Saving Valentines: Love and the Alpha Male

by Cate Mckoy

  Suddenly she felt slight vibrations along her side. It took her a moment to realize it was Rick talking and the vibrations she felt were coming through his chest and he was carrying her. Chastity sensed that he was speaking to someone other than her. When his timber changed and she felt his chin against the top of her head, she knew he was speaking to her. His comforting tone was but a murmur. Chastity felt safe, she cuddled closer and consciousness was no more.

  ***

  Rick stood up straight from leaning against the wall across from his bedroom when Lara opened the door. He was anxious. “How is she?”

  Lara put a comforting hand on his arm. “Easy, bro. She’s going to be okay. She was exposed to the elements a little longer than healthy. I cleaned her up, warmed her up, started the fireplace.” Lara hesitated a moment before continuing. “The good news; there are no signs of sexual assault or molestation. He beat her, she has contusions, scrapes, and busted lip, a golf ball size knot on her forehead that needs to be looked at by someone other than me with my basic first aid. She has an ice pack right now.”

  “Fuck, I wish I had beaten the shit out of that little fucker. She needs a doctor. Now!” Rick ran a hand nervously through his hair. “Shit! I will never forgive myself for leaving her alone. A distraction to get me away from her should have been my first thought.”

  “Well, it wasn’t a distraction from the mixed up, crazy kid. It was those bumbling fools sent by the girl’s father that sent you out in the snow and got me out of my toasty four by four.”

  Rick gave her a closer look. “What made you take watch up on the hill?” he asked, referring to their spot up the mountain that afforded them a great view of their cabin and the woods immediately surrounding it. Rick had played there a lot with his sisters when they came to the cabin for the summer over the years.

  “I don’t know. It was just instinct. I will never ignore my instincts again.” Lara’s voice held a note of determination. Rick knew she was thinking of their sister as she spoke.

  “Thanks for the backup.” He gave her a gentle smile.

  Lara smiled. She enjoyed the praise from her big brother for a few seconds before saying, “Listen, I can get emergency search and rescue up here. Their main gig is lost hikers, campers, mountain climbers who fall. In the winter they do quite a lot of people caught in the elements. I will call it in, they will have the staff and equipment to deal with her injuries. They can administer medical treatment for Chastity, get her to a hospital if needs be and take your perp in to custody.”

  “Please, I’d greatly appreciate it.”

  “No problem, bro.” Lara pointed at his bedroom door. “Why don’t you go in there, comfort her, be with her? I will handle our… guests.”

  “Thanks, baby sis.”

  “Anytime big bro.”

  ***

  Chastity was in a fog. She felt throbbing pain radiating throughout her body. She couldn’t come fully conscious. However, she was aware of someone being there. Gentle hands had moved over her before. They were gentle hands but not Rick’s. Chastity had the impression of a woman’s hands. A woman’s soft voice instructing her to “Sit up”, “Hold it right there” and “Almost done”. After the feeling of being handled and shuffled about, she had felt like she was in a clean, warm cocoon. She let herself fall deeply into the warmth and comfort.

  She didn’t know how much time had passed when she felt rougher hands on her, moving her body, shining a light in her face. Asking a series of questions. “Does this hurt”, “Follow my finger”, “Do you know where you are?”

  She must have answered satisfactorily for she was left alone for a few minutes. The rougher hands had not been Rick’s either. She heard voices murmuring. Her fear started to return. She called out. “Rick, I want Rick Racuanelli. Please, g-get Rick.”

  The voices stopped for a few seconds. Then she felt the hands she ached for. “I am right here, sweetheart.” His deep voice reassured her enough that she closed her eyes and snuggled down into the reassuring comfort of the mattress beneath her. The voices continued and she drifted.

  ***

  “So, I just wake her every hour to check her, make sure she’s lucid?”

  “Yes, I believe she’s okay for now. Her pupils are equal in size and reactive. She was able to follow my directions and answer questions. She certainly knows who you are and knows she is no longer in danger. Although she hasn’t fully sat up and walked on her own, I am comfortable enough with the hands and eyes exercises I had her do.”

  “Dr. Lilliard thank you for coming. I was expecting a paramedic. A renowned neurosurgeon is some incredible luck.”

  Dr. Jordan Lilliard packed up his bag and gave Rick a look. “Well, there isn’t much I wouldn’t do for Lara Racuanelli. When she cancelled our week together in her family’s cabin for a family emergency, I thought she was pulling away from me again.”

  Rick gave the man a double take, his attention had already been back on Chastity on his bed. He looked the doctor over from head to toe. He was a young man for all his accomplishments. He was tall, blonde and had penetrating blue eyes. Honest eyes. His baby sis had done good picking a partner. Rick knew this man was Lara’s partner. His sister would not have brought him to their cabin otherwise. Rick narrowed his eyes as he moved towards the doctor, offering his hand. “I will be eternally grateful to you for what you’ve done for Chastity. But, if you hurt my baby sister in any way, you won’t live to regret it.”

  Dr. Lilliard arched a brow and shook Rick’s hand. “Message received and understood, Lieutenant Racuanelli.”

  Rick showed the doctor to the living room in which Dirk and his security men and Lara waited to hear how Chastity was doing.

  “She’s going to be okay. Thanks to the doc here.” Rick waved a hand towards Jordan.

  Lara’s eyes softened, she mouthed, thank you while the other men shook the doctor’s hand, thanking him. Dirk stepped off to the side to make the call to Mr. Valentines. Rick was glad it was Dirk and not him for he surely would have told Valentines what he thought of him.

  Rick went to the kitchen to grab some snacks and water to offer Chastity when he woke her to check on her lucidity. Jordan had said he would remain at the hospital in case she started to show signs of concussion and a rescue team needed to return to bring her in. On his way up the stairs he spied his sister kissing the doc by the door. The rescue team led a cuffed and complaining Toby out the door. Rick waved and nodded to Dirk and his men following the team out the door.

  Rick entered his bedroom as quietly as he could. The room was in darkness except for the soft glow from the fireplace. He set the things in his hand on the nightstand and reached over to gently caress Chastity’s cheek. Bruising was starting to become more pronounced in her face. His sister had started the ice packs on the initial swelling of her forehead. The doctor did a switch between heat and ice for over an hour.

  Jordan had said the swelling had reduced and it looked ‘good’. Looking at it now, good was not a word Rick could apply to the injury. He balled his hand into a tight fist to control the rage that swept through him. He wanted to smash that foolish boy’s face. Thank God Lara had been there to talk sense and stop him. He couldn’t explain his strong emotions and reactions to Chastity, but he wouldn’t try to curb them any longer. She could have easily died out there. Either by her stalker’s hand or the unforgiving elements, this night could have been the last one he ever saw her. That realization didn’t sit well with Rick.

  From the moment he had walked into her kitchen and saw her facing off with Forbes, Rick felt something strong for her. Every single emotion he had had for her since that moment, had been and continued to be, over the top and unstoppable. He couldn’t tamp them down. The good, the bad, the ugly and inappropriate emotions had been controlling his actions with her. He has felt annoyed, upset, scared, sympathy, lust, want, caring, need and protectiveness. At his last thought he reached the decision he was trying to make about whether he should sit in a chair nex
t to the bed or join her on the bed.

  Lara would take care of securing the cabin. He needed this. Pulling his shirt off, deciding at the last second to leave his pajama bottoms on, he slipped in the bed with Chastity. Carefully he moved her until she was in the position he wanted and needed, while not disturbing her comfort.

  ***

  Toby had her. He punched her over and over. Chastity screamed, fighting him with as much strength that was in her.

  “Chastity!”

  Toby smacked her, called her a bitch.

  “Honey, please wake up!”

  Chastity came fully awake, heart racing, arms flailing. Rick avoided her flying hands easily. He was on the bed with her. His chest was revealed in the muted glow of the bedside lamp. In her agitated state her eyes still greedily ate up the sight of his chiseled chest and abdomen muscles. His powerful arms held her with ease off her pillow.

  Rick eased her back against the pillows and got out of the bed. He opened one of the bottled waters on the nightstand. Helping her sit up, he held the bottle against her lips.

  “Sip it slowly.”

  Following his direction, Chastity took cautious sips, wincing when the plastic bottle touched her split lip.

  “Careful.” Rick held the bottle, guiding it away from her mouth when she finished before assisting her back against the pillows. “How do you feel? Do you know where you are?”

  Chastity caught his worried eyes scanning her face intently. She took in a deep breath before answering. How did she feel? She felt; pain in several parts of her body, warm, tired, a little weak. The far more important feeling for her was that she felt safe. Looking deeply into his eyes, gone dark with emotions, in a whispered voice, she told him. “I am with you. I feel…safe.”

  His eyes grew darker. He slowly, leaned forward and sweetly touched his lips to her cheek. “Baby, I am so sorry. I left you alone long enough for him to get his hands on you.” Sitting on the side of the bed, leaning over her he tenderly touched their cheeks together. “I’m sorry I doubted you about the stalker. I am sorry I doubted you about being a virgin. I am sorry I brought you up here against your will—”

  “Shush.” Chastity put a finger against his lips. They stared at one another for a long minute. Their eyes exchanged emotions and feelings that had not been expressed verbally. “It wasn’t your fault, Rick. Toby is disturbed. You were doing your job by covering all your bases. It’s natural for a policeman to doubt. Especially when everyone who knew me better was telling you I was making it up or being hysterical. And, bringing me up here turned out to be the best move. None of this is your fault.”

  He smiled against her finger and said, “What about not believing you were a virgin”

  “Oh, no, now, that’s all you.” Chastity laughed and winced when a sharp pain went through her head.

  The laughter left his eyes, being replace with regret. “I am so damn sorry you got hurt.” His fingers trailed along her hairline with a barely-there touch.

  “We covered that, not your fault.” She cupped his cheek and leaned up to kiss the other.

  After, she collapsed against the pillows. She was weak.

  “Honey, seriously, how do you feel?” His gaze probed with an assessing eye.

  “I have some pain. I don’t think I will be doing my days at the gym anytime soon. But I feel much better. I’m just experiencing some weakness, fatigue.” She cupped his cheek again. “None of that matters because I am safe. I can’t explain how safe you make me feel. Thank you so much for saving me.”

  He leaned in close, keeping their eyes open, they kissed softly. Holding in that position, Rick whispered, “You’re welcome, Chastity.” He kissed her cheek, stood, and started walking away.

  “Where are you going?” Panic made her voice squeak.

  He looked at her over his shoulder. “Easy, honey. I am not going anywhere. I am going to build the fire up a little so it will last through the remainder of the night.”

  Chastity sat up and pushed the covers off. Rick’s brow lowered. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  Rick watched, amazed, as she sat there blushing, looking at the floor. Yes, he now knew that innocent look she got often, was her blushing. No doubt to the roots of her hair. The look had made him angry when he thought it manufactured. And, if her complexion had allowed him to detect her blushes, he never would have called her a liar. He had yet to meet someone who could blush on command. Now that he knew it was genuine shyness, he was charmed. She was lovely. Sweet and chaste. His body started to react to the thought of how her chastity was proven to him. He shook his head to clear it of his amorous thoughts. She needed to recover from this latest trauma.

  He walked back towards the bed. He put a gentle finger under her chin, making her meet his eyes. “What is it sweetheart?”

  Her eyes shyly met his, connecting with his direct gaze for a second, before skittering off to look at the floor again. Again, his finger pushed her chin up. “Chastity.” His voice was firmer, he had used his police official voice.

  “I-I- have to use the bathroom.” She plucked at the front of the nightgown his sister had dressed her in. “I-I want to get out of this too. It’s damp from my sweat.”

  Rick smiled tenderly at her before scooping her up into his arms. She gasps but still put her arms securely around his neck. His smile grew. Their eyes connected while he held her against him. “Chastity, I know you intimately. In the short time since we met, I’ve done quite a lot with you sexually. I’ve tasted and licked practically every inch of your body. Let me tell you, you have absolutely nothing to be embarrassed or insecure about.”

  She held his gaze. She liked it, staring deeply into eyes. Their eyes talked to each other. They revealed more than their words did. He saw her shyness. She saw his hunger for her he tried to bank. He brought his lips to hers, being careful of her split lip he kissed her thoroughly. He tasted her slowly, his tongue teasing hers.

  Chastity’s moan was seconds before his. She didn’t care that with this kiss there was just a tiny bit of pain. She didn’t want to stop. She felt as though she were floating. His tongue slowly circled hers one last time before he pulled back and licked her lips and lifted his head. Their eyes found one another’s and clung. Chastity didn’t know how much time had passed with them just staring and communicating silently, she only knew Rick was now setting her down on her own feet in front of the bathroom door.

  “Do you need help in there?” He nodded his head at the bathroom.

  “N-No, I got it. Thanks.” She turned and opened the door. She looked over her shoulder. He was still watching her. She smiled and closed the door.

  ***

  Lara was just locking up when Rick came down the stairs. She turned to find him watching her set the security code. “Lanie’s birthday still.”

  Lara walked towards him. “Still.”

  When she passed him on her way to the kitchen, Rick fell into step with her. “I want to thank you for all your help tonight. You really came through for me.”

  Lara stopped and looked him in the eye. There was sadness and sisterly love. “You don’t have to thank me for being here for my family. You and I are all we have left in our immediate family. I will always be here for you. All you need to do is call.”

  Rick smiled. A smile that reached his eyes for the first time in a long time looking at his sister. “Same goes baby sis.”

  He bumped her shoulder with his and then continued to the kitchen.

  “How’s Chastity?” Lara asked, taking the makings for sandwiches out, placing them on the counter.

  “She found the jetted tub and begged me to let her indulge.” Rick answered, nodding his head at his sister’s indication of making a sandwich for him.

  Lara chuckled. “Something tells me my big badass brother has met his match. I think all she has to do is flash those pretty brown eyes and whatever she wants will be hers.”

  Rick accepted the sandwich, made just the way he liked it, and a bottl
ed water. “Did I just get called pussy whipped by my baby sister?”

  Lara laughed again, adding chips to his plate and hers. “I call ‘em like I see ‘em.”

  Rich shook his head at his sister. It felt good to be doing something they always used to do but haven’t done since Lanie’s death. It had a sweet nostalgia attached to it. It brought a smile to his face, a sad one because one of them was missing, but still a smile.

  “So, tell me about the doc.”

  Lara gave her brother a smirk. “Oh, no big bro. I know that feign nonchalance. You are not going to do a background check on my boyfriend.”

  “Oh, so he’s your boyfriend?” Rick laughed as his sister frowned and took a vicious bite out of her sandwich.

  “Mind your business.”

  Rick sighed. “Fine. Did your fellow deputies take custody of the Linz kid?”

  “Yeah, they received custody from S and R. He’ll be processed tonight and then in court when it’s back in session. The authorities that rule such things might keep the courts closed due to the snow. It will reconvene after the plowing.”

  Rick looked towards the window. “I’ve been so scared for Chastity I barely registered the snowfall.” Rick shook his head, thinking about how terribly wrong things could have gone tonight. “That fool took her out of here without outer clothing or shoes. He got stuck in a snowbank. If we hadn’t been looking for them, they could have been in serious trouble by daybreak. The idiot didn’t think.”

  Lara nodded. “Especially in these mountains. I can’t tell you how many storms I’ve had to deal with body recovery rather than rescue. S and R is always on deck when a storm hits. I am sure Chastity and her stalker aren’t the only ones who needed rescuing tonight.”

  “I am glad that is one thing I don’t really have to deal with in the city. The civil workers are on point when it comes to clearing the streets and pathways during a storm.”

  Lara finished her sandwich and started to clear their plates. “You keep the crazy stalkers. I prefer the slower pace up here and we don’t have rapes, robberies, stalking or murders up here like you do in the city.”