grew softer. His fingers slid up and down her arm. “When I checked my messages and knew you were on the way, I couldn’t get here fast enough.”
They heard the rattle of cups and dishes as Stanley placed a tray on the glass coffee table. He left without interrupting them.
“You know, he’s great. We could use someone like him at the lodge,” she teased Cord.
“Parker, don’t you dare try to hire him away from me,” he frowned at her.
She laughed. “I won’t. You need someone to take care of you. Do you want coffee?”
“It will stay hot. Stretch out with me for a while,” Cord suggested.
Stacey slipped off her shoes and tossed them away.
“You don’t need this,” he eased her vest off one shoulder and she finished sliding it off. The brocade material was stiff and she did feel more comfortable without it. She lay down on the cushions in front of him and he turned so they fit together like a pair of spoons. She could feel that he wanted her, but he seemed content just to hold her close. He stroked the soft satin covering her arm and side.
Stacey relaxed into his body and stared out at the lights of New York City. His hand stopped moving and his breathing became deep and even. She knew he finally slept. After her disturbed night and long day, she drifted off listening to his breathing, still bemused by what was happening to her.
Cord woke a couple of hours later and began unbuttoning her blouse from the bottom. He pressed closely to her back while his hand worked on the next button and the next. Sliding his hand into the opening, he gently caressed the soft skin of her stomach. He felt Stacey catch her breath as she fully awakened. Moving his hand up, he unfastened another button and his fingers brushed the front closure of her bra. He stopped to play with it.
Stacey couldn’t help the laughter bubbling up. She cleared her throat and coughed to hide the giggle trying to escape. She realized he had one hook unfastened and was moving to the next. This time she couldn’t prevent it and her laughter burst free.
His hand stilled. Cord rolled her over onto her back and leaned over her with a fierce look on his face. It just made her laugh harder.
“Parker, here I am trying to seduce you and you’re giggling. Talk about crushing an ego. What am I doing that’s so blasted funny?”
“I’m—sorry—oh, Cord,” more giggles. “I’m sorry. I’ll try—to stop. The wine...” she was still laughing.
Cord groaned. Was she drunk? He hadn’t let her drink that much. Had he?
“All I could think about...” her laughter died down a little, “was if you learned that technique in the—backseat of a car. My mind—went a little crazy. I’m sorry.” She gulped in air and reached up to touch his scarred, but very precious face. Closing her eyes, she stroked the planes and angles of his features. Then she whispered, “You are so important to me. How long do we have together?”
“I don’t know, Stacey,” Cord answered honestly. “Can’t we enjoy the here and now? We can hold each other, talk, go out, maybe even make love if you want to. For however long it lasts.”
Stacey opened her eyes to look into his brooding brown ones. “I came because I couldn’t help it. I thought...” She took another deep breath. The laughter was gone now. “I decided I wanted to be with you for as long as possible. When you kiss me and touch me—I don’t ever want you to stop.”
“But?” he asked softly, knowing there was one.
“But I don’t want to have regrets. I want to be sure. And I ’m—sort of scared.”
He could barely hear her as she made the admission.
“Scared of me?” Cord hurt deep in his chest at the very thought she might be afraid of him.
“No, not exactly. I know you wouldn’t hurt me on purpose.” She looked down then closed her eyes again. In the dim light he saw a blush of pink stain her cheeks. “Of going all the way, you know—the first time. I wouldn’t want to disappoint you and—I know it can be uncomfortable at first. I’m twenty-five years old and feel like such a baby.” She hid her face behind her hands.
Cord pulled her hands away and chuckled as he lay back down beside her. He gathered her close and whispered huskily, “Stacey, it will be okay,” He hadn’t thought she might actually be afraid of intimacy with him. She always responded so passionately. “We both need a good night’s sleep. Then we’ll spend the day together tomorrow. Have dinner out, take in a show, whatever you want to do. Whenever I touch you and you start to feel uncomfortable, all you have to do is tell me. Sex is not the price you have to pay to be with me and I’ll try not to pressure you. Okay?”
“You mean we can really spend time together and if it doesn’t happen, you won’t hate me?” Stacey sounded very unsure.
“I will probably be very frustrated with you at particular moments, but I could never hate you.” He stroked her hair and nuzzled her neck. “I’ll just drown myself in a cold shower. If it helps, I can tell you I have never felt the way I feel about you. No other woman has ever been so—important to me. I could help you enjoy your first time, based on how you respond when I kiss you. But I won’t ever force you,” he promised in her ear. “Just how far have you gone?” he wanted to know.
“Never as far as with you,” she twisted her head and stared into his eyes to make sure he believed her.
“Oh, Stacey,” he groaned. “You really know how to torture me,” he breathed against her mouth and took her lips in a desperate kiss.
Stacey felt like she was falling off the edge of the world.
He kissed and stroked her, then kissed her deeper and longer. Shifting her hips to let her feel how much he wanted her, he unbuttoned the last few buttons on her blouse. Gently he opened it and placed kisses across her chest as his fingers roamed her side and stomach. Alternately nibbling, kissing, and touching with his tongue, he worked his way up and down her throat and on to the fullness of her upper breasts.
She gasped as the pleasure increased and threaded her fingers in his hair.
He loosened the last hook on her bra and kissed the skin beneath. “Okay?” he asked her as he moved back to kiss her mouth.
“Mm-hmm,” she responded, knowing he would stop if she wanted him to. That—the wine—and the wonderful feel of him eased her fears.
With one hand, Cord carefully pushed the cups of her bra away from her beautiful breasts. Taking his time, he kissed his way down her throat again and across the fullness of one breast then the other without touching her rigid nipples.
Her hips lifted instinctively to his body when his lips finally closed over one nipple. She gave a strangled little cry and her body trembled.
Cord almost lost the tight control he imposed on himself. He released the nipple with a gentle lick and very slowly nibbled his way to the other side. When his mouth fastened on it, she almost sobbed. Moving back to her beautiful, eager lips, he gave her another hungry kiss before rising just enough to jerk his shirt off. Holding his body away from her, he touched her with his mouth as he kissed her cheeks, her jaw-line, and along her throat to her breasts. He shared his attentions equally between the two dusky rose nipples until she
was gasping and moaning and her fingers gripped his shoulders tightly.
Lifting over her, he kissed her then stroked her tongue with his as he lowered his bare upper body to hers. He groaned as he felt her skin against his and the points of her breasts pressed into his chest.
She felt the strength of his desire for her against her most intimate parts as he lowered himself fully to her. Stacey shuddered and pushed up to rub against him seductively.
Cord wanted to rip her pants off and take her fast and furiously. He moved against her to give her an idea of what making love would be like. He forced himself to remember this was all new to her and no man had ever touched her this way. The very thought sent shivers through his large body. His breath came in short pants. He told himself it was time to pull away, but she moved against him and he lost it. He jerked against her pressing fiercely against her lower body. Cord kissed her hard then grew still. Moving off her, he softened his kisses and stroked her tenderly until her body stopped trembling.
Cord held her close surprised by what just happened once his brain started working again. Control hadn’t been that difficult for him after he made it through his teens and learned to focus. She totally demolished his control, absolutely tore it to shreds.
“Cord?” she murmured. “Did I do something wrong?” She pulled her blouse together self-consciously.
“No, sweetheart, you did everything too right,” he kissed her gently. “We should go to bed so we can get an early start in the morning.” She evidently didn’t know what had happened and he wasn’t going to enlighten her. He got up then pulled her to her feet. After another kiss, he turned her around and gave her a little push. “Go on, while I can still let you. I’ll see you in the morning. Don’t forget to call Sam and Lucy. They’ll be worried.”
In her room, Stacey placed the call as she undressed. She dialed the lodge then punched in the numbers for the residence. While she waited for an answer, she reached up to take the combs from her hair only to find they were already gone.
Her dad answered finally and they talked a few minutes before he passed the phone to her mother. They exchanged news and talked about the apartment, the view, and what Cord planned for them to do the next day. After promising to call again in a couple of days, she made sure they had the apartment number then hung up.
She found her toiletry case and went to shower. The warm water helped ease her taut muscles then she unpacked. Her fingers still trembled when she thought of Cord making love to her. Their dessert and coffee remained untouched where Stanley left them in the living room.
Trying to ignore the temptation, she turned down her bed and switched off the light. But knowing a sweet dessert and coffee were just sitting out there all alone was too much for her. Irritated with herself for giving in, she tossed back the covers and climbed out of bed.
Returning to the living room on bare feet, she saw that the blinds remained open. She replaced the cushions on the sofa and took one of the dessert plates from the tray. Curling up in the corner of the sofa, she tasted the whip cream covered pie. Chocolate, coconut, and an unusual nutty flavor combined on her tongue. Their chef at the lodge would kill for this recipe, she thought as she savored every bite.
Craving coffee, she felt the insulated carafe disappointed to find it was cool. After pouring a cupful, she carried it to the kitchen, flipped on the light, and found the microwave. It was easy to operate and in a matter of seconds her coffee was hot. She turned off the light and returned to stare out the glass at the buildings. Many were partially dark, but looking down, she saw multiple shops still open for business and cars driving along the roads. Putting her empty cup on the tray, she finally felt ready for bed.
A light shone from Cord’s room. He stepped into the doorway as she went down the hall. “Are you all right?” he asked quietly.
“Yes. I wanted to sample dessert and have coffee. It was delicious. I didn’t mean to disturb you,” she said as she stopped near the door to her room.
“Come sleep with me,” he requested holding his hand out toward her. He wore only pajama bottoms.
“Cord, I...”
“Just sleep, like we did on the trail. I don’t think I can unless I know you’re with me. I want to hold you. I won’t even kiss you goodnight,” he promised huskily.
“Okay. We’ll try it for a little while,” Stacey agreed and accepted his hand.
He led her in and closed the door. “Take whichever side you want.”
She sat down then scooted over. Pulling up the sheet, she lay down.
Cord liked seeing her there, in his bed. Flipping off the light, he joined her. Remaining on his back, he drew her to him and adjusted her head on his shoulder. The urgency he felt gave way to contentment at holding her. Once more back in control, he could be patient. Cord moved her right arm to lie across his stomach then asked, “Comfortable?”
“I’m fine. Goodnight, Cord.”
“Night, Stacey.”
Cord woke every few hours as usual and listened to her slow, even breathing. With her beside him, he surprisingly slipped back to sleep fairly quickly. Late in the night, she turned to her other side and he snuggled to her back with his nose in her hair. Mindful of his promise, he restrained himself from letting his hands wander and drifted back to sleep. This time his sleep was deep and dreamless for the first time in years.
When Stacey woke up, she was alone in the king-size bed. She stretched then searched for Cord. A note stuck on the glass wall in the living room immediately caught her eye. Gone for a run. Back soon.
She picked up the tray from the night before and carried it with her to the kitchen. Making a face at the dishes sitting around, she poured a cup of the hot coffee waiting in the coffeemaker. Stacey took it with her as she went back to her room to dress. White denims and the sweater Cord bought for her would do until he let her know what they would be doing for sure, she decided. Stacey looked for busy work to do and made the beds before staring out Cord’s bedroom window toward the Park while she finished her coffee. Coffee cup empty, she finally returned to the kitchen for a refill before wandering into the living room.
In the morning light streaming in through the wall of glass, the area looked even worse than the day before. The lamps were crooked chrome shapes with stark white odd shaped shades. The walls were so white they were blinding. The paintings looked like something out of a nightmare. They were probably very expensive, but Stacey couldn’t help thinking if they were hers she would toss them in the trash. She stood in front of one trying to figure out what it was supposed to represent when the buzzer sounded softly before the entryway door opened.
Turning, she watched a heavily breathing Cord in gray sweats covered with huge damp splotches bend from the waist then straighten to stretch his calves and hamstrings. With his hair mussed and a more rested look on his face, he appeared younger and even sexier.
“Looks like you had a good run,” she told him.
“Yeah, I did five miles.” He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. “I’d give you a hug, but I don’t want to get you sweaty. You look great. Let me shower and I’ll be right back.”
“You want coffee?” she offered.
“Sounds good,” he called back over his shoulder as he headed for the shower.
Stacey poured his coffee then took it along to the bedroom. The shower was already running but he’d left the door open. Stacey took it as an invitation and went in. “I slept like a rock,” she called over the sound of the water. “Did you sleep?”
“Better than I’ve slept in a long time. You could become a habit, Parker.”
“Like sleeping pills?” she laughed.
“Much better. More like a cuddly bunny. What do you want to do this morning?”
“Throw out the junk in your living room and start over?” she answered immediately and only half kidding.
“You wound me. That junk cost me a mint. What did you have in mind?”
“The sofa and the rugs aren’t bad. I like
the bar, too. I think it’s the accessories that make it so cold.”
“That’s what I thought, too. But you don’t want to spend our time fixing up my apartment, do you?”
“Why not? I’d get to shop with your money,” she teased. “You can show me around the city while we look for stuff you like. We can have lunch then you can plan our evening. Sounds like fun to me, but it’s up to you.” She turned her back as the water stopped, but was definitely tempted to peek.
“Okay, if you’re sure. I’ve wanted to change it since a week after it was finished. I just wasn’t sure where to start. It didn’t seem to matter because I’m usually not here much.”
“Should I change?” Stacey asked as she heard him pulling on his clothes.
“Parker, don’t ever change,” he chuckled. He liked this little minx just as she was.
“My clothes, silly. I don’t want to—embarrass you.”
“You look wonderful and you could never embarrass me, not even in a flour sack,” he assured her. Cord came up behind her to ease her back against his strong body. Kissing her neck and breathing in the scent so exclusively hers brought back a fierce need in him. She turned in his arms and raised her face for a kiss. He gladly complied but kept it light, careful not to lose control.
“Do you want breakfast?” he asked as he set her away. “There’s a pretty good place not far from here. By the time we finish, the shops will be opening.”
“From what I saw last night, some of them never close.” Stacey watched as he put on his shoes, belt, and wristwatch.
“Some of those aren’t the kind of places you should visit alone. There are a couple of coffee bars and a good deli or two not far away.” Cord put his keys and wallet in his jean pockets.
“Do you spend more time here or in Dallas?” Stacey followed when he went toward the living room. Another thing missing was greenery. There wasn’t a plant in the entire place, not even an artificial one, she noticed with a sigh. She needed plants around her almost as much as she needed coffee.
Surviving With Love Page 27