Long-Lost Mom

Chapter 4

Cindy Beatty?

Stone set his feet back on the floor, made quick excuses to his client before hanging up and left his office.

His heart thundered uncomfortably. Truth was, he’d not stopped thinking about this woman since they’d met, which was enough to make him wonder what the hell was wrong with him.

Rarely, if ever, had he let one woman intrude so on his private life. Driven by a need to see if their crazy attraction was real, he walked toward her, his gaze soaking in the first sight of her in days.

She looked the same-irresistible, and any hopes he’d held that he’d be able to turn and walk away were dashed.

Her black jeans outlined her thoroughbred legs to perfection. Her lightweight sweater clung to her soft curves in a way that made him ache, and he came to the uncomfortable realization that he was hopelessly attracted to her.

And he had no idea why.

Never one to run from his fears, he continued toward her. He wanted to see her face, watch her lips curve into a shy smile. He wanted to know her innermost thoughts.

But she was wearing those damn dark glasses, hiding herself from the world. Absorbed in watching the truck unload, she didn’t look up when he stopped next to her. “Hello,” he said. “What’s this?”

She gave a startled little jump. “Oh!” With her hand to her chest, she offered him that tentative smile he’d wanted to see. “Uh…hi.”

“Hi.” She could still do it, he discovered. Still make his heart skip a beat.

“You scared me.”

Vulnerable but determined, hesitant but brave. Such a contradiction, and yet it had been so damn long since he’d wanted to touch anyone quite as badly. Like a hormone-filled teen, he had to slip his hands in his pockets, or he would have actually reached for her. “What are you doing?”

“I’m moving in.” Her smile brightened, and on the surface she appeared to be fine. Great. Mouthwateringly beautiful, actually.

But only an idiot could miss the quivering tension in every line of her body, the delicate purple circles beneath her eyes makeup had not successfully covered. Truth was, tension shimmered off her in waves, and even as he looked at her, she lifted a hand to cover one side of her face and jaw.

He gently took her hand away from her face and brought it to his mouth. She gasped as he kissed her palm.

“Why do you cover your face?” he asked. “You’re so lovely.”

“I… You…” She let out a breath and stared at her hand in his. “You make it difficult to think.”

And she made his heart drum. “You’re opening your office here?” he asked, letting her go. “This is an industrial park.”

“It’s small and affordable. And it’s perfect, actually. Centrally located.” She looked away. “And most of my business will come from the industry around here, anyway.”

“Was that the only reason?”

She regarded the tall oak tree lining the parking lot as if it held the greatest interest. “Not quite.”

Stone had no idea how he felt about her silent admission that she had picked this spot because of him. Disturbed? Wanted? Wary? Appreciated? All those things, yes, but what he felt mostly was relief.

She scraped her teeth over her lip, drawing the skin on her chin tight. And there, on her neck above the scarf, he saw a faint weblike scar that spread… With a gentle hand he brushed her scarf aside. His heart beat faster as he realized the scars spread along both sides of her jaw, and disappeared into her hairline behind her ears.

He jerked his gaze up, meeting her sunglasses-covered eyes, horrified to be caught gaping, even more horrified at whatever it was she’d gone through. “Cindy…”

She took a step back, bringing her hand up to cup her cheek, an instinctive move on her part whenever she was nervous or upset.

Now he knew why. She was trying to hide her scars. God.

“Hey, lady, where do you want this?”

Cindy quickly turned from Stone, clearly jumping at the chance for distraction. One of the men stood there holding two large boxes. Practically falling in her hurry to get away from Stone, she smiled shakily at the mover. “Next to the filing cabinet Thanks. Is there more? Maybe I should help…”

The man shook his head and disappeared into the office.

They were again alone, yet for the first time in his life, Stone didn’t know what to do or say. He wanted to grab her, hold tight and offer comfort, but more than that, he didn’t want to scare her off, and since at the moment Cindy appeared to be braced for flight, he had to be careful.

Her head was ducked, she was busy studying her shoes. Slowly, gently, he ran his hand over her silky short hair, tucking a strand behind her ear before he cupped her jaw and lifted her face. Stroking her skin with his thumb, he murmured, “What happened to you?”

Immediately Cindy looked away.

But Stone forced her chin back up, his clasp on her face firm yet careful, for he was well aware of his strength in a way that most men his size weren’t.

She shrugged. “The how of it is not important.”

Stone thought it was important. “Cindy-”

“Please.”

Imagining the pain and trauma of whatever she’d been through to cause such scarring made him feel sick for her. But he could see that his closeness was unnerving her, so he backed off.

She straightened the damn sunglasses he was beginning to hate. “Because of it, I’m here,” she said simply. “Okay?”

“So there’s a silver lining.”

A ghost of a smile touched her lips. “Let’s call it a mixed blessing so far. I hope it won’t disturb you, having me nearby every day.”

He laughed shortly and rolled his shoulders, which were filled with tension. “Disturb me? You’ve done nothing but.” His easy joking tone was such a complete contradiction to his words, her gaze flew to his. “You disturb me a lot,” he told her more seriously. “But I think I like it.”

Again she gnawed on her lip, and he had the crazy urge to lean forward and put his mouth just there, to that same spot, and nibble her himself. “I wish I knew more about you,” he said, instead. “Why won’t you talk about yourself? About where you come from?”

“It’s not easy to talk about.” She watched the men removing her things from the truck.

“I’m sorry.” And he was, though the enormity of it, and what he felt for her, no longer surprised him. “You’ve had it rough?”

“You…might say that.”

“No family to help you out?”

“None that would.” She tilted her head and regarded him. “I wasn’t always a nice person, Stone.”

“We’ve all made mistakes.”

“Mine are pretty big.” Drawing a deep breath, she let her words out in a rush, as if expecting him to run off in horror. “I was an angry unhappy kid. I hurt a lot of people, and now those people are likely to hate me.”

“People forgive.”

She stared at him, her expression suddenly filled with so much hope, it almost hurt to look at her. “I’d like to think that’s true,” she said. “I’d like to be able to fix some of my wrongs. Make them right someday.”

“You can do anything you want to do,” he told her. “Especially that.” Her lack of confidence tore at him. Then the men were back with a couch, and Stone took her elbow, drawing her out of their way, even as they both held their breaths at the touch. “I think you’re a wonderful person, Cindy. Others would think it, too, if you gave them a chance.”

“Yeah, well. That’s easier said than done,” she muttered.

He shook his head, smiling. “You need more belief in yourself. Hasn’t anyone ever told you what a really great person you are?”

Not since you, Jenna wanted to cry. Her chest ached with the need to let out some emotion, but she beat it back.

“You are,” Stone said in that dark seductive voice. “Give yourself a break once in a while, okay?”

He didn’t understand. Couldn’t, because she hadn’t been honest. But his generosity of heart nearly broke her. “I have no idea why I thought this would be a good thing.” Shaken, she took a step backward, away from him.

Stone snagged her hand. “Wait,” he said, holding gently but firmly when she would have fled. “I know this is crazy, but there’s something between us already.”

“But I don’t like it,” she blurted.

A smile tugged at his provocative mouth. “Doesn’t seem to matter. We’re attracted to each other, wildly so.” His low rough voice and the admission of his feelings thrilled her. “And as much as we might want to ignore it, it isn’t going to go away.”

She swallowed hard, but didn’t object when he stepped closer, still holding her hand. He seemed so big, so powerful… so unbearably sexy, and he was doing nothing but looking at her, but it was that look, the one that made her knees weak.

Anyone could walk by and see them, see the sexual tension flickering between them like electricity. Heat flooded her face, but Stone appeared unconcerned. And he would be, she thought ruefully, for Stone was not a man to worry about what others thought, not as long as he was doing what he felt was right. He’d always been incredibly strong-willed that way. Even coming from the conservative background he had, Stone Cameron had always marched to his own beat, and it appeared he still did.

Their clothing brushed, clung, and he tipped his head down a bit. “We might as well explore it,” he said huskily.

As they once had. She remembered so well-too well.

And suddenly she was there, back in time, back to when Rand Ridgeway had nearly raped her. He would have, if her mother hadn’t come home, but instead of sympathizing, she’d hit Jenna for telling lies.

Jenna had been in her tree by the beach, high above the ground, crying and holding her aching jaw when Stone had found her.

He’d come looking for her, just as he always did when she needed him most.

What’s wrong? he’d asked.

I’m an awful person.

No. Never. Tell me what’s wrong.

She’d refused, but he’d stroked her bruised jaw, his own tight with anger. Shame had filled her, for she knew he would hear soon enough how she had allegedly seduced her mother’s boyfriend. Her own school principal.

Lies, all of it.

But no one would believe the words of a troubled angry girl. No one but Stone.

She remembered he’d whispered her name before brushing lips across hers that first time. She remembered how he’d waited patiently for her to try to shove him out of the tree as she had before, but she didn’t. He’d kissed her again and she’d responded with every inch of her betrayed heart.

She’d cried and he’d held her, then coaxed her down from the tree. He’d brought her to his house, empty of anyone but them, and there, in his moonlit room, they’d held each other for a long time. She could remember the feel of his strong hands holding her possessively to him. Could remember the low huskiness of his voice as he tried to reassure her. Could remember the taste of him on her lips as their comforting embrace turned into something far more sensual, and soon deeply out of their control.

They’d touched. Explored. Pleasured. And then touched some more, until Jenna had thought she would die of the wondrous feelings shattering her. They’d fumbled their way out of their clothes, stopping for long involved kisses that had left her panting and crying for more.

Then they’d made sweet powerful love, using protection that had gone with the rest of Jenna’s luck and failed. Still, no man in her life since had ever compared to Stone, and no man could. As a result, her heart had forever belonged to him and the lovely product of their passion-Sara.

“Cindy.”

Jenna winced at that now, the use of the awful fake name she’d given. She couldn’t do this, couldn’t continue the lie. “Stone,” she whispered, coming to the impossibly difficult decision. “Oh, Stone.”

“Daddy, Daddy!”

Oh, how Jenna wanted to tell him. The lie was eating at her. But not like this was all she could think, not with their daughter barreling toward them.

Stone glanced at the child heading his way, then back at her. “I’m sorry, Cindy. I didn’t realize how late it was.”

“Don’t apologize for being a great dad.” She hesitated, torn between disappointment and eagerness to learn all she could about Sara. Her curiosity about her little girl was killing her.

“She gets dropped off here.” Stone again turned to Sara, who was nearly upon them now, book bag flying out behind her, hair tangled, sweater off one arm, a blissful expression on her face-all because she’d seen her father.

Jenna knew exactly how the girl felt. What she herself would give to be able to so freely show it!

Without hesitation Sara flung herself into Stone’s arms, laughing and squealing as he easily caught her up against him.

“Hey, princess.” He hugged her tight, and as he did, his expression lost most of its intensity, switching into easy loving father mode.

Jenna watched the two of them, her stomach twisting uncomfortably with… Oh, God, it was jealousy of Stone, for having Sara’s unconditional love. Jealousy of Sara, for being able to put that happy carefree expression on Stone’s face with just her presence.

What kind of monster was she to feel such jealousy of these people who deserved so much more?

“How was your spelling test?” Stone set Sara down. When she didn’t answer, he tugged on a hopelessly mussed lock of dark hair.

“Fine,” she muttered.

“Sara.”

Jenna smiled through the pain in her chest as she pictured what life for these two must be like. Laughter, understanding and togetherness were important. She could see that hair grooming-for both of them, she decided as she glanced at Stone’s slightly too long, also wild hair-was a low priority.

But apparently love topped that list, and that was all that mattered. How had she ever imagined she could live without this? Without them?

“How good is ‘fine’?” Stone asked Sara.

“I got an A-, because I missed one. But don’t worry,” Sara was quick to add. “I didn’t stick my tongue out behind Ms. Miller’s back like last time.”

“Good decision, and great job.”

“I didn’t wanna have to write my name on the board.” The girl looked at Cindy speculatively. “Hi.”

“Hello, Sara.” Jenna could hardly breathe. The child looked so good, so healthy, so absolutely perfect. “How are you?” she asked when, in fact, she wanted to know much more than that. Do you like ice cream? Do you love the rain? Do you play with a Barbie?

Are you happy?

Is your life as perfect as it can be?

Do you miss me?

So many questions, none of which would satisfy Jenna’s insatiable need to know everything.

“Why are you here?” the little girl asked directly.

“Sara,” Stone said quietly. “That’s rude.”

“Well, it’s not pizza night, Daddy. There’s not even a game today. Why is she at your office?”

Ah, Jenna thought. Jealousy was a two-way street. It was one thing when Sara invited Jenna to have pizza with the entire town present. It was another thing entirely for Jenna to show interest in her father, for Sara clearly believed Stone belonged exclusively to her.

And didn’t he?

For as Jenna could see all too well, Sara had no intention of sharing him. It made her smile, this show of fierce possessive love.

But it made her ache, too, for she was beginning to understand fierce, possessive love. She was feeling it for Sara, a girl she hardly knew, all because that girl was her daughter.

“Actually, this is my office.” Jenna pointed her front door out to Sara, a door still empty of a sign. “I’m opening a business here.”

Sara looked decidedly not thrilled. “Oh?”

Jenna had once been the Queen of Attitude herself, so she understood perfectly. And seeing the first flash of herself in her daughter was an unspeakable thrill. “A temp business, which means I help people find work.”

“But this is where my Daddy works.”

“Yes, a few doors down. And it will be where I work, too.”

All friendliness died in Sara’s eyes. “Oh,” she said again, a wealth of information in that one syllable.

Stone took Sara’s hand. “Excuse us,” he said to Jenna. “We need to have a chat, then do some homework.”

Jenna saw the firmness of his jaw, knew he was unhappy with Sara for being what he considered rude. She opened her mouth, wanting to protest, naturally coming to her daughter’s defense.

But Sara was Stone’s daughter first, and he had the right to raise the child as he saw fit, which Jenna knew would be with tough loving care.

She watched them walk away and listened to Stone murmur a reprimand. Though his tone wasn’t rough or abusive-it never would be-it had an unmistakable air of authority.

Her throat thickened as Stone tugged a stiff Sara close and set his hand on her shoulder. Immediately Sara melted against him, twisting her head to send him a smile.

They loved each other. No one could doubt that. Stone could punish, could be strict, could even be unhappy with Sara, and yet Sara had no doubt her father loved her.

Just as it should be for every child.

Jenna had never had such unconditional love from either of her parents, and although she regretted it, it was time to stop ruining her life over it.

Determination renewed, Jenna lifted her chin, sent one last watery smile down the path toward Stone and Sara and went into her new office to set up.

Jenna couldn’t keep herself away from Sara’s game the following night.

She tried to go incognito, wearing a hat and keeping her head down, but still, she was the recipient of more than one appreciative male glance. One man, probably a father, tried to make conversation, but she wasn’t up for it.

She wasn’t up for much, other than watching the tall rangy coach as he ran back and forth on the sidelines yelling encouragement to his kids.

Just looking at him did something to her insides, something she was having a hard time dealing with. He’d been by her office at least twice that she knew of, leaving her notes when she hadn’t been there. Now that she’d made the decision to tell him the truth, she hadn’t yet mustered the courage to face him.

“Peanuts?” a kid asked, holding a tray. “It’s to support our school.”

“Thanks.” But Jenna froze. Behind the kid and three rows over from her, sat the man who’d single-handedly set her life on its destructive path.

Her old school principal. Her mother’s ex-boyfriend. Rand Ridgeway.

Fear nearly suffocated her as the image of him leering over her, his stern voice ordering her to be good…and his hands, God, his hands, roaming in a way that made her want to cringe even now, all these years later.

Her vision actually faded before she realized the student selling peanuts was still standing in front of her, hand out, waiting for his fifty cents.

“Sorry,” she whispered, pulling the change out of her pocket with shaking fingers. Somehow she managed to keep breathing when all she wanted to do was run.

Stop it, she ordered herself. No way could Rand recognize her, no way at all. Still, she kept stealing glances at his hard profile. Ten years ago, he had been in his late thirties and in his prime; handsome in a dark dangerous way and powerfully built.

Not much had changed, Jenna noted, trying not to panic again. A bit grayer at the temples, but he was still big, far too big for her comfort.

Be nice to Rand, she remembered her mother admonishing her. Do what he tells you to.

The memory of what Rand had told her to do made her want to puke.

As if he sensed her interest from across at least twenty people, Rand lifted his head and looked directly at her-without an ounce of recognition.

Still, whatever he saw must have pleased him, for he shot her a slow smile that sent a chill racing down her spine.

She dropped eye contact immediately and wrapped her arms around herself, concentrating on dragging air into her lungs one breath at a time.

If she could have gotten up on her shaking legs and left, she would have. Instead, she stayed on the stands, huddled practically into a ball, and watched the game in mute misery.

The sight of her precious daughter racing across the court drew a smile back to her lips and eventually some warmth back into her body.

And when Stone spotted her at halftime, he loped up the stands and sat next to her, warming her some more.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said with obvious pleasure, touching his shoulder to hers.

He was big, too, huge actually, but somehow his brute strength never threatened her. He would never hurt her. Never, she reminded herself when her stomach turned at the physical contact coming so close on the heels of seeing Rand again.

She pulled away slightly, so that they no longer touched.

At the movement Stone frowned, his eyes steady and comforting on her, although he was careful not to touch her again. “Are you all right?”

“Yes.” But she spoke too quickly, dammit, tweaking his concern and curiosity, then compounded her error by glancing at Rand again.

Stone followed her gaze. His casual ease vanished. Every muscle in his body tensed, hard and battle-ready. For a split second, the men exchanged glances, Rand’s slightly amused, Stone’s exacting and sharp.

Rand broke eye contact first, looking far from happy now.

Jenna held her breath. Clearly the tension between the two men had not lessened with time. She knew this was because of her, because of that time when Stone had been the only person on earth to believe in her.

With Rand’s eyes off them, Stone turned his attention back to her. He touched her arm softly, and when he spoke, his voice had changed, had become lower, gentler, automatically easing some of her fright and helping her to gain control of herself. “Are you certain you’re all right? You’re shaking and pale.”

With a last careful look at Rand, who was now speaking to someone on the other side of him, Jenna forced a smile. “I’m fine, really. I, um, just love basketball,” she said inanely.

His lips curved in a slow sexy smile. “Do you now?”

“Uh-huh.” She brought a still-trembling hand up to her hot face and hoped he didn’t notice.

His soft laugh brought butterflies to her stomach. Nice ones, she realized, really nice ones, and it had less to do with lust and more-everything-to do with how she felt being with him. Safe, warm, special. His hand reached up, gently touching her hand, still on her face.

She jumped, and this time it wasn’t from fear.

“Did anything else bring you here?”

“Like… what?”

“I don’t know…” His long fingers skimmed hers, playing havoc with her pulse, reminding her that she was indeed attracted to him. He reached her earlobe, sliding lightly, playfully, racking her body with a shiver.

His eyes, those wonderful all-seeing eyes, went hot. “Like maybe you have a thing for the coach?”

His hopeful and purposefully lecherous grin made her laugh, and it felt so good she laughed again. “Hmm. Do you know him?”

“I could introduce you.” At this, he grinned wider. “He happens to think you’re something, too, you know.” He stroked her jaw.

Good Lord, she thought weakly, if a sexier man than him existed, she couldn’t imagine.

“How about meeting him over pizza?”

She firmly shoved away her fear and smiled. After all, she was older now and wiser. She knew how to protect herself from danger.

Then she looked at the fascinating hot-blooded man waiting patiently for her answer and realized she’d just traded one dangerous man for another, for this one held her heart in his hands.

“Pizza sounds nice,” she said, sealing her fate.

A couple of days later Stone was deeply buried in work. He had his table saw pulled out, and the twelve-foot machine easily dwarfed even his big body as he bent over it, setting the correct measurements for what would become the frame for his latest prototype.

This particular job was new to him, a design he’d created last year. Kids liked big, responded to the visual, and Stone had capitalized on that He was making life-size puzzles, created of wood, designed to stimulate the minds of second graders across the state.

Flipping up his ear protectors, he turned on the saw and started. It was difficult back-aching work. Cutting out the pieces for the frames took hours, and by the time he was nearly done, his every limb trembled with fatigue.

Just two more cuts, he told himself, and then he’d break for lunch. Maybe he’d even catch a glimpse of his new neighbor. Over the past few days, he’d spent more time looking out his window and contriving to be on the sidewalk than in all the years he’d been here.

He would have been annoyed at himself, except he knew it was the same for her. There was no mistaking that he affected her every bit as much as she affected him, for he could see the pulse dance at the base of her neck when they saw each other. Her eyes would widen, her mouth would open slightly. She couldn’t keep her breathing even. She was definitely attracted to him.

Still, she’d done her damnedest to avoid being alone with him. In fact, the only time he’d spoken to her in the past days had been after Sara had arrived home from school

She had a great interest in his child, something that concerned him, for Sara had decided she didn’t like Cindy. Stone knew that was because his daughter sensed his interest, and since he’d never expressed a serious interest in another woman before, it threatened her.

There was one solution to this problem-stay the hell away from Cindy Beatty. Except that he really liked her, unsettling as that was.

Stone shook his head and pushed the last two-by-four through the massive noisy saw. But with his head buried in the clouds, he miscalculated, and didn’t push hard enough, even though he knew that with a saw this big, such an error could be dangerous.

He saw the mistake, but it was too late; he could do nothing to save himself as the saw kicked back the heavy beam directly at him.

No time to duck or even react before it hit him with terrific force, plowing him directly in the belly, knocking him ten feet back into the concrete wall of his workshop.

His head hit the wall with a sickening thud, and he saw stars. With the air socked right out of him, for long torturous seconds all Stone could do was lie there and open his mouth like a dying fish as he began the desperate painful struggle to pump air into his lungs.

“Stone?” Over the roar of the still-running saw, he barely heard her. “Guess what!” she called. “I’ve just taken on two girls looking for clerical and secretarial work, one of which I can place right away and-Stone?”

From his vantage point on the cold floor, all Stone could see was a set of long legs running toward him.

Great legs, he thought woozily.

“Stone!” Cindy dropped to her knees on the concrete beside him. “Oh, my God, what happened?”

He tried to smile. Tried to whisper her name, but nothing came out except a horrible gasping breath.

Well, at least he wasn’t about to suffocate, he thought, as his vision faded to black.

“Stone!” Jenna cried.

There was no response. He only slumped further, and Jenna’s heart nearly jerked right out of her chest.

She leaped to her feet, searching desperately for a phone so she could call for help. The saw screeched, driving her crazy, but she didn’t have a clue how to turn the thing off.

“Cindy…”

She found the phone base, but the portable was missing from it. Dammit. Whipping around, she searched the cluttered countertop, ready to run out into the street screaming for help if the phone didn’t materialize.

“Cindy…”

It took her a minute, for she still wasn’t used to that horrible name, and on top of that, the saw still roared.

“Cindy…”

The weak voice finally penetrated her panic. It was Stone.

Racing back, she hunkered down, wrapping an arm around him for support. “Don’t move,” she ordered, wishing she knew more first aid.

Stone slowly pulled himself up to his hands and knees-one hand clutching his stomach.

“Stone?” Propping him up with her shoulder, she bore most of his weight. With her free hand she cupped his face and tilted it up, waiting until his eyes fluttered open. They were glassy-oh God, didn’t that mean something bad? A concussion? “I’m calling an ambulance,” she told him. “Soon as I find your phone.”

The glistening in his eyes got stronger. His face, looking drawn and tight with pain, flushed. “No.”

He wheezed when he breathed. Under her hand, his bunched back muscles flexed. She could feel him tremble. “Oh, this is ridiculous!” she cried. “Where is your phone!”

His jaw set determinedly, which in a calmer moment she would have recognized as pure stubbornness, but panic had taken over. “Stone!”

He glared at her. “Over there…on left side of the saw…”

Leaping up, Jenna looked and looked, but on the left side of the saw she saw nothing but a black switch.

“Hit…it. Turn off…the damn saw.”

Exasperated, she hit the switch as he’d requested, and the shop fell blessedly silent.

Stone sank back to the floor, silent and still, and Jenna’s heart stopped.

Terrified, she skidded back around the counter and again dropped to her knees beside him. “No,” she whispered, draping herself over his broad back and hugging him tight. Just touching him like this, holding his big warm body, had memories slamming into her: Stone laughing, Stone making her laugh.

Stone caring for her, when no one else did. What if she had lost him now, before she told him the truth? “No,” she whispered again, squeezing him hard, fear overriding all else.

He groaned. “Don’t,” he gasped in a strangled voice when she inadvertently squeezed again. He pushed himself away from her and back up on his knees.

He didn’t want her to touch him, and forgetting for a minute that he had no idea who she really was, Jenna felt a deep self-loathing; she couldn’t blame him for not wanting her to be near him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Grimacing, he wrapped his arms around his middle. “You don’t understand.”

“Yes, I do. You don’t want me to touch you.”

He laughed shortly, then winced, trying to hold both his head and his belly at the same time. “God, that hurt. That damn two-by-four kicked back at me with enough power to stop a locomotive.” He wobbled a minute, then pushed himself to a standing position and groaned again. “Never even saw it coming.” Carefully, as if testing, he drew a breath. Apparently satisfied, he pierced her with his gaze. “Now come here.”

Not waiting for her to move, he snaked a hand out and grabbed her wrist, tugging her close. He ran his hands up her arms, then slowly back down. Grasping her hips, he pulled her closer, then closer still, until they were only a fraction of an inch from an embrace.

Gruffly he said, “I didn’t mean I didn’t want you to touch me. I want that, Cindy. I want it badly.” He rubbed his ribs. “But I hurt like hell, and much as I regret asking you not to hug me, you were squeezing too hard.”

She closed her eyes in embarrassment, but she was just so relieved he was okay. “Oh.”

His eyes gleamed with something far more than pain. There was warmth and affection, just waiting for her to take it. As she watched, it deepened into something more like…hunger. For her. She would have taken a step back from what she saw there, but she had to be able to breathe to move, and at the moment, she couldn’t draw any air at all.

“I’m feeling…a bit better.”

“I’m glad,” she managed. His hands on her hips were making her knees weak again, and she couldn’t hold back the memories of other times, other places, when he’d had those big knowing hands on her, how he’d made her feel like the most important woman on earth.

He was doing it again, with little to no effort, and this time, for the first time, her head was in the right place. She could only imagine how wonderful it would be now to make love with him.

He ducked his head a bit to stare into her lowered gaze. “That thought you just had, the one that’s making you blush.” He arched his brows. “Mind sharing?”

Her face felt hotter. “I don’t think so. No.”

“Chicken.”

“All right, if you must know, I was thinking about how scared I was, watching you crumble like that.”

“I just had the air knocked out of me, that’s all. And that’s not what you were thinking.”

“Okay, I was thinking of getting you to a hospital.”

His sharp gaze told her he didn’t believe a word of that excuse, either. “I don’t need a doctor, but thanks.”

“Yes, you do, your head…”

“It’s fine,” he assured her, rubbing his chest “But this hurts. What do you have for this?”

“I thought it was your stomach.”

His gaze deepened, his body, his big, warm body, leaned closer. “It was. But my heart hurts like hell. What are you doing to me?”

Oh, she couldn’t face this. The tenderness, the caring… it was going to tear her apart. She didn’t deserve it, and he deserved so much more.

“Your ribs,” she said desperately. “You might have cracked something. You need-”

“You,” he said. “I need you.” And he kissed her, a deep searching kiss.