by J. H. Croix
My breath hitched. On the heels of the wave of memories, another wave of emotion crashed behind it. Cade was out in that darkness and rainy fog. A full hour had passed since I’d spoken to Ed from dispatch in Fairbanks. That hour meant Cade and whoever else was left behind with him would be staying through the night.
Rex, Cade’s father, must’ve noticed my expression because he slipped a chair behind me just when my knees buckled.
I glanced up into his face and managed a shaky smile. “Thanks. I, uh…”
Cade had his mother’s green eyes, but everything else was his father through and through. Rex shared Cade’s chiseled features and rumpled brown hair, albeit in a more weathered face and with streaks of gray. His brown eyes crinkled at the corners with his concerned smile. He squeezed my shoulder and sat down beside me at the kitchen table.
“You looked like you could use a chair,” he said matter-of-factly. “Georgia, are you making coffee or tea?” he called over to Georgia who was already spinning around with two mugs of something in her hands.
My mother sat down beside me and rested her cane against the edge of the table. Georgia slid a mug in front of me, and I curled my hands around it. I’d been cold ever since I’d taken that call. Rex said something to my mother, which I didn’t even hear. After a few minutes, Georgia was sitting across from me and reaching over to squeeze my hand.
“Hon, Cade is going to be just fine. Rex was able to talk to him through the radio earlier. I figured you’d be worried sick all by yourself, so why not come here, right?” Georgia asked, her warmth and concern so evident it was hard not to feel a little better.
“You talked to him?” I asked, my gaze swinging to Rex.
“Sure did. Just for a few. Maisie patched me in. Can’t tie up the signal since it’s the flight channel, but Cade said only two guys sustained serious injuries—the pilot and Jesse Franklin. The rest of ‘em have some cuts and bruises, but they’ll be fine. The fog up there’s heavier than here. You sit tight, and we’ll head up to Fairbanks tomorrow.”
“We will?”
My mother laughed softly. “Hon, I mentioned that on the way over, but I think not much is sinking in.”
I glanced to my mother to find her steady gaze on me. My mother was one of the strongest women I knew. I only wished I could be as strong as her. Physically speaking, I was, but my mother had an internal strength that had weathered her through my father leaving her with two young children at a time when she’d barely had two pennies to rub together. She’d not only pulled herself together, she’d given us an amazing childhood and paid for both of us to go to college. She’d taught me how to charge at life and grab it with both hands. What she hadn’t taught me was how to love someone as hard as I loved Cade and stay sane.
The tension and worry balled up in my chest and stomach eased slightly. Rex wouldn’t make light of it if there were something to worry about, that much I knew. As the chief of police for Willow Brook as long as I could recall, he was matter-of-fact and realistic no matter the circumstances. If he trusted Cade would be okay, then Cade would likely be okay.
“Figured we’d fly up tomorrow. We can fly from Anchorage to Fairbanks if there’s room, or my buddy said he’d fly us up in his small plane if the weather’s good. Way I figure it, Cade likely won’t get home until day after tomorrow, so if you want to see him sooner, let’s get up there,” Rex said.
I nodded and took a swallow of whatever Georgia had handed me, just now noticing it was tea. Conversation carried on softly around me, and I gradually began to relax inside though my worry wouldn’t stop until Cade was standing right in front of me, and I knew he was okay. Yet, it helped not being alone.
Georgia shooed me off to one of the guest bedrooms not much later with my mother promising to come by again in the morning with a change of clothes for me. Even though the tension coiled in every fiber had loosened slightly, I couldn’t relax. Every thought looped back to Cade, and my heart ached with worry and missing him. Now he was somewhere in the dark wilderness—cold, wet and most definitely not with me.
Chapter 34
Cade
I leaned my head against the seat with a sigh. I was fucking exhausted. Even under the best circumstances, camping through a night like last night would have sucked because it was cool and wet, and we certainly hadn’t had the best circumstances. With the useless plane on the ground amongst broken trees, we’d set up camp nearby. Despite the fact it was raining, we’d opted against a campfire. The lingering threat from the massive fire only now contained was too fresh. We’d had a stroke of luck that the storage section of the plane had only minor dents and everything in it stayed dry.
Out of the six crewmembers who’d been on this second flight out from the fire, four of us remained behind for the night. The rescue helicopter could have held three total from the crew, but they needed space to keep Jesse on a stretcher. I’d spent the night rotating awake shifts with Levi, Thad and Jackson. Not that any of us slept much, but we needed to have someone up and moving in case any wildlife came by. We were in the thick of grizzly territory, which wasn’t as risky as some might think, but we’d had enough to deal with already. A bear ransacking what little food we had would only make things worse.
I rolled my head to the side, catching Levi’s eye. “How ya feelin’?”
Levi rolled his eyes. “Fuckin’ tired. Can’t wait for a shower and anything warm to eat.”
I chuckled. “Damn straight.” I tugged my phone out of my pocket and swore. At some point during the crash, my phone had gotten cracked and didn’t work worth a damn other than to turn on. I hadn’t even noticed at first because when I hadn’t seen a cell signal, I figured it was because reception was so spotty out here. I’d later tried to check again to no avail and that was when I realized the phone would power on, but nothing else opened up. I hoped like hell dispatch had reached Amelia. My dad had assured me he’d let her know what was up as well, but it didn’t change the fact I was concerned she’d be worried. I knew what worrying meant for her. She hated it, so she tended to get revved up inside. That never went well. I still hadn’t gotten a blasted text to go through to her, so there was that to fester in my thoughts as well.
I watched the landscape underneath us with the steady thwack of the helicopter blades drowning out any other sound. The sky had cleared this morning, and a rescue helicopter came in to land not far into the morning. A crew from the National Transportation Safety Board was hot on their heels to do their thing—in short, a detailed investigation to report what we all already knew. The right plane wing collided with something in the fog and the plane crashed. The way the fog had cocooned us in the sky, visibility had been nil.
I’d been relieved to leave behind the investigators mulling about the area and was impatient to get to Fairbanks. I hated that meant yet another wait to be cleared to leave for Willow Brook. Since we’d been in a crash, I’d already received orders that we were to wait on site in Fairbanks to be interviewed for the NTSB investigation. All in all, more delay in getting to Amelia. It still wasn’t sitting right with me that she’d gotten worried about Shannon’s bullshit hints. Weary as I was, no matter the machinations of my mind, my eyes closed and I dozed off.
I woke with a start when the helicopter came down to land, setting down with a soft bounce. Within a few minutes, I was walking with the rest of the crew from the helipad into Fairbanks Fire & Rescue. All four of us were on a blind mission to the showers, and I could hardly be bothered to stop and chat with any of the local guys. Then, I heard Amelia call my name.
Disoriented, I spun around, quickly scanning the area. The waiting area here was busy with the station dealing with whatever usual issues at hand, along with juggling the presence of the NTSB investigators and a few extra hotshot crews passing through here to be sent out to the big fire. As such, there was a hum of voices and unfamiliar faces. I glanced around to find Amelia pushing her way through a few people toward the front doors. Her amber hair caught the sun g
linting through the windows.
I forgot I was tired to my bones and cold all the way through. I dropped my bag to the floor where I was and strode to meet her. I didn’t hear a word she said, although she was running on about something. I stepped to her, wrapped her in my arms and breathed her in. She shut up and buried her face in my neck. She smelled so good—like warm grass under the sun.
The sounds around us faded, and I simply held on. After a few minutes, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I lifted my head and glanced over to see my dad.
“Hey Dad. Didn’t know you were coming up.”
My dad flashed a grin. “Got the scoop you’d be tied up for a day or two and figured you might want to see your girl.”
Amelia lifted her head, glancing between us and throwing a wobbly smile in my dad’s direction. “Thanks Rex.”
My dad nodded, his eyes flicking to me. “You okay?” he asked, gesturing to my bloodied shoulder. The cotton had dried stiff, and the makeshift bandage Levi had put over the jagged tear was visible through the torn fabric.
Before I had a chance to speak, Amelia gasped and stepped back enough to check my shoulder.
I caught her hand in mine. “Hey, I’m fine.”
Rex chuckled. “All I needed to know. I’ll leave you two be. I’m checking in with an old buddy here at the station. Come find me when you’re ready. I’m flying back tonight, but I booked a room for you two nearby.”
I didn’t even hear him walk away. I stared down into Amelia’s amber eyes, trying to impart everything I felt in one look. “I missed you,” I said, my voice rough with weariness and the depth of my feelings.
She caught her bottom lip in her teeth, letting it go with a sigh. Meanwhile, I knew I needed to be focused otherwise, but my body tightened and a jolt of need rolled through me. All because she bit her delectable lip.
“I missed you like crazy, but I can’t think about it. Your shoulder’s all bloody and we need to get it looked at.”
She took another step back, reaching for my hand as if to drag me along behind her. Where I didn’t know, but I knew Amelia would demand what she wanted. I curled my hand around hers and held firm.
“Wait,” I said.
She turned back, and I reeled her in, pulling her flush against me. “Are you okay?” I asked gruffly, dipping my forehead to rest against hers.
“Am I okay?” she asked, her tone incredulous. “Of course, I’m okay! You’re the one who was in a plane crash. You’re walking around like nothing happened and…” Her breath hitched, her voice cracked, and she pressed her forehead into my chest, her breath coming in shudders.
“Hey, I’m okay. Really. I spend the night out in the middle of nowhere all the time. Usually with fire somewhere in the distance, so last night was no biggie,” I said, sweeping my palm in passes along her spine.
“Yeah, but you’ve never been in a plane crash,” she mumbled into my chest.
“Maybe so, but we’re all okay.”
“How come you’re asking me if I’m okay?” she asked, still essentially talking to my chest.
Now might not be the best time to talk, what with people milling around us, phones ringing and zero privacy, but I wasn’t walking anywhere without making sure we were on the level again.
“Because I got pretty stressed about you worrying about whatever bullshit Shannon said. I have no idea why she did what she did the first time, and why she would do anything now. You have to know that. I don’t want you worrying about something so pointless,” I said, my words coming out fiercer than I intended.
Amelia finally lifted her head, her eyes glistening. “I know it was bullshit. It’s just you were gone and I missed you and I’m not used to us yet and everything feels big and intense so I freaked out.”
Her words flew out in one long-running sentence. She paused and took a shuddering breath. “I’m sorry. You didn’t need me getting all worked up like that when you were out there. I’ll do better next time.”
My heart squeezed in my chest, and I swallowed against the tightness in my throat. I lifted a hand and sifted it through her silky hair. After a beat, I managed to gather myself enough to talk. “You don’t need to apologize. I just need to know we’re good. I get it. Trust me, I get it. Seven years wasted all because of someone else’s lies. I’m as susceptible as you. Hell, I hauled off and hit Earl. At the wrong time, if he said the wrong thing, well…” I paused and shrugged. “Don’t be sorry. I just don’t want you worrying about anything like that. I’m here and you are the only woman I think about. Hell, you’re stuck with me, so you’d better say so if you don’t want me.”
Her eyes held mine, my heart thudding inside my chest hard and fast, before she closed the distance between our lips. In a flash, I forgot where we were and hauled her against me, sweeping my tongue inside her mouth. I forgot I was cold and so damn tired my legs were shaky. At the moment, the need bolting through me could’ve sent me on a marathon…as long as it involved Amelia bare ass naked tangled up beside me at the end.
“Get a room, would ya?”
Levi’s voice broke through the fog in my mind, and I tore my mouth free from Amelia’s. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes bright, and all I wanted was to be alone with her.
I glanced sideways to find Levi rolling his eyes. “Sorry to break up the fun, but we’ve got ten minutes in their locker room for showers. The medic is waiting to stitch you up too.”
Amelia all but shoved me at Levi. “Go.” She looked to Levi. “Make sure he sees the medic,” she ordered.
Levi winked. “Of course. I’ll bring him back all clean and stitched up.”
I had to drag myself away when all I wanted was to stay right there with Amelia. If I hadn’t known she’d boss me into the shower herself, I might’ve skipped out. As it was, I experienced a visceral ache stepping away from her.
Chapter 35
Amelia
I walked beside Cade down the hallway at the hotel. He’d been quiet since he’d returned from his shower to find me in the waiting area back at the station. His hair was still damp, and he had on clean clothes. Levi had hollered over to me that Cade was all stitched up, so we’d said our goodbyes to Rex and hopped in the rental car he’d arranged for us. I was relieved Cade was quiet because I was awash in nothing but emotion. My body was thrumming with need, and I could barely think past it.
I had the keycard in my hand, but had no recollection of our room number. I stopped in the hall. He glanced to his side, arching a brow. Sweet hell. With his damp brown curls, his green eyes and his body of nothing but muscle, I wanted to tackle him right here. My breath hitched and my pulse lunged.
“I don’t know which room, do you?” I asked, my voice coming out raspy.
Cade’s mouth curled at the corner as he shook his head. He reached for the key card and turned it over. It was blank. Next, he tugged the receipt from the reception desk out of his pocket, scanning it quickly. “Room 34,” he announced.
We stood beside room 30. In seconds, we were at the door to our room. Cade shouldered though, tossing his bag to the floor with a thump. The door barely closed behind me before he was on me, his mouth crashing to mine in a fierce kiss. Need spread through my veins like wildfire. I couldn’t get close enough fast enough. He molded his body to mine, pressing me against the door, his hands roughly mapping over me as he yanked at my clothes. I was as rough and frantic as he was, tearing at his clothes. We stumbled away from the door, rolling against the wall in the short hallway as we left a tangled trail of clothing behind us.
The only pause came when Cade flinched, just barely, when I shoved his shirt off his shoulders. I tore my lips free. “Oh God! Are you…?”
“Fine,” he bit out before his lips blazed a searing trail along my neck.
Goose bumps rose on my skin, chasing in the wake of his touch. I shoved his jeans down around his hips, biting back a groan at the feel of his cock as I curled my palm around it. His lips closed over a nipple, his teeth nipping just enough t
o send a bolt of need straight to my core.
My thighs were damp, my channel slick with need. He still had too many clothes on though, so I roughly pushed his jeans down. He palmed one breast in his hand and teased me, while his lips, teeth and tongue nearly drove me mad. He kicked his jeans free and spun around, lifting me high against him. I loved how strong he was, how it didn’t matter that I wasn’t exactly petite. He held me easily, injured shoulder and all. I’d completely forgotten about that with the feel of his cock against my folds. He took a step, bringing my back to the wall, and adjusted me in his arms.
With my legs curled around his hips, he paused, his dark green gaze locking with mine. My heart pounded wildly and my breath came in shallow gusts as I stared back at him, caught in the web of his gaze.
“Just so we’re clear…” He arched his hips subtly into mine. Pleasure spiked through me, and I gasped. “It’s you I want. Only you. Always you.”
Despite being nearly lost in the thrum of desire and need, my heart felt so full I could burst. I couldn’t do anything other than nod with my throat too tight for words. With his fierce gaze on me, he adjusted his angle and sank inside me in one swift surge. His forehead fell to mine on a ragged breath, and he held still for a beat. I could feel his heart pounding against my skin. After a moment, he began to move, slow, deep strokes into me. I was so wet, his motion was one endless slide and pull inside my channel. So close to release already, I tried to hold back. The pressure built and built, pleasure starting to ripple through me.
I curled my legs tightly around his hips and bit my lip.
“Don’t,” he murmured, his low voice a caress.
“Don’t what?” I managed to gasp.
“Hold back.”
With a subtle adjustment, he drew back and sank in to the hilt. I let go, my release uncoiling in a snap and hitting me so hard, I cried out sharply. He was right there with me on the next stroke. He went taut as a bow and let out a rough growl, his head falling into the curve of my neck as he shuddered and spent himself inside of me.