Surviving With Love

by Vickery, Rebecca J.

  “Truce?” he asked hoarsely.

  She nodded.

  He kissed her, then put his arm around her waist and urged her toward the apartment building.

  Swinging the empty picnic basket in her hand, Stacey tried to match his long strides. Laughing when she failed, she pulled away and ran.

  Cord chased and quickly caught her, scooping her into his arms then carried her across the street accompanied by horns and whistles from drivers passing them.

  Wilkes grinned as he unlocked the door for them to enter the building. “Having a good day, Miss Parker?” he asked as he touched the brim of his cap.

  “Yes, thank you, Wilkes. Do you ski?” she laughed.

  “Forget she asked that. She’s trying to steal all the good help to take to Idaho,” Cord told the doorman as he toted her past. Shifting her to drape her over his shoulder, he signed for their cards and moved on toward the elevators.

  Stacey braced one hand against Cord’s back to lean up and look back at Wilkes. “We’ll talk about this tomorrow—ouch!” she yelped as Cord smacked her bottom. It surprised her rather than hurt. Then she giggled, “Or maybe not.”

  In the elevator, Cord rubbed the area he smacked. By the time they reached the apartment door, she was moaning gently and clutching at his shirt. He carried her straight through to his bedroom, closed and locked the door, and tossed her in the middle of his bed. “I believe there was the matter of teaching you who the boss is, Parker,” he growled as he followed her down.

  * * * * *

  Afterward, Cord taught her the joys of showering together. As he dried her off, he taught her to make love standing against the wall. He couldn’t get enough of her. Carrying her to the bed, he tucked her in and stroked her damp hair as she drifted off to sleep.

  Once he was sure she was sleeping, he slid off the bed. Seeing the condom box on the nightstand beside the bed, he realized he didn’t use any protection in the bathroom. Too late to worry about it now. Hopefully as many times as they already made love, his count should be at rock bottom. But, God, I’m going to have to be more careful. He needed to see that she visited a doctor for some form of protection such as the Pill or an implant.

  Cord pulled on sweats and a tee shirt before going into the other room and getting her gray shorts she usually slept in. He placed them on the foot of the bed along with her white tank top and picked up the rest of their clothes to stuff in the hamper. They didn’t need to dress to stay in for dinner and to watch TV. As a matter of fact, he was going to tell Stanley to go on home once everything was prepared for their dinner. He needed Stacey all to himself tonight.

  “Is it true Miss Parker is leaving?” Stanley asked as soon as Cord entered the kitchen.

  “Yes, but—”

  Stanley interrupted, “You must tell her not to go. She is happy, you are happy. She has made it better.”

  Cord couldn’t help smiling at how upset the slim man sounded. “She’s coming back, Stanley. I’ll call her when I start home or when I get in and she’ll come. You’re right. She makes me happy. I’m not about to let her leave for good.”

  “If she does not come back, I will leave,” Stanley threatened.

  “Then I’ll make sure she comes back, even if I have to go to Idaho to get her. Okay?”

  “Okay, Mr. McConnell.” Stanley offered a big smile. “The men are finished with the entertainment equipment. What time do you wish dinner? Miss Parker agreed it should be late,” Stanley was much calmer after Cord’s reassurances.

  “Why don’t you just prepare everything by eight then you can leave. I need you to come early in the morning in case Stacey needs anything. I would like for you to make sure she gets safely to the airport and on her plane. Will you do that for me, Stanley?” He watched the Turkish man efficiently dice an onion.

  “I will be sure she is safe. She is one special lady. The food will be ready at eight and I will leave you to your television,” Stanley smiled slightly. “I laundered your work clothes and returned them to your room. I will be here at seven o’clock if that is agreeable?”

  “That should be fine. I have to leave at six. I’ll leave a note if you need to wake Stacey. She loved those chocolate cheesecake things and the cookies last night. Are there anymore?”

  “I have more. You wish me to prepare a plate of late night snacks?”

  Cord grinned, “Yeah and there’s no use to make dessert. She’d rather snack later instead.” He reached for a slice of raw potato that Stanley just peeled. It was odd, but he and Stanley never actually talked this much before. Stacey was having a profound effect on his entire life.

  “And drink coffee in the night, strange habits for one so young. You love her?” Stanley looked down at what he was doing as he waited for an answer.

  “Maybe. I’ll let you know,” Cord answered thoughtfully and went into the living room to play with his new electronic gizmos.

  The sun was about to set when Stacey wandered into the living room. She assumed from the clothes Cord left on the foot of the bed they weren’t going out again. After slipping into the tank top and shorts with no undies, which should please Cord, she went in search of him. She couldn’t help smiling when she found him asleep on the sofa with the new TV on and the remote on his chest in stereotypical fashion.

  Going to the glass, she stared out at the skyline and watched the sun disappear with a red-orange glow between the buildings. She needed to contact the airlines and call her mom and dad. They would be glad to see her. There were several things she still wanted to see, but maybe next time. Believing she would be back helped hold her together when she thought about leaving. Stretching gracefully to ease her sore muscles, Stacey smiled as she remembered the details of her newest form of exercise.

  Arms slid around her waist and she gave a squeak of surprise. The strong firm body that she leaned against shook as Cord laughed.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you,” he whispered in her ear.

  “You sound really sorry,” she scolded. Putting her hands over his arms, she hugged them tighter to her. “I love you so much, Cord. I’m going to miss you.”

  “I’m going to miss you too, sweetheart. It won’t be for long. I’ll get the job done as quickly as I can, then I’ll fly back and we’ll be together. I promised Stanley that if you refuse to come back, I’ll kidnap you from Idaho. It was the only thing that kept him from quitting.” He kissed her neck and shoulder.

  “You didn’t?” she laughed delightedly. “Stanley is definitely a keeper.”

  “Stanley will help you with your things and see you to the airport when you get ready to leave. Have you made the arrangements?”

  “No, but I have to. I’ve put it off longer than I should have already.”

  “Would you like me to take care of it?” Cord offered.

  “That’s okay. But I would love some coffee,” she turned her head and kissed beneath his chin.

  “I’ll be right back,” he told her as he let go and went to the kitchen.

  Stacey found the phonebook and turned on one of the new lamps before sitting on the sofa. She was able to get a flight non-stop to Denver and then catch a flight from Denver to Helena. Mr. Harper, her dad’s friend, once again agreed to have the chopper pick her up and fly her home.

  Cord brought in a tray and handed Stacey a cup of Stanley’s special Turkish coffee. “What time is your flight?”

  “Ten in the morning. I fly to Denver. What about you?”

  “A car is picking me up at six. A private jet will be waiting at the airport to fly me straight there.” He dropped down on the sofa near her.

  “This man you’ll be working for is wealthy?” she guessed.

  “Usually they are. He’s wealthy and powerful. Ordinary citizens aren’t usually worth enough to warrant kidnappings.”

  “Thank goodness. It must be awful to have to worry about what we went through with Marcus all of the time. Always worried someone will use your own family against you.”

  “I
think the worst would be trying to live with yourself afterward if you couldn’t save them, especially your child. They don’t deserve to be pawns in adult games.”

  “And that’s why you have to go?” Stacey asked softly.

  “Partly,” Cord answered and pulled her into his arms. “The other reason is that kids deserve to be with their family. If I can make that happen, I have to go when I’m called. But right now I hate that it’s interfering with our time together.” He kissed her neck and she could hear the sincerity in his voice.

  “It will be okay, Cord. We just have to make the best of the time we do have, right?”

  “Right. How about if I draw the blinds, turn out the lights, and we neck through a movie before dinner?”

  “Sounds perfect,” she agreed. Using the pillows and cushions from the sofa, she made a cozy resting-place on the floor in front of the entertainment cabinet.

  Cord closed the vertical blinds, selected a movie then switched off the lights before joining her. They settled down in each other’s arms on the cushions and enjoyed being together.

  At just after eight, Stanley interrupted to tell them dinner was prepared, he would return at seven, and he was leaving. They both called goodnight and Cord added a thank you after Stacey elbowed him in the ribs.

  Once Stanley closed the door, Cord made her pay for the elbow. Holding her down, he tickled her until she cried ‘uncle’ then he rewarded her with a kiss that rapidly led to other things. They missed the end of the movie and restarted it to watch again as they ate their dinner. Sitting on the cushions and feeding bites to each other, they consumed the delicious ham and potato casserole Stanley prepared.

  After dinner, they filled the huge whirlpool tub and played in peach scented bubbles Stacey teasingly added. Like two large kids they blew bubbles, ducked each other, and generally made a mess. When they grew tired and their fingers and toes shriveled like prunes, they returned to the living room to sleep in front of the TV.

  In the middle of the night, Cord brought her coffee and snacks then helped eat them. He put in another movie and they kissed and necked through it. As the credits rolled after the hero got the girl, Cord stripped off Stacey’s tank top and shorts and carried her to the king size bed to have his way with her once again.

  She lay sleeping peacefully in his arms afterward. Cord discovered that instead of lessening with time, his need grew every hour. He wanted to lock her in and never let her out. Finally, he understood the kind of passion that made a man do crazy, irrational things. If anyone hurt this woman, they would answer to him. He loved her. His eyes opened wide as he realized what just went through his mind.

  No, it can’t be, he argued with himself while fighting back a sense of panic. I don’t know what love is. I refuse to get that attached to anyone. But his heart ached at the thought of losing her, of going even one day without seeing her pert sexy face, of never being able to hold her again. He needed this time apart from her so maybe he could get everything back into perspective.

  Carefully Cord eased away from Stacey, got up and packed his gear. The car would arrive for him in a few hours. He kept glancing at the woman sleeping in his bed. She looked young and beautiful and, oh, so desirable. She couldn’t love him. His experience and her desires obviously overwhelmed her good sense. No denying she was eager, passionate, and extremely responsive. But this was her first affair where he already knew the ropes.

  Cord continued thinking of excuses for how she felt. Lust and proximity from the days spent together in the wilderness, plus the danger that threw them together definitely played a part in what she was feeling. He knew some women were drawn to dangerous types like him. He knew what she felt wasn’t love, though she was convinced it was. Their time apart would give her some time to think too. If she decided she didn’t want to come back, well, it might be for the best.

  Stacey rolled over and whispered his name.

  He moved to sit by her on the bed. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I still have a couple of hours. I’m just getting my gear together.”

  “Good. Come back to bed,” she whispered drowsily and slid her hands down his back and over his chest.

  Unable to refuse, he took a long time loving and touching her. This would have to last him a while. Maybe a very long while if she came to her senses and didn’t come back. With their passion finally spent she cried in his arms, but she never said a word. Cord held her and soothed her until she drifted back to sleep. He left her to shower and dress and without waking her, he left. She would probably be angry, but he hoped she would understand. He didn’t want to face saying goodbye.

  Stacey heard the door close behind him and sat up. She knew he already said goodbye in his own way, with loving touches and warm tender kisses when they made love. Cord had proven to be a man of action and not words ever since she first met him at the site of the plane crash. Every action of the last few hours told her he loved her, whether he accepted it or not.

  She took a long hot shower to ease the aches and pains caused by her unaccustomed activities. Standing in front of the mirror as she dried, she couldn’t miss seeing the marks on her neck and body. They didn’t hurt, but she wouldn’t be able to wear tank tops for several days. She blushed to think someone might see the love marks.

  After dressing with her blouse buttoned to the top this time, she went to the kitchen for coffee. She straightened the living room and went to strip the bed before Stanley arrived. Being a naturally modest person, she didn’t want to leave beacons as to what took place the night before. In the hall past the kitchen, she tossed the bedclothes in the washer and started it.

  Stacey was in the bedroom packing, trying not to cry, when she heard Stanley arrive. She heard him gathering the dishes in the living room as he began his morning routine. Carrying her bags to the living room, she placed them in the small foyer then went to have coffee with Stanley.

  He removed a pan of sweet rolls from the toaster oven and the kitchen smelled delicious from the mix of sugar and cinnamon.

  “I’ll have some clothes in the laundry, Stanley. I think some of my stuff got mixed in with Cord’s. I should have washed them last night...”

  “No, Miss Parker. That is my job,” he told her, but he didn’t say anything about the washer being on. “I will launder them and they will be ready when you come back. You will come back?” Stanley asked as he slid a hot roll onto a small plate for her.

  “As long as Cord wants me to, I’ll come back. I’ve loved my time here, Stanley,” she admitted.

  “I have never seen Mr. McConnell as he is with you. The change to the room, it is much more a home. I will be very caring of the plants until you come back,” he promised.

  “Speaking of plants, we still need to put the large pots where they go. Will you help me?”

  “Yes, Miss. I am anxious to see the results,” Stanley agreed.

  They finished their rolls and coffee then went to arrange the very large plants delivered the afternoon before. After placing one tall, large leafed plant in the foyer and another outside the apartment door, they placed bushier, smaller leafed plants at each end of the glass wall. A smaller corn-plant was put in Cord’s bathroom near the large tub and some type of fichus was put in a corner of the smaller bedroom that she used.

  Stacey and Stanley were satisfied with the results as they walked back through the rooms. In the living room the vase of white roses caught Stacey’s eyes. She took three of the long stemmed beauties, now fully opened, from the bouquet.

  Following Stanley to the kitchen, she asked for a plastic bag and a pair of shears. He handed them to her and watched as she snipped the stems on two of them so the flowers would fit into the bag. The other stem she trimmed very short and then held the rose to the front of her vest.

  Stanley found a pin and she fastened it in place. “I couldn’t leave without taking a few with me,” Stacey smiled at the houseman.

  “I understand, Miss Parker. We should leave soon. The traffic will be bad. Shall I
ring for a cab?”

  “Yes, please. Thank you, Stanley, for all the things you do for Cord and for being a friend.” Stacey gave him a quick peck on the cheek and hurriedly left the kitchen.

  Stanley put his hand to his cheek. “If the boss does not marry her, I will ask her,” he mumbled. Then he grinned, “He may be slow, but he is not so stupid.”

  Ben buzzed them when the cab arrived and Stanley carried her luggage down. She said goodbye to Ben, Fred, and Wilkes as she turned in her keycard.

  Traffic moved slowly and Stanley pointed out various shops and buildings and told her amusing tales of how he first learned to survive in New York City. At the airport he made sure she had her ticket and that her luggage was headed to the same destination. Waiting with her, Stanley asked about the lodge and her family. She talked about them until her flight was announced. Stanley then walked her to the gate and shook her hand. He could assure Mr. McConnell he saw her safely off as promised.

  CHAPTER 20

  Stacey’s parents were glad to see her and wanted to hear all about her trip. Over supper her first night back, she filled them in. “You should see his apartment, mom. It’s a security building. There’s this really nice doorman named Wilkes then there’s Stanley, the houseman who does all the cooking and housekeeping.”

  “A houseman, imagine that?” Lucy smiled and watched the love shine from her daughter’s blue eyes as she talked about Cord.

  “He took me walking in Central Park. His living room was really stark so we went shopping for new accessories. It looked so much homier when we finished. We bought him a TV and a stereo. We couldn’t even watch a movie when I first got there,” Stacey laughed.

  Cord’s fabulous view, the restaurants, and the homeless people were also covered. What Stacey didn’t share were the intimate details of her relationship with Cord and how much she missed him already.

  Cathy, the one person she would have confided in, was on an extended vacation with her family. Determined not to mope, Stacey threw herself into helping around the lodge. A few days later she was called out on a search to track a couple who wandered away from their group, but the search was called off when the couple found their way back to camp by themselves.