Beauty and the Wolf (15 page)

“Time to wake up.”

She could swear her dream had somehow added aromas to its visual and audio dimensions. She frowned, half awake.

Eli's lips brushed over her temple. “Honey, are you always like this in the morning?” His deep voice held amusement, layered with affection.

Frankie opened one eye. Eli was sprawled across his side of the bed, his head propped on one hand. The smile on his face was sinfully sexy—and he held a mug of steaming coffee a few inches from her nose.

“You brought me coffee?”

“It's yours if you'll sit up,” he told her, his smile widening.

Sighing, Frankie levered upright, clutching the sheet to her chest, and shoved her pillow behind her against the headboard.

“I'm up.” She yawned, covering her mouth with one hand, and considered him through half-open eyes.

He caught her hand, curled her fingers around the mug and grinned at her. “You're cute when you're comatose.”

“You brought me coffee. Therefore, I'll let you get away with that.” She yawned again, settling back against the pillow and smiling sleepily. “I could get used to this,” she told him.

“Uh-huh.” He bunched up his pillow against the headboard and stretched out beside her, his big frame taking up more than his share of the bed. He leaned sideways, gathered her up and shifted her closer, bracing her back against his chest, his arms wrapped around her waist.

“Hey,” she protested. “You could have spilled my coffee.”

“But I didn't.” He nuzzled the back of her neck, moving her hair aside until his lips found the sensitive skin of her neck.

Frankie closed her eyes, smiling contentedly. “This is a very nice way to wake up.” Her voice was throaty, bemused.

“Yeah, isn't it?” His lips trailed down the curve of her throat to her shoulder, and she tipped her head to give him better access. He tugged the sheet lower, his hands replacing the soft cotton as he cupped her breasts. “I like it. A lot.”

The alarm on the bedside table went off, and the radio came on, the voice of the morning announcer bright and cheery.

“Darn.” Frankie stirred, lifting her head. “I have a breakfast meeting this morning,” she said regretfully.

“Skip it.” Eli brushed a kiss against the soft, vulnerable skin just beneath her ear.

Frankie closed her eyes as the world began to slowly spin. “I can't,” she got out. “I have to give a report.”

“Damn.” Reluctantly, Eli released her.

She turned her head, her lips meeting his. The kiss
was sweet and long, and Frankie was reluctant to end it. But at last she sat up to deposit her mug on the bedside table before slipping out of bed.

“Want some help showering?” Eli asked as she entered the bathroom.

A quick glance over her shoulder told her he'd watched her walk naked out of the room. She flushed. “No, thanks. If you help, I'll take twice as long, and I'll miss my meeting.”

“Yeah, but you'll have twice as much fun.”

“Sorry, but no.” She laughed at his disappointed expression and closed the bathroom door.

They left her apartment together, Eli opening Frankie's car door and kissing her breathless before he walked away. His truck was parked on the street, and as she left the condo's parking garage, she waved. He lifted a hand in reply, his handsome face creasing in a smile as he watched her drive away.

Frankie realized she was smiling, happiness bubbling up from inside. She was in love. She wanted to tell the world.

So why hadn't she told Eli?

A better question was: If he felt the same, why hadn't he told her?

Last night had been wonderful. Making love with Eli was everything she'd hoped and dreamed it would be. She no longer had any doubts about her feelings for him, but she was uncharacteristically reluctant to tell him how she felt. Not until she had some indication he felt the same.

She didn't like being unsure of herself.

This is one of the reasons I never wanted to fall in love,
she thought with a sigh.
I'm uncomfortably vulnerable and unsure of him. Why didn't I just ask him?

She knew why—but she hated to admit it, even to herself.

Because she knew, she would have been devastated if Eli had told her he didn't love her in return.

F
rankie set aside her worries over Eli's long-term intentions, instead focusing on the amazing night she'd spent in his arms. Happiness bubbled through her veins, and she had the urge to call Tommi and Bobbie to tell them she totally understood why they seemed to glow. Falling in love did that for a woman, she thought.

She had only two morning classes. When she left the lecture hall and hurried back to her office, she was still walking on air. Planning to visit Lily's boutique and buy new lingerie, she grabbed her purse and raincoat and left the hall to hurry to her car. She'd just tossed her purse onto the passenger seat and switched on the engine when her cell phone rang.

“Hello?” Her brain was fully occupied with wondering whether Eli liked black lingerie or if he preferred
red. Distracted, she didn't catch the first words the caller spoke. “I'm sorry, who is this?” she asked, holding the phone to her ear with her left hand while her right fitted the key into the ignition.

“This is Matt, Eli's brother.”

“Hi, Matt.” Wondering why Eli's brother would be calling her, Frankie switched on the engine.

“Connor thought I should call and let you know there's been an accident. Eli's fine, but we thought he might want you to know.”

Frankie froze, her heart seeming to stop beating.

“Where is he?”

“He's in the ER at Harborview.”

“Harborview?” Frankie's veins turned to ice. She knew serious trauma cases were taken directly to Harborview. “How badly is he hurt?”

“The doc isn't sure. They're still running tests.”

“What happened?” Her fingers gripped the steering wheel, knuckles whitening.

“That damned slope above the job site slid on the east side.” Matt's voice was taut with anger and disgust. “Took out a big fir just past the work trailer and caught Eli's truck. He was running to move it out of the way when one of the big tree limbs caught him.”

“Oh, my God.” Frankie caught her breath.

“The doc's running an MRI now. I'll call you back when we hear the results, okay?”

“Yes,” Frankie managed to get out. “Okay.”

She dropped her phone into her purse and waited a moment, willing her fingers to stop trembling. Then
she left the parking lot, heading across town to the hospital.

The parking at Harborview was nonexistent. Frankie drove through the stacked levels of the huge garage twice before finally finding a spot. She breathed a sigh of relief and quickly nosed her car into the open space before hurrying toward the elevator, her heels tapping quickly on the cement as she ran.

When she left the elevator, it took her fifteen minutes to find her way through the maze of hallways. Harborview was Seattle's general hospital, and not only were serious trauma and accident patients seen there, but also those folks without insurance. Consequently, the halls were thronged with a variety of people, from the homeless to well-dressed businessmen to middle-income housewives.

At last, Frankie reached the emergency area and found the waiting room. But none of Eli's brothers were there—she didn't recognize any of the people seated in the chairs or ranged on the two sofas.

Terrified, she left the waiting room and stopped a nurse in green scrubs just outside.

“I'm looking for an accident patient. He's supposed to be in the ER—his name is Eli Wolf.”

The nurse eyed her shrewdly. “Are you a family member?”

“He's my fiancé.” Frankie lied without a shred of regret.

“Then I'm sure it's okay for you to go in. This way.” The nurse held open the heavy door and led Frankie
into a big room sectioned off with curtains that slid on overhead transoms. Several of the curtains were open, the beds within their semicircles empty.

The nurse led her across the room. Just as she pulled back a section of the heavy drape, masculine laughter rang out.

“He's in here,” the nurse told her, standing back to let Frankie pass.

Frankie stepped quickly through the opening and stopped abruptly, her eyes filling with tears.

Eli was propped up in the raised hospital bed, his chest bare above the white sheet bunched at his waist. Red scrapes marred the left side of his chest, and bruises left faint blue marks. But he'd been laughing, a smile still curving his mouth and lighting his eyes.

Ethan and Connor sat in plastic chairs, long legs stretched out, while Matt stood at the foot of the bed.

They all looked up when she stepped into the room.

Frankie's frantic gaze tracked over what she could see of Eli's body. She was relieved to find nothing worse than scrapes and bruises. The tight knot squeezing her chest and sitting like lead just below her collarbone eased, but the tears streaming down her face didn't stop.

She brushed at them with trembling fingertips while she stared at Eli, unable to speak.

“Frankie,” his deep voice rumbled. “Honey, I'm all right.”

She didn't speak, and the tears wouldn't stop falling.
Her feet wouldn't move; they felt cemented to the floor.

“I'll see you guys later,” Eli said without taking his eyes from Frankie. “Thanks for coming down.”

“Yeah, no problem.” Metal chair legs scraped against the linoleum-covered floor as Ethan and Connor stood. Matt joined them, and the three filed out, each pausing to awkwardly pat Frankie's shoulder as they passed.

“Come here, honey.” Eli opened his arms. The words lifted the paralysis that held her. At last, Frankie could move.

She ran across the waxed floor. Eli caught her hand and tugged her down onto the hospital bed, facing him. And when he wrapped his arms around her, she willingly let him tuck her close, her face pressed against the strong column of his throat, his pulse beating with rhythmic thuds against her cheek.

“You scared me.” She ran her hands over him, searching for breaks. Remembering the scrapes on his side, she carefully backed away from him, although he didn't let her go far. The raw places on his ribs looked like rug burns, and she winced as she barely skimmed her fingertips over one. “This looks sore.”

He shrugged, the hard muscles of his chest shifting under her hand. “They're just a few little scrapes.”

“What caused them?”

“I don't remember exactly, but I think it was the branches of the fir tree.” He shook his head in disgust. “I knew that slope was going to slide sooner or later. We're just lucky it only gave way on one end.”

“Did you have to be standing there when it did?” she demanded, smoothing her fingertips over the bruise on his cheekbone before cupping his cheek.

“I didn't exactly plan it that way,” he told her, a small, endearing smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “If I'd had a choice, trust me, I would have been on the other side of the lot with Connor.”

“Humph.” Frankie wasn't mollified. She continued to stroke her fingers over the warm, satiny skin of his chest, the feel of his hard muscles and the lift of his chest as he breathed soothing the terror that had shaken her. Suddenly, she stiffened and sat up. “Eli, you're bruised on your left side. Did the tree damage your left leg—the one you broke last year?”

“No.” He pulled her back, tucking her head beneath his chin. “That's why the doctor scheduled me for an MRI. Well, that and the general beating I got all over from the tree,” he conceded. “But the leg is fine. I'm sure I'll be stiff and sore tomorrow, and probably for a few days to come, but ultimately I was incredibly lucky. No serious damage.”

“Thank goodness.” Frankie hugged him tighter before instantly loosening her grip. “Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you.”

His arms pressed her close once again. “You didn't hurt me.” He brushed a kiss against her hair. “The accident was a wake-up call for me, Frankie. I could have died this afternoon without telling you how much I love you. I should have told you last night—or this morning. I don't know why I didn't. Yes, I do,” he said with a shake
of his head. “I chickened out because I was afraid you weren't ready to hear it.” His arms tightened, pressing her closer, and his voice rumbled. “I couldn't stop thinking about you after we kissed at your birthday party. If you hadn't walked into the office and asked me to help you, I would have called and asked you out. I wasn't just pretending to be interested in you—I wanted to spend time with you and this was the perfect opportunity.” He paused, his voice deeper when he continued. “We hadn't been dating for more than a week when I knew I was in deep trouble. You weren't just another beautiful woman. I didn't want to admit it, even to myself, but I'd fallen in love with you.”

“Eli,” she breathed, tilting her head back to look up at him. “I love you, too. I wanted to tell you last night, but I wasn't sure you felt the same way about me.”

His eyes flared, hot with blue fire, and he bent his head and kissed her. The warm pressure of his mouth reaffirmed he was safe, his injuries minor, and her earlier terror that she'd lost him melted away.

When he lifted his head, his blue eyes were heavy-lidded and darkened. “Harry asked me yesterday what my intentions were toward you, Frankie. I want to spend my life with you. I want to wake up in the morning with you in my arms and go to bed at night with you beside me. I want you to marry me. I want us to have a little girl who looks just like you and makes me sit on little chairs to play at tea parties.” He stroked his thumb over the faintly swollen fullness of her lower lip. “But most of all, I want you to love me the way I love you. I wasn't
sure that was possible, but when you walked in here, I began to hope.”

“Oh, Eli.” Frankie's eyes filled, and tears spilled down her cheeks. “I love you so much it scares me.”

“Scares you?” He frowned. “Why?”

“Because loving someone this much is a scary thing for me. I was very young when my father died, but I remember watching my mother grieve and thinking I never wanted to love someone that much, and I've never let myself fall in love. Until now—I can't control how I feel about you. It's as if you're the other half of me, as if I didn't even realize I needed you until we started dating.” She shook her head. “Like I said, loving you is scary. I've never done it before. I'm in uncharted territory.”

He smiled slowly. “If it helps, honey, you're not alone.”

“Really?” She searched his face. “You've never been in love like this before, either?”

“No.”

“Good,” she said firmly. “Then we can muddle through together.”

“I'm game for anything we can do together, honey,” he said. “How soon do you think we can spring me from this place?”

“I don't know. Certainly not until the doctor has run all the tests he needs to be sure you're all right.”

“I'm fine. And I'll be better as soon as we're home.” He lifted a questioning brow. “My place or yours? I don't
care which, just pick one. But you're spending tonight with me.”

“Only if the doctor says it's okay,” she warned him.

“Honey, I'm not asking the doc if I can make love to you tonight,” he told her with a slow grin. “It wouldn't matter if he told me yes or no. But if you'll go find him, we can get me released and out of this place. Unless you want to climb under the sheet with me and get creative?”

Frankie laughed and slipped off the bed. “You're incorrigible. I'll see if I can find a nurse.”

 

Once again, family and friends gathered at Harry's lakeside mansion. This time to celebrate Eli's release from the hospital and his engagement to Frankie.

The panel of doors between the living room and an adjacent family room were thrown open, and the space was crowded with guests. Harry had spared no expense—tables groaning under the weight of catered food and champagne fountains flowing.

At the end of the room, standing near the ebony grand piano with the Seattle skyline visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind them, Harry and Cornelia stood apart, savoring a moment alone.

“Well, Harry—” Cornelia lifted her champagne glass, sipping as she eyed his tall, lanky figure and the smile wreathing his features “—all has turned out well. I've never seen Frankie so happy. She absolutely glows.”

“And Eli looks pretty happy, too,” Harry agreed. He lifted his glass, touching it to Cornelia's with a small
click of congratulations. “Here's to another wedding in the family.”

“I'll drink to that.” Cornelia sipped once more, sighing contentedly as she looked about the room. “It was lovely of you to volunteer to hold Frankie's engagement party here, Harry. We could have had it at my house, but I'm not sure we would have all fit.”

“It's my pleasure.” Harry's eyes gleamed, his gaze intent on Cornelia as she smiled and waved at Tommi, standing with Max, Bobbie and Gabriel across the room.

Their moment of quiet conversation was all too short, and soon Cornelia was called away by a group of Frankie's high school friends. Harry let her go and moved through the crowd, visiting with friends and greeting some guests he hadn't met before. One of those was Eli's grandfather, Jack, who accepted with alacrity Harry's offer of whisky instead of champagne.

“Nice of you to throw this party for Eli,” Jack told Harry.

The two older men stood at the end of the long living room, heavy lead crystal glasses containing a few inches of whisky in their hands.

“Glad to do it,” Harry said expansively. “He's been practically a member of the family for years.” He nodded at the newly engaged couple holding court near the fireplace halfway down the room. “And now that he's engaged to my niece, he'll be making it official. Seems like a natural next step.”

“Does that mean Wolf Construction gets the contract
to build HuntCom's new campus?” Jack asked casually, his blue eyes shrewd as he looked at Harry.