Wounded at the Lake

by Mitzi Pool Bridges

  “Two Apache helicopters flew in and took care of the dirt bags. Every survivor had some kind of injury. We were airlifted out of there and taken to the field hospital. That’s where we met Doc Louise. You know the rest of the story.”

  “I don’t think I know the half of it. You were heroes—all of you. Was Matt hurt?”

  “Not physically.”

  She didn’t pursue the question. For which Coop was grateful. Each of them went through their own version of PTSD. Matt’s was the most severe.

  “That’s enough about me. Is there anything you can tell me about yourself? Anything you remember?”

  She turned her head and pulled her hand back. “I get flashes now and then. Nothing definitive.”

  He put an arm over her shoulders and held her. She sank into him as if this were her place.

  She turned her head and looked at him. Even in the semi-darkness, he saw the want. He pulled her closer and touched her lips with his. Her response was instantaneous.

  Encouraged, he deepened the kiss, which started a slow burn that began deep in his gut until his entire body was aflame with want.

  He deepened the kiss.

  Her arms went around his neck and she pulled him closer.

  “Lori…I…” He should stop. Right now. When her tongue touched his, he was lost. “If we don’t stop you’re going to kill me?”

  She wiggled closer. “I don’t want to stop.”

  He kissed her neck and nibbled his way over to her ear.

  She pushed him away. “This can’t happen.”

  Her voice was soft and strangled. But she was right.

  Opening the door, she ran to the house, while he sat there trying to get his body and his emotions under control. He wasn’t having much luck with either.

  After a few minutes, he grabbed the cake, and went inside. After putting the plate on the island, he turned the lights off in the kitchen, walked down the hall, and stopped at Lori’s door.

  It took every ounce of willpower he possessed to keep from going inside.

  Just as he pushed himself away from the wall, he heard her crying. No way could he ignore that. Opening the door, he went in, and quietly shut the door.

  Chapter Twelve

  Moonlight shone softly in the room. Lori was outlined on the bed, lying on her side, her back to him, legs drawn up, crying into her pillow. He doubted she’d heard him come in.

  “Lori,” he whispered.

  Her sobs grew louder.

  “Can I help?”

  More sobs.

  “I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “Then what?”

  “I can’t.”

  “What?”

  Her sobs grew louder.

  Coop kicked off his boots and climbed onto the bed beside her. “Shh,” he whispered in her ear. The feel of her in his arms felt incredibly right. He kissed her neck and trailed a soothing hand down her side before he put an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “Please don’t cry. Your memory will return and you’ll know who you are. It’s going to be all right.”

  “Nothing is right,” she managed to say.

  His hand brushed her soft hair, then down her neck to her shoulder where he kissed her again. “What can I do?”

  She grabbed a tissue from a box on the bedside table before answering. “I want you, Cooper Browning. But I don’t know if I should follow through, since I don’t know who I am.”

  “You’re Lori.” And you’re mine, he wanted to add, but couldn’t. He had no idea who was in her life.

  She turned to face him, took his face in both hands and kissed him so deeply his heart moved. Small kisses feathered his face until her lips met his. If she didn’t stop, he was going to explode. He pulled her closer, realizing now that she hadn’t removed her clothes.

  His hand moved softly, slowly down her side. Every curve he felt sent his heart beating faster. He touched her breasts. They were perfect and he wanted to push her clothes aside to feel her soft skin against his own—wanted the feel of him in her.

  As if reading his mind, she sat up, pulled that sexy red blouse over her head and let it drop to the floor. No bra. In the moonlight, her beautiful breasts glowed. He stroked and kneaded while Lori moaned with pleasure. When she leaned over him, he took one then the other into his mouth. Sweet. Soft. Perfect.

  “Shirt,” she mumbled.

  He took a minute to pull his shirt off. She pressed against him breast to chest as their kiss went deeper, until she was wiggling on top of him, until he couldn’t take any more.

  “In the way,” he mumbled as he pulled her jeans down and off.

  Lori tore at him then, unbuttoned his jeans, pulled them off as well.

  He kissed her over and over until he thought he might burst if he couldn’t have her. He held back. Tried to take it slow and easy. He caressed her, drawing out the sweet, liquid longing.

  She kissed his face as if she were making love to it. Then, straddled him, pushing herself so close he thought he might die.

  “Shorty?” she whispered.

  “She won’t hear us.” Her room was on the other side of the house.

  Then he was sinking into her. His brain stopped working as sensations exploded into an undulating rhythm of love. A thrill of pleasure he had never felt before ripped through him.

  His hands around her waist held her tighter as she rose and fell. He was going to die from pure pleasure. In the near darkness, their eyes locked. He guided her up and down; so fluid he thought he would shatter into a million pieces.

  “Coop,” she cried out. “I…I can’t…”

  “What, baby,” his breath caught in his throat. “What do you want?”

  “You!” He swallowed her scream.

  From that moment he stopped thinking. They moved together in perfect rhythm; each stroke leaving him begging for more.

  She rocked her hips. He groaned. Holding onto him as if she were drowning, she whispered, “Coop…Coop…omygod, Coop.”

  He held her tight and close, as if she might slip away from him. “Lori…Lori.” His words broke off as she captured his mouth. Locked together, they moved to a flaming climax that left him spent and weak.

  Lori trembled in his arms, her head on his shoulder, and a sob in her throat.

  What had he done? Had he hurt her? Did she remember that there was someone in her life she loved? Could he live with that knowledge if she had? He couldn’t ask the question because he didn’t want to hear the answer. Instead he muttered against her lips, “Are you all right?”

  She gave a breathy chuckle. “I think that’s the first time in my life I’ve ever made love.”

  “Do you remember?” For once, he didn’t want her to remember anything except the two of them. If he talked a while, he might come down off the cloud he was on and return to earth and the reality of their situation. Just not yet. He nuzzled her hair, kissed it. Reveled in her softness as he traced her body with his hands, luxuriating in the feel of her.

  She raised her head. “Nothing. But I know you are my first lover.”

  Their bodies were still locked. He didn’t want to move, didn’t want Lori to leave his arms. Ever.

  His mouth met hers and once more he found himself stirring.

  Lori kissed him so deeply his racing heartbeat drummed in his chest. Her hips wiggled and they were moving again.

  Was he losing his mind?

  Had he ever felt this all-encompassing need for another human being?

  They rode each other in a frenzy of lips, hands, and hips. He couldn’t get enough.

  She slammed into him and he lost it.

  Lori let out a scream he muffled with another kiss. Then followed her over the cliff.

  It was an effort to still his heart—to come back to earth. How had this happened? He’d just made mind-boggling sex with a woman no one knew. Twice. And wanted more.

  He pushed her hair back and kissed her again.

  She rolled off
him. “I think I just lost my mind.”

  He wanted her to lose it again. “So did I.”

  She turned, gazed at him with sadness in her eyes before she kissed him gently on the lips. “That was wonderful, Coop. But it can’t happen again.”

  He came to earth with a crash as reason returned. Of course it couldn’t happen again. He’d been insane to do this to begin with. “I can’t tell you I’m sorry. It was too wonderful.”

  She stroked his face with her fingertips. “This was my first orgasm, so you know how I feel.”

  He grabbed her hand before she drove him crazy again. “How do you know?”

  Her glorious eyes misted. “The same way I know other things about myself.”

  Though he didn’t want to leave her, he knew he must, and moved off the bed. Leaving her heat was a tear in his heart. He could lay beside this woman the rest of his life. “I would rather stay, you know.”

  She smiled sadly. “I know.” Sitting up, she pulled the sheet up over those gorgeous breasts. “Thank you.”

  “For?”

  “For giving me this. It’s a lovely gift.”

  He pulled on his clothes, came over to kiss her goodnight. “It was a gift to me as well. Thank you very much.”

  “Friends?”

  “Always.”

  “No matter who I am?”

  “No matter.” He kissed her gently on the forehead and turned to leave when it hit him. He turned back in alarm. “My God, Lori. I didn’t use protection. I’m so sorry.”

  Which was a first. It was a cardinal rule for the brothers.

  She stroked his hand gently. “It’s okay, Coop. I can’t get pregnant.”

  There was the saddest look on her face. He wanted to take her in his arms and tell her it didn’t matter, even though deep down having a kid sounded like the greatest thing on earth. Lori was the first woman he’d ever thought of having children with. Now she was telling him she couldn’t have babies.

  It was a jolt to the system. There was no doubt she’d be a wonderful mother.

  He kissed her forehead and left the room.

  ****

  Lori watched him leave and mourned his loss. Had she actually made love to Coop and loved it? She could still feel him in her—could still feel the tingling aftershocks of her first orgasm. She wanted him again. What had her life been like before that this man could capture her heart so easily? She couldn’t have been in love, or had a husband, or lover. If so, she’d know, just as she knew other things about herself. Just as she knew she couldn’t get pregnant. Why couldn’t she? That, she couldn’t remember, she just knew. And the knowing made her sad. There was nothing she’d like better than to have Coop’s baby.

  Being in Coop’s arms opened her eyes and heart to what she’d been missing. As sure as she knew she was in this house, in this room, she knew she’d never made love before. The way Coop’s mouth had felt on hers, the way she felt in his arms gave her a whole new perspective. Something had tugged deep inside. It wasn’t just the comfort of his arms, her insides had tightened in an urgency—a want to get closer. For a fleeting moment she didn’t think she could ever be close enough.

  Heaving a deep sigh, she realized that making love and sharing kisses didn’t matter. Whatever it was they had between them couldn’t be for a multitude of reasons. Regardless of what her past might be, Coop was a man who would want children. He’d be a great dad. She could see him with a smaller version of himself at the lake. His grandfather had taught him to fish. It should be his turn to teach his son.

  She could picture the two of them with the dogs, who would love Coop’s son and keep him safe.

  A tear slid down her face.

  She couldn’t give him that.

  Grabbing the cell phone off the bedside table, she wanted to call Mel. She’d know what to do.

  Mel!

  Her friend’s name was Mel!

  Her heart pounding in her chest, Lori stared at the phone willing the number to come. No amount of begging or praying would bring it to the surface.

  Where are you, Mel? Why haven’t you gone to the police and reported me missing? Am I a bad person?

  Could she bear to discover she’d done something so horrific no one wanted to admit they knew her?

  She didn’t feel like that kind of person, but how did she know for sure?

  With a sigh of regret, she took a shower, turned off the light, and tried to sleep. But images of Coop’s eyes staring into hers while they made love overpowered every thought.

  Stop it!

  Her thinking pattern had to change.

  Cell phone in hand, she slept fitfully.

  ****

  The next morning was Sunday and Coop stayed as busy as possible with the dogs. Lori was there as usual and it hadn’t been awkward at all. What a relief. What had transpired between them wasn’t mentioned. But when she looked at him and smiled, his heart went into overdrive.

  Later he went to the office, then to the hospital where Christie was taking tiny steps in the recovery process. Anything to take his mind off Lori.

  Ross expected the best. Coop wasn’t so sure.

  By the time Monday morning rolled around, it was almost a relief to go to the office. When he walked into the break room he was ready for action. It felt the same as it had been before a mission. Pumped up. Ready to meet the enemy. It was a don’t-get-in-my-way attitude SEALs attained through training. Every mission intensified that eagerness for a challenge. Some called it arrogant. SEALs laughed at the description. They were assertive, gung-ho, determined. Otherwise they wouldn’t be SEALs.

  Work was good. Work would keep his mind off of Lori and get the cases solved. All of them.

  “I found a little more about the Natane guys,” Marshall said at the daily briefing.

  Coop sat at attention and listened carefully. “Their CEO, Bart Mallory, comes to Houston from Dallas at least once a week.”

  “Got a photo?”

  Marshall slid one across the table. Coop passed it around. “Has anyone seen this guy?”

  No one had.

  “Can you tell us anything else about him or his corporation?”

  Marshall shifted some papers. “He has a grown son named Ason who works for his dad; probably learning the ropes so he can take over some day.”

  “Do you have a photo of him?”

  “I’m working on it.”

  “What else?”

  “The corporation is nationwide. They own malls and office buildings in dozens of the larger cities and have megabucks. Mallory gives generously to Dallas charities. Everyone likes him. I nosed around a few of his businesses. No one has a bad word to say about him.”

  “He could be a dead-end,” Dirk offered.

  “I don’t think so,” Coop sat back in his chair. “The fact that he owns the mall where the nail salon is located and where the Wong sisters worked makes him suspect. Adding in the fact that your missing guy had two of Mallory’s businesses as his accounts clinches it.”

  “We have to dig deeper,” Carrie put in. “We can’t find Harper or the sisters. Finding even one of them would tell us if we are on the right path or not.”

  Dirk ran a hand over his face. “Bad news. Harper’s wife and kids are missing.”

  “What?” Coop yelled. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  “Just found out this morning. I haven’t been able to get the wife on the phone for the past few days, so I detoured by their house on my way here. Their car is gone, paper from the last three days is still in the driveway, and mail is spilling out of the mailbox. I took a look through the windows. When I didn’t see anything, I used my picks and went in.” He gave his brother a look. “Seems we’re into B&E now. All of the bedrooms were a mess, as if they packed in a hurry. I don’t know what’s going on.”

  “What do you think?” Coop asked.

  “Could be someone took them, but I don’t think so. No one would wait for them to pack. Most likely, Harper is afraid for them and told the
m to go into hiding.”

  “That makes more sense.”

  “So where the hell is he?” Dirk looked as if he were about to hit something. Or somebody.

  “You’ll find him,” Coop assured him. “No one can stay underground forever.”

  “It seems like forever. We’ve hired two more operatives who are pounding the sidewalks as we speak and we still can’t find him.”

  “Do you want more boots on the ground? If so, just say the word.”

  Dirk looked at his brother. Frustration sat on him in tight lines around his mouth and on his forehead. “Would we be wasting more time and money?”

  “Get them out there. He has to come to the surface at some point, as do the Wong sisters. Give them the flyers and put them to work.” Coop was tired. It was time to close both cases and find out who Lori was. Maybe then he wouldn’t feel so scattered. “Still nothing on Lori’s identity?”

  “Nothing,” Buster and Marshall said at the same time. They were frustrated as well.

  “Has your search gone further than the Houston area?”

  Marshall answered. “We didn’t confine our investigation to Texas. We covered every state. There are several women missing who almost fit Lori’s description, but there’s always some little something that wasn’t right. Age. Height. Weight. You get the picture. A few sounded so close we pulled up their photos only to see no resemblance. Lori is a genuine mystery woman.”

  Coop was beyond frustrated. It was taking way too long for her memory to return. He’d make it a point to talk to Doc. Maybe there was something she could do.

  They filed out to do their jobs, leaving Coop and Dirk sitting in the break room.

  “We’re going to treat this like a SEAL maneuver. Mission. Prep. Execute. Let’s get our cases online.”