Heath knew this wasn’t the best time. They were both tired and she was focused on Eric, yet he couldn’t stop the overwhelming need to be honest.
He bent his head. “It’s you, Annie. I want you,” he whispered, his breath sending chills through her. He feathered kisses along the soft column of her neck. When she didn’t pull away he let his lips trace a path to her shoulder then back up to the sensitive area behind her ear. She let her head fall back against his chest. He turned her around, moved his hands to cup her face and let his lips caress hers before capturing them in a long, passion filled kiss.
Annie’s mind raced. She knew she should push away from him, stop this before she got hurt. But she couldn’t. She’d dreamed of this, Heath kissing her, and holding her close, yet never once believed it would happen.
His touch was so much more potent in reality than what she’d imagined. He moved his hands from her face to circle her back, pulling her tight. She moved her hands up his arms, feeling the taught muscles vibrate. She melted into him, her arms wrapping around his neck, pulling him down to her.
Heath wanted much, much more, but not tonight. They were exhausted and Annie was in desperate need of sleep. He’d wanted to take the first step to let her know his feelings towards her, how much he wanted her. If her response to him was any indication, he’d succeeded. He pulled back, resting his forehead against hers and took a ragged breath.
“I don’t want to stop, but we both need sleep, and you need to think about what I said, decide if I’m who you want.” He released her and stepped back.
Her mind cleared as he spoke. Heath was right. She did need time to rest and time to understand this change in him, his professed desire for her. How had it happened? Was he looking for something permanent or testing the waters?
Annie moved toward the door, gaining more distance, grasped the knob and pulled it open. “Yes, you’re right. I’m not thinking so straight, and, well, I don’t understand how this change in your feelings happened, or why.”
“We’ll get Eric taken care of, do whatever is necessary to see that he gets the best treatment and therapy needed—whatever the doctor suggests, then we’ll talk about everything. Annie, you need to know I won’t change my mind. You’ve consumed my thoughts for months. You’re the reason I let Diana go. I hope in time you’ll be able to believe it and perhaps find a way to feel the same for me.”
He walked to the door, stopping in front of her. “I’m in love with you, that won’t change.” He kissed her once more then walked out the door, leaving her to stare after him.
~~~~~
Chapter Twelve
Annie lay in bed. It was five in the morning. She should have been exhausted yet sleep had claimed her for little more than two hours. Her mind kept bouncing between Eric’s accident and what would be needed to help him recover, and Heath.
She found it far easier to think about Eric. Her mind couldn’t digest what had happened just a few hours before, in this room, with the man she’d wanted for the last year.
Annie looked to the window where she’d been standing when he’d pulled her to him, kissed her, and told her he loved her. It had surprised and scared her, yet not enough to pull away or make him stop.
A few weeks ago, even three days ago she would have pushed him away, demanded an explanation for his sudden change, and been indignant at his pronouncement. Her first reaction would’ve been to protect herself, her heart. At least she thought those would have been her responses. She certainly hadn’t responded that way a few hours ago.
A soft knock had her looking at the clock. Seven in the morning. Where had the last two hours gone?
“Mom, you awake?” Brooke called through the door.
“Yes. Hold on and I’ll let you in.” Annie climbed out of bed and padded to the door. “Come in and make some coffee. I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”
“Take your time. We’re not meeting Cameron and Heath in the restaurant until eight.” She watched her mother stand in place as if waiting for instructions. “Mom, are you all right?”
“What? Um, yes, I’m fine. Just trying to sort some things out.” She reached for her clothes on a nearby chair. “I’ll take a quick shower and be right out.”
Brooke could hear the shower running. It wasn’t often that circumstances caused such a change in her mother. Brooke had seen it after her father died. Her mother would move about, stand in one place, then walk a few paces, and sit down. She’d stare in space, not quite seeming to grasp where she belonged or what was expected of her. Her mother was one of the strongest women she knew, a woman Brooke tried to emulate as often as possible. This morning she seemed lost.
The bathroom door opened. “Okay, I think I’m together enough to go downstairs.” She threw the last of her things in the suitcase and set it on the floor. “Guess I’ll just leave this. I suspect I’ll be here another few nights.”
The women were escorted to a booth that looked out on a busy street. Annie dug in her purse for her cell phone to check messages. “No message from the hospital. I hope the guys get here soon, I’m anxious to check on Eric.” She looked up to see the hostess escort Cameron and Heath to their table.
“Morning, ladies,” Heath said, then leaned down to place a kiss on Annie’s cheek. “How are you feeling?” He sat next to her, letting his leg touch hers from hip to knee. Her sharp intake of breath wasn’t lost on him yet she made no attempt to move away, closer to the window.
“I’m good, Heath. How about you?” Brooke replied when her mother stayed silent.
“Fine. The nurse said Eric had a good night. Doctor Levine was there while I was in the room.”
Annie’s eyes swung to his at the last comment.
“You were already there? Without me?” Annie’s voice was sharp, irritated.
“I walked to the hospital just before five o’clock. You needed your rest and I couldn’t sleep.” His eyes met hers and held, challenging her to make an issue of his trip down the street. "They let me sit in his room. Eric was awake for a few minutes while the nurse took his vital signs. I don’t know how much he’ll remember, he was groggy, but I told him we’d all be back between nine and ten.” He motioned for the waitress.
They ordered and waited for their food to arrive. Everyone seemed to be showing the effects of little sleep except Heath. He seemed as alert as someone who’d had a full eight hours.
Annie’s anger had dissipated somewhat but it was still an irritation that Heath took on a task meant for her. “What did the doctor say?”
“Not much, just that Eric seemed to be doing well. He told me he’d stop back again later this morning.” Heath dug into his breakfast then pushed his empty plate away. “I need to make a few calls.”
Annie watched him leave, immediately missing the warmth of his leg next to hers. She looked at her own plate and realized she’d just moved the food around and eaten little. “I’m going up to the room then will meet everyone in the lobby in fifteen minutes.” She walked toward the elevator then stopped at the sound of Heath’s deep voice coming from a narrow hallway. Even though it was wrong, she moved closer.
“No, Diana, I can’t make it to Phoenix this week—maybe next. I’m in California.” He paused a moment. “It’s not your concern what I’m doing here or who’s with me. I’ll see you when I can.” He ended the call, sliding his phone into his jacket pocket. He’d sensed rather than saw Annie behind him and knew she’d heard the conversation.
Annie’s heart squeezed at the knowledge he was still making plans to see Diana, even after last night. She dashed around the corner and punched the elevator button, hoping she could make it inside and close the door before he saw her. It wasn’t to be.
“I’ll ride up with you.” Heath stood beside her. The elevator chimed, the door opened, and they both entered, moving to the back wall as the door closed. “In case you’re curious, that was Diana.” He looked down at Annie. She didn’t look up. “She asked me to come to Phoenix to review some modi
fications to the construction drawings.”
Annie bit her lower lip then glanced up at him. “She wants to get back together, doesn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“Is that what you want?”
Heath turned toward Annie, gripped her shoulders and positioned her in front of him. “Like I said last night, I want you, no one else.” He bent and kissed her once, then twice before the elevator chimed once more, signaling they’d reached their floor.
Heath placed a hand on her back and escorted her to the room across from his. “Do you want me to come in?” he asked, a slight smile playing across his face.
“Yes, I mean no.” She shook her head and realized he was teasing. “We need to talk about this.” Her hand gestured back and forth between the two of them. “Whatever this is.”
“Whenever you’re ready—just let me know.” He left her standing, entered his own room, and shut the door.
******
Three days passed before the doctor released Eric. He was six weeks from graduating, four weeks from finals. His professors had agreed to let Eric complete his final exams online. Heath had arranged for movers. They’d already packed Eric’s belongings for the drive to Arizona where he’d stay with his mother until he healed enough to return to California, if that’s what he decided.
Eric hadn’t applied to grad school as he’d decided months before that he wasn’t ready to commit to a specific program. His degree in business would allow him numerous options. He was glad he’d waited. The summer would give him time to determine what he’d do next. He had yet to share with his mother that Heath had already offered him a position with MacLaren Properties.
“Do you need anything, Eric?” Heath asked as his plane made its way home. He sat down near Eric checking to be sure his broken arm and leg were well protected.
“No, I’m fine.” Eric glanced to the front of the passenger area of the small private jet. “How’s she doing?” He knew his mother worried and hated being the source of what weighed on her now.
“Seems to be doing well now that she knows you’ll be okay.”
Heath leaned back against the seat and relaxed. Annie had yet to approach him about discussing their future or her desire for one. He had no idea what she was thinking, if his pronouncement had even affected her. He’d learned from Caroline that Annie had been seeing a doctor, someone named Barry Newcastle. According to his sister-in-law, the man was new to town but had already gained the attention of several single women. The doctor’s focus was on Annie. Heath meant to change that.
“Doctor Levine said he and Mom had discussed a doctor in Fire Mountain. I don’t recall his name.” Eric leaned to his right to pick up a glass of water.
“She has a friend who’s an orthopedist in Fire Mountain, Dr. Newcastle. Apparently Levine knows him and had already arranged for you to see him.” Heath hadn’t been thrilled that the doctor was Barry Newcastle. The last thing he wanted was for Annie to spend more time around the man.
The pilot announced they were preparing for landing. Heath checked Eric’s setup once again, then settled back for the last few minutes of their flight.
Heath would help Annie get Eric home. After that, he didn’t know what to expect. He guessed it was his turn to wait and he’d never been much good at waiting.
Annie sat in front. She’d been watching the late afternoon sky change to deep, vibrant reds and yellows. It was stunning. She glanced to the back where Eric and Heath talked. Annie couldn’t hear what they were saying but was thankful they hit it off as well as they did. She owed Heath a lot.
She touched her lips as she’d done numerous times since their brief encounter at the hotel. His interest in her had seemed so sudden, not anything like the platonic friendship they’d shared before. Annie knew he expected to have a conversation with her, explain his feelings, and help her understand the change. She had yet to approach him. Her excuse was Eric and everything that needed to be done. She knew that her son’s accident wasn’t what stopped her from approaching Heath. It was fear.
Annie knew her feelings for Heath were strong, she was in love with the man. She’d worked hard to accept his relationship with Diana and forge a life without him and their friendship. She’d reconciled herself to his desire for a woman her exact opposite. Now this. What if they tried to make it work but he found he didn’t want her as he first thought? What if he realized Diana was the right woman for him after all? Annie didn’t know if she could take that chance or the heartache of him walking away.
She did know that Barry was interested. He’d made it clear on their last date that he wanted to take their relationship to the next level. She assumed he meant becoming more serious and sleeping together. That gave her pause. The thought of being with someone other than Heath held no appeal for her.
“Landing in ten minutes, sir,” Heath’s pilot, Robert, called from the cockpit.
Heath walked to the front and sat down next to Annie, taking her hand, and lacing his fingers through hers. “You’re going to have to talk to me about your feelings at some point, Annie. I’m not walking away and I won’t stop loving you. You’re it for me.”
Annie studied their joined hands. “What if I’m not? What if after a while you realize you want Diana back?”
“I won’t.”
“Then someone else?”
“Not going to happen.”
“I’m nothing like the women you’ve dated. Nothing. I’m older than you, I’m not …”
Heath didn’t let her finish, placing a finger against her lips.
“You’re everything I want and need. You. No one else. If you give me time I’ll prove it to you.”
“Final approach, sir,” Robert said.
They didn’t speak again until they’d landed and gotten Eric off the plane. Jace and Caroline waited at the airport with their large SUV and helped get Eric settled.
“Guess you’ll be staying with Annie,” Jace said as he slipped behind the driver’s seat.
“That’s the plan,” Eric responded. His whole body throbbed in pain. He’d declined the last round of pain pills which he now realized was probably a mistake.
Heath stood nearby. His car was still at the airport, the one he’d used to pick up Annie several days ago for the trip to the airport. He knew he’d be leaving the airport alone as he watched Annie climb into the SUV next to Eric. She nodded to Heath as she shut the door. She hadn’t said goodbye.
Heath watched Jace pull away and the most profound feeling of loss he’d ever experienced overtook him. He realized that for the first time in his life he’d found love and had no control over whether or not the woman he wanted would accept him. He felt vulnerable, exposed—a feeling he didn’t like one bit.
~~~~~
Chapter Thirteen
A week had passed without any word from Annie. No calls, emails, texts—nothing. Heath focused on work and the need to keep his numerous projects moving forward while his personal life stayed on hold. A week wasn’t much, he kept telling himself, yet it felt like a lifetime now that he’d finally told Annie of his feelings.
“You ready?” Jace asked as he poked his head into Heath’s office.
“Ready for what?”
Jace would’ve laughed if he didn’t know his brother was struggling with his feelings for Annie. He knew Heath had told her how he felt and knew that Annie hadn’t responded. Life could be a bitch.
“The foundation board meeting, in the conference room, now.”
Heath had forgotten. He stood, grabbed the meeting folder, and started out the door, realizing that Annie would be at the meeting. His anticipation grew.
They walked into the conference room which Heath quickly scanned. No Annie.
“Are we waiting for Annie?” he asked Caroline who was the only person Annie had connected with the last week.
Caroline kept her eyes down, pretending to study the documents in front of her. “No. She called to say she won’t be able to make it. The orthopedist
wants to see Eric again today and this was the only time available.”
The orthopedist. Barry Newcastle. Heath took the news with no noticeable reaction and sat down.
“Let’s get started.”
Two hours later he sat once more in his office except this time he held a glass of Jameson in his hand while across the desk from him Jace held his own.
“What are you going to do?” his brother asked.
“I don’t know.” Heath didn’t pretend Jace’s meaning wasn’t clear. “At least she stays in touch with Caroline. That’s something.” He tossed down the amber liquid and poured another two fingers.
“Well, she’s not seeing the businessman from Denver any longer. That was over a couple of months ago. The only other person Caroline’s mentioned is the doctor. According to my wife, that one’s not serious.”
Heath wasn’t so sure of that. He’d been having dinner with a couple of friends two nights before and seen Annie, and the good doctor, walk into the Italian restaurant next door. He’d felt as if a baseball bat had connected with his chest. Full force, no holding back.
“Perhaps not, but I’m not chancing it.”
“What do you intend to do?”
“What I should have done a year ago. Ask her out?”
“You’re going to start dating her?” Jace was surprised. He didn’t think it was a tactic Heath would use.
“Why not? It’s what you did when you were trying to win Caroline back. As I recall, it worked.”
“That it did,” Jace smiled. “Best thing I ever did was woo her like I did in high school. She couldn’t resist me either time.” He knew there was a lot more to their reuniting the second time yet chose to focus on the good parts of their reconciliation
“I hope it works as well for me.”
Jace held up his glass and tilted it toward Heath. “I wish you luck.”
“Thanks. I’m going to need it.”
******
“Mom, aren’t you going to return Heath’s calls. It’s the third message he’s left at the house and I’m guessing he’s probably done the same on your cell.” Eric had heard each message as it came into the answering machine at home.
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